More machined parts for the pinto fork swap

Today I went to visit a friend of mine with some really nice machining tools. He is the same one that made the hub for the 8 star rotor. In order to keep my M bars, I needed to get rid of the hex portion of the top nut that holds the spring inside the forks. Well, one I got rid of the hex, I really wouldn't have a way to tighten/loosen it. Hmmm....

So, I ordered some set screws to go down inside the top nut. We then machined off the hex in a lathe and drilled a hole in the bottom of the nut. I ran the set screw through the bottom of the nut and welded it in place. I now have a way to put the top nut in place and it is recessed below my M bars.

My Domino throttle showed up today from Treats. I put that on along with a new throttle cable. Now I just need to get the wheel spaced properly, get the caliper bracket modified, and find someone to make me a shorter brake hose.

This process is taking way longer than I expected...

Forks Mounted to the Pinto

Two nights ago with the help of a motocross buddy, I was able to shorten the forks. I took two inches out of the 3-1/4 inches of travel. I really wanted to keep the bike away from having any sort of chopper rake.

Last night I figured out how to deal with the difference between the EBR triple tree clamp and the smaller fork tubes of the SSR Motorsports forks. I used some .5mm shim stock that I heated and bent around the forks to take up the extra space. I thought I would be able to go all the way around with the shim, but it turned out I could only make it about 1/6th of the way. After putting the shim in and clamping it down, I feel confident the EBR clamps will hold the tubes just fine.

Here are a couple of pictures of them on the bike. I was bummed to find out my M bars won't fit. I'll have to switch over to straight bars...one more unplanned expense...damn.

More 8 Star Disc Brake Pictures

I picked up the right bolts at Ace Hardware yesterday....8mm x 1.25...metric 10.8. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I just hope I got my offset correct, so the wheel will be centered within the forks.

Puch 8 Star Disc Brake Hub

I figured out where I wanted the rotor to sit in relation to the wheel with the wheel centered in the forks. I then drew up this hub in 3D and sent the drawing to a good friend of mine. He and his brother have a fantastic machining center for doing just these sorts of things. As you can see the part turned out very nice.

Tonight I started to press it into place and I match drilled the holes all the way through. I also got the sealed bearing put in and took some measurements for the spacer I need.

SSR Motorsports Hydraulic Forks for the Pinto

I read a thread on moped army a while back on these forks. Maize found them and posted some good pictures. After having a couple of sketchy stops at yellow lights last year, I knew I wanted to upgrade...and winter is the perfect time to do it. Here are some pictures of the parts. I'm really happy with the fit and finish of the Lazer moped fork tubes. The EBR triple tree parts are ok, but not great.

The only unfortunate part is that the Lazer moped tubes are 27mm and the EBR triple tree clamps only go down to 28mm. I'll have to figure out some sort of shim to make them work. I think it will work out for the best though. The Lazer moped triple tree parts seem a lot bigger than the EBR's. And I'd like to keep this conversion as sleek as possible.

Broken air compressor and a new Allstate

So, I've been disappointed with my air compressor performance while using the blast cabinet. And a couple of times I've heard a noise that sounds like a piston ring letting go in a moped cylinder. On Friday night when I noticed it struggling to build 60 psi, I decided I needed to investigate. What I found was a broken connecting rod and no parts.

I bought this compressor about 5 years ago on Craigslist. I'm starting to think it was broken the whole time and I just never noticed. I never had a compressor prior to this one, so I thought that was how it worked. Now with new parts and seals on the way, I'm looking forward to seeing it perform to its full potential.

Oh...and I picked up this Sears Allstate today. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.

Flandria reassembled

It looks pretty damn good now. I still think I may powder coat the controls black, but I want to make sure it runs still. I haven't fired it up for a few months...and I've redone the wiring and lights since then. I need to get a spark plug boot from one of the other Radium City guys to try it out though.

Helmet decal

Flandria fender and forks are done

I blasted the crappy spray paint off of the fender yesterday. It looks like someone sanded down the chrome before painting it. I like how it turned out though. It kind of looks like brushed aluminum now. I'm going to run it as is and see how it holds up against rust.

Today I worked on powder coating the main part of the forks. I was a little disappointed that the heat resistant masking tape didn't keep sticky through the preheat process. For the most part it served its purpose though.

The end result is great. I'm really happy with how they turned out. Now I just need to reassemble them...which will probably be tomorrow.