Z1OwnersClub GB

So, I finally saw reason and sold the Dymags on to a man who knows exactly what he's buying and will crack-test them before use. Although they were a lovely thing and in the perfect size too, common sense prevailed...
I'd have been daft to use them on the pothole-covered roads that grace this fair land, though the reduction unsprung weight would have been nice.

Anyway, I have a plan for the rear at least. On its way to me now for a paltry sum is a wheel that looks surprisingly like an 18" Dymag, though is 3.5" wide, aluminium, probably lighter than my GPz rear and has a proper cush drive!
My dilemma is now what to do with the front. I can't find a 7-spoke wheel that's wider than the current 2.15" Z1300 wheel, nor can I find any other wider production 18" front wheel that looks to be "within keeping" of the period. Any suggestions anyone?

Plans are afoot. The rear wheel arrived last week and will fit quite simply, needing a few mm facing off the sprocket carrier face to allow correct chain alignment with a ZRX front sprocket (530, down from the current 630). My MOT man kindly let me play with his lathe last Friday, so that bit is now done. I now just need to make a bracket for the torque arm to hang odd the swinging arm, weld it on (along with some paddock stand bobbins), source a longer brake hose and it's good-to-go! Once the wheel becomes a nice shade of satin black, that it....

A prize for whoever can tell what the wheel, disc, caliper and torque arm are from? Only one is Kawasaki and they're all from different bikes.

Yesterday I took delivery of a new front wheel, which is another Dymag but this one has been crack tested and chromate primed. I'm just awaiting some new bearings for it and have today made some spacers, so hopefully next week I can drop it in to measure for caliper brackets, give it a few coats of satin black and we'll be sorted!

Phew, got there then.

AL

Could that be a VFR 750 rear wheel? Looking good.

zorded wrote:Phew, got there then.

AL

Nearly, it just all needs to come together now...
I'll give you a shout about that tyre sometime soon if it's still kicking about?

pluto wrote: Could that be a VFR 750 rear wheel? Looking good.

Yep, right on the money! If you squint it almost looks like a Dymag...
Any idea about the torque arm at least?

Looking good Coose! I need to get a few mil closer on my hub carrier think this could be the way forward..

LeeJackson wrote:Looking good Coose! I need to get a few mil closer on my hub carrier think this could be the way forward..

The rear can be picked up for peanuts, is 18 x 3.5" and gives about 8mm more sprocket offset than a stock wheel.

It's just a shame that the front is 16"...

The tyre's there when you need it.

AL

I managed a few hours in the garage today, which led to a fair bit of progress. Caliper brackets were made, a tyre fitted and the front Dymag is now in.
The (110) tyre profile looks correct, so I now just need to press on with the rear. It's almost there - I just need to weld a bracket to the swinger for the torque arm (plus fit some bosses for paddock stand bobbins and a bracket for a catch tank), repaint the wheel, fit a tyre (thanks Al!) and we're good to go!

What did you use the unitrac hub you got off me on?

1962royp wrote:What did you use the unitrac hub you got off me on?

The cush drive rubbers? They were going to go into the rear wheel that's on there now as those ones are past their best, but as I'm now replacing that wheel entirely they're still sat in the garage....

Must make a note of this i might need one.

Ian, how long has it taken you from buying the bike to finishing it, only asking because my own J is taking longer than I thought, though this is down to engine problems I found.

Julian_Boolean wrote:Ian, how long has it taken you from buying the bike to finishing it, only asking because my own J is taking longer than I thought, though this is down to engine problems I found.

Finishing it? HA HA HA ohhhhhh.....
It's not finished and probably won't be for some time! I bought it as a dog and took it for an MOT, where if it failed I would pull it apart and do what I've done to it so far. But, it passed, and as it was April last year it got ridden and tweaked through summer and I was going to pull it apart last winter. That didn't happen, so it has been tweaked again this summer with the plan that the motor would be rebuilt and everything painted this winter. Will this yet happen? Who knows...

I had a call from my powder coater this morning to say my rear wheel was ready. I had a little time free, so in it went...

All I need now is to go over it to make sure all is tight, then the weather to pick up so I can take it for a shakedown.