SS50 rear sets sneak preview

Yesterday I did a lot of work on my new rear sets for the SS50, they're almost done now. Here is a picture of one of the brackets that will hold the CB72 footpegs.

The splined surface that the pegs will mount to is actually a BMW /6 passenger peg mount. After this ofcourse came some modelling with the grinder, rounding the edges and so on. the brackets have since been primed, painted and mounted. A pair of old CB72 pegs have been bent back into shape, blasted and painted. Might have them zinc plated some day, but for now I want to ride. Rebuilt the brakecable to fit these pegs, made a bracket for the brakelightswitch and built a custom shifter-rod. Shifter pedal will need a replacement some day as it was totaly mangled, but for now I can get into gear. Today I hope to finish everything and take it for a testride.

Testride

For a long time I have been wondering what to do with my SS50 motorcycle, I planned on putting a long racetank on it, with a short bum-stop seat, but I wondered what that would ride like in combination with my rearsets and clip-on bars. Thus I quickly made some brackets to fit a cheap seat to my SS50, looks odd with the big space between the seat and tank, but it was just for testing. The tank that should go on there would fill the gap.

however, this rode like sh!t, I'm constantly resting on my arms..... My plans needed to be changed, so I tried some things when back in the workshop; normal handlebars...don't like the look, but then I would get a rideable bike. Normal footrests, too high, too far forward, but almost rideable. Conclusion: To build my bike with long tank and short seat, I need footpegs somewhere around the swingarm pivot. So I started building, to be continued.

First day outside

The Beemer is almost ready now.
My dad fitted the fairing with custom mounts for the headlight, clocks, winkers and so on.


Winkers look a bit odd, but that is the way they used to do it, and I wanted to keep the typically BMW alloy blinkers.

Deep oilpan, made for old /5 or /6 centerstand, no reproduction, the real old thing.

Tomorrow: fluids, fork oil, engine oil, gearbox oil, driveshaft oil, connect the battery, mount the sidecovers, check tyre pressure.
And then it will be time for a testride.
Hope the weather will be okay.

RSC news from down under

Stew Ross sent me some pictures of his 90.
He's made some more progress, really like that pinstripe on the tank, makes me think about getting this tankshape for my RSC90, even though I was planning to make something like the later model tanks.



Note the RSC ignition cover

BMW R90/6 rebuild

It is comming together, thanks to my dad.
frame is newly painted, engine rebuilt with some high compression headgaskets and I'm still planning to put some other carbs on there.
Lightweight clutch and flywheel from the ->'81 beemers
Daytona sump to hold some extra oil, while still being able to use the center stand.


and then we put the tank and seat on, just to get the total picure of what it will look like.

For now with ducati fairing, stays will need to be built, but I'm looking for an MBV or Wüdo fairing, that will look better.
And it isn't ducati, as just about every big caferacer has a 900ss fairing.

wheels are back

This winter, the plan was to take my beemer apart as it needed some new bearings for the gearbox and who knew what more.
However we didn't get round to it due to other projects.
So when the first nice sunny days of this year came, and I took it for a ride, I was reminded that the BMW wanted some attention by the whine of gearboxbearings.

The beemer is now fully taken appart, sadly I haven't spent much time on it, as two of my honda engines and my Golf decided they also wanted some attention, and I did want to keep some running transportation.
Luckaly my dad continued on with the beemer, so it is making progress.

Today I recieved a package containing the newly laced wheels.

The glassbeadblasted hubs as they were sent out:


and how the wheels came back:

excel 18" 2,50 rear

excel 19" 2,15 front

A bit wider then standard and shouldered for the classic look.

How to make your own lightweight valve spring retainers

As the title says, lightweight retainers.
Seen on this blog before because I made them for my oldschool SS50 engine and my earlier C110 engine.
Now I'm rebuilding the original C110 engine that belongs under my C110, also with 60cc so I can keep up with modern traffic, and some more racing tricks, like lightweight retainers.

step 1:

Mount the retainers to a piece of perforated sheetmetal and spraypaint the other side.

step 2:

You now have the pattern of what to grind away, start grinding. I've used a 1mm cutting disc on an anglegrinder mounted in the vice, holding the retainers in vicegrips.

weight before:

weight after:

disclaimer: my scales ar not that accurate, when measured seperately one piece weighs 4 gramms and lightened 3 gramms.
So let's say you can achieve a 25-30% reduction in weight.
No titanium, but it only costs you some time and a little effort, no money.

And this is what it looks like, mounted in a C110 head

Maybe I should get some seethrough valvecovers...

picture day

I do like the stance with the kickstand.
homemade but modelled after the aftermarket stands from back in those days.
Bolts right on with the footrests.

chainguard

As mentioned before, the C110 will go for painting, so I want to get all the parts ready. As I might want to make it a little sportier, I bought an upper chaincase to modify into a small guard like the SS50's have. It can get painted with the rest of the bike and then I will be able to choose between a full case or only an upper guard.

An SS50 guard as a model for where to cut.

Cut, beadblasted, first testfit:

I had an old can of blue paint, so I gave it some color to get an idea of what it would look like. Although I'm planning to change the color to red.

Complete bike, note the new 18" wheels.

Yes, that spot on the floor came from the Honda, he marks his territory.
Time to build a new 60cc engine, I've got all the parts to make it go even faster....and not leak anymore.

Oudshoorn motor

My dad is also busy rebuilding the 700 motor for the Oudshoorn BMW.
The other enginecase cracked and the cilinders were made too short, so now a different case, which has not been completely chopped and a different set of /5 cilinders that were made to fit the /2 engine with studs going from the case upto the heads.
/2 racing motors have the problem of breaking cilinders, this is the reason of the long studs.


Dyna electronic ignition, /5 dynamo, 700LS pistons, R69 crank......and a lot more parts that do not belong together.