RC45's Project-OW48R/53P/TZ500J - 1985 Works Brembos!

Got a customizing or restoration project? Post your progress pictures and updates here

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RC45
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RC45's Project-OW48R/53P/TZ500J - 1985 Works Brembos!

#1 Post by RC45 » Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:58 am

Well, time for a "build thread" for my YZR replica :-)

The Alloy RZV frame arrived from Japan this morning. 9.4kg (20.7lb) sans subframe and bearings. I had the sub frame stubs cut off to fit the frame into and airmail box - but I am getting a custom subframe made up anyway.

The stock RZV Subframe (same as the RZ/RD subframe?) weighed in at 1.65kg, which I am not going to be using it.

The dry clutch kit chould be here in a couple weeks and as soon as the 2 1/4" dry-break arrives, the tank is off to the fabricator.

Now its time to assembled the bits and pieces to get the RZV frame up to speed.

Calling RGVSTEVE, I guess I need a set of your RZV motor mounts. :-)

Current build
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Last edited by RC45 on Tue Jan 21, 2020 3:32 pm, edited 57 times in total.

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#2 Post by RC45 » Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:41 am

All the pictures in the thread in one post

1st Installment:

The alloy bits
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OEM Yamaha TZ bar grips (as approved by the K9 inspector)
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Out with the Michelin slicks for now (will get a second set of wheels for the slicks) and in with the Power One's.

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The Power Ones are really light - 8.5lb (3.82kg) front, 11.9lb (5.41kg) rear.

New clutch lever, perch, brake lever, TZ750 bar grips, Billet Throttle, Kill Switch & rear brake return spring.

Clutch Lever & Grip
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Brake Lever, Throttle, Kill Switch & Grip
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Rear Brake Return Spring
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The Michelin Power Ones worked really well.

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Anyway, here is the day in short pictorial form.

The Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68xDBnuuX-U

Leave at 5:30am
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Back at 8:00pm
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Not one, but 2 RZ500's on track at the same time
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Innocent unsuspecting tyres at home - poor things
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Tyres nice and toasty ready for a thrashing
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After being thrashed to bits for an afternoon
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The thrashing underway
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Out with the foam filters, in with the mesh intake stacks.

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Now we getting serious.
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I was hunting for a 3 spoke magnesium rear to match the front but was not having that much luck. Then this set of classic Marchesini 5 spoke straight spokes came up.
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It seems to fit

Not so easy on the front... can't win 'em all.

The front is differnet size axle, different bolt pattern rotor mount.
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Not to bad though, the current front is a 3 spoke mag wheel.

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Actual all up weight on the new Marvic is 27.3lb for a 6.5lb drop. Current rear wheel is 33.8lb.

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Here is my inspiration, with similar weight and power and ultra modern rubber, I wonder if I could enjpy similar performance to my childhood heros?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXQ6bImI1fM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHf339D4e5U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMBQz-HzJPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D_ZDB-3lCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnY0GushKEs

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Perhaps a bit of a hybrid.

Red, Blue, Blue & Gold vs Blue, Blue, Blue & Gold
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I would like to do another RZ-based build in the future - maybe Sheenes OW53. I think that the RZ chassis has a lot of potential as a basis for making perimeter framed YZR and TZ replicas.

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Slow progress in the OW60/OW76 retro replica build.

If I am not careful I might be getting another frame just to do a replica of the 1982 TZ500J

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Anyway, back to the current build progress.

OW76/81A tail piece arrived. OW76/81A/B/86 fairing should be here in about 3 weeks or so.

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Working out dash layout at the moment.
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Now to determine which tank will be best suited to which replica. Interestingly enough, the 3 tanks have very unique knee indents, and the OW53/TZ500, OW60 and OW76 seem to have similarly unique knee indents.

The RZ500's seems to be closest to the TZ500 and OW53 (and it has an external gas cap), the NC30 is pretty close to the OW60 and the FZRSP is pretty close to the OW76 - and both have flush gas caps. The FZRSP tank has some lines and creases on top that are absent on all the race bike tanks. But otherwise matches the later bikes quite well.

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Side view
Stock RZ500 tank
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NC30 Tank
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FZR400RRSP Tank
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Tank Side-on
Stock RZ500 tank
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NC30 Tank
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FZR400RRSP Tank
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Front
Stock RZ500 tank
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NC30 Tank
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FZR400RRSP Tank
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Rear
Stock RZ500 tank
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NC30 Tank
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FZR400RRSP Tank

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I so wanted to use the "10,000rpm straight up" white on black ZX7 tach. Hopefully I can either sort this one out of get one that I can get to work.

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The old school Scitsu analog temp guage can't wait - it's just measuring air temps

A late 80's FZR1000 unit. Worth a try for $25 I guess. And I think I like the long sweep.

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And if that fails the TZ125 unit on the way from Japan will hopefully be the ticket.

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I just think a tach that has a similar bezel, numbers, colour and retro feel to the temp guage is key. The ZX7 numbers are the closest to the temp guage.

Hard mounting the dash is well underway now.

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Old School Race Dash finished

The Scitsu temp gauge doesn't fit in the stock location, so its on the left now. That shrouds the left CDI mounting points in the dash so will now have to make yet another plan for getting CDI and YPVS controller mounted.

Hope I don't have to toss the Scitsu temp gauge in the end.

The TZ250 3YL Dash installed.
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Making and fitting the pattern
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Problems - the Scitsu Temp Gauge interferes with the TZ250 YPVS motor mounting - so temp gauge goes to the other side
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Dash ready for all the electronics to be moved to the front

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My goal is 350lbs fully fueled up ready to go - it is currently 377lbs fueled up, so 350lbs seems to be within reach.

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The 2-stroke pump and Powervalve servo bracket netted another 0.8lb after the blanking plate was added.

TZ250 dash board - YPVS servo bracket
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Almost as if Yamaha always want the YPVS servo up front
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0.8lb gone

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I hope the RZ500 restorers will forgive me for hacking up an OEM New Old Stock wiring harness - but I wanted to start with new,not 30 year old wires.

Original harness stripped and labeled according to the colour diagram
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All unneeded bits removed - I did add 2 extra +ve and -ve taps for future access. and to ease adding lights later
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YPVS Servo, YPVS controller, CDI, Fuse box and entire wiring harness mounted up front now
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The Retro Dash - now with a PV switch

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Wrapping odds and ends - time to install the Scitsu analog temperature gauge sensor.

Out with the RZ thermo-switch and all ready to install the Scitsu
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But as always - nothing is simple right??
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The bloody thermostat is in the way of the longer Scitsu sensor. And I want to retain the Daytona electronic sensor in the stop location.

So nothing to do except mount it directly in the radiator TZ500/TZ750/YZR500 style
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Frame came back from the fabricator today.

Man, everytime I see this type of welding I want to rush out and buy a TIG and then recall that the skills make the craftsman, not the machine

Now to see if LanceGAMMA has those shock linkage bolts available yet
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Weights:
Power One "street": F 8.5lb (120/60/17) R 11.9lb (180/55/17)
Power One Competition: F 9.4lb (120/70/17) R 13.9lb (180/55/17)
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Bit of a set back for the retro bodywork. In order to fit it in the airmal box we had to have it surgically hacked in 2.

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So while the OW76/81A Retro kit gets put together, new pipes are made, swingarm worked over and new wheel fitted, the bike is going to be clothed in 1991 OWC1 bodywork. Maybe do 1988 Lucky Strike All Japan 500cc colours.

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I just got another new tank to try out - TZR250 1KT/2XT tank. It really is a very close profile-fit to the lower profile early tanks. Now just to see if I can get proper mounts fabricated for it.

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Stock RZ500
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My Current Setup
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My Desired Setup
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PStamper 170-tire setup
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PStamper 180-tire setup

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Baker Electronics unit arrived and achieved the goal of allowing 4 stroke tachs to show 2 stroke revs

Baker Electronics adjustable tach module - slots right into Zeel space
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Worked 1st time out of the box - Used 8cyl to 4 cyl setting.
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Decisions, decisions - Original ZX7 idea? FZR1000/FZR600 or that neat looking TZ125 unit??

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And after closer examination, the OW70/76/81A tail section being designed for stock RZ500 exhaust location looks off to me - I will need to mod the tail piece to allow the exhausts to be closer together.

So the retro fairing is moved further into the future
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3rd time better bloody well be the charm

The latest Marvic, a 17" x 5.5" 3 spoker has arrived in a box from Japan.

It is nice and light. 9.86lb wheel alone.

This one came brake rotor and sprocket carrier. Now the mission to find replacement sprockets.
Fuly assembled with brake, sprocket and tyre is 31.1lb - only 2lbs off the Suzuki alloy weight. However, the sprocket + carrier is 5.6lb on its own, and I have alloy sprockets and Ti bolts on the currect setup.

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Canine Inspector Approved!! Dry clutch arrived. A lot of work to get done in time for March 3.

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Waiting on the tank/frame to come back from fabrication, RZV bolts to arrive, new sprockets need to be sent off to RGVSteve for a working over and remount the upper stingers.


The mailman just dropped this off.

Now I need the frame back to begin the build out.

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TZR250 1KT tank should be all mounted up next week.

Then the swap can begin proper.

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New fairing mounts - test fitted to the steel frame , will set alloy frame up similarly.

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The dry clutch is approx 22mm wider than the stock clutch cover. I might try retro fit a dry slipper clutch at a later stage.

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This is what is being worked on now. The Team YZR Van

Keep it white or do it up as a Team Lucky Strike truck?
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The real treat - a hydraulic lift for the lazy man's bike loading
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Prototype ramp extension layout
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Waiting for the Pitbull Trailer Stand to arrive

First live test
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And some custom plates to go along with the ride

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Now we are talking - old school fairing starts taking shape

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Well, the bike is beginning to look more and more 1985 GP every day - soon I will need to trade the 1998 van for a 1985 unit to do the OW81 justice

Also of note is that the retro fairing has sufficient clearance to allow the dry clutch to fit without any major issues

I have also included some of my reference material - other than the frame I am trying to "go by the book' on this one

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This is what it needs to turn out looking like

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All dressed up and ready for it's first trip in the new ride. To the metal "plastic" surgeon.

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During surgery - see the alloy frame and 1KT tank beckoning int he background?
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And the new arse-end look
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What I eventually would like is a Randy Mamola or Mike Baldwin Lucky Strike bike
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One of these will probably end up being the paint scheme

Steady Eddie
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King Kenny
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Tadahiko Taira
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Cristian Sarron
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Norihiko Fujiwara
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Or to just to be totally different, this late TZ500 scheme

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Well, my car shed a little tear today - I removed the datalogger and now need to work out where and how to mount it on the bike. I might get a second short GPS antenna and direct power hookup for the bike. This adds an extra 1.6lb to the bike - .1/3rd of which is just the extra cabling and battery pack.

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Well - that is nothing that a Dremel Tool, roll of duct tape, some glass matting, resin and body clamps can't take care of

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Something wicked this way comes

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Oops... the cat is out of the bag as to which colour scheme the YZR gets, or is it?


Almost done

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Sneak peek. One piece of bodywork left.

So close I can smell the race gas... wait, that may be actual race gas from an open container hehe

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So, other than a leady box, any ideas to try prevent the 80's electrics from goign EMF on the new millenium equipment?

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Well, "stealth mode" or "all dressed ready to race" mode?

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Photos of the track days' 2 sessions and shiny new avatar

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I think I have settled on a colour scheme. Sort of settled 1 of these 2.

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I hope I can capture this look...

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and capture this behaviour with TSI specs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7_WAeCe8oE

Whether I can control it all is neither here nor there


Any of you real oldtimers have more historically accurate info about the July 1985 Champion Spark Plug 200km?

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NGK Racing Plug Caps
New plugs and resistor caps by NGK. Hopefully these caps will shield the Data Logger from RF interference.

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At the fabricator to get the pipes finished
Now that the tailpiece is done I went to have the pipes put into their final top position. Now the tailpiece can go on and off without having to first remove the silencers.

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Sneak peak at colour scheme
Man, vinyl over complex compound curves is a challenge. Almost there.
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Pit-Bull Trailer Restraint
]This has got to be the greatest motorcycle accessory since the invention of the kick starter.
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The early 80's bikes had short mufflers anyway.

Before
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After
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Sort of like reverse engineering plastic model decals - just in full scale

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Wrong font, spacing and colour.

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When you can't buy what you need... make it yourself.

1st set of home made vinyl decals
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Adjusted the vinyl cutter blade to correct depth - works like a champ now
Raw stickers cut and weeded.
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After transfer paper (high-tack plastic in this case) has been applied, decals ready to go on.
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Almost there

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This is the 1st version, I am sure I am going to do other ones. The ease of change using decals/stickers/vinyl is too good to pass up.

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:-)

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I think I have captured that vintage 80's feel.

Now to focus on the alloy frame, wheels and dry clutch.

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The wheel came from Japan wrapped in a metallic black finish - I redid the wheel in red and chose not to fill in the chips and scratches as the wheel now glows with character and patina

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Visually done for now.

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Here it is during initial test fitting.

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The alloy frame ready for retro fitting. Brackets welded on. 1KT tank mounting system completed.

Before
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After
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Final mounting for Data Logging hardware

Still needs to be finally tested - but hopefulyl it is all far enough away from the ignition coils to not be impacted and allow for some nice video data overlays like I do with my car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fands5rSgl8

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The refence bike
NGK and Michelin where substituted for Champion and Dunlop as thise are the plugs and tyres on the bike. Kept the Ford decal since the bike is hauled in a Ford van :)
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Hi-Res images
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Once the switch over to the 1KT tank and the alloy frame is done, the tank will be able to be removed without first loosening the fairing.

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Is the lower part/belly pan fastened underneath at all? And did you have to widen it much?[/quote]

The lower belly pan is only fasteded at the waist and top joint line. No lower fastners at all. The unit did not have to be widened at all. It was originally made for mounting to the stock RZV500 frame. I sure hope it fits the 784cc without issues. :)

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Last edited by RC45 on Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:16 am, edited 15 times in total.

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pstamper
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#3 Post by pstamper » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:09 pm

Would like to see your bike. I am in Spring and putting RZV framed bike together. Would like to see the mods to your current one.

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#4 Post by RC45 » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:22 pm

1st Installment:

The alloy bits
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OEM Yamaha TZ bar grips (as approved by the K9 inspector)
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If I can get the bugger started I am going to ride it over to Honda of Houston tomorrow. Tried to get over there this afternoon but all I did was master 23 different ways to flood the bastard.
Last edited by RC45 on Tue Jun 19, 2012 4:38 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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#5 Post by pstamper » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:23 pm

Lundsford or in town?

RC45
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#6 Post by RC45 » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:25 pm

Honda of Houston proper, out on West Road @ Hiway 290.

The folks who used to be on Bingle years ago.
Last edited by RC45 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:45 am, edited 2 times in total.

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#7 Post by pstamper » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:03 pm

That is what a hot rod is suppose to do. But when it goes it goes. Good luck.

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#8 Post by RC45 » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:17 pm

pstamper wrote:That is what a hot rod is suppose to do. But when it goes it goes. Good luck.
This is true. The outcome of the days excercise was hitting the buy-it-now button on these items off eBay...

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So I can build one of these....

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But the bottom line is no-more days like today
Last edited by RC45 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:16 am, edited 3 times in total.

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#9 Post by RC45 » Sat Nov 19, 2011 6:08 pm

pstamper wrote:
That is what a hot rod is suppose to do. But when it goes it goes. Good luck.
Yep - rolled it out after lunch, took all the body work off, got out the tools and was all set to have to trouble shoot some issue - the damn thing started 2nd kick

Then as if to add insult to injury a few drops of rain pitter pattered down - not normally something that makes me pause, except I still have the Michelin Racing slicks on...

I got all the bodywork back on, started it up 1st kick watched the digital temp readout go up to 45*C, 50*C then it shot up to 190*C and stopped at 450*C - then dropped to Lo*C - the default reading.

Looks like I will now be tracing a temp probe or wiring snafu down.

Wheel it back into the garage and begin the tear down yet again LOL.

So, a fickle Hot Rod it surely is.

I think I will use this chance to replace the aged period wiring with the new wiring harness I sourced. Perhaps I might set it all up with a GP style 'black box' under the dash.

Should make tracing future 'lectric troubles easier.
Last edited by RC45 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:18 am, edited 2 times in total.

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#10 Post by Blackshaheen » Tue Nov 22, 2011 5:20 am

If you can build a racing Ducati out of those bits you bought on evil-bay then you're a better than me mate :shock: ...oh...I see...sorry.

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#11 Post by RC45 » Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:39 pm

Blackshaheen wrote:
If you can build a racing Ducati out of those bits you bought on evil-bay then you're a better than me mate ...oh...I see...sorry.
Not only can I build a Race Duck out of those bits, but I can work up a kit for you to do it as well - LOL
Last edited by RC45 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:19 am, edited 2 times in total.

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#12 Post by RC45 » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:08 am

Out with the Michelin slicks for now (will get a second set of wheels for the slicks) and in with the Power One's.

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The Power Ones are really light - 8.5lb (3.82kg) front, 11.9lb (5.41kg) rear.
Last edited by RC45 on Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:27 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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#13 Post by RC45 » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:49 pm

Cheapest weight I will ever probably shed off the bike.

New tyres shed 1kg off the front and 1/2kg off the rear.

That 1.5kg cost $265 includign shipping.

In the process I got to weigh the wheels - front including rotors is 6.47kg, rear including sprocket and disk is 9.86kg.

I bet there is another 2kg I can lose when I locate a magnesium rear wheel.
Last edited by RC45 on Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:49 am, edited 2 times in total.

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#14 Post by Blackshaheen » Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:37 pm

It's truly surprising the weight difference between tires...I would never have guessed :shock: Thanks for posting mate, it really is an eye-opener. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

Dave.

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#15 Post by RC45 » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:11 am

New clutch lever, perch, brake lever, TZ750 bar grips, Billet Throttle, Kill Switch & rear brake return spring.

Clutch Lever & Grip
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Brake Lever, Throttle, Kill Switch & Grip
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Rear Brake Return Spring
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Last edited by RC45 on Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:25 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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