Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 10:19 pm
Service C56 – Add quick release to rear fuel tank mount...
I was snapping my driver backrest onto my Tiger the other day and had an idea which led to what you will see next.
On my RZ500 with the aftermarket tailpiece, getting the rear tank mount clevis pin out can be a bit of a challenge. The long pin hits the tailpiece side extensions before it is fully out. Plus getting at the spring pin that retains it is not always the easiest either. Plus it could be dropped down into the bowels of the motorcycle, never to to found again. Okay, now that I have the work I put into this project fully justified (LOL), let’s see what we I came up with.
Here is the quick release mechanism for my driver’s backrest on my Triumph Tiger and FJR1300 that I created about 10 years ago.. It is the rear connection located at the base of the top case and there is a matching front connection that pops up between the driver and passenger seat sections.
Picture 460
The raw hinge looked like this.
Picture 461
Because I don’t like chopping up parts of the bike while it is in operating condition, I found a reasonably priced rear tank mount to experiment with on ebay for US$38.
Picture 462
I’m always on the lookout for interesting hardware at the local surplus store and I picked up this aluminum quick-release hinge several years back for a $1.50. It turns out that it is a perfect match width-wise and for pin diameter as the rear tank mount.
Picture 463
Picture 464
Hartwell makes aircraft parts among other things and I believe it to be a quality piece.
Picture 465
This little hinge has some nice features designed in it, including a way to press the knurled handles out.
Picture 466
So my mission was to add the same “L” slots of the hinge leaf into the steel RZ500 tank bracket. Time to go to work with the rotary tool (Dremel tool as we generically call it is the States).
Picture 467
Here are the results before painting. Sorry, the picture looked in focus on my little phone screen. I rotated the cutout pattern around the pin axis a bit to suit the application.
Picture 468
Here it is after a quick shot of silver frame paint. Notice I improved on the design slightly by adding “hooks” to the retracted slots so they can't inadvertently pop back out with a little bump (I could see myself bumping them easily while installing the tank).
Picture 469
Here it is with the “guts” re-installed. One shows the tank mount pins extended out while the other shows them retracted.
Picture 470
Picture 471
Here is a comparison of the one I took off the bike and the new quick release version. I was a little bit surprised of two things. First, the original mount was about .25 inch taller. It did not stop the installation, but it did make the tank fit a bit more snugly. Second, the original bracket had a stop built in it to keep the tank from arcing back too far. I didn’t even know the stop was there because someone had installed it to the front (perhaps to keep the new paint from getting damaged???). Again, this wasn’t a show-stopper and my custom seat seems to do a good job of stopping the tank.
Picture 472
Here are the final installed views. The first one shows the tank pinned in place. The second, with the pins retracted and ready for the tank to be removed.
Picture 473
Picture 474
C56 Total Cost: US$40.00 (Rear tank mount and Hinge, Paint)
I was snapping my driver backrest onto my Tiger the other day and had an idea which led to what you will see next.
On my RZ500 with the aftermarket tailpiece, getting the rear tank mount clevis pin out can be a bit of a challenge. The long pin hits the tailpiece side extensions before it is fully out. Plus getting at the spring pin that retains it is not always the easiest either. Plus it could be dropped down into the bowels of the motorcycle, never to to found again. Okay, now that I have the work I put into this project fully justified (LOL), let’s see what we I came up with.
Here is the quick release mechanism for my driver’s backrest on my Triumph Tiger and FJR1300 that I created about 10 years ago.. It is the rear connection located at the base of the top case and there is a matching front connection that pops up between the driver and passenger seat sections.
Picture 460
The raw hinge looked like this.
Picture 461
Because I don’t like chopping up parts of the bike while it is in operating condition, I found a reasonably priced rear tank mount to experiment with on ebay for US$38.
Picture 462
I’m always on the lookout for interesting hardware at the local surplus store and I picked up this aluminum quick-release hinge several years back for a $1.50. It turns out that it is a perfect match width-wise and for pin diameter as the rear tank mount.
Picture 463
Picture 464
Hartwell makes aircraft parts among other things and I believe it to be a quality piece.
Picture 465
This little hinge has some nice features designed in it, including a way to press the knurled handles out.
Picture 466
So my mission was to add the same “L” slots of the hinge leaf into the steel RZ500 tank bracket. Time to go to work with the rotary tool (Dremel tool as we generically call it is the States).
Picture 467
Here are the results before painting. Sorry, the picture looked in focus on my little phone screen. I rotated the cutout pattern around the pin axis a bit to suit the application.
Picture 468
Here it is after a quick shot of silver frame paint. Notice I improved on the design slightly by adding “hooks” to the retracted slots so they can't inadvertently pop back out with a little bump (I could see myself bumping them easily while installing the tank).
Picture 469
Here it is with the “guts” re-installed. One shows the tank mount pins extended out while the other shows them retracted.
Picture 470
Picture 471
Here is a comparison of the one I took off the bike and the new quick release version. I was a little bit surprised of two things. First, the original mount was about .25 inch taller. It did not stop the installation, but it did make the tank fit a bit more snugly. Second, the original bracket had a stop built in it to keep the tank from arcing back too far. I didn’t even know the stop was there because someone had installed it to the front (perhaps to keep the new paint from getting damaged???). Again, this wasn’t a show-stopper and my custom seat seems to do a good job of stopping the tank.
Picture 472
Here are the final installed views. The first one shows the tank pinned in place. The second, with the pins retracted and ready for the tank to be removed.
Picture 473
Picture 474
C56 Total Cost: US$40.00 (Rear tank mount and Hinge, Paint)