85 Drag Bike Project

[QuarterHorse]

Crappy news on the work front Jeff. Good luck with the build, gimmie a shout sometime.

 

[vmax626]

Well, some of you know that I am in the process of building a drag bike (or trying to anyway) I removed the stock motor (that was locked up) and started to tear into it. I was planning on using my 1300 Venture motor, but I wanted to see how bad the VMax motor was. I now have it cleaned up enough to turn over all the way, but I think the front left cylinder is trashed. The bike came with an extra frame as it was in a wreck and the PO purchased a bunch of parts to fix it up, but never did. Anyway, I didn't think the frame was bent, but after tearing into it, the front left frame post was touching the valve cover. I think I might use the other frame after all.
Here are some pictures of what I found in the motor and just some pics of my garage... it's gonna be a long winter!

GEEEEEE I wish I had a garage >Mobile home life sucks in that department:teeth angry::real mad::angry flame::tantrum:can`t do **** in a car port:bang head:

 

[hubeerjw]

I got a few more things done on the bike today/tonight. I was expecting to get a call from work today letting me know that I was laid off, but it never came. I am expecting I will be unemployed by the end of the week though. I already have a construction job lined up and a side job working on some CNC machines so I'm not too worried yet... I'll just have to work twice as hard to get 1/2 as much, but ya gotta do what cha gotta do!

I finished up the wheelie bars and struts. I have 10" struts right now, but I may have to go to 11", but we'll see once I get my slick put on. My cheap gauges came in yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out a good clean way to mount them, but I'm not coming up with a very good solution... yet. The gauges are 2 1/16" gauges and 3 won't quite fit across the stock gauge pod. I was hoping the might, but I wasn't sure about the bezel size, so I guess it is back to the drawing board. If nothing else, I'll just get some aluminum and cut 3 holes in it, bend it and smack that in there for now. Maybe have my welder fab up some kind of backplate for it to enclose it a little. I mainly focused on the electrical side of things tonight.... what a mess! I'm clipping wires, and then double checking that the thing will still start... not the best way of going about it, but so far, so good. I'm trying to figure out if I can by-pass the diode assembly and relay unit, but I haven't gotten too far into it yet. If there are any Vmax-electrical-savvy people reading this, let me know if I can call you and pick your brain on a few things. I'm basically doing what Lankee suggested, but I think I am doing it back wards. Instead of throwing the stock harness away, I'm cutting it down and will hopefully be able to use it as somewhat of a template and only keeping essential components. That's about it for me tonight, I'll try to get some more pics posted soon.

Jeff

 

[lankeeyankee]

I would get the VMAX wiring diagram and blow it up to a 11X17 sheet.
Buy some good qaulity colored pencils (Art store)
On your blown up wiring diagram I would color the wires needed only for a dragbike.

On a dragbike your going to need some toggle switches (Dont go cheap) switches take a beating on a dragbike with viberation.
Good qaulity industrial momentary push button for starter and air shifter.

I would have the following toggle switches.
Main Switch for ignition.
Starter with no ignition (So you can crank the engine with no ignition)
Accesories
Switch for accesories... gauges, rear tail light (Mandatory on all dragbikes usually mounted on wheelie bar)

The reason you want to seperate these and not have one incase you run into electrical problems at the track so you can troubleshoot very quickly. LEARN YOUR ELECTRICAL you know how many free races I won due to others having an electrical problem while in the burnout box or in the staging lanes..

Keep it simple and clean with dragbike wiring. I wouldnt run a radiator on a dragbike (but you are) and I wouldnt run a charging system (I am sure you are)
Remember the simplier the wiring the less headaches, and this is an area to where you want it to be clean and EVERY connection is solid with solder and shrink tubed.. If your going to use cheap *** radioshack crimp connectors your in for headaches I asure you sometime down the road. Good luck

 

[KJShover]

What I did with my old bike was a blade fuse box from my boat when I replaced the old one. you can mount it with rubber washers and it will take quite a bit of abuse from vibration.

Similar to what Donn was saying with the switches, c'ept I pulled a fuse to troubleshoot. Or looked at the label of the fuse that popped to see what part of the electrics is giving me problems. You can make this as elaborate or as simple as you want. I ran a fuse on everything, it was a little overkill, but I had controll over all my electrics. http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/productline/126

+1 on making your own schematic, it makes a great reference when you get it all wired in.

When you get all your spaghetti figured out, buy a wire loom to tidy things up. http://cableorganizer.com/wire-loom/split-wire-loom-2.html It makes things simple when it comes time for removal and wire replacement.

 

[TURBOVMAX]

Jeff,

This company has everything you'll need, if your looking for electrical supplies.

http://order.waytekwire.com/cgi-bin...37+FUNCPARMS+WEBCMP(S0020):01+WEBID(S0020):01

 

[hubeerjw]

I did some more hacking to the harness and got it down to the bare minimum. Here are a few pics of the "extra" wiring and what I have left on the bike. I don't have any gauges wired in, but the bike will run as it sits. I have been pretty beat-down with Abe's bike I decided to work on my bike. I can't ride his bike to test it anyway so I'm taking a short break from it for a while. I also started my construction job today... it is cold out there, but I enjoy physical labor and building things so it won't be too bad (for a while anyway), I hope to get a little more work done on it tonight, so we'll see what I can get done.

Jeff

 

[one2dmax]

you'll have a seat ready to head your way by the end of next week finally.

Sean

 

[lankeeyankee]

I know we all build bikes differently.. So I will offer my opinion..

I have found the most fusterating and time consuming problems are electrical.. I believe this is the case with any mechanic you ask..

So here is an idea to ponder on. I know your not thinking your going to have any problems usually we dont in the build process we think we are going to do it right so there wont be any issues...

Try and keep all your 12VDC+ Red
All Your Grounds Black
All the rest try and use different color wires with tracers...

Example:
Ignition Coil 2 + Red w white tracer
Air Shifter Push Button to Dleay Timer Blue w/ yellow tracer

And if you make notes of this you will be able to make your wiring diagram..

Not that I know this but I am sure its a real ***** to try and remember and it also sucks major *** cutting and stripping that neat shring tube job and peeling back 4 feet of electrical tape.. Ohh thats right your wirinng is a cluster F LOL JK

 

[Bogie]

I did some more hacking to the harness and got it down to the bare minimum. Here are a few pics of the "extra" wiring and what I have left on the bike. I don't have any gauges wired in, but the bike will run as it sits. I have been pretty beat-down with Abe's bike I decided to work on my bike. I can't ride his bike to test it anyway so I'm taking a short break from it for a while. I also started my construction job today... it is cold out there, but I enjoy physical labor and building things so it won't be too bad (for a while anyway), I hope to get a little more work done on it tonight, so we'll see what I can get done.

Jeff

Good luck on the new job Jeff. It was cold as hellagain yesterday but hopefully we are gonna start the springwarm up soon!! :eusa_dance:

Brian

 

[hubeerjw]

Well after finding Abe's stator problem, I decided to work on the ole drag bike. I have the fuel pump mounted, fuel pressure regulator (now set at 3psi and the carb seems to like it), moved my front two coils next to the rear coils (under the seat), and I think my Dyna ignition box will find its home under the rear seat. I also received Morley's Muscle seat and DAMN, it is soooo much more comfortable... I think I may be swapping seats between my drag bike and my 02 so I can ride with it all the time! I'm trying to keep most of my electronics under the seat and keep the wires short. I also put 68 weight anti-foaming hydraulic oil in my forks and filled it an extra inch to stiffen the forks up. I have about 2 inches or travel now and is VERY stiff, but I think it will work well for this bike. Since it is slammed, I just want to make sure it doesn't nose dive and rip my oil filter cover or my oil pan off. I also got some used tires for free from the local dealership to mock up. I have a 190/50 on there right now with my notched swing arm and no washer-swap and it just fits. I don't think a 200 will fit. My notched swing arm is about as close as you can go... we actually had to re-do it because the first time the drive shaft was actually hitting the notched part. Here are some pics, as always, any suggestions are welcome.

Jeff

 

[HDKILA]

HEY!!! In that last pic the rear fender looks a little too familiar:biglaugh:

Awesome work Jeff. We should meet up at Byron this summer and run our bikes. Byron is a great track and I know the owner pretty well. It's near rockford and really wouldn't be too much of a hike for you (100 miles or less??).

You can check out the website here:

www.byrondragway.com

If you look at the events calendar you will see that there is a ton of TNT (test and tune) dates.

Maybe you can thrown a high 8 second run in...unk:

 

[lankeeyankee]

Besides the wiring looking like a cluster ****, its coming together. Lots of time goes into building a bike. Unless you have done this you dont realize how much time it can take to just make simple bracket to put a component., or how many trips to the store to get the correct combination to bolt it up.. Its time consuming, expensive...
All in all Jeff hang in there, some things you just cant rush and a dragbike that will be capable up speeds in excess of 135MPH.

The onlything I see that could create a problem is the rear inner fender exposing electronics.. This will get water from the reat tire spinning in the burnout box... Something to think about.

 

[one2dmax]

Just a side note about the seat. His seat was extrememly modified and maybe Jeff can get you a side by side with his stock seat. We cut everything down to remove as much weight as possible. We can still do this for others but this was not one of our "normal" seats.

Sean

 

[lankeeyankee]

Just a side note about the seat. His seat was extrememly modified and maybe Jeff can get you a side by side with his stock seat. We cut everything down to remove as much weight as possible. We can still do this for others but this was not one of our "normal" seats.

Sean

Damn Sean, what did ya save by cutting the additonal 1" foam out I am going to guess hmmmm 2.8 oz? Sorry just being a smart *** I know that OEM seat foam is heavy as hell and I was thinking of removing both seats and just using a beach towel to shave .004 off in the 1/8 LOL
Seat does look as usual!

Did you install some "Ohh ****" stain proof material for when that turbo takes off for the moon?

 

[one2dmax]

I debated a seat belt!

Sean

 

[4gasem]

The bigger the ledge behind his *** the better IMO.

 

[lankeeyankee]

The bigger the ledge behind his *** the better IMO.

Yankee sneaks over and sprays Armoral on the seat before first round.

 

[hubeerjw]

LOL... funny stuff..... better get some "Spot Shot" that sutff will clean almost anything! I really think this bike won't be a whole lot faster than my 02 on NOS, but we'll see. I'm sure my launches will be quicker, and the bike will be lower and a little lighter, but I'm afraid that too much boost will = blown motor....... time will tell.



"Excuse me, I'm looking for Ray Finkel............ and a clean pair of shorts"

 

[QuarterHorse]

I'm diggin' it Jeff!