Next modification to GRMKLR (Resto-MOD 71 CT70).

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
My plans for this bike are to keep it looking as much like a stock bike as I can with some tasteful modifications to help make it a little more enjoyable to ride. Well since I have had a chance to put some miles on the old girl I have realized there was a few small things that a stock bike lacks. The main thing that bothers me is the spongy front drum brakes. So naturally the next step in my Resto-Mod was to add a front disc brake. I like the the front ends that have become common lately with the inverted forks, but that is not what I wanted for this bike. I wanted to keep the look of the pogo stick style forks and have a disc break. So I found a kit that webike sells that offers a disc brake kit with correct fork legs for the KO style forks. I just got it in, but it will be a while before any of it makes it on to the bike. Since we are working with the Pogo Stick style forks and they need all the help they can get we are going to give it to them.

So here are my plans:
Powder Coat Wheel Hub Black to match Bike
Order Delrin Bushings to get rid of the slop
Order stiffer front springs for adult rider
Add the old school boots just for correct appearance
Modify right handle bar to accept brake lever with master cylinder

Hopefully I will get it apart and get started on everything next week.

 

[kirrbby]

Your new fork legs might already have the improved Delrin bushings..? And improved springs..?

Are you still looking for a K0, aluminum, triple tree top clamp??

 

[Carlo C.]

Your new fork legs might already have the improved Delrin bushings..? And improved springs..?

Are you still looking for a K0, aluminum, triple tree top clamp??

kirrbby,
The bushings that came on the kit do seem a lot nicer then the original Honda ones. I don't know what the material is, it could be Delrin. I will save them and try them on one of my Z50's I have left to build. I have always had such good luck with those aftermarket Delrin ones in all my little Z50's that I am stuck on them. The kit so far seems to be a pretty nice kit, I even like the Piston slide that the kit came with. I normally have to add the Honda Piston Slide to all my Z50 bikes because they never came with them, but I feel is a must with these style forks. The kit did come with some sort of additional bushing between the bushing and the Piston Slide that I have never seen before, I like it. The springs only look to have about 3 inches of travel uncompressed before the rubber bumpers touch each other. Do you know of a good company for a better spring?

I am still looking for a KO, aluminum, triple tree top clamp. Everyone keeps wanting to sell me a china version or one so beat up I cant make it nice. If you have one I would love to buy it from you. I would like to add it while I have it apart for the brake conversion. Have you ever ran the tapered bearing conversion I am thinking about ordering one of those kits?

Carlo C.

 

[kirrbby]

I'm not able to recommend a different spring...no info or experience there.
I have used the tapered bearings, and they are really nice. But the stock setup seems to be pretty good too, IMO.

I do have a triple clamp to offer. I posted a picture in your wanted thread, but I need to clean that part up a little bit and post some more pics for you. I'll try to do that tonight. I think it's a good, and solid part.

FYI...Switching to the K0 clamp might narrow up the total spread of your bars tho. Not sure how much, but I think it's pretty minor.

 

[Carlo C.]

I'm not able to recommend a different spring...no info or experience there.
I have used the tapered bearings, and they are really nice. But the stock setup seems to be pretty good too, IMO.

I do have a triple clamp to offer. I posted a picture in your wanted thread, but I need to clean that part up a little bit and post some more pics for you. I'll try to do that tonight. I think it's a good, and solid part.

FYI...Switching to the K0 clamp might narrow up the total spread of your bars tho. Not sure how much, but I think it's pretty minor.

kirrbby,
Thanks, I don,t mind the spread being a tiny bit narrower.

 

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
I have all the parts on order to make upgrades to the disc break conversion including the tapered bearings for the headset. I spent some time taking everything apart and removing bearings and seals from the disc brake hub. I even machined a little material off of the hub where to me it looked like when they casted this they left the circle where the drum brake would go, it Looks a lot better machined down in my opinion. I even ordered some quality sealed bearings to replace the cheap ones that were in it. I am gonna see if my powder coat guy is open today and drop off the hub to get powder coated black to match my rear one. Thanks to kirrbby I finally will have the aluminum KO triple tree I have been searching for and now along with the disc brake conversion the bike will be really close to the way I had envisioned it.

Hub Before machining


Machining the Hub


Hub after machining


Triple Tree from kirrbby (will get sanded and polished)


Carlo C.

 

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
The Delrin bushings and K0 style boots showed up today so I had to put it all together. Once I got the fork legs apart and inspected everything I decided to try the bushings that came with the kit as they seem to be of really nice quality. I can use the Delrin bushings I ordered for my next Hardtail Project. Once the hub is done at the powdercoater I can get everything apart and Install the forks on the bike. Hopefully more parts will show up soon.

Carlo C.

 

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
I got all the parts in yesterday to make the conversion to the disc brake. I picked up the front hub from the powder coater and as usual they did a great job. I am really glad now that I machined most of that round circle off of the hub as it just looks way better now. I installed all the new bearings and started putting everything back together. I even received my triple clamp from kirrbby and I could not have been more pleased with how nice it is. I did just a quick clean with a Brillo pad and it looks like new. Gonna take it off over the weekend and water sand it and polish it up. Everything went together pretty easy with the only one aggravating issue. I had to swap the tire (designed to spin only one way) and tube around on the rim to make the valve stem face the other side of the bike so it would not hit the caliper. The bike is really close to being completely finished for the time being. Once my paperwork gets back from Vermont I am going to go for a nice back roads cruise with my buddy Richard and his Grom. I don't know if Richard is gonna like the plate.



Plate


Hub


Triple Clamp (will get sanded and polished)



Disc Brake conversion finished

Carlo C.

 

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
Took it for a ride after work today and the disc brake is just so much better then the drum. For a bike like this that is not a concourse style bike, but more of a rider/cruiser the upgrade is worth its weight in gold. Just made the bike that much more fun to ride.

Carlo C.

 

[Carlo C.]

Guys,
Took a little time today to remove my new to me triple tree I got from kirrbby and give it a little polish so it fit in a little better with everything else on the bike. I think it came out pretty good for a 53 year old part. I really like it and think it was a great addition to the bike.

Carlo C.

 

[kirrbby]

Looks like a million dollars Carlo. The whole bike looks great. Nice work!

 

[Carlo C.]

Looks like a million dollars Carlo. The whole bike looks great. Nice work!

kirrbby,
Thanks man, I had some help from a few of the longtime members of this site and I cant thank you guys enough. I have built a lot of these little bikes and I honestly have enjoyed this one the most. It was a lot of fun to build and has been a lot of fun ride. I have a few more small things that I want to do, but it is basically just like I planned when I got started.

Carlo C.