Post race-bingle NC30 rebuild - pic thread

[StrayAlien]

With the ride height set up to raise the rear as much as possible I doubt it would. But it is something I have considered. Like I said, this is a bit of experimental science.

However, having said that, you know when sometimes you just feel you are pushing things uphill? It feels a bit like that at the moment with the CBR shock. It really is a lot of work just to get to use this damn thing. And what is more, being on the bottom, the preload is almost impossible to adjust:



So, honestly, today I am giving the bike rear a rest to decide whether or not I take the CBR thing further. The BMW shock just looks an easier option, less f*cking around, re-use the battery box, and the preload is at the top ...

[StrayAlien]

While ruminating on the immediate future of a particular CBR1000 shock I figured it was time to have a look at the front master cylinder.

It took a beating in the crash:



So (as well as a rebuild kit) I ordered a new one - not from Honda, but from Nissin:





Note an important difference? Have a look at the beat up NC30 one - it has a reservoir mount attach point on the cylinder casting. The Nissin replacement does not. Great. The new Nissin has only a mirror mount, but not on the cylinder. It did come with a sort of universal mounting bracket, but I think with no real place to mount it. The mirror hole seems reasonable, but no-can-do .. that puts the reservoir about the same place as the fork is ...

Other things were differences as well:



Why did I not just get a second hand NC30 master and then buy a rebuild kit? Because a second hand one plus rebuild kit would have cost me a fair bit more more than a brand new one. So I went for new. But .... just for good measure I also ordered a rebuild kit from the same people at the same time in case the new one was not right.

The only reasonable place I could find to mount the reservoir from is here:



I could have used the mirror mount, but that makes for a very loooong mount.

I've got a strip of good thick 20mm wide aluminium to make a real mount bracket from, but first, I'll create a prototype from a scrap strip of nice thin and bendable aluminium cut to 20mm width:



It'll need to be twisted some as things don't all line up:



Seems roughly about about right:



So I drilled it to try a real mount and figure out roughly how much to bend stuff. Not too bad, so tomorrow I'll cut up a real one.

[NGneer]

How did I not spot this thread until now

Awsome work and a great read - keep it up

[StrayAlien]

Thanks. :-)

[StrayAlien]

Right. Ditch the CBR1000 shock. Decision made. Shame really. I liked the idea that it matched very well the HRC linkage, but the practicalities won in the end.

It was Mr D. Munky's last comment that kind of sealed it. Clearance. Not only was I screwing around with rearranging everything, including wiring, but there was also a chance that the rear wheel could foul the aluminium plating I had built.

I did consider it when putting it together and did some rough calculations and was okay that'd it be okay, so I thought I'd do a practical test, and that involved setting sag and (therefore) preload. The preload setting is at the base, and although I thought I could live with that, actually trying to do it was almost impossible.

So no cigar. Sometimes, the world is telling you something and you should listen. The CBR1000 shock is too much screwing around.

But, here we go again. I got this today:



A GSXR shock.

Continued ....

[StrayAlien]

To bring you up to date, here is brief summary of my shocking shock journey so far:

* 3 Nitrons going wrong. topic: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=39722&hilit=nitron
* Borrowed a modified-for-standard-link GSXR 750 shock and it was pretty cool.
* Had to give GSXR shock back and put my pogo stick back on. Crashed.
* Got a CBR1000 shock for free and set about putting in on. No joy.

So the previous picture of the GSXR shock is my latest attempt. I went to the wrecker this morning to look at buckets of GSXR shocks. The GSXR 600s and 750s of that time used the same shock.

Initially, I was after a 2005 shock. I understood this was the one to get. However, I saw some specs the 2005 online and it had it at about 335mm - which is waaay to long - so I had doubts about it. I had also read the 2005 had a 7.3 spring on it which seemed really soft. The later models had a 9.5 on them so I was keen to see if the later models were the same dimension as the 2005.

Nope. I was disappointed to find the later models were much shorter than the 2005 model ... that is, until I measured and confirmed the 335mm of the 2005! It was actually the later models that were the right length for an NC30. The K6/7 shock picture above is 315mm in length, and unlike the K5 (2005) is has hi/low speeds compression damping. The K5 looks a more basic shock. So ... funnily .. the 2005 model does not look the one to get at all.

I had the opportunity to inspect a BMWS1000RR shock also and it seemed a nice unit, but two local shock specialists said they would favour the GSXR Showa over the BMW Sachs unit. It seems also there is a greater pool of knowledge on tuning Showa compared to Sachs.

So here is the CBR (left) unit vs the GSXR unit (right):



And vs the OEM NC30 unit:



The hi/low speed compresison adjustment:



Both the CBR and the GSXR were the same weight at:



and therefore were lighter than the OEM unit at:



The top mounting bolt was put in there by Dog Himself so I had to bring out the big guns to loosen it:



An initial test fit provided the first disappointment. Despite taking measurements with me to the wreckers, I had heard the GSXR shock was a no-mods fit so I didn't double check. Oops:



The GSXR shock is a bit wider! However, the mount may be wider, but the actual width of the bolt sleeve was only about 1mm-1.5mm greater than OEM or the CBR1000 shock:



Initially, I really didn't want to make any frame mods, but 1-1.5mm is no big deal ... so figuring that if the GSXR shock was not great I'd try the BMW .. which needs frame mods, I thought scr*w it, in we go:



... which didn't get anywhere too quickly, so again I pulled out my cheap-as-chicken-sh*t carbide dremel thingies and set into action. *Man* these thing are great for like, $20 or something:



Bits of frame shock mount ... no more "pining for the fjords" ... :



getting there:



.. and done :



Okay ... it goes in and (not shown) my current battery box seems to fit:



The compression adjusters are a little awkward but not too bad:



.. and the rebound adjuster is on the chain side! ... but manageable:



Voila!:



Funny, I had the OEM shock in to keep things up after I took the CBR one out. So, this time to take it out, as usual, I raised the rear end off the ground etc etc. But to get this one *in* I had to raise it *further*!!

I've got a quote for re-springing and re-valving the GSXR shock which was not cheap, so ... I am hoping the way it is with the 9.5 spring on it will do the business. A sag setup will reveal more .. and I'll likely have a few questions here.

I'll do the sag set up at the weekend when I can rope in the support team.

But .. news just in .... all this work was to get the bike ready for the Phillip Island Classic in January - the largest non-MotoGP bike race meeting in Australia. The NC30 is eligible for 'Period 6' (1982-1990) .... but speaking to the organiser today, they are currently NOT accepting entries for sub-500cc Period 6 machines.

Sh*t, f*ck, boll*cks. Sh*t. I just shelled out $400 for my 'national' level race licence so I could compete!

Sh*t, f*ck, boll*cks. F*cking shi*te boll*cks ....

Aaaameeennnn .....

[ChowderV4]

this thread is outstanding, keep up the good work.

Thats a real kick in the balls about not being able to enter the 400, just say it has a 750 lump in it, when they question you about how slow it is down the straight just say its a shit motor :)

[StrayAlien]

Yes mate. The exclusion of sub-500cc Period 6 bikes from the Island classic is a real p*sser. I went and spectated last year to check it out to see what it was like with a mind of competing this year - I have been looking forward to it ALL year! It was to be the first competition outing for this bike after this rebuild.

They ran sub-500cc bikes last year, there was a few 400s, some 250s, 350s and so on (which frankly, didn't do too bad). Last time I was at PI I was doing high 1.56s. That would have been mid-field in the 2013 Period 6 races against the 750-1300cc machines.

They may still run 400s, but we'll not find out for some time yet.

[Cammo]

They ran sub-500cc bikes last year, there was a few 400s, some 250s, 350s and so on (which frankly, didn't do too bad).

That is disappointing, but TBF I can understand - if the demand for the larger classes is too big they have to drop some classes from the schedule. The international interest is growing quickly, attracting many non-local riders.

Most spectators come to see the big ol' (quick!) dinosaurs howling around so the smaller classes will be the first to be dropped.

Enjoying the thread!

[RoninZX-10R]

That sucks ball that you won't be able to race the mighty VFR down at the Island, would have been a great weekend.

You'll have to let us all know how you get on with the GSXR shock. I was investigating using the S1000RR shock now that the rules are likely to be slightly changed for Formula 400 bikes racing with Hartwell MCC and the Interclub allowing the use of non-original shocks, but I might start looking for an 06 or later model GSXR shock.

Was the GSXR 1000 shock the same spec as the 600/750?