DT1 flat track project

I made the mounting brackets for the exhaust, so got started on the silencer. The end cap is one of the old brake caliper pistons from the '75 XS650, and the body is part of the 2" u-bend.


I had the insides of an old Duc 900SS muffler in the scrap pile, and cut it open since it has some small diameter tubing, one of which is the same diameter as the stinger currently on the pipe. It also has a small baffle area. The plan is to start the stinger inside of the expansion chamber, since this isn't supposed to affect power, but quiet the exhuast somewhat. I cut the old stinger off so the new one fits tightly into the chamber, and will weld the new one to the end cap. I'll drill and tap the end cap so it is removable from the body for tuning, or if it needs more baffling.


Here is how the silencer is going together.


I need to finalize a few things, and then weld it up. I think it will work out good, and I'll only have about $30 in the pipe once it is done and painted.

James Stewart

James wins two out of the three mains to take the Monster Energy Cup.
photo source: http://js7.com/

SR

source: http://re-birth8.com/

Kobe CCM

Photos from http://kobeccm.com/ of the latest Sportster meet in Japan.

John McGuiness

DT1 flat track project

I got started on the right side low pipe for the DT. I'm using the pipe that came on the bike when I got it. I don't know what it is, but looking at pictures on the interweb it might be an old Moto-Tech chamber. It has an auto parts store exhaust reducer welded in, so was probably adapted from something else, but looks to be about the right size for what I need. I got a 2" u-bend to make the downpipe.


I started at the front, running it under the footpeg bar. Right side cornering clearance isn't a concern on a flat tracker, but I wanted to keep it as tight as possible.


And here is is almost done. I still need to make a mount bracket and finish weld it, and need to look into what to do for a silencer.

Valentino Rossi

XT500 project

I'm using a 35mm XS500 front end on the XT. The nice thing about it for this project is that it is slightly narrower than an SR500 front end, and has the handlebar clamps integral with the top clamp, rather than using separate risers. This is an XT500 bottom clamp on the left and XS500 on the right.


To fit the XS500 clamps to the XT500 I swapped steering stems. The XT stem unbolts and presses out. For the XS stem I had to grind out the weld, and press it out, then press in and weld the XT stem.


I then measured and cut wheel spacers to center the wheel. When the bike gets torn down for the finish work I'll have a lug TIG welded to the fork leg to locate the brake plate, and the caliper mounts will be shaved. The wheels I'll be using for this bike are a spare set of YR2 18" wheels I've got. I also cut spacers to center the rear wheel, but still need to measure and space the rear sprocket out a bit.


I'm doing a simple high pipe using a shorty muffler and header from ebay. I went through my bends box and got some pipe to make the rest.


The one I bought is on the bottom, a stock pipe on the top. The top is 1-3/8" and the bottom is 1-3/4". I don't know what it is, but must be an older aftermarket pipe.


It was only $9.95 'buy it now' since it had a dent in the front part.


I drilled a hole opposite the dent and tapped it out. I'll then weld up the hole.


Once the pipes are sandblasted and painted it will look like new.


And here it is tacked together. It was a tight fit between the shock and tire, but I had just enough room. I still need to make a mid mount bracket and finish weld it. The exhaust will be black with the heat shield painted silver. Next up will be mounting the tank, seat and rear fender.

The Mercury Seven - RIP Scott Carpenter

From the left, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton.

DT1 flat track project

Along with the XT500 project, I'm going to have a go at putting together a dirt flat track bike. I'd looked at doing a little 2-stroke street racer recently, but this is what I'll be doing instead. It is going to be a low-buck just for fun vintage flat tracker.

The bike I'm using is the '68 DT1 with a '72 engine I bought last year. It had picked up a bunch of Suzuki parts at some point. Luckily the frame wasn't modified any.


This is pretty much all that I'll be using from it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to make any use of that pipe. I'll have a look at making a low pipe out of it if it is usable. The bike will be using mostly stock Yamaha parts from '68-'73.


Some swap meet parts I'll be using, '73 TX650 forks and front hub, thermal flow shocks, and RT3 tank. I'll have to weld mounts on the frame for the gas tank.


From ebay, a set of '69 DT1MX fork clamps and rear fender.


This is a '68 YR2 rear wheel. Nor sure if this will be the wheel I'll end up using.


This is the TX650 forks in the DT1MX trees. I'll need to cut spacers and get a shorter axle, but this looks like it'll work nicely.


I used a front cast wheel to make it a roller to be able start working out what needs to be done. I'll have to look into the rules before getting too far along. I'm leaning more toward using the stock rear fender and a stock type seat rather than a race seat. The rims will be shouldered aluminum.

DT3 and XS650

XT500 project

With the '79 XS650 back on the road, I decided to take a revisit to my old stagnant XT500 project. I bought this bike in 2008, and worked on it on and off again. I didn't hate it, but apparently I didn't like what I'd done enough to ever finish it up, so went back down to just the frame and engine, and started over. Here is it in a rough mock-up, just seeing how it could look. Now this time I think I can really get into it 100%.