Author Topic: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R  (Read 17581 times)

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Offline Bruin

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STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« on: July 11, 2009, 12:51:35 AM »
Speed Team Doo ran  '70 and '71 Triumph 250s in 2008 and I shared one of the bikes with my wife.  When it comes to racing, mine is better than ours, so I snatched an '82 Honda XR 500 off Craigs list.  We knew it was not bred to the track (That didn't stop us from tweaking the Triumphs) but as old thumpers go, it's four valves and dual headers made it a fierce torque monster in it's day.  Perhaps we could harness a little of that umph.  To paraphrase Burt, "Anyone can buy a fast bike, the trick is to make a slow bike go fast."
This is the before picture.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2009, 12:59:03 AM »
We quickly rolled it into Ed's Heat and Hammer Emporium where he cut the butt end off and proceded to turn a tall in the saddle dirt bike into a long and low down Bonneville racer.  With limits on power we knew it had to be slippery, a laydown bike seemed the way to go.

The frame turned out quite nice, untill I tried to spray bomb it on a hot day.  I could have gotten more lasting color with chalk.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2009, 02:24:36 AM by Bruin »
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2009, 01:05:34 AM »
Our team's forte is to do the best with what we have.  To lower the front end we rammed the tubes up through the triple tree and stiffened the mushy MX forks by cutting the springs down and plugging them with PVC.  We have plans to use the towering tubes as fairing support structures.  To get the rider low meant moving the gas tank to the rear so he/I could lay on the backbone and look crosseyed between the steering neck.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2009, 02:26:48 AM by Bruin »
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2009, 01:34:07 AM »
Keeping true to the STD motto, we made doo as much as possible by building as much as we could by hand.  Ed created the apple wedge gas tank to fit the curve of me bum. It is tapered wide at the top and narrow at the bottom hoping fluidics would keep flow pressure maximized. (Hey, it sounds like a good theory.)  :cheers:

(That is the beta tank, Ed went back made another because the enemy of good is better.) :evil:

The lay down seat pan was made to keep my torso horizontal and minimize my wind profile.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2009, 11:50:54 PM by Bruin »
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2009, 10:40:53 PM »
The idea of taming wheel turbulance and streamlining the fork tubes seem to have merit so Ed slapped ears onto an old fender.  It is welded onto halfpipe sections clamped to the legs, made for a very secure mount.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2009, 10:51:27 PM »
Here is the front of the frame where you can see how we kept the engine cradle and neck.  I don't know if you can call us "green" but note how we recycled the motocross bars into drag bars.  Laying on the backbone gives me an interesting view.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2009, 11:11:17 PM »
With a chain nearly double the average length we made a guard that sandwiched it between adjustable sliders.  Safe and whipfree.
Lowering the towering dirt bike made the Kicklever bounce off the ground in mid crank.  We also remembered what a pain in the arse it was to have a pit monkey follow you around with a jackstand every time you hit the porta potty.  So Ed came up with the idea of a mechanical center stand that can crank the bike sky high and is as stable as the Dollar.... er, Yen.... maybe Euro... as stable as the Yaun.  Handy for stopping, kicking and field maintenance.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2009, 11:47:12 PM »
Note the second gas tank Ed made, much more purty.  The homemade rear fender may not be too curvy but it is hidden by the rear fairing.  It was made out of sheet aluminum rolled to the micrometered diameter of my butt.  Keep an eye on the two open fork tube/fender/fairing mounts, we have plans for them.

It all came together nicely, the holes?  Stay tuned.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline dougie

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2009, 01:43:56 AM »
Hi Bruin, Nice pics and nice bike.  How long is it?

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2009, 02:05:00 AM »
Thanks, About 106" stem to stern.  Credit Ed for concept, creative solutions and solid skills. And he wants you to know, his is longer.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2009, 12:32:12 PM by Bruin »
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2009, 02:19:18 AM »
We did recycle our first rear fairing attempt into an engine shield.  A bit bulky, we aren't "in" love with it.

When laying down you need a pillow, or at least a chin rest... and a damper.

The straight pipe needed a little bling on the end, something adjustable to break up the heart quickening thumpa-thumpa.

Nitro?  That is sooo overdone.  We are talking Propane baby!
« Last Edit: July 12, 2009, 04:12:48 AM by Bruin »
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2009, 02:46:25 AM »
The biggest project of the build was the front fairing.  Here we were venturing into uncharted waters and made it up as we went along.  The first step I assumed the position while Ed outlined my shape front and side.  Then he built a model like you would a ship, peg board ribs then thin plastic planks for the compound curves.

Then a plug was formed over the model by friend of STD, Jimmy-John.  Much easier said than done.

But the shape was perfect, it shields my head, shoulders and elbows.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2009, 02:57:50 AM »
Jimmy then gel coated the fairing plug and a split mold was fabricated.

Mold done it was time for glass, here Ed gives the bottom half a trim.

The fairing was cast oversized so we could trim it back, but you can see the design we were after.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2009, 03:09:37 AM »
Then we trim the fairing to shape, making sure the rider is visible and only the hands are inside.

You can see the shape of my helmet, shoulders and elbows in the outline.  You may also notice it needs a windshield.  Thats next.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG

Offline Bruin

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Re: STD Making Doo with a '82 Honda XR 500 R
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2009, 03:17:04 AM »
Store bought windshields seem so impersonal so we rounded up some polycarbinate and using just the right recipie cooked it up in the kitchen stove.  Time and temp are crucial so do your homework.  Our best result came when we slapped the softened material in between the fairing mold and blank.  That polycarb is tough stuff.  We tried to break a failed expeirmental sheet by jumping up and down on it and could not!

Here you see it mounted and protected from scratches with masking tape.
STD; Speed Team Doo
'82 Honda 500 APS-AF
'70 Triumph 250 MPS-PG
'71 Triumph 250 APS-PF
'70 Triumph 250 M-PG