Building Forward Controls

[benwaechter]

Hello everyone.
My friend sent me to this club/forum and I am pumped there is something like this in Prince George. I am in the process of building a hardtail bobber out of a 1982 CX500 custom. I have the rear end welded up and am mounting a bobber seat this weekend, the next project I plan on tackling is building forward controls. That is where I am looking for help, I have done a lot of reading and some people have done it sucessfully, but it isn't easy. Has anyone on here had any luck buildng their own? Thanks.

[Dennis]

Good to see you found our forum and club.  I have built a couple of hardtails over the years, and am currently working on an 883 in a rigid Paughco frame, and about to start fabricating my own hardtail for an XS650.  A couple of my other builds are documented in "Complete Rebuilds"; a rigid framed drag bike and a GS650 which I converted to a mono-shock.

Curiously, I have never actually built forward controls, but I have done some fabrication with linkages etc for mid controls.  I'm kind of short and prefer mids.  In fact, right now on my hoist I have my 883 with homemade brake set up involving  linkages and a rocker.  You may want to check it out.

You can get linkage parts (clevis and hime (sp?) joints  and bronze bushings) at Princess Auto.  They're even metric which is cool.

Russel Parker (a.k.a. Rusty Bucket on the forum) has done a number of cafe racers requiring rear sets.  He has fabricated all of his own.  I am sure he'd be honoured to show you his work.

I will probably be in the shop this weekend or even tonight.  I live at 103 Parker Drive (6 blocks north of 1st and Tabor on the corner of Tabor and Parker.  If the lights are on in the garage, that usually means I'm in there tinkering with something).  Feel free to drop by.

I am also hosting a tech night on Tuesday.  See "Tech Nites"

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[fast1]

  TC bros choppers sells a universal kit fairly reasonable. Mounts need to be sturdy enough to push against when lifting your butt for a big bump. A must with a hardtail. Pivots should be bushinged. Heim joints for linkages. Any time you fab something you will take it off and on at least 6 times. Patience helps. Remember, measure twice cut once. CHEERS.

[benwaechter]

So I hit a large wall tonight with the forward control build. I had a pair of Highway pegs my brother and I built for my daily driver . I was going to use them as the foundation for my bobber forward controls. When I bolted them on I either tightened it to much or it was already cracked but the mounting hole on the left cracked and broke off, I then pushed it up into place and cracked the other side at the same time. So I no longer have a way to mount the bar. These CX500's have only one way to mount anything to on the front unless you hang it off the exhaust. I don't think cast aluminum blocks can be welded but am hoping someone on here can confirm that for sure. If that is the case then I heard some people talking last night about someone who is building a car our of a CX500 and may have some extra engines kicking around? I was hoping to get a name and maybe see if he has any running one for sale? Thanks for any input.

[Rusty Bucket]

I think you and Lindy could do a satisfactory deal - certainly on that crashed one that you have the link to.  I had an email addy for him, but I can't find it - maybe Fast1 has one or a number for him.  I will find a way to contact him. He needs papers and a neck - you need uncracked cases (though if that 8mm boss came off all that easily, it might be worth thinking about them continuing to do so...)  and maybe you could both get what you want from this $350 crashed bike.  On the other hand, Jeff would probably be willing to attempt to weld the broken pieces back on, but the results would not likely be stronger than it was originally, which brings us back to thinking about the application... other people have used these bosses to achieve what you want?

[fast1]

  Call Lnidy on his cell. 614-8170. Tell him Wayne sent you. CHEERS.

[fj1200]

Might be of interest to someone.


http://victoria.en.craigslist.ca/mcy/3395282632.html