[ChopperCharles]

This is the last of my dad's titled frames. It was just a frame, nothing else, when I started. I installed an 82 CX500 wiring harness and a GL500 motor I had lying around (after doing a triple bypass of course). And then I stalled it for years. Now I'm back, and I've changed direction. I was going to make a cafe racer, but I'm thinking scrambler is more my style these days. I laced a 1979 CB750K front hub to a GL1000 aluminum rim with a generic CB750 spoke kit. Installed a single GL style five-bolt front rotor, and upgraded the single pot caliper with a dual pot caliper and mounting bracket off of an 81 CB750 Custom. Rebuilt the caliper of course. Handlebars, levers, and hand controls are all aftermarket. I've got sexy aluminum headlight ears to mount a 5.75" LED headlight. Rear shocks are V65 Magna, but they will probably be swapped for something else eventually. Tehy're the right height for what I want, but I don't know how they'll perform, being made for a bike 100 pounds heavier than the CX.

Next step is to mount the goldwing wheel and machine the spacers necessary to center it. Then I'll disassemble the rim and have the inside bored out to fit the dust shield on the CX pumpkin. Then new bearings and it should mount right up. I've got a GL1000 rear rotor and a CB900 caliper stay, which uses the single-piston CX500 caliper. I still have to work out the rear master, but so far this is coming together.

Foot controls at the moment are Custom pegs turned backwards. I've made a shifter that works great, but the right side brake is going to give me trouble. Eventually I'm going to cut the stock pegs off and weld on mounts for the pegs I want to use, still using the CX Custom mounts though. It's a wonderful seating position for me. Easy to stand, and lots more legroom.

Lots more to do, but I hope to have it done by April.

Charles.

 

[murrayf]

i like the work stool seat !

 

[LaGrasta]

very nice, thus far!

 

[danroy323]

That's my style too. May I ask what kind of handlebars you used? Looks like a motocross one with the pad. I'm going in this direction but on a GL.

 

[ChopperCharles]

That's my style too. May I ask what kind of handlebars you used? Looks like a motocross one with the pad. I'm going in this direction but on a GL.

Moose Racing Handle Bars, Black Carbon Steel, 7/8" ATV HI Bend, P/N 0601-4985

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Here's a mock-up with the Goldwing wheel engaged with the splines. Still lots of work to do here.

Charles

 

[DdogG]

Looks great Charles

 

[wjvh]

I’m liking the look of this. Are you planning to fit a front mudguard (fender)?

 

[Blindstitch]

I'm not usually a spoke fan except on dirtbikes but that looks good.

 

[ChopperCharles]

MWA-HAHAHAHA. Got parts back from the machinist. The GL1000 rear wheel project is coming along nicely. Pics and explanation when everything is out of the parts washer.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

So, I mounted the GL1000 rear wheel into the CX500 pumpkin, and noticed the wheel is far too far too the left. There is very little room to get the brake rotor bolts past the swingarm, and fitting a brake caliper and mount was going to be troublesome with such little space to work with. So my goal was to get the drive flange deeper into the GL1000 wheel, which would move it to the right.

Measuring a GL1000 rim from the bottom of the toothed flange to the top where the bearing sits, it's 27mm. However, the distance on the CX500 is 34mm. That's a 7mm difference. That means the flange bottoms out in the pumpkin, and leaves 7mm between the right wheel bearing and the spacer tube in the pumpkin.

My goal was to make this better, if not fix it entirely. But unfortunately, I couldn't go the whole 7mm to fix it completely. But I got close: 5mm. That means there's only 2mm between the right wheel bearing and the existing CX500 spacer. A single washer tack-welded on the end would be enough. (But I plan to machine a new longer spacer). Here's how I did it:

Original GL1000 wheel hub:

I'm pointing at the step on the shaft that is where the drive flange teeth rest, and where the pumpkin's drive gear bottoms out. I'm going to magically remove 5mm from that surface by handing it to a guy with a gigantic lathe from the 1940s. Afterward, it looks like this:

So 5mm is removed here, but I can't stop yet. The drive flange itself has to be moved downward 5mm as well. To do that, I used my own lathe to remove 5mm from the bottom mating surface.

That almost worked. However, there is that outer ridge just on the inside of the mounting bolt area which was bottoming out on the aluminum around the rubber isolators in the wheel. So I had to remove that ridge as well. But that's not all either. The bottom of a stock drive flange looks like this:

The round bits that fit inside the rubber bushings have a big flange of their own at the bottom, and this also contacts the metal and keeps the flange from seating fully. So, off to the lathe again!

I modified each of the shafts by removing the flange end and shortening them by 5mm.

Fully assembled, the backside of the drive flange looks like this:

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

With the flange installed the GL1000 wheel looks like this:

It also now measures 32mm from the top of the bearing holder to the bottom of the teeth.

Assembled to a spare pumpkin, it looks like this:

That is a significantly smaller gap than before.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Now there are two ways to move forward with this.
The first is to just call it good enough, make a longer tube for inside the final drive, and finish centering the wheel by pulling the spokes to one side when I re-lace and true it.

The other option is to go back to the machinist and have another 2mm taken off that ledge, and then remove 2mm from the TOP of the drive flange. This will allow the CX500 pumpkin to fit all the way into the wheel hub, however there will be 2mm of teeth that are no longer engaged. Since the same drive flange can handle a GL1100's mass and horsepower, I'm thinking 2mm of tooth loss wouldn't be TOO critical for a lightweight 500.... but I do plan on beating on the bike a bit, so I'd rather not be worried about drive parts breaking. Also, it'll cost another $50 to have the hub machined again, which I'm none too keen on.

Charles.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

Consider the tire's proximity to the fat part of the swing arm as you move to wheel more and more to the right.

 

[ChopperCharles]

I will, but my intention is to use a 130x80x17 or 5.10x17 tire, so I won't be going any wider than the stock 130/90/16. I will remount the stock wheel and tire and check the offset before lacing my rim.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Making some progress today. Machined a new spacer for inbetween the bearings, and bought a BUNCH of parts. Going for a slick vintage aluminum husky fender mounted high, with a vintage bracket no less. Aluminum fenders and rims make me happy. Got a Tarozzi fork brace on the way too. My thermostat replacement stalled because I couldn't find the folder of extra o-rings that I should have right in my parts stash, but is somehow missing. So I ordered a new one from 4into1 along with a taillight and some other farkles.

Right now I'm recovering from the cold, as I'm outside using the polisher to make the GL1000 rear hub all shiny. It's a big jorb.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

New spacer for between the gl1000’s wheel bearings.

Charles.

 

[ChopperCharles]

Now I'm at another sticking point. I need a milling machine to take a chunk out of the CB900C rear brake stay I've got. So.... next paycheck I order a milling machine

My rule is if I need a tool 3 times, the third time I just buy the damn tool instead of borrowing it or in this case having a machine shop do it. And I've wanted a small benchtop mill for a while now anyways.

Charles.

 

[danroy323]

I could not live without my lathe and mill! Add an hydraulic press and a mig welder and you can do pretty much anything you need.
Dan

 

[D-Fresh]

next paycheck I order a milling machine

Keep up posted on this for sure. We need pics of the new toy when you get it. Have you decided on a make/model yet?