April 3, 2004

My Golden Setup! If there ever is one! (clicking on each thumbnail will show the bigger image, approx 30kb, sized 600x450. Don't forget to come back to see the rest!)

Anyway, this is my latest setup and it is as follows:

Steering


I made a few modifications that seem to work in the right directions! First of all, I installed the NF top triple clamp (the bottom one has to be machined a bit, so it will wait for a little longer). When I mounted the NF top triple clamp, I realized that it comes already drilled and tapped for a 3mm bolt. But... my standard TT steering linkage bolt is 2.6mm! So, coming back to the idea saying that the steering angles should be parallel, I cut an old Tamiya F1 fiberglass chassis and made the adapter to suit. However, being this enthusiastic, I forgot to measure the servo arm and I made the adapter a bit longer! Forgive me! The bike still turns equally well, as it DID previously. It was just not good to the eye! Now, it also has that "modified" look too, not to mention the "factory" look with the NF triple clamp in golden color!


See the measurements, above. Also, I have put two BIC lighter trigger springs, which seem unequal, but they are the same. For the sake of "looks" I'm looking for a 3rd Bic lighter to destroy, so they will be same-looking. I first let them real loose, but the bike was slow to turn-in or change direction, when going into a fast S-curve. So, I tightened the collets a bit: right now, they are 45mm apart, but this will need a bit more refining.

The steering head grub would not stay at the desired place, so I had a nyloc nut bolded on it upside-down, (my friend Ayrton did this, actually!) and I found that at 4mm the bike steering feels quite good.

Forks

I have read very carefully what friends from allover the world have written about the forks, and I decided to do my OWN conversion! Actually, based on looks again, I didn't like the fact that the bike was sitting with its front fender buried deep into the fairing. Practically, there was no problem at all, as the fork was working very nicely, and nothing contacted anything unnecessarily.

Steve from the forum made a nice conversion to his TT forks, adding a pair of external 1/10 touring car springs. However, what the bike needs, IMHO, is a bit of height up front; which means preloading the springs! Fine! I first tried a couple of small 8x5 ball bearings, but they would ride right inside the fork springs, eliminating what good they did! So, not being able (read: being too lazy to search!) to separate them with appropriate washers, I fell upon a couple of 64dp pinions into my toolbox!

They fit perfectly into the lower fork boots as well into the springs! I tightened everything back in and the forks are preloaded!

Rear Shock/Rear Ride Height

This has been a problem that has plagued quite a lot of friends on the above forum. Many shocks are leaking. I am among the fortunate ones so that my shock is still oil-tight! However, having it preloaded with 3 spacers (thick, medium, thin), the rear of the bike was staying real high off the ground (the dreaded looks again!) and the whole bike seemed like it was ready to do an endo!

I read Shaun's and Steve's advice and lowered the rear by some other means: The bike does come with a few adjustments of its own. One of them is the 3-position layshaft. I put the layshaft on the lowest position.

  
As you can see the bike's fairing is more-or-less parallel to the ground, with the bike loaded with a battery (BTW, the battery is fully charged, does this mean it's heavier?!!!)

The "bad" side-effects"?!
Notice the black "painting" on the lower right side of the fairing...

Electrics/Electronics

I guide the bike with my 12-year old Futaba FF3, which is in perfect shape so far. Two years ago I put a fresh set of 1000mah Sanyo batteries and that's it!

The receiver is the one that came with the FF3, the FPR103F (40mhz FM) and the steering servo is a Futaba S3003.

The ESC is a new model Nosram tiny thing. So tiny in fact that I thought that my friends at Fanatix Model Shop were trying to kid me at first! I have been left with the idea that anything smaller than a 1991 Novak or Tekin is just a joke! Anyway, this little gem will handle 11-turn motors.

Oh! motors. I have been through quite a few motors in the TT. First was a Trinity S-Spec 21T (or 22?) stock. Then a 19x2 and a 16x3 from my friend Ayrton. Finally I'm running a Team Orion Oscar Janssen Signature 12x3 which is plenty fast and gives a decent run time with my S-Spec 1300 batteries: 5-6 minutes, easily.

I have yet to try my newly acquired Team Orion super-matched 2400 NiCd's, because they are soldered in a side by side way, and the bike undertray needs a bit of modifying to accept them. Finally, the transmission ratio has been left stock, simply because I have not yet been able to find suitable 32DP pinions, or a decently big 48dp spur to match my dozens of 48dp pinions.


Ddi I tell you I first laid a leg over a real R1 at the recent Athens International Motorcycle Show, in March 2004?! How it feels? real cramped when static! But its colors are real beautiful!