Starting to come together

FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 6:50am
Restoring this Fox Honda has been a way overdue project. I picked up this bike for $500 back in 2002 or so, complete with the red spark plug. The bike actually came with an 80 plastic tank McGyvered to it.







A lot of the original stuff has been sold off and replaced for the project. With some help from KennyT on some key bits, it's beginning to come back together





Along with some kickstarter repairs, KT fixed and added some material to stops on the Fox Forx clamps. The soft aluminum gouges against the steel frame stop, and there's very little margin before the forks starting denting the 78-79 CR aluminum tank.

|
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 10/19/2011 11:20am
10/19/2011 11:20am
The last couple days have been spent cleaning/rebuilding the Fox Forx with new seals and teflon piston ring. There was plenty of crud in them, and one appears to have lost enough oil that some of the valving and retainers were oxidized a bit. Also, someone had misassembled the valving on one of the damping rods, this one in fact.







The other rod was correct.



It took a lot of heat and leverage to get the top caps off. You can really see the effect of the negative springs when the caps are off: the visual travel shortens right away without the preload. The bottom damper rod assemble came out much easier.





FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 10/19/2011 11:25am
10/19/2011 11:25am
Now some shock decisions and rebuilding on the Fox Airs

The shaft and tops from the middle body will get combined with the clean body on the bottom for a true set of the 17.75 airs as used on Wosick's bike at Hangtown (note the different high pressure valve fitting set up on the middle body). The top body is a standard 17.5 Fox Airshox.





Or, Fox Factory piggybacks.

RexBackman 10/19/2011 11:59am
10/19/2011 11:59am
Very cool. Looks like you are having fun...
tydog
Profile picture for user tydog
Posts
1028
Joined
8/26/2007
Location
Monticello, GA, USA
tydog 10/19/2011 1:27pm
10/19/2011 1:27pm
Looking good Michael. Thanks for the pics and updates.
I hope to have you some aluminum trickness for your motor mount pleasures soon.
Remember to keep it fun!!!!

The Shop

See All »
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24437
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
USA
newmann 10/19/2011 3:08pm
10/19/2011 3:08pm
tydog wrote:
Looking good Michael. Thanks for the pics and updates. I hope to have you some aluminum trickness for your motor mount pleasures soon. Remember to keep...
Looking good Michael. Thanks for the pics and updates.
I hope to have you some aluminum trickness for your motor mount pleasures soon.
Remember to keep it fun!!!!
Keep it fun? Has anyone heard anything about our damn swingarms??? Got my Fox Forx apart and ordered up some Race Tech springs, going to set travel at 10 1/2 to 11 inches and just priced a set of piggyback Race Tech shocks with externally adjustable compression and rebound. Holy bejeezus those things are $1499.00 a set!!! The project bike we started with cost me exactly $10.00 and here I am with a couple thousand worth of Forx crazy expensive swingarm and pricing $1500.00 shocks.....and we are keeping it fun? Works Perf. Pro Racer piggybacks range from just under $800.00 up to $1200.00. The kid better land a factory ride off this baby with all the money being thrown at it.....or else.Smile
tydog
Profile picture for user tydog
Posts
1028
Joined
8/26/2007
Location
Monticello, GA, USA
tydog 10/19/2011 5:21pm
10/19/2011 5:21pm Edited Date/Time 10/19/2011 5:28pm
The kid better land a factory ride off this baby with all the money being thrown at it.....or else.
Sounds to me like the kid already has a factory ride; off of your ass! BUT, do not cut off his funding or mama will cut you off.
Please keep the updates and pics coming Michael.
Sully
Profile picture for user Sully
Posts
9629
Joined
8/24/2006
Location
JP
Sully 10/19/2011 5:51pm
10/19/2011 5:51pm
That is going to be a great looking motorcycle. One question though; I always thought the 78 - 80 CR's had the left side kicker? Am I thinking of the Euro models, or am I just a moron?
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 10/19/2011 6:24pm
10/19/2011 6:24pm
No, it's left sided. 250/450/480 from 81-83 as well, although a different design. The 78-80 250 kicker is a terrible design, made to wear out, but with some fine craftsmanship can be revived. The kickers and the airboxes for these bikes are like gold.

Here are the graphics DeCal Works put together for me, many thanks to Paul here and Ron. I've had these for awhile and they'll finally get put to use.

Tank


Plates


Swingarm (the Vintage Factory ones are nice but not true dimensions to the originals)


Need to lace up a proper NOS Sun Metals gold rear rim as drilled then for this model I picked up recently, to match the front, and then get those off to truing. Things should go pretty quickly once the arm is in (the original Fox arm is dinged a bit from the kickstand, the bike was a rider). Then it'll be those last 5% details that seem to run on.
PN27416
Profile picture for user PN27416
Posts
1105
Joined
6/12/2008
Location
Coopersburg, PA, USA
PN27416 10/20/2011 4:58am
10/20/2011 4:58am
Looks fantastic FTE, love the work by decal works. Keep the updates coming.
motogrady
Profile picture for user motogrady
Posts
3931
Joined
1/27/2008
Location
USA
motogrady 10/21/2011 11:03am
10/21/2011 11:03am
I never noticed how , ah, angular the frames were on those.
Looks like you could almost build one without a bender.
AHRMA361 10/22/2011 10:48am
10/22/2011 10:48am
Great start on the project!

Here is how mine ended up...3 bikes to make one. It has Fox Factory remote res shocks on it now....still looking for the swingarm!

Can't wait to see yours completed FTE



MOTODAD422
Profile picture for user MOTODAD422
Posts
429
Joined
9/26/2008
Location
Easton, PA, USA
MOTODAD422 10/22/2011 3:23pm
10/22/2011 3:23pm
Where can i find one of those red spark plugs ?
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 10/22/2011 4:41pm
10/22/2011 4:41pm
AHRMA361 wrote:
Great start on the project! Here is how mine ended up...3 bikes to make one. It has Fox Factory remote res shocks on it now....still looking...
Great start on the project!

Here is how mine ended up...3 bikes to make one. It has Fox Factory remote res shocks on it now....still looking for the swingarm!

Can't wait to see yours completed FTE



Very nice! The 78-79 250's have to be one of the three most beautiful production bikes ever made, if not tops!

May be able to help you with a swingarm in the next little bit, although it would be a repop.

Will need to rebuild the piggybacks, but I guess Thor's shop burned down late summer and some of his product and services are impaired while it comes back together. I'll probably go with the airs at first; those are easier to rebuild than changing a tire.

BTW, if you need any manuals, etc, shoot me a pm.
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24437
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
USA
newmann 10/22/2011 5:40pm
10/22/2011 5:40pm
I have a nice set of remote reservoir Foxes that I would probably trade for those piggybacks. I had them rebuilt quite a few years ago by Horvat with new seals .bumpers and eyelet bearings and bushings. Not much ride time on them but could use fresh oil I'm sure as well as a paint job on them. Correct hoses and fittings for the reservoir mounting in the proper locations. Had them on my 80 model.



FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 10/22/2011 6:00pm
10/22/2011 6:00pm
Thanks, Joe, not a chance! The top pic shows, had a set and they've gone to good use.

Now you might try to get this bike lowballed and throw the rest away, although you've started with less and ended up with a lot more before.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&item=270837737401&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_500wt_1182
CRFracer117
Profile picture for user CRFracer117
Posts
541
Joined
12/4/2007
Location
Beaumont, TX, USA
CRFracer117 11/27/2011 2:42pm
11/27/2011 2:42pm
tydog wrote:
The kid better land a factory ride off this baby with all the money being thrown at it.....or else. Sounds to me like the kid already...
The kid better land a factory ride off this baby with all the money being thrown at it.....or else.
Sounds to me like the kid already has a factory ride; off of your ass! BUT, do not cut off his funding or mama will cut you off.
Please keep the updates and pics coming Michael.
Kid should probably learn to shift so the bike will hold together for a moto and not grenade like every thing else he rides.
tydog
Profile picture for user tydog
Posts
1028
Joined
8/26/2007
Location
Monticello, GA, USA
tydog 11/28/2011 3:42pm
11/28/2011 3:42pm
CRFracer117 wrote:
Kid should probably learn to shift so the bike will hold together for a moto and not grenade like every thing else he rides.
True words speak you do young red rider.
newmann
Profile picture for user newmann
Posts
24437
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
USA
newmann 11/28/2011 4:06pm
11/28/2011 4:06pm
CRFracer117 wrote:
Kid should probably learn to shift so the bike will hold together for a moto and not grenade like every thing else he rides.
tydog wrote:
True words speak you do young red rider.
Of course the only thing I see wrong with his statement is the singularity of kid when in reality it should have read "kids". As in both of them need to learn that there are more than two gears in the crashbox and that it is quite acceptable to use third, fourth , fifth.....as necessary.

Pit Row

See All »
TeamGreen
Profile picture for user TeamGreen
Posts
37803
Joined
11/25/2008
Location
Thru-out, CA, USA
TeamGreen 11/28/2011 4:15pm
11/28/2011 4:15pm
I rode one of those with later year cartridge forks, '86...I think, made that bike PERFECT.

Good times.
CRFracer117
Profile picture for user CRFracer117
Posts
541
Joined
12/4/2007
Location
Beaumont, TX, USA
CRFracer117 11/28/2011 7:24pm
11/28/2011 7:24pm
newmann wrote:
Of course the only thing I see wrong with his statement is the singularity of kid when in reality it should have read "kids". As in...
Of course the only thing I see wrong with his statement is the singularity of kid when in reality it should have read "kids". As in both of them need to learn that there are more than two gears in the crashbox and that it is quite acceptable to use third, fourth , fifth.....as necessary.
Last bike that went south on me didn't have any more gears, HAHA. By the way that bike was up and running before the next race wasn't it????

Post a reply to: Starting to come together