Frame progress

The last 2 days have given me some quality time in the garage. Things have come together quite quickly, all things considered. I picked up a ZXR250 tank from Eastern Canada. Should mate with the Tyga bodywork better. I will have to cut a section out of the bottom to clear the cylinder head and the carburetor.

I was able to build 3 of the 4 frame spars needed to secure the front of the engine. All in all, I was very happy at the "lack of gap" in the second tube on the RHS -- some slow and patient work with the bench grinder resulted in the joint you see at the left. I will have to trim the horizontal tube slightly to allow the radiator hose to clear (a 90 degree bend)... this will be taken care of when the frame is off for final welding.

You can see the LHS assembly at left -- 4th tube still needs to be fabricated. The rag is in place, plugging the exhaust port. I have the stock OEM header, which I won't be able to use... I can cut it up to suit a more traditional exhaust design (under the engine).

The rear end shock strut needs to be a bit asymetrical to clear the carb mouth. I was able to scavenge a shock mount from another stalled project. The one side is braced with 5/8" tubing. The other side has a gusset made from 1 1/4" round. My eyeball engineering thinks that this should be plenty strong, as it is holding a shock, and does not have to withstand the stress of a rigid mount. As well, the entire assembly is pretty light.

There is not a pile of clearance under the tank for the oem carb. I'll have to see how well the flatslide fits. Might have to do some more relieving with with underside of the tank to make everything slot in nicely. Will also move the petcock. You can't see it in the photo -- its a typical Japanese two-bolt tap style. It won't be at the lowest point on the tank, and it is not far enough "in front" of the carb to get the fuel to flow poperly. I've got a couple of options up my sleeve.

Wood will be removed prior to finishing.

Now the question remains, what about the paint scheme...?

Rizla MotoGP, or...

2005 Laguna GP?

How about retro 500GP? Typical... frame isn't finished, bodywork isn't here, bike hasn't been run yet, and I'm already thinking about paint. I guess visualization is the key...