Old Girl

[ytman]

Hello old girl. I built this bike back in the 90's when the only thing going, 4 stroke wise, was the 400ex. Not big enough. I sent an empty xr600 motor to Lonestar and they basically stretched a 250r frame 3 inches vertically so it would fit. Getting enough travel out of the kicker was a problem so I switched to a 650l motor with electric start. I desert raced her some but she's been apart for maybe 10 years. I had the motor freshened up a little while back and now it's time to put her back together. The problem is I have an xr650r motorcycle. This is one of the few chassis that will house this motor and I'm not sure if it is worth the time and effort to redo this quad. It would mean a new oil tank, a radiator, motor mounts, and cutting the swingarm so the bolt can go through the motor. What do you guys think?

[ytman]

650l

[ytman]

in action

[D Bergstrom]

Originally posted by ytman
What do you guys think?

That is a cool quad. I would say put the 650R motor in it, but would be some work. Not real familiar with the 650L motor, but I know the 650R motor is awesome. Although, I think the 650L motor can be built to put out decent power also. I guess it depends on how much you actually plan on using the quad. I have always wanted a 650R powered quad though!

Actually, since it has just sat for 10 years, I think you should sell the entire quad as is to me! haha

Doug

[ytman]

Thanks D Bergstrom. It was a fun quad, especially back then because it was big. Nobody had seen anything that huge before. It was like a truck. The problem with the 650l motor is the gearing. It's too tall. I ended up putting a 45 tooth sprocket on the back and that cuts down on ground clearance. I have to run 22s. here's another pic

[k10seibel]

Love it!
Jealousy hurts.

[quadcrazy02]

Originally posted by D Bergstrom
That is a cool quad. I would say put the 650R motor in it, but would be some work. Not real familiar with the 650L motor, but I know the 650R motor is awesome. Although, I think the 650L motor can be built to put out decent power also. I guess it depends on how much you actually plan on using the quad. I have always wanted a 650R powered quad though!

Actually, since it has just sat for 10 years, I think you should sell the entire quad as is to me! haha

Doug

Yeah what ^^^he said^^^ different is always cool lol

[Baxter]

Please don't put a XR650r motor in it. If you don't sell it to Doug , I'll have it.

[ytman]

Why do you say not to do it Baxter?

[Baxter]

You'll spoil the quad ,I always wanted to build.

[ytman]

I see.. well whichever motor I go with I still have to beef up the frame around the swingarm pivot. I added a couple gussets I'm not proud of. Since the swingarm bolt doesn't go through the motor there is alot of stress in that area. If I go with the L again I think I'll make a bracket similar to the 86'87 250r that ties the sa bolt to the motor mounts. I'll definetely be posting more pics as I tear into her. Maybe you'll get some ideas and see what not to do if you want to build one

[jcs003]

how bout a banshee motor?

[ytman]

Banshee motors are sick but I'm a honda man. Plus there's no reason to have a frame this tall for a banshee motor. That thing would swim in there.

[ytman]

These are the gussets I'm not proud of. I have to cut these out and fab some that tie in with the orig lonestar swingarm mounts, kinda like I did below the bolt. Unfortunately this frame was chronically underbuilt. The tube frame is sound but the tabs and bracketry were too thin. That's why she never got powdercoated. I constantly had to beef up something. All the motor mounts have been doubled in thickness and gussets were added everywhere.

[DezSled]

That was charlie in the action pic?

I was at the first night race Badgers, and one of them big four stroke quad went by me like I was on a trx90....

By all means make this happen... didn't granlund/Stewart race something like this?

Cutting up that swinger would be shame tho

[ytman]

Sorry DezSled that was not the great Charlie Lamson in the pic. That was me. the only occasionally purty good Dwight T. Lowell. I never had lights on her so that musta been some other guy passing you. Stewart did a 650r but it was as much Yamaha as Honda.
If I put the 650r motor I would have to buy another swingarm. I couldn't cut up that roll.

[tayyo789]

The R makes more power, but the gearing is about the same with both motors. The only complaint I have with the R motor is that there's no E-start.
I feel like the motor mounts should be very close to the same, but I haven't spent much time looking at L's.

[ytman]

I got a scooped hood to add air to the oil cooler. she always ran cool., but it'll look cool

[ytman]

Jagg cooler

[DezSled]

Looking sweet... Nice hood

[ytman]

Thanks Dez.
She's taller with a stock seat than an "r" with a desert seat.

"r" witha desert seat measured from the pegs

<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/albums/a492/dtl2012/Old%20Girl/?action=view&amp;current=IMAG0726s.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a492/dtl2012/Old%20Girl/IMAG0726s.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The old girl with stock seat

<a href="http://s1280.photobucket.com/albums/a492/dtl2012/Old%20Girl/?action=view&amp;current=IMAG0727s.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a492/dtl2012/Old%20Girl/IMAG0727s.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[HairyJR]

Thought I'd bump this thread ask what's been done to the "old Girl" lately? Was scanning some old pictures to my computer taken of hybrids while at Glamis and found some of this hybrid back in the early '90s, I think you had just built it.
1718106765

[ytman]

Awesome!! Thanks for the bump HairyJR. It's cool to see pictures of your stuff taken by someone else. She was just built back then. She doesn't look much different now. I just started her renewal(a year ago now) I don't get to work on her much. I fabbed up all the gussets for the swingarm pivot. I just need to weld them in. I did make a scoop for the oil cooler to practice on my new Harbor Freight shear, roller, brake combo Johnson. It came out o.k. kinda klunky lookin.171810678817181067891718106790

[DezSled]

Yt man form follows function, looks like time well spent.

Cool to see this wasn't forgotten

I'd like to hit a open valley, see what she's got. Charlie was not dumb, you must be fast

Keep up the great work

[ytman]

Thanks Dez. You are right. Mr. Lamson is not dumb. He was, and I'm sure still is, a fierce animal. I would rather lose than crash and he would rather die than lose. I surrendered many a race to that man and I have a lack of broken bones to prove it thank you very much...Anyway
I've also been working on tying the rear motor mounts to the swingarm pivot like on most modern bikes and quads. That's been a problem with this machine. The swingarm keeps trying to remove itself from the vehicle. I hope this works.1718106822171810682317181068241718106825

[HairyJR]

Looks like something similar too '86-'87 swingarm configuration that used the 250R engine rear case mount as part of the design. Does look like it'll add some additional support and less stress on the outside pivot frame brackets. These RFVC motors additional weight and torque developed put additional stresses frames where not designed for. None of this would happen if we didn't hop them up or race them. Keep posting updates.

"HJ" :cool:

[ytman]

I actually cut the swingarm the same as an 86 so I can use all those parts. I couldn't find a no link swinger for an 86 so I cut an 89 and gusseted it.

[k10seibel]

Do you guys like the feel and function of a desert seat? I've never riden with one and am curious if they are cumfy of give a high CG feel? Maybe like a cushy couch feel with easy transfer to standing position?? At some point I want to do a desert set up on one of my Rs. Just don't know if I'll actually like the ergonomics. Here's an old WAX cover (NOS) I was fortunate to have been able to buy.
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp334/k10seibel/photobucket-17044-1390065580362.jpg
Love reading you guy's threads and your old school bikes. Keep it up, learning a lot!

[ytman]

K10, for me, a tall seat is very important. Even though I only have a 32" inseam, the transition from standing to sitting so many times over the course of 40 miles or so becomes tiresome. I raced one event with a stock height seat and my thighs and lower back were killing me. My riding is mostly straight ahead though. If you bob and weave around trees with a lot of transitioning side to side or hanging off to slide around berms on a track you definitely want a shorty to put on.
Ceet desert foam is the hardest. Too hard for some. Hard enough to give an "on top of the bike" feel. Hiflite uses softer foam. Squishier and more "couch" like. I did cut down a Ceet seat cause I had a stinkbug thing going on, about an inch off the back, and it got softer. There is a hard "shell" on the outside with a soft core, like a tootsie pop. O.k. Enough babbling. Hope I helped.

[DezSled]

I agree with yt. Except that my neck and back were always sore regardless lol!

The CEET foam is to firm, the hi flite was to soft over time.. I found the wax seat to be soft like the hi flite but a rounder profile. That seat looks to be brand new! Sweet!

[k10seibel]

Okay, thanks.
I wouldn't of ever thought of the different foam densities.... Very interesting. Thanks again for the education!