1990 KX 500 to 2006 KX450F Conversion Project

[Foxx4Beaver]

I'm having trouble loading more than one pic at a time...


This pic is from the front and you can really see how the down tube on the left is crooked, while the one on the right is great.  If he had only done them both like the one on the right, I'd be a happy camper, with the exception of the pipe debacle...

is it just me......or does it look like the problem is at the yolk/neck...it looks like the side with the crooked down tube comes out off the neck more than the other side, that's nice and straight.

[Kwackerman]

In this pic, you can see how beautiful this pipe is.  If it just fit as good as it looks, I'd be doing backflips.  Unfortunately, it doesn't fit...

[Kwackerman]

This pic shows how far off the pipe mount is from the frame bracket.  Even with the stock rubber mount in place (not pictured) the mount on the pipe is a good two-three inches too far out and an inch or more to the rear of where it needs to be to properly mount to the frame. That is a major design flaw and there is no excuse, in my opinion, for that bracket to be that far off on a $400 custom pipe...

[Kwackerman]

This pic shows the classic interference between the coolant spigot and the pipe.  Again, no excuse for that on a $400 custom pipe...

I took the bike and pipe to a local guy who is an amazing fabricator and has made several Kawasaki KDX/KXF hybrids.  He looked at it and recommended I let him cut a "half moon" section and weld it into the pipe so it clears the spigot and coolant hose.  I agreed.  It should be complete by this weekend.  I'll post some picks...

[sandblaster]

Hey Kwackerman.
Looks like progress...
If you get the Service Kawi rad hose you can run it like this..

[Kwackerman]

Here's how it looked yesterday when I took it to the fabricator.  I have to admit, it's looking pretty dang good, overall.  I can't wait to finish it and throw a leg over it...

[Foxx4Beaver]

this is what I was referring too....it looks like the yellow side comes out more than the red side.

[Kwackerman]

I see that, but I think that might be from me not standing directly in line with the frame when I took that pic.  As you can see from my last pic, the bike is mostly together.  I've actually had the seat and all the plastic on it and everything seems to be lined up well.  Of course, I won't know for sure till I ride it.  Hopefully it will track straight and not have any shakiness...

[sandblaster]

Unless your frame is bent I doubt you would feel anything funny.
When I cut my frame it stayed very ridged.
After weld it still stayed straight.

[Kwackerman]

Oh man, don't get me started on the SH guys.  I called them about purchasing one of those custom hoses, like the one in your picture.  The guy said I would have to send him pictures so they could confirm that I bought my bike from them, because they only sell to their "customers." I thought if you bought something from someone, that made you a customer...

Of course, he meant a customer, as in, I bought an $11,000 bike from them.  Then, and only then, would they sell me a replacement hose.  He did throw me a bone and told me they would sell me a complete set of the green hoses for $300-400!!!  I thought he was kidding, so I asked him again how much the set of hoses cost.  He said, "we're out of stock right now, but they run $300-400."

I thanked him and hung up before they charged me for talking to them!

AMAZING!!!  Needless to say, I'll have my buddy salami slice my pipe before I do that.  I grew up in the motorcycle industry and I can't believe how selfish, greedy, and non-customer oriented people are in the industry these days...

[Kwackerman]

Here's a pic of the bottom frame mount.  It looks really nice.

[Foxx4Beaver]

I see that, but I think that might be from me not standing directly in line with the frame when I took that pic.  As you can see from my last pic, the bike is mostly together.  I've actually had the seat and all the plastic on it and everything seems to be lined up well.  Of course, I won't know for sure till I ride it.  Hopefully it will track straight and not have any shakiness...

I'll take your word for it...as it's not the best pic to tell.

[Kwackerman]

Here's a pic of the head stay.  I don't know what George used to make this thing, but it's really trick.

[don46]

first offyou can buy that hose from your local autozone, I bought one after somebody on here posted it up, it was a member that did the work and found the hose, unfortunately I can't remrmber the part number but as I recall it was a gates hose.

I will also say that the first AF framed bike I did was similar to your frame rails, I will caution you to watch them very closely because they will break, after the second time I gutted it, bent all new frame rails using radiused tubing and gusseted both the top and bottom. I would not do it that way again. since then I have completed 5 more and haven't had an issue with breakage, just my .02

I will look to see if I can find a number for the hose

[Kwackerman]

Here's a look at here from yesterday, from the back left side.