wide wheels, narrow frame....

[trumpy509]

hi guys, here's my dilema.

i've just bought a '75 z900 that i want to moderately streetfighter. I've already got a '98 triumph speed triple, that ive been riding around on for a couple of years, from which I'd like to use the running gear mated to the Z frame. I will be bracing the Z frame around the headstock, across the downtubes in front of and behind the motor, and around the swing arm pivot area. And will probably change/machine the headstock to suit the complete triumph front end. The frame wil obviously be mono-shocked. My big question is how do i get the single sided swingarm, wheel,chain and rear sprocket to line up?

I did get something similar done with an old Z650 a few years ago, but it was a pretty simple transformation to ZZR running gear. The swinging arm was skimmed, the frame mono-shocked and the drive sprocket welded and spaced to allow for clearance and alignment, this was all done without too much trouble. That was in the UK but, and having been in Aus for only 5 years I just don't have the network of "handy mates" that I had access to back there. (I don't have a bottomless pit of cash available...however the ex wife seems to be doing ok!!) so just going along to a machine shop/frame builder is probably going to be too expensive.

The engine will remain pretty much stock (although a O/S rebore/big bore kit could be on the cards at some point in the future)with a simplified wiring loom and a nice deeptone 4-1 exhaust sytem. I'm really trying to get the look of the bike sorted first before worrying about making a "performance" streetfighter.

Any help/advice/pics/videos/drunken ramblings would be muchly appreciated....

Cheers, Steve

[ozzy1100]

sound like a intresting project mate
there are plenty of us on here into old sckool style musle bikes mixed with a twist of fighter
have fun finding some of them and chating to the blokes building them
myself i think that the triple running gear would be intresting and out there itself with out the sssa
stay with the mono shock but find the right arm that suits and builds on what u are after, to me and this is just my veiw
a budget build with the triple and harder edge stlye of modern track day oldsckool fighter would be unreal and not to hard to build and on the road legal enough
not to get pulled by cops all the time lol but like i said just my view but id lose the sssa and go for tuff btw id use some thing like a later 1100 tank instead of the
swopy z1 tank just me lol

[EFE 1230]

Trumpy arm is way too wide and the one I have off a tourer is so wide there would be major($$$)work required to narrow it for a Z900 frame.

Honda 400 (no idea about 750) SSSA + Trumpy hub/wheel will be your best bet, hub fits arm and arm is narrow enough to fit frame.

I have slotted this set up into a Z900A4 frame just to see if it would be possible a while ago pretty sure it was do-able but don't have the bits on hand to check again.

I can remember that the rear footpeg hangers needed to be removed and maybe a 180 tyre instead of a 200.

Not sure what bits needed for rear brake set up as those bits I do not have, was going to try Trumpy disc with Honda caliper set up.

As for chain clearance, never got that far but offset drive sprockets can be had on USA ebay for the Z.

Now for the disclaimer..............

I wouldn't butcher a good Zed 9 or any parts from the bike, if it's an Aus delivery bike with the original tag still on the frame and matching engine no it's worth money, however if it's a rough as guts bitsa then chop away!


see mine LOL!

http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8102

I have been chasing parts for this for ages and 90% of them have had to come from the US because people here want too much money or won't sell to me as I'm not doing a resto, mine was so bitsa and so fucked that the only remaining parts from the bike I scored are the engine/carbs,dual disc brakes and Henry Abe wheels.

post some pics of the Z9.

[Dynomutt]

Get hold of a Z1000ST shaftdrive frame, the frame is much wider at the pivot point, and a Triumph single sider will fit in, with a little work. It already fits into the space but needs to be moved about 10mm to the right in order to line the wheel up centrally. I'm about to do one after my Kat is finished. I intend to machine 10mm from the righthand side of the pivot of the arm. and then machine the pivots to accept the Kawasaki Shaftdrive taper bearings, which then allows me to retain the original bearing mounts on the frame and original swingarm pivot tper roller bearings. As the frame is wider at the pivot there are no issues with the chain run, other than a small offset on the front sprocket. I'm using a later GPZ1170cc motor which has a different output spline which accepts an off the shelf 530 sprocket with a built in 15mm offset, which I seem to think is either ZZR1100 or GPX750. I'm building an oldskool dragbike for a customer also using the Shaftdrive frame, to allow use of a 7 inch wide slick tyre without the problems of notching the frame for chain clearance.
I've fitted a GSXR1000K4 6 inch rim into my Z1R frame by using a small notch on the frame above and below the pivot, and machining 14mm off the sprocket carrier and hub, and an offset front sprocket, as it turns out with a 530 chain conversion there was enough clearance on the frame without notching it.

[ozzy1100]

this might be some help in machineing
its not the best or the easy way but i like it lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eQ7YAd4iOU

theres a topic on it somewhere that i did you can cut the chamfers as well like this and it was still sitiing under the bike as i did it
this one is a zrx 1100 swing into a zr 550

[trumpy509]

Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated. The zed is as rough as dogs balls and 90% complete, the Z1000 ST/GPZ 11 frame is interesting and would be waaaaay cheaper than the zed 900 to buy and chop. the raeson for using the trimph running grear is 1, i have it and 2, it looks good....... the reason for the Z9 bodywork is that i just love the way they look. maybe getting hold of a cheaper Z650 bodywork would be the way to go??? may have to do an e-bay search and see wots out there.