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Message started by OldSport on 06/04/13 at 10:06:45

Title: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/04/13 at 10:06:45

I have started a build and have been keeping a blog about it. Here are a couple of photos and a link to the blog. suggestions are welcome.

Starting point

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/12bike_zpsa19a3dfe.jpg

Where I am now.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo111_zps4422fad9.jpg

One of the places I am headed.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo112_zps1d9ed7a0.jpg

http://thelycanproject.blogspot.com

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Serowbot on 06/04/13 at 10:39:40

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/04/13 at 11:12:01

Im Lycan it so far..

Was that a church?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/04/13 at 11:28:02

Was that a church?

No actually it was the repair shop for a DeSoto Plymouth Dealer in the 1930's and 40's.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/04/13 at 11:43:18

Kinda' RYCA without the wheel change or tank mod... That's probably how I'd go too...
...(the cost/reward for those two mods just don't add up for me)... (I'd prefer to get a completely different tank, if anything,... more like Dave did)...

Some of what I have done so far is pretty much the same as RYCA but I had it made locally. The rear set brackets cost me $65 and I pretty much copied their battery box for $10. I have a set of GS450T cast wheels that I may try and use, 17" rear 19" front. The front rotor will have to be machined, the rear drum brake matches but I will have to convert to chain drive. The rear sets came from Fast From the Past, and I made the connecting rods. Long way to go. Tanks are hard to find for a reasonable price.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by srinath on 06/04/13 at 13:38:35

If I was doing a mod kit for a savage, the last thing I'd get rid of - I'd never get rid of I mean - belt drive.
The first thing I'd like to lose is the front end - or the triples to be exact. The FE is something I can live with if not for that god awful offset. That offset is needed for the tank, so I guess losing the tank and triples is the first thing I'd do.

Cool.
Srinath.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by LostArtist on 06/04/13 at 15:58:50

looking good!! 8-)

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Borracho on 06/04/13 at 18:51:03

What kind of shocks are those?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Face on 06/04/13 at 20:04:28

50514A4D42574B230 wrote:

The FE is something I can live with if not for that god awful offset. That offset is needed for the tank, so I guess losing the tank and triples is the first thing I'd do.

Cool.
Srinath.

Based on frame geometry, the offset is needed to reduce the trail. The Savage runs a 2.45 inch offset, which is pretty standard for a cruiser. Most likely the triple design came first, then they built a tank that would fit.

Oldsport, are those Ohlins on the back end?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/04/13 at 21:10:38

I have been trying to figure the trail on this bike but my methods are not very accurate. I was hoping to get it under 4 but I'm pretty sure it isn't possible now. Where it is now is close to 4.5 best I can estimate. The shocks are Chinese air nitrogen knock offs. RFY's I found them on eBay for around $100. The seller was good to work with to get the proper length eye to eye and a 14 mm eye dia. The spring and the correct eye thickness. I have a high pressure air pump from my mountain biking days so I can tune them. The reviews I found were surprisingly good. They were affordable, look great, quality seem excellent, they look better upclose than the picture. They are not Ohlins but for $100 I'm well pleased. These are a little long but I'm pretty hefty. They are 13 3/8 eye to eye.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Dave on 06/05/13 at 05:32:54

Are you cerrtain those shocks are 13-3/8" eye/eye? The angle of the swing arm looks pretty steep, and will likely cause a problem with any chain conversion or belt. The change in belt or chan tension as the swing arm moves up and down will be siignificant - and you are bound to have the chain rubbing on the pivot point of the swing arm.

I have 13.5 inches shocks....and my swingarm angle looks to be less steep than yours.....maybe it is just an optical illusion.

I got to tell you....as much fun as the project is.....I am having a lot more fun now that it is rideable! ;D

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by ToesNose on 06/05/13 at 05:52:20

Hey Dave I think OldSport's looks like more of an angle because it's on a bike stand of some kind.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/05/13 at 05:52:48

66454D7A59465B5D290 wrote:

Was that a church?

No actually it was the repair shop for a DeSoto Plymouth Dealer in the 1930's and 40's.

I could worship there :)
Neat lookin place,,

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/05/13 at 06:29:19

I have 13.5 inches shocks....and my swingarm angle looks to be less steep than yours.....maybe it is just an optical illusion.

The rear triangle is the same but you appear to have 18" wheels and to have droped the front froks as well. RYCA doesn't talk about it a lot but all the changes are an attempt to shorten the trail and change the handling. My research suggest that an ideal trail is between 2 and 4 inches. I would love to know what the actual trail is on the stock savage and the RYCA conversion. Those numbers have been hard to find. My best estimate is that the stock is 6.5 inches and the RYCA conversion is around 4.

Your bike looks great. I'm really jealous, the tank was a great decesion. I'm not a fan of RYCA's tank, yours is a more classic look. How comfortable is the seat. I am trying to work out using the stock seat on mine.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Dave on 06/05/13 at 07:14:51

54777F486B74696F1B0 wrote:

How comfortable is the seat. I am trying to work out using the stock seat on mine.

For the 6 months my bike was up on the work bench....I was jealous of people with running bikes as well. We would have a nice sunny day.....and I could hear the bikes running up and down the road while I was in the garage working. It is sooooo nice to have it running again.

Ask me about the seat in a week and a half.......I will be riding with the boys at the Dragon for 3 days straight next week. So far the seat is fine as long as I am riding and my feet are on the pegs. I can feel some engine vibration in my butt......and so far an hour in the seat is all I have spent at any one time. One evening I was calibrating my speedo and I would pull over and stay straddled on the bike while adjusting the wheel size settings on the computer. When I got back from the ride the inside of my legs was red from the hard fiberglass edges on the seat.....it is only a problem when you are stopped for a long period of time.

Next wnter the bike will come apart to be painted - and it may also get a bit of supplemental padding in the seat.....or maybe some stylish padded pants!

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/05/13 at 10:27:40

Ask me about the seat in a week and a half.......I will be riding with the boys at the Dragon for 3 days straight next week.

So you are going with the group to BRMCG? I am going up with a group this weekend. I would love to see the bike in person, but we are leaving on the 14 th for the beach. It is only about 100 miles to the campground from here. What days are you planning to be at Deals GAP?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/05/13 at 10:42:04

I found the answer to my own question. The CS1 has a trail of 4.80 inches according to Motorcyclist online.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/122_1101_ryca_cs1_cafe_racer/viewall.html

I also had a brainstrom and figured out how to measure mine! So I ran to the shop at lunch. Laser levels and a yard stick!

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo116_zps702650c0.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo117_zps870de1f6.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo118_zps7ec48448.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo119_zpsa2e3be75.jpg

So I am at about 5 inches of trail right now.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Dave on 06/05/13 at 12:47:05

I changed my fork yokes to 1980 Suzuki RM400 yokes. It was involved, and it reduced the offset from 2.5 inches to 1.25. I believe the rest of my geometry is very close to the RYCA.....so I am guessing my trail will be around 3.55 inches. Not sure if the handling is changed much......but I like the looks better! So far I have not found any handling problems and it feels stable - but not planted on a straight path. It seems to turn pretty nicely. I had a friend that road races Ducati and Norton motorcycles ride it, and he though it handled well at hghway speeds....I am sure the track would be much different and there would be room for iimprovement. The bike seems to have a very short wheelbase compared to his Ducati's.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Face on 06/05/13 at 19:16:39

I'm a Ducati guy as well. Actually, all my bikes have been sport bikes until the savage, which I'm trying to turn into a sport bike!

What I've decided is.........it ain't gonna happen.

The stem angle is just too steep. Without major modification to the frame, the closest we can get would be like a sport standard. Think Honda CB's from the 60's and 70's. Luckily, with our short wheelbase, we can aford a bit more trail than would usually be required.

Oldsport, while I don't think you will ever be able to get down to two inches of trail, I will still advise against trying it. It's rare, even with track tuned sport bikes, to see trail much under three. Where you're at currently will probably handle pretty well. If you ever feel the need for a quicker steering response, you can always go a LITTLE bigger on the rear tire, or drop the front a titch. I think it looks great how you've got it. Nice job!

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/06/13 at 07:08:06

4843514D4C5151220 wrote:

Thanks, I have kind of accepted the fact that it is going to be kind of a Sport Cruiser. Which isn't really all that bad. The geometry is very similar to the Ducati Diavel where I am now. I am a BMW guy, a sport touring type of rider. The trail on my RT is 4.80 inches and it is a perfect blend for the Super Slab and the twisties. The RT is a great bike but it sort of insulates you from the feel of a more pure basic motorcycle. That is what attracted me to this project, the raw wind in your face hunched over feel of a simpler more basic bike. Something I can ride everyday back and forth to work and have a connection to because I made it what it is. I don't want the same bike everybody else has and I guess that is why I choose not to go with the kit. That and I am kind of a cheap SOB too. (I know that and BMW have no correlation whatsoever.) That choice has made this project become much more cathartic than I expected. Every change I make every decision shows a little bit of who I am, doing things because I like it and not because everybody else did it that way. I really like the look of the fatter 140/90 15 rear tire and it is probably a little truer to the soul of what this bike is going to be. Finding a balance between what it was and what I want it to be. I know I’m over thinking this.
I may have to post that in the blog.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/25/13 at 06:02:55

Test ride video. I now have a fully functional motorcycle!

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F3fC5SkK0Fc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Dave on 06/25/13 at 09:39:45

Congratulations on the first ride......it is a big step and makes it possible to see that it is close to being a functional bike. It does look like the seat was changed for the ride and video. Did you have to do anything to the swingarm to make that large rear tire clear?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/26/13 at 05:36:48

The seat is just a temporary set-up until I can get the cowling made for the rear of the bike. I have used floral foam to make a form and I am going to hand lay the fiberglass on it to make the seat cowl. I went to a rally last Saturday called "British in the Blue Ridge". It was basically Triumph, BSA, and Norton bikes. There were vendors there that had parts and aftermarket fiberglass items. It was really helpfull to see how the cowls were made and how some of the seats were attached. One of the dealers, Hotwing Glass www.hotwingglass.com , has several choices and I could get the cowl and an upholstered seat pad for around $175, thats pretty competitive. I am probably going to just make my own because I have spent a pretty large amount of time preparing to do it already.

The rear tire is what was on the bike when I got it. 140/90 15 on the original wheel. No I have not had to mod the swing arm.

I bought a set of cast wheels from an 83 GS450T to use on the bike. I may still use them at some point in time. The specs on that bike said the bike had 18 inch wheels front and rear. When I got them they were 19 in. front and 17 in. rear. I will have to have the front rotor machined to work on this bike. The rear hub brake fits perfectly but the drive side is different and I would need to change to a chain drive setup to make it work. The wheel has a carrier and a 43 tooth sprocket. I know that a 17/43 gear set would really throw the speedo off but the front wheel has a slot for a mechaical speedo. Every change has consequences so for now I am going with the stock wheels. I really like the look of the fat rear tire and the outside diameter is almost as large as the Kenda tire RYCA sells. That big cushy tire is pretty comfortable to ride on. I am pretty cost concious and as an earlier post stated the tank and wheel mods are pretty pricey so for this project, I am going stock. I also don't want to give up any fuel volume either. The best description for where I am headed with this project is "Sport Cruiser".

I have toyed with the idea of making the rear bubble seperate from the seat mount and having some type of a rack configuration inside it. Then I could pop it off and throw some soft bags over it with a tail bag and have a light weight sport tourer or bolt a small top case for helmet storage. One thing I am deffinatly going to do is use the factory helmet lock somewhere on the bike. I have also thought about using the fiberclass process to make a fear fender that bolts to the top of swing arm and fits close to the rear wheel. When I change the tires I can use the old tire as a mold.

Dave, How was the seat on your bike on your trip?

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by Dave on 06/26/13 at 06:24:05

I got your bike project and Thomasconners confused.....he had the large rear tire and had a seat on his bike. When I watched your video I was thinking about his bike.

The seat was........thin.

The longest ride we took was on Saturday and we got on the road about 10 AM.....and returned about 6:00 PM. We covered about 220 miles in total. We stopped frequently to rest, get fuel, look at the map, enjoy the sights, eat, etc. My butt was tired at the end of the day - but not sore. Kind of like what happens when you go someplace where you have to sit on those wooden or steel folding chairs for too long. The seat fits me well and there are not any places where it is uncomfortable.....so I am not sure that thicker padding would help much. I am tempted however to add a bit of padding when I take the bike apart to paint it next winter.

The one thing the trip did for me was make the bike feel like it was "my" bike. Last night I went for a ride and when I climbed on it felt familiar.....and I am getting used to the way it feels. It no longer feels strange to me.....it now feels normal and familiar.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 06/26/13 at 07:22:22

Glad it feels like home. You did a great job!
My plan is to get this bike finished, kind of the same way you did. Probably a flat black paint job. Ride it a little back and forth to work and get the kinks out. Then pull it all apart this winter and finish it with paint and powder coat.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 07/01/13 at 13:28:16

Photo Update. Working on the seat cowl but just had to ride it a little.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/Lycan7_zpsd496079d.jpg

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 07/06/13 at 21:26:17

This is where I am going to stop for awhile and just ride the bike. Lots more to do but it can wait until winter.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/032_zpsccc02999.jpg

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by WD on 07/06/13 at 21:39:41

Those tall rear shocks should have noticeably improved weight transfer and steering. I run stock 800 Intruder shocks on a high bar Savage, and they helped it, a lot.

My CL72 (Honda) has a full CL77 (305) suspension swap. All Ceriani track parts. Feels completely different than sitting on a stock set up, much stiffer and a bit higher in the rear. Need to finish pulling the engine down and find out why it locked up on me. Should be a wheel standing king, the driven sprocket has around 50 teeth on it if I recall right... old period correct late 60s or early 70s TT racer spec... including the low 1 into 1 (per side since it is a vertical twin, 180 firing order, the good sloper engine) exhaust set up (Rocky or Nempco headers and mufflers)...

Your bike is starting to look like it came from the same era. Keep it up.

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 07/11/13 at 07:18:41

More photos!

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo177_zpsd5c7a79e.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo175_zps93329f3a.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo174_zpsf0a0fe93.jpg

The blog about the project.

http://thelycanproject.blogspot.com/

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by PerrydaSavage on 07/12/13 at 01:50:02

lookin' Awesome man! 8-)

White one on the previous page is a drooler too!!!!

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 07/12/13 at 18:56:48

Thanks!

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 07/15/13 at 09:54:06

Walk Around.

http://youtu.be/IgCs8F_zmzs

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 08/27/13 at 09:05:15

I decided to make a few cosmetic changes to the bike. Folks are either going to love it or hate it depending how you feel about my alma mater, UGA. I still have to finish the seat, the new seat cowl has ridges and that makes the seat form a little complicated. I may have to wrap the cowl in shrink wrap and painters tape and hand lay some fiberglass, Seems like the best option right now. I am really excited about the bike. My blood runs “Red & Black” obviously! From some of my earlier post the change is pretty dramatic.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo214_zpsb95c42b7.jpg

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/The%20Lycan%20Project/photo215_zps5977d557.jpg

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by ToesNose on 08/27/13 at 10:33:18

The bike is looking really sharp OldSport, and hey about your graphics it's your ride the only person you have to please is yourself ;)

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by old_rider on 08/27/13 at 15:32:27

From a werewolf to a bulldog...... ok...still a canine

Looks darn fine!

Title: Re: The Lycan Project
Post by OldSport on 08/28/13 at 18:52:36

New walk around video The Lycan Project Ver. 3.0

http://youtu.be/ZUlGA2-2aUM