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Message started by BSTON on 09/08/15 at 08:23:34

Title: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/08/15 at 08:23:34

Time for another Ryca build thread. I've read through a lot of them already to try and prepare myself for what's ahead.

I picked up a pretty clean 2003 to use as the base. The previous owner had purchased the bike in 2011 with the hopes of getting his motorcycle license and using the bike around town. Well, that never happened and the odometer was only 4 miles higher when I bought it compared to the paperwork that he had from the dealer that he bought it from. I'm at work so I don't remember the exact mileage but it was right around 3100 miles on it when I bought it. The good news is that he kept it very clean, changed the oil, and even upgraded to the raptor petcock.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Mobile%20Uploads/image_1.jpg

That was at the end of July. I put about 150-200 miles on the bike since then just because I hadn't ridden in a couple years and I missed it. I also wanted to make sure everything was running fine on the bike. I can confidently say that cruisers are not for me. The seating position is more uncomfortable for me than the sport bike position for sure. A couple times I actually ended up resting my feet on the passenger pegs just to change the position. This didn't really come as a surprise for me because I had taken a couple of my uncles' Harleys for short rides in the past and didn't like it much.

Everyone also talks about the torque and how great is is. My last bike was a Kawasaki ZZR1200 and it had gobs of low end torque and still revved up over 10k rpm so that wasn't a great selling point either. (stock was somewhere around 80ft-lbs. 65 ft-lbs were available as low as 2,800 rpm, peak hp was around 140 at the wheel)

The good news with all of that is that I'm definitely excited about converting to a cafe racer. I think the seating position will actually be moderately comfortable for me even at 6'0" and of course it never hurts that the bike is about to lose some weight.

Yesterday I started on the teardown of the bike to get to tank sent in to Ryca. I think I spent about 4 hours in the garage and ended up working on the actual bike for about 45 minutes. I tried to clean up the work area a bit before starting. Of course after getting everything cleared out I decided that I needed some more light...so the first trip to Lowe's was made. Getting the bike on the lift that I have was a little tricky just because the frame area is so small. I also couldn't find my good tiedowns to keep it on the lift and ended up using some crappy ones that were in my garage for some reason.

Teardown went fairly smoothly so far. I did things a little out of order because I was really curious what the bike sounded like without a muffler. Loud....extremely loud is the answer to that. ;D

The only issue that I ended up running into was that the bike wanted to fall off of the stand after I removed the rear wheel. There was just too much weight hanging off of the front of the lift. I lowered it down so that the front wheel is touching the ground and moved the straps around a little. Hopefully I'll be able to track down my better straps this evening and get things more secure before one of my kids knocks the whole thing over.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Mobile%20Uploads/image.jpg

(Sorry if the pictures aren't showing up right. Work has photobucket blocked so I'm assuming that the links are typed in correctly)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/08/15 at 09:24:50

Welcome to the club. It's good that you are starting with a clean bike. I started with a bucket-o-rust and in the end I spent as much time repairing corrosion as I did on the modifications. Not time well spent.

I made a simple table for working on the bike. This reduced the amount of time I was bent over, but more importantly, the table provided me with four locations at the corners of the table to secure my tie-down straps. In the coming weeks my bike is going back on the table for complete disassembly so I can send parts out for painting and powder coating. So I was very happy to have built a simple table that I have gotten two uses.

I'm a little over six feet tall too. I don't find the cafe conversion uncomfortable...nor would I call it comfortable. It's ridable for short jaunts through my favorite back roads.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/08/15 at 09:40:58

4842464C474E4A431D1B1F2F0 wrote:

I made a simple table for working on the bike.

It's ridable for short jaunts through my favorite back roads.

Have any pictures of the table? The jack that I have will get the bike up pretty high and it's at a pretty good level for the short little stool in my second picture.

I'm not planning on taking any long trips on this bike. I do some amateur car racing and I have two year old twins so I don't really have the time any more for long motorcycle trips. Plus my wife doesn't like motorcycles anyway so I think I'm stuck just riding around town for a while. This seemed like the perfect bike for that. The ZZR was fun but running it through two gears got you to a speed that could get you arrested in most areas.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/08/15 at 10:20:03

Here's a photo during day one of my tear-down where the table is visible.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz263/GaryCorde/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_1699_zps69534743.jpg

Like you, I don't have the time full day rides and the wife doesn't enjoy riding anymore, so it's mostly early morning rides for me. I've owned a lot of sport bikes over the years so I know where you are coming from. I still own a few bikes - but the CS-1 was my go-to ride this summer. Yes, it's the newest (to me) but mostly because of its honest simplicity. One of its finest attributes is its low horsepower and light weight.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 09/08/15 at 10:31:57

You tore the bike down too soon......the snow hasn't started falling yet! 8-)

I am 5'-8" tall, and I have ridden my Cafe' conversion on lots of 100 miles rides, and about half a dozen or so 250 mile rides (with lots of stops along the way. It is not comfy....but it is purposeful and can be enjoyable the entire way. It does always feel good to climb off and stretch a bit when the ride is over. I did have the RYCA seat modified this summer to get more padding along the edges, and that has helped considerably.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/08/15 at 11:10:16

I'm sure the snow will be here soon enough. It mostly comes down to a few reasons.

First, I really want to make sure that this bike is done by spring and I'm worried about doing the electrical because I don't have much experience with it. The Ryca instructions seem terrible plus I'm going to wire in front and rear blinkers so that's an added change. I'm also planning on doing without the side covers because I don't really like the way that they look. This means that the electrical needs to be that much cleaner and I might need to come up with some different style cover if it doesn't work out. The bar is set pretty high but I really want something that looks closer to this one instead of the standard kit.

http://www.rycamotors.com/customerphotos/seidman/seidman-29.jpg

The second reason is that I just didn't really like riding the bike in cruiser form. It's just uncomfortable and riding when uncomfortable isn't fun.

I'm sure I'll do plenty of 100 mile trips on the bike. When I say that I'm not doing long trips, I mean multi-day cross country stuff. I didn't ever do an official iron butt ride but the last trip I took on the ZZR I rode about 275 or so miles in the Deal's Gap area in the morning and then rode home to Milwaukee, WI the same day.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/08/15 at 11:45:54

Many years ago I did 350 in a day on a GSX1100E. The ride started to get uncomfortable around 150-175 miles. By 250 I was constantly shifting in my seat looking for relief. When the cold rain started at 300 miles I was hoping I'd crash just to end the pain.

Since that ride any bike I've had for any kind of distance has had the best gel seat I could find.

That bike does indeed set the bar high for style. Hiding the wires without side covers can easily be done using the space in the rear cowl (there isn't much room under the tank - however I did make use of the space left behind from the eliminated instrument cluster in the tank for all of my relays). Using the rear cowl will require some wire "stretching". I think if I was going to have a hidden harness I'd take the time to eliminate the unused circuits so I'd have less wires to hide.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/08/15 at 13:44:21

One of my few perks from working at a global manufacturing company...cheap FedEx rates. It was only $5.74 to ship the tank from Wisconsin to California. :)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 09/08/15 at 13:57:36

May I make a tire suggestion since you are so early in your build? Don't put a 130/70 tire on the normal size 2.50 wide rear rim...the tire is built to go on a 3.50 wide rear rim. Installing the 130 tire on the narrow rim rolls the tread over onto the side wall and results in tread being rolled over where you can not use it.

If you want to keep the narrow Cafe' appropriate look - use a 110/80-18 rear tire on the 2.50 rim....or you can find some tire makers that provide a 4.00-18 size - which is made for the narrow rim and provides a usable tread shape and a tread width of 117mm (Bridgestone Battlax BT-45).

If you want to go with a 130/70-18 rear tire - then install a 3.00 - 3.50 wide rear rim (3.50 is the design rim width).

Obviously the front tire needs to be sized accordingly, and my current favorite is a 100/80-18.

Here is a link to the Bridgestone Battlax fitment chart. Don't put a tire on a rim that it is not designed to fit.......find a tire that fits the rim you are using. (The 130/70-18 tire is recommended for a 3.50 inch rim, and will fit on a 3..0 - 4.0 rim).

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/battlax/bt45.html

The following photo shows what happens when you mount the 130 tire on the narrow rim.....notice how the tread is rolled up on the sidewall compared to the front tire. If you look close you can see the Chicken Strips" on my bike were about 1/4" wide on the front, and almost an inch wide in the rear.....you just can't lean the bike over far enough to ever use the tread that has been pulled over onto the side of the tire by the "too narrow" rim.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 09/11/15 at 03:25:45

3173696B626F62000 wrote:

Like Dave has said the tire issue is just that...an issue. If you really prefer the meatier tire than I would suggest just sending your rear wheel to Buchanans and having them do it. That is the company that RYCA gets their 18" hoop and spokes from. For an extra 100 dollars you can choose whatever width blank hoop you want and they build the same wheel that RYCA will build. And they're also in Cali about 15 miles from RYCA so shipping would be identical.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/11/15 at 10:56:48

I got a little more work done last night. The bike is now secured to the lift a lot better. It was much easier to get the straps around something stronger after the rear fender was removed. I got the rear fender off, and the front taken apart too. That includes the front wheel, forks, front brake controls, and the headlight with all of the electrical stuff running into it. I'm planning on upgrading to the kit that RycaShawn sells on here because the front brake was definitely lacking in the stock form.

The only problem so far was that one of the nuts/bolts holding the headlight assembly on was cross threaded. Putting more pressure on it cracked the plastic in the headlight mount. I ended up cutting the bolt off just above the nut so that I could take it apart. I'll have to take a closer look at it tonight to see if it can still be salvaged. I think it will be ok but I might just need to change the style of bolt.

I didn't get any pictures last night but I'll try to get some more before I start working on it more (hopefully this weekend)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/14/15 at 07:13:09

I didn't do a whole lot more on the bike over the weekend. I got a little bit of work in on Friday night and that was about it. The picture is in the middle of the work so the bike is pretty naked right now. I got the exhaust bracket, reflectors, and passenger pegs off too. The only thing left is the shifter linkage and the horn. Of all of the things to be frozen / stuck on, it's the horn. I sprayed some lube on it and I'm hoping that it will be loose enough to come off the next time I can work on the bike.

At that point the only thing left in the frame will be the motor. I'm debating taking it out completely to help make the frame easier to work on for removing extra tabs and doing touchup paint. Is it difficult to get in and out of the frame? Am I going to spend 2 hours taking the motor out and putting it back in to save 30 minutes on cutting and painting?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/14/15 at 08:21:01

There's no need to remove the motor. In fact, you risk scratching the frame during the removal process. If the frame looks good and doesn't need to be powder coated, then I'd just leave it be.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/14/15 at 08:21:22

As an additional note, after taking off the stock muffler and rear fender it's easy to see how the Ryca kit drops so much weight from the bike. I'm pretty sure the fender is made of lead.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 09/14/15 at 09:42:19

I left my engine in the frame for all the cutting.....and it worked out fine. I did throw some old blankets over the engine while cutting to keep the grit and sparks out of the engine.

I am pretty fussy about how things look, and I was surprised how just a bit of masking and spraying black spray paint from an aerosol can was able to match the black on the frame really well.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 09/15/15 at 09:13:16

Dave already asked about some of my leftover parts (side panels, tool box cover, belt covers, battery box) but if anyone else is interested in the extras let me know. I don't want to get rid of anything until the build is hopefully complete this winter but after that I'll have no reason to keep them. After the tank and frame are cut down it's not like the bike is going back to stock anyway.

I get super cheap FedEx shipping through work so even if you think it's something that's not worth it, it might be. It only cost me $5.74 to ship my tank from Wisconsin to California and a normal quote from FedEx is $42.72. :o

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Jeff71 on 09/20/15 at 09:52:10

I did the exact same year and paint color as yours. Take a look at my build if you want. (The link is just down to the left above my e-mail button.) I'm just south of you down below Chicago a few miles. Feel free to ask me questions about my build. Some easy, some hard but all worth it!
By the way, I'm 5' 10" and the bike fits me perfectly!
Jeff

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 10/28/15 at 11:00:20

Parts have arrived!

It's a little depressing thinking about how much I just paid for parts that were able to ship in two medium sized boxes. I'm looking forward to getting everything out and starting up work on the bike again. I haven't really done anything to it since the teardown because I don't really trust the Ryca instructions much. I want to see everything that I'm putting back on the bike before I start cutting the frame and removing tabs.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Jeff71 on 10/28/15 at 21:08:31

Ever price out an engagement ring? Ever see the size of that box? ;)
Now get building!!!!! 8-)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 10/29/15 at 06:16:02

67484B4B1A1C2D0 wrote:

Ever price out an engagement ring? Ever see the size of that box?

Yes. Luckily I have a wife that understands that diamonds are stupid. :)

Kids on the other hand...they better take very good care of me when I get older. They're not even 3 yet (twins) and they have easily cost 6 figures.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 10/29/15 at 07:17:58

Yes, RYCA stuff seems to be expensive when you compare it to the mass produced parts, some of which are made in China. RYCA is basically a small scale custom builder, and they really can't get the kind of discounts possible when you make 10,000 pieces of something. Most likely a big order for RYCA is measured in 2 digits......and that makes it hard to keep costs really low.

And, I suppose if they moved to a rural midwest town instead of CA - they likely wouldn't have as high of taxes/labor/rent costs.

As expensive as the parts might seem - it is part of the cost of living. (This is how I want to live and this is what it costs). :)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 10/29/15 at 07:57:42

The RYCA kits are good value. Expensive yes, but they have taken the time to engineer the solution and procure the parts so you don't have to. It's all a trade off of time v money. Do you want to spend as little time possible with the end result being a cool bike; or do you want to tinker?

I found the RYCA fabricated parts (seat pan, battery box and other assorted brackets) to be of good quality with stout powder coating. Having been through the experience, I'd probably still purchase many of my kit items from RYCA. There are a few things I might procure on my own, but you don't know until you have the experience.

BTW, my bike went "off script" in many places and I'm very proud of my custom elements and the people who made them for me.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 10/29/15 at 11:32:39

Things are a little better today. A third box arrived that seems to have quite a few parts in it too. (I still haven't had time to open everything up yet)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 10/30/15 at 05:56:19

7E6F6873723C0 wrote:

(I still haven't had time to open everything up yet)

If you hate packing noodles, you're in for a bad day.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 10/30/15 at 06:42:52

Interesting. I got one of the first RYCA kits they produced and EVERYTHING was bubble wrapped and then bubble wrapped again, and then the endless tape on top of that.
Trying to unwrap without destroying the bubble wrap was crazy.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 10/30/15 at 08:19:18

Oh yeah....I forgot about the saran wrap on everything. Packing noodles love to stick to that stuff. Of course, it all imparts a charge to your hands...and the noodles then stick to you like stink on poop.

I think I'd rather see damaged goods than to open a box and have packing noodles jump onto my hands. >:(

[rant-off]

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 10/30/15 at 09:41:08

3C363238333A3E37696F6B5B0 wrote:

If you hate packing noodles, you're in for a bad day.

It didn't look like the number of packing peanuts was too bad. Everything was wrapped in a whole lot of bubble wrap though....which kind of sucked because I wanted to open the boxes at work and check out all of the cool stuff that I just got.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 10/30/15 at 11:20:34

I wanted to unwrap mine carefully and be able to reuse the bubble wrap.
At the time I was recovering from a bike crash and broken back so I had plenty of time to just sit and PEEEELLL everything apart very carefully. ;D
I looked at everything and then rewrapped it and packed it away until I could actually do something with it.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/02/15 at 06:18:42

6C666268636A6E67393F3B0B0 wrote:

I think I'd rather see damaged goods than to open a box and have packing noodles jump onto my hands.

The irony is that even with all of the crazy bubble wrap, shrink wrap, and packing peanuts, there were still a couple dings and chips on some of the parts. I think I was more worried about dropping something while trying to carefully remove all of the wrap.

That stuff isn't free either. I would think it's almost to the point that individual boxes that are sized for each part would be cheaper.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Jeff71 on 11/03/15 at 16:39:57

08191E05044A0 wrote:

[quote author=67484B4B1A1C2D0 link=1441725815/15#18 date=1446091711]Ever price out an engagement ring? Ever see the size of that box?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by sendjulian on 11/03/15 at 17:05:08

bump for ryca hype

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/16/15 at 09:44:56

I finally got off of my butt last night to do some of the frame cuts. For some reason I had in my mind that I wanted to test fit a bunch of the stuff on the bike before cutting anything. Mostly this was because I felt like the instructions were garbage and I was afraid I would cut something that was still needed or leave a bunch of stuff that wasn't needed.

Well, all of the cutting I had done in the past was handled by a Dremel because honestly I don't really do much. I decided this would be a good excuse to go buy a cheap grinder / cutter. I picked up a Porter Cable grinder from Lowe's. It was a mistake. I went to put the cutting wheel on it and it doesn't work with the guard that the tool came with. I go online to check and sure enough I bought about the only tool on the market that requires a different guard and of course it doesn't come with it. Total cost of the tool was $30. For just the guard that's required for any wheel with no offset it's $13 plus $11 for standard shipping. >:(

I feel like I can't buy the guard just on principle...and of course I actually threw away the box after I opened it so I can't return it. Throwing away a box like that is something that I very, very rarely do. I know the smart choice is to get the guard or a different grinder with a guard but darn that's frustrating.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by hotprops on 11/16/15 at 09:55:42

they make some great metal cutting sawzall blades now rent from lowes,, h deep

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 11/16/15 at 13:04:13

I don't know what the frame is made of - but it requires a new Sawzall blade for just about every cut....that stuff sure does dull the teeth in a hurry.

The best way to cut it is with the abrasive blades.....shame your new grinder doesn't work with them. Is this the model grinder you bought? If so, it doesn't look any different than the guard that is on mine....it should work just fine with a cut off blade - they are just a thinner grinding wheel.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_546090-79992-PC60TAG_1z13y07__?productId=50125889&pl=1&Ntt=grinder

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by verslagen1 on 11/16/15 at 13:17:52

Guards? we don't need no stinking guards!

but do get a full face shield... no matter how I hold it, sparks are always sent my way.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/16/15 at 14:23:40

546F6275646873756E666B74070 wrote:

Is this the model grinder you bought? If so, it doesn't look any different than the guard that is on mine....it should work just fine with a cut off blade - they are just a thinner grinding wheel.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_546090-79992-PC60TAG_1z13y07__?productId=50125889&pl=1&Ntt=grinder

Yes, that is the grinder that I bought. The issue is that the top of the guard angles down and rubs on any wheel that doesn't have at least a little offset to it. You can tell in this picture from the PC website.

I think I'm going to just sell this one and buy a better grinder. I wasn't that impressed with the layout and feel of the tool and switch anyway. $25 shipped to anyone in the US if they want it.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 11/17/15 at 05:45:29

Cheap tools do one thing well; they'll piss you off.

For what it's worth, you just can't beat air tools. Grinding, cutting, shaping, drilling - all easy and accurate with air tools. I made the investment 25 years ago and I have never regretted it.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 11/18/15 at 05:33:52

7E6F6873723C0 wrote:

[quote author=546F6275646873756E666B74070 link=1441725815/30#33 date=1447707853] Is this the model grinder you bought? If so, it doesn't look any different than the guard that is on mine....it should work just fine with a cut off blade - they are just a thinner grinding wheel.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_546090-79992-PC60TAG_1z13y07__?productId=50125889&pl=1&Ntt=grinder

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/20/15 at 13:16:44

And just like that the grinder is gone. Hopefully I'll be able to get to Lowe's or Home Depot tonight and pick up a different one. I want to work on the bike tomorrow afternoon hopefully but we're supposed to be getting some snow overnight. Maybe if I wait it would be a good excuse to go out in the morning and do a little hooning in the car. I've always been a fan of sliding the car around.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 11/20/15 at 17:11:14

6475726968260 wrote:

That's the purpose of snow !!

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Art Webb on 11/22/15 at 08:49:18

232E212C2A3D7D784F0 wrote:

[quote author=6475726968260 link=1441725815/30#38 date=1448054204]And just like that the grinder is gone. Hopefully I'll be able to get to Lowe's or Home Depot tonight and pick up a different one. I want to work on the bike tomorrow afternoon hopefully but we're supposed to be getting some snow overnight. Maybe if I wait it would be a good excuse to go out in the morning and do a little hooning in the car. I've always been a fan of sliding the car around.

That's the purpose of snow !![/quote]

if it's front drive, acquire fast food trays
place under rear tires, lock park brake
Instant snow! ;D

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Kris01 on 11/22/15 at 10:33:43

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQRpp9yoXPo

;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/24/15 at 06:36:35

796A6C6F7D7A7A180 wrote:

if it's front drive, acquire fast food trays
place under rear tires, lock park brake
Instant snow! ;D

You won't be finding a FWD car in my garage any time soon. AWD is the closest that you'd find. The current car is a 2007 Infiniti G35X. I had a Subaru WRX before that and it was a beast in the snow.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/24/15 at 06:39:51

This is a pretty common sight in my garage over the winter.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Art Webb on 11/24/15 at 20:30:13

oh my, someone had a blast indeed :o ;) ;D

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 11/26/15 at 05:23:45

1C0D0A11105E0 wrote:

It arrived safe and sound...thanks

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 11/30/15 at 06:53:38

I ended up going with this grinder. It's still a pretty cheap option but it will make it through this project just fine and then probably sit in a cabinet for the next couple years without much use. I like the trigger switch a lot better than the sliders on most of the other grinders. I also actually used the option for rotating the handle around on it and it was easy to use. All of the motor mounts are cut off and all that's left are the seat tubes. From there I guess I'll move to electrical and then assembly.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-6-5-Amp-Angle-Grinder-Green-AG4531G/205558214

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/8e/8e42fdc2-6452-4d8b-a4a2-e91dfdfb15e7_1000.jpg

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by strang on 12/01/15 at 02:57:36

Ryobi are good. You're right, the slider switches are a pain and after a while go dodgy.
I recon the frame cutting is a bit of a pita, so if you've got that under control you're well on your way. Looking forward to what you do with your Savage ;)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/19/16 at 06:48:49

I'm finally making a little more progress with the assembly. My wife decided that we needed to remodel the kitchen so that took up pretty much all of my free time (plus some) for a little over two months.

I think I said this at the beginning and I'll say it again...the Ryca parts seem to be very high quality but man do the instructions suck. I spent about an hour and an half just hooking up and adjusting the rear brake controls. In the end I ended up doing this differently than what was shown in the instructions and videos.

I didn't take any updated picture of where I'm at with the bike but it's finally starting to actually look like a motorcycle again. The front and read end are all on and assembled, the rear sets are on and mostly adjusted, and I'm in the process of putting all of the electrical stuff back together. That's still my biggest fear in all of this...getting it all hooked back up correctly.

I did one thing that I'm hoping will make it easier to hide all of the wires. I'm not using the side panels on the bike because I don't like the way they look so I bought a smaller battery in the hopes that I'll be able to hide things in the battery box easier. I've seen a number of these used in automotive racing applications (plus I have a friend that works at a parts dealer) so I picked up an Antigravity Lithium Ion 8 cell battery. It puts out 240 CCA but it's only 4.25" x 2.25" x 3.75" and weighs 1.5 pounds.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by LANCER on 07/19/16 at 08:31:06

How much for the baby battery ?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/19/16 at 10:39:19

List price is $180.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/26/16 at 12:10:49

I have two questions:

1. If I follow the Ryca instructions for wiring the lighting for the tach and speedo, I splice in with the horn power. Can I still hook up the horn and have it work without any ill effect?

2. Other than rocks and water in the face, is it too bad to run the bike without a front fender? I'm assuming it provides some support like a fork brace but is it much?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 07/26/16 at 18:20:04

I didn't use the horn circuit, I think I used the instrument light circuit.

The front fender adds zero bracing support of the forks, so build it the way you like (but you will get a face full of road crap).

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 07/26/16 at 19:16:25

I had my Trail Tech Vapor wired up to the horn circuit....it did wild/crazy things to the tach if you blew the horn, and the shift and rpm warning lights would also light up. I would tap into the running light circuit, or the large orange wire that takes power up to the left electrical control (wire harness connector on left side of frame under the tank).

I rode for one summer without a fender. It throws stones and pebbles in your face when it is dry....water in your face when it is wet.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/26/16 at 19:34:07

I've had sand and various s i zes of grit hit under the chin with the fender on. Can't imagine how much No fender would sukk.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/27/16 at 09:17:45

I had the fender painted when I did the tank and seat so it's there and available if I decide I'm tired of having my chin cut up.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/27/16 at 13:06:13

Grinders designed for a cut off disk have a flat shield and Cost More.

Buy what you want, remove and Massage the shield. But a brass bushing to fill the gap between the grinder drive shaft and the disk. Cut it, put a slice in place.

Before you buy anything, look at the ID of a grinder disk and cut off.

If it's too much hassle to deal with, buy the Right tool. I never have. The shim , spacer, bushing, whatever, I've been using the same one on three grinders. They die after enough years.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 07/27/16 at 13:14:41

I believe the grinder issue was resolved 8 months ago! ::)

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/28/16 at 05:52:55

The grinder issue was definitely solved.

People keep talking about how much of a pain it was cutting the seat rails. The grinder made it very easy and I can't imagine how much of a pain it would be to try to fine tune those cuts without one.

The other thing that doesn't seem to get mentioned much is how much metal you have to cut through on the exhaust. I didn't realize just how thick that section of the tubing is. Yes, it's softer metal than the seat tubes but that would require a lot of sawing or dremel blades to get through it all.

Despite the suggestions I still went with the power from the horn for the speedo and tach lights. It's just so easy because it's right there. I'll probably be amused by the tach going crazy every time I honk the horn anyway. ;D

I got a little more work done on the bike last night...mainly getting the tach / speedo wired up but also finishing up the exhaust hanger. I would have had that done earlier in the week but I seemed to be missing a nut to attach it to the foot peg bolt because there's no way the bracket would line up correctly to only use the one bolt to hold the hanger AND the foot peg in place. Just one more thing that seemed like it should be very easy but required some extra work.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/28/16 at 08:56:07

I forgot I snapped this picture last night. I ended up going with a dark metallic grey. As I see it on the bike I'm thinking that I might try to add some color somewhere.

I decided to keep the chrome engine covers just because I feel like it's a much more finished look. That might be one option for something different color wise. It also seems to make it a little easier to hide wires.

You can see in the picture that I didn't route the foot decomp lever as the instructions show. From what I could tell it's supposed to go between the frame and the motor. At that angle there was not enough angle of attack to the assembly at the top of the rod. I even tried bending the parts a little. No matter what there was going to be pressure on the lifter. This seemed like an easy option. I just had to slot the chrome cover a bit at the top to allow clearance for the decomp.

In the end I don't necessarily see why they didn't just leave an option for keeping all of the stock decomp stuff. There should be enough space for it to all fit. Who knows though.

All I should be down to is hooking up the last of the electrical at the rear of the bike, installing the tank (including petcock and gauge cluster panel), and installing the seat. It's all stuff that should only take about 4 hours...but with the way things have been going so far it will probably end up taking 12.

Saying that I'm excited to finally ride this thing is a huge understatement. It has been sitting for way too long.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/28/16 at 09:01:11

I've seen some pretty fine hotrods gray with pink stripes. http://passionatelypinkcamaro.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/photo-14.jpg

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 07/28/16 at 09:32:06

One of the top contenders is orange right now. I'd probably try my hand at vinyl so that it's easily changed. I could even try to coordinate the grips too.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/28/16 at 09:39:58

A piece of metal, throw some gray on it, lay a bit of orange on, look at it in the sun.

You might want to go to a painters supply house and look at a color wheel. Take your test panel or walk out and look at the bike, get the wheel down to the tank, get the closest match you can, then look across the wheel. THAT'S if I remember correctly how to use it.. I'm not talking about auto paint supply, though they might have one. The painters who use oil on canvas,those places have them.

Search

color wheel

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/01/16 at 14:22:42

I'm hoping the vibration doesn't hurt it too bad but I was able to get the ignition unit squeezed into the battery box along side the mini battery. I was at least able to keep the stock rubber holster around the unit to isolate it a little. That should help protect both the ignition unit and the battery. With the battery being lithium that's even more important.

Searching through a bunch of pictures I found a couple cases where the starter relay is bolted to the bottom of the battery box. You can see the placement pretty easy in this picture.

http://www.rycamotors.com/customerphotos/seidman/seidman-20.jpg

I liked the idea but it would have required the replacement of a couple wires to add some more length. I ended up having the space for that in the battery box as well so that got crammed in there too. Both of those things are making me happy that I went with the tiny battery.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/04/16 at 09:04:19

Item number 5,432 that took longer than expected:

I got paint in the threads for mounting the petcock and didn't notice it until after the tank was on the bike and wired up. I had to take it back off again and run a tap through the threads to get everything cleaned up. It was only an additional 10-15 minutes but more time.

I've moved on to mounting the seat padding and pan. The first attempt at using the little rubber grommets was not successful but I remember that being an issue with other people too. I'll try one more time tonight but if it doesn't work I may move to attaching some sort of stud to the padding section instead. The rubber grommets seem like they are a good idea but it seems very difficult to get them started and have them start securing themselves.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/04/16 at 19:42:39

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

I started the bike up for the first time since September. First crank even without using the decomp it fired right up. Holy cow is it loud. If it gets louder (like I've read that it does) I think I'll be switching mufflers or at least modifying this one.

I had almost everything wired correctly. The brake light wasn't working but once I removed the module in the attached picture it worked just fine. The only other issue is that I accidentally used a running light wire instead of flasher wire for the front right turn signal so it's always on. I'll have to take the headlight off to get at it but that's not the end of the world. I'm just happy that it started!

I got the upholstery pan mounted this evening too. The rubber grommets weren't staying in place well because the seat padding kept pushing them out so I just put a little superglue on them to hold them in place. I also used slightly longer screws to make it easier to catch some thread. I know there's a potential for them to start poking me but if they do I'll try to go back to shorter ones then.

I still need to glue on the tail light bracket and mount the seat. I'm not exactly sure how you get access to the bolts at the front of the seat. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/05/16 at 04:26:56

Yep, those EMGO shorty cone mufflers are really much too loud.

If you want to be a test mule for some baffle options....I have a few ideas (and a few spare baffles I have picked up). I can modify the baffles, and you could just pull your existing baffle out and replace it with the modified ones and see how they work and sound.

Your bike will need to be up and running and out on the street before you will be able to do testing.

Dave

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/05/16 at 05:58:19

I should hopefully be up and running this weekend. With the couple things that I have left I would really hope that I don't run into major issues.

More detailed pictures should follow after that. So far I'm glad that I didn't use the side panels. I'm going to want to straighten up the wires in the battery box a little more but I don't think it will take much for it to not be noticeable.

One other note...the tach seems to work just fine and doesn't change or flutter when the horn is used.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/08/16 at 06:50:18

I finally got the bike out this weekend. Man did I miss riding.

Overall first impressions:
The bike is surprisingly smooth at 50-60mph.
70mph isn't surprisingly smooth. ;D It's crazy how much of a difference a couple mph / rpm makes.
The seating position is pretty comfortable for me.
The seat could use just a little support.
The front wheel seems really far forward. It's probably because I'm just used to having a fairing there blocking the view of the actual tire.
I'm going to need to check over all of the nuts and bolts again to get some peace of mind.

I still don't have the nuts on the seat / tank bolts. I noticed with the bikes that use the side covers that the seat pan actually gets notched...which would give access to the bolts. I'm not using those though so I'm struggling with getting those nuts started. I can squeeze a wrench through there to tighten them down after that...but I can't seem to get them started. I'd rather not have to notch the seat or move it back too much just to get access to those. If anyone has any tricks that they know of I'm all ears.

I decided to put the chrome engine shrouds back on the bike because I think it gives it a cleaner look. To get the left side one on I needed to disconnect the decomp lever (foot actuated). I forgot to tighten that all back down and it managed to rattle loose at the foot pedal within about 5 miles. I'm guessing that the e-clip actually worked its way off because I'm not sure how it could have rotated enough for the threads to come undone. Unfortunately the u-joint fell off so I have no decomp right now. Just how much extra wear does this put on the starter? So far it's starting fine and doesn't seem to struggle at all.

Dave - I'll take you up on trying out some different baffles if you want me to. I don't weld myself but I have a couple friends that do. If you just have some ideas that would be easier for me to get fabbed here myself I'd try that out too.

Things I still want / need to do:
Attach the seat and tank. It just seems like the safer thing to do. ;D
Add a little color. I'll probably start with some orange grips since that seems fairly cheap and easy.
Try out some different exhaust options.
Reattach the decomp lever.
Add some weight to the bars to see if it helps with vibrations.
Upgrade the front brake.
Maybe get a fork brace.
Hide wires

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02532_1.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02542_1.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02528_1.jpg

Notch for the decomp lever.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02539.jpg

Wires that need to be cleaned up.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02540.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02545.jpg

My helpers. (proud of the "apples" that they picked up while I was doing the last couple things to the bike)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02546.jpg

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Tocsik on 08/08/16 at 06:54:28

Your bike looks great! Nice and clean; love the color.
You're "helpers" are adorable, too. Twins?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/08/16 at 07:14:45

Looks great!

You might want to add a front fender to your list of things to do. I rode my first summer without one, as I just ran out of time and wanted to ride. A few rain storrms, a bit of gravel in the face, and I was ready for a front fender. At night the headlight lights up all the stuff the front wheel is throwing.....and you realize how functional a front fender is.

For the seat/tank bolts.....I installed 6mm bolts into the threaded inserts from underneath, and the bolts are long enough that the threads extend up and allow you to use a nut to hold the seat/tank down. I use a small pencil type magnet and a fingertip to install the washers - then I use the magnet to hold the nut on the stud....then use a small flat bladed screwdriver to turn the nut into place - once it has started a couple of threads I can spin it down with my fingertip, then I use an open end wrench to tighten it down......it is a bit fiddly but easier than trying to use the bolts from the top.

I will work on the EMGO Muffler baffles.......

Dave

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/08/16 at 10:43:43

48595E45440A0 wrote:
I'm going to need to check over all of the nuts and bolts again to get some peace of mind.

I wasn't very vigilant with the Loctite because I assumed that I'd be tearing down the bike for maintenance or painting soon; and as a result I lost quite a few parts during the first 100 miles of riding.

At this point I run under this assumption; if it isn't glued down, it's gonna fall off.

Your bike looks great. Is that BRG paint?

Your battery box area looks so clean that you might consider not using the side covers.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/08/16 at 11:02:47

2F25212B20292D247A7C78480 wrote:

Your bike looks great. Is that BRG paint?

Your battery box area looks so clean that you might consider not using the side covers.

I have absolutely no plans to install the side covers. I didn't even have them send them with the kit. I tried trading them for money off of some of the additional parts like the turn signals, brake line, plate bracket, etc. I honestly don't know if it ever happened because there was a coupon code available at the time that I purchased it. The website had problems figuring out the price with the discount on the kit but not the added parts.

No green. It's actually Subaru Dark Grey Metallic. I had the color on an '08 WRX and I liked it a lot. It seemed easy. Here's a pic of the color on a car.

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/Fireball12345/100_0157.jpg

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/08/16 at 11:05:38

18232F3F25274C0 wrote:

Your bike looks great! Nice and clean; love the color.
You're "helpers" are adorable, too. Twins?

Yep. 3-1/2 year old twins. Part of the reason the build took so long. I could basically just work on it after they went to bed.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/08/16 at 13:22:12

I'm getting a kind of odd vibrating / rattling sound from the top of the motor area when it's coasting down or at partial throttle at about 2k rpm. Is that a normal sound?

Also, now my friend is asking when I'm going to hide the battery since I'm not using the panels. As I'm looking at the bike I don't really understand why they didn't push the battery box up higher underneath the seat and just not do side panels at all.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/08/16 at 13:37:04

RYCA made the battery box to fit the stock big/bulky battery....and the stock battery used to extend all the way up to the seat bottom. You have a lot more room as a result of your small battery.

Check that your compression release linkage isn't allowing the release cam to bump into the exhaust valve rocker while you are riding....that could cause the noise you are hearing.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/09/16 at 10:55:58

I'll check that. I'm assuming that I need to view that through the inspection cover that's behind the decomp assembly?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/09/16 at 11:13:21

4C5D5A41400E0 wrote:

I'll check that. I'm assuming that I need to view that through the inspection cover that's behind the decomp assembly?

You need to check that your linkage isn't pulling the shaft up out of position....it should be resting in the fully clockwise position (as viewed from the left side of the bike (if you could see through the chrome head cover cap).

In this photo you posted....it doesn't look like anything is connected to the shaft - is the return spring holding the shaft in the closed position?

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/BSTON/Motorcycle/DSC02539.jpg

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/09/16 at 11:37:46

I'll double check it. You're right that there isn't anything connected right now. The foot actuated assembly came apart within the first couple miles of riding so I took everything back off. That was all done blindly because of the cover already being in place. I'm getting pretty good at taking the seat and tank off (especially since I don't have the nuts on the bolts yet) so it shouldn't take much to inspect.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/09/16 at 12:05:08

The truth is you really don't need the decompression circuit. Maybe a few times a year you will go to start the (cold) engine and it will be on the compression stroke, and as a result it wont crank. If you don't have the DeComp, all you have to do is put the bike in gear and push it backwards a few inches.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/09/16 at 12:39:33

6862666C676E6A633D3B3F0F0 wrote:

I did that for a year until I got my decompression working with a hand lever. Maybe 1 out of every 100 starts the piston would be on the compression stroke and the starter couldn't get the engine to go over TDC. And like you stated....drop it in gear and roll it backward a few inches - then it would start fine.

Some have suggested that you should not roll the engine backwards - but I really don't see that there is anything in the engine that would get upset with a gentle backwards roll. The chain tensioner isn't going to care, the oil pump doesn't care, the rotor/stator doesn't care....and the engine sometimes makes a hard reverse and spins the other way when you shut it off. It got me through a year of riding without issue....and I don't ride in really cold weather - so I don't know how often you need the compression release when it is cold outside!

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by batman on 08/09/16 at 13:15:49

Dave,it's not good to roll it backward if your bike was made before 1996 as it doesn't have the antikickback gear in the starter, rolling the bike forward ,like trying to bump start it and popping the clutch to get it past TDC should allow it to start without damage.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/09/16 at 13:24:43

5251445D515E0408300 wrote:

My bike is a 2007....however it doesn't make any difference for the amount of force I can imply with my scrawny legs. The Torgue limiter on the starter doesn't engage at the slow speeds that occur when you rock your bike backward...and the force that I can apply is far below the force needed to break anything. The "kickback" that occurs at shutdown is very violent in comparison....and it can break parts on the bikes that don't have the torque limiter.

And yes...you can also roll the bike forward - but you end up in the same situation the starter is at.....you are trying to roll the bike forward against the compression stroke - while it is very easy to roll the bike backwards in this situation.....you only have to get the piston on the other side of BDC to allow the starter to get some momentum built up to allow the engine to go over TDC.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by verslagen1 on 08/09/16 at 14:40:04

457E7364757962647F777A65160 wrote:

Some have suggested that you should not roll the engine backwards - but I really don't see that there is anything in the engine that would get upset with a gentle backwards roll.

Dave, I have to disagree with you here. Teeth breaking off the one way clutch gear ring, and cracked cases is a prevalent issue with pre '90's engines. Maybe I'm over cautious, but it's an expensive repair.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/09/16 at 15:56:15

Well if it makes you nervous rolling backwards against Zero compression with the starter motor turning gently while you move backward a couple inches....roll it forward against the compression...same result with lot more force required.

It is no wonder that the kickback at shut down can break things on the early motors.....when the piston comes up to TDC and then quickly rotates the other way - it does make a lot of stress inside and makes a nasty sound!

The ultimate solution....is to just get your manual Decompression Release working for that 1 in 100 starts that you need it.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/10/16 at 05:59:35

I have Dave's DeComp hand control on my bike since I completed it. I haven't used it since June '15. Probably 100 or more starts.

Obviously a poor purchase decision ;D

I take that back, I enjoy getting asked "why do you have two clutch levers?"

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/10/16 at 06:24:36

212B2F252E27232A747276460 wrote:

Well....if you put in a Wiseco that has higher compression - it does require the use of the decompression lever a bit more often. I don't make a habit of using the lever, I push the starter button and most of the time it just fires right up....every now and then it is on the compression stroke and requires that I use the decompression lever.

And I realize the idea of pulling the bike backwards is not going to have everyone's support - but if you stall the bike in traffic, don't have a working decompression, and need to get the bike running in a hurry......it might be in your best interest to get the bike running in a hurry.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/11/16 at 08:51:52

To play devil's advocate a little and for the sake of learning and conversation...

Why would the possible decomp issue only happen at certain RPMs? Is it touchy enough that IF the spring wasn't on the lever that just the pressure of rattling around freely would open the exhaust rocker?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/11/16 at 10:12:54

7F6E6972733D0 wrote:

Why would the possible decomp issue only happen at certain RPMs? Is it touchy enough that IF the spring wasn't on the lever that just the pressure of rattling around freely would open the exhaust rocker?

Sympathic oscillation.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/12/16 at 06:47:39

The bike is definitely growing on me. I also let a couple friends ride it a little and it's really making them miss having a bike too. I don't know if the rattling noise is getting worse but I'm definitely noticing it more. I'll have to take a look at it for sure before it messes something else up.

What kind of range are people getting with their CS-1? On my first tank I got about 50mpg (after being admittedly hard on the throttle). The last thing I wanted was to run out of gas on the first day so I filled it back up when I was only at 75 miles. On my way home last night it already started sputtering at about 80 miles on the tank. Ryca says that the cut down tank is 2.5 gallons. If I really am getting 50mpg I should technically have 1 gallon available when I'm on reserve (raptor petcock). Are you actually getting a gallons worth or does most of the fuel stay on the right side of the tank so in reality there's only a small fraction of a gallon available while on reserve?

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/12/16 at 06:56:08

This won't answer your mileage question - but if some of the fuel does stay in the right side of the tank when the level drops......and the bike does stop running......you can lean the bike over to the left and get some of the fuel to move over to the side with the petcock (a secondary reserve). ;)

And the rattling noise.....could it be that since you don't have the fuel tank/seat bolted down - that the mounts for those could be rattling at certain rpm? You might try squeezing the tank with your knees and see if the rattle goes away. The headlight bezel has also been known to rattle....and it sounds like it comes from the valve area - reach up and hold the lens/bezel and see if the rattle goes away.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by ohiomoto on 08/12/16 at 07:04:27

Dave, that's an old trick (secondary reserve) that has never failed me...until I got this bike!

I ran my reserve out a mile from a gas station and it was DRY. I put the bike on it's side and it didn't work. :-/

BTW, my bike has a stock tank.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/12/16 at 07:12:52

2126272123213A214E0 wrote:

The back of the stock savage tank is pretty darn flat.....I don't think there is very much gas that can't flow from one side to the other.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/13/16 at 19:05:27

I checked the decomp lever and the spring is still on it. The u-joint piece was still on there so it's possible that I heard that rattling around. I can't get the bike out of the garage tonight so I'll have to see if that made any difference at all. You can see in the picture that it's actually past 90 degrees. There's absolutely no resistance felt in that position. In hindsight I should have left the chrome cover off so I could mess with the lever while riding to see if it makes any difference. I may still do that if I get a couple minutes in the next couple days to pop it off.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/14/16 at 04:53:02

I didn't know that the spring and lever were still attached....I thought that maybe those had been removed.

Hopefully it was that other piece vibrating that made the noise.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by batman on 08/16/16 at 06:14:27

basic rule with the savage,N.-P. G.- Never Pass Gas,and we're not talking beans here!

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/18/16 at 06:31:38

I went for a quick ride last night to see if I was still getting the odd sound at about 2300 rpm....and I am. I'll look into that more when I get some time.

I had my first experience of someone asking about the bike. I was stopped at a light when a guy on a Nighthawk 250 pulled up next to me. Of course he asked what the bike was so I said that it used to be a Suzuki Savage. His response? What is it now?

I wasn't sure exactly how to answer that question because for some reason I didn't want to say that it was a Ryca CS-1. The only other thing that I could think of to say was "better." :)

I was also reminded why I want to get a quieter exhaust as a group of Harleys took off next to me on their way to the bar by my house. ::) The Ryca isn't that loud but it's just a douchebag thing in my opinion to have a vehicle that loud...and I don't want to annoy anyone they way that bikes that loud annoy me.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/29/16 at 05:36:22

As of this weekend I'm at 450 miles on the bike. I guess I'm starting to get used to the vibrations a little because the commute to work isn't as bad as the first week. It probably help that on the way to work I start out on the interstate for a couple miles and then move to the slower 2 lane roads. Starting at 70mph and backing down to 55mph makes the slower speed seem super smooth. Unfortunately I have the opposite ride on the way home.

Overall I'm still very happy with the Ryca kit. The one thing that's bugging me is the muffler though. I swear it's still getting louder and it's already discoloring quite a bit. It's really bad when you consider it only has a couple hundred miles on it.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/29/16 at 05:59:18

I will be able to get you a modified muffler core to try out in the next few weeks.....it will help to quite the thing down.

I do believe you will never be able to stop the discoloration of the muffler...unless you get it ceramic coated. The exhaust is hot and it makes the chrome turn blue at the hot spot.....mine has it in exactly the same spot, and mine is a really dark blue (almost black).

Another option is to find one of the stainless mufflers from Cone Engineering to use. Stainless can discolor as well - but it turns more of a yellow color. The mufflers will need to be adapted to the Savage....they currently do not make a "bolt on" muffler.
http://www.coneeng.com/pdf/motorcycle/MC-finished-Mufflers.pdf

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/29/16 at 07:27:27

Showroom sparkle is nice, but seeing it go away and be replaced by a coloration caused by the heat created by running it is nothing to get sad about. It's an exhaust pipe, they get Hoooot,
And stuff wears and ages and changes,, so, meh,
Get it running right, get the exhaust note that you like, and ride that thing. Filth and grime and rust, issues that I concern myself with. It's Natural for the exhaust to change colors. Some don't. My first one didn't until I was racking it off in neutral trying to hear the valves.. And then the downtube of the header was a gorgeous blue. The Jardine is almost black for the first three inches. I'm not even slightly concerned.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/29/16 at 08:16:10

I don't expect everything to stay perfectly sparkly. I dropped my last bike when it has 10k miles on it and scratched up the plastics on one side. I kept them that way and 35k miles later they still look the same. That bike also had a 140hp, 1200cc motor that created plenty of heat and the exhaust stayed nearly perfect for all of those miles. I get that eventually there might be some discoloration but not after 400 miles. I just expected a little higher quality.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/29/16 at 08:25:51

6677706B6A240 wrote:
The one thing that's bugging me is the muffler though. I swear it's still getting louder....

Are you sure it's the muffler getting louder and not the flange at the head or the pipe/muffler clamp getting loose? To be safe I'd just check 'em. My flange bolts got loose on my bike after a few hundred miles. It wasn't the noise that tipped me off (it did get louder, but over time) it was the increased afterfire when closing the throttle.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by haylo on 08/29/16 at 08:56:42

Finally tired of repacking ryca muffler and went the dyna route. Two 3/16 holes in baffle...just right. I find myself riding the bike much more often. Something to consider.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/29/16 at 09:36:43

The RYCA/Emgo muffler gets "louder" that the original "loud" very quickly, as there is very little fiberglass batting in it, and it burns out quickly and just bunches up in the back of the muffler. Repacking it with more and better batting helps - but not a lot. The Crumb Cup sink strainer modifications also helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIelY9gMqX0

When chrome gets hot is turns blue from oxidation that occurs. I don't know if the quality of chrome has any effect on how fast that can happen, or if "chrome" composition can very much. The header pipe has an inner and outer pipe that reduces the temperature of the outside (chrome) portion of the pipe....as the hot exhaust is in the inner pipe.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/29/16 at 10:39:11

6D676369626B6F66383E3A0A0 wrote:

Are you sure it's the muffler getting louder and not the flange at the head or the pipe/muffler clamp getting loose?

Nothing on the exhaust is loose. I checked recently when trying to figure out the source of a rattle.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/31/16 at 18:12:31

Well looky here....RYCA makes a baffle to make the EMGO muffler less obnoxious! It is most likely the cheapest/easiest way to get the muffler to sound better.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tune-able-Muffler-Baffle-Insert-for-Short-Reverse-Cone-Mufflers-Ryca-Cafe-Racer-/111980381975?hash=item1a128d0717:g:74MAAOSw1DtXH-8~&vxp=mtr

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 05/05/17 at 09:28:48

I ended up getting the different muffler baffle from Ryca and I installed it this morning. Installation was a little more work than I was expecting. The fit of the insert was a little too tight and required a decent amount of hammering to get it in all the way. I didn't want to do that with the muffler on the bike so I pulled the muffler off first. Other than that things were pretty easy.

I like the sound overall. I tried to get a video clip in my garage but even the quieter baffle seemed to be overloading the mic a little too much. It's definitely quieter but still has the deep sound.

Seeing the insert that came with the muffler, it's no surprise that it's ridiculously loud. There was almost no fiberglass left at all. Plus I had noticed a metallic rattling sound recently. Turns out it was some sort of ring within the baffle that was loose.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by batman on 05/05/17 at 10:20:48

I think I'd have saved the money and just drove a freeze plug down the center of the old baffle half way, and skipped the fiberglass(it never lasts anyway),thats how the HD Dyna is made.If it was still to loud or there wasn't enough back pressure you could drive more plugs, maybe alternating holes drilled in some, just making sure they were centered in the muffler to give an equal amount of holes in and out.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 05/05/17 at 10:27:59

Hmmm. My long muffler just developed a rattle. The short, plus the insert, may be the replacement.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/15/18 at 13:12:27

I'm back to working on my café racer again after a lot of the bike sitting around. The plan is to make a new battery box that will be higher up under the seat. A lithium battery will allow the extra clearance since it's so short. so far I have the box mostly fabricated other than a couple tweaks. The very front of the box still dips down below the frame so I might angle that back to that it isn't visible. I'm also going to cut off the extra tabs on the frame that were meant for the Ryca side panels.

I have a question on one thing. With the box moved up the ground wire is not long enough to reach the normal mounting spot. Can the ground go to any clean metal spot on the frame or does it need to go to the motor case? If it can just go to the frame then I will possibly send it to the bracket that the tank mounts to.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/20/18 at 08:45:09

I finished up the box the other night. I also broke off one of the ends of the existing ground cable so I'm just going to make a new longer one to reach the spot that I already have on the case to ground everything.

I think overall it looks decent. I wish I had angled the front of the box a little to completely hide behind the frame but I don't know if I would have still had enough space under the seat for all of the wiring and battery. I went with a truck bed liner coating on the box to hide some of the ripples. While I was at it I also did the key/indicator cover in the tank since that was a little chipped up anyway.

http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Jf2c411gc9K0U4CDDFyiqYicUMbwh-SCgC2GELhhPNi0uqTSsDXk7yxIZ-69R7bJkwQh8Uw80kE1XAsgRx8-6Y2cq7UJCdDkjPFJG-N7JsogAoYzfJdUdSuiCmzHkRSsU4c8uBYNCphOxMO-M-6L2opwfeenrGaEney7X3vJHqnU2_cdy_E3OWJWM_Y_PGj2dfjdYubKVdxV7B-mHxFziSpfRuLa9b-09ZT2hsx8vEQmc3JUd62atybT8MtYrsoByrFKuZJ_3tp7hiVyeszYbU_QUvecf6u8nDy4TRubplicA1VjNfflHdttwr7lzIry9pURtai8Z47Zm96SHFFo2VNWhhDo69hzGwsS73XQFaCv4GAX3gcLnQcuYss7_uxUwqhyYQfGXV0k21WlLwNOZUXsovtLG9TdgDbih364zIY5KfxkpfbcnIOQumn2kn9FG4tzEhZcdAMHQri1qMUwpx2GGcfSJlucGszj4yOfvLXw7V-YxMsHI1ygfXw0r3COLJ_X4FhjBHbMuPl6n3Nh6q5AbPzcjvIvPnCMzH5ISbzbb00LUTmcP3hfZq-4sfpeim_7zihsLBm9otG1BlT2a-Y9HjiZTwbmn9AneZj-mp29LQe34k9bzkfAJSdVHaOEQsRWy10UHqnd-BPqh4dGAhQPZ6XXSh9w=w1259-h944-no

http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u-SI185_1NrQjckKZQMAqx5yY4zD1Ifa-6EEf3-XSReTbJ_dRAFi5V8fzBFWhcixl_7AKjdTHVTI1fhZPbr8d2dae2yBwgPUKGZrIAymbnUAoAgeZ5krdzoQrB115GLO_sq_CQi7w2NYyF8JAL1FLlgs57slXNKXaK65prFzoKZxUs9F_mRTvqrGsUUZILq1aR0mqC6HQhqQpOAda40hQpATXN2KSuLB5ZC7hKKEDCc3klcFF4m4-7n4ajwjFuuU_x0jT6uFUrNPVfIqIxLekELTSOyVPmr8yp7K0XC9rrNeQRZji8oWapSKg4vc832tLEiAhaj1dFOKPmsGWkgrQQUzCcv3knWsu-GjsiMSk4zJjJ7eexvCFZsWvlLJT-QkV_Erg0iUNaK4fC1WkQSmorR2Ma6Pafx-seX1hFjpRmxXqcTZSlBXXcwPZIG4FCXY4S-r8493iGX12yxTafseUoA3LFphGAYewh_IiYfoU5iAoP3z3Sf7kopkEpgdnNfyO1t7XrGkSrzLQHZP0NwH8ocRk5acz3BMCAitGywL41cLgaKsVBWwbQaNZ2_eFkGxzm-IpJEZLr_oiwGjgYJcgAsRnB_PvVoqcm6vodiziI1deJ4n7yaGnhuv2Qz0KFQQLODsCMxxPQz2g1DRJM1OWhssBsKBDZuj=w1259-h944-no

http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_-4VCR8AOPdUlRljgyZeV5WpEVMY_r58V9a2865zhfbwNhXsXOKIJsu9WKSyhOOcPrR290B0ECIMMB8AgUeY5k7uoarPCe4LF7idEoa59BSJgKE1NQcLATEYjqJYkd9B11XeD_jR34uufNl_KXkhRw61a9OXQAK5VoLrV-aozHWHtv-Zx_10v7CDO8P0i0Q3uVGHTsF8RJ9oRAzJwBmSq0XEmocsIqDiWJBdkUw_NAdJQsLjzcpVpmAM_lcDQlGeEDRMD9k-h-zNZL9WPAPy_EsV3HRKleAsX-V0Y9Hmea_uKvlxriwmsRLHqpbNQ2qYR40h7hI2jFZ05H0LJB7V9gLiYR2SCYmRzRcuZUgHZ0ckHxSXT3IHVisv5q9ny1ys7W6C7saB0BuwzZIZIKrE-N9y9AsZa_TDWlIrjJSg1HgzCs8rJaYeQd4jI95xP1XytA1iOSclyjrQGn-ffCAIFTmZ-U9-9__vRX7hV8RlxCDjTC9_iqiXw1fylJNnHwbkPgvcNGZPCxfAx1zai9vVupAkksKx5L93JnA6-dp_yTTmVkhkimDpLAyVqZ_yilkcnnY9vRoc1qTqrJDmEtEn60JWZ-xe0vU8LktYHcffEgpvwVM7n5wmO9uDbJ0N1aPX9J-4KOJUvPNEQFQ4L0-rRW9wsQZCs_K-=w708-h944-no

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Dave on 08/21/18 at 04:57:30

It looks good - nice and clean.

The ground cable needs to take power to the engine block with as short of a travel path as possible. The starter places the biggest electrical load on the battery, and the longer and more complicated you make the path - the more resistance will occur and result in less power to the starter.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/21/18 at 06:36:44

A couple more little detail shots. The rectifier tucked back in under the battery box pretty well. It's probably not going to get quite as much air flow where it's at vs the front of the old battery box but it should still be just fine. I should have cleaned up the tabs on the frame a little more but it was hot and miserable the night that I was cutting those off and I was getting frustrated. I'll also need to touch up the spots on the box that chipped a little. At least it shows that the box had a super tight fit. ;D

http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MmXsZ_vneBxskwOO31sPFxzYTN_IprIrvHupMrXyhuWD5ajp-lfDxwcYa3pWeqPXzdY_sYufiqLW_nlMyY_0XWUGvtXV4wLI08Q4-9eXlA9eCVp7MK0WHSTRd_U4-1bpKkp_e-ZetIE-nK2D5g3M6jWLJWZlIPyaXufqu4z1VE234jEuW7CmLVaOEJ_auWlsH4c-P2G8eVCfv25t5SU_1Ov9Upf5FZRyaA0bTtmUNGdVAqiyQfV2g7MBMbstE32glMQrc91ZoVF12w12mxY-7f_m_irUp7csAkEwriSVfxRG-gcDXKIjy47tLP4rnQmnI1Va7hdRmNoEOy0KNd61yplyF3f2KFm_FstojHDtHFR6nefSSCqEo791yAU05V3dTfUqWQwQI922bh8IsvURNDt3en_8rVAYajhKlFvWBXMkOXhSbWX_FJYx3BubWExSlLQi5sWY0R_WoIOTzbHe69JQbTszBezQfRAVphD1w4vgBjxeFGxObUHuqqHGzRcGi6JiQVRqTRb3qAs-xauo5WRCX76RljwweL32K33Ufa3KHYTtB_SrQ5WeJcme2hvawb13p4VBvJ_9yaSOvF3DLYsuF7vc_6D6f5CbU7jCt_LiMMFOjgn5PX7BMJklemYs6kSBZbZXy7WWyjpOXnFHPWZQYuvcuccW=w1259-h944-no

All of the wires are jammed in there. One of the things that I upgraded was to change the plug for the rear light from the individual bullet connectors for each wire to a single 5 pin plug.

http://https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0T2b1VP3bIm24l6WTD2OaDcYH2f_UvIMfTT0BfQUin2mxL5ZM4eFmSPp_FD7hcKr1TD1IsqeWpYvy5fa3ZLs4proC4muRU8dP7W0vrXAt91D81sgsCmPWajvBh8-kUBDC1bC5kEkcuM5-rejhfKffEHX_8_XTfQ-Q8pNBrDIrLUNBivkfizrAUSMz5gNN1AN2V-aS-h_dRBjcZvFUE0qg1LZlS_1Kn7h2fCmJl2MsJU3i-D0fADPGgYqVhNTZqX8i_ktvXf3K7IVvp1ggbY1W_NcXLDq9XbxmqVLXtQkVHN34IkGH_U29NZ_IjrvS8O1cbmV-nkEmvPkumOwK2mcnh1MZWCiQVgNw0KohDrSdY1rX_SUvtk5BJSEl1VSh7XkFEY-2isD7G7f2vlJaWH8LRaTviQahmRwX6gwp-inqeQ7YMZT-hxamtztAfjFzuGyMxQrT9jpHDOY5SeBuW9NmXWixeHSjSXQ2Drk2q_SKjGZH_dniscwQ6BPaIAiIh7Ie5hk6ngDciTfM-1g1g57QBTNWj3Z6trBzeQ9a60-rLAMi6I_cKVvJK_nFSLfLCTgUF4zrO2h8yCIyP4UWBLLKu7JJFZABYlwq2W3ud8PhZrp2lUKiyf0jcgznW7Cs7LO9VnGs6KRub21aPi3mHxpkZsrZrpPbgM5=w1259-h944-no

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/21/18 at 07:11:29

Looks good, but please get some rubber boots on the battery terminals.

Title: Re: Oh look....another Ryca build thread
Post by BSTON on 08/21/18 at 07:27:32

454F4B414A43474E101612220 wrote:

Looks good, but please get some rubber boots on the battery terminals.

Maybe I just think that sparks are really cool. :)