Testarossa's 78 KZ1000 Fighter Build

Looks straight to me.better to check it now.and not sitting there in the garage after complete assembly.you know drinking a beer,admiring your work, and all of a sudden something dosent look right.

another method would be to drop a plumb line down along the front wheel. true the bike until the wheel is true to the plumb line. now drop a plumb line down along the rear wheel and see if it is true to the front .
A similar method can be used to align the front and rear wheels. if u would like details just holler.

mark1122 wrote:

another method would be to drop a plumb line down along the front wheel. true the bike until the wheel is true to the plumb line. now drop a plumb line down along the rear wheel and see if it is true to the front .
A similar method can be used to align the front and rear wheels. if u would like details just holler.

Mark, I think that I will reserve that third method for future use. Maybe, if I have a handling problem when the bike hits the road. I'm convinced that it's reasonably straight from my two tests, and I really want to start assembling.

Unfortunately, I am forced to fix my truck this week. My alternator decided it's time to give up the fight. Damned cars getting in the way of bike building. I keep pushing the boulder up the hill one foot at a time. Ohh gravity, it's taken better men than me...

testarossa wrote:

mark1122 wrote:

another method would be to drop a plumb line down along the front wheel. true the bike until the wheel is true to the plumb line. now drop a plumb line down along the rear wheel and see if it is true to the front .
A similar method can be used to align the front and rear wheels. if u would like details just holler.

Mark, I think that I will reserve that third method for future use. Maybe, if I have a handling problem when the bike hits the road. I'm convinced that it's reasonably straight from my two tests, and I really want to start assembling.

Unfortunately, I am forced to fix my truck this week. My alternator decided it's time to give up the fight. Damned cars getting in the way of bike building. I keep pushing the boulder up the hill one foot at a time. Ohh gravity, it's taken better men than me...

Oh but u have all of us behind u.
we will be sure to get out of the way and tell u ,when the boulder starts to go back down hill.
we are very helpfull that way. it's just the kind of guys we are .:laugh:

:laugh:

Mark's got my back. Waaaaay back!

mark1122 wrote:

testarossa wrote:

mark1122 wrote:

another method would be to drop a plumb line down along the front wheel. true the bike until the wheel is true to the plumb line. now drop a plumb line down along the rear wheel and see if it is true to the front .
A similar method can be used to align the front and rear wheels. if u would like details just holler.

Mark, I think that I will reserve that third method for future use. Maybe, if I have a handling problem when the bike hits the road. I'm convinced that it's reasonably straight from my two tests, and I really want to start assembling.

Unfortunately, I am forced to fix my truck this week. My alternator decided it's time to give up the fight. Damned cars getting in the way of bike building. I keep pushing the boulder up the hill one foot at a time. Ohh gravity, it's taken better men than me...

Oh but u have all of us behind u.
we will be sure to get out of the way and tell u ,when the boulder starts to go back down hill.
we are very helpfull that way. it's just the kind of guys we are .:laugh:

:woohoo:

great insight on the first plumb bob idea...really shows your thinking cap is on... and the exact way to determine vert straight...did you make a dot on the concrete and re-set and check it a few times?....this would be a great way to follow your progress and a fail safe for when the mind plays tricks later......now a correct reading on the concrete would give the degrees off from a true 90* this could be done with a level but they suck...even the good ones for the type of work you got yourself into..imo...i would try a giant speed square or an angle finder on a 6 foot straight edge-2by3 framers square ect.. and scoot ever so slowly towards the string....this would give the concrete and strings true offset from 90 and those degrees are the base for resting the frame level..this would be done side to side and front to rear.... imo.... the only thing i might add is that there are probably "many" ways to true the various items into sync with each other...the simple right angle 90 in two directions is the base right? ...as i look at the pics ,i notice the steering neck is cocked towards the left on it upper race by 1-2 degrees...seen when looking from the the dead center front...this gave me the desire to see the foundation...or slabs run outs....or are you gonna make a another jig like you so well did before??


i like this...what are you building by the way a gsxr those are cool

I'm liking what I see.

BTW helloooo from Germany!!

Thanks guys. Tri, I still have my marks on the floor, and yes I checked it about a dozen times in total. I had actually checked it before when the bike was mocked up, and this just confirms it for me. You mean this isn't the GS forum?:laugh:

Tyler, I was wondering if you would be posting from Germany. Guten Tag!

Now for a quick update tonight. I got my blacksmith on today and put a little clearance for the chain in my frame.



I also started working on final sandblasting of the frame for paint. I got one side done before I hit a batch of damp sand. Damp sand don't sandblast. Damp sand is bad. So I quit and went to get dinner. Anyway, I got one side pretty clean.



I also tore apart my mono-shock in preparation for a rebuild. Is anyone interested in a rebuild write-up? It's one of those things that the owners manual tells you that you can't do, but it's all lies. I'll probably install a Race Tech gold valve kit and a proper weight spring. That oil in there was done, and the nitrogen reservoir was conspicuously free of nitrogen.

testarossa wrote:

Is anyone interested in a rebuild write-up? It's one of those things that the owners manual tells you that you can't do, but it's all lies. I'll probably install a Race Tech gold valve kit and a proper weight spring. That oil in there was done, and the nitrogen reservoir was conspicuously free of nitrogen.

Uhh...the guys who would say no aren't watching this thread....

DoubleDub wrote:

testarossa wrote:

Is anyone interested in a rebuild write-up? It's one of those things that the owners manual tells you that you can't do, but it's all lies. I'll probably install a Race Tech gold valve kit and a proper weight spring. That oil in there was done, and the nitrogen reservoir was conspicuously free of nitrogen.

Uhh...the guys who would say no aren't watching this thread....

Actually, I know of at least one who is watching, that would say no. But FWIW, I am still wondering if anyone who is watching would find it useful. I will say that it is common practice amongst sport bike riders to change their fork oil, but most people that I know are too scared to mess with their shock. The oil in the shock was easily as bad as the oil that came out of my forks, and most just neglect it due to the price of having the shock rebuilt.