Project: 2001 XC300 bare frame rebuild

[motogroove]

It is hard to make improvements on such high quality machines, especially with the dearth of aftermarket support we get. But, where there's a will, there's a way. I saw this kit a year or two ago and had a nagging lust for it. It's not inexpensive, but it has functional advantages. And to be 100% honest, I was drawn to it just for the sanitary look. As a bonus, it saves about 9.5 grams of weight.

Fasst Company Brake Return Spring kit (includes the bucket and the spring)
BC-1RS-8
(I think BC is the color, and 8 is the M8 threads on the push rod)
they have blue or red also
This eliminates the spring from the pedal to the frame. It is also slightly tunable by adjusting the preload on the spring.

And
Fasst Company Brake Clevis Here was where the folks at FasstCo helped me figure out the retrofit. It's not precise enough to specify that our brake uses an 8mm pin at the clevis. They asked me to use my dial calipers so they could get around .001" tollerance as they do with their general aftermarket applications. They sent me
BK- 105K (KFX 4004-current),
and it pits perfectly. The folks at Fasst Company asked me to pass along that they are happy to help anybody figure out a retrofit.

Now, there could and probably should be a debate about the tight clevis fit vs. the elongated hole and resulting slop that is engineered into the brakes at the factory. Personally, I was so distracted by what was going on with my motor, that I can't say any more right now than I think I like my new setup. It seemed transparent in use as far as needing to adjust my style. It was simple to install. And despite the added precision, it was not fiddly to dial in.

Tell them Motogroove sent you.

(Edit: Note that the pedal is not yet properly adjusted in the photo. The telltale mark on the clutch cover helped me set the pedal height against the stop. Then you adjust the clevis to hit the hole. Done)

[motogroove]

Originally Posted by Jim Cook

A solid black gripper seat cover from Guts Racing would look good with your color scheme.

Hi Jim!

Man, I gotta tell you...
that seat is holding up so well, it is really unbelievable that there's not a tear or scratch on that thing. I just keep switching up the graphics with signmaking vinyl.

I suppose this would br the wrong thread to say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I've never had one of those super grippy seat covers either. Do they ever get too grippy? I don't want to make suction cup noises when I (forget to)slide up on the tank for a corner.

Give Deb a kiss for me.

Next big even includes Hatfield McCoy I think. Trying to link that to Vintage Days...

We are going to hit Durhamtown in the winter.

[motogroove]

This is the wad of paper towel that I left in my exhaust manifold.

<:-(

So, she fired on the third kick. And as you might imagine, she sounded a little funny. Really it just sounded like it was loading up rich. I suspected maybe the assembly lube (2stroke oil) was fouling the plug or... I just didn't know what to think. I just knew I was in to the first and most important heat cycle, attempting the SwazziMatt technique held elsewhere on this site...

I let her cool and then tried to solve the problem with a fesh plug and some play with the air screw. I went for my practice session and quickly decided to get her out of that sandbox. But at Southwick, four turns has you about as far away from the pits as you can be. I cut the course in two spots to get back to the track exit, and rode back to the pits.

<Edit:> I actually went to the gate for Headlight Moto 1, but the wad of paper must have made the final journey to the end of the silencer right as the ten second board went up. She began to really bog and die. The gate dropped. I left the gate, looked behind to make sure everybody had gone, and did a U-turn on the start straight. <End Edit>

I was about to dial up Jim Cook. Then, the light bulb flickered <bzzt, sizzle, bzzzt,zip, zap, BING!> and I suddenly could not pull up the film in my cranial cinema of me pulling out the paper towel. I wondered, and in a flash, I was sure that was it. I pulled the pipe and stuck a tie wrap in the stinger end of the expansion chamber. The tie wrap must have caught an edge there, offering a temporary resistance, and it fooled me that I had popped the towel back into the fat part of the pipe. I spent considerable time chasing that wild goose before I checked the silencer and found this.

It was nice to solve the problem, but I'll never know how bad it was for my new top end.

My Decrepit 45 race went several laps longer than I expected. I kept coming around looking for the white flag and didn't see it. Finally, they threw it. The guy I had been chasing - we were right on pace with each other for a few laps and I was just maybe ten bike lengths back in the fast sections - that guy pulled off after the white flag. So, I beat that guy in my book. Anyway, it's the last lap and about 2/3 of the way around is the famous two-trees-turns (my name for it). Uphill to a two line, two berm right semi-hairpin onto a short steep downhill into a bigger two berm hairpin left and hammer it hard up to the next big right..

buwuuuuhhhhhhh rrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr

just when I go to hammer it back up the hill I run out of gas. And it never has done a lean rev when I ran out before, but today she does. It seemed like eternity but it was probably only three or four seconds. I think I had already hit it over to reserve when the lean rev started. She never stalled and I continued, but she was injured.

I let her cool and took a pit ride. It seemed OK maybe. But the next morning, glorious weather, perfect track conditions, open riding with maybe three people on the track at a time...
I took her out there and rode one lap. It was running well enough to have fun, but it was far, far away from running right or healthy. Breaking up badly. Not knowing what or why, I decided to pack her up and not do any more damage.

I guess I'll be pulling my head this week. Can I re-use those o-rings?

It sure was good to be riding. The rest of the bike was feeling really good. I need to get this bitch up and running.

[stainlesscycle]

Originally Posted by motogroove

I've never had one of those super grippy seat covers either. Do they ever get too grippy? I don't want to make suction cup noises when I (forget to)slide up on the tank for a corner.

i have a love hate with the gripper seats. when they get muddy, your pants kinda stick to them more than a regular seat. the mud packs in the dimples...this is only an annoyance for me when i'm trying to get way forward for a turn from a sitting position.. i haven't run a smooth seat in long time - i was considering recovering my seat with a smooth one, and see if i can slide around easier. what i really should be doing is standing more and not worrying about it - i have a bump stop on my foam, so sliding backwards is usually not an issue, and i think if you really whiskey throttle it a gripper seat ain't gonna help anyways

[stainlesscycle]

Originally Posted by motogroove

I guess I'll be pulling my head this week. Can I re-use those o-rings?

yes you can re-use o-rings.

and tnaks for the review/research on the fasst company return springs/clevis - i've been considering it for quite some time - just haven't remembered to order one. i'm assuming it keeps things nice and firm instead of my flopping around rear brake...

[motogroove]

Originally Posted by stainlesscycle

yes you can re-use o-rings.

and tnaks for the review/research on the fasst company return springs/clevis - i've been considering it for quite some time - just haven't remembered to order one. i'm assuming it keeps things nice and firm instead of my flopping around rear brake...

Yes, one of the coolest things about the return spring setup is that it really locates the pushrod on the axis it should follow, but also allows it the leeway required because the pedal hole follows an arced path.

[motogroove]

Chasing the problem at the wrong end.

[motogroove]

Gate choice done, I had the honor of seeing a lovely 2010 250 nearby (see photo). This guy lapped me. Are you here, dude?

My 2010 sponsor and gear still in place, you can see what inspired me to go to black plastic and the popular 420 number plate.

My 2011 sponsor is busy with real athletes who are beginning the outdoor season. You guys are going to love the joke the best. Most people won't even get it. Stay tuned.

[motogroove]

Solving the steering stop problem:

I couldn't have metal stops crashing into my powdercoated frame. So, I got Nylon bolts from mcmaster.com and used stainless nuts as spacers. The spacing is a little fat, but the nylon probably deforms a bit under load. This saved a little weight also, I believe. I'll get that data later.

I got 20mm length on the nylon bolts and now know I could have gone a size or two longer. I'm not too worried, since the predominant forces all push the bolt in the hole rather than pull it out.

[motogroove]

FWIW,
I could have saved a lot of time, and a steak dinner's worth of money, if I just bought a stainless fastener kit at the beginning. I was halfway done by the time I knew of the option, so I got the hard-to-find ones by buying full packages. That's more money, more valuable clutter, slightly mismatched fasteners (only I would notice, but...).

So, buy the kit. There's a guy here who has done all the work for you.

Just sayin'...