Honda Odyssey Sportbike engine Conversion Questions

[frankysfree]

Make sure you keep an eye on the tierod or steering arm hitting the wheel. With the larger wheel you may not have to worry about it. The good thing is thats solid thick parts on the ody front end. Should be plenty strong to weld a bracket on. Looks good.

How will you control the front brakes? Pedals?

Make sure you post the part number of the bearing you use for this mod. Thanks friend.

I'll make sure the rim clears but the new wheel has less backspacing so it shouldn't be a problem.

I think I'll link the front and back brakes together to a foot pedal, and the shifter will be a lever like a shifter kart with a clutch lever attached to it like a suicide shifter on a bike.

I'll make sure to post part numbers(or at least bearing dimensions) when I get it done.

 

[frankysfree]

Here is the progress for today. I took the stock banshee swingarm and hacked it off and welded it onto my new swingarm. It was by far the easiest way to affix the rearend to the swingarm without a mill and lathe to cut out the 1/4" steel plate.

All welded up

 

[bighead]

Very interested on how this turns out. Can you post pic on how you connected the swingarm to the Ody frame? Thanks

 

[frankysfree]

Very interested on how this turns out. Can you post pic on how you connected the swingarm to the Ody frame? Thanks

I'll take a few pics tomorrow.

It's really picking up steam considering I've had the ody for a year and a half... Course I never really had the spare time and extra money at the same time...

 

[landuse]

I'll take a few pics tomorrow.

It's really picking up steam considering I've had the ody for a year and a half... Course I never really had the spare time and extra money at the same time...

Your welds are looking nice. I also find that my projects seem to stall with lack of time. I am always so busy, and the weekend is the only time I seem to get to do anything.

 

[bighead]

Edit: wrong thread.

 

[frankysfree]

Heres the pics of the way i made the swingarm(albeit a day late)

Took a piece of tubing and welded it into the new swingarm

The bracket that holds it on each side. Dont worry ive got matching brackets to weld on the inside as well.

A piece of round bar that was tapped per a lathe for a bolt on each side of the bracket, and a brass bushing that was machined out to fit over it. The bushing will be a press fit into the swingarm.

Im not overly happy with the setup and i might change it to a spherical bearing setup. Harleys use this setup on theyre swingarms and they last 100,000 miles so i think if i go this way it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[frankysfree]

Ordered these tires for it today. They are rated pretty good for street use and should help me hook up at the track

 

[bighead]

Sweeeeet. Keep the pics coming.

 

[frankysfree]

Sweeeeet. Keep the pics coming.

Its coming along slow right now as i dont have alot of expendable income since its winter and as you know people dont ride motorcycles in winter so not much work coming in. The tires costed me $150 for both of the rear and that was the cheapest i could find them anywhere...

I do have the rearend bolted in to the swingarm and will have the tires on when they get here tomorrow so it will pretty much be a roller besides needing shocks. Ill take pics with the tires on.

 

[frankysfree]

Got the tires in today and had to put them on and snap a few pics. I also started mounting the engine in the swingarm and should be done tomorrow with that.

Keep in mind the finished product will be 4" wider in the rear and 6" wider in the front.

 

[frankysfree]

Im also having trouble finding a bearing that will fit the outer part of the 400ex front hubs with my dimensions. I need a 20x35x11 bearing. I have found a 20x37x9 that should work if i machine out 2mm from the hub so ill go that route if i cant find the correct sized one. Shouldnt cost much to have them done and the bearings are like $8 a piece from my supplier.

 

[bighead]

Love how low the engine sits inthe chassis. Thats the first thing I look at when I look at the Ody conversions. Nice work man.

Also if your not using the original roll bars they still fetch a very good price on ebay if in good condition.

Have you did and math on what the final gear drive will be?

 

[frankysfree]

The engine will actually sit a little higher than that. At the point its at in the pic it would be the lowest thing on the chassis and not a good thing if i hit anything...

I listed a few parts locally. Im selling the gearbox, stock fuel tank, roll bar(i have the rear bars that arent pictured), axle, brake, tires/rims, hubs, and engine cradle. If you need anything let me know. I may need a few ody parts myself.

I havent figured the gearing out yet. Heres all the specs if you can help me with it:
Engine: 1998 Katana 600cc
HP: Stock 80HP @ 10,500rpm (modified will be est 95HP)
Katana stock final drive ratio: 3.13 with 15-47 sprockets
Katana top speed is: 135mph
Gearing:
1st: 3.083
2nd: 2.062
3rd: 1.647
4th: 1.400
5th: 1.227
6th: 1.095

The tire size is 20x10-9, Ive got 15 tooth front and 41 tooth rear on right now. Im designing this for the drag strip and want to run low 11's or high 10's in the 1/4 mile so speed will be around 120mph at the traps.

 

[bighead]

The engine will actually sit a little higher than that. At the point its at in the pic it would be the lowest thing on the chassis and not a good thing if i hit anything...

I listed a few parts locally. Im selling the gearbox, stock fuel tank, roll bar(i have the rear bars that arent pictured), axle, brake, tires/rims, hubs, and engine cradle. If you need anything let me know. I may need a few ody parts myself.

I havent figured the gearing out yet. Heres all the specs if you can help me with it:
Engine: 1998 Katana 600cc
HP: Stock 80HP @ 10,500rpm (modified will be est 95HP)
Katana stock final drive ratio: 3.13 with 15-47 sprockets
Katana top speed is: 135mph
Gearing:
1st: 3.083
2nd: 2.062
3rd: 1.647
4th: 1.400
5th: 1.227
6th: 1.095

The tire size is 20x10-9, Ive got 15 tooth front and 41 tooth rear on right now. Im designing this for the drag strip and want to run low 11's or high 10's in the 1/4 mile so speed will be around 120mph at the traps.

I cannot help you with the gearing. Lots of other members can though. They have gear calculators web sites so ask around. I think you need to measure the tire as well. Gearing just makes my dizzy thinking about it.

I would put the motor as low as you can. Make a skid plate if you have to. Ody engines sit low like with a skid plate/motor mount.

 

[bighead]

I keep gooing back to this pic.

Something just does not seem right. Like a twist or torque thing. Is there a way you can box the swingarm in and run that boxed part overlapping the back frame rail?

Could you drill a hole thru the middle of the swingarm and rear frame rail. And then run a grade 8 bolt thru them both. If you snap the weld the bolt may keep it togather.

Also could you put a pillow block bearing or some kind of axle carrier on both ends one the axle and bolted to the frame right about the axle.? I know the banshee axle is not ideal for this but just thinking out loud for how fast you will be going.

not bashing your fab skills for they are far better than mine. But with you going over 100mph I just fell like asking question and saying whats on my mind. The good thing is Ody's have little to no bump steer. Thats probably a good thing.

You should put some pizza cutters wheels and tires for up front when at the drags.

And last I would kill for you lift in your shop. You are spoiled. Also can you take lots of pics of how you connected the swingarm to the ody frame. Your method is by far the best I sen so far from what I can see. I see lots of hack jobs out there. Yours looks top notch. I will do it just like you did when I get around to adding suspension.

 

[bighead]

It would be sick to fab some front dirt bike shocks on each side. It would look like those long travel mini buggy shocks. You could use the newer style or the vintage style. Not even sure if they would work. But if they did I think it would look sick.

Here is a set of 87 cr250.

 

[frankysfree]

Thanks for the concerns bighead. That is not the end of how i plan to brace the rearend. If you look at the two tabs coming off the end near the adjuster i will be placing a piece of tubing between those two points in the center, then taking 1" round stock and building a mount from that to the upper rear engine mount on the motor. That will make it mounted from the rear as well as the front and make it exceptionally stronger by itself. Once i get that done im going to do some other bracing on it but i need the engine and rearend all together so i can figure out the space i have to build around that.

I need to see what kind of skinnys i can find for the front but definately will be running a street tire for it. I own a bike shop so i have two other identical lifts, a big air/electric tire machine, air compressor, etc etc. in my 2,500 sq ft shop... Im not making you LESS jealous am i? Hahaha :Angel_anim:

 

[frankysfree]

Heres a couple more pics. I dont have the engine all the way mounted but ill take pics when i get it in.

Here is a pic of the back of the engine. You can see the upper rear engine mount that im going to build a mount from there to the rearend. I did a quick drawing in paint so the blue lines will be the mount.

 

[bighead]

Can you run that bracket the the roll cage and not the engine? If you ripped out the back axle it may break the cases or bosses on your engine right?