Updated Pics: Magna CBR Wheel Mod

[Chokse]

Hey everyone.  Another weekend and a little more progress on the CBR wheel mod for my Magna.  I had planned to get the rear caliper and master cylinder done this weekend, but instead I ended up getting the front wheel and calipers mounted, and getting the rear wheel centered.  Rather than post pictures here, I have created a Picasa Web Album.  Since I only have time to work on the bike on Saturdays and Sundays, I will try to update the pictures on the Web Album every Monday or Tuesday.  So, try to check in each week and see how the progress is going.  If you want to contact me about any of this, you can either post a message here or email me at gechoike@mac.com.  Please don't email me through the Picasa Web Album because that will go to a Gmail account.  I only opened a Gmail account so I could post pictures on Picasa.  I don't plan to check the Gmail very often.  I check the other address several times each day.  I hope you enjoy the pictures and I appreciate any comments or suggestions.  You can view the pictures here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gechoike/

[KTC]

very interesting, waiting to see the next pictures you post.

[hootmon]

Very excited about your project.. Please keep us posted!!! Any Details you can supply beyond the pictures are a Plus!!

[thermoalex]

Hi, i've been buying some of the parts to do this same mod myself over this winter.  Is there any advice you can give me or any problems you ran into?  I love the way it's turning out in the pictures.  Keep up the posts.

[Chokse]

First, an update.  The project has kind of come to a screeching halt for the time being.  While doing this work, I had planned to have the bike painted and to have some chrome parts re-plated.  I live in South Korea and there is apparently only one good chroming place in the country and it just went bankrupt.  Not sure what I am going to do now.  There are some custom bike shops here that are in the same pickle I am currently in, and they are searching out solutions.  I expect to know more in a week or two regarding these solutions, and hopefully things will be back on track (brake stuff is all done as is the paint.  Just waiting on the chrome now).

To answer your question, the biggest issue I had was with the speedometer sending unit.  That was a real PITA to fit to the CBR wheel, and it probably won't be accurate (though close enough for things like oil changes and such).  Other than that, it was pretty straightforward.  You'll just need to get some custom spacers made for the wheels and calipers, and you'll need to weld some custom brackets to the frame and swing arm of the bike.  If you have any specific questions, ask and I'll try to address them.

[thermoalex]

Is there any way to retro fit a CBR 600 gauge cluster?  Not sure of the wiring PITA that would be though if even possible.  I've begun looking at the wiring diagram of the CBR cluster to see what's involved.

[Chokse]

I doubt it would work because I don't think you'd be able to get the CBR's electronic sending unit mated to the Magna's engine.  Another option (expensive) that I looked into was using a Dakota Digital gauge with a universal sending unit that reads the rotation of the chain sprocket.  It seemed like it would work well and would be very accurate, but it would also cost $500 - $600 for the complete setup, and I didn't like the fact that the DD bar tach only went up to 8,000 RPM (digital number tach goes higher though).

To get the Magna sending unit to work, you'll need to cut off the inner lip of the sending unit and will need to fabricate a new metal ring to go inside the wheel (to catch the part in the sending unit that spins).  It can be done, but it is not easy and is a lot of work for something that does so little.

[thermoalex]

Yep your right those Dakota Digital unit's are expensive.  My concern that I guess i'll have to work out is living around Chicago there's always tons of police officers waiting to pull us over, so a working speedo is a must.  Do you have any new pics you can post?  Your work is really inspiring, I've been thinking about doing the whole CBR transplant now for 2 years and all my riding friends thought i was nuts.  I'm glad someone else was thinking the same.

[Chokse]

I don't have anything new I can post right now.  As I said, I've run into a snag with the chrome, so I am waiting to get that resolved.  The bike is in a neighboring city at a friend's bike shop.  I live in Seoul, but had to take advantage of a free place to work even if it meant traveling to another city each weekend.  About a month ago, the parts went out for paint and chrome.  The paint is done and the parts are sitting at the paint shop waiting to get picked up.  The chrome situation has not been resolved, but I am hoping for good news this weekend.  The local Harley place, as well as some other custom bike shops, are in the same situation I am in.  They desperately need a place to do chrome work now that the place everyone was using has gone bankrupt.  Apparently, a business sent several hundred thousand parts to be chromed at this place and then couldn't pay the bill.  This in turn caused the chrome place to go bankrupt.  This chrome place is the place all the bike shops in Korea were using.  I talked to some of these bike shops and the Harley place told me that they have sent parts to a few other chrome shops to check out the quality (for both new parts and re-plated parts).  They expect to have all the parts back by the end of this week and will be able to tell me if any of the shops do good work.  So, hopefully I will get some good news and can send the parts for chrome next week.  If that happens, I will probably start putting the bike back together next weekend and can start taking pictures again at that time.

I think if you want accuracy for your bike, the best bet would be the Dakota Digital units.  I think I was able to find one of the "all-in-one" units for about $400 on Ebay and the sending unit that mounts near the sprocket runs about $70.  With shipping, you would be looking at $500.  If they had had a better Tach on the unit, I probably would have done that.  For now, I will stick with the Magna speedo and tach.  I think the Magna uses a 120/80-17 tire on the front and the CBR has a 120/70-17 front tire (that's the size I will use).  It shouldn't be too far off, I hope.

[tmds3]

chokse, hope you get everything worked out soon as I am intrigued by the photos and can't wait to see the finished bike. Question on the painting of the engine- if the paint doesn't stick are you going to take the motor out or try to repaint it in the frame.
Looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Chokse]

I hope like Hell it's gonna stick!  I sanded the crap out of the engine and used Dupli-Color engine primer and paint, so if it doesn't stick, then I guess it never will.  I plan on doing the VFR engine mod next winter when it gets too cold and snowy to ride, so if need be, I can paint it again at that time since the engine will need to be removed for that work.  If I do need to repaint, then next time I will send it to a place that will drop it a stripping bath and get all the old paint off that way, but I don't think it will come to that.

[thermoalex]

Just wondering with the new wheels, tires and forks will the bike sit at stock level or be higher/lower?  Right now i'm running Works performance shocks that are 1.25" lower in the back, and 1" Progressive front lowering springs in the forks and i'm wondering if these would still work. 

[Chokse]

The rear CBR wheel with tire mounted is about 1/2 inch shorter than the Magna's rear wheel with tire.  However, the CBR's front wheel with tire is about 1 1/2 inch shorter than the Magna's front wheel, so this did create a problem.  I have Progressive rear shocks in the stock size, so I am OK on the rear wheel.  To fix the geometry on the front, I bought some one inch fork extenders from Billski and that has evened out the geometry issues.  I am now sitting about a 1/2 inch shorter front and rear, but it is an equal lowering since both front and rear were dropped by the same amount.  Basically, it is like getting a 1/2 inch suspension dropping kit.  I think it should all be fine as 1/2 inch is not too much lower and shouldn't cause any serious problems.  Since your bike is already lowered, you might have bigger problems to face than I did.  The CBR wheels will drop your bike a bit more, so if you are already close to the ground, you will be an extra 1/2 inch closer after the swap.  I guess it just depends on how close you are right now and how much more you can go without hitting bottom.

[robertdwest]

Now I'm really intrigued.  Can't wait to see the finished product and hopefully a write up.  Maybe someday I'll have the money and time to do a mod like this. Always thought the magna would be better with a rear disc than a drum.