|
Author |
Message |
lilredmachine |
This post is not being displayed .
|
lilredmachine World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Karma :
|
Posted: 23:36 - 11 May 2015 Post subject: Project Diversionary tactics... |
|
|
So, what am I doing fucking about with a Diversion 600 when I have a turbo'd bandit and a custom built CG cafe racer on the go at the same time? Well, long story short, 1) hardly anyone would bother to mod a Diversion, and if they do, it looks generally terrible and 2) Yamaha are a very lazy company (I will explain in a minute). The 'Muricans like having a pop at these as in there culture, where any GPZ is a Ninja, the Diversion is a Seca and is pretty much considered a middleweight sport bike rather than a derided but decidedly capable hack.
Odd lot the Yanks.
Anyway, the Diversion was pretty much a bitser, it has elements of FZR geometry and lineage and therefore also a hand in Thundercat underpinnings. We start with a stock 1993 Divvy with a ghastly paint job and a dent in the tank that I got for free, plan is to build it up with suspension and brake upgrades on a budget. Not much can be done with the motor, though turboing it has crossed my mind. I quite enjoy the electric motor delivery of the engine though, and it has just enough power to be interesting but not so much it's unuseable. It's quite satisfying to ride.
https://s2.postimg.org/drhr17fax/13385_10153275397078485_1496919591761291977_n.jpg
https://s2.postimg.org/phvoil83d/1901330_10153275396893485_225718393253735853_n.jpg
https://s2.postimg.org/6a8jlzprt/11256855_10153275396708485_433155346237239195_n.jpg
So what can you do?
A whole Thundercat front end will bolt right in, I have ordered a set of yolks and the tapered head bearings required to make the swap but the steering stem length, rake and offset is exactly the same. This means twin disks and effectively, early model R1 brakes. The only difference being that the blue spots were painted gold instead of blue to make you feel special for buying an R1. Like I said Yamaha have an 'if it ain't broke' attitude toward model lineage.
Which brings me on to the rear end. The fact that the Diversion debuted in the early 90's and was not resurrected until 2009 with the XJ series didn't stop Yamaha from retreading old ground, indeed it turns out that the shock from a brand new, totally redesigned XJ is exactly the same as a 1990 Diversion shock. THe plus being the advantage of having superior damping (mainly through being newer so not totally hammered) and a slightly stiffer spring rate. The shock is also slightly longer which will kick the tail of the Diversion up an inch and make it a bit livelier on turn in. Incidentally, the shock from a Dragstar 650 cruiser is the same and will also fit, offering the same advantages. I have ordered an XJ shock from a 2012 model for the princely sum of 30 quid as a bolt in mod.
https://s2.postimg.org/4mdzl31a1/image.jpg
Further to this, there is a way of getting a 17 inch rear wheel from a Bandit in the back end to improve tyre choice and match the wider rubber on the front, but I can't be arsed with making spacers and going shopping for the various Suzuki parts required to make it work. What I can do though, is bolt in an FZR600r rim, which is 18x4.00 instead of 18x3.50. This enables a 150/60 18 Bridgestone 090 to be used which is a reasonable tyre for a Diversion. It's only H rated, but that's fine on a bike that will realistically never make it over 115.
For some reason these rims are very common, but only outside the UK, and to confuse matters further, due to the way Yamaha's parts coding works, both 3.5 and 4 rims carry the designation '3HE' as they were both fitted to the FZR600 at one point or another (89-90 had 3.50, 91- FZR600R had 4.00). After trawling through Ebay for what seemed like ages and emailing loads of sellers that had rims incorrectly listed as late model FZR600r rims as they had the designation '3HE' but were only 3.5 wide so were actually Diversion/early FZR rims, I found one.
https://s17.postimg.org/x1j89tcv3/KGr_Hq_JHJB_FI8z_Eoe_M5_BSUGg_Mlj_g_60_57.jpg
It's dirty, yellow and tired but it's a straight 18X4.00 rim that will enable me to run a 150 in the back of a stock diversion.
Aim is to keep it looking mostly stock bodywork wise.
Will post pics as parts begin to arrive. ____________________ Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
sidewinder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
sidewinder World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Karma :
|
Posted: 10:23 - 14 May 2015 Post subject: |
|
|
I'm watching this with interest.being a fellow divvy rider
This forum full of some very good projects.
https://www.xjrider.com/ ____________________ "Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
sidewinder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
sidewinder World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Karma :
|
Posted: 10:23 - 14 May 2015 Post subject: |
|
|
I'm watching this with interest.being a fellow divvy rider
This forum full of some very good projects.
https://www.xjrider.com/ ____________________ "Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Matt B |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Matt B World Chat Champion
Joined: 01 May 2012 Karma :
|
Posted: 10:32 - 14 May 2015 Post subject: |
|
|
Interesting ____________________ stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
lilredmachine |
This post is not being displayed .
|
lilredmachine World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Karma :
|
Posted: 13:55 - 16 May 2015 Post subject: |
|
|
Aye, xjriders is the site i have been fisting for info. Put some new pads in last night and bled the brakes so i could go out on the new shock that's in there now. Totally different bike, turns in better, doesn't squirm under power and rides bumps great despite the stiffer spring. Bike sits on the center stand still, but the rear tyre is just in contact with the ground, indicating a lift of about 1.5 inches in height. Will post pics of the work when i'm not on my phone, but it is just a case of popping the shock in, no fiddling or fettling required.
Fzr600 rear wheel also arrived, also a bolt in job but i need to replace the tyre before it goes in.
With the front end in with the big brakes, meatier forks, 120 section front and the 150 rear, it should be a surprisingly capable handler (for a diversion). Just a case of keeping her wound out through the corners, 250 smoker style. ____________________ Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
lilredmachine |
This post is not being displayed .
|
lilredmachine World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
sidewinder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
sidewinder World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
hmmmnz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
hmmmnz Super Spammer
Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :
|
Posted: 22:39 - 25 Aug 2015 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
lilredmachine |
This post is not being displayed .
|
lilredmachine World Chat Champion
Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
hmmmnz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
hmmmnz Super Spammer
Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 8 years, 166 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
|
|
|