Scooter Fab

[Trickle X]

Here for my 2nd post is a scooter build I did this spring. Lots of fab work. Only two parts were purchased for this project, everything else was either re-used or fabricated from raw material. I started with a non running Honda Ruckus & stripped it down to just the frame as that is all I was going to use. I would be swapping in a Yamaha Zuma 125 motor and anything I could re-use of that scoot...

Enjoy!

Picked up this non-running Honda Ruckus to have my way with.


and on my work table:

then 12 seconds later or what seemed like it as remember I am old:

i like the front end off the z125 and wanted to see how hard it would be to swap it over to the ruck as the honda is all girlie and I am all old and manly:

and then some grinding and some press love, the z125 was not at all friendly but the Ruck said pop when it just saw the press:


since the Ruckus stem is much smaller, I had to add some weld to it:

and then some more:

then some lathe love to get it back down to the correct size to the z125 lower triple:

pressed it back in and a little weld, and I am all manly again:

[Trickle X]

time to get it ready for a z125 transplant:

and here it is:

and here is the lonely z125 frame:

and on the work bench to see what it will look like:

a little tail action:

I then decide to fab up a motor mount and since I built this neat little hydraulic pipe bender and I had a bunch of 7/8 stock, I thought why not make a trellis frame mount?:

[Trickle X]

and a little polish:



So I am thinking the Ruckus is a top mounted frame that has the pivot point at the top and the z125 is a bottom mount with the pivot point at the bottom. Now I have two pivot points and that is just not going to work, so which point do i make solid, top or bottom? I decided to go with the bottom since it already had bearings in it and I couldnt find enough information on any of the limited kits on how they did it(i know now and they went top) So I commited to making the top mount solid:

[Trickle X]

time to make the mount a little more ridgid:

[Trickle X]

my little hydraulic bender I built making a shock mount:





this is a Fox shock I had laying around that was the correct length since I counldnt find anything short enough on what you kids call the interweb:


I had to make new bushings to fit in into the stock upper shock mount and my lower mount:

[Trickle X]

makes the Zuma feel huge!

[Trickle X]

now time to make a tank, a big tank, something that I dont have to fill up every other day. I needed to install the fuel pump from the z125 and it wasnt going to fit nicely into the stock small tank:




and my first oversight. The holes on the mounting ring look all the same distance, my mistake, they are not. Damn you Yamaha and your production line tricks! they only line up one way and of course it caused my fuel line pickup to point in the wrong direction, so I had to weld the holes shut and re do :

[Trickle X]

[Trickle X]

after I powder coated it, dont mind the battery on the floor, that is for testing as at that point I hadnt modified my wiring harness:

[Trickle X]

I decided to make this velocity stack on the lathe, because, well it is just cool and I wanted to see if I could:


some of my prior failures....i had to keep modifying my tool until it did what I wanted:

figured I would mount it off to the side


decided I needed a headlight and figured I had a spare zuma 50 headlamp and would use that temporarly until I could decide what I wanted to use so I rolled a piece of 304ss tube and started to make a web bracket. It is different, but defintely not final:



Some exhaust fabrication for your viewing enjoyment
304SS made in USA!

some Akro Ti love, had to stretch a piece to fit the inlet of the Akro.

[Trickle X]

not stretched

after stretching

sizing it down to fit the rest of the header


and all welded up! I used the stock flange since it has a insert and I was being lazy for now:


and with the slip fit

needed to add an o2 bung

[Trickle X]

[Mr120]

Wow, really nice project you've going there. I really appreciate the fact you detailed a lot of the steps with pictures and annotations of your planning and thought processes. Very cool!

[Trickle X]

added a set of footies that I had laying around from a test piece for the Z125. I altered the length and add a tab for mounting.



Did the PA Bunny Run on Saturday the 30th of March in it's maiden voyage, the only Ruckus there and 1 of 4 scooters...

parked it next to Mama Bear...hahahaha


I lined up the rear wheels to see how long of a wheel base I had....almost as long as the Goldwing Trike!

[Trickle X]

So I decided I would make a rear fender so I don't get any razz from "The Man"
I cut out my basic shape and started rolling one out on the English wheel.

[Trickle X]

My seat from Cotton came in and it looks Fantastic!

Just a lil pic of both of the Zuma's...lol

what I use the ugly stock Z125 gauges for....Hat Holder...

I decided to shoot some powder today to avoid getting caught in the rain and having to deal with rust...



close up of the silver vein powder I shot on the belt cover.

update 5/13/13
Pic from top of Camelback Mountain. put about 400 miles on it on this trip.

[Trickle X]

decided I would relocate the plate as it was impossbile to see unless you were directly behind the bike.





Also decided to start on a new front fender since the stock Zuma125 fender didnt flow well.

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And I am done posting pix now...

[redbeard]

Now that is some THOROUGH photo documentation!

Nice fabbing, thanks for sharing. You must have a really toolful shop with all the different processes you do.

[Glen]

Great job. Your shop looks awesome. Really like all the fab work you did on that and love the hood ornament.