N-R Performance Rear-sets for the SR

I've largely completed fitting N-R Performance rear-sets to the SR. Check out N-R Performance, Ken was knowledgeable and great to work with. I've got a few other things to sort out and then if the weather cooperates I'll be able to test ride them and be able to speak to their function. They look the business.

I opted for the higher version and with it the different rear master cylinder.

A couple of quick pictures 

LH side mounted

RH side mounted

I'll add details about fitting them shortly. A fair bit of cutting and grinding was needed to make room for the mounting tabs.

Minton Mods

With credit to Joe Minton and Motorcyclist magazine I am posting a copy of what some say is the definitive article on the basic modification of an SR500. Excuse the poor image quality. These are scanned from photocopies of photocopies that have been in my files for nearly 20 years. Man I'm getting old! The bottom of the pages list this as originally being printed in the August 1986 issue of Motorcyclist magazine. My thanks to Mr. Minton and the folks at Motorcyclist for the article.

Not knowing how to link a pdf to the blog I resorted to scanning these as jpg files and posting them as such. If anyone can explain to me know how to post a pdf, i'll put that up as well. If anyone is interested in the pdf version drop me an email and I'll forward you a copy.

I also have an old workshop manual that has a chapter on "Performance Modifications". It covers some of the same stuff as this article with a few different routes. That chapter delves into shedding weight and major engine modifications for racing. If I figure out the pdf thing I'll work on scanning that and getting it up here.

Enjoy!

Todd

Dyno Sheets

Good for a laugh! We were at a WERA race at Seattle Int. Raceway and a guy had a mobile dyno up and running. What the hell. Plunked down my $30 and saw what the SR could do. Would love to get the GSXR on a dyno someday.

As mentioned in an earlier post, mods to the stock motor were the White Bros. pipe and Supertrapp, K&N filter, top end rebuild and jetting work to suit the pipe and filter.

SR500

I bought the SR for $425 in 1992 (I think). Rough but running 1978 SR500E.

Neither the seller or I knew how to start the thing and after a half an hour of kicking and pushing the thing up and down the street we managed to get it started.

Suspension was very tired so I traded my CD175 for a set of shocks and fork springs. Some of the setup came from something called the Minton Mods by Joe Minton. I'll try and get that article as well as the "Performance" pages from one of my manuals scanned and on here.

The short list is:

• White Bros Pipe w/Supertrapp 
• Progressive suspension fork springs and shocks
• Updated jetting
• K&N filter
• Refreshed top end 

With the pipe, jetting and top end work the bike pulled 30 rear wheel horsepower on a Dynojet model 100 dyno.









Additionally, I'd installed a set of drop clubman bars, bar end mirrors and Raask rearset foot pegs.

In this trim I put lots of miles on the bike. Living in Portland Oregon, even with the rain it was my only transportation for a year or so.

At some point I picked up an old Don Vesco cafe fairing. A friend helped fabricate some stainless mounts and then I had the whole bike painted. The fairing is pretty heavy and since the SR is so narrow the fairing is a pretty big hole to punch. Top end was dropped by about 10 mph. 

Here's a shot returning from one of the BMW rallies. Detroit lake Oregon on our way back to Portland from Redmond. Pulled many 300 to 500 mile days with this bike.

The bike is static in my garage now. Last registered in 1999, I had bought a 1988 GSXR1100 that I rode more. Then spent a year working overseas and when I moved back to the US my wife to be and I relocated from the West coast to the East coast (Boston). No garage so the bike was parked in a friends garage until recently we bought a place with a garage. So now it's in with the other projects waiting their turn for work. 

I can say that finally getting this all posted, which involved going through some old files really reminded me what a great bike this is. Maybe it'll move up the to-do list a few places.

Thump

Todd

Gotta start somewhere....

Break it, fix it, repeat as needed.

So I like to work on stuff, usually powered by petrol or diesel but anything that I use may fall victim.

Currently there are too many to list but I'll try and get to all of that.

Front and center this month are the Land Rover, the GSXR maybe some work on the SR and poking at the BMW.

The Land Rover is (at it's core) a 1967 series IIa 109 Station Wagon. Aka - the 109.
Next up, 1988 GSXR1100. Aka - the Eleven
Next, 1978 Yamaha SR500E. You guessed it - the SR
And finally, 1978 BMW R80/7. The R80

So that's a first rundown of projects. All modified from stock in various ways and of course I've got a list of modifications in mind for them.