Author Topic: Race Prepping FL400R  (Read 46238 times)

KTM265

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Race Prepping FL400R
« on: April 01, 2012, 09:40:19 PM »
Started this project a few months back, had a nice thread going on another Pilot forum but a certain admin decided to ban me and the fabricator I have doing the work...So I'm re-posting all my build information over to here to share with everyone...

Here is the starting point and the original plan...This is a photo of it as it sits at the previous owners.

Plan right now is to prep it to race in the IATVHHS. I have to add a few safety features.

1) fire extinguisher
2) 5 point harness
3) window nets
4) nerf bars
5) EG gauges
6) Trail Tech Voyager

With that said, I'm looking for resources for window nets and nerf bars. Anyone have any links to these two items?

I'm going to leave the motor stock for now however it will be getting a full nut and bolt tear down by RPC out of Palo Ia. While they have the motor, I'll have Dan do his magic on the head. He's done some some work for me in the past on a 250 KTM EXC...



You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2012, 09:42:59 PM »
Here are a few more pictures of how it set at the original owners.
You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2012, 09:53:19 PM »
After doing some research on suspension, I decided to go with a LT front end...Kits for this are not cheap so AJ from AJ's Off Road Armor and I decided to make our own.  I wanted to go with parts anyone could find on Ebay, plus use some parts I had sitting on my selves...Elka shocks.  As it turned out, we were able to do a LT front end for around $600...not including the shocks.  I used front A-Arms from a Kawasaki KFX700...This would allow me to run the hubs and brakes too...ended up with a disc brake conversion...I also raced a KFX700 for years so I have all sorts of tire and rim set ups...again a huge cost savings since I wouldn't have to purchase rims and tires for different set ups...

Before I get ahead of myself, here are a few more details and what we decided to fab in...

Got it home and into the shop this afternoon and started looking at what we are going to do...

Radiator...relocating to the inside of the down tubes to get it away from the exhaust and motor, plus have it more direct line of airflow.
adding doors instead of nets...
pre-runner front bumper with 2 lights...
rear bumper
metal floor pans going full length including under the driver seat
racing seat
seat belts-5 point
EX400 front a-arms, brakes, Elka front suspension
pull the rear shocks and have them rebuilt
larger air intake hose and new upper airbox
fiber glass fenders
roof light bar...4 lights
new roof pan...
nerf bars...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2012, 09:58:02 PM »
Started taking the Pilot down to the frame... Found a few repairs made by the previous owner but so far everything looks good and solid.

1) Nets removed, plan is to relocate the radiator to the roll bar behind the driver's head...in clean air and away from the heat of the motor/exhaust.

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2012, 09:58:55 PM »
Overflow and fuel tank...Plan is to relocate the overflow and remove the fuel tank and drop in a custom tank that will hold more. Originally I was thinking a cylinder tank like I have seen a few of you here using but after talking with AJ, we want to keep the weight low so we might go verticle with the tank, tap it high and low to add a view tube so we can quickly check the fuel level.

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2012, 09:59:58 PM »
Rear suspension, drivetrain and frame looked pretty good...going to clean this up, fresh powder, add a new bumper, pull rope and rebuild the rear shocks...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2012, 10:01:23 PM »
Seeing this scared the crap out of AJ and me... The only thing between my butt and tree stump or large rock is that stock seat...that my friends is a NO-GO! Plan here is to run a full length skid plate, change the stock seat to an aluminum pan racing seat. We're also going to add some type of firewall...AJ thinks we can move the seat back just a bit and pan around the exhaust...I have to admit, he's got some good ideas.

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2012, 10:02:10 PM »
Found a big ding...we'll replace this with a fresh tube...add a skid plate and it's good as new. This had to be a good size hit but we found nothing else bent in the frame alignment...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2012, 10:03:10 PM »
Decided to go with a conpletely different front A-Arm and shock set up... The A-arms of Kaw, from a KFX700...very stout...and they bolt right up to a set of Elka/remote rez I have sitting on my shelf. Front end weight is very similar between the machines, also have some heavy duty tie-rods ready to drop in...pretty confident this will be strong enough for the Iowa courses...traditionally Iowa courses are 3 to 6 miles long, tight woods, mud, lots of rutting, logs, roots...completely trash a set of tie-rods and ends in a short amount of time. This other set up I abused to the max on the KFX700 and never had a failure...stock I went through 3 sets in 3 races...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2012, 10:04:54 PM »
Priority to the work is going by what we have to install for safety first...

Here is the seat that is going in, takes up less space than the stocker seat, thus giving me a couple of more inches of room...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2012, 10:05:49 PM »
I have extra space between the exhaust, motor and back of the seat...Plan is to drop in a fire wall to keep me cool from the heat of the motor and pipe...

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2012, 10:06:26 PM »
The seat pan doesn't sit as low as the stock seat so the plan now is to skid plate a full length floor from front to rear...plenty of protection on the backside...


You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2012, 10:07:01 PM »
We're going to rotate the seat back to more of a reclined position...more comfort. To do this we're going to remove the straight cross bar and replace it with a curved one.

You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2012, 10:11:13 PM »
Radiator is now mounted. AJ built the crossbar behind the seat which has threaded inserts welded in for the shoulder harness and the seat mount tabs in place. He'll be doing the under seat cross bars tomorrow so I'll post up pics of both then.
Mocked up the radiator mounts, used part of the stock piece on the lower side with the bushings. We'll extend the wiring for the temp sender and be using clear hose for the coolant lines.
You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person

KTM265

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Re: Race Prepping FL400R
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2012, 10:59:03 PM »
A question came up about the location of the radiator...damage from possible roll-over, so here was our response...

AJ and I talked about the placement....We first looked at the down tubes behind the seat however because of my size and the seat we are using, a good portion of the air flow to the radiatior is blocked...At the position it's located at, on a striaght rollover, the radiator isn't going to take any hit...If I go end over end, yes the fan is going to take a hit at that point but in all reality, if I go end over end, we're going to have a lot more serious things to worry about fixing than a fan into a radiator...So we looked at what is more reality for us...overheating from lack of air...Once you see the body work we'll be doing, it will make a lot more sense as to the location...We're putting aluminum skin from the main down tubes to the angled down tubes basically building an air flow channel into the radiator...

As for replacement...not worried guys, as you can see by AJ's skills in metal work, he can mount just about any fan I find...

Stay tuned for some really neat fab work coming up...AJ is going to put the A-Arms from a KFX700 on...I'll have disc brakes and some extra clearance when we are done...


You only need two tools in life -- WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Hoser [həʊzə] n 1. US slang a person who swindles or deceives others 2. Canadian slang an unsophisticated, esp rural, person