Good morning all! I've been wanting to do this for literally over a decade, and finally with time and funds and technology improving, I think it's time to tackle the project. I'm starting with just the frame I'm picking up tomorrow. It's a 1981 Suzuki GS550TX. I wanted a good mid-size frame to work with, and this frame was in perfect condition for $150.
My main goal is to get this to be my daily driver, but with only a total 30 mile daily commute for work, trying to max out distance capabilities has less weight than trying for top speed (20 total miles of that commute are highway miles, so I need to make this have a top speed of 70-75MPH) There are still a few things I'm in the air about, including the motor being based in the hub, or using a traditional chain/sprocket drive. While the motor being in the hub was initially an aesthetics decision, it also has less energy loss due to less transfers compared to a chain drive. OTOH, chain drives are much more customizable for tuning since custom sprockets can change the expected speed, which is one of my higher concerns.
I expect this to be done over the course of a year, but with winter coming, the next few months are going to be spent researching the different components. I just had to get the frame at the very least, because this is the absolute lowest I've seen and in great condition!
Ryan
My main goal is to get this to be my daily driver, but with only a total 30 mile daily commute for work, trying to max out distance capabilities has less weight than trying for top speed (20 total miles of that commute are highway miles, so I need to make this have a top speed of 70-75MPH) There are still a few things I'm in the air about, including the motor being based in the hub, or using a traditional chain/sprocket drive. While the motor being in the hub was initially an aesthetics decision, it also has less energy loss due to less transfers compared to a chain drive. OTOH, chain drives are much more customizable for tuning since custom sprockets can change the expected speed, which is one of my higher concerns.
I expect this to be done over the course of a year, but with winter coming, the next few months are going to be spent researching the different components. I just had to get the frame at the very least, because this is the absolute lowest I've seen and in great condition!
Ryan
