I am doing an electric project bike to convert my '86 Yamaha Riva to
electric using those brushless hub motors - but the current gasoline
motor *is* the rear suspension, so I need a swingarm to make a rear
suspension. I'm wondering if anyone can sell me a rear fork?

Thanks!
Patti

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On Aug 23, 9:19 pm, Patti <mic...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I am doing an electric project bike to convert my '86 Yamaha Riva to
> electric using those brushless hub motors - but the current gasoline
> motor *is* the rear suspension, so I need a swingarm to make a rear
> suspension. I'm wondering if anyone can sell me a rear fork?

You ought to contact this guy to see how he fabricated his.

http://www.evalbum.com/835

Best of luck.

Thank you, Rob - I had seen that, and I remember once upon a time
finding an entire Forum full of people's projects, but I can't find it
any more. That fellow obviously fabricated his own fork, but I figured
I could maybe just grab an old rear fork from somebody's trashed frame
and adapt it.

I actually tossed a couple of them some years ago and now I'm kicking
myself! >:{ Surely someone has an old one in their garage they'll
sell me...

Patti


Rob Kleinschmidt wrote:
> On Aug 23, 9:19 pm, Patti <mic...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> I am doing an electric project bike to convert my '86 Yamaha Riva to
>> electric using those brushless hub motors - but the current gasoline
>> motor *is* the rear suspension, so I need a swingarm to make a rear
>> suspension. I'm wondering if anyone can sell me a rear fork?
>
> You ought to contact this guy to see how he fabricated his.
>
> http://www.evalbum.com/835
>
> Best of luck.

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Rick Cortese wrote:
> Kind of hard to tell just how far you are willing to go or what would be
> a suitable starting point. For instance, I have an extra swing arm from
> ~1975 Kawasaki KE100 but w/o dimensions of the motor you are putting
> between it or conformation that you have access to [welding, cutting,
> lathe] to make it fit, no way of telling if it would do you any good.
>
> Rick

You're right... I actually had frames to an XL600 and a 70-something
Kawi triple from way back when that I tossed. I have an 85 XL600 but
I'm not quite ready to part that out. Partially I'm looking for ideas,
too. My Riva is the larger cc model than that picture:
http://www.evalbum.com/835
and I'm going to use a hub-motor anyway - I need to make a measurement
of th axle-to-pivot point and post that, don't I? I should also be
seeking a steel swingarm so I can get welding done on it, but I think a
dirt swingarm like my XL600 has, are big and strong and so would be easy
for a *good* welder to modify. I think a good welder could easily
modify almost any fork to add shock mount points and a disk brake
caliper mounting. It's just a scooter, after all. Shouldn't there
should be lots of scrapped 2-strokes out here in California?

That brings up another point - I need to find a couple of spring shocks
- my Riva has only one on the left side. I wonder if there are
motorcycle salvage yards around - or even online motorcycle salvage yards?

A really huge hub motor + wheel + disk brake and all electronics is only
$1,400, and batteries another several hundred - a comparable production
motorscooter is $7,000 - so that difference is a fair chunk of money I
could use to get some welding done.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
Patti


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On Aug 29, 8:32 am, Patti <mic...@earthlink.net> wrote:

>
> You're right... I actually had frames to an XL600 and a 70-something
> Kawi triple from way back when that I tossed. I have an 85 XL600 but
> I'm not quite ready to part that out. Partially I'm looking for ideas,
> too. My Riva is the larger cc model than that picture:http://www.evalbum.com/835
> and I'm going to use a hub-motor anyway - I need to make a measurement
> of th axle-to-pivot point and post that, don't I? I should also be
> seeking a steel swingarm so I can get welding done on it, but I think a
> dirt swingarm like my XL600 has, are big and strong and so would be easy
> for a *good* welder to modify. I think a good welder could easily
> modify almost any fork to add shock mount points and a disk brake
> caliper mounting. It's just a scooter, after all. Shouldn't there
> should be lots of scrapped 2-strokes out here in California?

By the time you've finished cutting and welding you've essentially
fabricated a swing arm, even if your starting point was another
swing arm. I'd strongly suggest that you contact the guy with the
electric Riva to get whatever information, dimensions and
suggestions he has to offer.

> That brings up another point - I need to find a couple of spring shocks
> - my Riva has only one on the left side. I wonder if there are
> motorcycle salvage yards around - or even online motorcycle salvage yards?

If it were me, I'd probably stick with a single shock if the
original scoot had only one. If you go with two, that's
more mods to the scooter frame.

A good starting point would most likely be something
close to the layout and dimensions of the original
engine/transmission/swingarm unit. You might
have to go to a double arm to support a different
wheel, but all the way through, you should be trying
to minimize the layout changes you have to make.