Supporting Member texscottyd Posted April 30, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted April 30, 2017 I've always had a liking for big four-stroke singles, and have built several different hybrid thumpers over the years. My favorite of all of them was a VF500 Interceptor-framed, XR600-motored racebike we built back in the mid 1990s, nicknamed The InterThumper. It was a devastatingly effective Formula Clubman machine, and I won a bunch of races on this thing. It got parted out many years ago, but I still have the rolling chassis, and in the back of my mind I've always thought I would someday build an updated, street-legal version of this bike. Well, someday it officially here. I recently acquired a Yamaha Raptor as a donor, and the mating process has begun. It's a 686cc water-cooled, fuel-injected motor, so there's a bit more to get fitted than the original air-cooled Honda configuration, but there's plenty of room in the Interceptor frame to make it all work. It will have more modern suspension - likely a single-sided swingarm from an NC30, and inverted forks from something modern - and the plans are for a streetfighter/naked standard type of style, along the lines of a Ducati Monster or MV Brutale. Lots of details still to be determined, but I'm excited to finally be getting underway on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted November 19, 2017 Author Supporting Member Share Posted November 19, 2017 Thumper project status update: Still lots of details to get sorted, but it’s starting to take shape. The Raptor motor is rough-fitted in the Interceptor frame, and I think we have resolved all the issues on where the major components will go. Note the CBR954 forks and MT-03 Yamaha headlight assembly... lots of little things to sort out on a project like this. Apologies for the horrible quality photos, but you get the idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Leon approves of this. I love custom builds. '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted November 19, 2017 Author Supporting Member Share Posted November 19, 2017 Leon approves of this. I love custom builds. Then you’ll appreciate this little gem... YSR50 with a heavily-modified XL185 motor. Anyone who thinks the FJ is nervous at speed should spend some time on this thing at triple-digit velocities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Hooboy. That would be nutters. Rode an NSR 50 one time at a cart track. Total hoot, had a blast. Couldn't imagine going much more than 20-30mph on one though! '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted January 12, 2018 Author Supporting Member Share Posted January 12, 2018 Slow but steady progress continues, and it’s looking more like a motorcycle everyday. We’re working through a ton of logistics for electrical, cooling, oil tanks, et cetera. But it’s definitely taking shape now, and I’m excited about the potential. Think it’s going to have enough brakes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 folks who went with beefy fork legs and brakes on the SV650 didn't think it was really the best thing to do after the fact. Will your headstock survive? Would a GS500 frame be a better/easier donor? How about also remove one rotor and caliper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted January 12, 2018 Author Supporting Member Share Posted January 12, 2018 folks who went with beefy fork legs and brakes on the SV650 didn't think it was really the best thing to do after the fact. Will your headstock survive? Would a GS500 frame be a better/easier donor? How about also remove one rotor and caliper? All valid points, Matt, and things I’ve thought about. The Interceptor frame was an easy decision since I already had it, with a clear title in my name. I’ve had great luck with these in the past, and don’t foresee any serious issues... By staying in the Honda family things like that VFR800 fuel tank generally are fairly easy to adapt to fit the frame. I hear you about the overkill on forks and brakes, but as a street-legal play bike I’m less concerned than I would be as a race machine. I tried a GSXR front end on my SV650 racebike, and ultimately went back with conventional forks with thicker tube walls. I freely admit that the 954 forks are largely a visual statement, but that billet upper triple clamp is a work of art. I still haven’t decided about final brake configuration. I have a 6-piston caliper I scavenged from a Buell, so maybe a single disk with that caliper adapted will be the right combination? Again, lots still TBD, but it’s been fun so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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