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View Full Version : Ss to Firebolt Tail swap has begun!



Jornum1
10-24-2008, 02:48 AM
I have seen a few of these tail swaps around the Buell sites, and really love the look. I thought it would look really nice on my Ss. I havent found any posts yet where someone has done this, so I thought I would post my progress. I know someone has done a S tail on a Ss, but not a R tail on a Ss.
I did know that there would need to be some modification to the subframe before I started this. I was just hoping that the R's bodywork would fit flush to the Ss frame.

That was my main concern.

Today my new tail section arrived.

I apologize in advance, these are cell phone pics. I will get some good real camera pics.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1023081412a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1023081412b.jpg

I had my stock tail section already disassembled and ready for mock up today. The bottom mounts are perfect, its the top which are too narrow. Approx 1/4" on each side. This made me very happy because that means the bodywork will fit up very nicely because the bottom mounts are exactly the same.
You can see in this pic how far off it is. Its about a 1/2" divided by two makes approx 1/4" on each side. I will get a exact measurement tomorrow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1023081646.jpg

My plan is to chop off the ends right after the welds, and weld some new bungs(I think thats the right word?) on there. I have some machining experience, so that shouldnt be a problem. I am not sure if it is double walled or solid inside the subframe where the weld is. I will have to wait to see, as I have not cut it yet.

But basically instead of the piece of the left. I am going to make the one on the right.
The stock end has a recessed hole which the head of the allen bolt can go in. I am going to eliminate that and make a notch. So there will be just as much material. I am just going to do away with the recess.
(sorry for the crappy Paint pic!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/Frame.jpg
I did notch the original piece 1/4" on each side just so I can get a idea of how it would fit. Considering I am going to cut them off anyway, I just just a hack saw real quick.
It was dark, and I didnt have all my lights on, but I took a quick pic. More to come soon I promise!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1023081925.jpg

So what do you guys think? More to come tomorrow. Hopefully I can get the parts machined out at work.

Sayjackb
10-24-2008, 03:14 AM
That is gonna be sick!!! and Cell phone pics? are you kidding me, That's a heck of a cellphone camera.

Trill
10-24-2008, 03:16 AM
looks pretty good. Have you run into any wire length problems for the fuse box and such?

Jornum1
10-24-2008, 03:17 AM
Thanks,
Yeah I guess they look better once I downloaded them then on the phone's screen. It is a 3mp camera on it. It did a decent job considering the lighting.

Jornum1
10-24-2008, 03:21 AM
trill,

Doesnt seem to be a problem. There is plenty of length. The tail is probably about the same length as the Ss tail. From what I have seen in posts from other people who did a S to R swap they put the fuse box behind the battery, and the ECM in the trunk.
I didnt get to play with it too much tonight. I will have more time tomorrow. I want to keep the trunk as clear as possible, so I can make it somewhat useful.

xtremelow
10-24-2008, 07:03 AM
I have an XB9R and was going to go with the lightning front but once I mocked it up there was to much hanging in the rear from the tail and not enough in the front so I modded the stock fairing instead.

The Ss gives more length in the rear which allows for the look to be complete, good job, looks good.

Brandon

sinpieces
10-24-2008, 10:17 AM
Not my cup of tea.

IMO, the rear of the S model looks better.
That's why i dislike the new Buell designer and the CR so much. They didn't bother to design a new rear.
I will give you an answer to what looks best though! The swingarm of SS long at the S model, that looks phuKKing great. When the seat and rear section is sticking out over the wheel - hate that! When the wheel and swingarm is visually striking looking - love that!
When KTM Venom is being released, Buell will get a punch at the balls. They lost the design war and that's what kept them at the road for awhile.

Jornum1
10-24-2008, 11:12 AM
I used to feel the same way. Thats why I bought the Ss. That and I wanted the longer wheel base.
The more I looked at firebolts, the more I liked the rear. I like the look of a single seat. I dont ride with a passenger ever. The long "banana" seat of the Ss just didnt suit me.
My eventual goal is to fab a new body for the R subframe out of fiberglass. Maybe next winter. Something with a higher cowl, more supportive seat, and more aggressive rear end.
But thats down the road, one project at a time!

Thanks for the comments,

erkblack
10-27-2008, 04:51 PM
can we get a better profile pic? i would like to see how the frfont and back work together.

Roccodart440
10-27-2008, 11:02 PM
I would love to put an R tail on my XB9sx. Has anyone tried that?

Jornum1
10-28-2008, 01:42 AM
Erkblack, sure I will get one up once I get the body back on. Right now everything is being mocked up. That was just placed together loose.

Roccodart440, I know a few people have done it. If you want I can email you a link to a good writeup from another forum. not sure if its against the rules to post links to other forums here. You would be able to mount it up without modification. Though you would need to find a hope for the fuse block, ecu, and shock reservoir.

Ok so for my progress....
Had a busy weekend, but made some progress. I have the bungs machined and ready for welding.
Not many pics to offer today. Here are a few from Sat before my phone crapped out on me. These are a few of the machining of the new brackets.

Cut subframe
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1025081128a.jpg

I had to machine down the 1" rod I had down to 3/4", then I took .100" off each side and .5" in. I then rounded the edges and it gave me a nice snug fit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1025081128b.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1025081130.jpg

Sorry thats it for now. I will get some new ones of the finished product tomorrow.

Jornum1
10-31-2008, 01:29 PM
Ok sorry for the delays, life happens so the bike has to wait sometimes!
Solved my reservoir problem. I ended up mounting it outside of the of the undertail right next to the shock. That way I dont have to disconnect the line.
I also finished up the new upper mounts and am all ready for welding. I am going by the welding shop tomorrow morning to get it done. So hopefully tomorrow I will have everything ready for a test ride.

Here are a few really bad pics. Sorry the lighting in my shop stinks. I really need to get some better lighting! I will pull it out of the garage later once it warms up.

new mounts fitted to the frame
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1031080854a.jpg

realized that I put the one backwards! Hope I dont do that when it gets welded!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1031080856.jpg

Jornum1
10-31-2008, 10:10 PM
Got some more pics to show. Once again it was getting dark, but they are as good as I could get.

Other good news is, I plugged everything in, and I have power she started just fine. Just need to extend the wires for the tail light and turn signal and I am set.

The pics with the body, nothing is bolted on. Its just placed on to see what it would look like.
Enjoy! Hopefully tomorrow is D day! Welding will be done, and everything I should be riding!

Like my welding job, gotta love zip ties!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1260.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1258.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1262.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1263.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1264.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1265.jpg

Stevenc150
11-01-2008, 03:06 AM
Wow, that's a different look for an XB12S....very cool. Nice work. :)[up] Looking forward to finished pics and "after the ride" comments.

Jornum1
11-01-2008, 12:00 PM
Thanks I will be sure to update later today. I am off to get my welding done shortly!

The Tin Man
11-02-2008, 02:36 PM
Looks great and excellent write up.[up]

Jornum1
11-05-2008, 02:53 PM
The hard part of the swap is complete.
Got everything professionally welded up, and it fits great.
There are a few issues I am dealing with regarding how the top of the bodywork lines up with the frame. It seems to be in more on the top which creates a gap. If you pull it out flush with the bottom it looks good. So I am going to have to mod the top front body mounting points to pull it out a 1/4" or so on each side. No big deal.
The other issue is the huge gap between the seat and the airbox. I am going to remedy this by modifying the seat pan and having the seat re upholstered.
I also plan to eliminate the trunk, and and mold the the cowl(or I might just buy a race body with it in one piece already).
At the same time I want to modify the locking mechanism to work on the rider seat, so it can be popped off with the key.

One more thing I want to change is that where I mounted the fuse box, it is inaccessible unless you take the body work off. So I have a couple ideas on relocating it under the seat.

Lots of work to do, but it will look super clean in the end!
I am hoping to do some neat things with this by the spring time.

Here are some pics how she stands right now. Needs paint and a little TLC, but that will wait the rest of my mods are done.

Enjoy!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1101081141.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/1101081142.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1306.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v716/Jornum1/Buell/DSCN1308.jpg

Somthngfrce
11-05-2008, 03:29 PM
Wow, Good looking bike.... Awesome work. What was the total time for the whole job?

Jornum1
11-05-2008, 03:45 PM
Hmm its hard to say. I didnt work on it for any extended period of time.
Maybe 6 hours total work time. The new mounts were easy, and probably took the most time.
It probably took longer just figuring out how to mount everything then the actual work.

climberfreak
11-07-2008, 04:54 AM
did it not match up becuase yours is an Ss? im thinking about doing this with my S will i run into the same problem?

Jornum1
11-07-2008, 05:33 PM
From the research I dd, a firebolt tail should bolt right up to a S frame. You will have to custom mount the fuse box and ECM though.

climberfreak
11-11-2008, 03:53 AM
what did you do to mount the ecm and the fuse box? does the lock mechanism underneath work well?

Jornum1
11-11-2008, 01:08 PM
I have the ECM under the rear seat. I had to take the cargo tray out.
The Fuse box is directly behind the battery.
I dont really like this configuration though. The ecm is ok there but I would like to move it up behind the battery. Then move the fuse box to the left of the battery. Where it is now, you need to take the body work off in order to access the fuse box.
There is enough room on the left for it, the wiring is just going to need to be played with.

climberfreak
11-11-2008, 05:18 PM
hmm i see yea it looked a bit cramped . . .does the lock thing that pops the seat off is that just for the seat of for the cargo thing in the back? how does the cargo thing come off?

climberfreak
11-12-2008, 02:58 AM
was your bike a 9Ss?

Jornum1
11-12-2008, 11:10 AM
No its a 12Ss. I dont believe there was ever a 9Ss.

and to answer your other question....
The rider seat has two screws that holds it on, the passenger seat/cargo area is operated by the key. That is something I want to look into changing.

climberfreak
11-12-2008, 02:27 PM
o okay yea the reason i was asking i didnt know if the tail would fit on my 12S since its coming from a 9r

climberfreak
11-22-2008, 03:02 AM
Hey what did u end up doing about that gap between the seat and the airbox

Jornum1
11-22-2008, 12:40 PM
I haven't done anything yet. I saw your post about your swap. Looks great!
Do you end up having a large gap also?
I am thinking of making a spacer for the lower mounting points. That way it lifts the tail and will close the gap up at the same time. I am going to just make my own spacers.
The other option was modifying the seat and getting it recovered. But I think I want to do a tail lift anyway.

climberfreak
11-22-2008, 04:12 PM
a spacer? so pretty much what you did on the top subframe mounting points? just weld on another little bracket?

Jornum1
11-23-2008, 02:47 AM
well to start off I will probably just machine a piece to lift it. Just so I can see what it would look like. Assuming i like the riding position I would then think about making it permanent.

How bad is the gap on yours?

climberfreak
11-23-2008, 03:22 PM
it looks pretty much identical to yours ill throw up a picture when i get home . . let me know if that piece helps i may ask if you could make me one and ill pay for materials and labor

Jornum1
11-24-2008, 11:54 AM
I think it would be very similar to the Trojan product. I have not even looked at it to see how I would want to go about it. You do realize that if you lift the bottom it will increase the gap on the bottom also.
I will post it up when i get some time to work on it. I would like to see your pics, to compare the gap.

climberfreak
11-24-2008, 02:18 PM
i have them i just need to post them but yea i dont think lifting the bottom would do anything because its flush along the frame . . . the subframe bolts would need to be moved upwards more towards the airbox . . . i saw the firebolts subframe bolt up points and they are different from the lightings

climberfreak
11-24-2008, 09:04 PM
here is the gap
http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/2428_20081124150257_L.jpg

Jornum1
11-25-2008, 11:20 AM
hmmm interesting. It does look about the same as mine. I guess the mounting points must be a little lower then the firebolts. I always thought the frames were exactly the same.

By lifting the tail it would rotate the front of the seat flush with the airbox. Try taking off the bottom bolts and lifting the tail up till the seat fits nice. I will see if I can try it and post some pics. My only concern like I said earlier is that there will be to much of a gap on the bottom then. Only way to know is to try I guess!
I will keep you informed.

rndrkeagle
12-02-2008, 02:21 AM
Jornum1,
Would shortening the new bungs you made have the same affect? I would look there first instead of trying to figure out how to add space in at the bottom mounts.

I'm not looking at it face to face so I'm just guessing here.. but it seems to me that it would work the same?

Jornum1
12-02-2008, 11:19 AM
It might work, but would be easier said then done. I would have to make new longer mounts because I would have to cut these off higher up.
In all honesty I am considering extending the rear anyway to get a little bit of a tail lift effect. My seat is pretty beat up too, so I will probably just lay some glass over the old pan and reshape the front to fit nice and flush.
It seems like Climber had the same problem when doing his firebolt tail swap. And he didnt have to modify his. There must be a slight difference there between the two models I assume.

MCDep67
12-30-2008, 05:50 PM
Sorry i saw that you said you had a link to a page where they did the swap to a xb9sx, could you send that to me as well, great build and an awesome looking bike

Jornum1
12-31-2008, 03:04 AM
Sure, send me over a email at Jornum1@YAHOO.COM and I will send it to you. As I said I am not sure if its cool to post links to other forums on here.

Crescent1101
03-19-2012, 07:44 PM
I know this is an old thread but did you ever fix the gap??