Shovelhead Rear End Re-do. Part 2: Sprocket and Brake Rotor

Mount some fresh rubber first.


Then employ child labor to use a thread restoring tool to clean the disk side holes.


Fresh, flat, shiny, and new rear brake rotor.


I had some discussions with Ed(Bikerx775) about GMA brake calipers and finding a nice thick rear rotor. I wish I could get an 11 1/2 inch rotor directly from GMA, but they don't seem to make one. So I got this one, I'm not sure the fitment for an 11 1/2 inch rotor, but the bracket(originally for a swingarm bike and modded to rigid style) I have uses 11 1/2 rotor. The minimum thickness is marked 0.205 inch.


The thickness as I measured new was somewhere between 0.230 and 0.240.


The allen heads of the old bolts where suspect and I really didn't want to run the risk of trying to get them out again in the future. So I bought fresh Torx head bolts from Colony. Luckily, this kit was on the same page as the rotor.


I'm going to use some Loctite red, but I'm going to put it on the threads near the bolt head. My thoughts being that Loctite near the top will give with a torch and come apart when I need it to.


Run them down and criss-cross pattern torque. I think the book showing 25 ft*lbs.


Oops, these shims were under the old rotor. These need to go back in I believe.


Rotor comes back off. Child labor still earning his keep.


Shims back in place and Big Boy gets a lesson on how to use a torque wrench.


Clean the threads on the sprocket side.


Clean these bolt threads, too.


This is a 46 toother, it may be a bad idea. If I can't take off without lugging the motor, I'll just swap back to 48 tooth. I figure fresh lock washers and I won't loctite on this side.





I believe the correct torque for these is 45 ft*lbs.


Did I tell you I put a nice new tire on? The wheel and new tire wouldn't go back onto the bike. I told the shop the correct size, they ordered wrong, then ordered correct and I waited another day. I still walked out with the wrong one. I didn't double check it before I mounted it. I doubt I make that mistake again.

Specific Link Page - 800/1500/1600 Vulcans Maintenance/mods Related Links Page

This should cover things I have written that apply to most all 800/1500/1600 Vulcans. I will build a page related to things that mostly only apply to my 1500 Classic build as well.

Kawasaki Vulcan Maintenance/Mod Related Links

Specific Link Page - Motorcycle Tools Links Page

This a page of tools and things that might apply to all motorcycles to some degree.

Motorcycle Tools Links Page

Building Topic Specific Link Pages - Shovelhead Maintenance Related Links Page

Well, I'm 4 years and over 400 posts into this blog. I never thought it would get this out of hand. Anywhoo, the label function and even my custom google search block aren't getting me or my readers to the posts we need to see very well, so I have decide to organize my posts onto pages specific to topic. So folks interested in one bike can read just those. (Seriously, what kind of wierdo has a 1500 Kawasaki Vulcan, a Shovelhead, a couple little Honda's, a dang mini-van?) Plus my posts are all A.D.D. and I switch back and forth between projects and let projects sit for months at a time. So without further ado...the first page I've built:

Shovelhead Maintenance Related Links

This should cover things that apply to most all Shovelheads. I will build a page related to things that mostly only apply to my Shovelhead as well.


I have to build like ten more pages and then a page with just links to those pages.

CT70 Short Leg Seat: Part 1

So big boy is still too short for his bike. I have to do something to get his knees in the breeze. I got this seat with a bad cover, cracked pan, and decent foam.

Lummie welded up the crack and blasted and painted the pan. I thought about building high density foam from floormats or something, but the shape is odd with the ridge in the middle.


I decided to cut down stock foam. The end result will not be particularly cushy, but 8 year-olds are tough.


I picked up an electric knife at a garage sale just for jobs like this. I'll need to cut at an  upward angle to leave some foam everywhere and not hit the metal.


That went well.


Make the other side match.


Now scoop out the middle.


That's pretty much it. I really banana'ed it, so that there was still plenty of cush in the front and rear to help keep the boy on it. I'll have this covered by a professional though.

Shovelhead Rear End Re-do. Part 1

So, post Shovelfest, I have several things in mind. I need a rear tire, I'm down to wear bars. I need to figure out why I lost my rear brakes. I just rebuilt the rear caliper with fresh pads and a new bleed fitting, but I just lost the rear brakes again. I think I need to drop a few teeth on my rear sprocket for my highway rpms to drop just a bit as well.

So I put up the rear wheel to see how many teeth are on my sprocket. I have a 48, as I thought, so a 46 would be what I should try. I have 40-62 BDL belt primary and a 24 tooth front final drive with the 130/90-16 tire and with a 48 tooth rear sproket.  It should run 2780 rpm per Baker RPM Calculator. If I drop to a 46 rear sprocket I should do 2670 rpm at 70 mph. I am a bit concerned that with the 2.44 first gear that I might lug it off the line, but I'm running a 93 cubic inch motor with T&O torque monster flywheels. If this combination is junk, I will let you know.

Anywhoo, I go to inspect the rear sprocket and I notice that rear rotor and caliper are dragging something fierce.


Only in certain spots though. I guess I need a need rotor, too.



Wheel off, I'm really nervous about pulling the steel bolts from this aluminum "mag". Well, I think it's aluminum and not magnesium. I know it's not steel. I'm thinking thread galling, galvanic corrosion, loc-tite, and the bolt heads are already half stripped and means something is going to break.


Plenty of heat can't hurt anything. Yellow(MAP) gas.


Then I hammered the impact bit socket into the bolt head and hit it with an air impact driver. Amazingly, all the bolts came out without losing a thread, bolt head, or impact bit. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Holy cow! This rotor is not just wavy, it's totally cupped.

Shovelfest VII Monday

Did I mention that fatigue really slows my picture taking?

Mark and Rob took off together for Texas and Lawton. Super Dave left for his 100 mile run home, too. I changed my oil and finally got my stuff together and took off. The oil change should have happened the night before, but the clutch issue got me in late and took some time and energy. I took off planning on burning down the toll roads and getting home. I think the clutch hung open on me once, but I'm not positive. Dang, it was hot. A little over 200 miles should only be one gas stop, but I think I stopped three times. At the last stop, about 60 miles from home, I kicked and kicked and couldn't make it happen. It was bad enough that some random idiot told me I had flooded it. I have never flooded this thirsty 93 incher. Well, guess what. The kill switch was off the whole time. I always use the kill switch and always check it and the petcock before I kick it, but I guess not always. Kill switch on and one kick and I was headed home. Paul's offer to trailer us to Tennessee for next year's fest sounds pretty dang good.