84/5 2nd gen T3 front end swap?

[i58829]

Is anyone here is running an 86/7 front end on their 1st gen T3 that gets trail ridden? I was wondering what you did with the radiator, are there any bike tanks with the exhaust on the correct side that have scoops and would clear a twin radiator setup? Do the stock 85 brakes mount up to the 86 forks, if not can a bracket be made to make it work? Any ideas/confirmed info or pics would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, TC...

Also Billy thanks for the help i can't explain it but if i put test in the title then edit the post it works, otherwise i keep getting the same error.

[i58829]

Anyone? Here's a few pics for what i have in mind. 86 t3 front end set up on the shelf, 86 350x wheel w/front max on the way, banshee shock, champion +2 swinger, 20x11x10 Razr's, some new bearings all around. And with any luck some sort of tank that will allow twin rads and a number plate. I'd also like to dig up some red plastics, and a red liquid R fender for the front but we'll see what happens, if the green front fenders are ordered i'll keep it green...

[ScottZJ]

Well if you still wanted a center mount rad, you could find a smaller unit from another bike and place it in the center of the 86-87 forks. Brackets would need to be fabbed to work with it. Anything is possible if you had some minor fab skills and the tools.

[nd4speed]

it has been done and posted on this site. keep searching although i would just recommend keeping it stock.

[i58829]

I couldn't find anything for a tank, i know the front swap is doable. I was just wondering about the radiator setup. I'll check into it a little more later today...

I'm an idiot i found the 84 kx one now, but only one shroud? That doesn't seem like it will leave enough room to twin rads or is one between the pipe and the frame on the bike?

[dcreel]

If you figure out a way to do this I will probably follow your lead. I have thought of this as well. As long as it doesn't end up looking like all cobbled together mess.

[i58829]

If you figure out a way to do this I will probably follow your lead. I have thought of this as well. As long as it doesn't end up looking like all cobbled together mess.

Well thats why i'd like to figure out a way to use a tank with twin scoops and fab up some sort of dual rad setup. I work at a machine shop so i have access to everything to make brackets or whatever i just want to something that works. And i dont want to make a hack job out of it if i can avoid it...

[oldskool83]

one guy used a kx500 tank, last gen style and had rads mounted o nthe sides. looked nice. i say do it right or dont do it at all.

[cr480r]

one guy used a kx500 tank, last gen style and had rads mounted o nthe sides. looked nice. i say do it right or dont do it at all.

he also had a kx500 engine and a kx500 pipe...


Well thats why i'd like to figure out a way to use a tank with twin scoops and fab up some sort of dual rad setup. I work at a machine shop so i have access to everything to make brackets or whatever i just want to something that works. And i dont want to make a hack job out of it if i can avoid it...

dont even try to move the radiators to the frame with the stock engine unless you can build a custom pipe or plan to run a out of frame pipe. The pipe is reason people dont do it... its on the wrong side and its routed way to high. People have tried raising the tank and radiators to clear the stock pipe and it looks like chit.

[i58829]

dont even try to move the radiators to the frame with the stock engine unless you can build a custom pipe or plan to run a out of frame pipe. The pipe is reason people dont do it... its on the wrong side and its routed way to high. People have tried raising the tank and radiators to clear the stock pipe and it looks like chit.

So i'm looking at using some sort of a vented number plate over the stock radiator with some custom mounts and i'll be good to go? That's fine by me, are any of the old school number plates wide enough to cover the radiator?

Thanks again guys, TC...

[i58829]

DCREEL Where did you get that bad boy? How many hundreds of dollars will one cost me?

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/trackpics049.jpg

[i58829]

Ok i hate to keep bumping the post, but this isn't going to be nearly as bad as i thought. The 86 front end when you measure the forks outside to oustide is 13.375", and the radiator that's stock on an 85 is 11.625" so although the fork tubes will be in the way slightly i'm thinking if i just make brackets/spacers off the mounts on the 86 triples and move the radiator forward around 1/2" i should be good to go. And if i can find a vented number plate to delete the guard it wont be too much of an eyesore...

[Tecate250]

You could use the rad relocator to move the rad to connect difectly to the water pump. Ive thought of this many times. But the 1984-5 Tecate has a certain lure to it with that rad and big ol tire up front.. i58829 are you from Newfound land?

[dcreel]

I have had that Tecate for 22 years now. :w00t: It came with the UFO airbox, steering stabilizer, and the Westcoast swingarm. I picked up an 85 a year ago and now have the Works shock with reservoir on it now. Klemm Research KX Grand National cylinder, 38mm Mikuni bored out to 41mm. The pipe is a large old school pipe with Klemm Research silencer.


DCREEL Where did you get that bad boy? How many hundreds of dollars will one cost me?

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/trackpics049.jpg

[i58829]

dcreel very cool, i guess if you pick that stuff up back when it was available you can have a very nice machine without paying insane prices.

Not to make light of all of the rare aftermarket goodies but i was referring to what appears to be a DC plastics # plate. I was on there site and sent an email/called but didn't hear back from them yet. Are they still available?


and tecate250 i'm in central Pennsylvania...

[dcreel]

They still have them on their site for sale $49.95. Here is the link.
http://www.dcvmx.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17933&cat=298&page=1

You should be able to order it right from their site.

[i58829]

They got back to me, i was just being impatient. Not that it matters a whole lot but does it mount onto the fork tubes or the radiator itself? I also saw someone looking to buy one on here so i was thinking the were a discontinued item...

[dcreel]

They ziptie onto the fork tubes in 2 spots per side.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I'm the one who put the 86 front end on my 85 T3. It is easy to do. First off, realize that you will have to keep the radiator mounted to the forks because there is no way to side mounts the rads with the stock engine (trust me I tried every trick in the book and nothing works) and pipe and getting a custom pipe id rediculus money and you basically have to send the bike away to have them measure it all up. Just not worth it. The front end mounted right up. the stops work perfect with the stock 85 gas tank. The only thing I had to do was fabricate some mounts to use the stock 85 radiator on the forks. I will eventually get a number plate for that. I also put on an 86 swing arm onto is and the combination of the swingarm and that 86 front end with superior shocks and skinier taller tire makes a world of difference in handling. Handling wise, I put it right up with almost any liquid R and it still has that 84/85 Kawi non powervalve punch you in the face powerband. Wicked ride and i highly recommend the swap. I have it ton down in some places but here is a pic of it. I'm in the middle of my restore so it isn't perfect but it will give you an idea about what it will look like.

Also, I used 86 plastic for it too. My personal opinion my T3 looks/will look much better than the stock 84/85 T3 and performance wise, I'll have an edge. Hope this helps.:naughty:

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm270/73transamsd/IM000274.jpg?t=1260640147

[i58829]

Very cool hoosier, it looks great like that. What did you do for a shock? Did you end up with a stocker that still functions or was it sent out? I have a banshee rear i think i will use but i dont know if there are any advantages to getting the stocker rebuilt. Mine is very very spongy and really isn't fit to ride at this point....

Also the radiator doesn't look too out of place, and it still gives the bike that distinct 84/5 look.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Very cool hoosier, it looks great like that. What did you do for a shock? Did you end up with a stocker that still functions or was it sent out? I have a banshee rear i think i will use but i dont know if there are any advantages to getting the stocker rebuilt. Mine is very very spongy and really isn't fit to ride at this point....

Also the radiator doesn't look too out of place, and it still gives the bike that distinct 84/5 look.I used a 300EX shock but will ultimately upgrade to a Banshee shock. But the 300EX has work fine for me so far. If you set it up like this, i promise you won't be disappointed. Once I get it torn down powdered and fixed and get all the new cables etc. on there this should be a cool ride. If you have any questions about any problems i have ran into, feel free to ask. but to be honest, I haven't had many problems yet. jswinehart reweldes the shock mount on the swinger to center it out but it was an easy fix. But with that 86 front and that 2 in extra 86 stock swinger in the rear the handling is superb and you can't beat the pure power of those Kawie engines. Good luck with it. Hope I can help you with any questions. If you can't catch me on here my email is

robstrunk2002@yahoo.com

Email anytime. You'll never bother me. Take care bro and good luck. Make that a mean green machine!!:naughty: :naughty: :naughty:

[i58829]

Thanks for all of the help, i have a champion swinger so i will most likely use it, and keep the 86 for my roller. I think the champion will be better suited to this machine. I had one of these before and the 86 triples but no forks, are the 85 brake caliper mounts the same or able to be modified to work? Or will i need to dig up an 86 setup? Other than that i just need to be patient and see if i can find a kx cyl, and some sort of aftermarket exhaust. I'm not really looking for a 100% resto but just to mak ea nice rider at this point and maybe go over it 100% next year sometime...

[fabiodriven]

Just my opinion- If you want an 85, get and 85. If you want an 86, get an 86. I personally prefer the first gens, but it's your tirke- do what you want. Good luck.

[3Razors]

Not worth the effort imo. Besides 85 Tecates handle great as it is.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Thanks for all of the help, i have a champion swinger so i will most likely use it, and keep the 86 for my roller. I think the champion will be better suited to this machine. I had one of these before and the 86 triples but no forks, are the 85 brake caliper mounts the same or able to be modified to work? Or will i need to dig up an 86 setup? Other than that i just need to be patient and see if i can find a kx cyl, and some sort of aftermarket exhaust. I'm not really looking for a 100% resto but just to mak ea nice rider at this point and maybe go over it 100% next year sometime...Front brakes bolt right up.

I will give 3razors and fabiodriven their due. they love the trikes just the way they are and they are correct. the 85 T3 is a great machine. My situation is very simple. I was able to make my 85 T3 handle and look better for a fraction of what it would cost to buy an 86 T3. Those guys have much deeper pockets than I do so it's easy for them to say to just go buy an 86 but for people like me it just isn't feasable with all due respect. Just trust me, the mods to make you 85 T3 like mine or similar is a very worth while project, inexpensive and highly successfull of an upgrade.

Don't take my word for it, just look at Jimmy White race trikes in 85. NONE of them were running stock components. There is good reason for that.

Fabio and 3razors. I respect the hell out of both of you and I don't mean to step on your toes but this mod to my T3 was equal to the KX cylinder swap IMHO. Don't knock it till you try it fellas.:)

[fabiodriven]

Much love Hoosier. Looks like it came out pretty good. I can respect what you did. Just not my cup of tea.:beer

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Much love Hoosier. Looks like it came out pretty good. I can respect what you did. Just not my cup of tea.:beerMaybe when I get it done you and I can catch up and you can give it a whirl and see if you like it. I'd love to catch up with ya some say. Take care bro. Ride forever.

Rob

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Hey, I forgot to tell you, I can hook you up with a set of 86 triples and a set of 86 forks. there is a catch. the forks are in great shape and have good spring. the problem the tubes are bent. I assume the trike met a tree at some point) there MIGHT be a couple other things laying around I could help you with on this swap also. No promises on addittional stuff but if you want to put new fork tubes in the forks they will be perfect. Let me know if interested and i'll send them to you for cost of shipping. I've had many people on here do things like that for me and i want to keep that tradition going. Just let me know bro. Take care.

[i58829]

Thank you very much for the offer but i acutally bought a set of triples on ebay and the guy threw in the forks and new seals for some extra cash. So i have all of the pieces i need at this point to get the front end on, except for the hub bearings. I will dig my forks out today, i never unwrapped them and make sure there isn't a major damage on the legs and let you know if i need yours to make a good set. And i know what you're saying about the 86 prices, i have a nice rolling chassis and can't seem to find a motor anywhere for it, i know they are out there for big money rebuilt but i'm always a little reluctant to spend a lot of money and hope its what i was told it is. So that's how i got on the 85 kick, and started collecting parts. Thanks again, TC...


Hey i was just thinking about it, and i think you got those triples from me when i was in florida, because didn't you end up finding a really nice oem front end that was in an attic or something because they installed an astro kit on the T3?

[3Razors]

Hoosier, you say that this mod was a great swap and made it handle better ect. But have you actually ridden that bike to back up that claim? From the looks of those pics that bike is so far from being able to be ridden with missing/mismatched parts. There is more to calling a mod successful than sticking a front end on and calling it a day.

[Tecate250]

Ever use the search engine? This is what I was talking about. Had this pic for years.
http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=83764&highlight=rad+relocator

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Hoosier, you say that this mod was a great swap and made it handle better ect. But have you actually ridden that bike to back up that claim? From the looks of those pics that bike is so far from being able to be ridden with missing/mismatched parts. There is more to calling a mod successful than sticking a front end on and calling it a day.(first of all, words can't express how bad I feel for being an ass to you and made of myself to you in the past about a certain situation. I hope you can forgive me) Yes, I rode it for a short time. When i first go the trike it didn't seem to have all it power and I have vireo of that on youtube. But I soon realized the problem. The pie at the bottom of the header was bent all to hell. I got a good condition OEM pipe and put on it and it really opened up. Then i did the swaps with the front end and swinger before i started tearing it down and the handling was a vast improvement. I might back peddle on it being as as good as a liquid R but it really isn't far behind. After I did that mock up and saw that it worked i took it into my basement and started taking it apart and it is as you see it now. I tried using KX gas tanks on it to place the rads on the frame and went through months of hassle but it just never worked so i eventually reverted to what it is now. It is just sitting waiting for me to get time(going to school full time) and finances to get it finished up. I will be able to make a better assessment at that point. But, in all fairness from what i got out if it so far, I have no reason to believe I won't be disappointed.


i58829, I don't think i got the triples from you. I found a junked 86 T3 in a local scrap yard (that where the triples, bent fork tubes and rear swinger came from) and i bought other triples off a member here but I don't remember anything about an attic. That's why I'm not positive if those triples came from you. I ended up getting some good forks for rockhound and honawasaki sent me the 86 plastics for cost of shipping. Some great people to deal with on these sites.

[3Razors]

Sounds like your happy with the setup and thats what counts. I hope your able to get this one going. And since you made your apology public I can put it behind and forgive. Happy Holidays...

[fabiodriven]

*Group hug for the green guys*

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Sounds like your happy with the setup and thats what counts. I hope your able to get this one going. And since you made your apology public I can put it behind and forgive. Happy Holidays...
Same to ya bud. happy holidays.


Fabio, very funny.:lol:

[i58829]

Ever use the search engine? This is what I was talking about. Had this pic for years.
http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=83764&highlight=rad+relocator

Hey Tecate thanks for that link, i dont think that would be very efficient for trail riding, and for me its not the way to go, but for a race or short rides around the yard i'm sure it would be fine. I didn't find that post, most likely because i was using full words in the search and radiator didn't show rad. And i spent most of my time looking for front end and tank swaps, thanks again, TC...

[Tecate250]

All mods and builds are seceptible to bad feed back and people who think your nuts. Im not into the look of the hondas and yams with that punky little tire.

[i58829]

All mods and builds are seceptible to bad feed back and people who think your nuts. Im not into the look of the hondas and yams with that punky little tire.

Haha i'm just the opposite as i feel the first gen T3 were slightly behind the times, and a 2 stroke shouldn't have the same wheelbase and front tire as a big red. But like you said to each their own, and hey anyway you shake it its still a first gen T3...

[Tecate250]

Yes But kawasaki wooped hondas ass with that "behind the times" design. Plus I love the off camber head light. The skinny tired trikes all look the same. Its like dirt bikes today. Paint them all black and whats the difference. Unique is in. Popular is out lol.

[fabiodriven]

^^^Well said. Two thumbs up on that post.^^^

[Tecate250]

Thanks Fabio. People are always mocking the Tecate setup. You have to own one and enjoy it to fully understand the Tecate way.

[Tecate250]

Anything new here?

[sandpuppi101]

Anything new here?



Well I was out in Cali. at the imperial sand dune's a few week's ago and one of the org. guy's was out there with his '85 Tecate and he had the narrowed front end on his machine plus he put a '86 swinger on it also.The narrow tire really caught my eye first off ,and I fell in love with his set-up.The rear swinger was a deffinate upgrade too but I was focused more on the front end.I am about 99.9% sure that's what I'm gonna do with my build I think,when it came to MXing the Tecate I found myself getting bounced around viciously with the wide tire'd front end and I think the narrower tire would be more user friendly in that application.I can't remember his name ,maybe somebody can help me out here(he mite even be a 3ww member),but anyway's he said it was basically an easy switchover and when it came too the radiator and the guard ,he had to take off an inch or 2 off the rad cover but it looked factory when all said and done.
I also have too agree with the comment in this thread a bit back about if you like the '85 keep the '85 if you like the '86 get an '86,instead of crossing part's from this to that,but I believe this is a simple cost effective change that offer's a big differance for a small cost.. Liking this thread feller's.

[Tecate250]

I like the 86. But if you love blondes why go for red heads?