tR1ke build, in the Netherlands #2

[edwinwl]

This afternoon together with Mrs Edwinwl went for my first 2014 trip trought the Alblasserwaard.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alblasserwaard

• Front suspension is good! New hyperpro springs, damping set at 1/3. Took some speed bumps with reasonable speed and no road contact. (Hyperpro spring type: #1448/190/10)
• Alignment of the car is set to "zero". All wheels are set straight forward.
  Car response is comfy and neutral.
• Camera is ok. (When typing this message I am uploading to youtube).

Controls and handling of the tR1ke is very nice, predictable and convenient.

[slugshot]

Hi Edwin
The video's not working

[edwinwl]

Patience my UK friend.
Still uploading...

[edwinwl]

It should work now!

[slugshot]

Yes it is

Nice video and your tR1ke looks like it drives good.

[edwinwl]

The tr1ke is great for touring around. Did some kilometers the last weeks. Everywhere we go I am treated like a celebrity.

At this moment in the Netherlands we have no Tr1ke weather.

So I did a check up of my tR1ke today:
- Looks like the cooling system is very slightly waisting some liquid. After one year the liquid level in the expansion bottle has reached the low marking. No signs of liquid cooling anywhere. The cooling system has more volume for cooling liquid than original on the R1 motorbike. So there is more liquid volume for expansion.
=> Can some of you add some relevant experiences ?

- Second is the steering house. The ball joints of the steering arms have some freeplay. I noticed this already when building the tR1ke 2 years ago. (On Dutch: kogelgewricht van de spoorstangen)
New ones are not really expensive so I ordered these:
www.mijnautoonderdelen.nl/auto-onderdelen/onderstel/stuurdelen-wielophanging/axiaal-gewricht-spoorstang/febi/12639

- I am considering giving the blue parts of my tR1ke a mat blue plastidip.
www.dipyourcar.com/

[vtR1k]

Did you mount the overflow hose at the top of the expansion bottle in a way that excess coolant will be spilled without you noticing it? (Which is absolutely normal because this hose must spill it on the road and not in the vehicle...)

I did. I had the same problem, until during a little break in a trip last year I saw that coolant was leaking out of the overflow hose, during a hot day, after some slow but intensive driving at a muddy unpaved road in a forest in Luxemburg.

I didn't forsee this problem: but it is quite easy to explain: the coolant volume of the tR1ke is (in my case) twice as high as the original motorcycle system has. Resulting in high level at running temperature due to temperature expansion. The expansion bottle volume is calculated based on the normal, original, volume of coolant in a motorcycle. The solution will be to mount a extra (or 2x larger) coolant expansion bottle.
I still have to work that out, but for now it runs fine at the lowest level, as far as I am concerned

Sent from my GT-I9295 using proboards

[edwinwl]

I like this color:


Or this one:

[slugshot]

If you use a header tank and an expansion tank the excess coolant goes into the expansion tank and them back into the header tank when its cooled down again, and not onto the road.
Have you checked the coolant level in the cooling system in the last year to be sure its ok.

PS...I like your tR1ke as it is Edwin, why not try experimenting with some white stripes, I like stripes

Cheers
Kevin

[erik]

If the expansion tank is too small for the total volume of coolant running in the tR1ke it makes sense thhe expansion tank will throw over on the tarmac like Rik noted. I noticed my coolant level in my expansion tank goes up and down quite a bit more as the min/max levels marked on the tank and I have not had a super hot engine to date. I don't think having an empty header and nearly empty breather tank is an issue .There will be enough spare coolant outside the cooling system.

I wouldn't prefer a math finish. It gets dirty more easely and it's harder to clean. When it's cleaned too much it''l get a polished finish only not that pretty.

Yes, decals are cool on the bonnet!

[edwinwl]

May 10, 2014 16:32:01 GMT vtR1k said:

but it is quite easy to explain: the coolant volume of the tR1ke is (in my case) twice as high as the original motorcycle system has. Resulting in high level at running temperature due to temperature expansion. The expansion bottle volume is calculated based on the normal, original, volume of coolant in a motorcycle. The solution will be to mount a extra (or 2x larger) coolant expansion bottle.
I still have to work that out, but for now it runs fine at the lowest level, as far as I am concerned

This is exactly the explanaition I had in mind.
I don't like my car is spilling liquid of any kind.

Placing an extra expansion tank to catch cooling liquid:
www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/expansion-tank

[edwinwl]

May 10, 2014 17:50:57 GMT slugshot said:

Have you checked the coolant level in the cooling system in the last year to be sure its ok.

Yes of course, also the engine cooling itself is perfect!
This variance of expansion bottle liquid level is higher than originally expected. During the last trip I got stuck in a city traffic jam for about half an hour. It well heated the engine and raised cooling liquid temperature to an acceptable 95 degrees C.

[slugshot]

I don't think you have any cooling issues if it only gets to 95c in heavy traffic. I don't have any coolant in the expansion tank, and the header tank when cold is only half full, but if I topped it up when cold the expansion tank catches the excess when the motor is warm.

[vtR1k]

Made this today:



Top and bottom connected, so the expansion capacity is twice the volume now. The suction hose from the radiator is only connected to one reservoir.
I will keep you informed whether is works or not...

Sent from my GT-I9295 using proboards

[edwinwl]

Because it is still recession in the Netherlands I am making a second expansion bottle for a very low budget.
(Just to test if a second expansion bottle is needed.
A 500ml waterbottle:


Drilling a hole in the cap:


Fixing the thing:


Overview of this vtR1k solution (version 1):



The real action this evening are my new steering rods.

These ones I ordered:


In my situation, standard rods are about 13mm too long:


The rods in place. Used glue to lock the ends to the steering quick rack.