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**s_ellinson** · #1 30 Aug 2009

I've just picked up an ally swinging arm off tenereless tom; captain brightideas here thinks it might be transplantable into a 1VJ fram, thereby giving me a (small) reduction in unsprung weight... And also it just seems like a good idea at the time...

A good browse through the back messages doesn't really throw up much about this swap, except this thread which shows that the early swinging arm pivot pin is shorter than the later one.

SO: does anyone have any ideas about the swap? xt600.de seems to suggest that it's tricky due to chain alignment issues, but my german's not good enough to work out how - they suggest that it's hard to transplant a 34l/55w engine into a 1vj frame for this reason.

At the moment i'd like to know the following:

what's the measurement across the back crankcase boss on a 1vj? Is the 34l/55w different?
what's the outside measurement across the swinging arm pivot of a 1vj?
has anyone tried this already?

**Brian Williams** · #2 31 Aug 2009

Hello, I would suggest you compare the pivot bushes from your 1VJ swingarm and see if they are the same length as from the 33L/55W. If they are then there is a good chance the swingarm will fit.
Even as standard there are shims at the outside end of the swingarm pivots (under the dust caps) to allow minor adjustment of the swingarm alignment (chain alignment). So you still have a few mm to play with.
You might have to swop parts (bushes, caps, pivot bolt etc) between each swingarm but I'm sure it can be done...

**xtorange** · #3 2 Sep 2009

try the following:
(but put http in front of the colon at the start of the address)
Hope you can read french if you can't read german....but plenty of pics.

://600xt.bbfr.net/les-preparations-f7/montage-bras-alu-de-43f-sur-2kf-t2915.htm?highlight=bras

**s_ellinson** · #4 2 Sep 2009

I've babelfished my way through it and they seem to suggest it's possible.... I can't work out what the author's done about the extra space which seems to be there between the ally swinging arm and the frame - it seems to suggest that there's a centimeter or so difference, but it's not clear how they take this clearnce up.....

**dblunn** · #5 15 Sep 2009

Hi, I'm not sure what your madel has but generally the motors with electric start are 10mm wider than kickstart only models (swingarm pivot is 240mm vs 230mm) due to the bendix clutch behind the flywheel. The rest of the bearing setup is the same, the late model 'e' bikes still have the bits on the castings to take a kick start and auto decomression cable. I helped a mate fit an ali xt600 swing arm to his 1VJ and we had to make a 10mm spacer for the LHS of the swingarm, don't know if chain alignment was a problem as I left that up to him to sort out but he has been ridib=ng it about without complaint.
Dave

**s_ellinson** · #6 21 Sep 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by dblunn

Hi, I'm not sure what your madel has but generally the motors with electric start are 10mm wider than kickstart only models (swingarm pivot is 240mm vs 230mm) due to the bendix clutch behind the flywheel. The rest of the bearing setup is the same, the late model 'e' bikes still have the bits on the castings to take a kick start and auto decomression cable. I helped a mate fit an ali xt600 swing arm to his 1VJ and we had to make a 10mm spacer for the LHS of the swingarm, don't know if chain alignment was a problem as I left that up to him to sort out but he has been ridib=ng it about without complaint.
Dave

That's a really interesting one dave - I'm trying to do exactly the same job as your friend with an ally swinging arm in the 1vj frame. If he's got any photos of the job, that'd be really helpful...

**dblunn** · #7 21 Sep 2009

No problems, I'll give my mate a call and see if he can take a few photos of the bike.
Dave

**s_ellinson** · #8 1 Oct 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by dblunn

No problems, I'll give my mate a call and see if he can take a few photos of the bike.
Dave

thanks muchly -

**Brian Williams** · #9 13 Jan 2010

Did you manage to fit the swingarm ?

**guzzibob** · #10 18 Dec 2010

Bumping this old thread as I've just picked up an early alloy swingarm that I fancy fitting into my 1VJ: it weighs about 4kg compared with 6.5kg for the original steel one, so in my book that makes the effort worthwhile, even if it's only the same as 2.5 litres of fuel - easier to put a(nother) big dent in the tank!

Having measured things up I agree with this thread that a spacer of about 10mm on the drive side seems to be all that's needed, but it would be really handy to hear it from someone who has done the job. Anyone out able to confirm, especially re chain alignment issues?

**mushroom supersnake** · #11 27 Dec 2010

I've also got a drum brake 1VJ, and i would like to fit an alloy swingarm.
wondering which swingarms fit and what mods are required. a pictorial would be fabulous.

**guzzibob** · #12 8 Jan 2011

I've had a closer look at my swingarm collection. The attached pic shows (l-r) an early TT600 arm (alloy), a 55W Tenere arm (alloy), and my 1VJ arm(steel). In order to fit the 55W arm in my 1VJ XT I reckon I only need an alloy spacer 10mm wide, with a 16mm hole and an overall diameter of 35mm, to sit on the outside end of the drive side - that should make it all line up fine. (I've got a mate on the job with his lathe as we speak!) Only other issue is that the internal width of the alloy rear fork is less, so although the 1VJ spindle and cam adjusters fit fine, I need a pair of the narrower 55W axle spacers. Anyone got a pair cluttering up the odds n ends box? I'd rather use standard bits than get my mate to turn up more special parts. I've ftted new bushes to the rear linkage, so here's to a transformed rear end this spring...actually I'm sure I won't be able to feel the difference, but I'll know it's better!

Question is, have I missed anything?