Well I didn't intend to dis Fireblades - they have a great rep. Well it might
have been more helpful to say this:
modern Japanese sport bikes have a so-called "twin-spar" frame made of intricate and large aluminum castings. What you
see as a gas tank is actually the air box, usually, and space between the spars is restricted and unevenly shaped
because the motor is short and wide. An old-fashioned double-downtube frame( like a typical cruiser ) is going to be a
lot easier to work with, IMO. Though I'll bet 90% of conversions are based on whatever happened to be available. The
Euro stuff, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, BMW is generally not twin-spar or aluminum, but it also carries a collector price, as do
Harleys.
cheers and good luck
John
Mike wrote:
2) The reason I saw states that a 1L bike, specifically a CBR would
make a good base is that it has an aluminum frame and swing arm, so
is on the lighter end of things,
this is typical over-simplified advice. Sounds good, doesn't match
real world. A steel frame can be as light as aluminum, and aluminum
can be heavy. Devil in details, ya know. Its expensive to weld on
aluminum, so all things being equal, I'd go for steel. I'd try to get
a bike with good suspension and
Perhaps but in this particular instance, perhaps not. I think the
person who originally gave this advice knew a thing or two about the CBR
series of machines having owned many and raced a few. He may even have
converted one or two to EVs.
But then again, maybe I'm thinking of someone else.
Mike
