Tail Loop

[providedrailroad]

Yeah, I'm going that route. I was wondering how the other people that have done this with GS's have gone about this?

I can try and have one fabricated by Dime City, there's a also an Ebay user who can fabricate them.

Here's "Hillsys GS450" where he did it:

I know there is a user named BillyT that did one too, just can't find him at the moment.

It seems it may be difficult with my GS750, because of the wheel having less clearance to the frame than other models it will pretty much HAVE to be upturned if I want to keep the stock suspension. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but better safe than sorry really.

The other thing is most of the pre-fabbed tail loops are for 8" center to center, I am pretty certain (will take some more accurate measurements later) that the '78 GS750 is 8.75" center to center.

I think most people welding in loops are also having the OD of the loop fit inside the ID of the frame tubing. There's a guy who can fab one for me for 65 as opposed to 115 from dime city cycles, but he only has 1" die. I would think you can still weld a 1" loop to 1" frame, it will just have to be clamped cleverly and will be more difficult.

I'm just not certain. I'm actually having a friend weld it for me.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[providedrailroad]

wondering if I can do it myself using something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Tubi...pe_Benders&hash=item519e7d011e#ht_1690wt_1270

I guess that would only work with steel or aluminum though, and I'd rather use steel. If you use a hydraulic bender can you do it? Anyone that has a hydraulic pipe bender want to help me out? ;D

 

[cowboyup3371]

As I'm pretty stupid about that kind of stuff, what is the benefit/advantage of having this tail loop?

 

[Tim Tom]

As I'm pretty stupid about that kind of stuff, what is the benefit/advantage of having this tail loop?

There is no 'advantage' per say. It's something people do to clean up the looks of the bike after they chop the back end off. No purpose at all on a non-hacksawed stock machine.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Thanks Tim Tom.

 

[providedrailroad]

Are these just getting butt welded? Or Rosette weld?

 

[Pendulum]

Are these just getting butt welded? Or Rosette weld?

Depends on how you build the loop. If the ID of your loop is greater than the OD of the stock frame, then you don't need to plug weld it. If it's the same OD as the frame, then plug weld it.

And yes that pipe bender will do the trick, provided it can bend 180* in such a tight radius. I suggest packing the tube with some sand and doing multiple bends to get a smooth bend.

 

[verde]

Anyone that has a hydraulic pipe bender want to help me out? ;D

Hydraulic pipe bender is not the tool you need, a tubing bender is.

That title of that ebay link says "conduit" and the description says "soft metal pipe bender," neither of which you need. Tubing, not pipe or conduit, is sold by OD and wall thickness, and you need a tubing bender which will match the OD of the tube you are going to use. Here are some tubing links at mcmastercarr, if you don't have a good source locally.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-tubing/=guql7j
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-steel-tubing/=guqpeb
http://www.mcmaster.com/#alloy-steel-tubing/=guqp36

You may or may not have to do the sand trick depending on the bender and tube you use. Some have good success with the sand trick, heat, and no bending die. If you use heat, use dry sand, i.e. it spent a few hours in the oven type of dry sand.

 

[Flyboy]

Make up template of what you want with some stiff welding wire or any other stiff wire, run your piece of tube down to your local exhaust shop with the template and ask them to bend it for you, they will chuck it on the bender for a couple of bucks, if not, find another exhaust shop.

 

[D-Mac]

In my project thread ('81 GS550T Cafe Build http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=185193&page=4 ) I have some pics of what I did (near the end of the current thread).

Tubing from a metal shop was ~$3 for 2ft. Bending was done at a local fabrication shop. I just cut off the rear part and took it to them along with the new tube since the rear part matched the distance between the frame tubes that I needed for the bend). Cost was $15 to have it bent.

So for under $20 I have a tube that fits perfectly. I like Dime City, but spending over $100 for a tube that needs a little tweaking for our bikes just seemed like too much.

 

[kdo58]

why wouldn't this work?
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/pipe-benders/12-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-32888.html

 

[MK3Brent]

why wouldn't this work?
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/pipe-benders/12-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-32888.html

You would have to bend two parts at 90?

You wouldn't get a full 180? sweep using this tool.

 

[verde]

why wouldn't this work?
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/pipe-benders/12-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-32888.html

It takes work to make one of those not kink when you bend pipe in it, and yes, you would have to bend 2 90's and weld them together. A strap over the center of the die holding down the pipe helps. It also tends to dent the work piece with the rollers, requiring homemade alternatives to be fabed up. Google how 4-wheelers have modified these to work if you really want to know, but don't waste your money. Also, once again, it's a pipe bender, not a tubing bender, so if you want to bend tube in it you have to grind out the die to the right OD(although 1/2 inch pipe will be about the right OD for the tail loop purpose). I have one of these, but have only used it with sand packed pipe and also with my own dies for bending bar stock on edge.

Sand bending trick is probably the best DIY way to go. You can cut a curve out of wood. The pipe will burn it a bit but not enough to throw off the curve. Sand has to be super dry(few hours in the oven on low or you're just building a steam pipe bomb!) Some links:

http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=422986&postcount=11
http://www.rorty-design.com/content/sand_bending.htm

From this thread, here's poster "metalshapes" take on a "squash pipe."

Here's a great clip with some real back-yard tech. Note no squash pipe though. It flattened out a bit later in the bend. For the tail loop of small pipe, I would try bending from the middle so and deformation latter in the bend is symmetric. Could also try doing it in two stages, repacking it with the squash pipe in between.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cquCfvsvoq0

 

[providedrailroad]

In my project thread ('81 GS550T Cafe Build http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=185193&page=4 ) I have some pics of what I did (near the end of the current thread).

Tubing from a metal shop was ~$3 for 2ft. Bending was done at a local fabrication shop. I just cut off the rear part and took it to them along with the new tube since the rear part matched the distance between the frame tubes that I needed for the bend). Cost was $15 to have it bent.

So for under $20 I have a tube that fits perfectly. I like Dime City, but spending over $100 for a tube that needs a little tweaking for our bikes just seemed like too much.

Yeah, I'm trying to go that route, only 2 shops in my area that may be able to help, one of which never answers their phone, the other of which I think mainly does custom fab for factories around here.

It doesn't help that I don't have a welder in the garage, and buying one would mean sacrificing other upgrades on the bike.

I guess I should just bother the shops around here until I can convince one of them to do what I want.

By the way, did you use 7/8" bar? And were yours 8.75 center to center?

 

[67camaro]

I used a bend from an old set of bars.

 

[rwcfrank]

Not me but here is an option, a little pricey in my opinion.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260972777081?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[deeAYEennENNwhy]

before

after

with seat

 

[verde]

I used a bend from an old set of bars.

Now I know what I've been hanging onto those horribly uncomfortable L bars for, haha. I like the final shape too rather than a constant radius for the whole loop.

 

[JimmyR]

I just added a loop to my GS1100. Cut off the frame in almost identical place to Danny's above, but my loop is a little longer.

I bought about a metre of 25mm (1") steel tubing which was very close to the 26mm of the bike. You need a bit more than you will end up using to provide leverage when bending. I took mine to a local exhaust fabricator who just happened to be around the block from my local steel shop! I just lobbed in off the street and showed the guy my steel and the shape I needed bent drawn onto a piece of cardboard. I had traced around the back of the seat I am using and it's not a regular semi circle, it's more egg-shaped.

Anyway he just happened to have a 25mm pipe bender and was happy to match the shape for me and it didn't cost a cent. Took him a coupla minutes. I didn't know about the sand trick so mine has a few dents on the inside of the curve but it doesn't matter in my case because it looks fine on the outside and the seat covers the inside from view. Obviously I would prefer it to be perfect but the outside curve is so that will do me.

Then I took it and the frame to my friend who is a welder and he just butt-joined the pieces. I had some steel rod to use inside the tube to strengthen the weld but he said it wasn't needed. He's right, too, because there is next to no weight on the welded section. The bit I sit on is over the existing frame.