Q: How do I design pivot for Stucchi Luigi fairing support

[rbm]

This is probably a trivial question for some here.  Need advice on how  I should design a pivot pin when building a stay support for my V7's Stucchi Luigi fairing.  What I want to build is shown in this photo below -- a stay that supports the upper windshield:


The arm pivots on a pin of sorts.  Similarly, on my V7R, the stem nut has the same hole as used above, shown in the photo below:


Is this pivot pin a straight pin that just rests in the hole and is secured to the stay?  Or is it necessary for me to provide some sort of flange/flare on the bottom of the pin to hold it in?

[Zoom Zoom]

A bolt or machine screw that fits into the hole on the triple clamp is where I would begin. A bushing, (hardware store), that fits the hole and bolt. I would probably use a flat washer at the top of the bushing and then another bushing just long enough to keep the arm above any moving parts. The bolt goes into the arm and is topped off with an acorn nut. If possible, I would do all in stainless steel. Maybe a chrome acorn nut, or maybe stick with SS.

Once it is all fit up, I don't see how it could go anywhere, so I personally would not worry too much about the bushing in the triple clamp coming out. You would have to unbolt the ends for that to happen. The only thing I would be concerned about would be noise due to vibration, which brings me back to a snug fit.

You may find the only length of machine screw will be too long once you fit everything up, because of using an acorn nut. Just cut some off with a dremel or something.

Without actually seeing it in the flesh, I can't see if this is a viable idea or not, but that is where I would start. Once you have fitted the bolt and bushings onto the cross brace, put it together one more time with some Loctite on the threads at the nut. In my mind, I would see no reason for that to come loose for removal. Just take the ends loose and lift it out of the center point.

John Henry

[rbm]

Thanks John.  I'm wondering if  a thrust bearing is going to be required.  I can understand that a snug fitting bushing could work and is very simple to build.  But I wonder about wear (since there is no lubrication - it's metal on metal).  A bearing would eliminate that concern, as would making the bush out of a material like nylon or PTFE with low friction characteristics.  I'll think on it some more.

[RinkRat II]

 Hey rbm,  Just food for thought but as for the pictures you show, the top fairing looks larger and was meant to wrap around more thus the stay. Looks to me two separate stays fabbed to attach the fairing to the bottom bolts of the instrument cluster migh be an alternative.

    Paul B    

[twhitaker]

 :1:

[rbm]

I'll look into that option.  The support stays might interfere with the master cylinder with the steering at full lock in that configuration, but that will be part of what I'll check.

My motivation for this is to stabilize the upper fairing so that mirrors I will attach will not shake and vibrate.  Today, the fairing is cantilevered out from the bike by the stock mounting that it shakes badly with road bumps.  I'm hoping these stays will control that somewhat.

[Zoom Zoom]

Back to your reply after my first post. I suppose I may not have clarified my thought completely. When I said snug, I didn't mean tight. I have maybe three ideas about your question.

EDIT: A nylon bushing would certainly be a good option. Easy to work with and fit as well.

1. A bronze bushing

2. A bit of grease on the bushing.

3. Locking the bushing onto the machine screw or bolt with a nut beneath the support arm with a wave washer on either side of the support set up so that when the acorn nut is tight, there is movement allowed without slop.

I'm thinking that you may discover it is less of an issue than you imagine considering that once under way there is actually very little movement there. (You are not turning the bars lock to lock like working it around in the garage and such.) The objective being to keep things from rattling under vibration without being so tight as to impair steering.

If I were doing this for me, I would probably ride the bike to the hardware store and start with test fitting a bushing and machine screw to see if  this is even a viable idea. Finding the right bushing could still require changing the OD for proper fitment. In order to accomplish that, you would need to chuck it up in a drill with a bolt and work it with a file, or have someone cut it down with a lathe. Having a drill press, I would go that route as long as I only had a little bit of material to remove. Of course you might work it the other way and get lucky with the proper OD but need the ID enlarged.

For these kinds of things, I prefer the mom and pop hardware stores since if you let them in on what you're trying to figure out, they'll let you wander outside with some stuff in order to figure out what fits.

Or, hit up a machine shop and have something made. But based on your pic, someone out there has done it, somehow.

John Henry