Making a chain slider & Skidplate

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:04 pm

Until recently one could buy a new chain slider for this beast for $31. I've had this bike for 12yrs and have gone thru three of them. Here's a pic of a wore out one and the new one I installed 3yrs ago.

So when this one wore out, I figured I'd order two new ones. Sadly after being backordered for six week, I was informed the part was NLA (no longer available).

There is someone making some and selling them for $60 on ebay but I figured, what the hell - I'll make my own. In doing so I wanted to change two things: I wanted it reversible since the top wears faster than the bottom; and I wanted it more durable. So for $30, I bought enough 3/8" delrin to make three sliders. I chose delrin because it is very durable, super slippery and easy to machine. Here's a piece for one slider.

First I machined most of it down to 3/16" thick - leaving a 1/4" wide rib in the middle. Then 3" in the center was machined down to 1/8" - so it could be bent around the swing arm.

I traced the old slider then spun it around and traced it again to make the new slider reversible.

Next cut it out and drill the holes.

Then using a heatgun, get it hot and bend it.

The last 4" at the ends have to be bent slightly too. Hold it in place and allow it to cool and it will take a set.

Notice the swingarm is not flat.

The factory slider is molded thicker on this edge to account for this - I figure a couple delrin spacers should work fine.

Here's the final product.

Good rainy day project. We'll see how long this one lasts. :thumbsup:

clinehall · **Posted:** Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:19 pm

I noticed the Coors light influence. That disappoints me. rainy days in November deserve a dark beer.

Hey look at my thread in the tech forum need you friggin genius opinion

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:15 pm

There was so much excitement over the chain slider :roll:

I figured I'd share my skidplate build. :thumbsup:

I bent and broke the aluminum skidplate that I made years ago, so I figured I'd build version 2. This one will be steel.

First I made brackets for mounting the plate to the bike.

Then I made a foam board version of the skidplate:

Here it is on the bench:

Traced the template onto a sheet of 12ga:

Cut it out:

Next I score the bend lines about 1/2 way thru the sheet thickness - aids in bending.

Bend at the score lines:

After checking the fit to the bike and the brackets, weld the joints and weld the bend seams for reinforcement:

With the brackets bolted to the bike, I tacked the skidplate to the brackets. Then do the final bracket welding on the bench:

Test fit before final grinding and paint:

A little primer:

Waiting for paint to dry . . .

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:29 pm

hate you, you're too talented...

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:49 pm

Looks good Cash!

BTW, was that Miller welding table a gift? I know they aren't cheap and I know your cheap-@ss wouldn't buy one. :mrgreen:

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:59 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

hate you, you're too talented...

Thanks, Rodney. :lol:

Vincent Keene wrote:

Looks good Cash!

BTW, was that Miller welding table a gift? I know they aren't cheap and I know your cheap-@ss wouldn't buy one. :mrgreen:

Thanks. It was a birthday gift from the Mrs. It is pricey - but I love it! Can't go wrong spending money on good tools and equipment. :mrgreen:

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:06 pm

Here's the final painted version - installed. :thumbsup:

Let's go ride!

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:08 pm

Cash Davidson wrote:

Thanks. It was a birthday gift from the Mrs. It is pricey - but I love it! Can't go wrong spending money on good tools and equipment. :mrgreen:

Ah ha! I knew I was right.

It's a nice piece for sure, but I haven't wanted to spend the coin for one of those yet. Damn race car stuff keeps taking all my money!

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:17 pm

What did you use to score and bend it?

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:40 pm

Yeah, I used a straight edge and a carbide tipped awl to scratch a line. Then I followed that with my thin kerf 3" cutoff wheel.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:15 pm

JamesMilko wrote:

What did you use to score and bend it?

I'm pretty sure he used a grinder to score it, and his hands to bend it. That's exactly what I did on these radiator support mounts I built for Kendt's never-gonna-end V8 Miata project.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Nice work, Cash! What bike is this for?

Vincent Keene wrote:

Kendt's never-gonna-end V8 Miata project.

What's going to finish first: Kendt's V8 Miata or me blowing up the current motor in the Miata and putting in a K24?

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:45 am

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Nice work, Cash! What bike is this for?

Vincent Keene wrote:

Kendt's never-gonna-end V8 Miata project.

What's going to finish first: Kendt's V8 Miata or me blowing up the current motor in the Miata and putting in a K24?

Looks like that's for the Cagiva.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2015 10:47 am

Looks good, the only thing I noticed and it might not even be an issue, those angles seem like they might like to catch on a log or rock as opposed to sliding over them. I'm guessing you don't go jumping over rocks and logs on that thing though probably.

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:38 am

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Nice work, Cash! What bike is this for?

Thanks, Yeah its for the Cagiva. I figure it should hold up better than the OEM one:

I tend to ride the bike in places a 900cc v-twin normally doesn't go:

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Making a chain slider & Skidplate

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