Making the 3R R'er

[Einar]

I really feel that people carrying out so many modifications to their bikes bought the wrong bike in the first place

Sure, but that's primarily for two reasons:
1. Nobody sells the "right" bike for what you want.
2. Nobody sells any one bike that perfectly fits all body sizes/shapes and accounts for all disabilities and comfort levels.

 

[Taz]

I fabricated a frame for a cafe seat and wrapped the rear subframe in CF, a while ago, as I felt that the stock 3R ergos where way too cruiser for me.
The new seating position feels more Motard than racer, but it does inspire a lot more confidence in cornering than the laid back position.
I recently picked up a Cafe hump seat unit, so with a little massaging of the seat frame and some backyard paint matching, Ruby has a new look.

The next mod will be fabricating some Clubman bars. I have some Harley drag bars which are 1 1/4" but they run 1" handles.
The stock Triumph bars, with internal cabling, look the goods but are a pita to get off. Whoever engineered the set up was not thinking of the poor tech's who have to deal with swapping bars.

I get what you are trying to go for. The gap kills it for me. I'd probably take the seat cowl off, leave what you've already smoothed in, get get some of the high density padding I used to have on some of my road race bikes and just lay it in the groove and make that the seat. A plus of lower the CG of the bike even more. The padding I am talking about is basically thick neoprene like a wetsuit.

I'd then get something like the Verex exhaust like I have which looks like a reverse cone megaphone style bike, fashion some rearsets, and I think it would look pretty good. Sitting in the vee that you currently have would make tucking in even easier.

 

[Sandybandy]

A mixture of these??

 

[RUN666]

The red one is magnificent...although, the bracelet handlebars on a machine like this!!!!

 

[Bosco15]

A mixture of these??

The top pic is one which inspired me to change my seat, in the first place.
The raised seating position really does transform the Rocket. Less cruiser and more Rider.

 

[Jagster]

Just found this thread.......i'm subscribed......Popcorn by my side, a beer on the other side.......Rose tinted spectacles?.....check.

Looking forward to seeing how this project evolves. It looks to me that it's early days so far, but I think it's 'got legs'.

The way I see it is that there are on the surface two things attached to the success of this project (like many if not all projects of this kind).

1- The impetus is to make the bike feel less cruise and more ride with intent, and that's the core reason to carry out the project.
2- In carrying out the changes necessary to achieve primary goal, there are inherent changes to be made and that will change the look of the bike. The second activity is therefore to make those changes result in an overall look that confirms the dynamic intent.

So far, I understand that by raising the seat to an optimum position for your requirements, you now feel more in control, but I think this exercise is only part done, because until you have changed the position of the bars etc... the core intent hasn't been completed.....so it's still early days.
Regarding how the aesthetics are shaping up.......From a distance it looks both interesting and questionable at the same time. It's a work in progress, so why wouldn't it look something like that at this stage.
I do agree with an earlier comment recommending that you should consider the TRIK (UK) full length rear fender and ditch the stock 'feeble excuse of a fender' if you really feel the need to keep the licence plate etc.. in the same place as the stock one. I can imagine that by implementing the TRIK fender it will completely 'resolve' the lower part of the bike and that would then allow you to concentrate on getting the upper area to resolve cleanly.

Top tip from an internationally renown designer..( just blowing my trumpet a little...sorry about that) You probably need to make a primary decision right now as to which bit of the tail section is going to be the eye catcher and which bit needs to recede into the background. What I mean by that is that the subframe and the seat/cowl shouldn't be visually fighting with each other. They either need to work in harmony together or one of them needs to disappear as much as possible. You have (i think) made the choice, at this time, to make the seat cowl the main feature and attempted to hide the subframe by kinda blobbing it out in black/carbon, which is interesting to try to see how it will turn out. Trouble is, the thing is too big to hide and no amount of blacked out blobbing can hide it or integrate it into the mid section of the bike......but stuff like that is somewhat subjective, so if it was me, for now, i'd be focussing back onto the next core task......handlebars.......get the core dynamics right first, then worry about the aesthetics a bit later.

 

[Bosco15]

Just found this thread.......i'm subscribed......Popcorn by my side, a beer on the other side.......Rose tinted spectacles?.....check.

Looking forward to seeing how this project evolves. It looks to me that it's early days so far, but I think it's 'got legs'.

The way I see it is that there are on the surface two things attached to the success of this project (like many if not all projects of this kind).

1- The impetus is to make the bike feel less cruise and more ride with intent, and that's the core reason to carry out the project.
2- In carrying out the changes necessary to achieve primary goal, there are inherent changes to be made and that will change the look of the bike. The second activity is therefore to make those changes result in an overall look that confirms the dynamic intent.

So far, I understand that by raising the seat to an optimum position for your requirements, you now feel more in control, but I think this exercise is only part done, because until you have changed the position of the bars etc... the core intent hasn't been completed.....so it's still early days.
Regarding how the aesthetics are shaping up.......From a distance it looks both interesting and questionable at the same time. It's a work in progress, so why wouldn't it look something like that at this stage.
I do agree with an earlier comment recommending that you should consider the TRIK (UK) full length rear fender and ditch the stock 'feeble excuse of a fender' if you really feel the need to keep the licence plate etc.. in the same place as the stock one. I can imagine that by implementing the TRIK fender it will completely 'resolve' the lower part of the bike and that would then allow you to concentrate on getting the upper area to resolve cleanly.

Top tip from an internationally renown designer..( just blowing my trumpet a little...sorry about that) You probably need to make a primary decision right now as to which bit of the tail section is going to be the eye catcher and which bit needs to recede into the background. What I mean by that is that the subframe and the seat/cowl shouldn't be visually fighting with each other. They either need to work in harmony together or one of them needs to disappear as much as possible. You have (i think) made the choice, at this time, to make the seat cowl the main feature and attempted to hide the subframe by kinda blobbing it out in black/carbon, which is interesting to try to see how it will turn out. Trouble is, the thing is too big to hide and no amount of blacked out blobbing can hide it or integrate it into the mid section of the bike......but stuff like that is somewhat subjective, so if it was me, for now, i'd be focussing back onto the next core task......handlebars.......get the core dynamics right first, then worry about the aesthetics a bit later.

What a great and considered reply.
Yes. She is a work in progress with the aim of remaining rideable whilst carrying out the mods.
I am only a backyard tinkerer, so big ticket items like fabrication of a whole new subframe are a challenge.
Swapping bars, something I've done on many of my bikes in the past, is proving to be a challenge on the Rocket.
I have the ability but am still trying to figure out the technique. I've never come across such over engineered shenanigans, as these Triumph handlebar fixtures. When I learn how the switch blocks are removed, without damaging them with trial and error, I've got drag bars ready to fit.
The biggest hurdle, by far, is going to be rearset pegs.

 

[Jagster]

The biggest hurdle, by far, is going to be rearset pegs.

By that, i'm guessing you're referring to the bulkiness of the silencer/collector box combined with the issue of where to anchor the pegs and controls without a long bracket/adapter all the way back (or in this case forward) to the original mounting point.

Yeah.......that's a challenge right there.

My current conclusion is that a slimmer exhaust system is needed for a start.

I have to take my hat off to you. You have given yourself quite a challenge. My guess is that it's going to take time to work through each of the modifications. Especially if you are limited in what materials & processes you have to hand.

I think we're going to need a bigger bag of popcorn.......onward and upwards.....nothing ventured, nothing gained......

 

[Jagster]

This system looks like it could give the space to create rear-set foot controls.........

 

[Bosco15]

This system looks like it could give the space to create rear-set foot controls.........

Wow! I imagine that she'd be LOUD.
That definately is the style of piping required to get room for rearset pegs. (A strange adaption of GT controls in pic) I was toying with the idea of a more compact, home made, muffler in stock position but this has a nice style to it and frees up space.