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All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebuild
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:56 pm
by irishtrixie
Hello All,
I became the proud owner of a 1996 TRX 850 a few months back, I found it in the back of a workshop in pieces, I put it back together and started it and fell in love with that twin sound.
Now I want to do a full strip and rebuild, I am a very capable car mechanic and I did a complete rebuild of a Bandit 1200N a few years ago without any major dramas, I had many bikes down through the years but I'm not so good with all the different bike makes and models/ numbers etc.
This is where I need your help and advice to fill in all the bits in between:
1 - Blue Spot brake upgrade - YAMAHA YZF R6 99-02, Will these calipers bolt straight on? What do you suggest for new discs? Will the discs from the same model R1 Fit my standard Wheels?
2 - Front end - Where do I start..... I like the front end the bike in the main forum picture, what bike is that front end from and does it bolt straight on? I'll probably keep the analogue speedo if that matters when it comes to choosing a front end/ wheel. I have seen mention again of YZF/ R1 usd forks - Any insights?
3 - Rear swing arm - Again, probably fo for the YZF(750?) swing arm as mentioned somewhere on this forum I think.
Many of you are experienced bike builders and more importantly, TRX rebuilders, perhaps you have parts for sale that I could use, I would be happy to purchase from you. I would be grateful for any help and advice that you can offer which will lead to a great bike build and hopefully avoid the many pitfalls and sometimes the endless money pits a project like this can create
I look forward to your guidance and for your valuable input. I will be only too happy to keep you updated with photos of my progress
Thanks
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:43 pm
by drix
Hi there
In short, what you want to keep your original analog speedo is a yzf750 front end... It only needs a steering stem swap and machine off a bit of the bottom legs to fit some blue spots as you want to

. Otherwise there are a number of other possible USB conversions but you'd lose the original speedo.
As for rears, YZF750 or thunderace are a straight swap enabling you to fit a 180 rear tyre on a 5'5 inch rim. Seems you can also fit a 5'5 rear wheel of an xjr in to the standard TRX swing arm with the correct spacers
Try and keep wheels etc the sane model as the forks/swing arm you are fitting to keep things easy. A search on the forum will give you all the info you need
Good luck with the build and post some photos, progress updates etc
All the best
Adrien
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:13 pm
by misterdimwiddy
The forum has been a great resource for my own TRX build which is not dissimilar to your own plans. I am sure that all of the info you need will be found using search. Usually takes me a while but eventually I find what I need. Just reading the post history as you search gives additional ideas for mods that people have tried. Forum can be a good source of parts too.
Only problem I have is that I continue to sink large amounts of cash into an old 1996 bike but it is worth every penny. Have just sold my SP1 because I prefer the Yamaha on the road and track.
My TRX in its current form with some mods you are considering;
YZF750 front end (wheel and forks/yokes) has transformed the feel of the bike (not simply a cosmetic change as I thought it would be) and 320mm discs with bluespots (+ master cylinder change) are a great performance upgrade.
Have yet to use it in anger with the YZF rear swinger (+ dogbones) and 180 tyre. Sigma clutch, cams, R6 rad all on my list for 2013.
Good luck with your project which ever way it goes.
Mister D
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:04 pm
by sadmansteve
Here's one of mine.
TRX 850.jpg
YZF750 swing arm
XJR1300 rear wheel, disc, calliper & hanger bracket
YZF750 forks, bottom yoke, wheel & discs
Thunderace top yoke milled out to suit YZF750 forks
Honda CBR 954 Fireblade clip ons extended by 25mm
R6 blue spots with matching 14mm bore master cylinder
R6 2CO throttle housing (allows throttle cables to exit under the handle bar and take a shorter route). Looks neater too!
Steve.
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:13 pm
by dixonj
Hi irishtrixie and welcome to the forum search is a great source for info,mincehead will be along to say hello and knows sheds loads about the trx as do many others.
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:50 am
by phuk72
irishtrixie wrote:1 - Blue Spot brake upgrade - YAMAHA YZF R6 99-02, Will these calipers bolt straight on? What do you suggest for new discs? Will the discs from the same model R1 Fit my standard Wheels?
Yes calipers bolt straight on. Use standard discs. No R1 discs are a different size
irishtrixie wrote:2 - Front end - Where do I start..... I like the front end the bike in the main forum picture, what bike is that front end from and does it bolt straight on? I'll probably keep the analogue speedo if that matters when it comes to choosing a front end/ wheel. I have seen mention again of YZF/ R1 usd forks - Any insights?
You can simply press out the stem from the TRX forks and then press back into any other yokes and forks and it will 99% fit. However, watch out for the lengths and the abuse you will get on here if you don't use Yamaha parts

As has been said, YZF750 allows you to retain speedo drive and clocks.
irishtrixie wrote:3 - Rear swing arm - Again, probably fo for the YZF(750?) swing arm as mentioned somewhere on this forum I think.
YZF750 bolts straight in. Nothing else does

But everything can be made to fit.
If you have a search around you will find the info you need. if not, post back on here.
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:11 pm
by Skybone
Keep an eye open in the "Bits for Sale" section, very, very useful indeed for collecting bits'n'bobs for your TRX.
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:16 pm
by phuk72
misterdimwiddy wrote:YZF750 front end (wheel and forks/yokes) has transformed the feel of the bike (not simply a cosmetic change as I thought it would be) and 320mm discs with bluespots (+ master cylinder change) are a great performance upgrade.
Mister D
Akersherlley (and I'm not sure I told you this) they are R1 yokes (sharpens up the steering) with the YZF legs milled to fit
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 2:18 pm
by drix
phuk72 wrote:irishtrixie wrote:3 - Rear swing arm - Again, probably fo for the YZF(750?) swing arm as mentioned somewhere on this forum I think.
YZF750 bolts straight in. Nothing else does

But everything can be made to fit.
If you have a search around you will find the info you need. if not, post back on here.
Thunderace 1000 is a straight bolt off bolt on job

but with some tools and expertise, you can fit what ever & there are some good examples on here

Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:15 am
by irishtrixie
Hey All, thanks for all your replies and advice. I must admit I was expecting a bit more abuse and told to piss off and do a search, well thank you for allowing me me in and making my first post feel welcome. I have found all replies very helpful and I particularly like the replies which included pictures of your own bikes with details of the parts fitted. I will consider all replies and will keep you posted on my progress with pictures of course
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:38 pm
by AndyAshworth
misterdimwiddy wrote:The forum has been a great resource for my own TRX build which is not dissimilar to your own plans. I am sure that all of the info you need will be found using search. Usually takes me a while but eventually I find what I need. Just reading the post history as you search gives additional ideas for mods that people have tried. Forum can be a good source of parts too.
Only problem I have is that I continue to sink large amounts of cash into an old 1996 bike but it is worth every penny. Have just sold my SP1 because I prefer the Yamaha on the road and track.
My TRX in its current form with some mods you are considering;
YZF750 front end (wheel and forks/yokes) has transformed the feel of the bike (not simply a cosmetic change as I thought it would be) and 320mm discs with bluespots (+ master cylinder change) are a great performance upgrade.
Have yet to use it in anger with the YZF rear swinger (+ dogbones) and 180 tyre. Sigma clutch, cams, R6 rad all on my list for 2013.
Good luck with your project which ever way it goes.
Mister D
Has one of your exhaust hanger mounting screws fallen out?
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:54 pm
by cobbadiggabuddyblooo
Just remember which ever front end you choose you will need to have it retuned to suit the TRX.. Did you have a std can on your Akrapovic system at some stage Andy ??? If so what the difference with the devil can....
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:22 pm
by AndyAshworth
cobbadiggabuddyblooo wrote: Did you have a std can on your Akrapovic system at some stage Andy ??? If so what the difference with the devil can....
I'm confused - that's not my bike, I was merely quoting the pic from above.
As it happens, I do have an Akra on my own TRX but I don't know what can it is.
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:58 pm
by phuk72
cobbadiggabuddyblooo wrote:Did you have a std can on your Akrapovic system at some stage Andy ??? If so what the difference with the devil can....
Yes I did

Aboout 4db and 2hp at the top end
Re: All Advice welcome with my impending TRX strip and rebui
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:42 am
by M.V.
sadmansteve wrote:Here's one of mine.
TRX 850.jpg
R6 2CO throttle housing (allows throttle cables to exit under the handle bar and take a shorter route). Looks neater too!
Steve.
Hey Steve, which year does that relate too? Same throttle cables used?
Cheers.