has anyone one....

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Aladinsaneuk · #1 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:20 pm

cut the falco oil tank about to make it smaller?

ie so a set of mille pipes will be clear?

(In laymans terms i cannot find a mille oil tank and nooj has offered me his hacksaw and am starting to get tempted....)

Nooj · #2 Post by **Nooj** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:56 pm

If it's cast iron I'd have thought you should be able to hack a lump off and carefully weld a plate over the hole.

But the difficulty is down to volume, a smaller sump will mean more frequent oil changes, do you know how often a given volume of oil will last before the polymers get mashed to bits inside a rotax motor?

Aladinsaneuk · #3 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:54 pm

nope

not a pigging clue..... and that is why I asked

mr dremel is coming to visit very bloody soon......

D-Rider · #4 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:55 pm

It's cast aluminium.

Cutting it down was my plan but when I got the mille exhaust on there, it was obvious that the amount of material I'd have to chop off would be far too much and it would hugely reduce the volume.

If you want to chop and weld anything, chop and weld the mille exhaust mid section to mate to the Falco front header.

BTW I've got 2 Falco oil tanks - the one I took off to fit the Mille tank and the one I bought previously to modify.

HowardQ · #5 Post by **HowardQ** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:35 pm

Sorry to be a pain but ???
Why bother doing all this to make the Falco look like a Mille.
A Falco has twin pipes, so why change it to make it look like something more common, (like a Mille and 90% of Jap IL4s).

Same for the swingarm in my view, don't get me wrong, I like banana swingarms. but (1) as above, and (2) I think the standard swingarm matches the Falco frame tubes better, (especially on silver framed Falcos like mine) and (3) it makes no difference to the handling.

Bling on a falco should be about making it look different as a Falco, not turning it into a Mille imitation.
Sorry but just my view, I know most people won't agree.

Be careful with that cut down on the oil tank Pete, I think Andy's right on the volume.
This hacksaw trend is getting worrying.

D-Rider · #6 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:47 am

mmmm I prefer the look of the Mille swinger (but then I'd not have bothered with it if I didn't).
To me the Falco arm looks a bit of a bolt-on afterthought whereas the Mille one so much better follows that visually important line from headstock to rear axle. Yeah, I know it doesn't make any difference in real world riding and the two swingers weigh the same but it just looks more "right" (to me).
It also allows the single can of the 2into1 exhaust ..... which is a fair bit cheaper a solution to aftermarket cans than having to fit a pair of the things to the Falco's 2into1into2 system .... and it saves more weight without me having to diet .... and it reveals the LHS of that lovely Mille swinger .....

Oh, and although these are Mille bits and pieces, I don't really see it as turning it into a Mille .... just as fitting my Gixer sidestand hasn't turned it into a 'sea bass' (suzuki).

fastasfcuk · #7 Post by **fastasfcuk** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:16 am

hear hear howard.

Viffer · #8 Post by **Viffer** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:14 am

With you on this one Howard.

#9 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:23 am

+1, Howard. And since when has a curved section been more structurally rigid than a straight one?

I've always preferred the visually balanced 'one pipe on each side' approach, myself. I'll live with the marginal weight increase and take the power gains, thanks...

bluedimension · #10 Post by **bluedimension** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:10 am

The handling charachteristics and weight of the swing arms are the same then it comes down to personal preference and disposable income.

My personal preference is for the straight (standard) swinger and twin pipes but "each to their own" has to be the motto for Falco owners.

As for the original question about the sump, I would agree with what has already been posted in that a reduction in volume means shorter intervals for maintainence and increase in costs. If you can live with that then go for it.

Cheers,

Blue.

D-Rider · #11 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:38 am

There's now a Poll running on the swingarm options

Syltiz · #12 Post by **Syltiz** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:48 am

Definately each to his own. I dont think of my mods as making my Falco more Mille-esque, I like a certain look or have a certain idea and half the fun of owning this bike is the licence that seemed to come with it. The licence to mod

I never did more than service my previous 7 bikes... and even the Pegaso 650 that I currently have is stock standard.

sabestian · #13 Post by **sabestian** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:43 am

I'm with D-R too! Swinger - looks, exhaust - cost + weight (Mille tank - half the weight, exhaust - half the weight...).

I said that before, the Mille swinger turned my bike from bearable to gorgeous. It's one piece that makes all the rest of the bike look perfect.

Nooj · #14 Post by **Nooj** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:54 am

The stock bike looks great, it's a really subtle yet totally effective design, nothing looks out of place on it and everything fits and flows together nicely.

But... I like to tinker. Ideally I'd like three, one stock with some serious engine tuning to put the wind up unsuspecting squids, one as a subtly done Falcuono for comfortable bimbling about and one as a brutal looking streetfighter to really go to town on with all kinds of flash body mods.

Unfortunately I've only got one, which isn't so bad as it means I can usually afford to buy food each week

and this way I get to try and do some very carefull modding, changing lots of bits and bobs but still keeping the bike very much a Falco, which takes a lot more thought than just bolting any old anodized tat onto it.

I don't get any creative outlet at work, so the bikes end up taking the 'damage' when it all comes out. And I like having something a bit different, I'm not a 'normal' person and have no intention of being just like everyone else, so that extends to my bikes.

It's also a good way to learn about how the bike is put together, which makes servicing and fault finding easier, so saves money on spannering bills which leaves more funds for petrol, rubber, hacksaw blades and paint

HowardQ · #15 Post by **HowardQ** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:04 pm

Seems I started something with that comment.

As I said, I do like banana swingers and accept different people have different views, just that I like the standard Falco unit as well.

As for saving weight on the cans, that only applies if you still have the original (half a ton each side) cans, but they don't last long on most Falcos.
I've got twin titanium cans on mine, so they weigh a tiny fraction of one standard can, and this is the point I do feel strongly about. Twins should have twin cans, it sets them apart from the zillion IL4s with a single can.
Think you also get a better "bark" from the twin race cans as well.

But as before everyone to their own, that what it's all about, doing your own thing.