Hey thanks man!!!

And thanks to the rest of you guys too!!!!

Before I get into the updates on my Ruck, I thought I'd show how I lowered my stock forks.
I really liked how the stock forks rode so I didnt want to screw that up by removing a spring or the rubber bushing inside. So I decided to change the mounting location on the forks.

Here is how I did it:

Basically, just cut off the mounting points and welded them up higher(with some brackets or gussets for strength). Make sure to disassemble the forks first, so the heat from welding doesnt mess everything up. Also make sure you dont go too low and have your tire bottoming out on your triple tree.
Not only does this move the wheel up, but it moves it forward a little bit too, stretching out the ruck a bit more.

Here is what mine looked like in the early stages.


The only thing I didnt show in the the drawing is, since Im still using drum brakes, I had to weld on one tab, for the drum brakes to slide over. Its on the left fork and if you pull your front wheel off, you'll see the tab that Im talking about.

Ok, onto the newest updates.
I did some searching, trying to find the best deal I could on either a used gy6 scooter or a new engine. The cheapest I found was on Ebay, so I ordered it up. BUT it turns out, since the motor I got on ebay didnt come with carb, coil, cdi, etc, etc, it may have been cheaper to buy the motor from Rucksters(since theirs include all that stuff). Oh well, live and learn!!

I didnt take a ton of pictures, but I will make sure to document things better from here on out.
I was excited to see this on my door step!


I also ordered a 12x7.5 black steel wheel. The only cheap wheel I could find in the correct 3" back spacing.
Heres a link to what I got
http://www.ebay.com/itm/260968337002?ss ... 1423.l2649

$50 shipped! WAY cheaper than anything else I could find.

I also ordered a cheap 140/70/12 tire. I believe it was about $40 shipped from Motorcycle superstore.

Here is the tire in comparison to the 7.5" wide wheel

The mounting went flawlessly thanks to the tire stretching pros at Tri-State Tire.
I do have a short axle that I need to throw in too.

I also bought a Powered by Max hub which came powder coated black. Looked great!!!! Sorry, no pics of just the hub.

Here's a pic of the wheel and tire mounted on the motor:

I liked it, but I knew I had to spice up that steel wheel, so I cut out some white vinyl and did the checkboard pattern.

Kris(Kcud) convinced me to just buy the Mojo weld on mount. Its cheap and made well. So I cheated a bit and bought it, instead of making it. I know, I know, I should be ashamed!!! haha
Really it was a matter of saving some time, between my job and kids, I dont have much free time anymore.
Anyway, the mount:


Welded on(which is a very, very simple project, since the mount is made so well!)


You might notice my rear frame is now white. I had a friend with a PWJDM extension that was causing his rear wheel to be very crooked. I figured since Im going to be welding on a new mount anyway, why not give him my rear frame with the DIY extension, which fixes his problem and gives me a fresh frame to work with. So the DIY extension lives on!!!!! haha

His rear frame had a hole in it, where the sock was mounted:


So I filled it and smoothed it out:

I will be making my own shock mount.

Right now the engine is fully mounted up, but I dont have any pics of it. The best one I have is when I was getting everything lined up:


I really like the center shock mounts, but no way am I paying for one!!
So I stared figuring out how to make one work.
Here are a few pics. I think Im going to put the upper shock mount on the center tube of the ruck frame, like so:


I also started making a rough draft for the lower mount, but I'll have to change it a bit to get the angle right:

More to come on this, as Im still working on it.


Lastly, if you look back on my first page, you might remember SRGT Spree, my very first scooter.
Well, the spree is getting the motor from the ruckus, along with the $48 fatty.
This will be more of a long term project, because the ruck has priority, but the motor has already been mounted up.

Here are a few pics:



It will be quite the odd looking thing when its done! haha!

Looking good man... I really like the rear wheel..

You working on this puppy today?

Thanks man.




No, I've been sick as a dog for the last 2 days.

Yeah that checkerboard is pretty badass! Nice thread you got going here too.

After reading entire thread, im inspired to learn to weld. One thing i haven't tried yet. Thanks

Yeah, very nice. Got to see where this goes.

Dude we need to hang out lol! I'm working on my own center shock plan using almost the same set up, only differance is I'm using a 1" piece of solid bar. The kicker here is my name is also Zach hahaha.

this is the ultimate build. i wish i had some welding equipment but maybe I'll find a buddy to do it for cheap

What specs does one need on a welder to do what you're doing? I've been scouring craigslist a bit, but I don't even know what I'd be looking for.

Thanks man. The checkerboard was a bit time consuming, but Im really digging it.




Thats awesome man. Messing with scooters is what gave me the motivation to learn also. With a grinder, a chop saw, and a welder, you can really have a lot of fun!!! haha




Thanks man. Im excited to get this gy6 going so I can enjoy the rest of the summer!




Haha. We actually could've hung out!! I have some friends that are coming to denver for that scooter rally on the 16-19, but I'll be in AZ that week, so I cant make it.
If my ruck is done, I will probably let one of the guys bring it up and cruise it around. So if you go and see my ruckus with the checkered back wheel, give the rider a hard time!!! haha
And I actually decided against the center shock mount, at least for now. I havent had much time to work on the scooter, so I was having a hard time justifying spending so much time on the mount when I had so many other things to finish. So I just threw together a quick conventional mount, but I did try to make it weird/cool. haha. I'll post some pics below.




Thanks dude. If you have the extra cash, I would definitely recommend getting a cheap welder and getting in some practice. It will step up your whole game!




This is my welder:

Little Flux core(that means no gas) Hobart. It just plugs into any outlet. Its very portable which makes it nice when I want to load it up and take to a buddies house or something.

So here is the shock mount I threw together.

I spent like 20 minutes making it as sharp as possible. hahaha

With the shock bolted on, rolled out of the garage

^^Also when I was doing the checkerboard pattern, I couldnt decide on big or small checkers, so I small on one side, big on the other. You can see the big ones here.

Heres just a step back

I like how thats looking!

So I had a small change in plans for the exhaust.
Originally, I bought a gy6 header pipe and then got a tractor muffler from a local farm store.
I cut up the header pipe:


Routed it the way I wanted and tacked it together:


Then stuck the muffler on:


My original plan was to cut the tip into a spike(matching the shock mount) and then flat black the whole exhaust, but then my pal (and constant tempter) Kcud found the style of exhaust I really love. Its actually intended for a Honda Monkey, so it will take a bit of modding to fit, but it was only $158 shipped from Japan!

I'll get some pics when I get the exhaust in my hands(probably tomorrow!!). Its kind of the slash cut, megaphone style. I love that look!!!

I also started on the wiring harness, but no pics yet.

I cant wait to ride this thing again!!!!

i'm excited to see that spree!

You and me both, man.
She was my very first scooter. Im excited to be giving her a new lease on life.