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The ongoing saga of my motorcycle builds....


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It's looking significantly more motorbikey after yesterday. 

I'd only planned on stripping, shaving & polishing the forks, but there was an 'unscheduled, gravitational dismount' from the bench, so I ended up having to do a BUNCH of work I wasn't expecting. Rebuilt the forks with 6" over tubes, made spacers for both wheels, mounted & centered them, tacked on my (currently) asymmetricalt  handlebars, remove the jiffy stand & mount from the original frame, sandblast that, then drill & re-tap the threads for the spring mount & weld it onto the new frame plus I had to fabricate & weld on the steering stop. 

I managed to finally get my breakfast at 10:45 last night.......

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I also found out that the guy who built my frame made a couple of screw ups. One fairly innocuous, one significantly less so 😠 There's no way of fitting both the engine AND oil tank in the frame at the same time. The mounts need to be about a half inch lower & 1 inch further back. No biggie, the guy built it without having my motor there & stuff happens, y'know? However, the one I can't live with is that I specified a 40⁰ rake on the front end which, with a 21" wheel & 6" over forks, would put the bottom frame rails parallel to the ground. After I got it all together I sat & stared at it. Pulled out my work book & redid, then double checked my maths. I didn't make a mistake. So I ran to a buddy's house (he was thrilled to see me at 10pm) to borrow his digital angle gauge thingy (one of which I now have ordered) & the neck is 34.8⁰

So, I'm going to chop the damn thing off & redo it myself, like I should've in the first place. I knew I shouldn't have trusted someone else 🤦‍♂️

Edited by Handsome Rob
  • Like 1
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20 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

It's looking significantly more motorbikey after yesterday. 

I'd only planned on stripping, shaving & polishing the forks, but there was an 'unscheduled, gravitational dismount' from the bench, so I ended up having to do a BUNCH of work I wasn't expecting. Rebuilt the forks with 6" over tubes, made spacers for both wheels, mounted & centered them, tacked on my (currently) asymmetricalt  handlebars, remove the jiffy stand & mount from the original frame, sandblast that, then drill & re-tap the threads for the spring mount & weld it onto the new frame plus I had to fabricate & weld on the steering stop. 

I managed to finally get my breakfast at 10:45 last night.......

20240925_162749.thumb.jpg.48cf289937f7bc0a69860effee5cae2c.jpg20240925_162704.thumb.jpg.5cf8e8d45a850815f7f2c5fa1d404d40.jpg20240925_212411.thumb.jpg.ce157fd04bd293e75b9cf076447fd13c.jpg

I also found out that the guy who built my frame made a couple of screw ups. One fairly innocuous, one significantly less so 😠 There's no way of fitting both the engine AND oil tank in the frame at the same time. The mounts need to be about a half inch lower & 1 inch further back. No biggie, the guy built it without having my motor there & stuff happens, y'know? However, the one I can't live with is that I specified a 40⁰ rake on the front end which, with a 21" wheel & 6" over forks, would put the bottom frame rails parallel to the ground. After I got it all together I sat & stared at it. Pulled out my work book & redid, then double checked my maths. I didn't make a mistake. So I ran to a buddy's house (he was thrilled to see me at 10pm) to borrow his digital angle gauge thingy (one of which I now have ordered) & the neck is 34.8⁰

So, I'm going to chop the damn thing off & redo it myself, like I should've in the first place. I knew I shouldn't have trusted someone else 🤦‍♂️

I have a welder. Don’t have a pipe bender. I’ve always wanted to try making a hard tail frame, but I don’t know what I don’t know about it. I also lack a suitable donor engine/transmission as well as a few thousand other parts.😁

Edited by gregintenn
  • Haha 1
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And more work.......

That raised front end was bothering my eyes.

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So I took the grinder to it 😄

Now I'm much happier with how she's sitting. Today was busy. Raked, slugged & re-welded the front end, fabricated mounts for the oil tank & rear fender & got those bolted up (which would've been simpler if I hadn't ROYALLY screwed the pooch & ordered the fender an inch too small. Lots of slitting, stretching & welding.....) sorted out the sissy bar & mounted it & fabricated the headlight mount. I just got done around 10:30 tonight! 

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And of course, I've got the sissy bar mounted arse-backwards 🤦‍♂️ 5 minute fix for tomorrow before work.

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  • Handsome Rob changed the title to The ongoing saga of my motorcycle builds....
Posted (edited)

Every day, it looks a little more motorbikey!

@gregintenn You'll be tickled pink to learn that this one is staying shiny. It wasn't going to, but I'm seeing too many ratty chops owned & ridden by 'Johnny come lately' hipsters & manbuns.

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I bought a tube of Flitz yesterday. I feel dirty. 🥺

Edited by Handsome Rob
  • Love 1
  • Haha 2
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2 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

Every day, it looks a little more motorbikey!

@gregintenn You'll be tickled pink to learn that this one is staying shiny. It wasn't going to, but I'm seeing too many ratty chops owned & ridden by 'Johnny come lately' hipsters & manbuns.

20241003_181552.thumb.jpg.f0cfd35df252f9b8ae73074e7566d3d7.jpg

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I bought a tube of Flitz yesterday. I feel dirty. 🥺

A man after my own heart! I knew you’d see the light. Seriously, I think I’m really gonna like this one once you get it on the road.

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Posted (edited)

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More fun: Very sexy little Prism Supply tail light arrived & was installed. 

I also had The Wife take a couple of 'position' shots so I could situate my shifter. 

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Edited by Handsome Rob
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Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

There's a reason they call it a suicide clutch. LOL

It's only a suicide clutch if there's no front brake.

I considered a spool front wheel with no brake, but after riding the softail around for a few days, not using it, I decided that I'm to attached to this corporeal existence 😆

Edited by Handsome Rob
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