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rainbow
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« Reply #30 on: October 24, 2005, 10:38:07 PM » |
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yep very shiny, but my missus wont let me near any more tools  wonder why that is then |
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yoda
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« Reply #31 on: October 24, 2005, 11:26:47 PM » |
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http://www.bikerlifestyle.co.uka saveloy of the first order A self propelling luggage cappacity system Officially a lady of the night owner of 'Yoda's magnificent emporium of snappingness' and light bulb mogul of the Midlands
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #32 on: October 24, 2005, 11:56:42 PM » |
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A bit of a DIY disaster Yodles?
Young BG, you're very welcome to come & play with the welding kit if you fancy a go. Did you see the sword I made for Doro & Kris? Really enjoyed doing that. I like being creative. Once I've got all the various projects out of the way I'd love to try my hand at metal sculpture. Would be fun to do it without the pressure to get it finished by a certain date like the bikes & stuff.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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BikerGran
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« Reply #33 on: October 25, 2005, 06:19:22 PM » |
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That's exactly what I have in mind - metal sculptures made out of bits of other things - like bikes for instance! What kind of welding kit do you have? Today I've been offered a go with my mate's gas welding equipment (which he hasn't got of course, cos you have to have a licence or something....) Thanks for the offer but I really don't have time at present - I hope to retire in less than 2 years, them I'm going to do a welding course at a local agricultural college. They do a very basic one-day job for farmers who just want to be able to put things back together when they break, but also have longer course for those who want to learn to do a bit more than that. Thought I'd start with the one-day course and see if I like it. I did fancy the blacksmithing course, but not sure that all that hammering would be good for the arthritis! But then I've got pottery waiting to be done as well - I haven't really got time for work, but the money comes in handy.  |
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You don't stop havin fun because you get old - you get old if you stop havin fun!
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #34 on: October 25, 2005, 09:03:55 PM » |
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Hmm, build your own tractor, that sounds interesting! Flap & I attended evening classes at the local tech college a couple of years ago. I'd owned welding gear before but not been taught to use it so was never 100% confident about the results. The course cost about 60 quid I think & covered MIG & gas. We then bought a 150 MIG unit between us, which will weld up to 6mm steel plate -enough for our needs.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #35 on: October 25, 2005, 09:12:04 PM » |
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This evening I tack-welded the existing hardtail frame tubes to the new clamps. Measure, check, measure again, stand back & bump into the frame, check & measure again, then weld. Then check again. The two existing frame legs were very slightly out of square with each other but a little gentle tweaking & they're fine now. Tomorrow I'll add the top hardtail rails, running from the stubs of the original seat frame, behind the tank, straight down to the axle clamps.
I thought this frame looked really tall but maybe it's just cos the others are all so low. Seat height will be around 20". I've checked the height of the front end by running a tape measure down through the yokes till it touched the floor & checking against the forks. It's the same height as the original frame. Still got to cut off the lugs for the main & side stands which the previous builder had left on.
We'll be swapping the original 13" wheels for Ska Man's spare pair of 15" ones, so I'm using my own axle & wheels to build around for now.
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« Last Edit: October 25, 2005, 10:00:46 PM by Manky Monkey »
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #36 on: October 25, 2005, 09:21:40 PM » |
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Tried my aluminium trike tank on Rainbow's frame & it very nearly fits. Follows the curve of the frame rather than hiding it like the original Suzuki one. Valley Gas speed shop in Newbury have a local guy who makes ally tanks for them. I've seen his work & it's very good. They reckon they could produce one by Christmas -so that's her pressie sorted then.
Mine cost 300 quid & was made by "The Tank Shop" in Dumfries. Took 9 months.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #37 on: October 27, 2005, 09:07:17 PM » |
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Cut & welded the seat rails this afternoon.
Rainbow tried it for size & found the standard footpeg position is too cramped now so I'll have to shift 'em further forward, (pegs are laying in the new position in the photos). We've decided against the one-off ally tank so we're on the hunt for a GL850 tank again if anyone's got one.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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BikerGran
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« Reply #38 on: October 28, 2005, 09:15:47 AM » |
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No idea what a GL850 is but David Silver have got some tanks they're selling off... Tanks going cheep! |
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You don't stop havin fun because you get old - you get old if you stop havin fun!
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #39 on: October 28, 2005, 11:33:11 AM » |
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Thanks Bobbi. The GL is the factory custom version of Rainbow's GS Suzuki. Dave Silver have got a stand at the NEC bike show. We'll be there on Sunday so will have a look then.
Been looking at these piccies of the frame & I'm really not sure about those seat rails. They look far too high. Too steep an angle. The top end is the height of the original seat frame so it's definitely lower than standard but I think I might have to drop the front end of the seat rails lower to get it looking right.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #40 on: October 28, 2005, 10:00:30 PM » |
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Right. I'm not happy with this frame at all so gonna have a bit of a rethink. I've canvassed a few opinions from my email correspondence this evening, & the general consensus is those seat rails definitely have to go! Anyone else got any views? I've limited myself by working with an original bike frame but couldn't really alter the dimensions of the engine cradle anyway. I'm thinking chop the back off & start again. Lose the original trike conversion tubes that are welded to the swinging arm pivots cos they're setting the height of the front half of the frame. Drop the front cradle down a couple of inches. Much lower seat rails. Maybe even pull the axle in tighter to make it purely a single seater as long as I can do it without making that angle steep again. Got to keep enough clearance under the frame for the exhaust, (unless we make up a high level one down one side of the motor with a heat shield on it), but could rake the front end out a little more & convert it to a single top tube, meaning we could use an off the shelf custom tank. Also need to make the hardtail narrower by pulling the axle clamps in a few inches on either side. Easy. I'll knock that lot up after work tomorrow then!  |
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #41 on: October 28, 2005, 10:12:11 PM » |
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Could keep the bottom loop of the engine cradle & the headstock. Angle the headstock back a little more to lower the frame, chop out the 3 top tubes & replace them with a single 2" one, much lower seat rails & the lower hardtail rails sweeping up to narrower axle clamps from the bottom of the engine cradle. Then a simple curved upright down either side of the back of the motor. Easy.
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« Last Edit: January 02, 2006, 07:32:12 PM by Manky Monkey »
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #42 on: October 28, 2005, 10:35:53 PM » |
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More like this.
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On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
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Manky Monkey
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« Reply #44 on: October 29, 2005, 05:31:56 PM » |
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Exactly what I'm doing matey. Nice to know you agree though.
Spent the afternoon after work today cutting up the existing set up with the angle grinder -& then continuing with the hacksaw after I burnt out yet another grinder. Don't use undue pressure on them but we only buy cheap & cheerful ones & have gone through 3 or 4 so far. So another 10 quid Chinese one from the show tomorrow then.
Have sliced off the back end. The previous trike conversion rails were throwing things out completely -far too wide & too high. Refurbished the axle clamps I made the other day, then cut out the centre one of the 3 top tubes. Using the outside 2 as a temporary guide to make sure the new 2" top tube is high enough to allow us to refit the engine! New top tube will curve down behind the engine & the seat rails will meet it at a lower height. Will add a little more rake to the headstock to lower the frame & bring the bars back closer to the rider. Think we might have to knock up a 4 into 1 high level pipe running down one side of the motor to compensate for the reduced ground clearance.
No photos today cos I forgot to take the camera!
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