the KIWI KRATE.......NEW PIX added 7 OCT....

[kingpin]

hey all
ive been a lurker on this site for a while...some of u may know me from my old site dicebandits?! whatever lol

well im down here in New Zealand and i dont think we ever had schwinns to start with. our custom bike scene is zero!!! people go for a "cruise" around the beach here on their mountain bikes!!!

anywho...i have decided to enter the comp...i assume thats ok?

i was gonna do a nice british fixy but i have way to many bikes and parts lying around that i really couldnt justify buying more...

SO im gonna build a crazy bmx based rat...dont think ive seen any bmxs so far?

it will be called the crazy kiwi...oh and by the way...we call ourselves kiwis. and a kiwi is one or our native birds not a fruit...thats called a "kiwi fruit" (....what brilliant marketing decision by the nz export board!!! not! who the heck calls an orange an orange fruit? so now everyone in the world thinks we name ourselves after a little fury fruit that looks alot like a nad! lol)

any way that was alot of burble...maybe i should have done an intros post?

later

Brett

disclamer: i reserve the right to totally change my mind at any moment before the end of the build off

 

[CCR]

welcome aboard Kingpin, ive tried lookin up dicebandits several times and cant find a current link, is there any ?? none the less, glad to meet ya and have fun !!! cant wait to see what a kiwi BMX looks like !!!

 

[aka_locojoe]

I vaguely remember the DiceBandits site.
There's another Kiwi that is on here occasionally. Andrew aka 64lowrider or something like that.

Welcome.

 

[nogoodnic42]

Hey Brett, I used to frequent Dice Bandits, great site. Welcome to the group, its good to see you around again. Looking forward to seeing your build...Kelly

 

[kingpin]

hey kelly, i remember you...thanks for the kind words about the old site.!

well i have totally changed the direction of my build...lol
in the 70s we had whats called raleigh 20s and healing did a copy called the cruiser.
well i found this healing for a customer (who is now being a real pain in the bottom about the deal we had) but have now decided to use it as my build off bike...

saved from a scrap metal place!

 

[kingpin]

update:
- cleaned it up and the frame paint is actually really nice...and kiwis are brown....cost $20 plus some scrap metal...
- has a 3 speed hub! didnt notice when i bought it as it has no gear changer
- bought this cool cable outer...cost $5 nzd plus some shipping....

 

[kingpin]

please leave a comment....im feeling all alone......:0

 

[CCR]

cool sheath, my LBS only has black/white or red, so i tend to stay away from cables if i can. what kinda 3 speed ??, i think i saw a old school shimano 3 speed grip shifter a while back in the classifieds (?dumpster-diver?) that would match what you already got on there. frame definately reminds me of the raliegh choppers, if it was mine id put a "sandwichboard" tank mounted on top and a front basket, kinda like a midget truckster er somethin
show us some more man !!!

 

[kingpin]

thanks for the input ccr...where r u from?
the choppers are like hens teeth here now and fetch big money...i have turned these cruisers into choppers for a few people now....

i think its a strummy archer 3 speed.....i thinking about some sorta jocky shifter....i have never worked with internal geer'd hubs so it will be fun to learn on.

i got some material to cover the seat im gonna use today...cant wait to start working on it....im starting to get a real good feel for the direction im gonna go...


brett

 

[CCR]

southern illinois USA, its a cornfield/coal mine with mud around it :lol: bad thing bout where im at is they use salt to de-ice the roads + HUMID !! weather = rusted to death bicycles. Theres plenty of cheap off brand cruiser frames round, but if somebody has somethin good, their so broke theyll hold on to it til a sucka comes along, but momma didnt raise no fool.

im still fishin for "shifter ideas" myself, i know how im gonna do it, just havent figured out what to make it outta :mrgreen:

seats are out of my capabilities, i could tear up an anvil before i could recover a seat.

 

[kingpin]

i wonder what shipping would be on an old bike from where u are to where i am? lol

as far as the seat goes...ill try anything...if someone else can do it than so can i..i hope

brett

 

[kingpin]

25/09/07 update:
me and may mate Elliot did alot of work on the Kiwi Krate this morning...its looking cool but we are having problems fitting the rear wheel...its to fat!
oh and decided that Kiwi Krate is a cooler and more descriptive name...

photos comming really soon...


brett

 

[CCR]

cool, take your time man, i still gotta lace my wheels hehe

 

[kingpin]

cant slow down!!! lol i wanna ride it this weekend!!!!......

 

[kingpin]

so heres the first stage. seat gone, front wheel replaced, brakes half off...just checkin each bit as we go...

rear fender gone, bars gone, cables gone, nice fat 20inch wheel and tyre in place...

the rear wheel doesnt fit atm...with a link or two added to the chain it should fit...just...
new bars in place

final mockup of the day...the gator is doing the final inspection...he noticed the super ugly banana seat and says it has to go....
ive decided just to sit down for this shot!

 

[kingpin]

thought is ad this nice photo of the Kiwi Krate so far...

 

[kingpin]

please leave us comments....even if u hate the bike...or wanna arm wrestle me....

 

[Hugo]

I love that frame, especially with that colour and "cruiser" letters. And the chainring is cool, too. I would try a longer fork to see what it would look like. It bothers me to see a non-horizontal rear rack.

Cool bike, man.

Hugo

 

[aka_locojoe]

Sorry if I missed it but is that a 20" rear and 16" front? Looks cool.

 

[kingpin]

good call on the rack Hugo...its actually coming off....maybe gonna go on the front. i may try a longer fork...id really like to do a 26inch springer but u can only get them new here and im trying to make this bike with stuff i already have....and for no money....

thanks for the comments locojoe..its a 20" bmx rear wheel with a vintage 3" fatty tire that i once won in a comp, all the way from san beradino cali...
the front is a 16 i think...could be smaller actually...

i normaly love coaster brakes but i think i want a freewheel on this bike just so that i can use that cool glitter cable outer i bought for a rear brake...tho thinking about it...i dont think i could fit a brake for this wheel and tire combo...

thanks for looking

Brett