Apollo Racer

[tjwilson]

Not too much to reassembling everything. New whitewalls on order.

 

[tjwilson]

I'm pretty sure this is a replacement seat for this bike. The curve design doesn't really match the frame and the rear of the seat looks a little thin to me. Especially compared to the bread loaf design of the original. Tried to blend the styles between the frame and seat with the addition of a boxy reflector housing.

Started with a rough paper template.

Then to metal once I had a direction.

Attached side trailer reflector tape to a thin piece of bent sheet metal. This was then fastened to the housing with 3M double sided tape.

Completed housing is attached with the sissy bar to seat bolts.

 

[sdframe]

Dang . . . you're good.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I'm pretty sure this is a replacement seat for this bike. The curve design doesn't really match the frame and the rear of the seat looks a little thin to me. Especially compared to the bread loaf design of the original. Tried to blend the styles between the frame and seat with the addition of a boxy reflector housing.

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Started with a rough paper template.

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Then to metal once I had a direction.

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Attached side trailer reflector tape to a thin piece of bent sheet metal. This was then fastened to the housing with 3M double sided tape.

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Completed housing is attached with the sissy bar to seat bolts.

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Wow! How did you get that reflector as shiny as you did? Plated, painted, or sanded and polished?

 

[kram]

That reflector is perfect for this bike!

 

[Brian macumber]

Nice job on the reflector.

 

[tjwilson]

Dang . . . you're good.

That reflector is perfect for this bike!

Nice job on the reflector.

Wow! How did you get that reflector as shiny as you did? Plated, painted, or sanded and polished?

Thanks all!

@Bike from the Dead... I was able to get the housing shiny by sanding and then polishing the sheet metal. Started by grinding / filing the welds and then used progressively finer grades of paper. This was finished pretty rough because I knew most would be hidden by the seat. I only went as fine as 300 grit. After that I used a buffing wheel. First with a firm wheel and hard rouge and finished with a softer wheel and rouge. I've been able to get some pieces (like a pieced together set of handle bars) pretty close to looking like chrome in the past. Takes a lot of time. I've found the shine holds up fairly well although, if it is a surface that is touched a lot it will begin to rust. Something about the oil from your skin that gives rust a chance to begin to bite into the metal.

 

[tjwilson]

Tire Mounting Advice?

I'm having trouble mounting a rear tire. A lot of trouble! The rear tire and rim on my other MBBO build are exactly the same sizes and the tire bead set without my even thinking about it. For some reason I keep hitting a wall on this one. Just can't get the tire bead to set in the rim. I've got a 20 x 2.4" tire and a rim that's approx. 1-1/2" wide, both ISO 406. The problem area hasn't been consistent. Neither a specific area of the rim or tire. The non-set area changes with each attempt. Here's what I've tried...

- Ground, sanded, polished and waxed the inside of the rim.
- Tried at different times liquid soap, liquid soap with water, WD40, silicone spray.
- Removed nibs and mold seams from tire bead area.
- Under-inflating the tire, pinching / rolling, continue inflating.
- Over-inflating.
- Over-inflating and let sit overnight.
- Over-inflating and bouncing the tire (vigorously... bent the rim sidewall ).
- Tried centering the tire while inflating with zip ties.
- New rim tape.
- Tried variations of the above with a different rim.

Zip Tie Attempt

Damaged Rim

Best Bead Set So Far
If you look closely you can see where the bead didn't set at around 7/8 o'clock. I really like the way that the tire fills the fender but as you can imagine, it kind of looks like a clown car with the whitewall off center as it rolls!

Only thing else I can possibly think of to try is inflating the tire quickly with an air compressor (rather than a hand pump) or maybe warming the tire up first so that it is more pliable? Any tips or ticks would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Vroom]

I have had that problem on some 24 x 3 on narrow rims,try 5-10 psi and put your eight fingers on the tread of the tire like on a steering wheel and use your two thumbs to push the tire bead down into the rim flange.
sometimes you have to mess with the low psi to get it right and when it seats fully inflate to desired psi. Good Luck!

 

[hamqqea]

Tire Mounting Advice?



Only thing else I can possibly think of to try is inflating the tire quickly with an air compressor (rather than a hand pump) or maybe warming the tire up first so that it is more pliable? Any tips or ticks would be greatly appreciated!

I've run into the same problem with Huskys on old steel. You did everything. Filling rapidly may result in a blow off if it's not set right. Could lose the tube.

Inflate the tire on another rim for a while longer and try again... Nothing conclusive, just got lucky seating it eventually.

I would not use anything more than liquid soap with water. Sometimes I clean the rims with acetone, or alcohol to reduce slip.

... got a better rim to use.

 

[kram]

I’ve found that sometimes airing it up but not to full psi and then riding around on it can sometimes get it to set in place. Seems like the weight and the spinning helps. Just take it easy and check it frequently.

 

[tjwilson]

Thanks for the replies!
I gave it another try. While better than the previous it's still not mounted quite as nice as I'd like.

@Vroom
I even tried stepping in the tire sidewall this time! It did seem to help when I tried this without any kind of lubricant on the bead. I think the tire may have been slipping back in rather then setting?

@hamppea
"a better rim"
What fun is that... Pffft, the smart and easy way

@kram
I'll definitely be giving that a thorough try when the weather warms.

 

[Vroom]

Thanks for the replies!
I gave it another try. While better than the previous it's still not mounted quite as nice as I'd like.

@Vroom
I even tried stepping in the tire sidewall this time! It did seem to help when I tried this without any kind of lubricant on the bead. I think the tire may have been slipping back in rather then setting?

@hamppea
"a better rim"
What fun is that... Pffft, the smart and easy way

@kram
I'll definitely be giving that a thorough try when the weather warms.

I was thinking about that and remembered I would also pull the 7/8 of the seated part up from the seat to help hold the offending 1/8 down?

 

[tjwilson]

Images of the finished assembled bike are ready to go. I've had a front whitewall ordered since the middle of November. Eventually that will be swapped out... if and when it arrives. With the Holidays coming up and, the build deadline only a couple weeks after that, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get a photo shoot in. Decided to take images of the bike as is while I had a break in the weather. Plus, I've wrestled with that rear tire long enough! Calling it done.

Too late for this year but, I might have next year's Christmas card...

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Images of the finished assembled bike are ready to go. I've had a front whitewall ordered since the middle of November. Eventually that will be swapped out... if and when it arrives. With the Holidays coming up and, the build deadline only a couple weeks after that, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get a photo shoot in. Decided to take images of the bike as is while I had a break in the weather. Plus, I've wrestled with that rear tire long enough! Calling it done.

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Too late for this year but, I might have next year's Christmas card...

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The Apollo turned out awesome! Love your choice of backdrops, they really make the bike pop.
I agree, those 2 bikes should be in a Christmas card!

 

[CRASH]

Hello, I'm stepping in as the interim-Admin for this build-off since Captain Awesome is indisposed. There is discussion of changing the completion deadline to accommodate more builders. We'd like your opinion. Please vote here: https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index...out-extending-the-mbbo-bmxbo-deadline.112979/

Thank you, and KEEP BUILDING!