** BILLET BULLET ** RRBBO#4

[Ace]

Re: BILLET BULLIT (okay, I'll give up...) may 31st

Question: Does anyone have experience or opinion about fitting 2nd brake on the backwheel? Will it be a major improvement on the braking?

Ask Ponytailmike:

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=11776

Nice work on the Billet Bullit, lots of personal touches 8)

 

[deorman]

Re: BILLET BULLIT (okay, I'll give up...) may 31st

It's been done many times,it can give improved control. Will it make your set-up legal? (still no front brake, but it would be 2 rim brakes :?: )

 

[olschbp]

Re: BILLET BULLIT (okay, I'll give up...) may 31st

let's see, 2 brakes, 1 wheel, can't see the reason for it, now 2 brakes on 2 wheels, that work's. you might want to think it over before going to all that work, just my thought is all, by the way, nice build you have there

 

[user 135]

Re: BILLET BULLIT (okay, I'll give up...) may 31st

I would go for a front brake. Most braking happens with front.

http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLIT (okay, I'll give up...) may 31st

Ah! Thanks for the input on the brakes-issue guys! I really appreciate it.

It's better to use both wheels for braking. I know. But the front just isn't an option because of my fabricationwork of the fender,bracing, lightset-up... So I'm focusing on the rear wheel to brake as good as possible. Before the build I noticed that the backwheel braking was poor. I didn't want to take the effort to tweak it because of the build-off that had just started. I think I'll install this brake again today and try to make it as good as I can. The 2nd brake is still just an option. A last resort really because it wont be easy for me to install it. I want to use the frontbrake for that, which uses a bolt that has two differend sized threads on it...

I really don't want to get into a discussion of what type of braking is best. I probably don't know what's best. What I do know is that I've been riding rearbrake-only bikes for more than 30 years and it worked for me. (all types of brakes) As long as I have the brakingpower under control from freewheeling to really lock-up the backwheel so it will skid I'll be a happy (and safe) man.

So my main question (in general) is:
Will I be able to make the backwheel lock if I install that 2nd brake on the backwheel?

It's been done many times,it can give improved control. Will it make your set-up legal? (still no front brake, but it would be 2 rim brakes :?: )

heheh... I'd like to tease a cop by pointing that out (stupid, and useless ofcourse, but fun nonetheless). No it won't make it legal. It clearly state a brake for each wheel... It makes me think of 'how legal are fixies'?

 

[N8NBOX]

Re: BILLET BULLET (okay, I give up...) may 31st

if your really concerned about having enough stopping power id invest in some good caliper brakes...with the location you would be able to tun it in the front as well since its on the side of the wheel and all right? Just my .02

 

[mastershake916]

Re: BILLET BULLET (okay, I give up...) may 31st

You see, the tire/wheel sizes that are measured in inches measure the outside diameter of the tire. Of course some tires are different, but the number comes from the original tire size, when the standard was started. I could explain all the rest in my own words, or link you to Sheldon Brown, which would be much more direct because I learned from reading his article.
http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Also, even if you lock up the rear, you will not have as much stopping power as the other bikes because the tire is so thin, and creates less resistance between the rubber and the road. But a good brake adjustment should enable you to skid, with just about any brake.

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (okay, I give up...) may 31st

You see, the tire/wheel sizes that are measured in inches measure the outside diameter of the tire. Of course some tires are different, but the number comes from the original tire size, when the standard was started. I could explain all the rest in my own words, or link you to Sheldon Brown, which would be much more direct because I learned from reading his article.
http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

Also, even if you lock up the rear, you will not have as much stopping power as the other bikes because the tire is so thin, and creates less resistance between the rubber and the road. But a good brake adjustment should enable you to skid, with just about any brake.

if your really concerned about having enough stopping power id invest in some good caliper brakes...with the location you would be able to tun it in the front as well since its on the side of the wheel and all right? Just my .02

Thanks guys, for the input.
This is what I've done today:

Installed a new shortened brakecable with just enough clearance to steer without any hic-ups. I've been testriding and adjusting the old shimano-brake all day long and I think I managed to get the best out of it. And well... It does brake. However, no emergancybrakes please... I can't get a full lock-up of the rear wheel but it's safe enough to take it to the streets. I'm creating kinda new way of braking on this bike: I 'push' my bike forward while braking to lift my weight above the backwheel. Kind of fixie-braking in reverse... And it works! Just gotta see if I'll get used to it.

And MAN! it's nice to take your build for the first time on the road. Can't wait to have it in shiny new paint!
Next stop: Fixing that brakelever bracket. Cutting the rubber to the right size and all. To make it look less crooked... ; - )

Meanwhile...
I started another thread of my new project:
My Cartboardtracker

 

[N8NBOX]

Re: BILLET BULLET (okay, I give up...) may 31st

looks great and the best way to be safe is just to stay uber alert and be familiar with your bike....knowing how it handles and brakes will help you avoid accidents much better than just having a good braking system and relying on it to save you from something.

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (okay, I give up...) may 31st

looks great and the best way to be safe is just to stay uber alert and be familiar with your bike....knowing how it handles and brakes will help you avoid accidents much better than just having a good braking system and relying on it to save you from something.

That's what I was thinking. But a combination of both staying alert AND a good braking system would be best ofcourse. Though, the present set-up works for me, for now.

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (nothing new - just some summerpics) june 2nd

And now for some artsfartsy detail shots:

I really had some fun today. In the last couple of days summer has arrived in Holland! We've had some beautiful wheather. Sunny and hot. Today the temperature dropped a bit but it still was a fine summer's day. I took the bike out for some more testdrives. And some testbrakes ; - ) I think I'm getting the hang of it. It handles okay in traffic. Won't be riding it during rainy days though... I made a 15 km biketour, just because it rides so fine! The improvement is dramatic with that 4mm thicker fronttire. So smooth now. You see, I don't run grips so you can imagine how that must have felt riding with the old 19mm upfront on my neighbourhood brickroads. (so, uptill now, smooth surface rides only!) But now the bike rides smoothly everywhere. I went to a local park which I ride passed everytime I go to work. Today it was the perfect backdrop for some nice shots of my bike. Hope you like em too.

G O S H ! I like the blue metalic...

 

[N8NBOX]

Re: BILLET BULLET (nothing new - just some summerpics) june 2nd

looking pretty gorgeous . Fantastic pictures *two thumbs up*

 

[ej599]

Re: BILLET BULLET (nothing new - just some summerpics) june 2nd

Nice!

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (This gave me the willies) june 7th

Thanks M8NBOX and ej599! It was just the perfect day to ride and take some photo's. The last couple of days the temperature has dropped more than 10 degrees. Plus... Now I'm REALLY glad I've installed some mudguards. I've been needing them badly the last couple of days...
: - /

-

Haven't been doing much to my BB, except for some small detail stuff like grinding some more screws that were too long, and cutting off excess rubber at the brakehandle. But I hate the look of it now. Have to see what I'll do about that... Seems I get a lot more fun out of my new build, the cardboardtracker...

But I've promised you guys to tell some more about the '38 Willys of my friend Perry... So here goes:

-

For several of my bikes I've been wanting to fabricate some 'tank'-inserts but I've been very unsuccesful with them... At one point I wanted an 'open see-through'-look with the skinny aloy strips, and maybe incorporate 'my logo' in it. The 'W' in a circle. Someone pointed out the Willys Overland logo to me which is very similar to mine. Look and behold what I found while doing a little research.:

This is almost how I planned to do my insert... I don't think so but it could have been in my subconsious. Because I HAVE seen this hood-ornament before. On the hotrod Willys my friend had, some 10+ years ago.

Here's my brother, taking off the sheets to show his Willy. (...that came out strange... ; - )

What appears to be a 1941 Willys two door sedan was in fact a 1938 Willys four dour sedan with a '40/'41 frontend. The work on this car is amazing. More so if you find out what has been done to it. First thing you 'notice' is its '40 front of which the hood has been welded shut just to be cut open at the top. Alligatormouth-style. The wings are welded too for a blended nose-section. Also it's not only a 'simple' two door conversion, but the builder enhanced it's lines by lengthening the doors by 4,5 inches, which make it look better than a factory stock two door, if there ever was any(?) Even the sidetrim looks like factory parts. It's made out of bend brass D-shaped extrusion. Doorcorners have been rounded. The body is channelled over the custommade chassis by 8 inches. The heart of this beast is a 454ci bigblock Chevy. 9inch ford rear, etc etc...

I find this sedan more beautiful than a coupe... THERE, I said it... And I'm not the only one that thought this car was one of the best hotrods ever. At least in Europe... In 1995 it won best of show at the NSRA Supernationals. The biggest and best Hotrod/Customcar show in Europe (at the time) :

As it appeared in UK's Custom Car magazine:

Not long after the mag came out Perry asked me to design a flamejob for the car. But I really liked it plain purple and told him a Willys doesn't need flames. But I did the design anyways... I made an illustration and Perry took it to a professional who made a few adjustments before applying the paint.

I kinda lost contact with Perry for me moving to another part of the country and lost track of the Willys. A few years ago I accidently bumped into Perry, and every now and then we see eachother at meetings.

But last friday I went to a hotrod show in Germany with my friend Ger, and he told me some interesting stuff about the Willys wherabouts... It appeared to be sold to a guy in the southern part of Holland.

And this is what it looks like 'today'...:

This is what happened on May 8th 2008:

On a cruisenight the new owner and his son wanted to do a burnout, and succeeded in a way no-one expected. The throttle-cable broke (or something) making the Willys launch... ...and crash. The driver and his son had to be dragged out of the wreck by bystanders and were hospitalized...

'Footage of 38 Willys Burn-out (click here)


Like I said:
A Willys doesn't need flames...

Kind of ironic, isn't it?

 

[elvis51]

Re: BILLET BULLET (This just gave me the willies...) june 7th

wow the pics of the burnt willy are horrifying, makes me sad in the pants...... :lol:

ive really enjoyed watching you do all the fabbing up of everything on this bike but one question, do you plan on painting it?

Easy E

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (This just gave me the willies...) june 7th

wow the pics of the burnt willy are horrifying, makes me sad in the pants...... :lol:

ive really enjoyed watching you do all the fabbing up of everything on this bike but one question, do you plan on painting it?

Easy E

Thanks Easy E. I got the photo's of the burnt Willys last night and it made me nauseous... Father and son survived (to my knowledge) thank god, but man, that gorgious car, the amount of work, blood, sweat, and tears, and let's not forget all the money...

As for the bike: Yes I'm planning to paint the bike. From the beginning I wanted it to be a dark metalic purple, but while I was building that metalic blue grew on me... But it's badly damaged. It's really worn out from stuff lying on to of it. Just like worn out old steel childrens playground objects. So, I HAVE to paint the bike anyway. I've been searching for 'the right blue' rattlecan.

But... It could be a bold statement NOT to paint it. You see, I feel my bike doesn't fit the 'ratrod'-theme that well... Ofcourse I must not let that affect my build but nevertheless... The original worn out paint DOES have a bit of a ratty-feel to it.

What to do, what to do...


Oh, and I updated my cartboardtracker (click here)

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (worn-out paint...) june 9th

I trimmed the rubber edges from my brakelever.

^ before...

^ after...

And I hate it...
I now like the extra rubber. I think it makes it more 'industrial'. Now it looks a bit flimsy... I'll try and change it back and make a new brace.

Also:
People have been asking me if I'm going to paint this bike. I think so, but have to overcome some dillemas. See my previous post. Current original paintjob is deffinately worn out, as are the logos and lettering:

Also:
For all you hotrod and kustom kulture lovers: I have posted pics from the Bottrop Kustom Kulture show in Germany, which I attended last friday:

Click here for my report...

 

[deorman]

Re: BILLET BULLET (worn-out paint...) june 9th

I'm curious as to why you haven't attempted to make your own strap for the lever. Another (more realistic) :? possibility would be to make an aluminum ring instead of rubber.

 

[herr_rudolf]

Re: BILLET BULLET (worn-out paint...) june 9th

I'm curious as to why you haven't attempted to make your own strap for the lever. Another (more realistic) :? possibility would be to make an aluminum ring instead of rubber.

Oh, but it IS a homemade strap... Remember my problems with the wider aluminium strips? It was impossible to make tight bends without braking it. I planned to use the rubber with it as it was a perfect fit. The rubber would hide most of the strap and would only show as much alloy as the thin strip I eventually used. But it just wasn't possible so I had to use the thin strip and lay it on top of the rubber instead of snugly fitted inside the rubber... Another reason... It is quite difficult to make a ring with a perfect fit out of metal. To make it really tight I have to use rubber...

But I have to say, I really like the look of the extra rubber. It just didn't fit properly, making the sides look a little wobly.

 

[herr_rudolf]

** BILLET BULLET ** UFO sighting!!

^ Rumors were that a UFO had landed in our little town. LOOK and BEHOLD! ^

Just kidding. Ofcourse. The Evoluon is one of the city's wellknown landmarks. A fun but neglegted science-centre building.

Today I took my bike out for a ride. A 20 mile trip. Wanted to visit one of the nearby villages just to see if it's do-able on this bike. Coming sunday there's this 'American Meeting' for American car owners to show off there rides. Small, but it's getting better every year. The fun part is, my brother will be performing with his Rockabilly-band Channel Red. I really want to go on one of my bikes but if I'm using the bullet I better make shure the better part of the road is a smooth one. And it is. So, with my chain lock, and 2 litres of water on my rack I took the trip. Can't tell you just how much I love to ride this bike. Except for a mildly poor brake this is the best bike I ever had! This 20 mile-trip did not loosen ANY of the bolts and nuts, and believe you me: This bike has lots! But nothing... No shake, no rattle, just all roll.

Oh, and a speedometer should be fun too on this bike..

^ Too bad a 20 mile-trip causes the aliminum bars to rub off on my hands... ^
Ah well, I expected that ofcourse.