No price in the ad (best offer) but still kind of interesting:
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/bik/5554063427.html
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/bik/5554063427.html
Craigslist nightmares and dreams...
- Thread starter outskirtscustoms
- Start date
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that chopper bike is absurd. For that price you could buy a 1960's Velosolex, or anything vintage. That is the same price I paid for my 1986 crown victoria LTD. And I can see why the chain broke. Does it even have a transmission of any sort? I feel that cheap ugly engine ruins the bike, not that the bike itself could be ruined more.
On closer observation it doesn't even have pedals!
The chain ran to the sprocket on the other side. The pedals were cut off and that's it! 
Man is there a positive to this thing?..
Umm Nice headlight?
If it was 50 dollars it'd be worth it for the fork and headlight to make a proper chopper build. Though i'd be wary of any bondo on the front fork
(Hope I don't seem too harsh.)
On closer observation it doesn't even have pedals!
The chain ran to the sprocket on the other side. The pedals were cut off and that's it! Man is there a positive to this thing?..
Umm Nice headlight?If it was 50 dollars it'd be worth it for the fork and headlight to make a proper chopper build. Though i'd be wary of any bondo on the front fork
(Hope I don't seem too harsh.
)
Fv2
Don't know what I'm doing, gonna do it anyway.
$50 bucks is a stretch.that chopper bike is absurd. For that price you could buy a 1960's Velosolex, or anything vintage. That is the same price I paid for my 1986 crown victoria LTD. And I can see why the chain broke. Does it even have a transmission of any sort? I feel that cheap ugly engine ruins the bike, not that the bike itself could be ruined more.
On closer observation it doesn't even have pedals!
Man is there a positive to this thing?..
If it was 50 dollars it'd be worth it for the fork and headlight to make a proper chopper build. Though i'd be wary of any bondo on the front fork
(Hope I don't seem too harsh.
Your right
I'd give them 25 for the front fork and headlight. They can keep that goofy handle bar set up, and the rest. that bike has a highschool shop class vibe to it.Oh well its given inspiration of what not to do for my bike build!
Granted at least my build will be safe and legal
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Not me. I don't think I would reply at all.Man...what has this little corner of the world come to when someone builds a gas powered "rat rod bike" then it gets slammed on RatRodBikes.com?
Its not my thing, and I agree its over priced, but if it was done by certain members here y'all would be saying its the most awesome thing you've ever seen.
I agree with the person above, also I suspect if "certain" members of here did it would be of higher quality. I'm really surprised that chain drive system didn't hurt the guy's son when the chain broke considering your leg is right beside it. ( Or maybe it did and that's why its on craigslist!)
It has potential, it could easily be sorted out and made awesome (Basically only keeping the frame and front fork.), but at the same time the price they're asking will never be met( I hope, but if it does good for them.) It'll probably be going into the garage's loft and be discovered for garage sale season and tried to get sold for 400, 300,200, and then 125, until one day as its tires are rotted away and there's rust on the frame it will sell for 25$
)It has potential, it could easily be sorted out and made awesome (Basically only keeping the frame and front fork.), but at the same time the price they're asking will never be met( I hope, but if it does good for them.) It'll probably be going into the garage's loft and be discovered for garage sale season and tried to get sold for 400, 300,200, and then 125, until one day as its tires are rotted away and there's rust on the frame it will sell for 25$
Fv2
Don't know what I'm doing, gonna do it anyway.
I kind of agree with @deorman about not commenting. But in the past year I've seen a lot of amazing builds here, so if anyone here built that I apologize for stepping on your build. But I have to ask.Man...what has this little corner of the world come to when someone builds a gas powered "rat rod bike" then it gets slammed on RatRodBikes.com?
Its not my thing, and I agree its over priced, but if it was done by certain members here y'all would be saying its the most awesome thing you've ever seen.
Are you feeling ok?
I only comment the way I do because as Ralph Nader would say, that thing looks "unsafe at any speed"
Fv2
Don't know what I'm doing, gonna do it anyway.
I'm not saying it bad work, it's obvious that they knew what they were doing with a welder. Their skills far outshine mine.
And I'm not trying to slam anyone, I just question safety and rideability.
I've tried to ride a bike with forks like that. Its not easy, then to motorize it just seems dangerous.
I hope the person sells it, I also hope whoever rides it does it away from traffic.
And I'm not trying to slam anyone, I just question safety and rideability.
I've tried to ride a bike with forks like that. Its not easy, then to motorize it just seems dangerous.
I hope the person sells it, I also hope whoever rides it does it away from traffic.
There's problems with extended choppers and their geometry. I studied these things because I always wanted to make a chopper. With an extended fork like that you have issues of the front end bouncing or even skipping. While this minimal when the bike is only pedal powered. Motorizing it would amplify this. Any crack, bump or pot hole if the geometry of the frame or the fork isn't good enough you'd feel it. Since you are moving the centre of gravity more towards the rear. Great for a drag bike, but think about the front wheel with now no real weight on it. It hits something you're at the rear. The rear wheel is now a fulcrum point. Combined with the increased turning radius, and the way that fork was made. (Which I do wonder how strong it is. I bent a 1950's firestone fork with ease. All of that steel on that bike looks modern.) I do worry about the front end buckling in if you hit a pot hole or such. There's a reason why I am sticking a moped front end on my bike.
Safety first.
(WARNING WELDING RANT APPROACHING)
Also from a welding stand point I do wonder about HOW that bike was made. Modern cheap bikes (Most likely the donor for this project) are made from very cheap chinese steel that is tempered to give it strength. A lot of modern cars are also made in a similar fashion with this tempered steel which can be made in a thinner gauge and is cheap to press. (Compare a 1950's schwinn to a new schwinn beach cruiser. It's night and day as we all know.) Issue is a lot of this stuff isn't weldable, or scratch that, IT can be welded but it looses it's temper. Thats why a lot of cheap bikes at walmart are tig welded because if done properly (Most likely automated hot wire.) it will actually reduce the heat going into the work. Thats why tig is used for stainless steel.
Not many backyard people have a tig welder, or know how to use it. An Oxy torch if put into the right hands would be good enough too (Oxy was the welding process for everything until wire feed and Heliarc took over!). So that leaves MIG. Which is what everybody is familiar with. However the cheapest option for mig is FCAW or those fuel core welders you see at every lowes menards and such. There are issues with Mig that it produces a cold weld. Basically the weld has brittle composition compared to the parent material. If you look closely at any black car in a car show you can sometimes see lines under the paint from where it was mig welded. This cold weld weld is brittle and can crack if there isn't enough penetration.
You can run the most beautiful mig bead, but if it hasn't gotten deep enough you can hit it with a hammer and it will crack. I've seen NEW stuff break because of cold lapping.
Why do I bring this up? Because looking at the way that bike was made there is alot of welding involved. A lot of it structural, and alot it keeping your butt from scrapping across the ground. If any of those nicely covered up welds are cold lapped and the bike twists or bends (Easy to do with motor vibration) You could have a weld start to cracking if it is was mig welded. ESPECIALLY if it was gasless flux core welded.
That's my fear with that fork, especially being motorized. Thats my fear with the frame head, and even that joint where the seat post is. That's a tricky weld.
Sorry to bring up a welding rant, but I was trained to be welder and I just passed a weld test for a job as a welder. I am certified in GMAW sheet metal so when I see that bike I do wonder what process was used to make it.
Safety first.
(WARNING WELDING RANT APPROACHING)
Also from a welding stand point I do wonder about HOW that bike was made. Modern cheap bikes (Most likely the donor for this project) are made from very cheap chinese steel that is tempered to give it strength. A lot of modern cars are also made in a similar fashion with this tempered steel which can be made in a thinner gauge and is cheap to press. (Compare a 1950's schwinn to a new schwinn beach cruiser. It's night and day as we all know.) Issue is a lot of this stuff isn't weldable, or scratch that, IT can be welded but it looses it's temper. Thats why a lot of cheap bikes at walmart are tig welded because if done properly (Most likely automated hot wire.) it will actually reduce the heat going into the work. Thats why tig is used for stainless steel.
Not many backyard people have a tig welder, or know how to use it. An Oxy torch if put into the right hands would be good enough too (Oxy was the welding process for everything until wire feed and Heliarc took over!). So that leaves MIG. Which is what everybody is familiar with. However the cheapest option for mig is FCAW or those fuel core welders you see at every lowes menards and such. There are issues with Mig that it produces a cold weld. Basically the weld has brittle composition compared to the parent material. If you look closely at any black car in a car show you can sometimes see lines under the paint from where it was mig welded. This cold weld weld is brittle and can crack if there isn't enough penetration.
You can run the most beautiful mig bead, but if it hasn't gotten deep enough you can hit it with a hammer and it will crack. I've seen NEW stuff break because of cold lapping.
Why do I bring this up? Because looking at the way that bike was made there is alot of welding involved. A lot of it structural, and alot it keeping your butt from scrapping across the ground. If any of those nicely covered up welds are cold lapped and the bike twists or bends (Easy to do with motor vibration) You could have a weld start to cracking if it is was mig welded. ESPECIALLY if it was gasless flux core welded.
That's my fear with that fork, especially being motorized. Thats my fear with the frame head, and even that joint where the seat post is. That's a tricky weld.
Sorry to bring up a welding rant, but I was trained to be welder and I just passed a weld test for a job as a welder. I am certified in GMAW sheet metal so when I see that bike I do wonder what process was used to make it.
I feel ya on the editing thing, there seems to be some here that report anything they don't agree with or find not "G" rated. In fact I have had several posts edited that were of "g" rated nature, someone cried about it...whats worse is people act on their cry baby reports. Childish IMHO. I see where your comin from now....far as that bike goes though..lol..Overpriced and dangerous doesn't begin to cover how I feel about the wreck, but to each their own. Im sure people think a lot of my stuff is crap, hell I like pink girly bikes! hhahahaha
I like the creative motor mounts.....now we can start mounting motors on carbon road bikes! I actually thought his build was pretty clean.
Now here is an ad talking about a fun seat that is fun to ride around on.
Now here is an ad talking about a fun seat that is fun to ride around on.
Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
Probably a good time to pick a different subject and move on.
If you've got a question about the rules of the forum or why certain things are done the way they are feel free to send me a message to discuss it.
If you've got a question about the rules of the forum or why certain things are done the way they are feel free to send me a message to discuss it.
Looks like a good start to a build. Diggin' the paint.
Selling with RFD- Reverse fork disease.
They even mounted the fender facing forward with the fork backwards. Another wally world assembly.
Most people don't know the make yet alone the model of their car! When I worked at a DQ with my fiancée's stepfather (manager there) he told me to screw back in the hose since night crew could not figure out how reattach the hose. I wish I was making this up.
