Fisch's twin rear caliper '69 Spyder project!

[Fisch]

Howdy guys! I am new here, new to bikes, but not new to customizing things to making them unique! I am a profession writer/illustrator and have way more visual ideas than mechanical know how! But I just did an intro with some art and more background, here:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/posting.php?mode=edit&f=9&p=266861

So I just got bitten by the Bike bug, coming from more of a whacky Japanese guitar and car vibe. Have a bunch of bizarre 60's Japanese Guitars, a 71 Datsun truck and a super rare 1959 Datsun! (Also in intro link.)

I just picked up this 24" '69 Sears Spyder for $35 and in a few days took it from rusty junk to a rider, which swiftly came apart and is currently in primer waiting so be sanded down. It has the SHimano 333 5-speed setup. What sold me on it was the uniqueness of the twin rear calipers. Also something about the way the chain guard flows into the rear fender has me hot and bothered... Maybe if I exposed it more by running a brooks type leather saddle rather than the sissy bar which kinda blocks the view! Thinking I might bob that fender more too... hmmm so much to think about!

I see 24" muscle isn't all that popular, value wise or collector wise compared to 20", but all the more reason to try to make something cool out of it and have some damn fun, right!

At the moment the plan is to fab some sort of tank to fill the upper bars, and go for a bit of a beefy copper/ brass steampunkish feel. I've done my homework and learned that this one was based on the Sears Spaceliner frame. I could get a tank from one of those, but would like to try to fill almost the entire length of the quad cantilever upper bars with something custom first! Try to integrate the stick shift into it and leave room for the rear calipers.

So for you Spaceliner, Spyder guys, I had a couple questions!

First, naturally is TIRES! What is the biggest tire y'all have fit on the rear of a Spaceliner frame? Do they make any colored tires in a 24", brick red ideally? (I doubt a 24X3 would fit so that might be out!) Has anyone fit a 20X3 tire in a 24" frame? (I'd bet the chain would hit even it is was a short enough tire, right?)

Second, anyone have a spyder springer fork they want to part with?

I'd love to fab a killer cup holder to hold an iced coffee! Anyone have some cupholder coolness they'd like to share?

I am sure I will have a ton of other questions along the way! Thanks for letting me ride with you!


I found the thread with the spaceliners but would love to see any cool pics of Spaceliners and Spyders! Anyone ever fill in the quad cantelivers?

 

[Galtbacken]

That's a really cool chainguard! Haven't seen one like that before. Nice! If you're going to bob the fender more, will you shorten it at the front leaving that flare at the end?

 

[Gold Street Customs]

I think this springer would workhttp://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27044

 

[Fisch]

That's a really cool chainguard! Haven't seen one like that before. Nice! If you're going to bob the fender more, will you shorten it at the front leaving that flare at the end?

Totally! Kinda just rotate the whole thing clockwise about 5 inches or so and cut off whatever sticks down too far.

At the moment I am thinking about Halo twin rail white with black wall tires 2x2.2. Not a whole lot of options in a 24" colored tire I am finding!

 

[deorman]

It almost looks in the pic as though you could have a fractional size (1 3/8") rim in front, it could be an illusion. If so, tires are not interchangeable. Want color?
http://rinienterprises.com/

 

[Philphine]

those are nice if you're playing big kid at heart. i came across one back during one of my earlier bike phases and it was my main rider for a while since it was bigger than the regular muscle bike. i'm doing slow work on another 24" right now.

 

[Fisch]

Thanks guys! You will have to forgive me as I am totally new to bikes. Last time I took apart a sprocket was is 4th grade! Things like tire interchange are out of my knowledge base for sure! So by fractional widths on the tires (yup it is a 1 3/8 up front) do you mean I can't use those specific Halo tires on the front one? I imagined the front rim was too skinny for them, but is it more than that? Basically metric and English don't mix well like most other things, even if they are both 24" tires,? The rear is 24X1.75 which is probably not 1-3/4 as I thought, but actually a metric size, meaning the Halo can work on the back? Thanks for the link!!!!

That fork that gold street posted is sweet. I haven't seen a hinged springer in my learning adventure yet. Is it pretty uncommon? Thinking hard about that one!

So a bit of an update, Here is a pic of the bike in primer just checking out some options. I think this is how I will fill the quad cantilever, so the bars are still exposed. (Just foam core in there now, and no, the seat will not stay! :wink:

These are some of the items I might use in the build. At first I was going to fill with copper, but the is something cool about the idea of filling it with brown Tolex material, like on this old analyzer or radio (or old guitar amplifiers). Actually I am thinking of cutting the panels out of that Samsonite suitcase this stuff is sitting on. Should be a pretty light material, and a faux leather tolex vibe, and has a bit of a bow which would be nice if it still bows out a bit once mounted. Maybe with some brass/ copper accents.

I don't know if I could get these gauges to work with the bikes electrical system, but I might look into a little swing arm battery tester gauge hooked either to the eventual light battery, or even cooler, a wheel generator! (BTW the tank behind the seat is a cookie press!) Gonna have to really think about what to use for the stickshift! I thought 'guitar whammy bar', but don't think it will have enough impact. Decisions decisions!

 

[deorman]

The rim which has a 1.75" will take all decimal rated tires,1.5 to 3.0. The one with 1 3/8" will only accept 1 3/8".
http://www.isisconsulting.org/catalog/bike/p2010.htm
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/a117/tir ... rticle.htm

 

[Tborner]

Nice Teiscos! I have a Teisco violin base, and a few Teisco guitars, but yours are much nicer! Really like the one in the center, Who makes it? Oh, nice bike, too :lol:.

 

[Fisch]

Thanks for noticing! I love some Bizarre Fetish guitars! The center one is a Teisco TRG1. But I customized it. One of the only 60's guitars that had a built in amplifier, though in this case I replaced it with a Honeytone amp. It is hard to find one with a working amp. I have a second with the original amp, but it is so quiet, you can barely hear it.

You inspired me to add a ton of details about them in my intro thread!
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27067&p=267506#p267506

Here is the family!

 

[Fisch]

So I was thinking of going with a Brooks type brown leather saddle, but thought I should try to make the original banana seat work first. The problem I had with it is that the sissy bar broke up the flow of this bike. Especially the line created from the chainguard to the fender. So using an old car rim I bent the hell out of that sissy! I liked the lines that created, but worried about it bending under my weight, so I need to anchor the front nose of the seat, using the original post as a fulcrum. At the moment the thing I like most is the drum brake shoe from my 1971 Datsun! It should be plenty strong. You can see foamcore where I plan on cutting the shoe.

I think the seat looks pretty cool now and can cover it with black leather. Also the Brake shoe will be painted whatever color I do the rest of the frame in, so it will match a little better.

I am also thinking it would be wicked to mount the 5-speed stick shift to the 'hump' in the middle of the brake shoe! I also did a copper insert for now, but have been thinking about using fender pick guard material.

Lastly I picked 2 schwinn 24X1.95 wheels. I have one on the front, but want to change the tires to something more classy!

Curious if anyone has pics of a 24" rear and 20" front on a 24" bike? I was thinking one could use a 26" fork with the 20" tire and still be at the same ride height?

Pics!

I was surprised how well the bent sissy bolted in front of that back wheel! I used long bolts with rubber hoses on them for protection (top one isn't all the way in there yet!) Still have lots of room for the twin brake calipers.

 

[Markm]

Cool!! 8)

 

[Dman]

I like your thinking Fisch!!

 

[Renegade]

Like your ideas Fisch. for a cup holder take a speedo gauge and hollow out everything and just leave the shell. Mount it on the handlebars.

 

[user 135]

Lots of cool and new ideas flowing on this build.

A 24/20 combo should work fine with the new fork. The front will sit about a 1" lower depending on the tire size.

 

[Philphine]

that's how mine is

i thought i had a further along pic, but this at least shows the 20/24" combo

edit:'cause i should have added that this is a 26"fork also.

 

[Fisch]

Very cool man! Thank you so much for sharing a 24/20- 26 fork combo with me Philphine. ROckin!

Great idea on the cup holder Renegade! Don't know why I didn't think of that before!

The other thing I just found out is my new Schwinn 24" rims won't fit because the axles are too wide. Looks like I would have to spread the forks and stays to make it happen... don't know how that would effect the original derailleur. Newbie mistakes, and I am sure not my last one! So I am debating making them work or just replacing spokes in the original rim.

You guys have me so obsessed with bikes, that the challenge will be trying to get this one done before I have a shed of half finished projects and none complete!

 

[deorman]

Hey, if your shed gets full, you have a much better chance of hitting a fall together build. :mrgreen:

 

[karfer67]

the sissy bar idea is very very cool