"MotoDromo Special" FINISHED!
- Thread starter jasper87
- Start date
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So I finally had some time today to work on the front trusses. But first, I found this amazing fog light at a yard sale the other day, score!
So for the trusses I decided to go with 3/4 roundbar to make it a little more beefy. Then I bent the two bars at the same time in a vice using a blowtorch and a little leverage.
I didnt like the first support bracket I made and it doesnt have enough clearance to mount the new headlight so I drew up a new wider bracket on some 1/8 inch plate.
After some cutting, grinding, filing, and drilling I thought it would be better to have the back of the bracket rest on all three tube parts of the fork for better alignment and strength.
Everything was lining up good after I mocked it back up so I tacked the trusses and bracket. I could make the whole thing stronger by welding the trusses to the triple tree, but I want to be able to take the fork off if I ever need to.
For the bottom of the fork I made a pair of little triangles to fill the gaps.
Tomorrow Ill finish welding it all up, then I can start on a tank. Its also going to be made of sheetmetal and Ill probably suspend it below the top tube with 4 or 6 tabs. I might make a compartment for some tools, or I might make a pair of NACA ducts in the sides. I guess I still have lots of time to decide and build... Here she is for now, I really cant decide what kind of tires to put on it, Id love to hear what you guys think would be some good rubber to run.
Thanks for Looking!
So for the trusses I decided to go with 3/4 roundbar to make it a little more beefy. Then I bent the two bars at the same time in a vice using a blowtorch and a little leverage.
I didnt like the first support bracket I made and it doesnt have enough clearance to mount the new headlight so I drew up a new wider bracket on some 1/8 inch plate.
After some cutting, grinding, filing, and drilling I thought it would be better to have the back of the bracket rest on all three tube parts of the fork for better alignment and strength.
Everything was lining up good after I mocked it back up so I tacked the trusses and bracket. I could make the whole thing stronger by welding the trusses to the triple tree, but I want to be able to take the fork off if I ever need to.
For the bottom of the fork I made a pair of little triangles to fill the gaps.
Tomorrow Ill finish welding it all up, then I can start on a tank. Its also going to be made of sheetmetal and Ill probably suspend it below the top tube with 4 or 6 tabs. I might make a compartment for some tools, or I might make a pair of NACA ducts in the sides. I guess I still have lots of time to decide and build... Here she is for now, I really cant decide what kind of tires to put on it, Id love to hear what you guys think would be some good rubber to run.
Thanks for Looking!
That is looking good! Great work on the trusses and light, suits the build nicely!
I do have a concern about your build folding in the middle where the rear "fork" meets the seat tube, have you thought about inserting a sleeve inside the seat tube at the point to help spread the load?
Luke.
I do have a concern about your build folding in the middle where the rear "fork" meets the seat tube, have you thought about inserting a sleeve inside the seat tube at the point to help spread the load?
Luke.
He could just install a really long thick wall seat post which would share the load between the seat stay and the top tube.
Looks stunning, front end with that light is great. For tyres, nice pair of cream ballooners would suit I think, but don't go too wide 
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Thanks Luke! Yea I thought long and hard about the position of the new rear fork, Im definitely going to be putting an extra long seat tube in there, but I also only weigh around 150lbs so there shouldnt be too much stress on it
Cool, just wanted to make sure you had thought about it. 
Luke.
Luke.
How about some truss rod supports to match the ones he made for the fork?
Thanks Uncle Fide! My first Idea was some nice cream quick bricks, but then I would want to paint the frame and fork in some nice vintage color. As it is progressing I feel the bike is becoming a more modern "racy" build so I was maybe thinking slicks and leaving part or all of the frame in bare metal... Thanks for the input, you really can never go wrong with some classic cream balloon tires!Looks stunning, front end with that light is great. For tyres, nice pair of cream ballooners would suit I think, but don't go too wide
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I thought about that too, but I think it might clutter up the back end. I hate to say this but as mostly a show bike I probably wont ride it too hard, and I really want to see how clean of a build I can do. I probably wont have any doodads, thingamajigs or whatchamacallits on the bike
Love it.. looks like a GT frame with a teenie, tiny triangle. Great find; can't wait to see it done.
Impressive work!
Thanks sdframe!, it definitely was some kind of gt frame, too bad I chopped the nice extended seat stay part
Hey Rat Rod Bikers, I got some good progress done today, kind of . I finished welding the fork with the new trusses so that's pretty much done, unfortunately I am running out of welding gas so the welds turned out kinda crappy as I definitely couldn't wait till tomorrow
It still turned out fine, and Im starting to lean more towards painting the bike as opposed to bare metal so that should hide the welds a bit.
Then I started thinking about what I could do with the chopped off seatstay and the extra roundbar from the trusses. I had absolutely no intention of trying this nor do I particularly like them, but... Sissy bar anybody?
Quick tape mockup... I like the line it follows, but I think its too tall.
Then I decided to try and make a pointy bit for the top. It was my first time ever trying this so I didnt take any pics because I thought it would look terrible. Turns out its extremely easy to make and only took me about 15min. Ill definitely take some pics and show how I made it when I make the final one.
I like how it looks when its low, Ill probably just make the new one an inch or two longer, and with a more acute angle.
What do you guys think? Should I add the sissy bar? or does it detract from the frame?
Thanks for looking!
. I finished welding the fork with the new trusses so that's pretty much done, unfortunately I am running out of welding gas so the welds turned out kinda crappy as I definitely couldn't wait till tomorrow
It still turned out fine, and Im starting to lean more towards painting the bike as opposed to bare metal so that should hide the welds a bit.
Then I started thinking about what I could do with the chopped off seatstay and the extra roundbar from the trusses. I had absolutely no intention of trying this nor do I particularly like them, but... Sissy bar anybody?
Quick tape mockup... I like the line it follows, but I think its too tall.
Then I decided to try and make a pointy bit for the top. It was my first time ever trying this so I didnt take any pics because I thought it would look terrible. Turns out its extremely easy to make and only took me about 15min. Ill definitely take some pics and show how I made it when I make the final one.
I like how it looks when its low, Ill probably just make the new one an inch or two longer, and with a more acute angle.
What do you guys think? Should I add the sissy bar? or does it detract from the frame?
Thanks for looking!
Thanks 2Wheels and 3Races. Maybe Ill make a mounting bracket for it so I can leave it on or off depending on my mood
I vote no for the sissy bar, it seems to ruin the flow created by all your hard work.
Luke.
Thanks 2Wheels and 3Races. Maybe Ill make a mounting bracket for it so I can leave it on or off depending on my mood
Luke.
