BO15 Odyssey of Flight

[GuitarlCarl]

Ok I'm in. Picked this sweet Flightliner with og rattrap fork right out of our "Sale" forum from @marius.suiram (Thanks again brother!) Sounds to me like a perfect fit for category one, stock frame and fork. I should have everything I need to get it rolling in a day. Three months to go...

Note the cool Thunderjet tank. Close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades. So with just a bit of adjustment it will be good to go. Ross I think...

GC.

 

[Rat Pilot]

Awesome! That’s a Shelby built tank I think.

 

[El Pocho]

that is one of THEE coolest front ends EVER. And the comment about the shelby tank...it never ceases to amaze me how much knowledge there is here.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

It's similar to the Shelby tank but, Thunderjet bikes were made by the Chain Bike Corp. who eventually changed their name to Ross. I've had the tank for a while. I thought it'd fit a flightliner, I just had to find one.

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Of course I flipped the rockers, so the stance is correct now, low enough I need to mod the kickstand. See the twin bars? I'm thinking I'll try to notch the tank around the lower bars to fit together under the top twin bars.

GC.

 

[uneasy rider]

have always liked that shelby tank, the t-jet one is very close and does fit the frame nicely. great start, gonna be watching...

 

[kingfish254]

I love that tank on there and your idea of channeling it to fit under the twin top tubes.
A few of the Ross tanks are VERY much like Shelby tanks. I can't remember if they ended up sharing some tooling or ownership or what.

 

[eparsons]

Love this build. The tank is kickass on this frame. It’s so cool to see how everyone makes a bike their own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

great start!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Well I got it rolling for real today. 2 speed kickback hub (I have a few, gotta say I love them) Higgins chainguard, Schwinn grips and pedals, along with the Chain Bike Co. tank and Sears frame (Higgins) it's a rat for sure. I don't like the skinny fender so it's soon gone. I'd like to find a midweight bobbed one so...

My sweetie was giving it a test ride earlier.

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.

— Rod Serling

The Odyssey of Flight 33
episode 54, The Twilight Zone 1961

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Tank mounted, different front tire, chainguard and a name of sorts...
Odyssey of Flight.

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Out for a quick spin. 2 speed kickback is nice for the occasional hill or viaduct. Got my blinkie lights and double finger on too.

GC

 

[Psychographic]

That's a sharp looking bike! For the uninformed like me (or am I the only one), what is a 2 speed kick back? Do you reverse pedal for a second to get it to change gears?

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Carl, I love how flipping the rat trap changed the angle on the rack. Good lines

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Carl, I love how flipping the rat trap changed the angle on the rack. Good lines

I've got two other bikes, the Thunderbolt Grease Slapper and Wasteland, that have flipped rockers on rat traps. Neither of them have a rack, I'm not sure if I'll keep ii. It's pretty torn up and to my eye the tipped up lines run counter to everything else. I have taken a bit of care to get all the other bits parallel to each other, the tilt of the handle bars and the seat post angle are close to the chain stays angle as I could get, considering I built the seat post for another bike. It's got solid bar inside and doesn't give. Now I know some like the tipped up angle and some like their seat tipped up as well but in my mind, the rake should lean forward, into the wind. So it's undecided yet...

GC.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

That's a sharp looking bike! For the uninformed like me (or am I the only one), what is a 2 speed kick back? Do you reverse pedal for a second to get it to change gears?

Yes! Exactly that. I love them and while they may not be suited for a tour, they are very nice for a cruiser. There is a bit of thought when you come to a stop, so that you'll be in the easy gear to launch, but usually you're in 2nd cruising, so when you brake the next rotation will be in low. The blue bike above, Wasteland, has one as well. Two speeds, no cables and a coaster brake, simplicity at it's best.

GC.

 

[Wildcat]

You could put a bend or curve in the book rack thing to get the top angle flat or slightly downward instead of facing upward. It could flow with the curve of the fork tines.

 

[toro1978]

I think that white wall tire went really well with the tank. White walls would look really good on it and will show off the size and difference of the wheels and emphasize the stance.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

You could put a bend or curve in the book rack thing to get the top angle flat or slightly downward instead of facing upward. It could flow with the curve of the fork tines.

I did think of that for a moment. But the chrome on it is actually badly chipped. I'm still on the fence about whether or not to take the rat trap apart for some needed cleaning. I've took them apart before and you've got to be careful, it is a rat trap...

GC.