Peace Love and Choppers (Finished)

[johnp.smith]

I struck out this week, my new bars dont fit the way I want. These old bars are close to the fit I want so I will keep looking. Also one of the mounting holes for the tank will not work with where I want to put it. Have to drill and tap out some new threads to mount it right. Its all good, gonna take my Kawasaki Voyager and the girlfriend out for a ride instead

 

[johnp.smith]

Also, the leftover fork from the Jesse James chopper wont fit the bike I wanted to put it on either, but it will fit my Klunker. When this build is done, I have a few others to finish

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Klunker with triple tree forks will be cool!
I think you are the first on here with a Transition Klunker, maybe throw a review up in bike talk if you feel inclined?

Luke.

 

[johnp.smith]

Klunker with triple tree forks will be cool!
I think you are the first on here with a Transition Klunker, maybe throw a review up in bike talk if you feel inclined?

Luke.

I dont know if Id be the best for writing a review. I had a Gary Fisher Klunker with handbrakes and just felt it was a little too small for me. Plus nothing beats a coaster brake skid. Both have been Klunked down Mt Tamalpais where the mountain bike was born and the transition will make future klunk trips

 

[johnp.smith]

And since we are briefly on Klunkers, I was fortunate enough to meet Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelley at a Biketoberfest. The mountain bike museum in Marin is also worth a trip to see. True pioneers of the industry

 

[johnp.smith]

I just scored some different bars I like

 

[johnp.smith]

I like this fit much better. Need to find the rear brake cable I took off

 

[OddJob]

Looks like it will cut!....through the wind.

 

[johnp.smith]

This beauty arrived today

 

[johnp.smith]

Still no luck with a crank spindle, the double leg kickstand I bought isnt long enough even with the legs fully extended, and I have a hangover. I have an idea to mount the headlight I will try this afternoon

 

[johnp.smith]

Today was a productive, destructive and a day of learning. I was able to drill and tap the tap and then drill the frame to fit the tank right where I wanted it. And then the bike fell over in my garage and scratched the bars. Oh well, its a rat rod chopper and will have flaws. I also put the seat on a new post with a double rail adapter and a new seatpost clamp too. Its comfy and fits me well where it sits in the picture. Then I was able to thread the unused rear brake cable through the fork and hooked up the new brale lever. Im still waiting for the right spindle to show for my crankset. I was going to put my new pedals on for the picture and learned of a big time flaw with the present crankset. I barely turned the right pedal with a wrench and the pedal fell off. The crank arm is stripped out and it might have been held in with maybe one thread. Good thing Im replacing it.

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped at The Cruiser Shop in Campbell. They are trying to piece together a complete rear brake so I may have a rear brake after all. They also told me a way to mount a headlight bracket. I have to take a bunch of it back apart to make it work and need to go to ace hardware for a few things. If it works it will be really special to me because a part of my Honda CB 750 Chopper will live on being used on this bike. Im stoked

Oh yeah, my girlfriend installed the gold rocket valve stem caps.

Still a few parts to get and a few ideas to try. Having a blast with this project. By the way, today I saw a replica Captain America chopper at the Harley Dealer. Made me miss the stingray build I did in 2009

 

[johnp.smith]

Never,ind the spelling errors above. I tried to go back over and check it but it posted with no way to edit it

 

[johnp.smith]

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Never,ind the spelling errors above. I tried to go back over and check it but it posted with no way to edit it

Hover your mouse at the bottom of your post and an edit button will appear.
Bike's looking good, love that saddle!

 

[johnp.smith]

Headlight mounting idea worked, whoo hoo, I need to trim the brackets and get the hardware figured out. I am so happy to be able to have this on here I cant emphasize that enough. This bike building stuff is just too much fun.

 

[johnp.smith]

By the way, the headlight body and trim ring will both be dechromed. The ring will be gold plated and the body will be painted or powder coated black to match the frame

 

[Chad T]

Chopper is looking cool!..

So you rode down Mt Tam? and met Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelley? That's awesome!

 

[Fv2]

Dig the light.
As far as bike building being fun, that's just the gateway. This stuff is addictive.

 

[johnp.smith]

Chopper is looking cool!..

So you rode down Mt Tam? and met Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelley? That's awesome!

I have ridden Mt Tam many many times. Actually when those guys were riding it creating mountain bikes, my friends and I were doing the same thing across the bay on San Bruno Mountain but on our bmx bikes. And we had some spectacular wipeouts too

 

[johnp.smith]

Anyways, the way I was able to mount the headlight was to use a threadless fork insert that is normally stuck down the top and the stemcap bolt threads into it to hold it all together. The guy at the cruiser shop gave me one to stick up the bottom. That gave me a mounting bolt and I was able to find a pair of little brackets at Ace hardware that stuck out just far enough to get the bolt for the mounting block into. I had to drill it out bigger since its a 3/8 by 24 bolt. And thats all it is, new concept for me. I will cut the sides of the bracket down so they are flush with the block. The block will be dechromed and painted black and the brackets will be black. The bolt and washers will be the anodized gold color. I saw a battery conversion of this light at the cruiser shop. The existing hole for the electrical wires will be use for the on off toggle switch and the batteries will be internal. They had a white led bulb in it, Im hoping I can find a yellow bulb like a fog light, I want it to be unique