Peace Love and Choppers (Finished)

[johnp.smith]

This is a preview of how the crank will look. Crankarm will be gold plated, chainring will remain chrome. Three studs coming through the chainring will get a chrome acorn nut to match the chrome acorn on the cotter, chain is a light gold that will matchthe gold plating on the crankarm. Chaingaurd will be black. There will be a little chrome hardware other places too.

The horn will also mount better than I had imagined, I got really lucky buying it without knowing its measurements.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love that fork on your Klunker!

Luke.

 

[horsefarmer]

Cool Raleigh chain guard. I had one off a bike I found at the local dump - but my brother ended up rebuilding the bike so I had to give it back.
Really want so see how this comes out - so many awesome details!

 

[OddJob]

+1 on the kool klunker fork! Post the bike up in the Klunkers & Mountain Bikes thread.....

 

[johnp.smith]

I had a little time to run by the shop and get the correct tool for removing the bottom bracket. Only used it once and wont be going back together with this bottom bracket. It is a splined and sealed cartridge type. I have a giant frame in SF to swipe the whole bottom bracket and ball bearings from. So no crank swap this week. Ace Hardware will be open monday so I can get clamps and other hardware needed to mount the horn and I have a few other parts to fit on.

 

[johnp.smith]

Cool Raleigh chain guard. I had one off a bike I found at the local dump - but my brother ended up rebuilding the bike so I had to give it back.
Really want so see how this comes out - so many awesome details!

Thanks, I cant wait to see it all together myself

 

[johnp.smith]

Here is a preview of how the back of the bike will look. I had an idea for a rear fender but once it was on I didnt like it. This is actually my plan b idea and it works out much better. The rack and bags came off my Salsa Vaya touring bike. I havent used them since I acquired a used BOB YAK trailer. The front attachment brackets will attach to a clamp on the seatpost so they are parallel to the lower frame bar under the tank. It has a square reflector that will be replaced with a round red relector from the Jesse James bike. And the bags will continue to carry picnic lunches

 

[johnp.smith]

Im going to try to lower the rack about an inch by drilling holes further up the attachment leg. If it works I will cut and file the excess off. The rack is a civia, the sides are scratched up a bit from my improper mounting of my trailer the first time around and its been sitting for a while. Im also going to try to get the handlebar assembly together with the horn today and do a full mock up minus the crankset

 

[johnp.smith]

I was able to lower the rear rack 5/8 of an inch. Need to get a file to reshape the end of the legs.

As far as the horn goes, it wont be today. The stem came off the Jesse James chopper and had some abrasions. I sanded and repainted it and its going to need to dry. I also painted two conduit brackets needed to mount it. I had a different idea for mounting it but Ace doesnt carry the clamps I envisioned using. So for now, I sit and wait for paint to dry.

Also came up with an idea for the kickstand.

 

[johnp.smith]

Heres a mock up shot with most of the front end on.

 

[johnp.smith]

Here is a side shot of the mock up. Still have to work on the mounting hard ware a little but this is what I had in my head for some time. Too bad i dont have the crank and chainguard on

 

[Fv2]

I hope you don't get upset about constructive criticism, but I'm curious.
Do you feel like you're sliding off the seat with that fork? And I'm wondering when the steampunk comes into play.

Don't get me wrong, I've never attempted a steampunk build; But I'm not seeing it here yet.
I do like the bike, but I'm curious how it is to ride and where's the punk?

 

[johnp.smith]

The bike actually rides amazingly well. I have made many different chopper bicycles and had a few chopper motorcycles as well. Im quite used to the long wheelbase and different rake.

As far as steampunk goes, we all have our own interpretation of it and what parts we like about it. Some steampunk ideas, I really like and others are just conglomorations of things people throw together. To them, its cool but to others its a pile of parts. Im going for a combination of things I like in a chopper form and yet it will all be functional for the most part. If you were to google steampunk bicycle, a lot of bike images would come up. Most of them are bikes people bolt a bunch of things on to with no real flow or design, they are just a bunch of parts wherever they can add them and I highly doubt they ever get ridden.

Im taking an approach of Jesse James meets Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

So No, Im not upset at all. Im going with what I like and will have a lot of fun riding this around Hollister and in the San Jose Bike Party rides

 

[Fv2]

Dig the chitty chitty bang bang thought, I've just become more interested in this one.

 

[johnp.smith]

Im going to use a different rack after all. I found a fully adjustable one on ebay that will go as low as I need. I can not get the civia low enough so the top is parallel with the frame bar. If its not dead on, the flow is interrupted. My local shop opens in an hour and hopefully I can get a bottom bracket and get that on today. I wont be back home for two weeks and wont be able to work on it till then. Not knowing if its gonna work or not will drive me crazy. I will take a part or two with me to work on during the work weeks. Reality is setting in. And Im realizing not all of my ideas will be done by The August 1st deadline. I will have a complete bike by then but it will not be finished as far as my ultimate plan. It might not be until Christmas time for that. So I will make a continuation thread. Whether I win a contest or not is irrelevant to the final outcome. I am enjoying this build way too much and want to go all out on it

 

[johnp.smith]

Bottom bracket and chain are on. Now imagine the crank arms gold plated instead of chrome

 

[johnp.smith]

And heres a shot with the detail of the pedals showing

 

[johnp.smith]

Plans just changed again. Going with a different chainguard and no panniers. Different parts just became available. I have to head back to SF now and cant play with the bike any more for two whole weeks

8-(

 

[azmathys]

Here is a side shot of the mock up. Still have to work on the mounting hard ware a little but this is what I had in my head for some time. Too bad i dont have the crank and chainguard on

Digging the horn!

 

[johnp.smith]

Digging the horn!

It sounds awesome