TRADITIONAL Quasi-Motobike : "Cherish is the word"...pg 6

[bleedingfingers]

Carefull OJ the first pic started out as just the frame then many dollars and hours later became pic no. 2

Bottom bracket bearings were very hard to find for me and a roller chain instead of the block chain made it a better rider .
Mine should have wooden rims so kind of a resto mod .

Looks like you have all the parts should be an awesome build .
Also think you are on the right track with it being Westfield built but I would go to the Cabe Sight there is a guy named Archie
who can tell you for sure .

Must have belonged to a short guy judging by seat position and the short stem even mine is tight to ride where I have my seat and bars .
Not good for a tall rider your knees end up in the handlebars .

1927 Hibbard

 

[OddJob]

In my mind, it was Quasi-motobike right up until I heard you say it out loud. Now, I can't not hear "Quasimodo bike"

View attachment 263842
*Surprised that my google search brought me such a fitting Steadman illustration. Not one, but two rats!

It's my Scandahoovian heritage. We don't pronounce our T's well.

 

[OddJob]

Carefull OJ the first pic started out as just the frame then many dollars and hours later became pic no. 2

Bottom bracket bearings were very hard to find for me and a roller chain instead of the block chain made it a better rider .
Mine should have wooden rims so kind of a resto mod .

Looks like you have all the parts should be an awesome build .
Also think you are on the right track with it being Westfield built but I would go to the Cabe Sight there is a guy named Archie
who can tell you for sure .

Must have belonged to a short guy judging by seat position and the short stem even mine is tight to ride where I have my seat and bars .
Not good for a tall rider your knees end up in the handlebars .

1927 Hibbard



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View attachment 263869

Nice bikes! I def want to flip my 7-seatpost facing rearward to get me more room. Hopefully my bearings in all places just need cleaned and lubed.

Cross your 'bleeding fingers'!

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

Quasi-Motobike

Everyone has their ‘grail’. For me it has been everything from driving a model of vehicle, playing a cherished guitar or amp, skiing a destination mountain ski area, racing a dream mtn bike, a travel trip, conquering a white water rapids section on a wild river; just to name a few. I have been lucky to have had many fulfilling and rewarding events in my life that have culminated in the ‘grail’ level of experiences.

I have had many fun finds in searching for ideas and styles of builds over the years, preparing for build offs on RRB. Concepts and themes that have driven me to find certain frames to build around, or finding a cool frame and letting that do the talking as far as how it would be realized.

There has always been one style of bike that I have wanted to build / rat-ify / in a rat-storation project. And that is the ‘Motobike’, sometimes in various brands also referred to as ‘Motorbike’. But I like it without the ‘R’, because there is no motor on these facsimiles designed to mimic early motorcycles.

The bicycle motobike is a do-it-all, utilitarian ride, with larger wheel diameters, fenders, lights, rack, and a tool box like tank to hold necessities for long rides. It is a self-supported style of bicycle to be able to keep on riding, over varied surfaces, with efficiency and determination. Not necessarily fast like a road bike or racing bike, but faster than a cruiser. And not a true off road bike with fat, gnarly tires to dig in and aid control. But it can handle gravel and dirt and pavement with it’s large, 28” wheels and ‘skinny fat’ tires.

It’s not unlike it’s four wheeled counterpart from the early 1900’s, the Model T. They were driven everywhere, and were so utilitarian that the model lasted 20 years in production.

And so, I embark on what may be my most challenging build to date. To somehow preserve the history of the motobike, while still adding some nuances to ‘make it my own’. And so I present to you the Quasi-Motobike, because it will be ‘as if’ it were a motobike from the 19-teens and 20’s, but with some RRB BO sauce rubbed in for good measure!

View attachment 263710View attachment 263711View attachment 263712View attachment 263713View attachment 263715View attachment 263716

What a beauty. And a fantastic head badge.

 

[OddJob]

Great patina right out of the gate!

Be careful not to get too aggressive with cleaning it. You can always remove a little more but you can't put it back once it is gone. At least not original patina!

This thing is coated in rust. I'm using a light touch, just trying to get it to a smooth surface. Leaving it the way it was when I found it wouldn't be a challenge. I'm thinking a reverse mustard process, where I cover original 'patina' as you call it that I want to keep with mustard, and then 'finish' what I want to change.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

This thing is coated in rust. I'm using a light touch, just trying to get it to a smooth surface. Leaving it the way it was when I found it wouldn't be a challenge. I'm thinking a reverse mustard process, where I cover original 'patina' as you call it that I want to keep with mustard, and then 'finish' what I want to change.

Interesting, I'll be watching!

 

[ingola]

Carefull OJ the first pic started out as just the frame then many dollars and hours later became pic no. 2

Bottom bracket bearings were very hard to find for me and a roller chain instead of the block chain made it a better rider .
Mine should have wooden rims so kind of a resto mod .

Looks like you have all the parts should be an awesome build .
Also think you are on the right track with it being Westfield built but I would go to the Cabe Sight there is a guy named Archie
who can tell you for sure .

Must have belonged to a short guy judging by seat position and the short stem even mine is tight to ride where I have my seat and bars .
Not good for a tall rider your knees end up in the handlebars .

1927 Hibbard



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View attachment 263869

I've seen so many of here and other places I recognized the poarch

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

It is most likely a Great Western Mnfg made moto, not Westfield or Snyder. Great Western made many a style of frame and fork late 20's~30's. Your nicely near complete rust bucket also has a Fauber crankset of special dimension. GW frames have this top tube design with the round curve further back on the top tube like the GW below, but hopefully without a busted steer tube top! @Phil Fink what you think? Good luck on your conversion.

 

[OddJob]

@SILVERKINGPC , thanks for the input! Yep, I found that photo on RRB when I was perusing the parameters of the internets. That is my bike, minus the broken steer tube!
Good to see you pop up here again.

 

[OddJob]

Day 2

Yesterday after my early morning stint in the BACK40, I headed down south to spend the day with my 91 yr old mother and get her to and from a Dr appointment. She's lived a long active life, and some of her organs are getting worn out. We've been very lucky to have her around this long.

Last night, in the dark, I just had to go out to the shed and make a little progress; late as it was. So the first bolt / nut I attempted to break free was the bent bolt and nut holding the rear rack to the seat stays. It was a tedious process, but success was achieved!

With that, I hung up my tools for the evening.

So, there's and old saying, "History repeats itself". I'm a believer in that, and so to prove it I'm going to relive a previous build off style and retain as much of the original patina on this bike as i did on my other Hawthorne build, "Old Manse Hawthorne" a 1934 model, way back in 2017; RRB BO 12. There I just cleaned up the frame of the coating of rust that had gathered, and then added a old nickel look to the bars, crank and chainring, and the chain guard. @Chad T dubbed it 'pewtrifying' , as it had kind of a heavy pewter look to the parts after my application.

Here's what the bike looked like before any cleaning:

And the 'before ' on the crank / chain area:

And after my hammered pewtrification:

I also did the handlebars and stem with that treatment:

At the time, the Old Manse was my only skip tooth bike build and my oldest in the BACK40 stable. I sold that last Fall at the fund raising auction / car show. Which makes it even more important for me to replace it with another patina-ed Hawthorne this year~!

 

[sdframe]

You are off to a great start, bud. I'll watch with keen interest.

 

[OddJob]

You are off to a great start, bud. I'll watch with keen interest.

Thanks friend! The ideas are brewing.

 

[Pondo]

Day 2

Yesterday after my early morning stint in the BACK40, I headed down south to spend the day with my 91 yr old mother and get her to and from a Dr appointment. She's lived a long active life, and some of her organs are getting worn out. We've been very lucky to have her around this long.

Last night, in the dark, I just had to go out to the shed and make a little progress; late as it was. So the first bolt / nut I attempted to break free was the bent bolt and nut holding the rear rack to the seat stays. It was a tedious process, but success was achieved!

View attachment 263993View attachment 263994

With that, I hung up my tools for the evening.

So, there's and old saying, "History repeats itself". I'm a believer in that, and so to prove it I'm going to relive a previous build off style and retain as much of the original patina on this bike as i did on my other Hawthorne build, "Old Manse Hawthorne" a 1934 model, way back in 2017; RRB BO 12. There I just cleaned up the frame of the coating of rust that had gathered, and then added a old nickel look to the bars, crank and chainring, and the chain guard. @Chad T dubbed it 'pewtrifying' , as it had kind of a heavy pewter look to the parts after my application.

Here's what the bike looked like before any cleaning:

View attachment 264001

And the 'before ' on the crank / chain area:

View attachment 263997

And after my hammered pewtrification:

View attachment 263998View attachment 263999

I also did the handlebars and stem with that treatment:

View attachment 263996

View attachment 264000

At the time, the Old Manse was my only skip tooth bike build and my oldest in the BACK40 stable. I sold that last Fall at the fund raising auction / car show. Which makes it even more important for me to replace it with another patina-ed Hawthorne this year~!

That turned out great! I'm going to find that build thread.

 

[OddJob]

That turned out great! I'm going to find that build thread.

Here it is:
https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/old-manse-hawthorne-last-day-ride-video-pg-9.103140/

 

[Pondo]

Here it is:
https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/old-manse-hawthorne-last-day-ride-video-pg-9.103140/

Thanks! I'm really interested in the hammering process you used on the crusty bits. If I ever get caught up build threads.

 

[Pondo]

I'm perusing your 'Old Manse' build thread and am loving it. The patina treatments, the seat covering, etc. When I came across this jewel... Wow, I really like 'Faded Glory'!

There's a Monark project for sale on the CABE that I've been vacillating over and now I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Very cool stuff!!

 

[dropstep]

I'm perusing your 'Old Manse' build thread and am loving it. The patina treatments, the seat covering, etc. When I came across this jewel... Wow, I really like 'Faded Glory'!
View attachment 264096

There's a Monark project for sale on the CABE that I've been vacillating over and now I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Very cool stuff!!

This monark is why I drove 80 miles to get a woman’s monark for a springer donor. I love this thing

 

[OddJob]

I'm perusing your 'Old Manse' build thread and am loving it. The patina treatments, the seat covering, etc. When I came across this jewel... Wow, I really like 'Faded Glory'!
View attachment 264096

There's a Monark project for sale on the CABE that I've been vacillating over and now I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Very cool stuff!!

This monark is why I drove 80 miles to get a woman’s monark for a springer donor. I love this thing

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kudos. Faded Glory is maybe my best rider of all BACK40 builds. And yes, the fork and fenders came from a woman's Monark and the frame, wheels, bar / stem, and saddle all were a men's Monark, early '40s. I switched the drivetrain over from skip tooth to 1/2" pitch, didn't have a chain for the skippy. @Pondo , hopefully you say my vid from last year where I 'doctored up' a set of Thompson Classic grips to match the seat and tires on Faded Glory.

 

[OddJob]

Day 3

I won't add much text here, the video update says it all. If you have around 7 minutes to spare in your day, it will bring you up to speed; the key word being 'speed' as in OddJob build speed!

EDIT: I misspoke in the video relating that I went to see my mom on Monday, it was actually Wednesday, the first day of the build off. I'm old, and I was really excited at the moment!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I always wondered if they still made 28" tires for these early prewar bikes. Now I know the answer! You've got yourself a fine bike to build there OddJob! Looking forward to seeing you make it your own!