Savage B.O.B.

[Fv2]

When I was showing the owner the pictures I was showing you of the lights, asking his opinion, I didn’t realize the sissy bar was in the background. I was going to reveal that at the end as a surprise, but the cat is out of the bag.

Mark Stephens is a fabricator in the muscle bike community. I helped him in a small way with answers and suggestions on fabricating tall sissy bars, and he’s taken off with it. He makes some terrific creations and the orders have been flying in.

I had a special challenge for him. In ‘72, Ross kicked the top of their sissy bar back.
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I wanted to recreate that to make this bar special for this Barracuda. We also decided to take a crack at suspension, which removes height adjustability, so we’ll see how that works. And lastly, I needed something super special. I sent Mark this picture from the Chainguard from my King Cuda.
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And with all that, here’s what I got.

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I wanted to “jush it up” a little. So I found this orange gem.
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And added it.
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The work he did on that fish, etching in the shading, is just extraordinary. It exceeded my expectations!

That's pretty awesome.

 

[twojs.bike]

WOW!!!

 

[metalchewy]

WOW!!!

x1000.

 

[Chad T]

I’m bouncing some ideas around on what to do here, but I want to see if I hear a better one.

Don't think I'd cut that thin slotted tab. Would loose a lot of strength. One way would be to drill/tap the for for an allen bolt with a head that fits snugly into the slotted tab on the brake? Then you could just file the other end off flush.

I think those brakes are normally mounted with the lever and cable towards the bottom. You'd end up with the cable on the drive side if you did that. Reason I mention that is I've had one of these brakes lock horribly when oriented the wrong way. May have been something else wrong with it but might be worth checking that it operates smoothly in that orientation. When I had the drum brake lock on me it folded the fork and threw me over the handlebars and I was just checking it in the driveway. It worked fine when I flipped the wheel around the other way.

 

[CRASH]

Don't think I'd cut that thin slotted tab. Would loose a lot of strength. One way would be to drill/tap the for for an allen bolt with a head that fits snugly into the slotted tab on the brake? Then you could just file the other end off flush.

I think those brakes are normally mounted with the lever and cable towards the bottom. You'd end up with the cable on the drive side if you did that. Reason I mention that is I've had one of these brakes lock horribly when oriented the wrong way. May have been something else wrong with it but might be worth checking that it operates smoothly in that orientation. When I had the drum brake lock on me it folded the fork and threw me over the handlebars and I was just checking it in the driveway. It worked fine when I flipped the wheel around the other way.

I'm not sure I'm following your suggestion with the allen head bolt. Can you elaborate?

The orientation of the brake pad engagement plate on this bike is the same as my last bike I built with a drum brake. The difference is that bike used a rat trap springer, so maybe that was the difference? That bike isn't ridden, so I wouldn't know if it would lock up from its orientation. This bike won't be ridden much, but I still wouldn't want the risk. I'd prefer the engagement be below the fork legs, but I didn't want it on the drive side for aesthetic reasons. But... maybe I should get over that?

hmmmmm

I think those brakes are normally mounted with the lever and cable towards the bottom.

Here's how it's mounted on a Columbia SS muscle bike. This is a long straight chopper fork, vice the curved Top Fuel fork.

 

[Flying Merlino Brother]

In this image, does the cable go thru a hole and held in place by tightening that nut?

 

[CRASH]

Yes

 

[Chad T]

I'm not sure I'm following your suggestion with the allen head bolt. Can you elaborate?

The head of the allen bolt would fit (hopefully snugly) inside the slot of the tab on the drum. It wouldn't be clamped just the head inside the slot would prevent rotation. The head of the allen sticking out would just act like a plain pin. Kind of like your slot idea but without cutting the tab.

Don't know much about the drum brakes honestly I just remember that one experience when I had one self-tighten. Easy enough to check if it grabs smoothly or not and like you said not going to be ridden a lot. With such a long cable have you considered running stops and eliminating some housing? Could even run it through the center of the fork.

 

[CRASH]

The head of the allen bolt would fit (hopefully snugly) inside the slot of the tab on the drum. It wouldn't be clamped just the head inside the slot would prevent rotation. The head of the allen sticking out would just act like a plain pin. Kind of like your slot idea but without cutting the tab.

Oh, I think I get it. You're saying to drill/tap through the leg so the head is on the outside. The bolt would stick through the slot, but not so far as to stick into the spokes. That's a really good idea! I wonder what would look better, a pan head or a flat head I recess into the leg? hmmmmm

 

[CRASH]

@Chad T I've been doing a little thinking. If I use an oval head, the roundness of the head may look better when recessed into the fork. But it would mean I could only tap the inside wall of the fork. My concern would be that the forces of the brake arm acting against the end of the bolt would push that bolt around in the threads and could eventually wallow out the threads. This will be a show bike, so it may not ever become a real factor, but it's something I thought of. I'm trying to think of a way to secure it better without compromising aesthetics. Maybe a socket head? It would be flat on the outside of the fork blade, but still recessed. I could drill it out just enough to fit in there. But if I'm off, that would be an issue.

hmmmmmm


(Yes, kids. I do fret over details like this. That's why my builds take exceptionally long. I spend too much time on small details that no one will ever care about.)

 

[Pondo]

oval head, the roundness of the head may look better

That sounds like it would look better

My concern would be that the forces of the brake arm acting against the end of the bolt would push that bolt around in the threads and could eventually wallow out the threads.

Maybe red Loctite could prevent this, especially on a bike that won't be ridden frequently?

(Yes, kids. I do fret over details like this. That's why my builds take exceptionally long. I spend too much time on small details that no one will ever care about.)

That's also why your builds turn out so incredibly cool!

 

[CRASH]

Wrapped up the fender mounting brace.

Punched a hole in the fender.

And together…

There will be a large form fitting washer in there to increase the stiffness. And I’ll use a Nylock nut when I actually mount it.

Next step for this is to weld it to the fork.

 

[Chad T]

Oh, I think I get it. You're saying to drill/tap through the leg so the head is on the outside. The bolt would stick through the slot, but not so far as to stick into the spokes. That's a really good idea! I wonder what would look better, a pan head or a flat head I recess into the leg? hmmmmm

No the other way. Socket head allen with a head OD that matches as closely as possible the ID of the slot. Head is on the inside. Drill and tap fork and thread bolt all the way throuigh then you can cut/grind anything that sticks out on the outside.

You'll want to make it straighter than my pic of course.....

 

[CRASH]

Hmmmm. I guess I could do that if I buy a really really long Allen wrench to fit through the entire wheel.

Now that I think about it, drilling and tapping that straight with the other fork blade only 4” away may be near impossible.

 

[Pondo]

Now that I think about it, drilling and tapping that straight with the other fork blade only 4” away may be near impossible.

That’s a good point. Not much room in there.

 

[Tintmanpa]

That's pretty awesome.

I just met mark recently. His work it outstanding.

 

[CRASH]

Deven at Alchemist Customs came through with another unique set of muscle bars!

I can’t wait to mock them up!

 

[Tintmanpa]

What the fudge. Those are amazing

 

[CRASH]

Before I had to leave for the weekend…

I couldn’t get to the acetylene torch at work, so got a yellow bottle at Lowe’s.

Had to make some adjustment dimples.

Went over to my welder’s, got the fender mount tacked.

Got the rear fender lower mount tacked back on.

Mounted the rear fender to find the new brace position, realized that the original position of the “clamps” sits too far back.

Pulled them, bent them up.

Which grabs the brace between the stays as it should. So we positioned and tacked the brace (which I forgot to take a pic). So he’s going to fill in and clean up the welds this weekend.

Next I’ll set the chain line and gears to make sure I’m done moving the rear wheel. Then I have to design, fabricate and install the disc brake caliper mounts.

So much to do and the MBBO is already half over! And here I am wasting time at Disneyland! Why does my family not understand?!?

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Now that I think about it, drilling and tapping that straight with the other fork blade only 4” away may be near impossible.