Today's find , Tomorrows Rat

[Vroom]

Well maybe not tomorrow but soon! I know it's not real old
but in Canada there is not to many old cruisers like you have in the
USA.

What I like about these Norco's (I have 3 ) is 24x3 tires fit the frame with no mods. I'm guessing this is late '70'S or early '80'S.

The plan is for a- red oxide frame,

- semi-flat black gaurd and fork,

- checkered insert between the top tubes,

- and 24x3 Fattio's,

What do you guy's think, will it work?

 

[62Higgins]

I think it will work great.

I find fitment issues for all those style frames I have when I try to run 24x3's, I would love to have a couple with no such worries.

In the interest of safety I would look for a replacement for with canti studs on it so you can run some serious brakes up front (since I think you'll be giving up the rears for the 24"wheel/tire combo).

Front brakes and no rear brakes, that's a RatRod.

I look forward to some progress pics.

 

[Multipass]

I agree with 62Higgins, I think it'll work, the frame has the classic lines. The reflectors and new style bars are hiding the rat within, but I don't imagine you'll be keeping those parts though. :mrgreen:

24x3's fit with no mods you say? Hmmmmm, I may have to go looking for a Norco soon.

Be sure to post pics during the build.

-Mp

 

[Clothespin n]

very cool...make the theme like this..these are two local rides..
and YES..those are ARDEN heads! Very sweet..

Red Oxide with Red Wheels would look KILLER!

Maybe for the Centre Checkered area you could weave one inch pieces of Black and White straps..then you would get the .."Mesh race car safety window look"..and checkered flag affect.I'm sure you could weave and quick stitch some black and white strips( about the size of a Backpacks straps )

just an idea...

check these local rides out..great color scheem's here..and yes..they both go like a $hit!

this would be a cool combo

or this....

Peace,
Kev.

 

[Vroom]

Well, I ripped it apart. Just threw some parts on to start different mock-up ideas

s.

The brakes should be good , that's a Shimano 333 three speed w/ coasterbrake.
The red wheels sound great, but I gonna try these for now. (budget)
You know I think my knees would bang on those Ardun heads would'nt they, just kiddin'.
Those heads were some of Zora's best work before he came to the
rescue of the Corvette.
Seat and handle bars are likely to change but Iam trying to find a different look, oh yeh the insert will be aluminum with checkered flag mac-tac

 

[Clothespin n]

looking good!
try putting the Click-Stick 333 on the front down tube...or on the center down tube..I think it would be more functional...and a shifter on the front down tube would look AWESOME!



just my 2 cents..
looking great either way Vroom!
Kev.

 

[karfer67]

it never amazes me how cool just about any cruiser looks with the 24 fat tire combo. hey with those bars it looks like something i would build personally i like to mount the shifters more suicide like on the seat post tube but mounting it on the down tube would be interesting and i have not seen that done before.

 

[Vroom]

This the style I think I am going with, thanks to 62higgins for the headlight idea.(it 's a 6volt light hooked up to a7.2 RC battery and it's
BRIGHT)
The shifter is probably gonna stay, sorry clothes pin'n because it
does'nt fit on the other tubes, there bigger.

 

[Multipass]

Oh Yeah! I like it like that! The light is killer

 

[Clothespin n]

Oh Yeah! I like it like that! The light is killer

What he said!!!

sned me the Rundown on the light setup...please :lol:

 

[soloace]

what kind f light is that!? It looks like a whizzer light...

 

[Clothespin n]

I think he got it from one of those Emergency Light Power Packs you see mounted to the wall in a Commercial area....stairwell...and such...

looks great doesn't it!

 

[Vroom]

Yeh it's on of those that hang on the walls of buildings and have a battery power so on power outages it automatically comes on.

I threw about a half dozen away a year ago, should of keeped
them I guess

 

[aka_locojoe]

Very cool transformation. Yes please tell more about the light. What it came from and where is the battery stored?

 

[Vroom]

Very cool transformation. Yes please tell more about the light. What it came from and where is the battery stored?

Okay guy's, this the battery- a7.2 volt RC car rechargeable

You could even mount it in a tank and just have the pigtail
hanging out for recharging. Just get the matching female connector
and add it to the headlight.

These are the two things I use to hold the batteries, the one on the seatpost is for a bicycle type battery and will actually hold two batteries so you can have 7volts or 14.

The 14 would power an automotive headlight nicely.

The motorcycle bag works great to hold everything including
whobbly pops and a freezer pack.The good thing is both of these holders
are easily switched from bike to bike, for night rides.

For wiring to the seatpost bag you could run a small harness
through the frame.Hope this helps, if not LMK.


Oh yeh, I named this the "King Bee" bike after the old Hot Rod
headlights! 8)

 

[new_dharma]

how many amp-hours do RC batteries have?
an auto headlight draws 3-5 amps...

another forum has been working for YEARS (almost 3) on non-bicycle lights used for biking applications...here's the link (be warned...there are 59 pages of posts!):
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=42629

 

[Vroom]

:lol: I thnik it's probably more like amp minutes, good point.
I should find out how many amps this 6 volt spotlight uses.
I'll checkout that website you mentioned , Thanks.

 

[62Higgins]

Vroom,

Awesome. I love the way it came out. The headlight is great. I like the tank panel and the different fork too.

This bike has elements that I find very similar to what I constitute as my type/definition of RatRod.

Factory paint with all its wear and tear, apes, bad arse tires, a black fork (l like all my bikes to have black forks and all my cars to have black wheels). The stance gives off a vibe that just says "Bad ...".

You can have rust, paint, new chrome and old chrome but if the total package doesn't give off the right vibe/have the right flow to the assembled parts it just doesn't work.

All that BS baid, this bike works. Well done. \m/ \m/

 

[Vroom]

Thanks 62, but although it is functional this is still a mock-up.
It will get broken done again for paint (primer, re-1st post)
and a few other mods, and maybe the handlebars off my Triumph
(on the English Rat thread.)

 

[new_dharma]

most of the batteries most of the people in that link are using Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries...like the ones used in battery jump-packs, trailer brakes...you can get them in 5-10 (and more) amp-hours, and they are rechargeable...finding a place to put them (tank, handlebar bag, rear rack) is the issue.