My 127" big twin project (56k warning!)

[flak monkey]

Thanks guys Another update from today

The fuel tank has finally arrived after 5 months....

Popped it on the frame and thanks fully it fitted pretty well...then came the puzzle of how to level and set it central with nothing to measure from other than curved surfaces. All good fun.

Once I had it positioned, with a few pieces of rubber hose as spacers, I cut up the mounts and tacked them on. The removed the tank and spacer bits, then put it back to make sure it all cleared the frame as expected.

Didn't take very long really. Next job is the bars....

[kevg]

just for us total noobs to the bike building culture...and those envious enough to want to try, what does it cost?....don't give away you're trade secrets and deals done for frames etc...but what does it cost?
just curious...you have a lot of talent and have obviously worked your way up to this but what would someone expect to pay for the pleasure of playing with custom built frames etc.

something i'd love to try, but lack of talent and major fund shortage forces me to be super jealous of anyone doing this for themselves.

[sirch345]

F/M, You're making this all look to easy which I know it's not

It looks like it's coming on a treat. An interesting built to follow, keep up the good work

Chris.

[flak monkey]

Thanks Chris

Kev - thanks! Costs are really what you want to spend. A one off hard tail frame would be around £800 or so, with softail and dyna etc being £1200 upwards. After that, if you were using a donor bike, then you could keep the costs down reasonably, especially if you were to use something like a 1200 sportster or even something non-Harley. I would say bare minimum you would be looking at £5k for complete custom...but then my engine and gearbox alone cost that, but that was my choice. I am hoping to have mine finished for under £12k. But thats making a lot of stuff myself.

The only reason I can afford to build something like this is I sold my kitcar last year so I could. Released a chunk of money that I had invested over 5 or 6 years in one lump, that I could use to buy shiney bits and build my dream bike.

This is the first bike I have built, so I am learning a lot while I am doing it. Its not the first thing I have built though and certainly being able to weld and machine bits is a benefit, though not essential. But then I prefer to make as much as I can and not buy everything off the shelf, makes the end result that little bit more special.

[flak monkey]

Mocked up some bars today, just to test out the idea. Need to get some proper tube bent up, but we have about 1 tonne (literally) of this white 1.25" tube laying about, so thought it was worth a test. The final bars will be 1.25" seamless...

Going to lose about another 3" off the end of each bar and increase the bend angle to 85-90deg. They aren't as wonky as they look in the pic as the forks arent set straight, but then its only to get a rough idea





They should make it nice and easy to run the internal cables and hydraulics too

They were bent with one of those cheapo Clarke benders (die fits perfectly), but I wont be using that for the proper ones.

[flak monkey]

Got the bars done, well I might narrow them by 80mm OA, but thats easy... Went to see Briz on Friday to get the tube bent, then back home to chop them up and weld together.

Lots of fiddling to make sure the bars were exactly the same, measuring, checking and rechecking. In the end it took all day to get them cut and welded up but they are symmetrical within 1mm...so I am pleased with the result. They are 1.25" seamless tube with 1" tubes plug welded in each end for the controls.

Still need to drill all the holes in them for the wiring and internal throttle.





The reason I might have to shorten them is I made the mistake of not checking how the controls would fit, the grip wont actually sit up against the outside edge of them or the lever is in completely the wrong place, so looks like I will be making up a couple of spacers as well. Not a major problem by all accounts though.





Also finished off the gear selector (I know the linkage might not be up to the job! ;) ) Hopefully the angle is about right.



And so its starting to look like a bike, major fabrication finished off more or less, now lots of fiddly little things like drilling holes in the frame... for the wiring and hydraulics etc.

[flak monkey]

Getting there slowly. Now its got eyes....

Made the front indicator mounts this morning, turned up a couple of bosses chopped them up, spent ages making sure they were level and welded them to the bars. Sorry about the dodgy pics





Also made the template for the splash guard and and fitted the studs for the numberplate bracket.

[sirch345]

Getting there slowly. Now its got eyes....

Made the front indicator mounts this morning, turned up a couple of bosses chopped them up, spent ages making sure they were level and welded them to the bars. Sorry about the dodgy pics

Cheers for the update F/M
It's those little jobs that take the time, a lot of people don't realise just how much time can be lost, in something as simple as a couple of indicator mounts.

Keep up the good work,

Chris.

[tony.mon]

just for us total noobs to the bike building culture...and those envious enough to want to try, what does it cost?.....

It's in the title, Kev.
56K.

Seems a bit spenny, but if you think it's worth that, each to his own.

[bazza696]

I thought that as reference to large pictures, so people with dial up beware

[alec]

[quote="flak monkey"]Getting there slowly. Now its got eyes....

Made the front indicator mounts this morning, turned up a couple of bosses chopped them up, spent ages making sure they were level and welded them to the bars. Sorry about the dodgy pics



is that a BSA Bantam in the background

[flak monkey]

Thanks guys

As it stands the bikes cost around £11k. Thats with a new crate engine and box which is nearly half that total. If you weren't doing so much yourself then it would be a bit more...

Bike in the back ground is a Yamaha XJ550, 30 years old this year and still going

[kevg]

just for us total noobs to the bike building culture...and those envious enough to want to try, what does it cost?.....

It's in the title, Kev.
56K.

Seems a bit spenny, but if you think it's worth that, each to his own.

you tube!!!!!

i guess some of the bikes would cost that much and a hell of a lot more right enough if you're buying them pre made for you.

[motostorm]

thats a monster of a motor 145 torques

[flak monkey]

I have a distinct lack of motivation at the moment, unsure why. But things still continue to progress.

I recieved some more parts from the water jet cutter yesterday, including the brake discs I drew up. Looks like they will fit OK, just need to check the run out and have them surface ground if necessary. They were cut from 5mm stainless plate.



The instrument/dash thing arrived as well.



Theres a cunning plan brewing to mount it to the tank, which I have been swearing about today. Its a nice neat unit, but the built in mounting facilities/choice is limiting. Anyway, hoping to get the mount finished tomorrow and then I'll put some more pics up.

And that stupid legal requirement about having a space for a number plate...so there we go. Another bit of 1.5mm stainless, the rear lights will also be attached when I remember to get some stainless TIG welding rods.



So jobs for tomorrow, finish the instrument pod mount and then start on the seat pan. Oh and the paint design is almost finalised, though that will remain a relative suprise

Once thats done I think I am pretty much there with pre-assembly, and its ready to come apart, have various brackets attached properly and the holes drilled for the internal cables etc. Then its going to be a couple of months waiting for some money to get it finished off.