Kneeler Project

beachcomber said:
Looking good Steff ................. could I suggest a diagonal brace at the rear [ last pic ] from the top bend of the frame loop - approx 45 degrees down to the bend in the rear floor loop. Apologies if you already have this in hand.

I hadn't considered bracing those two points ..... if I did it would have to be demount-able in order to remove the rearwheel.
I have yet to try a rear wheel on the swinging arm to double check that the rear hoop allows enough clearance.
While we are talking rear ends, I dont know whether to go for a traditional rear mudguard mounted within the rear frame loop and padded on top for the passenger to lean over, or a fibre glass seat that spans the rails. what the sp on knee cups ..... guttering?
 
I'd go for the traditional seat / m.guard. It gives you a better purchase when cornering hard / drifting. You use much more of your body with a kneeler. You'd be surprised just how much you use your inner thighs together with the kneeler pads to "push" the outfit in the direction you want.

And yes - guttering !!!! That's exactly what I used 50 years ago !! ;) ;)

My ex race kneeler had "proper" alloy kneeler trays, but I didn't have access to that kind of fab [??] when I was building my own.

Just to be clear on the suggested bracing ................ doesn't need to be OTT size wise.



I probably spent too much of my life designing space frame chassis !!!

 
Thanks, I will put that bracing in when I get the shock mount done.
A mooch round the builders merchants/ reclamation yards to see if I can see any steel guttering brackets, failing that I suppose I could fab some up from large diameter steel pipe.
I think a mudguard set up would give it a more pleasing top line.
 
Erskine said:
Thanks, I will put that bracing in when I get the shock mount done.
A mooch round the builders merchants/ reclamation yards to see if I can see any steel guttering brackets, failing that I suppose I could fab some up from large diameter steel pipe.
I think a mudguard set up would give it a more pleasing top line.

Plastic, with the metal support clips ???
 
A sneak peek at how it will sit, bare in mind that the wheel in the picture is 18" not 16" and it will be sat further forward on the swinging arm.





And I scored a nice length of aluminium guttering from a local roofer and he's sorting me out 4 ally support brackets to match :)
 
Did some work on the top shock mount today. Called in at the local breakers to explore rear shock options. Been putting feelers out for alternative front hubs. That is all today folks.

 
way too cool Steff .............................................. you do realise that you've got me looking over my Airhead Beemer chassis again !! That Max Duebel sitter would make a fitting "last project" for me.
 
beachcomber said:
way too cool Steff .............................................. you do realise that you've got me looking over my Airhead Beemer chassis again !! That Max Duebel sitter would make a fitting "last project" for me.

Do it! It's a design icon. You've got so many 'last projects' on the go you'll end up living to 150 just to get them all done!
 
Cleaned up the welding so far and consolidated the bare metal with lashings of red oxide for now. Not much esle do do on a wet and windy Somerset Saturday morning.



 
I think I need to get some shocks for the front end and a road tyre so I can make progress on the rear end.







 
Is that first one from "Ragged Edge " ? I was speaking to them 3 or 4 years ago before they had a massive fire that wiped out most of their moulds.

From memory the fairing was only around £250, which was about the same price I'd been quoted for the seperate fairings as per the Duebel era Kneelers. However, I think the screen was another £100 !!

I've passed on the Grass track sidecar chassis - cheap though it was.
 
beachcomber said:
Is that first one from "Ragged Edge " ? I was speaking to them 3 or 4 years ago before they had a massive fire that wiped out most of their moulds.

From memory the fairing was only around £250, which was about the same price I'd been quoted for the seperate fairings as per the Duebel era Kneelers. However, I think the screen was another £100 !!

I've passed on the Grass track sidecar chassis - cheap though it was.

First is Ragged Edge, second is Martek. Both £270 ish. Matching seat £100, Mudguard £100 and then screens on top .... All mounts up!
 
miffa said:
every now and again a build makes your jaw drop ,and mines just dropped ,its madness in fact insane and i luv it :eek: 8) 8) 8)

got to be easily in the top 2 builds on here .....just behind mine of course LOL

Miffa, I'd love an engine like yours for it!
 
miffa said:
just only this week sold a mint 68 bsa spitfire power egg motor ..........

and i would luv some leading link forks like yours,we could put the two bikes in a bag shake them up and only the lord knows what the end result would be , A TERRY VINICOMBE / CHRIS VINCENT OUTFIT !!!!!keep up the great work
 
Thanks for the encouragement Miffa. Yep that would be some bastard child for sure!
There is an incredible amount of work in those leading links, must have taken hours to fabricate.
Beachcomber is also on the hunt for some, but they come up so infrequently and then at a kings ransom. I really did get lucky with mine.
I've been redishing the front wheel over 1/4" to centralise it in the forks but that's all the progress of late, sourcing a 16" rear seems to be harder than expected (on a budget).
I think the super egg would have been too wide in the head to fit between the upper frame rails.
 
As previously mentioned - I spent quite a lot of time at Tom Kirby's place and frequently either of these outfits would be at the workshop. I used to buy their old tyres for my road outfit at ten bob a throw ! I met both riders several times - both down to earth types and hands on mechanics [ as most sidecar riders ].

A great inspiration in the day - but for me - it was always Max Deubel.



 
Bit of progress, sold the bantam back wheel from the original chassis, scored a good condition 16" honda wheel complete which should bolt straight into the swinging arm. Need some rubber for the front wheel now I've dished it over into alignment.

 
Back
Top Bottom