Lil' Brat build

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beachpunk

New Member
Thought i'd pull my finger out and start posting my first ever build.


It started with an '85 Suzuki GSX250 that I picked up already customised with a race look.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


But then I ran across bratstyle and heiwa bikes and started frothing. So I decided to see what I could turn this into.


Started by tearing everything down, labelling the shit out of every part and then went on to strip all the paint (which was pretty tough at times and boring. But will pay off in the end).


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Took the paint of the engine and opened the top end to check a rattle. Looked super clean so will check the valve clearances and put a new gasket on. Plenty of shine under the black paint. Will leave the gear box bare metal and paint the fins and top matt black.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Picked up an old fender from a wrecker and had some custom welding done so I could get it on. Also got a new tank off another Suzuki and got rid of the old boxey one. Cleaner lines in this.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Just finished off making a seat pan today. Plywood as I didn't want to mess with fibreglass or metal. Good result and pretty strong. Its not going anywhere once it's completely finished. Will completely cover with vinyl and maybe coat with something to seal the wood.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Also cut a custom bracket that fitted (conveniently) on the bottom of the lower clamp. So I didn't have to drill any new holes and mess with it's strength. Nice brand spanking new Posh headlamp fresh from Japan.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Getting there slowly. Stay tuned for more. Battery housing next...


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr
 
Should have the little beast mocked up in a few weeks. Then it's time for paint. Tight budget on this so sand blasting and powder coating are luxuries. All about the cans. Looks like you can get a reasonable finish with a bit of prep work.

My next bike I'll go all out on powder I reckon.
 
What gauge steel is the box? Looks flimsy and may sag with the battery. What are you securing the battery with?

I'm also thinking the plywood is a bad idea....

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Sweet looking ride dude, but I am with optics on this one. That box looks a bit to flimsy, and are those rivets holding it together? Rivets are good to use however those look way too long. You want to have the length of the rivet be the grip (metal you are riveting together) plus 1.5 times the diameter of the rivet. So when you insert the rivet through the metal you will have 1.5x the diameter sticking out. Keep up the good work though!
 
Ta for the advice. That's why this forum rocks, nobody's shy to help out. The box is bolted together so it's pretty rigid. Haven't worked out how to secure the battery, may use a leather strap that threads through the metal at the bottom. The box is secured to the frame underneath and above at the back. But I'll probably take your advice and reinforce it with some thicker steel.

What's the biggest concern with plywood? Is it because it deteriorates over time? Fiberglass a better option?
 
Thanks opticz. I may look at covering it with varnish or some other hardcore wood sealant first. Planning on selling it after about 6 months and getting something bigger, then starting again! Loving the CB btw. You done yet?
 
Getting there. Sooooooo much custom work. I'm learning as I go.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
 
Keep it up! I'm leaning toward the Bratstyle with my older big sister to your bike with my Zook build "Overkill".
And good on you for listening to their advise. "Flipping" a bike after the build is no excuse for half-assing something. Since you've done so much work to the plywood seat pan already, you can just buy the fiberglass resin and hardener and paint the wood with that. It will seal it tighter than a Nuns Puss!
 
Sweet dude. Have covered the plywood with 3 coats of exterior varnish. Nothing getting in now!!! Diggin the Overkill progress, looking forward to seeing that one pan out. Have learnt a lot from checking out other builds. You are the king of vinyl seats. Any tips on how to get the vinyl nice and tight over the foam? And clean in the corners?
 
beachpunk said:
... You are the king of vinyl seats. Any tips on how to get the vinyl nice and tight over the foam? And clean in the corners?
Click to expand...

HA! Not hardly but thanks. What I know I learned from other peoples threads then added my own twists. The best advise to give on working with vinyl is warm it up. Either with a hair dryer, laying it out in the sun, or even a heat lamp MUCH easier to work with when it's warm. Depending on the shape you want, pie shaped cuts in the curves will keep it from bunching up.
The varnish on your seat wood is going to help A LOT. Plus by using wood you can staple the cover right to it when you stretch it into place.
 
Managed to get back on the bike and get some more done. Started with the tank and some stinking filler to smooth out the dents. Should be ready for some paint on the weekend. Any tips on what brand of spray can to use? Primers? Colour? Clear? Any tips on technique?


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Strengthened the battery box and fixed the battery inside. Then shook the frame like hell to see if it moved. Ain't going nowhere!!!


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Made some space at the front for the rest of the wiring bits.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Padded out the sides of the battery to keep it snug in the centre.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


Also stuck the first layer of foam to the laquered seat pan. Used super strong spray adhesive. Ready for shaping on the weekend. Booooom.


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr
 
Got 2 coats of matt black on all the parts. Starting to see the finish line.




lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr


lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr




Bit of gloss to it which I like.




lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr




Put 3 coats on the frame on top of the primer.




lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr




Painted the tank Woodland Grey. Messing around with some graphics to put on the sides. Will either get a vinyl sticker from a professional printer or go for some masked off detail. Then throw on a few layers of clear.




lil' brat build by beachpunk, on Flickr
 
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