Building a Motorcycle completely from Scratch

xl_cheese

New Member
Curious to know if there are many folks that have built a bike completely from scratch. Using a new off the shelf engine and building a bike around it. I see lots of cool restoration threads or customing threads, but haven't yet seen anyone build one from scratch.

I have some gears churning in my head. 8)
 
I am Willows biggest fan.
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=24567.0
 
Nothing as spectacular as the above bikes. No cad. Garage floor for a jig and a severely overworked angle grinder. But it works good.

img2635t.jpg
 
Might not be the right place to ask this.

Most of the engines you can buy "Out of the box" are Harley engines that cost much more than most of our complete projects from rusty hulk to bike of the month.
 
Garage Rat said:
Might not be the right place to ask this.

Most of the engines you can buy "Out of the box" are Harley engines that cost much more than most of our complete projects from rusty hulk to bike of the month.

What options do we have for engines? An S&S type engine would be way too big and heavy! Couldn't I just buy a complete engine new from a dealer?
 
Please, call your local honda dealer and ask what a new cbr600rr engine costs along with management system. Let me know how that goes.

Your best bet is a donor bike. Something newish dropped by an overzealous inexperienced rider around a dirty corner. Pick up an old barn find like most of us, blow the dust off, rebuild and go from there. If/ when you screw it up, its minimal dollars down the tube.

If you asking about this, you probibaly want to do this. If your asking about this then you probibaly dont know enough to do this.

Most newer bikes are EFI and if they arent, they are likly belt or shaft drive. More complications that cost $ and time.

I'm not trying to be a dick if I'm coming off that way. Just tryin to help.
 
Garage Rat said:
Please, call your local honda dealer and ask what a new cbr600rr engine costs along with management system. Let me know how that goes.

Your best bet is a donor bike. Something newish dropped by an overzealous inexperienced rider around a dirty corner. Pick up an old barn find like most of us, blow the dust off, rebuild and go from there. If/ when you screw it up, its minimal dollars down the tube.

If you asking about this, you probibaly want to do this. If your asking about this then you probibaly dont know enough to do this.

Most newer bikes are EFI and if they arent, they are likly belt or shaft drive. More complications that cost $ and time.

I'm not trying to be a dick if I'm coming off that way. Just tryin to help.

Thanks for not beating around the bush. I have an idea of what I want to do and I'm in the researching phase. I was thinking something along the lines of the engine used in the ninja 500r. It's a reliable inline twin.
 
It is much simpler to buy a titled donor bike. Then depending on the state you can use the steering head as the base for your new frame, already have a title, and you have the engine with everything it needs.
 
Did it. It was a long, tough process taking about 3 years, 4 1/2 years if I count from the day I bought the salvaged bike to today. I seriously doubt I will ever do it again simply because the return on investment (in time and money) is a losing proposition.
Pics of the day it arrived at my house on a skid via FedEx. Tear down left me with the lower half of the engine, the rear wheel, rear sprocket, speedo, and belt as the only useable parts. Everything was new or sourced from ebay. Today, I find people practically giving them away on ebay. This week was my final inspection by a State Trooper. All I have to do is pay my taxes and it will be titled and street legal.
 

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Rat_ranger said:
It is much simpler to buy a titled donor bike. Then depending on the state you can use the steering head as the base for your new frame, already have a title, and you have the engine with everything it needs.

That'd be my 4 pennarth too. Works for me every time.

Buy a complete cosmetically challenged- BUT RUNNING - whatever. Sell all the parts you don't need / want and you'll have a pile of parts that owe you very little.

Not familiar with the ramifications of "Title" in the US / Canada, but I'm guessing it's similar to our UK V5 / Log Book which has the chassis / engine #'s [ OEM ] related to a registration # [ issued by the Government ].

There has long been a "grey" area in the regs as the V5 document puts emphasis on the chassis# for the ident., NOT the engine.

Here in the UK we currently have an "Oldtimer" [ Historic ] classification whereby if a vehicle [ car or bike ] was registered [ actually BUILT ] before 1972 you pay NO annual road tax, get Historic [ ie cheap ] insurance, and there are new regs afoot which will mean no annual safety check required [ MOT ].

With the Replica cars I've been involved in - that meant dubious registration at times - albeit with totally legit original papers. Example - 1970 Jaguar becomes a "C TYpe " !!!!!!!! Ford Escort becomes a "Ford" Cobra.....etc.,etc.. About the only ones that stood a vague chance of legality were the various Beetle floorpan abortions.

Bikes are somewhat simpler as most OEM stamped #s / Plates are on the headstock. Take such a V5 with accompanying headstock / frame to be cut down - and you have legit makings for your "Scratchbuilt" bike.

There's NO need to buy a new crate motor - unless you have money to spare ! In my experience a new crate motor would be more than the total cost of my builds.

BTW - take a look at Loek's scratch built bike - built around a Yamaha TR1 powertrain [ not biased at all - honest ].
 
I set building a motorcycle from a donor motor, from a 1975 CB750F as my challenge a couple of years ago. I chose to use the rear master cylinder as well, but everything else is either new or CNC'd, crafted or adapted from other bikes or sources. It was a very enjoyable and educational project.

IMGP0064.jpg
 
ROTAX. Austrian engines for just about every application, aircraft,snowmobiles,mc,scooters and others. They made the Helicon 1125 cc V for the Buell.
 
Titling in the state of Indiana consists of first contacting a law enforcement officer. In my case, a State Trooper because they handle vehicles without matching serial numbers. One came to my house and we sat in his cruiser for about two hours poring over a thick stack of invoices, him checking to see if any major components were stolen. This process drew attention from the nosy neighbors as one can imagine. Also checked was the donor bike's frame. Don't throw that shit away til it's all over and done with. Once he was satisfied,he signed off. Then, you mail off all the paperwork, photos of the bike, and all invoices to the state capital where they will send you your new VIN, hopefully. Once that is done, you obtain a metal plate (usually from a trophy shop) with t e new VIN and permanently affix it to the frame. You then have a second inspection with a State Trooper which he will sign off again. Finally, you go to the local BMV, and pay taxes on all the parts you bought for the bike (except for parts which have invoices showing sales taxes paid), whereby you will receive the new title for an "assembled motor vehicle". Oh, I forgot about buying the license plate. This is the condensed version. I did not go into the legwork going from place to place, or hauling the bike all over town trying to accomplish this.
 
It's actually far easier to ge a vehicle registered in the UK than it is in USA
I 'got caught' thinking that it would be easier in US and have had to buy titled frames from wherever I can get them which adds a significant amount to cost.
Unless you really like beating yourself up, DON'T buy anything without a title
 
bluenose bomber said:
ROTAX. Austrian engines for just about every application, aircraft,snowmobiles,mc,scooters and others. They made the Helicon 1125 cc V for the Buell.

Yep. I'm eyeballin' the rotax inline twin 804 too.
 
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