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Just found the site this week. Well, I've been thoroughly enjoying all the quality builds with tasty equipment and a distinct lack of the crap that at times seems to define a "custom" bike these days. :
Here's a shot of my 1999 M900 Bobber I built in '06 and sold in '08. I dubbed it the 'Coup D'etat'. 24 1/2" seat height. 1.5" of suspension (give or take) and a dry weight of sub-300 lbs. <evil>
Sold it and immediately regretted it... :'( Oh well, F' it! I'm building another custom Duc-chop/bob!
Based on a 1996 SS900 frame and a dry-clutch converted '99 SS750 engine I have lying around. 1960's Moon-Eyes dragster tank (no repop crap here!) and it'll roll RIGID!!! 8)
The dimensions are slightly off, but the stance and feel are really close to what I want! The tank will sit a good 1 1/2" lower in the frame and I plan to really stretch out over this one... Drag-bike style. May not be comfortable, may change that...
ANY and ALL feedback about either is welcome... It's all good to me!!! ;D (BTW, totally diggin' the site!!!)
I love your first Duc Bobber and the layout/design of the second looks killer. I can't wait to see it happen! It is definitely something you don't see everyday.
and you fit right in here! Welcome to 'the collective' I've seen some chopped Ducs before and they generally make me wanna hurl but I really like your previous build! The concept looks cool too, I'll be interested in seeing how that Moon tank works out. I've got one on the shelf here but it's slated for a different kind of hotrod......
Again, welcome! This is a great group and a deep well of experience....and as you noted; a distinctive lack of bullshit.
by the way....rigid as in no front suspension either? Now THAT'S hardcore mate!
I didn't show the coil-over shocks for the front in the lic, but I won't be going full rigid... THAT'D be nuts!!!
I'm debating a small turbo on the chopper... Depends on $, & packaging room... I'm @ 5000 ft elevation and a 750 is maybe 55hp @ sea-level. I'd like to have a few more ponies...
Yeah, that's true... But, of the few Duc-Turbo bikes I've seen, no-one's plumbed one up front & there will be a lot of space to fill around that horizontal cylinder.
The turbo's a wild-idea (yeah...like the rest of the bike is civilized... : ), but it may not end up on there.
Ok, like 9 years go by & *now* I’m replying. Sorry? The Bobber is being reacquired and it’ll be around Abq starting next month. New employment digs have a fair bit of travel involved, but yeah... I’m down to get a beer & shoot the breeze.
Hello. Hi. Yeah. Been a LONG time coming, but the bike first pictured (my Monster Bobber) finally made it home to roost. The other project never really got off the ground.
anywho, I’m going to re-do the Bobber and plans include a hard tail. The frame tubes on the bike are narrow, so I’m limited to about a 130 rear tire and a 520 chain.
So, with that, can anyone provide a wheel CL to pulley/sprocket flange dimension for an HD 16x3.0 or a 16x3.5 rear rim? I have a 16x4.0 here, but the 140 tire won’t allow enough clearance without offsetting the frame tubes to allow for chain clearance. Plus, it’s a bobber, so less is better. I don’t need a 180 rear tire messing up the look.
Using my work’s AutoCAD, I’ve laid out the hard tail for the Bobber. Most other frames have tubing above and below the engine, but given the Ducati’s “engine as a stressed member” layout, this was the best I could come up with.
Not shown, but I intend to include the original swingarm pivot into the structure for additional rigidity.
To those who have built hard tails, I’d love to get your thoughts on this arrangement. Am I building my own death trap here?
So, this is how the Bobber sits now. I’m considering a VooDoo Vintage Relic girder front end, but the 5.5” offset yields unsafe trail figures. Unless I pivot the frame about the front engine mount about 6’.
So, I may keep the ‘95 Savage front end on it but just refit some better forks as these were hastily shortened and it never rode great. I could fit a Harley mid or narrow glide onto it... Still shaking options out.
Looking hard towards the Voodoo Vintage Velocity leaf spring front end. I wanted the Relic girder, but the 5.5” offset put my trail at an unacceptably low number, so that’s out. The 19” (4” shorter than stock HD) will fit my little Duc bobber nice and I do have the rigid rear figured out dimensionally, so that’s huge for me... Rear wheel will be an HD 16x3 and the front will be a 19x2.15 HD, both on a 3/4” axle. More later...
I was able to fit the 520 chain and a 16x3 HD rear wheel (off of an FXST) within the width of the Ducati engine case (about 8 1/2”) so my plan is to draft up some 3/8” steel plates and have them water jet cut off of the rear mounts in order to test dimensions and start building spacers, setting axle dimensions, etc.
If this works out, I’ll likely just cover these 3/8” plates with some 1” OD tubing to mirror the look of the rest of the frame and add some strength inside the tubing. May use 1 1/8” tubing... Still waiting to speak with my mechanical engineer and motorcycle friend (same guy)...
CAD mock-up of the VooDoo Vintage Velocity Leaf Spring front end on the modified frame. I'm deciding between the leaf spring/seat held off the vertical head as below:
And the seat held off of a frame pivoting on the frame tube just in front of the vertical head as below:
Rake is 33°, 7" between the back of the engine and front of the rear tire for electronics, 5.5" ground clearance, a 100/90/19 front tire on a 19x2.15 and a 130/90/16 rear tire on a 16x3. Trail is coming in at 5.3" and a 61.8" wheel base.
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