Re: 360 beat the clock 06.11.10
Ok guys and gals i guess its time for a little update. I'm working from daylight to long after dark then trying to sneak in after hours build time so I apologize if I don't get back to ya right away.
Plan is to give her some new lines:
To hardtail a 360 frame presents a headache of problems. Some I've known about for some time and was the whole reason I never did it in the first place. Another problem didn't raise its ugly head until I was knee deep in the hardtail process. I'll touch on that later. It was obvious from way back that the stamped backbone and seat rail supports (the vertical tubes home of the rear motor mounts) were obvious problems. I really wanted certain lines on the frame and couldn't see ways past these problems until recently. A hardtail can be done rather easly but doesn't always offer the lines I was looking for. I wanted seat rails that were narrow where they attach to the backbone. The backbone long and off the motor. It would need to have a gentle slope to the axle plates so the seat wouldn't take 3" springs on a steep slope. I also wanted the frame to look clean, mininmalist and utilitarian. Most of all I didn't want it to look like two bikes were welded together.
I finally figured out how to do the backbone and motor mounts. It was on. I ordered up a tc bros universal kit and headed to a good friends house. Jason has an awesome garage and can weld like a SOB. He works in a machine shop building custom handrails for a living and besides he is cool to hang with. I did the TC bros because the kit is almost the same price as buying a stick of dom tubing.
So for the back bone jason bent a 58* bend in a piece of scrap at work (no tubing bender at home) and we were on our way.
I knew that the 360 tank would not work because of its wide tunnel. I wanted a vintage looking tank and came across a '69 hodaka tank on ebay for very cheap. So the backbone was welded in at a 20* slope. It is at a raised angle to allow for the new tank and it offers a gentle slope to the axle plates. The length of the backbone is also a little longer than usual to help fit the tank as well. The 58* bend offers room below the carbs to mount the VW coils. I wanted to move them to clean up under the tank but still want them exposed. I think they will look tits mounted on the vertical tube below the carbs. Kiley is sending me some vintage looking cloth plug wires and I think that will set it off. I'm super stoked!
The ass end was to be easy(so I thought :
) using the swingarm as a jig. To me the length and ride height was already about perfect. Easy ended up not being the case in that the right subframe rail is 1.5" shorter and 7/8" higher than the other side. That I didn't know until the other side was already finished. Getting that side to match the other side was a pain in the ass.
Also I wanted the kick up to be closer to the motor than the axle plates so the lower rails had to be lengthened by about 2" in order to reach the axle plates. I think on most frames the bend is near the axle plates and that is why the tubing came up a little short.
Anyhow, she is mostly tacked up and still has a ton to finish. She sits without the backbone connected to the subframe and there isn't a gusset to be found... anywhere. All in due time...
Plan right now is to continue the lace and brass theme and I'll try to keep you boys and girls posted as time permits. so here she is. Please keep in mind that the frame is very far from finished... If nothing else, be entertained ;D
New tank...1969 Hodaka
with the seat and springs
tank fits backbone pretty well
Ok guys and gals i guess its time for a little update. I'm working from daylight to long after dark then trying to sneak in after hours build time so I apologize if I don't get back to ya right away.
Plan is to give her some new lines:
To hardtail a 360 frame presents a headache of problems. Some I've known about for some time and was the whole reason I never did it in the first place. Another problem didn't raise its ugly head until I was knee deep in the hardtail process. I'll touch on that later. It was obvious from way back that the stamped backbone and seat rail supports (the vertical tubes home of the rear motor mounts) were obvious problems. I really wanted certain lines on the frame and couldn't see ways past these problems until recently. A hardtail can be done rather easly but doesn't always offer the lines I was looking for. I wanted seat rails that were narrow where they attach to the backbone. The backbone long and off the motor. It would need to have a gentle slope to the axle plates so the seat wouldn't take 3" springs on a steep slope. I also wanted the frame to look clean, mininmalist and utilitarian. Most of all I didn't want it to look like two bikes were welded together.
I finally figured out how to do the backbone and motor mounts. It was on. I ordered up a tc bros universal kit and headed to a good friends house. Jason has an awesome garage and can weld like a SOB. He works in a machine shop building custom handrails for a living and besides he is cool to hang with. I did the TC bros because the kit is almost the same price as buying a stick of dom tubing.
So for the back bone jason bent a 58* bend in a piece of scrap at work (no tubing bender at home) and we were on our way.
I knew that the 360 tank would not work because of its wide tunnel. I wanted a vintage looking tank and came across a '69 hodaka tank on ebay for very cheap. So the backbone was welded in at a 20* slope. It is at a raised angle to allow for the new tank and it offers a gentle slope to the axle plates. The length of the backbone is also a little longer than usual to help fit the tank as well. The 58* bend offers room below the carbs to mount the VW coils. I wanted to move them to clean up under the tank but still want them exposed. I think they will look tits mounted on the vertical tube below the carbs. Kiley is sending me some vintage looking cloth plug wires and I think that will set it off. I'm super stoked!
The ass end was to be easy(so I thought :
) using the swingarm as a jig. To me the length and ride height was already about perfect. Easy ended up not being the case in that the right subframe rail is 1.5" shorter and 7/8" higher than the other side. That I didn't know until the other side was already finished. Getting that side to match the other side was a pain in the ass. Also I wanted the kick up to be closer to the motor than the axle plates so the lower rails had to be lengthened by about 2" in order to reach the axle plates. I think on most frames the bend is near the axle plates and that is why the tubing came up a little short.
Anyhow, she is mostly tacked up and still has a ton to finish. She sits without the backbone connected to the subframe and there isn't a gusset to be found... anywhere. All in due time...
Plan right now is to continue the lace and brass theme and I'll try to keep you boys and girls posted as time permits. so here she is. Please keep in mind that the frame is very far from finished... If nothing else, be entertained ;D
New tank...1969 Hodaka
with the seat and springs
tank fits backbone pretty well
