Hardtail 550t

[Zooks]

Btw in the states 100kph ain't very fast. Matter of fact you'd get killed on our freeways at that speed.

I realise that. I was talking about the twistys on a mountain road in the 'back of nowhere'.

[briyenkieth]

Sadly some of our montain roads are just as redicules. My last trip down Ortega hwy (sorta local road) I had a guy in one of those scion toasters trying to kill me. I feel that our banter is getting a bit to negative so I appoligize for it. Since you don't get the hardtail thing, beg borrow or steal a ride on one and I bet you come away with a different opinion.
So atb the shaft is common,huh? Don't know if that makes me feel any better. Dubt they will warranty it. Almost a year since the warranty expired.
Blm...any new news?

[blmiller8]

Blm...any new news?

Yeah man I just finished installing the brake light switches to get it street worthy. I changed the oil filter on the bike and while reinstalling it I think I pinched the packing. Im going to ride it today though because its not that bad. I will post more pics as I go. Seems like everytime I think I am done something else happens. Its like a never ending project. But I am having some funn with it.

[atchbo]

Thanks for the posts, and the ideas. I've been looking at doing something similar, and had welded up some rigid struts for the rear end to make my hardtail. Now that I've read about the potential for crushing bearings and cracking the frame this way, I'm more curious about a properly welded hardtail.

Do you have any measurements you can share?

Atchbo

[atchbo]

My current state of affairs.

[blmiller8]

Thanks for the posts, and the ideas. I've been looking at doing something similar, and had welded up some rigid struts for the rear end to make my hardtail. Now that I've read about the potential for crushing bearings and cracking the frame this way, I'm more curious about a properly welded hardtail.

Do you have any measurements you can share?

Atchbo

Honestly we just kind of cut the welded then cut and welded. We used a string off the neck and made sure that it was the same distance on both sides. I do know that the rearend coming from under the tank is 26" I thought it was the perfect length. And you will really need a hydraulic tube bender to do it right.

[blmiller8]

My current state of affairs.

I cant really see what you are dooing in that picutre.

[blmiller8]

Heres a couple of the progress pics for some ideas








The triangle plates that hold the rear tire in were made at a local machien shop. They are like 50$ each though.

[atchbo]

Yeah, you can't see much in my pictures because the garage is too small to get a profile shot. I haven't gone very far with the bike yet... I'm trying to freshen up the motor but having to wait for some of the seals etc to come in the mail. I was going to put rigid struts on the back and call it done, but all the triangles look dumb (not to mention the potential frame cracking issues).

I started by making a seat pan and was trying to figure out how best to mount it. Then because the struts are so short (low), the back wheel ended up high, near the top of its travel, and the cross-member of the frame is in the way of the fender. So one thing is leading to the other... I'm not sure I trust my welding enough to do serious work on the frame (I've got a 90 amp flux-core mig and still make some shoddy looking welds). Anyway, I'll keep going with the seat and try to get the motor back together before doing any more work on the frame. This might be a good time to get some help with the frame work, as we're in a bit of a slowdown here, and there are lots of good welders around, maybe looking for side jobs.

Atchbo

[blmiller8]

(I've got a 90 amp flux-core mig and still make some shoddy looking welds)
Atchbo

I dont know much about welding man but I was told not to use flux core on bike frames. All of the welds on my bike were done with a tig welder and he had been welding motorcycle frames for years. If your going to put your life at the hands of your welds might aswell have them done by someone who knows what they are dooing.

[Hammered]

Flux, Stick, Mig, Tig or Torch. Wont matter. As long as youre using the proper filler, youre fine. Hell back in the early days of manufacturing, most comapnies were still braze welding these thing together. 90amp is a bit small but as long as youre getting good penatration, youre good to go. Im running a Clarke 130 for my project and after 25+ years of welding, I still like this little machine.

[tone]

Oooh this takes me back to my youth, its pretty much the sort of stuff i started out doing 30 years ago

The first frame you showed was structualy unsound the last is better imo but i would still like to see specs on tubing used & wall thickness tbh i have some small concerns about unsupported butt joints & the length of the hardtail without triangulation

Still having said all that it does look cool, is a good shape & i'm glad you ended up using a simple jig for alignment

cheers tone

[blmiller8]

Oooh this takes me back to my youth, its pretty much the sort of stuff i started out doing 30 years ago

The first frame you showed was structualy unsound the last is better imo but i would still like to see specs on tubing used & wall thickness tbh i have some small concerns about unsupported butt joints & the length of the hardtail without triangulation

Still having said all that it does look cool, is a good shape & i'm glad you ended up using a simple jig for alignment

cheers tone

LOL Thanks for the bit of encouragement. I want to buy another gs soon and do it all again. As far as the tubing we used what they had at the chopper shop. I dont really know any of the specs on it. I would like to learn more though if you could send me a link or a book for reference.

[blmiller8]

Flux, Stick, Mig, Tig or Torch. Wont matter. As long as youre using the proper filler, youre fine. Hell back in the early days of manufacturing, most comapnies were still braze welding these thing together. 90amp is a bit small but as long as youre getting good penatration, youre good to go. Im running a Clarke 130 for my project and after 25+ years of welding, I still like this little machine.

OK I didnt mean to make an uneducated assumption I was just going of off reccamendations of others. Thanks for the info..

[blmiller8]

Got board yesterday took some pics before I left. I am in nc and kinda miss working on the bike lol. Dont tell my wife.