How to ruin a perfectly good stock frame

[chuck hahn]

guess my speed scrollings didnt let me see there are already gussets there..anyways thats what i was thinking too..

[Allie]

I'm very interested to see how it turns out. I don't know anything about engineering but it sure looks like great craftsmanship to me.

An honest question, it appears that the only really critical parts left from the GS frame are the steering head and the rear wheel mounts. Couldn't you have just cut those from a frame and fabricated the rest from scratch? Or was it really easier to do it this way? (answer in the 'for dummies' format pls, cause like I said, I don't know anything about engineering).

Don't mind Ness and Tkent, you can always put them on ignore if you like. They're good guys and very knowledgeable on GSs, though honestly I don't know if they know squat about what they're talking about in this instance or not. They could just be trying to give you a bunch of chit, which they have been known to do on more than one occasion.

[Allie]

No one is anti anything, just hate to see people getting hurt on stupid designs.

BTW you're anti tact, courtesy, and civility half the time. You should try prunes some time, they'll straighten you right out.

[mlc216]

Allie,

I used the lower frame rails as well. I could've just built a frame from scratch, but I don't have a frame jig and I used the original frame to build a frame to help keep the neck and axle plates square and build a new frame to my own specifications.

[Allie]

Yes I did see that you used the frame rails too, I just didn't think they were anything special to fabricate. Really the steering head I'd think would be the only hard thing. Well okay, the bearing races anyway. But okay that makes a lot of sense about the frame jig. It just seems ironic to start out with a frame and really end up with very little of it left by the end. You can still say it's a Suzuki though lol. What engine are you going to use?

[mlc216]

I started with a stock gs450 and I already have a gs450 chopper as well. The other gs450 motor will go in this frame

[JEEPRUSTY]

So long as the forces acting on the frame are not exceeding its strength.
But we all look and see this as an extension and an increase.

You cannot make something longer and reduce the stress upon its parts.
Do you have the measurement of the stength of the tubing you used?

An awful lot of measurement goes into a mc frame even the old ones we drive. The centre section that ties in the down tubes on mine would support a church let alone a fat ass and a tank of gas.

The angle you are anticipating for the fork is another dismal scary thing.
Its a bloodly long distance to be supported under load in a turn banking out and hitting a pothole.

I say your frame is a lot of wishful thinking that will twist willy nilly and kill you or worse some poor victim that gets in the way.

Not PC? Too damned bad. Your engine and a good bump will fold it in half.

[Krunk_Kracker]

I started with a stock gs450 and I already have a gs450 chopper as well. The other gs450 motor will go in this frame

I've seen your 450 on Chop Cult. It's a sick bike.

[Krunk_Kracker]

So long as the forces acting on the frame are not exceeding its strength.
But we all look and see this as an extension and an increase.

You cannot make something longer and reduce the stress upon its parts.
Do you have the measurement of the stength of the tubing you used?

An awful lot of measurement goes into a mc frame even the old ones we drive. The centre section that ties in the down tubes on mine would support a church let alone a fat ass and a tank of gas.

The angle you are anticipating for the fork is another dismal scary thing.
Its a bloodly long distance to be supported under load in a turn banking out and hitting a pothole.

I say your frame is a lot of wishful thinking that will twist willy nilly and kill you or worse some poor victim that gets in the way.

Not PC? Too damned bad. Your engine and a good bump will fold it in half.

But do you really know this? Or are you just going off what you think?

I know for a fact that this guy knows how to build a bike, I've seen his custom work over at Chop Cult. I have no idea either way, I am no engineer, but you seem to feel passionately about this so I thought I'd ask.

[ptexotik]

whoa. I just assumed you were going to be installing pedals!

[posplayr]

I started with a stock gs450 and I already have a gs450 chopper as well. The other gs450 motor will go in this frame

I'm interested to see how it turns out.

I don't think more than 2 or 3 people posting here even know the difference between strength and stiffness much less how to calculate it so I would not worry about showing any calculations.

I guess you gotta have a little thick skin around here; goes with the territory

[Carter Turk]

Wow. You guys are hostile. The guy shares his build and he gets scoffed at.

I guess this forum is here to share opinions, but I didn't realize folks could be so unfriendly and condescending Doesn't seem like either of you would be much fun to ride with or talk to.

[tkent02]

whoa. I just assumed you were going to be installing pedals!

Pedals would have overstressed the frame.

[pete]

Wow ok, just caught up on this... seems there's been some... feedback? since I last saw it this morning...

All I'll say about the arguing is that I do know that Jeep, Nessism, and TKent actually mean well and just don't want to see it all turn pear shaped and you get injured...

For myself, I say if you're confident in the strength/flex/etc. in what you're building, then keep going and enjoy it Like Allie I got no idea on that stuff which is why my frame is staying completely standard... I'm one of the guys who should never ever modify a frame!

This should certainly be a big change from how it was before with that springer front end.

Keep the updates coming, enjoying it so far

[tkent02]

I just spent an hour googling custom motorcycle frame failures, wow it's a lot more common than I would have thought.
Have fun.