How to ruin a perfectly good stock frame

[TPL]

Just my suggestion, no offense to you at all, just how I would consider doing it.

It would look better if the engine cradle was level, that is my opinion only , plate bracing at the frame rear wheel and added triangulation to the neck.

Good luck with the build.

[mlc216]

Don't get me wrong, I like choppers and I am currently working on a cafe project. But with chopper builds and frames it is always a battle between looks and functionality of the frame.

Ahh, but sacrificing functionality is all part of the chopper thing! At least if my floats get stuck open it'll leak out of the carb filters rather than into the cylinder? haha

Lookin' good now! And yeah, +1 on those forks for sure, something wasn't right with the springer, but then again what do I know?

Aww pete you know a lot... just maybe not much related to choppers haha. I promise I've not forgotten about the HEI conversion... I'll be testing that out on this bike for sure.

Just my suggestion, no offense to you at all, just how I would consider doing it.

It would look better if the engine cradle was level, that is my opinion only , plate bracing at the frame rear wheel and added triangulation to the neck.

Good luck with the build.

TPL,
The angle of the frame is all part of the 70's style stock rake long fork kinda build that I'm going for... I will be plating in a little more on the axle plates, building some nice sleeves at both of the frame splice locations, and this is similar to what I'm thinking for the stress bar/triangulation for the neck area:


Of course this is a harley frame and I don't need the top motor mount and I can tie it all together a little smoother since I don't have the original forged neck to deal with. This "beam" shaped bracing I like a lot more because I can curve it around and keep the empty space above the motor while still adding the same effective bracing of a stress bar.

And a seat tube will be added soon I promise!

[7981GS]

IMHO, this Swede (Mindless) really knows what he is doing and you should follow his recommendation at the steering neck:



BEFORE it snaps off at speed with you on it.


Daniel

[tkent02]

IMHO, this Swede (Mindless) really knows what he is doing and you should follow his recommendation at the steering neck:



BEFORE it snaps off at speed with you on it.


Daniel

You think it will even get to speed before it snaps?

[7981GS]

You think it will even get to speed before it snaps?

NO.

Does it really matter? The engine will have starved for oil and locked up before it goes very far anyway.


Daniel

[mlc216]

And here we go again...

[pete]

Awww c'mon guys, can we please stop the bickering?

MLC has already gone and revised some stuff and is planning on more and is confident that what he's doing is safe, isn't that enough? I understand y'all want to make sure he's not going to kill himself on it, but I think that point's been somewhat overstated now... enough ranting from me...

[Octain]

I have a Harley and the frame dont look anything like you discribe.

[mlc216]

I have a Harley and the frame dont look anything like you discribe.

An 04 Fatboy is long gone from the days of wishbone frames...

[Octain]

An 04 Fatboy is long gone from the days of wishbone frames...

I thought you were referring to the support work at the neck.

[Hammered]

MLC good to see you in the fold. Ive seen your other ride. Cant wait to see this one done. Dont sweat the couple folks here who know ****e about building a frame or for that matter anything beyond what Mr. Suzuki cranked out the factory. The wishbone will be nice to make the exhaust easier to work with.

[mlc216]

Oh I'm sorry I was only referring to how the backbone and downtube come together at the top of the neck with a gusset underneath. Stock harley wishbone frames were built like this because the weight of the bike does not induce a bending moment on the neck. They also had a stress bar which I'll be adding something of the same idea to this frame...

[mlc216]

More mockup before I build cross bracing and a seat tube

[ozman]

ya gotta love the cute little honda tank
oz

[Krunk_Kracker]

ya gotta love the cute little honda tank
oz

If I remember correctly from his thread on chopcult, it's from a Honda mini-bike.