Hey Guys Started Mounting The Motor In My Monark. I Have A Skyhawk Gt-5 And After Some Thought On How To Go About It. I Came Up With A Simple Mount That Should Be Solid. Check Out Pics. These Old Bikes Have Longer Frames Than What Is Available Now So Using The Stock Mounting Points On The Engine Is Out Of The Question. I'am Making A Rear Hub Right Now. Next Will Be The Gas Tank Which Will Be Inside The Stock Tank. Always Welcome Any Ideas Or Suggestions- Big Mike
1955 Monark Rocket Build/restore
- Thread starter mpr455
- Start date
tank is two halves. used to have a horn in it. my plan is to build a steel tank that bolts in then the two halves will bolt to that. - big mike
Mike,
I try never to criticize anyone's work but I hope that weld in the first photo is just a tack weld. That is a high stress point and needs a good solid weld. It appears that the tube from the seat post to your engine is made from 1/2" EMT, (electrical conduit) That material is galvanized and to get a good joint the galvanize should be ground off. If you know all this I'm sorry I said anything but over the years I've seen some scary stuff and I don't want to see anyone hurt by a defective installation. Please don't be offended I mean this only as constructive criticism.
Tom
I try never to criticize anyone's work but I hope that weld in the first photo is just a tack weld. That is a high stress point and needs a good solid weld. It appears that the tube from the seat post to your engine is made from 1/2" EMT, (electrical conduit) That material is galvanized and to get a good joint the galvanize should be ground off. If you know all this I'm sorry I said anything but over the years I've seen some scary stuff and I don't want to see anyone hurt by a defective installation. Please don't be offended I mean this only as constructive criticism.
Tom
2door- it is just a tack weld also the steel used was 4130 tube i had laying around I had to sand the scale off before welding maybe that's why it looks like EMT. I have been a toolmaker for 21 years and have some engineering background in internal combustion engines and robotics so when it comes to structual integrity i can sometimes go overboard. But it never hurts to question someone on there way of doing something. no offense taken thanks -big mike
Glad you took my words the right way, Mike.
With your experience I'm sure you've seen some questionable things in your time too. As I said, I try not to criticize anyone for their work but I will offer advice when I see something that could be potentially unsafe. Looking forward to seeing that Monark completed. It has so much potential and you sound like the guy to succeed with it. Keep us posted on your Motorized Bicycle project.
Tom
With your experience I'm sure you've seen some questionable things in your time too. As I said, I try not to criticize anyone for their work but I will offer advice when I see something that could be potentially unsafe. Looking forward to seeing that Monark completed. It has so much potential and you sound like the guy to succeed with it. Keep us posted on your Motorized Bicycle project.
Tom
Dont mean to rag on your build but.. I cant belive you would weld to a bike like that. Some bikes are meant just to be bicycles ya know? It has such great patina and is such a classic. I i know you can take the motor off and repaint it and stuff but its never the same, loses its character. Sorry man i just think its a shame.
odot, sorry you don't approve of my build. can't please everyone you know. this bike was all there when i bought it but was rough. someone painted this bike with house paint and the chrome is beyond repair from sitting in a barn. monark corp. put motor conversions on these bikes at the factory! so converting this bike is really not that much of a crime. This bike is getting painted and chromed and lettered back in it's ORIGINAL colors. Patinia is one of the most overused and most misunderstood words used in the antique world. there is a definite line between a nice original and a well used one that deserves to be brought back to it's former glory. i just sold my all origiinal 70' apple krate which was a genuine survivior right down to the tires. it was in nice shape when i found it. i cleaned and waxed the bike and then left it alone. Now if it was a basket case it would have been restored back to original. It deserves it. Too bad you don't see it my way because there is a lot of junk laying around that needs a second chance and people like us can make that happen. - big mike
I don't agree at all. I see old bikes get restored to like new condition and they are so expensive the owner never rides them. I have two old Schwinn Americans and I do with them as I wish, changing the handlebars to high rise, since they suit me better, changing the seats to worksman which are more comfortable and look better, changing the wheels to heavy duty 2.125. I added a Kawasaki Vulcan tfront fender light to one and the other will get an Indian motorcycle fender light. Both have the 80cc engines. I get lots of compliments on the bikes and they get ridden. I appreciate their being well made and having some history, which is all still there. In the end they are bicycles and not something to get up tight about. I just bought a 68 American I intend to redo as a motorbicycle and will do it up as I see fit.
I ran into similar attitudes when I got a 63 Airstream trailer which had been neglected... Airstream fanatics thought I should restore it to like new condition with all original stuff. I don't have that king of money and did the interior in knotty pine to suit an old guy and his dog as an efficiency apartment on wheels heated with an old caboose wood stove from a logging train up here by the Canadian Border. I made it mine. Let others restore them into like new show pieces. To each his own.
I look forward to seeing the Monarch in it's new incarnation. Keep us posted, please.
Silverbear
Hope you don't mind if I way in on this but it is something I have a lot of knowledge about.
I spent 40 years full time restoring antique furniture and have seen the "patina" fight from every angle.
If it is a 70 Apple Crate and all it needs is a wash and wax to bring it back then you are restoring "patina".
If it is a 150 year old cupboard with 15 coats of paint and you strip it down to the bare wood and can identify the original colour and replace it after you repair the cupboard then you have "restored" it.
I also have restored a few cars and at present I'm doing my nephews 1946 Chev. 2 ton and my brothers 1958 Plymouth wagon. They will be done to be a point while they look super, we can use them without fear of hurting them.
How often do you see a flawless restoration of a bike but when would you use it if you wanted to risk the $4,500 you payed for it. Do you put it in the living room and dust it every day or just put in a plastic case so dusting doesn't scatch it?
Qdot, I agree with you if it was 1 of 3or4 made but these bikes were churned out by the 1000s. Buy the parts, restore one take it out and ride the wheels off it. I'll bet that will take you a long time to do because every one will want to stop you and hear the story about how you got the really neat old bike and could you do one for them or sell yours.
I've been there. It's a sweet road to ride.
Steve
I spent 40 years full time restoring antique furniture and have seen the "patina" fight from every angle.
If it is a 70 Apple Crate and all it needs is a wash and wax to bring it back then you are restoring "patina".
If it is a 150 year old cupboard with 15 coats of paint and you strip it down to the bare wood and can identify the original colour and replace it after you repair the cupboard then you have "restored" it.
I also have restored a few cars and at present I'm doing my nephews 1946 Chev. 2 ton and my brothers 1958 Plymouth wagon. They will be done to be a point while they look super, we can use them without fear of hurting them.
How often do you see a flawless restoration of a bike but when would you use it if you wanted to risk the $4,500 you payed for it. Do you put it in the living room and dust it every day or just put in a plastic case so dusting doesn't scatch it?
Qdot, I agree with you if it was 1 of 3or4 made but these bikes were churned out by the 1000s. Buy the parts, restore one take it out and ride the wheels off it. I'll bet that will take you a long time to do because every one will want to stop you and hear the story about how you got the really neat old bike and could you do one for them or sell yours.
I've been there. It's a sweet road to ride.
Steve
Trust me im a big believer in giving old junk a second chance, you would drool over my garage and my house. And i know those bikes came with motors from the factory. And yes they did make a lot of these bikes but how often do you see these anymore? I find that these motors ruin some bikes, not in terms of style but of structural integrity. My bike is all bent and the frame actually broke in half from the vibration. To each his own but there are many many bikes out there that will look just as good and are half the age of that monark you have there.
qdot, this bike is like one my father had when he was a kid so it has some semtimental value and will be restored to the highest of my ability then i will ride it with the care and respect it deserves. there is a lot of motor bikers here in the chicago area. they ride to the cruise nites and show with the cars. this is not a commuter bike. i looked at using a new bike to do do this project and came to a few conclusions A: the bikes that are available on the mainstream market today are inferior in quality to what was available in the past.B: the bikes that are available on the high end market that suit my style(electra was one) are VERY expensive.C
this is the most important one) I sat on a new "retro" bike that i was looking at buying and figured out that it is a new bike and will never have the character that a genuine 50's bike has. that's why real hot rodders will get real steel cars for there projects over a fiberglass or steel reproduction. you just don't get the same feeling as when you use the real deal. i don't want to force my ways of doing things on you. it is just my opinion. there is many ways to enjoy these motor bikes and this happens to be my way-big mike
this is the most important one) I sat on a new "retro" bike that i was looking at buying and figured out that it is a new bike and will never have the character that a genuine 50's bike has. that's why real hot rodders will get real steel cars for there projects over a fiberglass or steel reproduction. you just don't get the same feeling as when you use the real deal. i don't want to force my ways of doing things on you. it is just my opinion. there is many ways to enjoy these motor bikes and this happens to be my way-big mikeForget it. Youre not pickin up what im puttin down. Its okay though. Not everyone is going to see my point of view. I know hot rods too, and that wasnt really what i was getting at. I wouldnt put a motor on one of those lame looking "retro" cruisers either.
I wish I had a Monark to put a motor on! I have had several bikes over the years and besides my recliner every piece of furniture in my house is antique. When I start a project it will be what pleases me. If I do something for someone else they get it their way but if it is for me its my way. My Cycletruck is so heavy I can't wait to built something lighter but I really want the right bike to do it with. That Monark will make a great MB.
A few thoughts...
Would they have bolted on a HT back in the 50's had they been available? Freakin' right they woulda! Is it "tacky" and out of place like a spoiler & ground effects on a 58 Chevy pick-up? No - with a lil touch here and there the HT will look... fitting and right (if not period). Are the mods damaging the bike in any way? Actually, no - the welds are far superior than clamps in the long run and in fact proper welds can be undone as there shouldn't be any undercut or damage to the integrity of the tubing.
If say in another 50 years some fanatic saz "OMG what were they thinkin'?" it's a simple matter to cut the mounts off, grind flush, and build up new steel by welding and grinding if necessary.
If the back had been hacked off and chucked in the recycle bin and a modern rear suspension was JBwelded in it's place - now that might give a purist somethin' to whine about lol
I see nothing here but respect for a great old bike that's gonna get a second chance at life doin' what it was meant to do - bring a smile to yer face as you blast around the block feelin' like the kid we all still are
Would they have bolted on a HT back in the 50's had they been available? Freakin' right they woulda! Is it "tacky" and out of place like a spoiler & ground effects on a 58 Chevy pick-up? No - with a lil touch here and there the HT will look... fitting and right (if not period). Are the mods damaging the bike in any way? Actually, no - the welds are far superior than clamps in the long run and in fact proper welds can be undone as there shouldn't be any undercut or damage to the integrity of the tubing.
If say in another 50 years some fanatic saz "OMG what were they thinkin'?" it's a simple matter to cut the mounts off, grind flush, and build up new steel by welding and grinding if necessary.
If the back had been hacked off and chucked in the recycle bin and a modern rear suspension was JBwelded in it's place - now that might give a purist somethin' to whine about lol
I see nothing here but respect for a great old bike that's gonna get a second chance at life doin' what it was meant to do - bring a smile to yer face as you blast around the block feelin' like the kid we all still are
Last edited:
...A few thoughts...
Would they have bolted on a HT back in the 50's had they been available? Freakin' right they woulda! Is it "tacky" and out of place like a spoiler & ground effects on a 58 Chevy pick-up? No - with a lil touch here and there the HT will look... fitting and right (if not period). Are the mods damaging the bike in any way? Actually, no - the welds are far superior than clamps in the long run and in fact proper welds can be undone as there shouldn't be any undercut or damage to the integrity of the tubing.
If say in another 50 years some fanatic saz "OMG what were they thinkin'?" it's a simple matter to cut the mounts off, grind flush, and build up new steel by welding and grinding if necessary.
If the back had been hacked off and chucked in the recycle bin and a modern rear suspension was JBwelded in it's place - now that might give a purist somethin' to whine about lol
I see nothing here but respect for a great old bike that's gonna get a second chance at life doin' what it was meant to do - bring a smile to yer face as you blast around the block feelin' like the kid we all still are
I myself would much rather take some barn find dating way back and restore it WITH a motor....that Monark looks like prime material for that.....classic lines.....vintage look....that thing's begging to be motorized !
Laters,
Salty
That is why I bought my Monark. It is not one of four made and I am restoring it so that it can be put back to original.
They are old bikes, not art pieces.
Steve.
They are old bikes, not art pieces.
Steve.
i dig the old cruisers. that monark should look awesome.
as far as the "patina" goes, on most old bikes, that's just a fancy name for "rust." and ten coats of house paint isn't "patina." it's preservative.
when it comes to bike restoration, i've got mixed feelings. alot of the hi-dollar, full resto jobs i've seen make the bike look cheap. makes an old classic look like a repro. and when it comes to aftermarket, classic "style" (meaning "new from tiawan") parts like headlights and fenders, it basically is a repro.
bikes i've had, if it's got the right combination of original paint and rust, i'll leave it alone. i would never call it "patina," though. that word should be reserved for rocking chairs and old leather goods.
bicycles were meant to ride, not hang up in a 50's themed restaurant.
as far as the "patina" goes, on most old bikes, that's just a fancy name for "rust." and ten coats of house paint isn't "patina." it's preservative.
when it comes to bike restoration, i've got mixed feelings. alot of the hi-dollar, full resto jobs i've seen make the bike look cheap. makes an old classic look like a repro. and when it comes to aftermarket, classic "style" (meaning "new from tiawan") parts like headlights and fenders, it basically is a repro.
bikes i've had, if it's got the right combination of original paint and rust, i'll leave it alone. i would never call it "patina," though. that word should be reserved for rocking chairs and old leather goods.
bicycles were meant to ride, not hang up in a 50's themed restaurant.
Bairdco, are you talking about the Corvette with the $15,000 paint job that takes best original paint? How about the Monark with the tripple plate show chrome and the hand rubbed base/clear coat paint? Restored?
Not mine. Enamel paint and all new/old stock chrome if I can find it or replate to match the original. Restored a few cars/trucks and after refinishing furniture for years I understand what you mean.
These were assembly line made, not hand crafted.
Mine was hard used and much loved but not abused. Even the original peddals are there.
If I can figure out how to get pictures on here I'll do it.
Now out to the garage to figure out how to attach the side car.
Steve.
Not mine. Enamel paint and all new/old stock chrome if I can find it or replate to match the original. Restored a few cars/trucks and after refinishing furniture for years I understand what you mean.
These were assembly line made, not hand crafted.
Mine was hard used and much loved but not abused. Even the original peddals are there.
If I can figure out how to get pictures on here I'll do it.
Now out to the garage to figure out how to attach the side car.
Steve.
