Bill's Vintage Briggs Motorbike Build

GoldenMotor.com

msrfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2010
1,808
120
63
Southern California
My friend Bill and his son made this bike from an early frame he modified by looping the bottom, adding truss rods to the fork and beefed up rear wheel supports. He also lengthened the bars and installed a vintage headlamp. Our friend Mike made the beautiful tank and I supplied the rear Musselman hub and front skipper sprocket.
The engine is a model FH Briggs and Stratton that's missing a lot of parts. It has one external pushrod for the exhaust valve and the intake is atmospheric. He's working on adapting a later flywheel to replace the original broken pot metal unit. It will use an external magnetron pointless coil on a homemade bracket, maybe with adjustable timing. After soaking the kick start gear to free it up, a kicker and segment gear will need to be fabbed to match and then a pivot shaft mounted in the correct position. The governor is located inside the cover on the left. I don't know yet what he plans for it. We're searching for a suitable carburetor that will be adapted and he'll use a belt drive to a rear pulley mounted to the wheel, probably a nice flat 24'' bicycle rim.
Bill also has a lawnmower clutch we're going to check to see if tit has possibilities.
Some kind of jack shaft may also be added.












 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,741
1,211
113
CA
I'll hope to have some time to do a bike with a 5S or 6S Briggs I have wanting to get going. I'll be watching how your work continues!
 

msrfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2010
1,808
120
63
Southern California
Bill removed the large wheel on the opposite side of the flywheel to find a tapered shaft with no key way. Being part of the governor, it doesn't need to be timed, but he's going to use that side of the motor for the drive so we're figuring a way to attach a pulley. More pics soon.
 

msrfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2010
1,808
120
63
Southern California
Hi Dennis. I see some older stuff with modern upgrades and you can spot it right away. Our goal is to present something that makes people ask how old it is. Adding patina doesn't always disguise a new part. I think finding vintage tires in decent condition is the biggest problem.
 

msrfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2010
1,808
120
63
Southern California
Bill's not moving too fast on this project. He did make a tapered adapter to fit an 8hp Briggs flywheel I gave him. Then reshaped it on his lathe. Needs to make a plate to hold the mag coil that goes with the new flywheel. I gave him a Musselman rear brake hub to help with the old look.
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
6,041
3,935
113
minesota
Ya! been a couple days, glad to see he isa putsing on it.Can't wait to see what he comes up with there...........Curt