Vintage Whippet racer

GoldenMotor.com

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
Oh itll work just fine, and if anything lets it down, itll be the wheels, and if so ill just replace with 28" rims (standard width).

The thing is, with the bike the way it is, i dont ride it, dont even wanna ride it. Dont like the fixed gear setup. And if i sell it, i doubt id get that much for it. May as well motorized it. And ive seen early Indian and other early motorcycles that somewhat resembled what im doing here. So early designers thought the bones were just fine.

And if you mean strength, i just finished reading a book about early bicycles in the Australian outback, and just how long and how strong those bikes were. Many of these bikes lasted a decade with little maintenance, under some of the harshest conditions in the world.

Ill only be welding two brackets to the frame, and like Flatblack said i can change it back.

It will be only one MB in my growing collection, so ill ride it appropriately, and not all that often. I want different styles of MB and think it would be cool to have a "racer" bike
 

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
Ha! Pretty sure we already did...should I run ape hangers on my boardie? J/K!
YES, yes you should, and tall ape hangers, so your hands are over your head, and your shirt sleeve will fall back revealing your tribal tat around the bicep...lol. Extra points if you are sporting a mullet. haha
 

halfpint

New Member
May 8, 2011
36
0
0
Western Australia
Where did you find that light Harry 76? I would love to find a pair of them they would look right at home on my C-Cab that I am building. All the best Keith
 

Kris Blake

New Member
Mar 7, 2011
49
0
0
Riverside, Ca
I appreciate your input, but i think ill go ahead with this frame. Heres a few of the "skinnier tyred" bikes i mean. I did see a picture that showed exactly what i meant but cant find em. These will give you some idea....

http://www.nostalgic.net/arc/pre1920/1910's Shaw Motorbike 1.jpg

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/cars/triumph/1590326.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lVCC9aDALT4/STMTTBYWMoI/AAAAAAAAFu8/1wR174NG8r0/s400/litewt.jpg
Harry,
I was bidding on a Shaw motorbike like the one on your first link. It ended at 5600. My top bid was 5500! I regret not going higher. They are beautiful and look old.
If you go this route, your bike is definitely a good candidate.
When I said your bike doesnt have the right bones I meant aesthetic wise, referring to a BTR. If you go this route, its the perfect candidate.
It's your bike, do as you will. Just avoid the pink paint please.
kris
 

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
Pink piant? lol. I never mentioned anything about trying to make it look like a BTR, its i here more for the "Vintage" part rather then the "BTR" part..... although there is a massive bicycle velodrome not too far from where i live, i will have to test it there for sure, dunno if that makes it a BTR, the velodrome isnt wood, so probably not. LOL.

The bike will be built much in the same way (just with a motor) i saw in a book i recently read about vintage bicycles in the Australian outback and a lot of them looked much like my bike, except mine has 700cc rims instead of 28"rims. I may even mount the fuel tank a little futher back and make a canvas or leather triangle pouch in the front triangle part of the frame. In this book they had pouches/bags for water and tools. That would be different and pretty cool.
 

yummymushrooms

New Member
Jan 30, 2009
10
0
0
california
you might run into problems with the teeth being too small on the sprocket but as far as bolting it straight to the hub you should be good. i have an old bendix two speed hub that was too fat to mount the sprocket the way the instructions said to do with the backing plates and both of the rubber spacers that came with the kit so i drilled holes in the hub and put one of the rubber spacers between the sprocket and the hub before bolting it on. i did have to be sure to space the holes in the hub evenly between the spokes, but the spacing was convenient since there were already 9 holes in my sprocket and 36 holes for the spokes on the wheel. see thumbnail below. i hope this helps. i really dig that gas tank, you'll have a good lookin bike when thats all done.
Im wodering if i can just drill through my hub flange and bolt a sprocket to the hub. I have a 52 tooth front sprocket i could bolt on. Id like to, it looks real good but thats geared a little low, plus im not sure how MB chain is with bicycle sprockets? But they look good. But i can do the same with a standard sprocket. Ill have to look at some threads to see if this is strong enough.....



 

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harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
I used a tank liner on the tank and painted it up. I just want to either get a sticker or try pinstriping myself to say "The Whippet". I welded in the brackets for the tank. I think im going to find a coaster brake for the rear (and relace with stronger spokes) so i wont need any brake cables messing up the clean look i have going. One of the reverse levers will be for the throttle and the other for the clutch.

Im just doing this project now and again but hopefully i can get it going soon....

I will also make another copper coil cover, with cloth covered wire i have, and another kill switch box or BTR style bar kill switch. And also make a weld on chainguide....







 

Kris Blake

New Member
Mar 7, 2011
49
0
0
Riverside, Ca
Harry,

It's me, Kris (the guy with the 125cc Villers BTR)

I am finishing up my BTR build and just ordered tank and number plate stickers. I see you are thinking about putting Whippet on your tank.
Check out signspecialists.com. I went on their website and designed my own size and font. They came out AWESOME! There are endless choices and depending on the options you choose, you will probably only pay around 12 bucks for a pair! (2" X 6")

I will send you pics when my build is done. I will try to attach the last pic I took...
I used a tank liner on the tank and painted it up. I just want to either get a sticker or try pinstriping myself to say "The Whippet". I welded in the brackets for the tank. I think im going to find a coaster brake for the rear (and relace with stronger spokes) so i wont need any brake cables messing up the clean look i have going. One of the reverse levers will be for the throttle and the other for the clutch.

Im just doing this project now and again but hopefully i can get it going soon....

I will also make another copper coil cover, with cloth covered wire i have, and another kill switch box or BTR style bar kill switch. And also make a weld on chainguide....







 

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
Thanks man, i might check em out. I did get a sticker made and sent to me by another company for my Kroon build.

Your bike is looking good, real good. I wish i had that motor. Looks gorgeous. Thats quite a find. Gonna be a really really nice bike you have there. Cant wait to see more....
 

harry76

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2011
2,557
47
48
Brisbane, Australia
I bent up some copper tubing for my fuel line.

The copper coil cover is off my Kroon which im cleaning up a bit because my brother said hes finally picking up my tank from his mate that tig welded an alloy tank i made some time ago.

I have copper/brass :confused: i grabbed out of the bin from work and i plan to make better ones that fully enclose the coil, and i may weld ears to the frame so no messy brackets around the frame. Im also going to find a nicer plug cover or just get a screw on connector from the plug to the cloth covered wire. I may also shorten my fuel tank brackets to create a little more room between the motor and the tank... i made them that long so i could get the tank as upright as possible and still get the cap off. Plus i wanted to not have too much dead space in the frame.

I definitely need to get my Whippet tank stickers made up to break things up. Im thinking just plain white old style writing. The engine also needs something so i think i will get a number 13 made up for the side engine cover.

And ive decided i will find a coaster brake for the rear for my braking needs. It would be cool if i could find one similar size to the flip flop currently on the bike to save buying new spokes.





 
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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Kris,
Real nice build you have going there. Looks like a stretched Worksman frame, is it? Agree that the 125 looks great. Did that also have a tapered crankshaft that you have to have machined? That should push that bike right along I would think.
SB