At last, it's at least rideable

Started this build about a year ago. Started with an old Worksman frame but after adding 5" to the length about all that's left of the Worksman is the seat post back, the head tube and some of the forks.

After I put the frame together I decided I wanted to put something other than a China Girl engine in it so I hung up in the rafters. About 2 months ago I found an old LEM with the Morini engine for $75 on Craigslist. Engine needed clutch parts and that's it (thanks dmb for the clutch you sent me).

Gas tank was a biotch to weld with my Harbor Freight 90 amp wire feed. Ended up having to solder brass foil around the edges to stop all the leaks (thank God for Bondo). Rest of the welds look like, as Scotto- says, turds in a punch bowl but they're holding so far. I brazed the frame so those joints look ok.

Haven't taken it up to full speed until I feel that my home made monarch style front end holds and to see what's going to fall off but, it sounds great with the LEM glass pack muffler and feels like it's going to HAUL ASS at top speed!.

After I feel that it's "passed muster" I'll finish it off with paint and nickel plate.

Velodrome said:

Ummm. Thats nice.

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Do I detect a note of sarcasm there Velodrome?

Scotto-, funny that you said Bonneville flyer red. Was looking at the GM Red engine paint at Autozone the other day and said to myself...hrmmm...

Anyway, to the both of you, undecided on color as of yet, leaning towards a maroon though.

OK, to answer everyone questions and comments;

motorhedfred: No other posts about the build. Just saw a Worksman bike for sale on craigslist, bought it and the build began. If I had it to do over I could have started with any bike though, the Worksman does have a longer head tube for the forks which comes in handy for the dual top tubes. Got a hydraulic tube bender to bend the tubes but it'd just kink them. Used the bending forms from the tube bender and a rosebud tip on oxy-acetylene tanks to heat and bend them. Filled the exhaust tube with sand, capped it off to pack the sand in and bent it with a vice and the torch. Sold off the hydraulic bender a while back cause it's pretty useless for bending thin walled pipe.

Scotto-: Don't think the cobalt blue with ultraviolet nite lights would fit the antique board tracker look but a neighbor has a customized Zuma scooter with those nite lights and it looks BADASS!

Velodrome: Yes, the kickstart is nice. Centrifugal clutch is cool but I think I'm going to have to get stronger springs. Engine can't get the rpm it needs to get a good start up a hill from a dead stop. Morini engines are kickass! None of the vibration you get from the china girls.
About the top of the motor, yes, it's a motor mount. This engine doen't have a front mount like the China Girls. Has a beefy rear mount on the frame and top mount.

Engine is old style S5N Morini that came with the LEM X-2s. Btw, keep checking craigslist motorcycles and search LEM. There's one that came up for sale here in San Diego yesterday for $150. Hella lot cheaper than the $400 - $500 you'd pay for a new engine and lot's of stuff to salvage off the LEM to use on your build.

dmb said:

hey scotty. the weak part on the clutch is the master links

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Ooo...that's good to know about the master links breaking...thanks for that tip. I did gear down my pedal sprocket which helps a bit with pedal assist at slow/ medium speed which helps a bit with the hill climbs. And thanks for the compliment. Dunno about it drawing crowds yet. Haven't stopped long enough to find out and as rusty as it is right now I dare not make eye contact with anyone I'm next to at the stop signs/lights. I live in a pretty affluent neighborhood...lol.