Indian Tadpole

[MEASURE TWICE]

I can't boast about a home made tank. Hey that seat is really great how it is going. Some people do like the banana seat I got but not a DIY thing like what your doing.

My gas tank is a plastic lawn mower tank and does not hold much. One thing I don't have to worry about is metal rust inside it, but I will have to carry extra gas with the 40:1 ratio making maybe not GPM's, but really not good mileage.

I used a friends dirt bike Yamaha 125 4speed and covered about 30 miles doing off roading. He said I used practically no gas at all. Funny how the displacement of the Yamaha 125 cc and the Briggs being 107 cc or something has such a difference in HP. 20 hp and 3 hp ain't the same.

MT

 

[fasteddy]

The seat is finally done. I feel it turned out fairly well and I'm pretty sure that whomever is sitting on it won't see anything that is wrong with it.

I was surprised just how easy it was to do the button tufted look. I hadn't done anything like it in 40 years as I said and it came back as I watched a couple of YouTube videos on how to do it. The holes that you have to drill in the seat and seat back need to be marked out in a diamond pattern and the same on the foam so they match of course. Then the foam is glued down. I pulled the button down through the upholstery, through the hole in the foam and the wood and then stapled the string to the underside of the wood in three different places to make sure it stayed.

The holes in the foam were cut out with a sharpened piece of 1-1/2" tubing by hand. The button pulls the material down into the hole and as you go along the pleats are form automatically but you will have to fold them over to look just right most often as not.

If I do it again I will certainly do a tufted upholstery. Most bang for your buck you can get.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Sorry if the photos took you to the sidecar photos. Photobucket seems to feel quite free to move them to where ever they want to.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

Well I think the place to be on this ride is the passenger seat! Looks really good, Steve. I'm excited to see it completed and to see some video of it running down the road.
Rick

 

[fasteddy]

Thanks Rick. The mad desire is to get it finished and try it out. I was just going to PM you and ask about the best clutch for the job and if there was any special place to get it.
I'm going to B.M.I. karts to get the 10T sprocket and Kings for the rear sprocket for the Manic hub unless you have someone else. I have the jack shaft started and the parts gathered.

Steve.

 

[silverbear]

Steve,
The seat looks fantastic. Now of course we want to see it on the tri-car...
SB

 

["the prussian" Shop Dogs]

Steve seat looks wonderful ! I can't wait to see her the on the road ...

 

[RicksRides]

Thanks Rick. The mad desire is to get it finished and try it out. I was just going to PM you and ask about the best clutch for the job and if there was any special place to get it.
I'm going to B.M.I. karts to get the 10T sprocket and Kings for the rear sprocket for the Manic hub unless you have someone else. I have the jack shaft started and the parts gathered.

Steve.

I'm testing your clutch out on one of my builds. Its a 10t #41 chain set up to run inboard to keep your chain as close to the engine and bike as you can. It has dual pawls and should hold up well. As long as it passes the test runs, I'll likely run it harder then you would! looking to ship it out to you in 7 days or so. I'll take pic and post it monday evening ( the clutch is sitting on my desk at work.
rick

 

[fasteddy]

Thanks Rick,
I wasn't sure that you had time to mess with one being as busy as you are and I was just going to put something together to get by until you did. It won't take a lot to run it harder than I will. The old days of 'Hold my beer and watch this", are long over.
If it hits anything much over twenty I'll be remembering the last time I was on the operating table after a night of stupid.

I already have the cane, the limp and the never ending pain. Last time I ever say to a guy that big "What are you going to do about it". Ya, I'm joking. He could never have caught me.

It is really something to walk out into the garage and look at the tri car. I stand behind it and the passenger seat is on a table in front of it and I just imagine it all together. Hard to believe at times that I actually built it. I'll pick up some more parts tomorrow and push it as far forward as possible next week.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Silverbear,
I hope to show you it all together soon as well. Looking forward to the day we can put the two of them side by side for the first time.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

P.S.D.,
Thank you very much. I'm looking to the first fire off and I'll do my best to get a video of it to share the moment with you. It will be a happy moment indeed.
If it wasn't for the help and encouragement of everyone I would have given it up long ago.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

Steve,
testing on the clutch went well today, Sort of? The pawls held up under stress. The torsion springs on the other hand did not. I have ordered a box of stonger ones. They should be in Thursday or Friday.
Rick

 

[silverbear]

Rick, what kind of clutch are you using?
SB

 

[RicksRides]

Just a modified max torque CC.
I get em from target industries down the road.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Rick,
Thank you for making sure the clutch will hold up. It will be under a load with two passengers and the bike.
I've ordered most of the parts for the jack shaft that I can't get here.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

Hi Rick,
Thank you for making sure the clutch will hold up. It will be under a load with two passengers and the bike.
I've ordered most of the parts for the jack shaft that I can't get here.

Steve.

No problem, Steve. I don't send anything out the door unless I know it'll do the job! What parts do you still need? I may have some of what you need.
Rick

 

[fasteddy]

Thanks Rick. I have everything I need for the bike except the rear sprocket for the Manic adapter. I'll get that soon.

Now it's back to getting the tri car done.

Steve.

 

[trikeguy]

god damn, i love indians!!!!!

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Trikeguy,

Welcome to the forum. Glad you could make it. I hope the tri car lives up to your expectations. My friend Silverbear in northern Minnesota is building one as well. I usually go over to see him in the summer but didn't make it and he was over whelmed with things to do other than motorbikes this year so not to much happened on his this year so far.
As a matter of fact he has been forced to go on his second fishing trip to the Boundary Waters in two weeks. As I said it's been a busy summer for him.

I'm working on the fuel lines and exhaust at the moment. Hope to have it up and running this week and then I'll get busy on the drive line.

Steve.

 

[RicksRides]

Well its gonna take a bit to get this clutch proper, I broke the pins on it this time.
Go ahead and pick up a clutch to use till I get this right.
Rick.