Another Chopper Build

Dan and Dan,
After the second poke I started using a pair of needle nosed pliers to push and pull the needle. The sad part is it wasn't until I was almost completely around the seat that I developed a rythym and really got moving. Just as I was getting into it, I was finished.

It reminded me of TIG welding. It takes a little time to get it going smooth but then things settle in and the stitches start to be consistant.

I really would like to try another one with leather but I'll see how this seat holds up after a few miles. The first one I did on the Norton bike is holding together and even starting to show signs of wear as in slick areas where my butt sits. Hopefully this one will get that 'broken in' look after some miles. So far it was the look I was after. That hand stitched saddle look that goes with the bike.

Tom

First test ride today with a goofy little kit tank 'cause the big one isn't painted yet but I couldn't wait. I'm really pleased with the glass pack muffler. My neighbor and riding buddy, John, said it sounds like a 250 Yamaha. He said it has a great sound and not loud at all. It is deeper and throatier than a normal 2 stroke sound and has a funny little gurgle when you back out of it coming to a stop with the clutch still engaged. I love it.

The rest of the bike was trouble free after about ten miles. The clutch noise is a little loud but I've had that before with a new engine so I'm not too concerned. I'll let the gears wear in a little and maybe add some sound absorbing material to the clutch cover later.

All in all I think this is going to be one sweet bike after a few miles and the rings seat.
I'm satisfied. It certainly is more agile than Captain America with the short, flat bars. Those apes look great and are good for street riding but sharp curves are a challenge with my hands up so high. It's comfy too. My sprung seat handles the bumps better than a hardtail bike. With the springs and the foam I used I think I could ride this one for a long cruise and not feel any discomfort.

I'm picking up the primer and paint for the tank Monday and when it's done I'll post some finished pictures.

Tom

The bike has about 25 to 30 miles on it but I'm just guessing; no speedo yet. Everything is still performing good and it's a very comfy ride. I can feel the seat springs working and the foam I used really absorbs bumps.
The weather has been a big factor in my limited riding. We'll have one day of spring-like weather then five days of winter. Lots of snow on the streets. In fact it's blizzarding as I type this.

Had a disaster while painting the fuel tank and posted some photos in the 'Paint Shop' section. Don't know exactly what happened but the primer malfunctioned. I'll have to start over again but with the cold it might be a few days.

Tom

Got the primer on today. Near 70 in Denver, lots of sun and no problems this time.

I built that rotisserie thing so I could turn the tank while I was painting. It worked good. I was also able to aim it into the sun as the primer flashed off. I'm going to let the primer dry in the heated garage overnight and maybe, just maybe I'll shoot the black base coat tomorrow.

Tom

Dan,
It wasn't in arm's reach but there's a little bar fridge in my garage, stocked with cold Coronas. Always!

Tom

Typical Colorado weather. It was 70 yesterday, sunshine and low humidity. I got another coat of primer on and the tank wet sanded with 600 but by then it was too late to try for a color coat.
Now, today, it's 45 degrees, cloudy and they're saying rain by noon.
RATS! Maybe in a few days.
Doers that mean I can't have a Corona until then?

Tom

Thought I should bring you up to date on that glass pack muffler I built for this bike.

I've been fighting what I first thought, because of the sound from the muffler, a lean condition. Those of you who use Opti-2 will know that the plug color can be deceptive. Instead of black or brown, Opti gives you shades of grey so my plug was hard to read.

The muffler was producing this raspy, crackly sound that made me believe I was lean, so, I opened up the jet size a little. The problem just got worse and the power/speed went down. I went back and soldered up the jet (NT carb) and went back to my original size. It still ran okay but not as strong as I had expected. But, it is still a new engine with less than 100 miles so I wasn't too worried. Then I decided to experiment and go the other way.
I soldered the jet again and redrilled it a size smaller and went for a ride. Better, in fact the best it has run so............... I soldered it again and drilled it a size smaller.

Wow! Like a different engine. And, the sound from the muffler changed from that raspy crackle to a very crisp note and I gained a lot of pulling power and top speed. Still no speedometer so I'm only guessing but I'm easily in the 30s and still need a couple of hundred miles to get what I expect from this engine. The plug is starting to look like my others, sort of a medium grey color, dry and clean. But here's what's odd. Running two sizes smaller the exhaust noise has decreased from the rich condition. It's quieter now than before....go figure.

I'll keep you posted.

Tom

Yep, altitude plays into it, big time. The jet size I'm currently running is .0025, which would probably be way too small for sea level. Humidity and temperature also plays into it but I think I'm certainly in the ball park.

I never use the so called "jet size". The numbers people use seem to be arbitrary. I go by drill bit size. I have set of orifice drills that I use in a pin vise to drill my jets after soldering them closed.

Tom

biknut said:

BTW Tom, what mileage do you usually get on a sorted out motor?

Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't really track milage. Currently I have three bikes on the road, all three have motorcycle or oversized fuel tanks that hold 2 gallons or more so I just fill them up and ride.

The Denver Area Riders get together during good weather and we typically do 60 to 75 mile runs. There's a lot of WOT riding too. My tanks are always over half full when I get home. My guess is that I'm seeing at least 75, maybe a little more, per gallon. Maybe I should start keeping track.

Tom