1950's vintage colson project.

[AzToker]

So this is my first colson project. First of all, I want to give a big thanks to bairdco for helping me get this bike as it was closer to him than me. He went out of his way to check the bike out and set up payment to the owner and picked it up and shipped it to me. Again Big thanks Bairdco!!!!

Here some pics. Got my Creme fat franks, MM Adapater n spocket,With newer wheels. Enjoy.

 

[scotto-]

So this is my first colson project. First of all, I want to give a big thanks to bairdco for helping me get this bike as it was closer to him than me. He went out of his way to check the bike out and set up payment to the owner and picked it up and shipped it to me. Again Big thanks Bairdco!!!!

Here some pics. Got my Creme fat franks, MM Adapater n spocket,With newer wheels. Enjoy.

That bike is awesomly sweeeet!! Good on ya bairdco! That thing will be beautiful with a motor sittin in it....cheers! Can't wait to see more pics.

 

[RocknRoadPirate22]

oh, man... that thing is gonna rip!

 

[silverbear]

Those Colsons have such nice flowing lines... What will you do for a gas tank?
SB

 

[AzToker]

Thanks guys. It slowly but surely coming along. I am still debating how to go about this bike. I have been thinking about convert it to a trike. But i need to do some reserach first since the rear stary is smaller comapre to the trike i have now. I will be taking the hub off the trike and test fit it on the colson sometime next week.

Plans for this colson,
Get custom motor mount to fit the 1 inch frame.
Custom gas tank ( being made as we speak)
Retro headlight ( still searching for that)
New handlebar.
New seat
Front short wood fender
Monark fork ( still thinking about that)
Trike kit with 26" wheels ( will know by 09/15 )

For now i am trying to clean up some of the parts i might be reusing.

So this is going to be rebuilt with new n old parts.

What is really neat is, My grandfather used to ride these bicycles back in his teenages days. So i am going to name it after him but not sure of a name. His name is Bob. So as i work on the bike i am sure i will come across something. Well that it for now! Enjoy!

 

[AzToker]

Here are few more pics. Big gap between the engine and the front tube!

 

[scotto-]

Here are few more pics. Big gap between the engine and the front tube!

I know exactly how I would fill that gap....but it would be against your 2-stroke principals, so I'm not sayin'. But if I ever git my grubby little hands on one someday, I'll tell ya Man that's a sweet bike!

 

[bairdco]

glad you like it, and i was happy to help out. there is a heck of a lot of room in these frames. not the easiest bike to build.

the gas tank is coming along. since yours is the first one i'm not making for myself, i have to make it perfect. well, almost perfect...

if you make it a trike, i hope you somehow keep the "looptail" look of the rear end. that's my favorite part of these bikes, and it's what sets them apart.

i wonder if i've wrecked it for Colson bicycle collectors? all the moto guys will be snatching them up now...

 

[AzToker]

I like it alot. The looptails is also my favorite part of the bicycle.. We did probably ruined it for the colson collectors. At least they look alot better with the engine sitting inside the frame.
I really do want to convert it to a trike, right now i am seeing the colson rear is 3/4 of an inch more narrow than the trike. Will be taking off the hub this weekend to do some test fitting. What i am seeing, the trike kit would sit on the outside of the frame, which i dont want.
Btw i am really stoked about the tank!!!

 

[AzToker]

I had a good day cleaning up some parts. Stared at the engine for a few mins last night and trying to figure out how to mount the front. I did some reading in the mounting section. I do want to bring the engine foward a bit also. Any tips? I don't see any custom mounts for sale that would fit the 1 inch downtube.

Thinking maybe the head stem for the back would do the trick, not sure about the front. Anyhelp would be great! Thanks.

 

[Bike Monster]

nice bike i love the style. that is a lot of room, it would be awesome if you had a bigger engine for it ...

 

[sportscarpat]

AzToker,
I have mounted plenty of engines in Schwinns with similar room. I use the engines front mount directly to the frame and then stack two mounts in the rear. If the bicycle sprocket gets in the way you can always use a smaller sprocket.

 

[chainmaker]

Thats a sweet looking bike. Cant wait to see how it turns out.

 

[AzToker]

Well had a free hour to play around with the new stem i am trying out as the rear motor mount. Saw someone else tried it and seems to work on his. I got the rear mounted and slide the engine down few inches so the front mount would touch front the frame. Still some work as you can see the gap on the under side of the mount. Thinking about getting the small frame mount kit from sbp and see if i can solve that problem. Took some pics to share. Tomorrow i will do some more measurement trike mount brackets and see if it worth ordering the trike kit or having one made. Seem the frame is more narrow than the trike i have.

 

[bairdco]

too bad there's not a ton of these bikes around (except then they wouldn't be as cool) or i'd build some custom motor mounts for all of them.

i got everything i need for your tank, now i just gotta build it. i'm re-working the front section to make it blend in better, and it's tough trying to think in 3D, then transfer it to metal. i'm pretty sure i've got it the way i want it, so it won't be long now.

edit: i'm trying to clean up the empty space like in this picture. it bugs me...

 

[butchl]

Bairdco: What is that front brake from ?

 

[bairdco]

it's on my 1942 Colson Imperial: http://motorbicycling.com/f38/1942-colson-imperial-done-20659.html

it's a Worksman Drum Brake, Worksman spokes, and laced into the original burgandy drop-center rim from a 1938 colson.

 

[the willi]

aztoker, that looks like it will work but you might want to make sure that front mount is strait in line with the tube, this way it can not move!! thats just my two cents! the back looks great! its going tobe a runner. keep it up!!!!!

 

[AzToker]

Bairdco, That tank going to look bada$$ when it done! Thanks for going out of ur way to make it look good!
Thanks for the tip wills, Had planned on fixing that. I think sbp small engine mount probably will help with some treaking.
I took some time last night to measure the trike housing and making plans on paper right now, I am going to go ahead n try to make my own. Will be ordering few parts for the kit and will probably start next weekend. Hoping to have it done b4 deathrace if money funds allows it.

 

[Bike Monster]

Well had a free hour to play around with the new stem i am trying out as the rear motor mount. Saw someone else tried it and seems to work on his. I got the rear mounted and slide the engine down few inches so the front mount would touch front the frame. Still some work as you can see the gap on the under side of the mount. Thinking about getting the small frame mount kit from sbp and see if i can solve that problem. Took some pics to share. Tomorrow i will do some more measurement trike mount brackets and see if it worth ordering the trike kit or having one made. Seem the frame is more narrow than the trike i have.

Its looking good! nice and clean so far!