CobraFreak,
Thanks for your kind words and comments. Your posts of the 1911 Indian have offered many good insights and ideas for consideration. This is a very nice build and you are truly a leader in this hobby. What I appreciate most is your experience from making a very practical and good looking project bike, and the willingness to try a modification and share the results of the outcome. These pathfinder changes guide many of us and motivate me to complete my projects. The discussions and think tank is the very essence of this forum and bonds a common interest to serve the better interest of this hobby. I'm getting a great deal of enjoyment in the building process and reading what others are doing as well. I've been bad about regular postings from the 1902 Indian build to return the favor, but I'll hopefully do better this time with posting pictures.
Like many builders, I would love more than anything to have an original 1910's or 1920's Indian, but the price and practicality is way out of my budget, not to mention the concern I would always have about somebody ripping it off or crashing the priceless collectible. It would make it hard to ride a real bike with any enjoyment. Our replica moto-cycles are so unique when the average person sees them they immediately are drawn to take a second look to ask "what is it" and "that looks like a lot of fun". They are fun. Engaging is a detailed discussion at a show is very rewarding.
Regarding the final build, I have not come to the final build design just yet as I am still pouring through Antique Motorcycle magazine and Indian books to pick the final details. It will have white tires, red frame, a round bullet tank, lowered bars and (possibly) the monkey stick seat (still debating). I'll wrap the handlebars with brown leather sport wrap use black rubber pedals. Still thinking about the right wheelbase and final ride height, but looking for ideas throughout the forum. I'm looking for comfort more than speed.
So hear are a few questions for more experienced builders:
1) Has anyone figured out the best or easiest way to make a ROUND bullet tank and what material was used?
2) How do you get a smooth bend for the U-Drop tube without having to invest in expensive tube benders? Don't want it too look like a botched torch job or like crap. I may have access to a buddies hydraulic press and thought about bending over a car rim. Does it work? or maybe just use a muffler shop? (I wonder if their insurance prohibits this?)
3) Any suggestions for best wheel base and ride height? Will be using as a pedal rider about half the time on Saturday rides with the kids.
4) Is the monkey-on-the-stick seat set up too uncomfortable for a pedal rider?
5) Any ideas on a simple scratch build for a leaf-spring front end? I thought about adapting half a trailer spring and scratch trailing arms. I'm not that fond of the coil over spring after market forks.
Thanks again for all those who keep this movement going!
TriQ2ookvd
I appreciate the kudos. I just have a really BORING career and I dive head on into my personal projects to make life fun. I definitely will not be one of those people that retire and not know what to do, Lol. I sometimes have an original idea that works. Sometimes I recognize someone else's idea as fantastic and go with it. Lurkers clone engine in a bike was brilliant, as an example. This is a great hobby and I really would like to see it grow! I'll try to answer some of your questions.
Round bullet tank- I have seen some great tanks recycled from propane tanks, fire extinguishers, large diameter pipe with ends welded on, etc. The easiest tank is one that is already a tank of some sort. I didn't know if you were talking about a tank like a torpedo or a squarish tank with round sides. My tank has flat sides except for the front and back. I could have made the sides round by cutting pipe in half or bonding a curved surface on the flat steel with foam and fiberglass. Lots of different ways to do the same thing.
Bending pipe smoothly. A radius pipe bender is the tool for this job. Muffler shops have them as well as metal fabricators. My muffler shop could not do it for me because they didn't have a fitting for the size tube I was using. So call and ask. Take a picture with you of the loop you want from another bike or motorcycle and they can get the degrees off of the picture and duplicate it for you. I have a non-radious pipe bender and it could not do the full loop without ruining the pipe, even filled with compacted sand.
Wheelbase. My wheelbase is 6'5" from outside rubber to outside rubber. It is OK. I wish I went two more inches personally, but it's fine. These were long bikes. If I make another I'll go 6'6" or 6'7". As for height, you want to sit on the seat and be able to put both your bare feet on the ground.
I don't know what a "monkey" seat is. If you are talking about a solo saddle they are great if they are a quality piece. Brooks saddles have been around since the late 1800's and have been making saddles for motorcycles and bikes since the beginning. Very comfortable. I have one on my peddle bike too.
Here is a link to a leaf spring front fork project.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1014&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=leaf+spring+fork
If you make one, make it so that if the spring fails and snaps you wont crash. The one in the link would cause you to eat pavement if the spring failed. The tire would hit the inside of the fork and lock up and you would flip over the bars. Probably a safety stop of some sort that would catch the linkage if spring snapped.
