Excelsior V Twin build

[DareDevil]

Hi Mike....I'm with you ..If I had access to a commercial machine and voltage I would use the MIG... I have too cringed at some of the welds I've see...but its not my business to be critical..my welding is self taught over 60 years,so I've had a little practice.....as you say some of the worst cocky s*%t welds will hold... still frightens me when I see these type of welds when its got to do with steering..suspension or brakes....We have a lot of regulations in Australia...anything to do with steering or suspension... ie; welding or heat bending has to be Xrayed and have a certificate issued...
The spring I had made is an issue I went on about...I just wouldn't make one ...just dont heat oR bend them ...seen them just snap off....its a special heating and cooling job to re temper them...

Nice to have ink thats your own design....have you been back to his studio and see if he has it on the wall for sale????...........DD

 

[57ChevyWagonMan]

No I have not been back since I had it done in August. The guy who did it for me said that it was one of a kind and he would not duplicate it. My Daughter has a very colorful owl done on the top of her foot. Same guy did it and he did that one for her as a one of a kind. He said he already had requests to do the owl but has refused. I hope this is the case. I do trust him and I am typically a good judge of character.

As for the welding thing. Years ago I was at a swap meet. I was looking at a dirty and battered 32 ford roadster. I opened the trunk lid and I could see to the ground which is not uncommon for race cars. The welds on the frame looked like chicken c#@p. The owner asked me what I thought and I told him I was glad someone gave up on finishing this race car. He then told me that back in its day that car was a class record holder with a blown and injected hemi in it. No way that car would pass tech today! Surprised it stayed together then.

Mike

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Mike Good to see that your ink man has integrity..the almighty dollar overcomes peoples greed these days...my wife does machine embroidery and the owls are in vogue at the moment......

In the mid fifty's hot rods were just being built here....I can remember cutting and braze welding a lot steering and pitman arms for channeled cars for mates......none of mine ever broke... we use to do so really silly things back then street racing.....glad its all behind me....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi ... Have set the engine back in the frame to check the chain is in alignment with both gearbox output and the rear sprocket...boy is the 520 chain greasy out off the packet...anyway it all lines up...did this as I will weld the rear engine mount to the lower frame bracket now.....fitted the pedal crank spindal in and hung the cranks on .... I have to move the whole assembley over 3/4" the the right to get pedal crank clearance on that side.....this is easy done by moving shaft clamps....all looking OK.....the frame is very near where I can braze weld it together...I have to hang the right tank on the frame and get a referance point for the lower throttle lever pivot on the frame...... also need to make two 3/4" frame tubes for under neath the engine to protect the sump...these will also tie the frame together rather than letting the engine crankcase take the stress..these will just bolt in....DD

 

[truckd]

That bike looks mean just as she sits, I'm glad you post pic's as often as you, you are inspirering me want to do bigger and better builds.

 

[DareDevil]

Hi truckd....Photos can speak a thousand words and sometimes a journal description of whats happening doesn't mean anything if its not understood whats happening...... Great that it give you insperation...but you have a really nice collection.. and the latest is eye candy to any ones eyes who likes these bikes.....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi ..Have played a bit more latter today....mounted up the right tank so I can drill the frame.. to position the lower pivot points for the control levers...machined up the two nuts and step bolts needed to do the job..these nuts will be silver soldered into place.....they will go just below where the frame sleeve is under the tank....it will be cable opperated from here....have to make a new inlet manifold as well ...no going to use the original down draft piston type carby...Have brought a new 40mm PZ 30.... I had been looking for a 1 1/2" early Amal ..but you think they a gold plated the money the want for them....the new carby I have got looks old time and will suit the requirements of this engine...DD

 

[stocksucks]

Wonderful build DD. Glad to be able to follow.
Keep it up.

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Stock....Great to hear from you.....

Have been filing the fork welds getting them ready for paint....spent nearly all day doing this...thankless job....just need to linish around all the welds with some emery cloth.....glad this job is behind me.......DD

 

[stocksucks]

Hey there DD.
You took this build to another level. You've got remarkable skills. The photos show it.
Is there a place in Australia were you will be able to race your btr?

 

[harry76]

Looking great DD, it's really starting to come together.

 

[harry76]

Hey there DD.
You took this build to another level. You've got remarkable skills. The photos show it.
Is there a place in Australia were you will be able to race your btr?

Lake Gairdner (I think that's what it's called) perhaps. That is Australia's version of Bonneville and is in DD's neck of the woods, well kind of. Isn't it DD????

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Harry.....Lake Gairdner is in S.A...and has been rained out for this year....for the benefit of our other readers its the Bonneville salt lake of Australia...Its a bit to far... like 1000ks from my place....A friend and myself were going to have a crack at the 50cc stock motorcycle title a few years ago but someone beat us to it and would be hard to better it .....I live in a rural area...so getting to have a ride wont be a problem..also have a beach not far away that nobody use's...DD

 

[motorhedfred]

Wow, a beach that nobody uses......that's rare here in the States.

 

[DareDevil]

Hi M/H/fred....I dont think you would go to this beach either ...black sand...mosquito's...snakes...stinks from seaweed...mangroves...dirt road to get into it.....just great a low tide...hard sand surface for a about a mile.....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi ....Have been finishing the cleaning up of the welds on the forks with emery cloth....still a little to go...... Have moved the crank spindle over 3/4" so the cranks have 360 travel around the crank case....I can now braze weld the 1" nut in place that operates the rear brake mechanism ratchet....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi...I am changing the carby...the unit on this motor is a 25mm vacuum piston type...a good carby but dosent look the part...so this means I have to make a new manifold to suit the carby I'm going to use...I want it to be in a similar position as the Excelsior....I have been looking for an Amal 1 1/2" but I must be going blind as the price they want for a reasonable one .."are they gold plated".....so I brought a new PZ30..this is 5mm bigger in the throat....the original carb is vacuum operated and needed a fuel pump as well....have spent some time making up the cable to operate the carby slide and for levers on the frame...still have to make a mounting bracket for the cable end under the tank.....drilled the frame for the weld in nut and made the clamp for the cable end......DD

 

[truckd]

XLNT Job! boy you thought bringing it all together was tuff, that engine looks like it could use a good dunc in some Gunk,
How many times you say you've done this, cause your work sure ain't that of a first timer
You have probably told yourself once or twice "I should have done it this way or that" but brother it all looks great to me the way it's comming out

 

[DareDevil]

Hey... truckd... As I've said before.....never built a scratch motor bike before....I can look at something and copy it...or near enough....not bothered with the engine yet...but it will get a good clean up when the time comes.....DD

 

[Ludwig II]

You've got the carb now, but if you could have gone twin carb, it might have been worth looking at a pair of 26mm copy Mikunis from China, they're quite cheap over here, often sold for pit bikes.