Excelsior V Twin build
- Thread starter DareDevil
- Start date
Having neither the skills of you guys nor facilities - I cheated and bought these Brass items from India - £30 the pair landed.
DD, those handlebars look killer! Once you have everything assembled and working could you please do a writeup or a diagram of how the linkages work. I still cannot wrap my brain around how it all works. Especiall with a modern carb setup.
Hi Lurker.....I am going to do a short video on the linkages in the near future...but just to get you up to speed..this is what happens....the twist grip had about a 1/2" tab welded to it with a hole drilled so the miniature ball joint can be secured to it...the rod attached to the twist grip is connected to a linkage that pivots on the handlebars near the steering stem..this linkage is set at about 6 O'Clock about 1 1/2" for the short one and about 2 1/2" at 3 O'Clock for the long one...both of these have miniature ball joints.... the next pivot point is mounted on the steering stem...this has a lever that is 4" long and pivots from the center...giving an equal rocking point each side...this is also connected with a rod and miniature ball joints....from this pivot point there is another rocking pivot down the frame that I will connect the carby cable slide to...I will post some pics of the parts that I have made for this mechinsm.....I have done a rough drawing for you....when I do the video you will see how it works...its set in a way so you can turn the forks and it doesn't alter the geometry of the levers.....eg; change the opening of the carby slide or move the magneto setting....dont worry a lot of people have trouble getting there head around the geometry of the way it works....took me a while to understand it...but I really wanted on my bike...gives it the real era feeling....DD
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Hi Lurker....The modern carb will be cable operated around to the lower frame linkage...Heres a couple of pics of the left side linkage..if you want to see the way the parts were made and went to gether you will have go back through the thread as it wont allow reposting of pics.....DD
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Hi ... Silver soldered the end on the throttle cable and is now all set up...very pleased with the twist grip response opening of the carby slide....can finish the welding on the pivot points and thread the lever rods to size so I can fit them with jam nuts on all of the miniature ball joints.....time consuming getting this linkage system set up.... really love the look ...DD
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It's starting to look like an Excelsior, I'm taking it that most of you clutch and throttle linkage will be chrome or nickel right?
DD - done what I should have in the first place - just spent this AM going through your whole build thread ................. amazing work - hat's off.
Actually the thread title originally stalled me from checking it out from the beginning, as I thought you WERE building an Excelsior !
Now then, my comments about the suitability [ just ] of the 250 Yam hauling my bulk around make sense as I can see the potential lightweight aspect of the finished bike. I have to say that the Golden Brown bike took my fancy as soon as I picked the mag up. That was on our Summer break at our place in Saxony and Mrs. B was not best pleased that I had my head stuck in a bike mag for 2 hours when there was an acre of garden that needed mowing !
Unfortunately I have neither the skills or facilities to undertake what you have built - imagination / design skills - yes.
So, a variation on the Golden Brown would be more down my street.
Would be good to have a "Baby Brother" to keep the 1000cc Cafe Creme company !! I also have another colourway that just lost out to Cafe Creme that would be good to use.
BTW - here in the UK there is currently a large grey area in the regs. My plan is to get an early Yam - say 125 / 250 single - pre- 1972 and use the headstock with the chassis / vin # to construct the frame from. That gives me registration with a Tax Free Historic title that means I have no annual road tax to pay Not that it's a fortune for a 250cc bike, but there is another reg change in the offing that means an annual MOT [Safety Check ] is not required. Insurance would be also be cheaper.
Anyway - your build is a true inspiration and with all the details and pix as a pointer for those of us thinking along similar lines. Respect.
Actually the thread title originally stalled me from checking it out from the beginning, as I thought you WERE building an Excelsior !
Now then, my comments about the suitability [ just ] of the 250 Yam hauling my bulk around make sense as I can see the potential lightweight aspect of the finished bike. I have to say that the Golden Brown bike took my fancy as soon as I picked the mag up. That was on our Summer break at our place in Saxony and Mrs. B was not best pleased that I had my head stuck in a bike mag for 2 hours when there was an acre of garden that needed mowing !
Unfortunately I have neither the skills or facilities to undertake what you have built - imagination / design skills - yes.
So, a variation on the Golden Brown would be more down my street.
Would be good to have a "Baby Brother" to keep the 1000cc Cafe Creme company !! I also have another colourway that just lost out to Cafe Creme that would be good to use.
BTW - here in the UK there is currently a large grey area in the regs. My plan is to get an early Yam - say 125 / 250 single - pre- 1972 and use the headstock with the chassis / vin # to construct the frame from. That gives me registration with a Tax Free Historic title that means I have no annual road tax to pay Not that it's a fortune for a 250cc bike, but there is another reg change in the offing that means an annual MOT [Safety Check ] is not required. Insurance would be also be cheaper.
Anyway - your build is a true inspiration and with all the details and pix as a pointer for those of us thinking along similar lines. Respect.
Hi Beachcomber....Thanks for reading through my build...The Yamaha will move you around quite easily and geared properly will do 90-100mph with 28" O/D wheels....
I have deliberately spent a lot of time explaining how I do things with photos.... so it will help others to have a go at building their BTR...you dont have to have a lathe or milling machine...as there is always someone in your area that does machining as a hobby...and will help you...just got to find them.....
ing is a skill of practice...just keep at it.....have a plan in your head and keep to it.....do lots of research on the bike you want to build....listen to open exhaust V twins on you tube to give you inspiration.....DD
I have deliberately spent a lot of time explaining how I do things with photos.... so it will help others to have a go at building their BTR...you dont have to have a lathe or milling machine...as there is always someone in your area that does machining as a hobby...and will help you...just got to find them.....
ing is a skill of practice...just keep at it.....have a plan in your head and keep to it.....do lots of research on the bike you want to build....listen to open exhaust V twins on you tube to give you inspiration.....DD
Will that be the build for me? (LOL!) well if your going to build another then I'd say the Nickel plater would pay for itself and DD you now that yer not going to stop after the second one either, I would love to see someone do a SEARS build there is just something about those bikes that catches me, probably up there in style with the top old dogs of the day.
Hi truckd....To do the nickel plating properly they need to be copper plated first....the cost in plating is the prepration....lot of linishing and polishing to get the piece smooth...somtimes copper plate several times......My next bike would probally be a scratch built New Imperial...with a V twin J.A.P if I can find one at a reasonable price.....I had a side valve V twin J.A.P.. about 35 years ago and sold it..was going to put it into a hill climb car but custom built cars got in the way......DD
Well, depending on your money, and I haven't got any to give you, you could always use an 883 Hardly to make a genuine fake New Imp 500: http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/v-twins/New-Imperial-500-36.jpg