Excelsior V Twin build

[DareDevil]

Hi R.R...I will post another pic soon... I have moved the engine back 1 1/2" and have put two bends in front tube as the original bike has..looks a lot better...the bar was just sitting there anyway helping to prop up the steering head.....thanks for your $0.02c ....
I have made a saddle pan to day...will make a frame for it sit on...I think it sits on a triangle with a tube down the frame upright...one photo I have shows a bolt about an inch down from the top of the seat upright tube...will work out the frame before I start to weld any mounting bolts to the saddle pan...I will linish it tomorrow and finish welding it ...probally put a couple of 1/8" straps to strenghten it.....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi .... Have progressed a little more with the saddle pan.....linshed of the excess weld and trimmed up the edges....made the triangle mounting frame...need to get some flat coach bolts to weld up to the mounting points on the seat pan.....need to mark around the edge of the pan and drill the stitching holes to secure the leather upper to the seat pan..this is a series of holes 1/16" in diameter and about 1/8" apart..probally 180 around the outside and 60 in the center pull down...this will test the patience with the drill.....I need to go and get some cushion foam to shape the seat pad....have got some good shots of the Mesinger track racer saddle...would have liked to buy one BUT $400 over my budget when I can make it myself for just a few dolars.....most of them are made with ply wood or fiberglass so the seat cover can be stitched with a machine with a heavy duty needle....I will have to hand stitch mine...The tooled insignia in the side flaps shouldn't be to much trouble ....still have leather working tools from a lot of years ago...this will be time consuming......DD

 

[Velodrome]

OMG this bike is gonna be HOT!

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Velodrome ..Thanks.......Hey.. Ricks Ride....Heres photo of the revised front tube..I will still probally change the bends a bit more before I'm finished.....DD

 

[curtisfox]

AWESOME! I am likeing your jig. Want my 2cents is the bottom bend should be down lower and made more of a loop to tuck under the engine...............Curt

 

[DareDevil]

Hi ....curtisfox....I still have to make sure the engine is sitting in the right place...it might still have to come forward 3/4"...It needs clearance for the front cylinder exhaust pipe...its dead center of the frame....the bike this engine came out off.. sits in a double tube cradle frame and the exhaust pipe pass through them...the very lower part of the tube will have a tight bend where the front engine will be...havent thought about what size tube I will run underneath the engine..wether it will be a single or a twin cradle...it will mainly be to protect the engine sump...there is also a oil drain plug there... to consider for oil change....it will all work out...best not to rush into it....DD

 

[curtisfox]

OK your are right heast makes wast. I will sit back and watch............Curt

 

[DareDevil]

Hi...Spent some time aligning the engine output sproket with the rear hub..."Hi Arnold I have a new engine sproket"...the hub is a Honda XL175...it was in a 17" rim which I cut all the spokes out..."to rusty to save"...and started to clean it up..I need to get a narrow wire brush for my grinder the only one I have is about 1" thick and wont get down into the narrow parts of the hub to clean it up and strip the paint of it ....Its alloy.. and I want polish it....
To get the chain alignment correct I've had to machine 3/4" off the mounting block where the rear sprocket sits and is bolted to the hub....this wont have any affect where the hub centres, as the brake side has a spacer about 2 1/2" long and its just a matter of reducing the width of the spacer to get every thing into place and the hub centered to the frame..the orignal with of the hub with spacers on both sides is over 10 1/2" in the Honda XL frame... but with the remanaged hub width I have done.... it fits in the Excelsior frame at 8 " overall with spacers...I can now set up the rear frame triangle and weld it together with the rear engine mount....more latter...DD

 

[stocksucks]

AWSOME! Can't wait to see it done!

 

[DareDevil]

Hi ... Have set the rear hub in the frame and the chain alignment has worked out perfect..3/4" was the right amount machined off the hub....where the hub is sitting is correct..looks like its to one side ..but when the brake plate is installed with the spacer its correct...looking at the hub the the center ridge in the hub is the center line through the frame....I have good rear sprocket clearance and plenty of room the chain through the frame...sprocket is 44t but there is plenty of room to go up to a 56 t and still have chain and sprocket clearance...the chain size is 520...there is also room for a 24t bicycle free wheel sprocket if I decide to run a chain wheel on the pedal crank...still up in the air about this...I'm thinking about using the pedal's to operate a lever and rod to actuate the rear brake...Have a few ideas that the throttle will opperate with a twist lever and rods as the original Excelsior and attaching a shortened carby cable hidden under the tank ..the clutch the same with the left twist grip and levers attached to a shortened cable on front tube...front brake with a 20's type handle bar lever on the right side with the throttle twist grip....these bikes look simple but when you get down to it theres a lot of bits and pieces to make....havent thought about the gear shift!!!!!....DD

 

[stocksucks]

Really nice fab. Hope all goes well. Those levers and rods should give you quite a lot of work!
Keep it up

 

[Lurker]

You are doing a fantastic job DD, I was thinking about upgrading to the same rear hub but I don't know if it will fit in my frame. Do you know the width of the hub and brake plate before you modified it?

 

[DareDevil]

Hi Lurker...to make it fit center to the frame with the spacers XL 125 to 175 is 10 1/2"....Mine, modified is now 8"...and that is my frame width....I have machined off 3/4" of the sprocket boss and machined of 1/2" off the spacer on the sprocket side..machined off 1 1/4" off the brake side spacer....this will keep the wheel center to the frame...... I didnt have a look around at other wheels as my next door neighbor had this wheel in his shed and gave it to me....
Have a look at some of the 50-80cc bikes..this is what I was going to use!!!!I think they are still 36 spokes and a lot narrower...they also use a smaller gauge chain 428..or you could use the next size chain 520 like I'm using by changing the sprockets....Even the c90 hubs are narrow and the rear hub sprocket bolts onto the side.. flush to the hub ...from photos I've seen....dont think this would much more than 6" wide with bearing and spacers!!!!..you do need something substantial as you motor will have a lot torque...the other guy "cyclone" using a Briggs V motor stripped the sprocket thread first time out on his bicycle hub........this is why Im using light motor cycle parts in the drive train...would love to build it like the olden times ..but have to be a bit realistic about safety....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi.... Have been doing the slip tubes for the cross top frame ...got them fitting correct with a bit more lining up the frame...have bent the front tube a bit sharper in both bends....have enough room for the exhaust now ...it will have a sharp 80-90 degree bend into the engine mount..this will be a separate tube welded in for the engine mount......still haven't made a decision about the lower frame whether to single tube or cradle tube...its getting fairly close to what the finished frame will look like....the wheel base is 64" at this set up.....DD

 

[stocksucks]

Looks awsome bro!
Have you yet said anything about the transmission? What will it be like?
Congrats

 

[DareDevil]

Hi.. stocksucks....the unit has a clutch and a 5 speed gearbox...dont know what I'm going to do about a shifter on the gearbox...I still have the original foot changer...I need to conceal it some how without it being to obvious....DD

 

[stocksucks]

Hi.. stocksucks....the unit has a clutch and a 5 speed gearbox...dont know what I'm going to do about a shifter on the gearbox...I still have the original foot changer...I need to conceal it some how without it being to obvious....DD

Right, I had already read it and forgot.. With the 5spd gearbox you're gonna get really fast on your machine. It's gonna be awsome.
If it was mine I'd probably assume it. Early btr didnt have gearboxes, so I guess it will always be a strange element whatever you do with it..
Very nice fab skills. I see a gas-sucking-bulky-devil-hog from the depths of **** coming!

 

[DareDevil]

Hi... ss......I would dearly love a 20-30s V twin in keeping with the era..and use a jack shaft reduction gear....but the price for them is getting ridiculous...saw a seized side valve V twin.. 1000cc J.A.P it was $2500...would cost another 2000 to repair it.....would always get your money back on the invest ment...my little V twin cost a quarter of that and is running....having a gear box and clutch isnt all that bad seeing I will only ever be able to ride on back roads or along the beach where I live...have seen early 20's Excelsior's BTR with 3 speed gear box and clutch...so its mainly 1900-20 that use's a belt or jack shaft direct engine gearing.....I'm going to try and keep the frame and the fittings as close to the 1919 machine as I can ...I know a lot of you are hanging to see it finished or a full mock up ...but it will take a 12 months or more to complete...even doing a little each day....DD

 

[DareDevil]

Hi..Have bent up the lower tube for the front engine mount....still playing with what I will do underneath the engine!!!! I am thinking a twin cradle of two 1/2" tubes..I can't rely on the engine casting to have the strength not to have it tied underneath.....I need to profile the two rear engine mounts ...I will use 3mm plate...the front mount will be rectangle section with mounting eyes for the engine bolt....DD

 

[stocksucks]

Looking really good DD.
I guess the cradle is the best option. Engine casting is alluminium , so that way is better. You're not a Kiwi, but you might start hearing people calling you Burt Munro, especially if you start racing your bike at the beach! You gotta read Ti Hanna's biography on Burt. It's awsome.
Keep going