good idea or bad one
- Thread starter thxcuz
- Start date
Your seat looks good, I second everyone on strength, etc. Check into neoprene foam, it's the stuff they make can coozies out of. Its got TONS of uses, and makes killer seat padding. Wrap in pleather of your chosen color, and ride comfy.
Oh it can be had in various thicknesses, and can be sculpted. If need be, use layers, cut to shape, stack and glue.
By shrinking the layers a little at a time, you can control the taper of the finished seat easily. Take it a step further by using holes, divots and ridges and the seat can be tailored to your, ahem, junk.
I've done a few ATV seats like this.
Your tank looks good, i think a springer of some form up front would look sweet, but I'm fond of their aesthetics myself.
I ride a Hurricane with an SD Stinger as my sole transport, check your welds close, but my bike is solid. What welds would worry me most, would be any that look like play-DOH or bubblegum rolled out and laid in the seam/joint. Any that have excessive "buckshot" or BB like splatter. Any that look to be lying in an eroded valley. Respectively, under-penetration, incorrect arc distance, and over-penetration.Also look for any voids, or obvious major variations. If you can weld ignore all of that, and pleas accept my apologies for all that.
Regardless, as best I can tell my bike was hand welded, meaning an inexperienced welder could do all of that and more- on the same bike! A robot typically goes out of calibration and builds the whole frame (read "batch or lot") with the same bad welds. For instance my freind, Stacy, owns a huffy cranbrook, with no penetration on any of the welds. Robot was out of calibration. Thank Gods it's just a peddler. If your hurricane was hand welded like mine, check them all, if in doubt post pics. No matter what chech your welds, again!
Gitrdone! Good luck!
Oh it can be had in various thicknesses, and can be sculpted. If need be, use layers, cut to shape, stack and glue.
By shrinking the layers a little at a time, you can control the taper of the finished seat easily. Take it a step further by using holes, divots and ridges and the seat can be tailored to your, ahem, junk.
I've done a few ATV seats like this.
Your tank looks good, i think a springer of some form up front would look sweet, but I'm fond of their aesthetics myself.
I ride a Hurricane with an SD Stinger as my sole transport, check your welds close, but my bike is solid. What welds would worry me most, would be any that look like play-DOH or bubblegum rolled out and laid in the seam/joint. Any that have excessive "buckshot" or BB like splatter. Any that look to be lying in an eroded valley. Respectively, under-penetration, incorrect arc distance, and over-penetration.Also look for any voids, or obvious major variations. If you can weld ignore all of that, and pleas accept my apologies for all that.
Regardless, as best I can tell my bike was hand welded, meaning an inexperienced welder could do all of that and more- on the same bike! A robot typically goes out of calibration and builds the whole frame (read "batch or lot") with the same bad welds. For instance my freind, Stacy, owns a huffy cranbrook, with no penetration on any of the welds. Robot was out of calibration. Thank Gods it's just a peddler. If your hurricane was hand welded like mine, check them all, if in doubt post pics. No matter what chech your welds, again!
Gitrdone! Good luck!
Hey, that's my bike!Hmmmm.....something like this may be doable with what I have (I found this picture on the interwebs,)
I was trying to post a picture of it but my phone can't resize them.
That pic's from the monthly Huntington Beach vintage motorcycle show, where it won first place. Beating out Nortons, Triumphs, and other high dollar bikes.
It's a 1957 Moto Beta 50cc. Franco morini 3 speed engine, and a 2.8 gallon tank.
Custom restored from a pile of rust I traded a moped for. Bike sat in pieces in a backyard since 1985, before that it came over from italy in a container ship. Probably hasn't seen the road since the 70's.
Now it kicks over everytime and runs awesome.
Here's what it looked like when I got it. Took me less than 2 months to bring it back to life.
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24. It's got worksman rims and maxxis hookworms on it.
The original rims are non-clincher, straight sided rims, and the only tires available are from Avon or Coker at $350 a pop.
24" moped/motorcycle tires are obsolete, so in order to get the bike rolling, I drilled some worksmans for 10g spokes and laced them to the original, giant drum hubs (which stop like crap, not enough leverage.)
The original rims are non-clincher, straight sided rims, and the only tires available are from Avon or Coker at $350 a pop.
24" moped/motorcycle tires are obsolete, so in order to get the bike rolling, I drilled some worksmans for 10g spokes and laced them to the original, giant drum hubs (which stop like crap, not enough leverage.)
You should be able to set up your camera on your phone to take a smaller or lower quality pic. It's in the camera settings.
And you can download a photo editing app to resize them.
That's a neat bike, BTW. I really wish that I could find an engine like that. The lifans have a nearly horizontal cylinder, but they do come with a 4 speed transmission. If only it were vertical...
This is the only site I need to resize photos for. They're always just a hair too big, so I usually just crop them a little, but I had a bad wifi connection so it wouldn't post.
That engine is a non import, italian made 2stroke from the 50's. Morini, quality built.
You can find similar engines on old mopeds and scooters. I've got a 1956 puch sr150 I'm slowly (very slowly) working on that has a great upright two stroke, but parts are impossible to find, and ain't cheap, if you can find them (and they're all in austria.)
That engine is a non import, italian made 2stroke from the 50's. Morini, quality built.
You can find similar engines on old mopeds and scooters. I've got a 1956 puch sr150 I'm slowly (very slowly) working on that has a great upright two stroke, but parts are impossible to find, and ain't cheap, if you can find them (and they're all in austria.)
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One thing I should warn you about is the expense of using that method. When you start adding up the materials required you might find it's cheaper to find a tank on ebay or Craig's List.
The advantage is you can build the tank any shape or size you want. The disadvantage is the cost. Check material prices before deciding if you want to try it.
Tom
I used the West Systems epoxy resin and hardener. They make a good product but they're proud of it too. The expanding foam can cost you a few dollars. Glass mat and cloth comes next then primer, color coat and clear coat. They all add up and you should consider your labor which can be extensive. Then there's sanddpaper, cheese graters for forming the foam and all those other little things people don't consider when fabricating a part.
Just thought you should know it's not the least expensive way to go. Just for example I bought a new steel tank from TC Choppers for a bike that cost less than what I put into the red white and blue Captian America tank.
Tom
Just thought you should know it's not the least expensive way to go. Just for example I bought a new steel tank from TC Choppers for a bike that cost less than what I put into the red white and blue Captian America tank.
Tom
If you live that long.
My plan is to leave the body as is. I want to keep all the rust and bullet holes (seriously, look closely, there's 2 in the lower middle,) while making the engine and brakes look and work like new.
But parts are impossible to find. Odd sized 12" tires, and I need a magneto and flywheel. Everything else I can make or rig up to work.
My plan is to leave the body as is. I want to keep all the rust and bullet holes (seriously, look closely, there's 2 in the lower middle,) while making the engine and brakes look and work like new.
But parts are impossible to find. Odd sized 12" tires, and I need a magneto and flywheel. Everything else I can make or rig up to work.
It all depends on where you take it from there. It certainly has potential. I see the makings of a cafe racer even with no wheels. Keep us posted on the progress.
Tom
Tom
