first real customer for bike build of old school hardtail bobber.

[Yard Dogg]

Nightengale, I like the trailer fenders and also have one on mine. I think they look a little better when you add about 1 1/2" of meat to the sides of them to drop them down around the tire. You can even go with an elliptical shape to it for a little added style. Just a brainstorm.

[Nightengale]

Hi John,
yeah, that fender is way too short if you are caught out in the rain; nobody can look cool with a muddy skunk streak up their back.
What I'd suggest is run a loop of tube up and over the end of that fender to keep the fender from shaking and hide the bolts that hold the fender extension on.
Also, that lopsided look with the number plate to one side don't work for me.
Put a second salvaged bracket the other side for another tail/signal/stop light and brace them back to the fender support loop to stop them turning on the axle.
Put the number plate on the fender extension's end with a pea light.
The support loop, rear lights & fender extension will make a subframe that can unbolt to pull the rear wheel.
Bikes should look balanced, symmetrical.
Except for big singles.
Unless it's a 4-valve Rudge or a Royal Enfield J2.

i would kill for either one of those bikes you just cant beat that look.

some good ideas, there are alot of things that i would do different on this bike but my buddy has his own tastes. i am going to run fender struts to hold the back of the fender up and there is going to be a three foot tall sissy bar on there too. my buddy wants that tall sissy bar, he ordered one off of ebay



i do think it is pretty cool with the brass knuckles but just not my taste. we will see how it looks on the bike when it comes in.

[fredintoon]

The customer is (shudder) always right

- - - there is going to be a three foot tall sissy bar on there too. - - -

Hi John,
yuk.
Ask him if he wants to be mistaken for an Olympic contender or is it an Auto-Union badge?

[Nightengale]

brass knuckles

Hi John,
yuk.
Ask him if he wants to be mistaken for an Olympic contender or is it an Auto-Union badge?

we will see once it comes in, as far as how it looks in person, but i do see what your saying.
i will have to say some of those old auto union race cars are pretty cool lookin cars.

[fredintoon]

we will see once it comes in, as far as how it looks in person, - - -

Hi John,
it's not the clearest of photos but item looks to made of square bar and the blackened look of the welds and twisty bits suggest it's not plated so it could be hot forged at the bottom to become the fear fender support.

[Nightengale]

Hi John,
it's not the clearest of photos but item looks to made of square bar and the blackened look of the welds and twisty bits suggest it's not plated so it could be hot forged at the bottom to become the fear fender support.

Yeah i was thinking the same thing, but i know i will have to do some work to make it fit right. But i wont know for sure till i get it. I asked him if he had a time machine so would be able to get it. Look at the date on the pic. Lol

[Nightengale]

not much done today

nothing new to take pics of got alot of stuff finish welded, this weekend i will make and install the faux oil tank to house all the wiring. trying to come up with some really cool mounting bracket. i am also toying around with some ideas on how to fasten the tank, i am not sure if i am going to do something hidden or if i am goning to do some kind of decorative bracket.

[Nightengale]

been busy

been pretty busy with work and little time to work on the bike, but i have gotten a few things done

short fender


exchanged for a bigger one



came up with a pretty cool (at least i think so)way to fasten the tank to the frame.



it will be a metal strap that will fasten in front of and in back of the tank, it will be made to fit the tank exactlly with rubber gromets between the tank and the strap.
here are some pics of the templet that i made.





then i started to see what the sissy bar would look like (again not quite my taste but then again its not my bike), on the bike. i had to use some string to hold it in place since i need to fab some fender struts to attach it to.





still have alot to do been working on alot of stuff at once and trying to get it all figured out.

[daveyg]

Very cool, when I first saw the tank strap template, my mind envisioned a tan leather strap running the length of the tank, that might be a different way to go, then u could even tool the leather with your new business logo down the road...

[Nightengale]

saw that

Very cool, when I first saw the tank strap template, my mind envisioned a tan leather strap running the length of the tank, that might be a different way to go, then u could even tool the leather with your new business logo down the road...

I was looking online and saw a few old school bikes that what looked like a belt holding the tank down, and the they did look pretty cool. That is actually how my battery on my bike is held down.

[cpmaynard1980]

Hooray for pics! I really like it. The longer rear fender looks better I think.

[Yard Dogg]

It is looking cool. You know I kind of like the tall sissy bar, gives it some real character and sets it apart. It reminds me of Easy Rider.

[XSive-11]

How's the bike coming along? Looks real nice man! Lots of careful work you're putting in there. Had a question about the frame work you did. Is there a lot of math involved there or do you start at one known point and "eye-ball" from there?

[Nightengale]

hard tail

How's the bike coming along? Looks real nice man! Lots of careful work you're putting in there. Had a question about the frame work you did. Is there a lot of math involved there or do you start at one known point and "eye-ball" from there?

i did the hardtail the easy way and left the swing arm in place and them started from there and fabbed one side and duplicated it on the other. there was alot of measuring and re measuring and checking angles to be able to have the frame peices meet up right. i havent worked on the bike in a while been waiting on parts and also working alot. but just got alot of stuff in and will be back at it next week.

[Nightengale]

exhaust work

got in the exhaust tips and started to cut off the existing muffler and weld on the new tips.


the one on the left is the original exhaust and the one on the right is the one that i cut and then welded on the exhaust tip.