Wheels and Tires

I got the rear wheels and tires for my bobber. I also got the brake rotors and decided to go with a pulley instead of a sprocket. It took me about 45-minutes pounding in the cups for the front end with my rubber mallet but I got them in. It was about 28-degrees in my garage today. I mounted everything and got them onto the motorcycle. I still need to get the brake calipers, front hub cover and speedometer before I can center everything up but at least I can get an idea of the basic length of the motorcycle. It feels like a motorcycle now and not just a frame on a lift... The front wheel is a 22" 60 spoke chrome rim wrapped in An Avon Speedmaster. The rear wheel is a 16" 60 spoke chrome rim wrapped in an Avon Cobra 200 tire.

When I got done, it was up to 35-degrees so I jumped on Psycho Bob and took a short ride. It was a bit cold but it was the first time, I've had it out in two weeks.

Amazing Motorcycle Trips

Picture taken from Forbs.com

We have some wonderful places to ride in America: the Badlands, Route 66, the Rockies and more. Yahoo recycled a story from Forbs the other day that made me think about how cool it would be to ride in some of the more remote places in the world. It would be cool to take a trip through Alaska or through Tibet. Hey, I hear they are letting tourists in Chernobyl now....

Springer Front End

Picture taken from  trydnastore.com

I picked up a 22-inch chrome springer front end from DNA Specialty Inc. It's the same front end on my current bobber expect it's 4-inches longer due to the rake of the frame I'm using. I haven't had my bobber for 10 years but I've been exceptionally happy with the springer I have. No chrome chipping, rusting or excessive rattling. Every springer rattles! It already has the mounts for the brake and the fender so if you are looking for a springer front end ready to go on... DNA is the place to go.

I have the bearings and races in the mail. Once I get them, I'll put the front end on and get ready for the wheels so I can complete the rolling chassis. After the rolling chassis I can think about the fenders, gas tank and oil tank.

Kraft Tech Frame

I thought I would introduce the frame I will be using for my custom built motorcycle. I picked out a Kraft Tech frame that has a 36 degree rake and a 3" backbone stretch. This is different from Psycho Bob but close enough I know the motorcycle will feel right when I'm on it. If you want this frame you better contact American Classic Motors because they worked with Kraft Tech to have it built to their specs. It is not available if the Kraft Tech catalogue. 

The motor mounts, transmission plate, brake mounts, belt adjustors and exhaust mounts are all welded in place already. That eliminates a lot of fabrication. That's a good thing for a first build if you ask me. The tubing is 1.5" for the backbone and 1.25" for the cradle and tail. This is the same as my bobber and the frame is super strong. I can mount any Evo, Panhead, knuckle or shovelhead engine in the frame so my options are still wide open there. I also got the certificate of origin with it the same day I picked it up!

Bobber Project

I don;t usually share very personal things online but I think today I'm going to. Since I was very young I've always been an artist. I started out drawing and painting and even won state my senior year in high-school. I also wrote many short stories and plays: nothing too good I would imagine. After school I got distracted with the working world and joined the world of machining. Little did I know that I was putting my artistic skills to work every day when I would create parts on an Engine and CNC lathe.

After about 5 years of turning a lathe I moved to PA and got a corporate job. There is nothing creative about working in a call center! So, I turned my passion for working on guitars into building them and recording with them. I recorded two albums under the name Zyonsdream: again, nothing too good but I enjoyed them. I also started building guitars in my basement. I have worked on guitars since I was about 10 years old. You can check out all of my work on my Zyon's Dream Guitar website. It was obvious that guitar building and playing became my artistic outlet.

Pictures taken from zdguitars.com

Last year I decided my creative outlet with guitar building had passed. We wanted to renovate the basement and I was happy to give up my work space because I had purchased a 2006 legend Lime Mustang for a project car. I sank a lot of time money into that car and it became my focal point for my artistic outlet. You might not think about a car like art but the time spent on making sure every part looked and worked the best is art..to me anyways.

After I got the bobber, I remembered how much I really loved motorcycles. I only drive the Mustang twice last summer. When it came time to upgrade the family-mobile, I made the decision to trade in the Mustang to help us get a higher quality vehicle. I was sad to see the Mustang go but I did the right thing. However, now that I don't have the Mustang, I have no creative outlet. Okay, so I'm working on a book and a screen play but I've been working on those for 8-years now...

I'm a person who needs a creative outlet or an "art project" to feel whole. Being an artist is what I feel sets me apart from everyone else in the world; that and I'm completely anti-social! Once I finish with one artistic medium, I move on to the next challenge. This is why I went out yesterday and purchased a bobber frame and front end. I've decided to make my own bobber! Don't expect me to work at a machine gun pace... it isn't cheap building a motorcycle. I'm already in the hole $1,200! I need to learn how plan a motorcycle build, how to execute a motorcycle build and how to make everything work properly. I'm mechanically inclined and I can do just about any repairs on my own motorcycle so I feel confident that I will finish this art project with a functioning and great motorcycle that I will ride for years to come. I will be fully documenting my build on this blog in hopes that I might inspire or help someone building their own bobber or chopper.

Crossing Over

A while back I got a bur up my ass to install a cross over in my tank. ACM put the bungs in for it but then capped them off with a plug. I couldn't find elbows in chrome (didn't look very hard) so I used plumbing fittings. Although they were functional, they looked like shit. I think my alternative is better looking but I'm not 100% happy with it. I'll come across chrome elbows and install a braided line but right now, at least they match the motorcycle paint job. I used blue anodized fittings.

Old brass fittings-look like shit!

Using a cross over will help me get all the gas trapped on the right side oft tunnel over to the left side. When the bobber runs out of gas, there is actually about a half gallon of gas left in the tank. Considering the fact that the tank is less than 1.5-gallons, a half gallon of fuel will go a long way!

John Deere Green

Not just John Deere Green but it looks like you could go to a JD dealership and pick this motorcycle off the showroom floor. It's got a jokey shifter, and a tractor seat. I can't imagine the ass cramps this motorcycle will give you after 30 miles... I grew up in the country and I've seen and driven my shahre of JD tractors and I have ti tip my hat off to the builder of this bike. With those wheels, he nailed the look of a genuine JD.

This motorcycle is currently for sale on Evilbay and I hope it makes it to the country side where it can fully be appreciated. I don't think this motorcycle is destined for New York City. A couple of interesting things, the fatty tire; it does not look bad but I think a rough and tough skinny might have looked better. Also, a front brake is a must for me. It wouldn't have taken anything away, especially if a drum brake was used. Not as good as a disc but it's better than nothing.

Photos taken from Ebay