Transcontinental Option Package. Choose a model and make it your own. The satisfaction you will get from building the frame alone is hard to put into words.Want to build a custom motorcycle? Embarking on a build is not for the faint-of-heart! But you wouldn’t be here reading this if you thought it was too hard.Motorcycles. You can build a chopper frame on your own. But it can be done and hobby bike builders are doing it successfully, even on their first attempt. Building a motorcycle in your garage or in a small shop with minimal tools is no small feat.If you’re sketching designs and details for your bike.If you’ve got all your build ideas on a Pinterest board. Wallpaper on my shop PC.If you’ve got that photograph of your dream bike as your computer wallpaper (that’s one of my wallpaper’s above).If you feel that burning desire to use your hands on your bike. To use your hands to create a one-off part for your bike.Jeff Wright’s Shovelhead streetbike.You can take one of two approaches:1. But lets go over the highlights here.First step is determine what you’re technically capable of right now, and how long before you want to be riding this custom bike. I believe you don’t have to pay someone else to do it.I’ve got a detailed Skills Inventory you can check out. I believe you should enjoy that sense of satisfaction that comes from creating something with your own hands. Its time to stop talking or wondering.I believe anyone can build their own custom motorcycle.
Maybe you’ve already decided it will be an air-cooled BMW, or a 70’s CB-Honda, or a Harley Davidson. And so on! You might even end up running a shop doing this for others! How do you think all the small custom shops started?!At some point, you have to decide what bike will be the basis for your customisation. Once you’ve modified one bike and learnt a heap of new skills, you can apply them to a more complex build! Rinse and repeat on build #3. If you are feeling at all unsure, then go for option 1. Make drastic modifications to your project bike, meaning it will be off the road until you finish.This is probably the first decision. ![]() Plus there’s a million Instagram accounts reposting the same photos, so, you’re sure to come across the perfect bike online somewhere.For my top recommendations for technical books to add to your collection as part of your research, check out this article. They’re not hard to find.And websites like BikeEXIF, Pipeburn, Return of the Cafe Racers and Chopcult can be a great source of inspiration and knowledge. If you are sold on your project bike make and model, a dedicated forum for that model is the best source of specific information. However some sources are more useful than others. Grinding soft anti malware downloadYou’re going to start collecting tools. However, high on the list I would definitely put an air compressor.What tools do I need to work on my motorcycle?Working on a motorcycle will mean you get intimate with hand tools. Wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and a crate full of other tools will become your friends. These can be constructed simply from hardware store timber (construction pine and plywood is great).There is plenty of other stuff that will be useful, but is not essential right away. But if you’re fabricating parts for your bike, the ability to design and draw them before you start making irreversible cuts in expensive materials is very useful.A build platform is very helpful, and beats working on cold concrete in the middle of a cold winter. Some extra knowledge will ensure you enjoy your build, and help you get your modifications right.Then there are topics like properties of metals, shop products and fluids, bearings, torque, lubrication, fasteners (bolts), threaded inserts. We’ll cover these in future articles.Technical drawing is a topic that might sound odd amongst all these other topics. Planning your build out will give a greater chance of success.There are heaps of engineering topics to learn, if you want to learn them. There will always be an exception and you’ll soon search out and find those specific tools that you need for your bike.When you get a little more experience, you might decide its time to overhaul your engine.No problem! Older model bikes are pretty simple (compared to modern machines) so they’re skills you can learn.I meet lots of people who seem intimidated by electrical systems on their motorcycles. For Japanese and European bikes, metric sized tools will generally be required. For the next five years!If you’re working on American cycles, imperial sized wrenches and sockets will generally be required. You will have plenty on your Christmas list. I have a theory that “the tool you don’t use is better than the tool you don’t have”. Tap threads into it. Bolt, screw, rivet or weld pieces together to form more complex assemblies. You can cut, bend, shrink and stretch metal. But if you need (or want) a custom number plate bracket, relocate your speedometer, make some custom rear-set pegs, or build a complete fairing out of aluminium for a salt lake racer, you’ll need to start with metalworking tools and benchwork skills.Once we have painstakingly shaped a piece of metal on the bench, you generally need to perform some other “operations” on it. If you are building a custom with many “bolt-on” parts, there is a chance you finish your build without ever picking up a scribe, hacksaw and file. These can be very inexpensive, and quite adequate for occasional use while working on motorcycles.Benchwork is the use of basic hand tools to shape and form metal into shapes that you need. With enough skill, you can easily tackle electrical systems, especially on older motorcycles.You should invest in a digital multimeter for taking voltage measurements. Lebaran 2019Stick a copy up in your shop. Stick it up over your computer. Maybe its as simple as welding on a frame hoop for your scrambler or cafe racer.Or maybe you want to go all out and build you own frame!Maybe print out the pic of your dream bike. Preparing surfaces for these finishing techniques is essential if you plan to paint or polish yourself, or if you want to save some money not having to pay your paint or powder coat guy to do this step for you.Once your bike parts have been stripped, cleaned, welded, sanded and otherwise modified, its time for the final finish and reassembly. Its surprising how much can be achieved in the home workshop with aerosol cans of paint.When its got to be REALLY custom, you end up staring at the frame…“What needs to be chopped off and welded on to make this look right?”Once you’ve got some metalworking and welding skills, its definitely possible to start with some basic chassis modifications. A quality welding machine that will weld both ferrous and non-ferrous metals will probably cost in the vicinity of $1000, so it is a significant investment.Shiny bits: paint & polish on your motorcycleAlmost every customised bike project is going to need paint, powder coating or polishing to deliver that picture you have of your finished project.
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