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DougnDog

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
481
Location
Sacramento CA
Getting ready to make a big change so I thought I would post some pictures.
back in 2010 I did some changes to my bike its a 89 Soft tail springer. first I built a tail dagger fender, then built the bars and windshield. the horns come out and one is a 8" dagger and the other is a sap. put a paint job on it, and rode it like I stole it.:D
Going to turn it into a trike. bought a DNA rear end from American Classic Motors on E-Bay, and for wheels I went to Rally America Wheels for 15x5 Street Rod Wire Wheels, look like 35 Ford. for rubber Mickey Thompson Sportsman Radial Tires 24x5. black walls. the wheels front and back will be Viper Red the sheet metal will be Satin Black heavy with pin striping. I will fab a seat with a back rest and the box will be a three sided 3 slat wood box. if Santa brings me the camera for Christmas I asked for, then I will post a lot of pics of the build.
have a good Christmas:D
 

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Conversion to a trike.

OK guys this is the mock up for my swing arm. I put some pipe up just to get a idea how it will look, after the first of the mo. Ill buy some tubing and get it welded up. I made this fixture to hold the swing arm as it sits on the bike. The wheels I have for it.
Haven't figured out what to do with the tank yet, but I will be raking the frame out some.
I built the bars a few years ago, and her horns.:p
 

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While I was waiting for the paint to dry on my 454 engine I got some work done on my frame.
The upper tubing I bent with my pipe bender and torch. I welded a piece of tubing to the weld table,slip in the piece to be heated and bend, make handlebars that way too.
the bottom tubing bent on the bench, then fine tuned in place.
the id of the bottom tubes are different so a step plug was needed. it was slipped in place then after doing the fine tuning on the tubing I used a 1/8 shaft to tap the plug into place. after welding it out I heated the bends slowly at the rear end block up to a bright red (careful not to burn out the carbon in the steel) and used a hammer to tap the tubing a few times to allow the stresses from welding to be relieved. included some pictures of the simple (cheap) tools I use:eek:. still have the axle adjuster to put in place, then I will break it all down and weld it all complete[;).
 

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Tools. this wire welder I've had for close to 30 years you would not believe all the stuff I have built with it. best $500.00 bucks I ever spent;).in the background is a lathe I built in 1969. I use it for making bushings and turning shafts even fixed a bad bearing fit on a old Ford 4x4 spindle. twice in my life I have had a complete machine shop in my garage, only to lose it to divorces. but I always had my little homemade lathe.
 

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Got the frame finished now I need to do a little bondo on the joints, as this shaky,poor sighted, old man can't seem to run a pretty weld anymore:eek:. the plate on the chain side is for a slack adjuster. as my chain will be about 150 links. I added a 6" stretch to the frame. I hate the Harley trikes that look like stubby bikes. kind of like fat toads. I intend on rakeing the front also not a lot but enough to improve handling. now I need to paint the wheels. more parts will come in the first of Feb.
 

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Got the swing arm done and painted, to day I'll paint the wheels being spoked its going to be a task. hopefully they will turn out Ok;)
 

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Got the back rims painted yesterday, boy what a pain in the butt. getting into all the spokes without getting runs:p. I don't know how I did it but they turned out really good. even my son in law said so and he's a nit picker.;)
tires came to day, I love buying on ebay......no tax.....no recycle fee.....and if you pick right no shipping:cool:.

Now I need to find a tire shop that will mount and balance them without scraping all the paint off. here in Calif its hard to find one that speaks english, let alone cares about the customers wheels.

I let them cure for a couple of weeks first. need to get back on my engine for my 47 Ford truck, like to get it in the truck before the end of the month.
 

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She's doing fine for getting on (9yrs last christmas day) also my Daughter passed her 5yr cancer free exam this past summer.:) Thanks for asking Bob
 
progress

well this week I got on my trike build. it went together real nice and the stance is just what I wanted.[dr
2 of the pictures are brackets that slip on the pivot shaft that will give support to my seat and box. the pics aren't too good but once the seat and box frame is in place it will be easier to see how it works.
bought a oval oil tank I hope to use and while I'm waiting for it to get here I will be putting the engine in my 47 ford truck.
I found the seat I'm going to use its a wide solo from a 04 road king.
 

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Doug, that bike is gonna look very cool. I like different, and that is different than what you will find at the local poker runs for sure. Very cool idea using the old spoke wheels. Diggin it!
 
Well back on my bike this week. Raking the front end and extending the forks.
a softail springer has handling problems when converting to a trike. the rake and trail is way too steep, causing a wobble in the front end. I wanted to run my fat bob tanks so cutting the neck to rake it was out. so a stretch in down tubes was in order. I have always run long:cool: front ends so this was the only way to go for me.

NOTE ....I don't want to hear from the "Thats not safe" "thats hard to handle" bunch as I have argued the truth about long front ends for close to 50 years.:rolleyes:

Today I will pull the front end off after I get the dimensions I need and mfg the insert tubes and weld out. ( the ones in the picture are only there as spacers while the back bone cooled.)
I have built the support for the seat and the box frame already but I forgot to take pictures.....Sorry.
 

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