Progress on the Ace

[Willowbilly3]

Or :How to waste 6 weeks of your life"


The Merkel front fork (that any racer worth it's salt ran in 1923)



The cradle frame





Another view of the Flying Merkel fork. The springs would go under the butterfly.



The next couple with the wheels on, the engine and tank sitting in it.







I still need to make the handlebars, shifter and pipes. Final fitup should be in a few days then blow it apart for paint/patina. The red tire will be gone, they were to skinney for the back and didn't look right so I made a fatter one

 

[earthman]

Wow!

 

[soltz]

Love it [cl [dr
My bucket list is getting an old bike (75 to 100 yrs) but don't think i'll live long enough [S

 

[Willowbilly3]

Love it [cl [dr
My bucket list is getting an old bike (75 to 100 yrs) but don't think i'll live long enough [S

Me too, especially after all the research I did building this bike. There are some reproductions out there now that the old flat/board trackers have gotten so popular and they're racing them again.
Here's one place I found that sells a lot of the parts.

http://americanmotorcycleracer.com/parts.html

 

[AZRodDave]

Neat! Looks like that will be a fun little ride.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I've liked your other stuff, but you've really stepped up your art work by a few levels with this one.

 

[forbigpicture]

You have out done yourself WB..... I think it's way cool.......[cl[cl[cl

 

[Willowbilly3]

Somewhere back in the 70s there was a Dave Mann in Easyriders that depicted an Indian 4 chopper. When I decided it had to be a four, that was the bike I wanted to used for inspiration but I never could find it. Then I stumbled across the Ace, found out it was made by the Henderson brothers after they went broke and sold out to Schwinn. Then the Ace was acquired by Indian and it's the same engine they used. It was even called the Ace Indian in 28.

 

[Todd]

That is cool. Where do you get such big vice grips??

 

[Sam_Fear]

That is cool. Where do you get such big vice grips??

I've met Willowbilly and if you look at the feet in the second pic you'll see he's a very big man. Nearly 10' tall if I remember right. So I'm sure all his tools are custom made to suit him. [ddd

 

[Willowbilly3]

I had a collector of high end vintage toys come by today to trade me some pedal cars. In conversation he asked what I would sell it for. I hem-hawed around and mumbled something about more than 5 grand if I got time and materials but didn't expect anyone would pay that. He said the price wasn't out of line at all for a piece like this. He wanted to buy the first one I made and offered me 2 grand for it, or make him another one like it.