No More embarrassing Moments

I'm giving this DIY gas tank fuel gauge kit from Lowbrow Customs some serious consideration.

Comes with everything you see here/need (yes obviously it would, if it's a kit Einstein). And the folks at Lowbrow also have a DIY step-by-step section to help you out. Cost $36 USD.

Tell me that isn't sweet!

On the down side - I would have to repaint the Motörheadster tank, but that's no biggie. The plus side - I should never run outa' gas again!

Ace ♠

My Winter Projects

Where do I begin? Here are some thoughts/ideas I have on what I'd like to accomplish this winter with the bike. As I've been saying, I want to convert the Motörheadster into a hard tail and the way I look at... I have three options.

Option #1 - Buy a weld-on hard tail from a custom bike shop. You can find them at Bitter End Old School Choppers or Led Sled Customs or one of the many outfits selling their wares on egay.

Here's a weld-on hard tail right out of the box. It's really straight forward... bolt on the bottom, weld on the top.

And here's what it looks like after it's welded on (this one is a Nasty Bike W/O). The battery tray is there but there's no oil tank.

And here's the finished look. A hard tail Sporty with the original VIN and it's "strong like bull"!

This is Led Sled's weld-on.

It's a little different in that you have to remove good a portion of the back bone (all but cutting the frame in half) and then insert and weld-on the bottom & top.

See what I mean.

It's a lot more work. Here she is on a donor bike. As you can see it also stretches the bike out as well (that means I'd have to convert to a chain = more $$). Honestly, I don't think it's the route I'll take.

Option #2 - Design and make/weld/fabricate my own hard tail using the existing swing arm as a jig.

Easy as pie! In this pic above the guy left the swing arm in place and simply eliminated the top rear section of the frame and seat portion with the shocks. I had thought about doing this but I'm not a big fan of leaving the battery on the side like that.

Here's what I'm talkin' bout'. On the floor on the left is the old swing arm. All he used was the end piece of the swing arm for the axle, spacers and adjusters.

Option #3 - is to buy a full frame.

Flyrite Choppers make one of the best out there.

Both of the above bikes are Bone Shaker Choppers builds. Sweet frame and struts! It's what they do... and they do it right! There are other frame builders out there like Nasty Bikes, Sucker Punch Sallys, Led Sled and Bitter End.

The top pic is a Nasty frame. The red bike is an SPS frame. Very clean. They also make sweet fenders, and kick a$$ struts.

Here's Led Sled's frame. I do like the looks of it, it's length and the goose neck.

Redneck Engineering is another company that specializes in Sporty frames. Check out their mono-shock frame. Not me. I think I'll just chop mine up.

As for a fender, here's a few styles and options I'm looking at.

In my HO, Nash Bro. Motorcycles design and build some of the sweetest looking rear fenders out there. Throw on a small sissy like the one above and you got a winning combo. I'm hopin' to find/build some thing like that.

This ridge back fender is nice!

I also like the curved struts. He's runnin' a Flyrite frame as well.

I'm not a big fan of the flat fenders but I may end up buying one. It all depends on what I find in the auto salvage yard or swap meets.




This is also a wicked concept... incorporate the tail light into the fender.

Time to illuminate the subject. Here's a Caddy Light and bracket.

An old school bullet & a model "A".

I don't mind this tail light set up (3-in-1). I've seen it in the J&P catalogue but this is the first time I've seen it on a scoot. Not bad! The bike is from G&L choppers. They're an XS-650 crew and also make a slick rear fender.

I just love those crown caps! Nutin' but Kustum! But I don't NEED one... I just want one.

LA County Choprods has the original Mooney's oil tanks and crown gas caps.

How bout' an old school bobbers fire extinguisher oil tank. Ya, it's not really my style.

This cannon ball oil tank however, is SIC! It's made by south side kustoms. Man if I have the beans, I'll buy one... but it's not in the plans as of yet. I may just buy a basic tank for under $100.

That's from the Led Sled gold bike above. Wow, that's a wicked cool oil tank.

As for an air cleaner, I may just build my own or I may look at an S&S cover but not the carb kit.

I also love that ol' Skool screen or even a 2" velocity stack.

This style of pipes caught my eye, but it'll all depend on where my master cylinder is positioned. His is a little higher and to the rear. They don't really say... 'bobber', though and I'm not sure what I want to do.

Here's a 2-into-1 set that I'm leanin' towards. This pic will give me a good idea of what my bike will look like with those pipes and a hard tail.

That's about it. Don't know when I'll start choppin. I'm still hopin' to ride, it's only mid-October... if the snow melts, it may warm up to +5c!?!?

Ace ♠

Sacchetto (Solo Bag #2)

It's time to attach my DIY saddle bag. This is my first attempt at making anything like this but it turned out better than I expected. And of course, I'm not mass producing pieces AKA: Nash Bros. Motorcycles.

So... I really don't need a name to be able to distinguish it from other models. But who cares, I'm gonna give it a title anyway.

I've decided to go with Sacchetto (Solo bag in Italian).

.

It kinda' sounds like a Stiletto knife and a satchel bag mixed together. Kewl!

First I need to make brackets for the bag because the Vinyl I've used is fairly light. And because it's a solo, there's no straps connecting to a second bag that you could simply sling across the rear fender.

Two aluminum pieces about 11 inches long and 1 & 1/2 inches wide will do. I'll just split this 'L' piece.

I'll drill four holes, spaced evenly apart (I bought the nuts, bolts and washers before I began the installation).

I'll attach them along the top of the back of the bag, and inside it, just underneath the front flap.

Perfect fit. I also put in a light cardboard liner to maintain the bags shape and holds it's form while riding (you wouldn't need it if it were a leather bag).

Now... where do I mount it?

After trial and error and a few mock ups, I found it attached nicely to the top shock bolt and fit in the space in front of the license plate. I figured I'd be able to bolt it to the fender strut (using existing bolts) and that means I'll need to make at least one bracket.

Here's the crude, beaten up piece of shizzle I managed to shape by banging a piece of flat steel over a sledge hammer.

I ain't got no anvil... at least not in the garage. But I got Anvil in the stereo cabinet! It's all about the metal \M/ dude!

Back the Saccheto. This should work just fine.

A little grindn' (I should paint it but that's another job for the winter) and I'll slap her on.

Here's a little tip.

Don't grind & cut metal wearing shorts and flip flips (I was out for dinner with the ol' lady before I began workin'). Them metal filings & shards are freakin' hot man!

(click on pic to enlarge)

The bracket is on, so let's attempt a dry fit. That's the top shock nut on the bracket.

Here's a top view.

And I'll step back for a better view.

Let's righty tighten er' and call her a night.

That's a sacchetto any Italian leather master craftsman would.... freakin' laugh at!

Oh well, I thinks it's the fizzle shizzle ma nizzel!

Ace ♠