My first real project

[danase]

Well, the reason for me buying a welder is so I can do more work on my bikes. My first project will be a bracket for my new stop light/license plate. The bracket I made now is only 16 gauge steel and everyone says it'll fatigue and break in no time. So I'm going to weld one up out of 1/8" or 3/16" steel. Hopefully I can find some steel this week to make it from.

Here is the current one I made a couple months back and a link at the bottom to the rest of the bike.

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i115/danase/2002%20Vulcan%20Drifter/

[Skwerly]

Hey, looks pretty good! Cool bike, too man!

[danase]

Hey, looks pretty good! Cool bike, too man!

Thanks! Hopefully the bike will be done soon so I can move on to other winter projects. LOL

[danase]

The hardest part is finding any freaking steel! I went out on black Friday to Fastenal and a couple other places and NOBODY had any steel, without buying a ridiculous amount. This weekend I'm going to head to a place in Detroit and try a couple places a forum member told me about. I did find out my local scrap yard will sell me scrap for $0.35 a pound so I might try and go wade through that place.

[Hotfoot]

Triangulation will kill a ot of the "flutter"...I had to do that on a similar side-mount I put on one of my Harleys, and it worked well.



It'll also help minimize the number of times you (or others) hit the plate with your leg...(happens frequently with sidemounts...especially outside Biker Bars)...and please trim those bolts! (all stainless, I presume).

[trial&error]

my lights are pretty intense, so what is that? why is there a strap on the back side that i assume goes up to the seat. doesn't that defeat the purpose of a rear shock? or am i not seeing the full picture here?

ok i found the link at the bottom of your post. did you just remove rear fender and relocate the tail light?

[danase]

Triangulation will kill a ot of the "flutter"...I had to do that on a similar side-mount I put on one of my Harleys, and it worked well.



It'll also help minimize the number of times you (or others) hit the plate with your leg...(happens frequently with sidemounts...especially outside Biker Bars)...and please trim those bolts! (all stainless, I presume).

Yeah, I'll actually probably just go with 1/8" or 3/16" steel and weld in some gussets as well. I was thinking of doing what you mentioned but the metal is really too thin all around.

LOL Yeah, those bolts are not the ones I'll be using. It was just sort of a mock up to make sure the plate fit and everything went together right.

[danase]

my lights are pretty intense, so what is that? why is there a strap on the back side that i assume goes up to the seat. doesn't that defeat the purpose of a rear shock? or am i not seeing the full picture here?

ok i found the link at the bottom of your post. did you just remove rear fender and relocate the tail light?

Yeah that strap is the rear fender bracket. The rear fender is out for paint right now.

What I've done so far is:

• Removed the front and rear fenders
• Got a new rear fender (being painted right now)
• Relocated the rear turn signals
• Ditched the stock seat for a LaRosa seat
• Relocated the brake light and license plate
• Cut up old exhaust and made these straight pipes with 4" removable baffles
• Other little minor things

I'm about done with it. Really the only thing left is a headlight, that bracket, getting the fender on and new tires for Spring.

Here was the bike when I got it:


Here is the bike as it sites today:

[SpyGuy]

Nice sled. Good work on that sidemount for the taillight and license plate. I'm into the "old's cool" bobber look, too. "About done with it"? No .... more likely wanting to ride it again. On a project like this, you're never really "done", you just "abandon" it until you think of something else neat to do. Then it's back in the shop.

Are you going for a smaller rear fender? Perhaps you should match it with an equally small front fender, too. With your skills, you should be able to fab up something nice.

I'd be going to town fabbing up small but interesting little one-off parts, like new brackets, drilled pieces, etc. Anything to make the bike stand out even more. Perhaps a new air cleaner cover is in the making, or twisted steel kickstand.

Really, really nice work on that bike.

[FabPeddler]

1st project

looks good, welding and the bikes goes hand in hand. bike looks good. I like the Indian styling.

keep posting the pics as it comes together,,

[danase]

Nice sled. Good work on that sidemount for the taillight and license plate. I'm into the "old's cool" bobber look, too. "About done with it"? No .... more likely wanting to ride it again. On a project like this, you're never really "done", you just "abandon" it until you think of something else neat to do. Then it's back in the shop.

Are you going for a smaller rear fender? Perhaps you should match it with an equally small front fender, too. With your skills, you should be able to fab up something nice.

I'd be going to town fabbing up small but interesting little one-off parts, like new brackets, drilled pieces, etc. Anything to make the bike stand out even more. Perhaps a new air cleaner cover is in the making, or twisted steel kickstand.

Really, really nice work on that bike.

Thanks man! I'm going with a small rear and no front. I sort of like the look of the front without a fender. I know the rain will be a b!tch but I'll deal with it if I get stuck in it. LOL

Good deals man! I'm sure I'll come up with some other things to fab up this winter. LOL The welder just gives me more ideas of things to do.