Do-it-yourself chopper, or maybe buy a ready-made motorcycle? This question is asked by many motorcyclists, especially beginners, who have long decided for themselves that they will ride not on a plastic sport, but on a real iron motorcycle, in which the sound of the legendary V-twin makes a solid sound, and not the sound of a squealing coffee grinder. In this article, which is more aimed at beginners in the interesting art of customizing, we will look at what it takes to make a proper chopper with your own hands, and how to make many details for it that will make it original enough and have a cool look. .
How to build a chopper with your own hands is not so easy to write, since there are a huge number of styles of customized motorcycles (customs), and their steepness directly depends on the number of banknotes, the skillful hands of the master and the equipment he has in the garage. And when reading about the construction of a particular custom, some novice customizer may simply not be able to pull it off, due to lack of funds and the necessary equipment. Or he may simply not like the style of some kind of custom, because there are a lot of styles.
Therefore, this article will not describe the construction of a specific custom of a certain style, and my recommendations in this article will be purely conditional, but still I hope it will be useful for beginner customizers. In addition, when building any chopper, a lot of nuances can arise that cannot be described in one article.
But for a more detailed explanation, when making some parts for the chopper with my own hands, I will put the appropriate link, by clicking on which the dear reader will be able to study in more detail and in detail the manufacture of some kind of equipment or some part of the chopper, and successfully apply this knowledge at home in the garage. And so we went.
What you need before you start making a chopper with your own hands.
The first thing to do before starting work is to decide on a budget. After all, the right chopper, which, in terms of workmanship and its steepness, can easily surpass a serial factory bike, requires certain investments of money. And the more these investments, the cooler the finished custom will turn out.
Of course, with certain skills in working with metal and the availability of appropriate equipment, tools and materials, you can make a decent chopper without large investments. But many novice motorcyclists don't have the skills, the equipment, or the right materials. And a significant part of the money will be spent on high-quality tools, materials and some devices that will be described below, and without which you can’t do anything with your bare hands.
And of course, the bulk of the money will be spent on the purchase of a donor motorcycle, without it in any way. After all, you can’t make an engine and a frame with a number and relevant documents on your own, even with super expensive equipment in the workshop (you can make a frame from scratch, only it will be numberless). Moreover, it will be possible to use some parts from some donor motorcycles.
This is the same engine, a part of the frame with a number, the front wheel (not always, but often used after revision), the front fender (of course, also redone), the front fork and other parts that, with certain skills and tools, can be changed beyond recognition.
To save a significant amount of money, a donor motorcycle can be bought in poor condition or broken, the main thing is that it has the documents in order and that the motor and the number on the frame are preserved after the accident. The engine, documents and part of the frame with a nameplate or a number on it are the main things you need to build a chopper, and everything else can be made on your own, or purchased from catalogs.
And after buying a donor motorcycle, before you start disassembling it, cutting it and doing something with it, of course, you must first re-register it for yourself, register it, and I wrote how to do it correctly (the legalization of a home-made bike is also described in detail there ). This will help you avoid problems in the future.
And the serial frame itself, in addition to expanding its rear part, will also need to be finalized. For example, in the steering columns of the frames of domestic motorcycles, there are still weak bicycle-type thrust bearings that wear out very quickly and the handling of the motorcycle, to put it mildly, is lame. And the first step is to replace these bearings with more powerful conical ones (such as in the wheels of the Dnieper and Ural, but one size larger).
To do this, the cups of regular bearings are cut off from the frame, and cups of a slightly larger diameter are welded in their place, into which the outer races of tapered bearings are subsequently pressed. I wrote more about this in, as well as in an article about the geometry of motorcycle frames, and a link to this article is located below in the text.
The frames of modern imported motorcycles already have more or less normal bearings from the factory, but there are enough alterations on such frames. Since even imported stock frames are heavier and uglier than homemade frames made from scratch, and most stock frames (especially Japanese motorcycles) have to be cut off extra parts to lighten the weight.
Of course, there are a large number of types of frames (we read what frames are) and everyone chooses their own option for themselves. But now very popular choppers in the old school style, which have very light frames in the style of "hardtail" (translated as rigid), which do not have a rear suspension and because of this have beautiful classic lines of a triangular rear end. And these frames are the lightest.
And although it is quite uncomfortable to ride on such frames on our roads, beauty and style require sacrifice. Yes, and such devices are designed not for long trips, but for short trips around the city, or for moving the driver's body from bar to bar. And choppers with such frames are very popular now.
The front fork can easily transform the look of any chopper, and can change not only the silhouette, but also the ride quality of your motorcycle. Although, again, when building a chopper, most customizers usually do not pay attention to handling and comfort, the main thing is the appearance, which determines the steepness of the chopper and from which a significant revival can arise in the gray city traffic.
Of course, in addition to the fork, the silhouette and ride quality of the motorcycle is affected by the angle of the steering column, and to be precise, the trail and rake, which should be taken into account when reworking the frame or making it from scratch. This topic is worthy of a separate article that I wrote, and I advise you to read in detail about the angles and geometry of the frame. The same article describes in detail the refinement of the frames of domestic motorcycles and the replacement of bearings with tapered ones.
The most popular type of refinement of serial forks is their lengthening with special inserts and replacing the traverses with wider ones, or simply polishing the standard traverses. When lengthening the fork feathers, in order not to lift the frame relative to the ground and maintain a beautiful silhouette and low ground clearance, it should be increased. That is, to ensure that after installing a longer fork, the ground clearance (the distance from the lower tubes of the frame to the ground) remains the same as it was.
But most often, the ground clearance (clearance) is lowered by a factor of two, and in addition to a stronger fork tilt, the rear end of the frame is also affected by the lowering (the shift of the rear wheel axle is higher than it was in stock). With all these works, it is very important to maintain a clear geometry of the steering column and the entire frame, and it is only possible to carry out such alterations correctly if there is a slipway (the link to the article about the slipway is above in the list of tools and accessories).
So installing an extended fork is not so simple and will entail a number of serious alterations to the frame itself and its steering column, taking into account the correct angles (rake and trail - a link about them a little higher, about the steering column angles).
But now old-school and bobber style motorcycles have become very popular, in which the fork (usually a springer) does not lengthen, or lengthens very slightly. But changing the angle of the steering column is often used on these devices as well.
Indeed, with a greater tilt of the steering column, even with a short fork, the silhouette of the custom is significantly improved (it becomes more rapid). At the same time, the ground clearance is only a couple of centimeters, and it becomes difficult to drive on such a device on our roads. But still, for many, this is not important, because beauty requires sacrifice.
For so-called free-style choppers, a gas tank with a concave bottom, the manufacture of which I described, may be suitable. Well, for those who are interested to see how I made a more complex tank, then we watch the video below, which I published on my suvorov-custom channel as a guide for beginners and in order to fill the gap on this topic on the Russian-speaking Internet. I have no secrets and I think it will be useful for beginners to watch this video, divided into three parts.
Of course, beginners should first try to make a simpler classic tank, and as they gain some experience, move on to more complex products. But still, when making a more complex tank, in the video just below, there are some tips that I hope will be useful to novice customizers.
By the way, I have other videos on working with sheet metal on my suvorov-custom channel (on YouTube), and I hope that over time, as I have free time, I will try to publish such videos more, and in order not to miss new videos, do not forget to subscribe to channel.
As for the wings, of course, they, like the tank, should also fit in style. And for example, bobbers, or radical choppers, may not have a front wing at all, and the rear wing is usually very short. But still, it is better to make a wing for a chopper from scratch, since the alteration of some regular wing does not always coincide with the style of the future custom. In addition, an exclusive wing, made from scratch, will be one and only, and this will add to its coolness.
And if you can still do without a leather hitch, then you can’t do without a seat. But I described how to make a seat for a chopper with my own hands from scratch, and it describes two options for making seats, with a plastic base and with a metal one.
Well, under the article, I publish a useful and interesting video that proves that with skillful hands and a bright head, you can make an excellent custom even from an ancient Japanese motorcycle, and the engine of this motorcycle is not a twin at all, but an in-line four. But it does not spoil the look of the custom at all.
This video proves once again that you can make a unique custom even out of junk, and I hope that this video will be an incentive for beginners and will serve as an impetus to start their further work.
Well, I hope that this article will at least help beginners to build a chopper with their own hands, and maybe in the near future, you will take this matter more seriously and make this exciting activity your main source of income, success to everyone!
Today, there are a huge number of motorcycle manufacturers in the world who release several new models every year. It is easy to name 12 only the most famous motorcycle brands that are most popular. It would seem that among the huge lineup you can find a motorcycle to your liking, which will perform all the necessary functions. This may be true, but true fans of two-wheeled vehicles prefer to build their own motorcycle, which will be one of a kind. It was because of the desire of motorcyclists to have a unique motorcycle that a custom motorcycle was invented, which will be discussed in our article.
What is a custom motorcycle
Have you ever thought about creating your own motorcycle based on another, or maybe just tuning and refining an existing motorcycle model? If yes, then you are one of the people who prefer unique bikes over those that anyone can afford. A custom motorcycle is a bike that is custom-made for one single person. Simply put, these motorcycles are unique in their kind and have no analogues.
The very idea of custom motorcycles originates in the 90s, when American bikers decided to create the first custom bike. At first, these were small modifications or revisions of existing models, which were equipped with other wings or unusual disks. After that, a large number of craftsmen appeared, and today you can order a motorcycle in the workshop, which will be assembled completely from scratch, including the frame.
Is a custom motorcycle safe?
People who are very responsible about the issue of safety often ask the question of how safe a motorcycle assembled by yourself is. There is nothing wrong with that, because non-factory built motorcycles can really differ from factory motorcycles. If, when creating a factory motorcycle, the manufacturer does everything according to technology and takes into account all the factors affecting the rigidity of the structure, then homemade motorcycles are made a little differently. On the one hand, this is true, but only if you are going to order the assembly of a motorcycle in some garage of Uncle Vasya.
Real custom motorcycles are made in the appropriate workshops, which approach their work with all responsibility. The most famous workshops that deal with work of this complexity are considered Orange County Choppers or West Coast Choppers. These guys really know a lot about two-wheeled vehicles, so they have never had dissatisfied customers. Among the Russian workshops that do their job no worse are Fine Custom Mechanics, King Kong Custom, Motodepo CS and others. To date, these are the most famous Russian workshops that have managed to complete several successful projects.
If you are serious about getting into custom motorcycle development, then you should contact one of these workshops. Only in this case you can be sure of the quality and reliability of the work performed. In addition, the guys offer their own warranty on the bike they made, and in case of a breakdown, you can return to them.
One of the best projects
For several years of the existence of custom bikes, the workshops managed to implement a huge number of projects, both successful and not very successful. In our review, we will tell you about the very best custom bikes.
benchmark
Sports custom chopper, made in 2011 by the famous German workshop - Walz Hardcore Cycles. Looking at the photos of this model, it is immediately noticeable that the masters sweated a lot over this bike, which, by the way, has a name - Benchmark. When creating a motorcycle, very expensive parts were used, for example, carbon disc brakes cost the owner more than $ 1,000.
Other expensive components include an exhaust system from the famous Akrapovic brand, a unique front fork from the German manufacturer Öhlins-Gabel. The undercarriage turned out to be no less cheap, because the wheels are made of carbon fiber. However, the main detail in the custom chopper project was the air suspension from S&S Power.
The ONE
As mentioned earlier, a custom motorcycle can be made not only from scratch, but also be a refinement of a factory motorcycle. That's exactly what Fat Attack AG did, which made the bike worth just over $145,000.
The project is called "The ONE", which means the first in English. Whether the workshop managed to make a motorcycle that can rightfully be considered the best is up to you, but we will tell you a little about this bike.
The construction of the bike was based on a ready-made factory motorcycle Harley Davidson, which has a power of 110 hp. The task of the workshop was to improve the appearance of the bike, which, in principle, succeeded. When finalizing the custom moto, materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and aluminum were used. Thanks to this, the motorcycle began not only to look better, but also to accelerate faster by reducing the weight of the structure.
Most of all, the huge rear wheel with a very brutal disk catches the eye. When installing it, the studio again managed to realize two ideas - to give the motorcycle a unique look and improve grip. Also worth noting in the project is an unusually beautiful exhaust system made of titanium and painted in matte black.
If you are a fan of unique things and do not like to be “like everyone else”, then a custom motorcycle is what you need. By developing your own project, you not only look cooler among your friends, but also make a bike specifically for you. That's the beauty of these bikes - you can make a bike that will meet all your requirements, and delight every time you start it.
Bicycles, which are called Custom (Custom, Custom), are fundamentally different from others. Usually these are handmade bikes, made to order or with their own hands. They have a unique geometry that fits the exact requirements of the wearer.
In Russia, even a club of custom lovers "RASTABike" (Russian Association of Homemade Vehicles) was formed. "Rastabike" is a chopper or cruiser with wide tires and a special frame. and the fork are cooked by hand. The most important thing in this business is that your bike will be one and only. You can think over the design yourself, what will make your bike stand out from others.
I want custom!
To make your custom bike, you need to do the following:
- Decide what you need it for: for walking around the city or hard descents from the mountains.
- Draw the frame of the future bike, taking into account the desired fit, design and characteristics of the bike.
- Cut pipes from sheet metal with a laser or buy ready-made ones.
- Roll the pipes and trim, based on the drawing.
- Weld pipes, observing the correctness of all angles in accordance with the drawing.
- , including non-unique parts: wheels, transmission and more.
The steering wheel can also be welded, or you can buy if you do not want to make your own.
Thus, you can make yourself absolutely any frame. The main thing is to do everything exactly, because if there is a misalignment, the frame needs to be redone. You will not be able to ride on a curved frame.
Customizers are convinced that it is completely pointless to buy a bicycle if you can make it yourself. It will turn out many times cheaper, and the future bike will satisfy all the whims of the owner. You will need to invest in a homemade bike only desire and determination!
Some interesting bike custom
Ipsum
This bike was created by designer Victor Sonna from various scraps.
There is a lot of garbage, so there are plenty of materials for creation. All parts are made from rakes, scissors, wrenches, hammers, springs, engine parts, etc. Some parts are welded to each other, while others are bolted with nuts. Victor proved that even from waste you can create a masterpiece!
Dmitry Grachev got the idea to assemble this custom when he had a dream. He saw the silhouette of a rat in the form of a bike. On the same day, he drew a future frame in rat style. This style involves the use of old and rusty parts. Such components of the bike give it a brutal look.
Custom made in three days. During this time, the creators on the go came up with various gadgets for the bike, so it looks even cooler than planned. On the second day, it was already possible to ride it, but the pedals, steering wheel and many small things were not completed.
On the third day, the Rat was ready to ride. What was the impression of passers-by and even the media! Dmitry Grachev is far from having this bike for the first time, he is already a master in this matter. He now has eight custom bikes in his collection.
The trip of Alexander Kucheryavy to Spain inspired him to make a trike with his own hands. A trike is a bicycle with three wheels. Alexander likes it very much. You can spend the whole day on it without getting off, because on three wheels you won’t tip over on one side and you won’t fall.
It is also the most convenient for transporting something: in front between the wheels there is a roomy trunk. This custom is most suitable for those who drive around the city almost all the time. Alexander Kucheryavy named his cast "Eva" in honor of the birth of his niece with the same name.
Like other improvised bikes, this one is made from old tools and parts from other bikes. Such a functional bike cost Alexander very cheaply, he had to fork out only for painting.
Brothers Dmitry Ryabeka and Evgeny Getta once saw an interesting bike. It immediately became clear that such bikes are unlikely to be mass-produced. Challenge accepted: they decided that they could make a bicycle with their own hands. Since then, since 2008, they have started to make their unusual bikes, surprising all the people who saw their custom.
The main idea of the Open Fire bike is to make wheel mounts on one side only. Only an engineering genius can make a balanced cantilever bike!
Custom received the design of a cool sports bike. The brothers complement each other: Dmitry thinks about the appearance, and Evgeny works qualitatively on the embodiment of Dmitry's ideas. The brothers say that this hobby helps to relax and escape from everyday life, relieves accumulated stress.
The Open Fire bike has been put up for sale. A handmade bike, although made with minimal financial investment, is sold for a considerable price. The reason for this is authorship. Dmitry and Evgeny value their work dearly, which fully corresponds to the efforts expended.
Another work by Alexander Kucheryavy. Alexander explained the name as follows: he decided to create a god machine. This means that the bike should be as beautiful and comfortable as possible.
Alexander Kucheryavy came up with his own method of creating bikes: first, he assembles a custom in a draft version, tests it.
Then he identifies the shortcomings of the model and eliminates them. When the bike is fully thought out, Alexander reassembles it, but tries harder: polishes the seams, welds everything that is needed, and paints. In the first version of this trike, the seat was between the two rear wheels. It became clear that you can accidentally hit the wheels with your hand, foot or other parts of the body.
This is very important, because Alexander planned to ride his dog on a bike! Having provided the safest design with special wheel flaps and a small wheel on the side of the animal passenger, he finally completed his trike.
The gold paint, as the creator decided, reflects the essence of the god's bicycle. The design of the steering wheel and fork is interesting - they are made in the form of lightning bolts.
The creator of this bike, again Alexander Kucheryavy, was surprised by the customizers from Amsterdam. They were on heavily lowered bikes that stood out dramatically. These bikes turned out to be the fastest, and their owners - the most cheerful and cheerful! Alexander got the idea to make himself the same.
The basis for the custom was a tandem. Tandem is a long bicycle for two people. It is long because it is not for one. Alexander decided that this is exactly the length that is needed for his future bike. A specially sawn tandem was transformed into a "burrito". For the sake of beauty, the master attached a license plate from Panama to it. He had a dream to go to this wonderful country.
Since this is a walking bike, Alexander made beer mounts on it. It's so nice to ride in the park with a bottle of delicious drink.
Thin road wheels created a great bike roll. The three-speed transmission is also for speed.
As a result, the bike received some characteristics: high speed, comfortable fit and unusual design.
Customizing is an art. To master it, you need to try hard, try, create. A good bike is unlikely to succeed the first time. In this case, perseverance and diligence on the part of the customizer is very important.
To make a bicycle yourself, you need to be well versed in the design of bikes, have a clear idea of \u200b\u200btheir structure and geometry, and also know the features of the mechanisms and parts used.
The appearance and functionality of such a hand-made bicycle is limited only by the imagination and capabilities of the one who assembles it.
A homemade bike is called a custom bike. They are created by hand or made to order in the workshop. They got their name from the English adjective “custom”, which means “made to order”. Such bicycles are distinguished by their original design and often complete uniqueness. They are designed to the personal standards of the cyclist and completely focused on the owner. Custom bikes have their own frame geometry, very often very peculiar, unusual wheel diameter for such a bike size and many additional parts and accessories that carry more aesthetic load than functional potential.
Most custom bikes are divided into several types:
- Choppers. This type carries more of an aesthetic component. There is an entire culture devoted to choppers;
- In addition to them, there are also cruisers and touring. These travel models provide more comfort to their owner, being created exclusively for their owner, and also give the owner confidence that such a device will be many times more reliable when traveling.
- In addition to the main types of custom, hybrids, lowriders, single speeds, and even tandems can be created;
- Sometimes an electric bike is created on the basis of an ordinary bike. Someone goes further and turns it into a moped, however, such modifications already require a lot of effort and time, and knowledge in the field of motor building is also required for such an activity;
- There are many types of custom that do not belong to any of the known types and have their own unique characteristics that are suitable only for their owner.
Is it worth it to do it yourself?
It takes a lot of time and effort to assemble a quality two-wheeled horse. And before that, you first need to clearly decide for yourself whether it is worth starting to do such a thing at all. There is a myth that making your own hands is much cheaper than buying a ready-made one. But that's not the case at all. In fact, to assemble a decent vehicle, you need to use only high-quality parts, but they often have a very decent price, so a self-assembled bike can hardly be equal in price to stock. But more often than not, its cost increases and can reach double the price of a regular model from the store.
In addition, the independent production of a two-wheeled horse is not the easiest thing to do. Of course, for those who like to create something with their own hands and want to know absolutely everything about their bike, this process will seem pleasant and not difficult, but, nevertheless, it takes a lot of time, especially if the custom design involves some original features or even completely radical changes.
Assembling custom in the workshop can be very expensive. Some of these models are created at all as a work of art, on which you can only show off at exhibitions, but in no way go into the summer alley.
Before you start assembling custom, you should carefully calculate and weigh everything so that the future work of art of your hands does not remain forever in the garage in the form of half-assembled scrap metal.
However, assembling your own original vehicle can do without such cardinal changes as designing and welding a new frame and completely changing the appearance of a two-wheeled friend. A huge number of cyclists who prefer to build their own bikes, in most cases, only use many different parts from a large number of different models. Thus, they select exactly what suits them specifically, take into account their own individual preferences, and also complete their iron horse with only the necessary properties and functions, excluding unnecessary ones.
For example, when assembling your own touring, a bike owner can replace a conventional steering wheel with a road one, which will be more comfortable to hold on to on a long trip, lighten weight and increase strength by changing the frame to a light and strong titanium one, replace the brakes, but newer and more reliable ones that will not let you down. long journey and make many other modifications. All this will give the custom unique properties and an unusual appearance.
However, when modeling a completely new design, it is important to have a clear sequence of acquiring and assembling parts. Not all parts can clearly fit each other. Quite often, models of parts from different manufacturers and for different types of bicycles have different attachment and connection mechanisms, so not every part can fit freely.
Nowadays, the trend of collecting electric bikes has become very popular. It is a useful and environmentally friendly mode of transport, so more and more people prefer it.
A similar solution as self-assembly is very well suited if you want to do something with your own hands or if you want to buy an electric bike, but there are no dealers in the city selling such equipment.
Making such a bike is quite simple. Electric motor components can be found in many online stores, and most of them are not too difficult to install.
A bike converted to an electric model practically does not differ in appearance from an ordinary bike, since the parts are small and not conspicuous.
In order to assemble an electric bike, it is very important to choose the right set of equipment. Usually it consists of the electric motor itself, a battery and a charger.
It is very important to choose high-quality parts, because the integrity and performance of the bike directly depends on the safety of their work and wear resistance.
Electric mopeds
The main part of such a vehicle is the motor. Currently, it is extremely easy to choose it. Gasoline engines from lawn mowers and chainsaws are often used. They have the right volume and power for the size of the bike and are perfect for mounting on a future moped.
Most often, the motor is mounted above the rear wheel. This is the easiest installation method and does not require special modifications to the moped. The engine is firmly fixed on the wheel, after which gas is supplied to the steering wheel of the moped.
Of course, there may be various modifications that depend on the specific features of the bike taken as the basis of the moped, its components, as well as the motor that is used.
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custom bike custom bikes
True, a familiar feeling: you saw a great bike at an exhibition or on the Internet and really want to do something similar yourself? You imagine yourself riding it. You scoured the Internet and found a bunch of photos of your favorite motorcycle. Perhaps you even thought of a future model and found a donor motorcycle for the project.
But how to turn a factory motorcycle into a two-wheeled custom handsome man? It will take a lot of special knowledge and skills to work with metal and electronics, necessary to create a custom. But the good news is that you can learn these skills and have a lot of fun in the process. So if you're interested, keep reading. This article is quite long.
But you can stay at this place if you don't have the patience or have a lot of money. Just pay someone and your dream bike will be ready in 12 weeks. It is also possible that you are happy and calm, owning the same bike as all the neighbors around. And you do not need to learn the skills that professional customizers have.
In fact, behind every custom motorcycle you see in a picture on the Internet, there is more than one pair of hands and hundreds of hours of work. You can do it too, just treat it as a long-term project where you will learn and gain new practical knowledge. So let's get started.
degree of modification.
The first step is to determine what you are technically capable of right now and how long you are willing to wait before the first ride on your new bike. You have a choice:
- Make incremental and minor changes to your project bike and keep it rideable all the time.
- Radical modifications to your bike, meaning it won't be ridable until you're done.
Option #1 is highly recommended for a first job. I've seen dismantled bikes that, after sitting for a long time, were sold for a penny when the new customizers ran out of fuse or simply didn't have enough skills. Not their fault, but they may have bitten off more than they could chew. This option allows you to continue riding, although such changes are limited. Minor modifications include: changing the seat, replacing the fuel tank, adding bolt-on parts, or custom painting.
Option #2… keep reading and hopefully you don't sell your project for scrap. If you love to ride and can't do without a bike, you might be better off getting another bike for the duration of the project. Your motorcycle may not be running for a long time (two years is not the limit).
So let's talk about what you might need.
Motorcycle for the project.
Decide which bike will be the basis for customization. You may have already decided that it will be an air-cooled BMW or a 70s Honda CB or a Harley-Davidson. Here are a few things to consider:
- Older motorcycles tend to be less complex and therefore relatively easier to work with, both mechanically and electronically. If you're buying a modern bike, you'll need to factor in all the complexity of the electronics: engine management, not to mention ABS, throttle management, wheel control, electronic suspension, etc.
- There is more information and parts available for older motorcycles that run better. Whether you're looking to build a Triumph cafe racer or a Harley-Davidson chopper, you'll find that there are plenty of "fit" and custom parts available for these platforms.
- Rare old motorcycles, in my opinion, are reserved for masochists. Details and information are limited. However, if you happen to find a cheap rare bike, don't let that fact hold you back. You can start with a simpler project and go back to a rare bike after a couple of years.
- Any motorcycle with a carburetor has a huge potential for customization. In most cases, motorcycles with carburetors were produced before about 2000, so the donor is not necessarily an ancient bike older than you.
My personal favorite is the 70s Harley-Davidson. You can buy almost any part - old, restored or replica. There are many fuel tanks, seats and custom parts in the world. There are tons of online resources and books for these bikes. You can build a tracker, beaver, chopper or any other modification. And they are quite simple mechanically and electrically. Very good arguments in favor of a custom donor.
Now it's time to decide on the style you like and decide which donor bike will fit the picture you envision.
Design Skills.
Beauty is subjective to the beholder, but some bikes just look so much better than others. Some people (not me) can sketch a motorcycle and get the proportions right. The rest have to rely on photographs. My way is to find the frame drawing and create my own sketch around the frame. Even if the frame needs modifications, you can highlight the engine mount and other important elements.
Search online for a frame drawing for your project. Mark the wheel sizes on another sheet and cut them out. Place them next to the frame, at the location. Sketch the tank and seat. In this way, you can create a whole picture of the idea and then bring it to life.
Project management skills.
Wikipedia says that project management "...is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and ending the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific criteria for success." This is a whole area of research in itself, which is why I like the simple picture from Kepner-Trego
The steps are pretty obvious. I do not insist that all of them are important for your project, but there are a couple that are worth mentioning. The "Design Target" can be a sketch or photographs for inspiration. You can spend six months sketching the motorcycle of your dreams. Keep in mind that the frame will largely determine the final look. So if you're aiming for something extraordinary, a custom frame (or heavily modified frame) might be needed, but that means extra time and work.
A "development structure" is a list of the actual steps - a breakdown of the tasks that make up a project. You may have global tasks, for example, install a custom seat or repaint the fuel tank. But you can easily break them down into dozens of subtasks. Even if you don't know the sequence of subtasks right away, don't worry - you'll learn them as you go. But at least make a list of the main, obvious tasks.
"Sequence of results" - setting tasks in a logical order. For example, finish welding and fabricating the frame BEFORE you paint. Skills of searching and selecting useful information. You are no doubt a skilled Googler and can find answers to most of your questions. However, some sources are more helpful than others. If you're stuck with a particular make and model, the forums are the best source of specific information. They are not hard to find. If you need to research very specific questions, like how to take apart a particular motor, an hour spent on the forum before you start will probably save you five hours of work.
Technical drawing skills.
You will be remodeling and even fabricating parts for your bike, so it's very useful to be able to design and paint them before you start making the final parts out of expensive materials. Drawings can be made on paper, or through CAD (computer-aided design). My favorite 3D modeling packages are Sketchup, OnShape and Fusion360.
Sketchup is very fast and intuitive, but in my experience OnShape is more powerful and more useful for me as a mechanical engineer. Recently I also tried Fusion360. All of these packages have their own useful features and limitations, so try their free versions before you buy. And for all of these programs, there are great tutorials and communities with free access. Regardless of the media and tools you use, it's helpful to understand how to read and create technical drawings. There are some great tutorials and free books on this topic.
Workshop equipment.
You will need somewhere to store your bike while you work on it, and equipment. A lift platform is very useful when you are working on cold concrete in the dead of a cold winter. It can be constructed from wood (construction pine or plywood). Of course, you can buy budget or expensive platforms if you have a thousand dollars or so to spare. But most likely you will lean towards the budget option, and if you are a mechanic, you can make it much cheaper. More complex versions are possible, such as a hydraulic platform that requires skills in metalworking and welding. Equipment such as special cranes, sandblasting equipment and air compressors are very useful, but not necessary to buy them.
Skills in mechanics.
Working on a motorcycle means you get up close and personal with hand tools. Wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and a box full of other accessories will be your best friends. If you do not have such tools, start collecting. If you're working on an American motorcycle, you'll typically need 1-inch wrenches and connectors. For Japanese and European bikes, you will generally need metric tools. Notice I said "usually". There will always be exceptions, but soon you will have your desired set.
If you're buying tools, buy the best you can afford. High quality tools are made from higher quality steel, better heat treated and better finished. They will last you a long time, maybe a lifetime with proper care. A good option is to look for quality used tools on eBay or local sites. Quality tools also give you a sense of job satisfaction. You are sure that everything is reliable, and you will not harm yourself or the technique you are working on. The tool of the master speaks of how seriously he takes his work. Over time, your collection will expand and grow. After purchasing all the necessary tools, you need to learn how to use them correctly. The necessary information can be searched on the Internet.
Electronics skills.
I have met many people who are intimidated by electronics on motorcycles. But you should not be afraid, it is simpler than, for example, complex carburetors. With enough skill, you can easily handle the electrical system, especially on older motorcycles. Depending on the job being performed, the required tools and supplies (wires, connectors, heat shrink, etc.) may vary. At the very least, you should purchase a digital multimeter to measure voltage. They can be inexpensive, but very useful.
There are many references and books available on this topic. Many forums discuss a lot of electronics issues and they will serve as a good source of information for specific requests. Many printed materials offer to start work with an already significant amount of knowledge. But how do you get this knowledge? Let's consider this topic in more detail.
Metals and their properties.
Being able to understand metals and their properties will help you select the right metal for a particular application. When you build a motorcycle, you will have to deal with metals anyway. Metallurgy, like all the topics we are talking about in this article, is a separate branch of science and technology. You will have to gain enough knowledge to make the right decisions regarding the use of metals on a project motorcycle.
As a rule, metals are divided into "ferrous" (containing iron) and "non-ferrous" (not containing iron). If you mix metals to make a metal with specific properties, it's called an "alloy". A numbering system is used to identify the alloy and its contents. For example, "series 300" is usually stainless steel.
Take the fork from the kitchen drawer. If it is stamped "18-8 Stainless Steel", it means 18% chromium and 8% nickel, making it high quality 304 stainless steel. "CrMo" is chromium and molybdenum mixed with steel (which itself is iron and carbon). Chrome steel are identified by 4100 series numbers.
Aluminum is another important material for motorcycles due to its high strength and light weight. We will talk about these properties in more detail later, but aluminum alloys are very important in the aerospace and automotive industries. We can use aluminum in lightweight parts like the tank, fenders and body kit, as well as non-structural parts like brackets or bars for use as spacers or footrests. You definitely don't want to weld a tubular aluminum motorcycle frame: look at a modern sportbike to see the size of the aluminum castings used for frames or swingarms.
The most common metals I use are steel (various alloys including stainless steel), aluminum and bronze for bushings. They should be available from local companies or online. Machining skills. Machining is the use of basic hand tools to shape materials into desired shapes. If you're building custom with a lot of bolt-on parts, there's a chance you'll finish your project without even picking up a hacksaw and file.
But if you want to make a custom license plate mount, relocate the speedometer, make custom footpegs or a complete aluminum fairing for a racer, you'll have to start with a locksmith. Personally, I like this activity. You take a sheet or a piece of metal, cut it, sand it, and make a completely custom, special piece that no one else has. Here you can express your creativity.
Metalworking and fabrication skills.
Once you've carefully shaped a part from a piece of metal, you usually need to perform some other "operations". You can cut, bend, compress and stretch metal. Drill holes. Add thread.
Bolt, bolt, rivet or weld parts together to form more complex structures. All these subsequent operations are necessary to make the parts of the desired form and function. Note that the previous stages of Design, Project Management, Technical Drawings, Metallurgy and Machining are all part of the process to help you reach this stage.
Metal Shaping Skills (Advanced). The four basic operations you can do with metals are cut, bend, compress, and stretch. "Cut" and "Bend" speak for themselves. If I were to make an L-bracket out of some kind of flat sheet of metal, I would have to cut it out and then bend it into an L. But the art of metal forming combines the additional steps of "compressing" and "stretching" the metal into complex curves. Wings and tanks are made using these additional processes. Metal shaping is an art and a science in itself, but basic skills can be applied using hand tools, practice and a lot of patience.
Welding skills (advanced level).
When you reach the next level, you can start more radical changes to the motorcycle using fabrication and welding technologies. I would recommend TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) or rather "GTAW" which stands for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. TIG welding gives you a lot of flexibility regarding the types of metals you can weld and the thickness of the materials. Welding is another topic of its own to learn, but you can definitely do something yourself. A high-quality welder that handles both ferrous and non-ferrous metals will likely cost around $1,000, so it's a significant investment. The best source of information for beginners (and more advanced ones) is YouTube.
Processing skills (advanced level).
Sometimes you need a special part for a special application. Maybe you're fitting a non-original front wheel to your project bike, or you need footpegs that aren't stock. In such cases, it is not possible to continue without access to a lathe or mill. This is really already an advanced level and only 1 in 100 has access to such equipment, and the rest will have to find an engineering shop ready to make such parts (obviously for a fee). Lathes and milling machines can be found at affordable prices, but the tools needed for each can double or triple those costs.
Surface preparation skills.
Almost every custom project requires painting, powder coating or polishing. Preparing the surfaces for these finishing jobs is of the utmost importance if you plan on painting or polishing yourself. Thus, you can save money. Your project motorcycle may be suffering from age and the effects of neglect, dried dirt, oil stains, corrosion, scratches, and chipped paint. All of these issues are easily resolved with the right handling. And if you're aiming for a show-class bike, it's important to thoroughly prepare all surfaces for final finishing.
Painting and polishing skills.
Once the parts have been removed, cleaned, welded and sanded, it's time for final finishing and reassembly. And it's amazing how much you can achieve in your home workshop or garage with paint spray cans. Would a professional achieve a better result? Yes, sure. But you can learn a lot, achieve satisfaction and control costs by doing the painting yourself.
Result.
After you have collected all the elements together, you have your own custom motorcycle, according to your desires and abilities. It may take two, five, or ten years - but you will get the highest degree of satisfaction knowing that it was all done by your own hands.
