Fat Wing and a Chop: Spine Thing

[Bob the Fish]

Here's a few pics of my current bikes.
Rusty Fat Wing off the road for 8 yrs. Started as a fix & flog, but was too ugly to let it be. It's got some funny reactions, some like it, some don't as expected of course, some seem confused. Have even been told "it's wrong" LOL.



Some bits after sorting & painting:

Chopped & gutted the cans & made a straight-through type system:

Bit for the back end:

Homemade bars using bit of the orig's, forward kick to line up with the forx:

Front guard chopped & reshaped, detail here:

Brake splitter cover, choice of homemade plaques to replace mr Hondas' screaming chicken on the dummy tank:


Anyway, looks sorta like this now:



Except the wheels are getting polished rims and satin black'd (proper two-pack), and I've made one good rev counter out of 2 duffers. Opened up the speedo too and made one-off faces for them, plus orange backlights.

This chop has been resting/rusting for 10yrs. Not done much except start stripping and engine's out. Need to go through the motor. Plans are to to keep it clean, (try) making a tank and change it all over except for the frame & wheels, generally will be a bling-free zone.


Engine out, stuff removed:


Back caliper was a mass of rust, sh*te & cobwebs, but soaking in acetone/ATF mix plus 150psi eventually moved the pistons. Result. Expected to bin that.

Acetone/ATF (or celly thinners) is a cheapo DIY penetrant (at least it's cheap if you've got the stuff lying around), the acetone thins the oil & gets it soaked in.

[Deleted]

I like the details you've gone for there!

As I'm hoping to learn to ride soon, I really enjoy seeing custom cycles on here.
After a bit of lookgin around I really fancy doing a custom big single cylinder thumper in brass and bronze.

love the goldwing. how does it perform?

[qwerty]

That goldwing looks fapping ace!! Infact both bikes do! Nice rides

[posam]

bikes look good.. however I was slightly distracted by the ad that came up on the top of the page... I know google ad's picks up certain words from the text and try's to find something that matches.. but really...

Gay Chubby dating

Has google ad's reached an all time low...

[Bob the Fish]

Thanks chaps petej, it goes OK but isn't what I'd call fast. Some folks say they are but nah... too heavy for snappy throttle response. Will cruise 90 all day, midrange is good, suddenly builds revs, and it has nice torque for sweepers etc. I did rejet to cope with the free-er exhausts & inlet, which should've added smidge of grunt or revviness, but not ridden a stocker to compare.
Brass thumper, good idea Got similar plans for 'some time in the future', which started from buying a 100-yr old acetylene lamp.

[trg1984]

wicked stuff, wish there were more custom bikes on here, both bikes looks great, really looking forward to seeing the chopper come together

[grizz]

Wing looks good.

Will keep an eye on the chop.

[Bob the Fish]

Minor update on the Wing:
Made one good rev counter out of two duffers, and decided to do one-off faces while at it. The outer cover's in the gunmetal matching other bits, insides are glow-in-the-dark orange, with orange backlight LEDs:



The silver Comstars had to go, but I can't go for a spoked conversion at the mo (and it's not a straight swap). So painted them in satin two-pack, seems to tone 'em down a fair bit. Polished the outer edge. The whole thing's a bit of a raging pain in the chuff, being anodized, and the spokes are hard to get behind - airbrush time:

[Bob the Fish]

Chop update:

Chopped the back 'guard up. New version will finish at the top of the back wheel, instead of protruding into the next county


As it was much too big a radius, I put a lot of pie-cuts in the edges, pulled it in and welded 'em shut


Template of clear placcy, quick squirtage of the old matt black, and we have a template for t'other half:

Chopped out some holey rusty sections & put new steel in. Hammered the compound curves, unfortunately the cheap sh*te hammers aren't much better that those little blocks of cheese on cocktail stick things Although lack of skill is likely more of a prob anyway... Starting to edge it with 3mm rod:

All edged:

[wagoneer]

Great fabbing skills! I've only tried with cheap hammers, and had reasonable success, I wasn't prepared though for how long it can take, and how surprisingly gentle you need to be.

[Bob the Fish]

Ta mate. My hammers & dollies are dead soft, they mark up really easily... wonder if they could be hardened, or is that a stoopid idea...

[Bob the Fish]

'English Chopper edition' or 'More Ambition than Talent or money'

Decided to make something of the manky pitted plain fuel caps (from a rotted out Mustang tank) rather than buy new (skint y'see).
So first we fired up the supa hi-tech CAD software (Cardboard Aided Design) and made a pattern:


Next the water jet and english wheel:


Had massive argument with self. Fired my ass. Broke some stuff. Re-hired self. Did lots of REALLY LOUD SHOUTING!

Cut the shape and curved them to fit the cap, checking each had the same curve. Stuck it on: well roughed up, and chemical metal.

On to the "lathe", with some rod from an exercise bike (which also provided material for the tot rod chassis and Amazon exhaust...). Made some spikes. Resting the rod on the grinders guard and spinning it, with a bit of care they came out pretty OK. Chopped and stuck spikes on.
Some chem metal and filler round the sides, and a quick quirt of poor man's chrome to check for shape.




The tank

Worked out an idea for a shape that would seem do-able for a first go at this, with an illusion of compound curves, and OK with available tools (see above). Made a carboard fish first:


Rough ideas fer shapes & stuff came from seeing medieval armour & wepaons in a local museum. Awesome metalwork. So it's a theme bike... and in due course I'll be sticking stuff all over the sucker....

Made the tunnel over 2" tube:


Welded tunnel to floor. Add central spine, for a ridiculous idea that might not happen. Cut out and shape the tops:


Made some metal A's from 3mm to brace the floot and take a pair of bungs made by Trabby Wayne (or lad of Wayne, cheers chaps), for hidden mounts. Also plates for another pair of bungs, and fuel tap bosses liberated from the old mustang tank.


Clamped on the hi-tech welding table (wktop offcut on tins of paint, ally sheet & on top):


Some uprights were tacked to the floor, to make the height and angles right. Cutouts for the fuel cap necks (cut from mustang tank), and on with the tops. Sides next, and then the filler necks.


Things learnt:
Must have more thin metal welding practice.
Measure three times and cut once: came out wider than planned due to idiocy. Will do things with paint & shapes to address that though.
I totally love doing this stuff. Can't wait to try another tank...

[trg1984]

looks a cool shape, have u any pic from further away so we can see how it works with the rest of the bike (if its not in bits)

[alecw35]

looks a bit like a Manta ray fish

good too see a proper custom bike. Not same old same old.

[CR500Dom]

Good skills

Always nice to see stuff done "The real way"

[mk3cokebottle]

mate u got skillz cant wait to see it done

[Bob the Fish]

Ta folks. Off to leak test it now, hope it's not a tin teabag...

trg, it's stripped so no pix yet. The frame is wider than the rear wheel assembly, prev owner had just tightened the sucker up to bend in the rails... so i'll be plonking the motor back in to check alignment/spacers needed etc. Might shoot a pic then.

[street]

Awesome skill! Not usually too interested in motorbikes (mainly becasue I don't know much about them) but i'm watching this with interest!

[DutyFreeSaviour]

As a none owning drooler I admit to wanting the 'wing BADLY!
Excelent skillz on display and I'll be keeping tabs o this too........ only wish I could fab like some of the guys on here

Good luck fella

[Bob the Fish]

Thanks for the nice words chaps ...
gtvsaviour if I can do this, anyone can mate; been mucking about with bikes for yrs but this is my first go at anything substantial with thin tin. Welder hammer grinder is all you need, if it f*ks up, something's learned and nothing's lost bar a bit of steel, just try again
The Wing's for sale, need to fund the chop. Although, I've just got me a job starting soon, so it may get to stay here after all.