BOOKENDS

March 23rd, 2014
Greetings!

It's been a while since I last posted. I bought an '89 Harley-Davidson Sportster engine from a pleasant gentleman I met on Craigslist in the dead of winter. It was being stored by my trustworthy nephew Bryan in Mesa Arizona until I had a chance to travel down south and pick it up. I recently attended a wedding and reception for my dear daughter Haley in the neighborhood so I picked up the Sportster at the same time. 

I had also purchased another Sportster engine from an Arizona seller, this one an '86 and it was also waiting for me at Bryan's house.

These tired little power plants sure look cool side by side in my shop.

I decided to rent a Chrysler Town & Country van instead of taking my beat little family car 1,200 miles to the wedding and bring the engines home. There was a big plastic tub of spare parts with the second engine that included clutch packs, a carburetor w/air cleaner, pushrods and a few other items. I loaded everything into the cavity at the rear of the van. When you raise the rear seat up, it exposes the "stow & go" recess and that's where the engines rested on a couple of layers of cardboard. 

 As I was leaving my daughter's place after spending a windy night with the family, we headed home across the bridge that spans the beautiful gorge near Shoshone Falls. The wind was still blowing heavy from the West and it was all I could do to keep us in our lane. The engines sitting low in the back of the van helped with our center of gravity, probably keeping us on the road. Later that same morning a couple of semi trucks were blown over on the same bridge we crossed. Here's a video of a local news cast:
Semi gets blown over after we're safely across the bridge. 

The engines are safely home in the shop and I can't wait to take them apart and see what's needed to make them like new. The second engine will be used as a parts source for the first one, but they're both pretty complete. I'm still looking for a frame, and so far Paughco is the most likely source. One of their staffers told me that they could make a frame for me that is close to my specifications. They seem to be pretty flexible. I've got to get some more progress on the '51 Chevy I'm doing for a local friend before I can spread Harley parts around the shop.

You can read about the Chevy progress on my Doug's Drugs Blog at: itchykeyboard.blogspot.com. Thanks for reading along with me,

Doug

SUSPENSION FOR LUIS

Greetings!

I recently had a question from a reader named Luis concerning suspension. I'm going to assume he's referring to rear suspension on motorcycles, and this Old School Chopper project in particular.

The frame I'm going to use will be a rigid frame, referring to the rear section of the frame as it has NO suspension at all. If you can see the photograph clearly, you can see that the frame tubing reaches from the front fork neck to the rear axle plates in a rigid construction and then from the axle plates down under the engine and then curves back up to the neck. I've had a few motorcycles like this, mostly the ones I built myself, and I've had very few problems riding them in relative comfort and confidence. A secret: I don't fill the rear tire completely, it's about half full or less. That minimizes the bounce that can upset your balance. 

There's two ways to have a rigid frame: one is to buy a rear section called a "hardtail" and weld it to your stock frame, and the other is to buy a complete frame that was manufactured as a rigid frame to begin with.

One of the advantages of a hardtail addition for your stock frame is the reduced cost. They can be found new from $200 to $1,700USD. You also need to include the cost of alignment and welding by a certified welder - not cheap.

The disadvantage of a weld-on hardtail is that although the rear of the bike has the look you want, you're going to have to live with the bulky-looking stock neck (and sometimes the motor mounts) with that cast iron look. Builders have sometimes used body filler (bondo) to fill the areas and smooth them out in an attempt to hide the cast look, and it's not a bad idea if you're going to make it a show bike or just want to take more pride in the finished product.

The advantages of a complete rigid frame is that it's usually made by a competent, certified welder in a jig to assure that it's correct and that your engine and other components will bolt in right. Also, the neck area is usually made to give it a bit of stretch outward, away from the engine, and upward, above the engine. 
The disadvantage is that it's expensive, usually from $700 to $2,000USD. Judging by the length of the top motormount in the frame photograph above, I'd guess that this Sportster frame has very little stretch, either up or out. This is a consideration you must make before you buy your frame because is will determine the final shape, or "lines" of your chopper. The amount of stretch you incorporate is a matter of taste and planning. You need a longer front end if you are going to have lots of stretch, but this just may be the look you're going for. On our Old School Chopper, we're not interested in gobs of stretch and we want to use a modest-length front end. But who knows? We may stretch out our next ride, after this one sells.

Other options include the Softtail or swingarm suspensions. Both of these are stock on Harley-Davidsons although the Softtail is only available on the Big Twins. The Softtail has a pair of shock absorbers mounted under the frame and the rear section pivots up and down on hinged mounts below the seat and depresses the shocks for suspension. The swingarm in the photo with the blue fender shows the typical rear suspension for most motorcycles. The swingarm is very comfortable and dependable but it's harder to impress the chicks with your apparent machismo. 

Riding a rigid frame chopper is not as devastating as some men will state. I've found that many of the detractors of the rigid frame are those who have never ridden one. Practically speaking, the bike we're going to sell to someone will most likely be ridden only occasionally - not as a daily transport. It probably won't be raced on cobblestone roads at breakneck speeds. It will probably be ridden on the weekend to a party or through the downtown area while wearing a tight, black T-shirt.

It's not for everybody, it's for that rare, independent-thinking man who has self confidence and courage. That's exactly what chopper riders want others to think, and it's usually what bystanders and wannabes think of chopper riders. The image is exemplified by these heavy dudes at Orange County Choppers. I can personally attest that riding a rigid chopper is a real kick in the pants. You get looks from everyone.

All the dudes want to be you and the women want to be with you. Everybody knows that girls are attracted to the bad boys because they're exciting & unpredictable, and the girls are intrigued by the challenge that bad boys represent and think that they can change them. Women...

I hope this helps Luis!

Doug

ABOUT THAT REPUTATION...

Greetings!

I sure hope I don't upset any hard-core Harley owners with this post. I have a much different perspective of the brand now than I did 30 years ago. It used to be a clear division: Sportster owners/riders and The "Big Twin" owners/riders. As I see it there were a few factors that contributed to the division and made the Sportster the poor cousin to the "74" as it was called. Here's a Shovelhead engine and I think it's totally beautiful.

1. The Big Twin, with the prefix: FL in the serial number sequence, had a higher displacement engine at 1,200cc. The Sportster only had 900cc. :(
2. The Big Twin was used for decades by local police departments in the US and elsewhere, as well as by the US military. Thousands of military veterans and policemen became fans of the Big Twin because it was (is) powerful and exciting.
3. The Big Twin design incorporated a non-unit engine/transmission. The engine bolted into the frame ahead of the transmission, connected by a chain and proper tension was adjusted using a transmission plate that slid forward (closer) or backward in the frame. The non-unit construction required a longer frame, more pieces and more weight.
   
4. The Sportster was, and still is, a unit construction which is lighter and more compact, making for a lighter and visually-smaller motorcycle.
5. The military and police departments in the US didn't use Sportsters for their fleet vehicles, opting instead for the more intimidating Big Twin.
6. A popular folk hero, Evel Knievel** (http://evelknievel.com/), made a name for himself in the '70s by jumping his motorcycle over cars, trucks, busses and even the Snake River Canyon. His exclusive choice of rides: the Harley-Davidson Sportster.
   

Elvis Presley also rode a Sportster (although I'll bet he also owned his share of Big Twins).

But, in spite of Evel's and Elvis' potent charisma, I doubt the Big Twin riders wanted to switch to little Sportsters. The image was that although the "little" Sportster was okay for a rider's first motorcyle, REAL MEN rode the Big Twin. 
Decades ago, motorcycle machinists decided to combine the best of both worlds: The compact size of the Sportster with the larger displacement of the Big Twin. Hybrid engines were produced on a one-off basis.

The crankcases were machined to accept the larger cylinders of the big engine, and although I'm not sure if the crankshaft and flywheels were swapped, the big engine heads looked very unusual on the Sportster cases. When a Panhead cylinders and heads were used the engine was called a Panster, if it was a Shovelhead top end, it was called a Shovster. To me and many others, this configuration was as good as it got. I personally believe the Panster hybrid was the most attractive motorcycle engine ever made. The clean lines of the Pan rocker covers on top made it look expansive and potent and it seemed to blend the two most desirable qualities of the Harley engines into one: Large displacement along with a compact and lightweight overall size. Unfortunately, this modification was extremely expensive to perform so the application was very rare. I never saw a Panster or Shovster in person, so to speak. Only in magazines.
The appeal of this hybrid engine lets us make a couple of assumptions: 

1. If the larger, more powerful engine was produced in a smaller package it would satisfy the majority of riders,and
2. if so, why would Harley-Davidson produce an engine that is less than 1,200cc in displacement?

So, there is my justification for using the Sportster for my Old School Chopper Project. I've personally owned over 20 Harley-Davidson motorcycles, 90% of them have been Big Twins, but I'm not at nearly as interested in building a chopper from the larger platform.

True, they look stunning when done right, but I think I can make a Sportster look just as stunning for less money and with less weight and fewer parts. 

There's only one drawback to using the Sportster for this international project and that is the money they bring on sale day. The Big Twin sells for more money than the Sportster -period. Unfortunately, although a Sportster costs less to buy, many of the parts used for a Sportster chopper cost the same as they would for a Big Twin chopper. We're keeping a close accounting of expenses on this project so we'll be able to report just what our investment was. 

Hey! I just thought of something: if we disclose our expenses in this blog and then offer the completed bike for sale, the wise buyer would have access to this blog (and we want him to) and see just how much money was invested. I hope this full disclosure blog turns out to be a good idea. 

**A postscript about Evel Knievel. He worked for a time in the small Washington State town of Sunnyside, on the east of the Cascade mountains. It's the town where my wife was born and went to school. It's been said that he worked for Don Pomeroy selling motorcycles and that Don taught him how to ride standing up on the seat and how to do a wheelie (riding on the rear wheel only). The building that was the motorcycle store where he worked at that time is now owned by my wife and I (Where Evel worked). It is for sale at the time of this writing. You could own the building yourself if you email me and send me a check for $500K. I'll be standing outside by the mailbox.

Doug

HOW ABOUT POLKA DOTS?

Greetings!

This is only the second post of the Old School Chopper Blog and we've already achieved our first goal! We've made the purchase of a Harley-Davidson Sportster engine that we're going to use to build an authentic '80s era street chopper. My intelligent and considerate daughter Haley made the trip, as forecast yesterday with fiance Adam, and made the deal with Mark of Mesa. That sounds like an intriguing movie title, doesn't it? "MARK OF MESA!"

Haley reported that he was very nice, and helpful as they loaded the used, '86 vintage 4-speed into Adam's truck. Monday they're planning on taking it to my nephew Bryan's home and storing it in his garage until I make it there for Haley & Adam's wedding. Bryan is a clever, self-taught tinker in his own right and has a few metric bikes in his garage. I'm guessing he's going to want to mess with this old Sportster engine while it's under his roof. Go for it Bryan! Maybe he can sort through the box of parts for me that Mark included with the purchase of the engine.

In the meantime, I'm taking the time to search out the best frame I can find to help me get the look I'm after. Paughco seems to be the backbone supplier but I keep seeing frames from KraftTech. The KraftTech look nice but appear to have a bit too much stretch, and the seat downtube has a radical bow in it to clear the oil tank. I'm not sure I like that - it forces me to use one of their proprietary oil tanks too. 

Last night I stumbled upon a website of a company called AAOK.COM. They seem to have a decent inventory and a frame that may come close to what I'm after. I'll be checking on the reviews of others who may have used their frames and I'd like to see a mock up of a Sportster with their frame. 

It seems like the idea to buy an engine rather than a whole motorcycle has given me an advantage. I'll have to rebuild the engine, but I can do it in my own shop. I'll have a minimum of contracted labor costs that way and I should have enough $$ left over to pay for the frame. I plan to spend a great deal of attention on the engine and make it the focal point of the bike. I'm thinking of bead blasting the engine cases and heads and then clear coating them to preserve their base color. I've done that with my car engines and the engine seems to clean up easily and looks great each time it's washed.

Add caption

The cylinders will be painted black. I'm considering powder coating them, but I'll have to ask around to see if it traps too much heat in the engine. Next to the heads, the cylinders are the hottest engine component. 
I also like the look of the all bare aluminum engine. It looks very clean. The more black I use, the more sinister the motorcycle will look. That's good sometimes, but I think I'll have enough integrated sinister just with the lines of the bike. I've seen some engines that are all black with the edges of the fins filed. That's eye catching.

Who knows? Things have a way of evolving as the project develops. Also, Luis or Ruben may have a strong idea one way or another. I'd like to know what they think. More, as things come together!

Doug

GOTTA START SOMEWHERE

Greetings! 

Welcome to the maiden post of the Old School Chopper Blog. Herein, a few of us will keep a record of the Sportster Project. My name is Doug and if you read any of my other blogs then you know I have a small mechanical shop in Outlook, a small, rural town in Central Washington, USA. I plan to build a simple, old school chopper using a Harley-Davidson Sportster, much like the one in the picture below and send it to Madrid Spain. My partner is a long-time family friend, Luis, a businessman who lives there with his beautiful family. 

Luis spent a year in the US as a foreign exchange student in the '90s and lived with my wife's parents. He has a magnetic personality and we've kept our association alive through the subsequent decades. He now owns a sporting goods distributing company in Europe and Great Britain. He and his partner Ruben plan to market the completed chopper through their company and the project will be a joint venture with my company; Desert Classics LLC. The one below in the photo is an early Sportster, maybe from the sixties or seventies and is the model for our first effort together. If it works well and is profitable (or just not a loss, and really fun) then we'll consider doing Part Deux. 

The fact is, I've found an engine on Craigslist and will be making the purchase this coming Saturday the 25th of January! The seller (a pleasant man named Mark) is apparently a real estate broker in Mesa and lives very close to my lovely, and newly engaged daughter Haley's law office. She is going to enlist her still-reeling fiance' and the two of them are picking up the used engine and storing it for me until I can get to Mesa Arizona to pick it up. Since I'll be attending my baby daughter's wedding in March, I plan to make the 1,000 trip by car so I can bring the engine home with me and get started. 

It's a 1986 Sportster 1200 and it looks like it's been sitting for a while. No problem, it'll be coming apart at the seams once it's here in the Outlook Shop. 

In the meantime, I'm gathering intelligence on this engine and choosing a frame for the project. It'll be a rigid frame like the one pictured above, and I'm very particular. I have a frame jig in the shop but I don't think its wise to scratch-build the first frame. I'd like to buy the first one and take careful measurements from it to make my own. I'm sure there are restrictions and government regulations in regard to registration and I may change my plans if I can't license the finished product.

If you notice the lines of the frame in the top picture, you can see a straight line coming from the neck to the rear axle plates. That is essential to the look of this bike. Then notice the bend in the bottom of the frame directly behind the transmission by the kick pedal. That is a critical component also. Other than those qualities, I want to try to match the "stretch" in the frame, which refers to the distance from the front of the engine to the fork neck. This open space is also important to give it the clean lines that make this one so appealing. I'm not interested in the extreme wide rear tires that are currently the rage, nor am I going to let any ridiculously tall "ape hanger" handlebars get too close to it either. 

Departures from the example above include:

• Use of a front disc brake (duh), maybe two discs
• Use of a better rear drum or a rear disc instead of the mechanical brake on this one
• Electric start. The '86 engine has no kick pedal. I regret that, although it's embarassing to kick a beautiful motorcycle more than twice.
• I'll need to run a battery for the electric start and it won't have a magneto. I may use a full-size oil tank like the pictured one, but I'll mount it better.
• I'll probably use more color than just the black, but not wildly colorful. We'll see what my Euro partners think about the paint.

I'm excited to get started,

Doug