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How To Build A Custom Chopper

Vol. 1

www.Custom-Choppers-Guide.com © 2004-2005 Brian Maroevich, Avalanche Holdings, LLC

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Copyright Notices

2004-2005 Brian Maroevich, Avalanche Holdings, LLC www.custom-choppers-guide.com, all rights reserved. Any unauthorized transfer of license, use, sharing, reproduction or distribution of these materials by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise is prohibited. No portion of these materials may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, without the express written consent of the publishers. Published under the Copyright Laws of the Library Of Congress Of The Untied States Of America, by: Brian Maroevich Avalanche Holdings, LLC P.O. Box 484 Kentfield, CA 94914

Legal Notices While all attempts have been make to verify information provided in this publication, neither the Author nor the Publishers assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contradictory interpretation of the subject matter herein. This publication is not intended for use as a source of business, legal or accounting advice. The Publishers want to stress that the information contained herein may be subject to varying state and /or local laws or regulations. All users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine what state and /or local laws or regulations may apply to the user’s particular business.

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The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, both federal and state and local, governing professional licensing business practices, advertising and all other aspect of dong business in the US or any other jurisdiction is t sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader. Avalanche Response Marketing Systems, assumes no responsibility liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials. The information in this manual/report/book/ebook is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this material. Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations is unintentional. Warning: If You Received This Manual From Any Source Other Than Brian Maroevich or www.Custom-Choppers-Guide.com Then You Have Received It Illegally! We Reward For Turning In Individuals or Businesses That Sell Or Distribute This Manual Without Authorization. E-mail Abuse@custom-choppers-guide.com to notify us of illegal distribution practices. Or, you can write: Brian Maroevich, P.O. Box 484, Kentfield, CA 94914. Thank you!

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How to Build a Chopper Vol. 1

Introduction..................................................................... 5 1. The components piece by piece .................................. 5

Forks ........................................................................... 5 Hardware..................................................................... 9 Plumbing ................................................................... 11 Brakes ....................................................................... 12 Wheels....................................................................... 15 Tires .......................................................................... 16 The Powertrain.......................................................... 17 Drivetrain .................................................................. 21 The Electrical System ............................................... 23

2. An Assembly............................................................. 30

Appendix 1 - A checklist .......................................... 40

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From Bare Frame to Road Going Machine

Introduction One way or another, we now have an unpainted steel (or Cromoly) frame. From here we need to add wheels, some kind of motive force, gearing, brakes, electrics, lights, forks, gas tank, handlebars, fenders and a seat. We will need to build up the bike, then take is to pieces again, carefully paint the frame and metalwork and then reassemble it so it works. This is what we are now going to do. First of all I will look at the components, and then run through an assembly.

1. The components piece by piece

Forks This is something to think about early on. For me, there are forks on the market that are beautiful, and there are forks that do the job. It’s a matter of taste, like everything else to do with choppers. Each of the main types of forks available

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on the market should, theoretically, have triple trees to fit your frame. You need to consider various things before purchasing anything, and your best bet is to discuss your frame and intended set-up (in particular the wheel sizes) with the company you’re buying your forks from. It’s often necessary to buy forks that are specially suited for the larger rakes of 33º and more. Most motorbike forks are designed for a more upright rake, and just won’t work properly when laid back because the stresses are so different. You don’t want to see forks flexing in the wrong direction (at right angles to the shock motion) – it means they aren’t working. There are three main types of fork used in choppers - girders, springers and hydraulic forks. Girders So named for the classic girder cross-pieces that the springs attach to, these are now fairly rare. They have four girders in a box shape set around the neck tube. Girders were the fork of choice on the British bikes of the pre-war years from which many original choppers were derived, and some riders still find this choice of fork gives a more authentic look. Some manufacturers argue they handle bigger rakes (over 38º) better than any of the hydraulic forks.

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Springer These are the forks with one or two large coil springs on display at the neck end. At the wheel end is a little shock arrangement based around a visible ‘hinge’ attached to the bike, the neck via the struts and the springs. Like girders, some riders and builders consider these forks more fitting to the chopper look. Hydraulic These are the most common type, and are seen on almost all modern factory motorbikes. Hydraulic forks contain the shock and spring in a single closed unit - you can’t see the spring. Particular care must be taken to get a hydraulic shock made for the job, as mentioned above. For example, hydraulic shocks are available as ‘inverted’ shocks, where the lower part slides into the top part, rather than the other way around as in the standard, non-inverted case. This is designed to help manage the unusual strain the shocks take when placed at extreme angles. Imagine how a shock poorly designed for the job might spend much of its time scraping up against the inside walls, leading to a leaden ride (and a loss of mechanical efficiency). Many hydraulic forks are designed for the job, however, and do it very well. Getting the right forks You’ll need different length forks to match the set up of your machine. The best way of getting suitable forks is to

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know what job you need them to do. To do this, measure the space the forks will need to fit in - you will need to know what wheels and tires you’re going to use. Ideally, fit the rear tire, and block the frame up to ride height. You’ll then have something that looks like the figure below. The measurements you’ll need to discuss when buying or ordering forks are the rake angle, the two neck tube heights as shown, the radius of the wheel and tire, and the radius of the inside of the neck stem. Then just specify and wait.

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Hardware This section on the nuts and bolts could fit anywhere, so I’ve put it here. Below is a capscrew (it has a bearing surface for biting into a washer. If it didn’t, it would be a bolt).

These little parts are important. Use capscrews of a good quality, and nuts with a fine thread that are self locking. When we say good quality, we’re referring to grade 5 and 8 bolts. These should have a manufacturers mark (a symbol or initials) and have three lines (grade 5) or six lines (grade 8) radiating outward on the head. Those without the marks are likely to be hardware bolts, and not up to the job. The reason some bolts are better than others are that they can stand up to more abuse. This is measured by their snapping

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point (ultimate tensile strength, UTS) and the point at which they begin deforming and acting in a plastic rather than elastic way (this is the yield point). The table shows how this varies.

UTS (psi) Yield (psi) Grade 2 (hardware) bolt

47,000 57,000

Grade 5 120, 000 92,000 Grade 8 150,000 130,000

Don’t use a grade 2 on a chopper. Obviously, if you buy chrome plated bolts, you won’t see the marks, so use a good trustworthy supplier who can tell you what grade they are. ‘Allen’ brand bolts that use a socket headed cap are usually considered to be between grade 5 and 8, and sometimes better than a grade 8. But this depends very much on the manufacturer, so again use someone good. A stainless steel bolt, unless bought from a specialist supplier who says otherwise, is likely to be less good than a grade 2 bolt and certainly not suitable for a bike. The nut is also important. Use self locking nuts, and obviously the finer the thread combination of nut and bolt, the more metal in contact and the safer the bolt (up to a point - any good quality combination will be safe enough). Self locking nuts do not shake loose from the vibration of the ride, and do not need to be tightened really hard, so don’t run the risk of damaging the material sandwiched

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between the bolt an nut. Self locking nuts come in all shapes and sizes and the plastic collared type (nylon collared) are fine for most jobs. Because they are made from nylon, they aren’t very good for any bits that get very hot (like round the exhaust), so here you can use an all steel lock nut.

Plumbing Whilst we’re on the subject of the extra bits and pieces we should discuss the pipes that carry liquid - oil lines, brake lines and fuel lines. Brake lines that connect the master cylinder to the calipers handle large pressures of nearly 1000 pounds per square inch. For this reason it’s necessary to buy something that is built for the job. The piping will have a metal braided cover around some other material. This inner material affects the braking feel; Teflon doesn’t expand so you don’t feel any ‘sponginess’ in the braking. Other specifically designed types that don’t feature Teflon work fine, however. Hoses come in three sizes – (from the smallest to largest) dash 2, dash 3 and dash 4. The number refers approximately to the number of sixteenths of an inch that make up their diameter. Dash 3, roughly 3/16 inch, is the most commonly used size. Given the vibrations that any motorbike causes, any loose exposed metal like the hoses will, if left unchecked, rub away paintwork and finally damage the surrounding metal.

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This can be avoided by using steel clamps to keep the lines from rubbing, and also by casing the metal in a plastic sheath. Plastic also insulates electrically, protecting against electrical shorts.

Brakes Some early choppers were built without a front brake (and some still are). It’s worth mentioning that the argument that a front brake is unnecessary given how the weight sits over the back wheel is not a good one. Firstly, when something moving quickly tries to stop quickly, the weight shifts forward. Secondly, locking the rear wheel is not usually the most controlled way of bringing a bike to a halt. So you’ll be better off with brakes fore and aft. When planning the braking set-up, it’s important to remember what the brakes have to put up with. Stopping something moving involves converting all that kinetic (movement) energy into some other form of energy. It something moving hits a wall the kinetic energy is usually converted into noise, heat and moving bricks. In a controlled braking maneuver it is converted into heat as the friction of pad against metal drags the bike to a standstill. Usually this is a lot of energy that is absorbed as heat, which explains the special heat proof characteristics of brake pads.

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The brake system consists of:

- Master Cylinder and Levers - Brake Calipers - Brake Pads - Rotor - Brake Fluid

The easiest way to think about the brakes is as a system like this because each part needs to match. For example a single caliper with a four piston design will work with a 5/8 inch bore on the master cylinder, whereas dual calipers of four piston design will need a ¾ inch bore on the master. The simplest thing is to buy them all together with advice from the manufacturer. Calipers come with two, four or six pistons, and also in different sizes. Smaller calipers, for example, are often paired up on Springer forks, and this means fitting one caliper on each side of the wheel, with a pair of rotors. Hydraulic forks comfortably take a larger caliper, and only need the one, just like the rear wheel. Apart from the caliper and the levers, the most noticeable part of the braking system is the rotor. There are more different designs of rotors than there are designs of wheel, and matching the two is a matter of personal judgment and style. The material is usually iron or stainless steel. The hardness of stainless steel means that you need to use a specially designed pad of sintered iron to get a decent grip on the rotor. Kevlar pads work best with iron rotors, but not

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on stainless. Again, by thinking of the brake as a system, you can get all the right parts together. The brake fluid should always be the more expensive DOT 5 silicon based fluid rather than the DOT 3 or 4 that’s fit for four wheels. Being silicone based, DOT 5 doesn’t interact with water like the other glycol-based types, nor does it damage paintwork. It’s a good choice for a chopper.

All brake fluids, being liquid, are incompressible. This means that there should be no sponginess in properly set up brakes. Air, being quite easily compressible, is what causes this softness, and needs to be got rid of. Bear in mind that air rises, so if the bleeding valve on the caliper is on the bottom, you will need to take it off to bleed it (unless you

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use one of the kits that pump fluid in at this bleeding point). There are various ways to make bleeding easier (one of which is get someone else to do it). There are kits on the market that pump fluid in at the bleeding point and pumps that work the fluid through the system. Always use the best quality fastenings (grade 8 – see above) on the brake parts because they will be subject to massive strain. Usually suitable components are provided with the brakes, of course.

Wheels A lot of energy and time goes into choosing these parts. Wheels come in two types, billet and wire. Billet wheels look like they were made from solid pieces of metal with various designs seemingly carved into them. They range from just three very large spokes upwards, and come in many patterns. There are forged from a lump of aluminum or cast in aluminum. Wire wheels are the more traditional alternative. Crossed wire spokes can be very strong, though some of those designed to be used with much less powerful machines can cause problems. As always, try to match parts appropriately. Wire wheels are available in 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 inch diameters, in widths from 2 to 9 inches and have 40, 80, 120, 240 spokes. They come in various designs and in various gauges of wire. Buy the hubs and wheels to match, usually at the same time.

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Tires First of all, remember to buy motorcycle tires, which have a rounder profile than automobile tires. Sizing written on tires is pretty straightforward, with all the necessary information printed on the side. An imaginary tire may have this written on it: 160/40 V 17 90V. The first figure, 160 is the width of the tire measured in millimeters, measured near the rim (it gets fatter than this near the middle). The next figure explains the profile of the tire, being the ratio of the sidewall to the diameter. In this case the sidewall only measures 40% of the width of the tire, which is a very low profile. Tires are rated for speed using internationally standardized letters starting at N through to Z, though not in strict order. S is the lowest you’ll find for a motorcycle, and the order goes like this:

Speed Rating Mph S 112 T 118 U 124 H 130 V 149 Z 149 W 168 Y 186

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Then there are combinations of letters for various manufacturers that don’t quite fit this convention, but they publish the data in any case. The 17 written on the tire wall simply means that the tire fits a 17 inch wheel. The final part of our example reads 90V, and is the load index. The V part refers to the speed at which the load index was measured (149 mph), and the load index needs to be looked up – in this case 90 equates to a 600kg load. If you had front and back tires rated like this, then you’d be happy with a 1200kg load, which is about 2650 lbs! Again this data is published and your best bet (if you’re interested) is to look the load index up on a chart.

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The Powertrain Finally we come to the stuff that makes it all go, the powertrain. The diagram below shows, approximately, how the parts fit together. It consists of a v twin engine, a primary drive, the transmission and a belt or chain driven final drive.

We’ll deal with the engine and the drive train separately.

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Engine All choppers carry a v twin engine, so called because of the way the two cylinders form the shape of a letter ‘V’ (see above), rather than being set out in a straight line. This arrangement takes up less space and offers power. These v-twins don’t fire their cylinders with the same gap between each one, rather the two fire very close together, which is where the distinctive noise comes from. It’s more of a ‘ba-bum….ba-bum’ that you hear as each fires one after the other than a ‘bum.. bum.. bum.. bum’ that you might hear from a twin firing it’s pair of cylinders at the same interval between each.. A little engine history The Harley Davidson engine development is Knucklehead (1936), Panhead (1948), Shovelhead (1966). Each is named after the look of their cylinder head covers, which are shaped like a clenched fist, a pan, and the back of a coal shovel respectively. Though originals of these are still around, they have various defects related to the age of their design. However, versions of all of these are available in new engines from the after market (non-Harley), that offer modern performance and the older styling. The other HD engines are the Evolution, the Revolution, and the current 88 cubic inch Twin Cam 88 (TC88). The TC88 comes in two different versions, an A (otherwise called a non-B) version that doesn’t have a counter balance,

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and a B version that does. The counter balance stops the engine vibration being passed directly to the rider. However the B version, aside from costing a little more, won’t fit on the frames with a center post like the one we’ve been describing here. It also must be used with a matched transmission that is quite different from other transmissions. For the official Harley Davidson engines, kits are available from many suppliers that boost the cubic capacity to 95, 100, 116 and so on. The original HD Evolution (Evo), is still considered a good motor, displacing 80 horsepower, and is still available from a Harley Davidson dealer. Besides this, there are lots of more powerful Evo engines available from other engine builders, and an Evo style engine is a very popular choice. When considering the engine to go with there are five main issues to consider – looks, price, power, engine dimensions, and matching the transmission and alternator. The first three are down to the individual, bearing in mind heavier bikes may need more power, but most of the modern and modern old-style engines will have sufficient. The engine dimensions vary, and the frame needs to be suitable. An Evo is taller than a Shovelhead, for example, and a TC88b needs a frame without a center post. It’s a decision that you make when making the frame, although there’s quite a bit of flexibility. As always, the engine manufacturer or supplier can advise here.

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Drivetrain Here we consider the transmission, clutch, inner primary and housing. As with almost everything we have discussed in these pages, the trick is to match appropriately all these components so they work together. This can be made much simpler by some forethought and a discussion with the supplier or manufacturer when you know what you want. Here I’ll try and give the outline options. Transmissions come in four, five and six speeds and there are some that switch the final drive over to the right hand side of the bike to counter the increasingly large transmission offsets that wide tires can demand. The four-speed transmission is the oldest of the bunch and is therefore often used by builders using older or early-style engines. Almost every frame can in theory take any of these four or five speed transmissions – though in some cases you will need an adaptor to make this possible. These are on the market and usually are specially designed modified transmission mounting plates or modified transmission cases that allow a five speed transmission box to fit onto a frame designed for a four speed. The other thing to bear in mind is that in 1994 Harley Davidson moved to using high contact (HCR) gears in an effort to improve strength and noise – the HCR gears can’t be mixed and matched with non HCR. The primary can be determined once you know the engine-transmission combination. The primary consists of the

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inner and outer covers, the sprockets, the clutch, the chain, and a starter motor that fits. Whole kits are available for this if you have a standard combination of newer engines. Otherwise you need to match components by using the year and machine that they were designed for as a guide (for example for softails, 1989-1993), and discussing your choices. Another thing to watch out for is older clutches that weren’t really designed for big engines and can’t cope well with the job. These can be upgraded to heavy duty clutches (made of Kevlar, for example) at the time of building. There are also various levels of outer housing, from leaving the workings exposed, to partially covering, to complete encasing in shiny metal. Finally, if you want to use an electronic speedometer, then the transmission is where it goes. Newer transmissions, from roughly 1994 onwards, will have a hole on the transmission to accept the sensor. If you don’t want an electronic speedo, or you’re running an older transmission, you need to choose a drive unit that matches your front wheel and forks set up and in turn match that with the speedometer. As always, talk to the supplier about it.

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The Electrical System Some people who are perfectly happy with the metal working parts of the bike get nervous at the electrics, though they are really fairly straightforward in theory. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you may want some professional help. We’ll look at the theory and the practice here. The system is made up of the starting system, the charging system, the ignition system, a circuit breaker, and the electrically operated accessories. The starting system is what works when the start switch is first flicked, and consists of a battery, start switch, solenoid and the starting motor. The charging system recharges the battery when the machine is running and is simply the alternator and a voltage regulator. The ignition system is obviously the ignition switch and ignition coil, the kill switch, the electronic control unit and the spark plugs themselves. Finally all the other electrically operated accessories are connected into this system, such as the lights, horn, turn signals and various warning lights.

Aside from the components themselves, you’ll need to fasten them together with wire, which will involve choosing the right wire, a bit of soldering and some crimping.

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Wire Wire is measured by Gauge – 0, 2, 4 etc, with the larger numbers being the smallest diameter wire. The largest size of wire, 0000 Gauge, has a diameter of about 12mm, and the measurement of each gauge is arrived at by multiplying this diameter by 0.890522 to get the next gauge diameter! It’s thought that the Gauges came about in the eighteenth century as a way of describing the number of times a copper rod had to be drawn to make a given wire. So 0 Gauge would have been the original rod of copper, 1 Gauge would have been drawn once, 2 Gauge twice and so on. When choosing wire it helps to remember that the resistance is inversely proportionally to the current, by physical law. Put more simply, at the same voltage (which is the situation on a bike, using a battery) we need to decrease resistance to increase current (amps). This is why we use fatter wire for higher amperage applications (there is less resistance to the free flow of electrons), and why when the distance of the wire run increases, we choose thicker diameter wire than we had chosen for short runs of the same current. Heavier wire, like 4 Gauge, would be used for heavy duty applications on a bike like the big cables to the battery, and smaller sizes, say 22 Gauge, is used for the finer applications, like indicator lights. How the relationship works is shown in the table below – similar ones are in almost every catalogue.

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There are a couple of key quality indicators for wire. First of all, the higher the numbers of individual strands of metal that makes up the wire, the better quality the wire, so always go for higher numbers of strands. Secondly there are two grades of suitable insulation, known as TXL and GPT. The TXL is a newer product with better heat and friction resistance.

DistanceCurrent

10 feet 15 feet 20 feet 25 feet

5A 18 ga 16 ga 14 ga 12 ga 10A 14 ga 12 ga 10 ga 10 ga 15A 12 ga 10 ga 10 ga 8 ga 20A 10 ga 10 ga 8 ga 6 ga 25A 10 ga 8 ga 6 ga 6 ga 30A 10 ga 8 ga 6 ga 4 ga 50A 6 ga 6 ga 4 ga 2 ga 60A 6 ga 4 ga 4 ga 2 ga 80A 6 ga 4 ga 2 ga 2 ga 100A 4 ga 2 ga 2 ga 1 ga 120A 4 ga 2 ga 1 ga 0 ga 160A 2 ga 1 ga 0 ga 00 ga

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The ignition system The illustration below is a simplified ignition system wiring diagram. The thick line from battery to solenoid represents a heavy gauge wire (e.g. Gauge 4). From the battery to the 30A breaker, on to the ignition and terminal 30, then to the solenoid itself from terminal 87, we would use 12 Gauge wire.

The breaker is nothing more than a fancy fuse - it disconnects the current by breaking a pair of contacts and then resets, rather than blow out like a fuse would. Newer breakers are solid state so don’t really break a pair of

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contacts in the way we think of, but they do exactly the same job. The starter relay is nothing more than a switch that allows the action of passing current to take place a little further away from the push buttons and a little nearer where it is needed. The Battery This usually sits in the oil tank below the seat, though sometimes moves around the bike when space is tight. Because space is an issue there are various sizes of battery. If you’ve bought a pre-fabricated oil tank, the decision has been made for you and you simply need a battery to fit. The two figures a battery carries are cold cranking amps and amp hour rating. The first is how much power the battery generates when cold and being called upon to deliver 7.2 volts for 30 seconds – bigger ratings mean more power and underpowered batteries may lead to starting problems with big engines. The second measure is an amount of time that the battery will provide a given power and voltage. Because the battery provides the electricity, stores the electricity and stabilizes the voltage provided by the alternator, it is important to have a good battery and keep it maintained. This includes charging it with a smart charger that alters the charge it delivers as the battery becomes fully charged, and keeping the battery clean since dirt can conduct electricity between the poles of the battery and speed up discharge. Remember that when connecting the

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battery, the earth needs to be in contact with unpainted metal, since paint insulates to some extent. The Starter As I mentioned above, the starter needs to be matched with the primary. They are rated in kilowatts (kW), and with your engine and primary in mind, you will be able to get good advice. The Alternator and the Regulator The alternator sits within the primary and, like all alternators, takes some of the vehicle’s motion to generate electricity. This is done by moving magnets and coils of wires. The circular alternator we use in a bike has unmoving coils of wire (the stator) around which a bank of magnets whirl to make electricity that is then fed via a regulator. Once the battery is charged and all the electrics are being powered, spare electricity is just wasted so there’s no benefit in generating lots of electricity. Depending on what kind of electrics you have, an alternator and matching regulator rated at 32amps should be plenty. Like so many other parts, these bits can be bought in a kit. The Electrically Operated Accessories To continue the kit theme, it’s easy to buy the electrical wiring as a complete harness, color coded and with or without terminals and with or without switches, displays,

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bulbs etc. The diagram below uses some of the factory colors (yellow, white, orange, green red and tan) to illustrate how easy a basic circuit can be.

When you buy additional switches remember that you need something that is rated for the job (measured in amps in

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this case), just like the wire and all the other components. Take care over all the connections you need to make - soldering and shrink-wrapping two wires that need to be joined results in a solid, secure wire in a way snapping them together with quick connectors doesn’t. There seems little point in saving time here, given how much time you put into the whole build. And remember, if the wiring is to be neatly hidden within the frame then the wiring needs to be figured out before the final build, rather than as a finishing touch. I suggest thinking about it from the start (where do I want the switches to end up?) and I will mention it again at the end of the build sequence below.

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2. An Assembly When all the parts are assembled, the chopper needs a complete build-up to make sure everything fits, to make adjustments and to drill the final fitments and attachment points, and then it needs taking to pieces again to paint and finish. This will probably be the only full build-up, but you will have assembled parts of the bike before. Obviously at this stage you don’t do the wiring and plumbing, but you might want to check these parts for size. Just like in Part I, frame building, there are many different ways to go about the assembly; here I’ll run through just one way, but one that seems fairly intuitive to a beginner builder. Basically I’ll start with the frame, add the forks, front wheel, engine, transmission etc, the rear wheel, the metalwork, the seat and the handlebars. 1. The Frame and Forks With the unpainted but otherwise finished frame, and your forks of choice, you can begin. You will need a working surface that is flat and true and perhaps a solid mechanism for holding the front wheel in place. A chopper workshop will have an adjustable height bench and with a large wheel clamp or vice for this purpose. Alternatively you can block up the frame to ride height and then strap it very securely blocked up to ride height (measured above the working surface, not from the floor!). In this second case you’ll be able to fit the front wheel to the forks hanging out in space. Make sure the setup is solid, however. They can be home

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made and improvised, the main thing being a good true surface and some way to be sure that the heavy machine will not fall on you. The forks, having been specified for the frame as discussed earlier, are very easy to fit together. You can add waterproof grease at this stage or in the final assembly. The triple tree sections above and below the neck need to be put into place, usually by dropping the upper bearing into the neck then connecting the lower triple tree, all of which can then be tightened using the Allen key bolt (or whatever). With the forks in place the front wheel (with tire on and inflated) should be put in place. The front rotor or rotors should already be on the wheel so we can fit the calipers later. The rotors just bolt into place on the wheel. Once the wheel and forks are on the frame the bike can be put in place if you’re using a front wheel vice – it will stand upright in an approximate riding position. It’s a good idea to block it up to riding height at this stage. Next is the engine. 2. The Engine The engine is heavy, so putting it in place is a two man job (it’s safer this way). Hopefully the engine mounts upon which it sits (two of the three mounts we described above – the ones near the base of the frame) will be in exactly the right place for you now to bolt the engine in place. There will be a pair of bolts at the front where the downtubes end and two more behind the engine where the center post

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drops. Don’t tighten them right up at this stage. Any problems can be addressed at this stage (this is the point of the mock up), but obviously don’t keep weakening the mounting by drilling and so on. Generally it’s better to get the right mounting plate and start again. The top support we will need to mark and drill before bolting. This we’ll do when we’ve fitted the other large parts to the frame. 3. The Transmission, Primary Drive and Starter. You will have bought the engine and transmission to match as discussed, so the transmission simply needs placing and bolting to the transmission mounts. Hopefully this too will bolt happily into place. Place the belt (or chain) that will provide the drive from the transmission to the rear wheel before adding the inner primary (or you won’t be able to put it on!). This is the point at which we align the transmission and the engine, and make sure the offset is correct to reach the rear wheel drive. (The offset is what allows the belt to clear the tire of whatever dimension we’ve chosen. Other options we’ve discussed include using a transmission with a final drive on the right hand side. Here we’re considering a left hand side final drive on a transmission-engine configuration that is only connected through the primary. On TC88s the whole thing is bolted together, which means moving everything, engine and transmission as one.) Check there is sufficient clearance between the frame and the transmission to allow the belt to run freely – any problems can be addressed with shims beneath the

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transmission where it attaches to the frame. The exact offset you need depends on the size of the rear wheel and the exact transmission, engine and frame combination. Spacers are usually used between the engine and the inner primary – they match the shape of the large circle the engine forms around the moving wheel, and the inner primary is bolted straight through them into the engine block. At this point you will have a roughly oval inner with two shafts poking thorough, one from the engine and a second from the transmission. The next thing to do is to somehow connect the power of the engine with the control offered by the transmission. Aside from the two shafts that are showing there is also an obvious hole up to the top right as you look directly at the inner primary. This is where the starter will push out. The starter itself sits on the other side of the inner primary. Install it, and then lubricate and slide into place the jackshaft, which is the part that sticks through the inner primary. Onto this slide the outer coupling, the drive (the cogwheel) and screw it into place with the supplied long bolt. Now we’re ready to add the primary drive wheel beside the engine and the clutch beside the transmission. As we have already discussed the connection will be made by either a chain or a belt. The only thing to remember is that the big wheel (main shaft) has a left hand thread, because

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otherwise it would come undone when everything is turning! When you have the wheels in place, adjust the tension in the belt or chain as recommended in the accompanying documentation. For example a chain drive might require 5/8 inch play in the chain when the engine is cold. To set this you just hold a steel rule somewhere near the centre of the chain and push the chain upwards with your finger. You’ll be able to measure how much it moves – this is the play. When the tension is right, you can screw on the outer if you want – it’s not essential in the mock up, but it looks nice. At this point, with everything in place and tightened, we can place the motor mount at the top, and mark the frame mount for drilling. Don’t drill it until after everything has been installed though, since you may need to change things, and it’s not necessary to have the engine fixed at all three points during the mock up. 3. The Rear Wheel The goal for the rear wheel is that it sits in the middle of the frame and runs straight. This is complicated by the rotor on one side and the pulley (and the belt or chain) on the other. You would have immediate problems if this combination didn’t fit in the frame, but this isn’t likely to happen if you’ve done you’re planning. In fact there should be plenty of space and the trick is to use spacers to get the positioning you need.

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On the right hand side of the rear wheel we want to put a spacer next to the rotor to allow clearance for the brake caliper bracket. You can get the rotor in the right place by placing a metal rule between the rotor and the tire – it will be snug against the widest part of the tire at both sides and then you can slide the rotor up to the metal rule. You can use a spacer here to get it right before putting the wheel on the bike. A spacer on this side of the rotor needs to be in the same pattern as the rotor, so if the rotor has five bolt holes, the spacer needs five bolt holes and the same internal diameter. Put the wheel in place on the frame, fitting the belt to the pulley on the left hand side. Here you want the belt to be close to the outer edge of the tire, whilst clearing it. When in place on the bike, the axle spacer on the left hand side of the bike should protrude by, say, an eighth of an inch. Now what remains on the right is the axle spacer and, probably a gap. This gap needs to be filled with a spacer. All these spacers can be home made, but given you need to purchase metal in reasonably large quantities, you’re usually better off buying them. The final spacer fits between the caliper and the axle spacer. The order is, therefore; wheel, rotor, spacer, caliper, spacer, axle spacer, frame, nut. Now the assembly can be tightened, with the belt brought to operating tightness and the wheel centered. Use a long rule or straight edge to run down the back of the bike from

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the neck, along the center and beyond the wheel. This will let you see exactly how good your wheel centering has been. There are also simple alignment tools available, which are really just appropriately bent pieces of metal. If you now block the bike up a little further you can roll the wheel and watch the belt. What is essential here is that the belt tracks smoothly and centrally on the pulley. If it doesn’t, it isn’t going to work very well. If you have a problem it can be with the alignment of the wheel and the transmission (try altering the spacer configuration, or checking the transmission is not at an angle), or with the wheel not being in straight in the frame. 4. The Calipers Now, if you want, you can fit the front and rear calipers. They just need bolting on, with extra care being taken to ensure that the split in the caliper is dead center over the rotor. This almost always requires some fine tuning, which is why most calipers come with shims as well as mounting bolts (that must be good bolts - grade 8, as we discussed above). 5. The Metalwork The bike is now looking something, even though we are missing many of the things that will make it go such as electrics, and fuel, somewhere to sit, something to steer it with and any usable human controls. It’s a good idea now to fit the fuel tank and any other things like fenders that will attach to the bits we’ve now assembled.

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Although we have some kind of attachments in mind for the gas tank, it’s likely that the final fitting will need some extra work. This could involve cutting a piece of tubing (or piping – the difference is less important here than in building the frame!) so the flat strap that will be bolted onto the gas tank can be fitted exactly then welded onto the fame itself. It’s just as easy to have done this early on, of course. The tank will also need marking out for any other drill holes on the other attachment point on the frame, usually on the top engine mount. The tank will be fastened with some rubber spacers when finally put in place. The fenders will need to be drilled now, however, because this is the first time the wheels have been in place. A regular spacing is needed between the tire and the fender, and this is achieved by taping something to the tire and resting the fender on this whilst marking out. Many builders use an old belt from the belt drive here, since that happens to offer about half an inch. This is also an opportunity to fabricate other struts and supports for the fenders, if you want. 6. Bars and Seat The mock up is already largely finished. Adding the handlebars and seat just make it look more finished. Potentially there could be some final fitting issues, so you can do things like check the clearance height, check that the bars won’t smash into the gas tank if they overshoot the stops (as they could do if the bike falls over). Think about where you plan to route the electrics. Admire it. Then take

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it to pieces again. Paint it remembering to mask the engine mounts where a metal to metal contact will be needed and the other sections where an earth will be needed (see the section on the electrical system), rebuild it, and ride it!

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Appendix 1 - A checklist Here are the major components broken down in a similar way to the discussion above. I haven’t listed every nut and bolt, and clearly each chopper will need some different components. It’s kind of a starting out list! ENGINE Engine Cam Cover Motor Mount Skid Plate Generator & Generator Gasket Carburetor Intake Manifold Choke Lever Idle adjusting Screw Air Cleaner Throttle Cable Support Bracket Spark Plugs 12v Coil Accelerator Regulator Exhaust Pipes Exhaust Port Gaskets Pipe Clamps TRANSMISSION Transmission Assembly Chrome side cover

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Kick Pedal Transmission Mount Plate Clutch Primary Chain Sprocket Counter Sprocket Drive Chain Clutch Release Arm Inner Primary Cover Outer Primary Cover Gasket Set Throttle Set CHASSIS The Frame Forks Hangers Mirror and bracket Sidestand Gas Tanks Gas Caps Gas Tank Mountings Fuel Valve Oil Tank Speedometer and cable Seat and Pillion Pad Fenders Rear Foot Peg Bracket Foot Pegs

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WHEEL, TIRES AND BRAKES Front and Rear Wheels and Tires, rim strips, tubes Front Brakes Front Brake Cable Clamp Rear Axel Oil Line Nipples & Nuts Stainless Braided Hose (10 feet) Hose Ends Rear Brake Linkage Rear Brake Drum & Sprocket Wheel Lug Nuts Rear Chain Guard ELECTRICS 12v Battery Horn Headlight, bulbs, brackets Stoplight Switch Side Mount Tail light Assembly

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Appendix 2 - Suppliers The internet sites listed below are mainly on-line stores, though one or two are included because they have interesting information. From this list you could gather your parts without leaving your computer desk. They usually have telephone numbers as well, and as I’ve said throughout, it is often worth talking to someone to make sure you are getting the right product for your needs. This is a particularly useful list if you are miles from a supplier. All the suppliers listed here are US based, and it doesn’t represent anywhere near a complete list. I haven’t chosen the listings because they are necessarily the best – I haven’t used them all, so the list isn’t a recommendation as such. This is our favorite place to shop for motorcycle gear and custom parts: Click Here. This is the best nuts and bolts video/DVD set on how to build your own custom chopper: Click Here. 1. Standard HD and Aftermarket parts in general

- The following online shops offer almost

every standard part you could want, and have online stores:

- With an online shop and offering huge

selection (something of everything on our list), Choppers Cycle is a dedicated on line store. http://www.chopperscycle.com/

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Also offer a good online store and delivery on a wide range of parts are:

- Tejas Thump Cycles at

http://www.tejasthumpcycles.com/ttcmain.htm

- Chopper Customs at http://www.choppercustoms.com/

- Steel Thunder Custom Cycles http://steelthundercc.com/

- Arlen Ness http://www.arlenness.com/ - Cyril Huze http://www.cyrilhuze.com/ - Offering parts made for the true custom

chopper Pat Kennedy’s online store http://www.kennedyschopper.com/ . Offers the frames, forks, metalwork – fenders and tanks, the necessary offsets and so on for custom bikes, and top quality wire wheels, amongst other things.

2. Seats and saddles

- Corbin offer high quality leatherwork,

http://www.corbin.com/

3. Engines

- You have to buy through a dealer but S&S have a lot of information on their engines at http://www.sscycle.com/

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4. Belt drives

- A specialist manufacturer Belt drives ltd at

http://www.beltdrives.com/ also offer brake and shifter controls and handlebar controls. These are primarily info pages with no on-line shop.

5. Headlights

- Everything to do with custom headlights as

head winds http://www.headwinds.com/

6. Custom Painting

- If you want to explore having certain parts of the bike illustrated (fenders, gas tanks etc) http://www.custompainting.com/ offer such a service.

7. Finishing touches

- AL Hatton, AH Quality Patterns – offers custom built aluminum (and chromed if you want) filter and coil covers, brake hangers and so on and can build something to your own design. Found at http://www.ahqp.com/ Phone: 920-766-1144, Fax: 920-766-4222

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- Aeromach Manufacturing offer finishing

parts like mirrors, brake levers, bullet axle covers etc in chrome http://www.aeromach.net/cat_pg1.html Phone: 619-258-5443

8. Vintage

- Help with getting hold of older restored

parts can be had from companies like Fat Dog Vintage Salvage at http://www.fatdogvintagesalvage.com/

www.Custom-Choppers-Guide.com © 2004-2005 Brian Maroevich, Avalanche Holdings, LLC

www.Custom-Choppers-Guide.com All Rights Reserved.

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