Hardtail frame building

[trikerdrew]

Looking at putting hardtail frame together for gpz750 lump.Got bender,mig/arc.Looking for assembly order,hints and tips.What size tube/pipe to use?Not interested in cds as budget build.Any ideas?

[Blackjack]

Yes loads.

But seeing as you only want to do a half assed job, this is probably what you want.....

http://www.ironcross.net/Chopping%20a%20japbike.htm

[trikerdrew]

:) Thanks for that.As a limey I would like to inform you I have a large ass thus a half-assed job won't be happening :D .Seriously,makes a change to see some straight forward no sh1t approach .Cheers again,
Drew

[Blackjack]

Err, I'm a limey too you know.......

If it's your first attempt then modifying a stock frame is probably the way to go with it, especially if the frame is possessed of documentation.

Scratch building a frame is a lot more involved than just hardtailing a stocker, and is a bit of a bitch without a jig to do it on. Hard tailing a stock frame gives you some experience with mitring tubes and so forth too, which means if you decide to scratch build one at a later date you're not trying to learn everything at once! No to mention neatly sidestepping a lot of alignment issues that you have to consider in scratch building.

Here's another link that might prove useful....

http://www.choppers101.com/

[trikerdrew]

Thought you were a yank-of course I apologise for insulting you thus!! :D First time at hardtailing a frame-that obvious eh :rolleyes: .Not interested in building jig due to space/time restrictions.Seems like a straitforward way of doing job.Alignment and angles of trail blah,blah just sound like a drag.
Cheers,
Drew

[TaxiDave]

Not interested in building jig due to space/time restrictions.Seems like a straitforward way of doing job.Alignment and angles of trail blah,blah just sound like a drag.
Cheers,
Drew

Are you interested in it ever going straight and being safe??

[addjunkie]

There were some good links posted a few week ago on www.chaos-crew.co.uk techy bit about frame building mitering tube etc

[dozer]

Find someone who has done it before, go talk to them in person, see their work, an figure out if their full of sh*t, if they aint, ask for there advice an help, don't be shy.....
where u from?

[dracken1]

i hardley ever build a motorcycle frame, just trike ones. but as i'm sure blackjack would back me on this one when i say.
all the advice is not worth s**t if you don't have experience. its not a tab for the horn you want to make, which if you get wrong might mean you'll need a new horn.
it's a frame. its the bit that can put you on a cold slab if you get it wrong.
sure theres homemade frames out there which will out last us all. but unless you have some understanding of stress factors, fabrication, welding,metallurgy, then my advice would and always will be, start on something less critical. build up to a frame, don't start with one. ;)

[Blackjack]

Try and stay with this sentence as its a little convoluted.....

Most people don't know enough about building motorcycle frames to know that they don't know enough to build one.

For instance when trikerdrew said he can't be bothered with CDS I'm guessing that he's planning on using ERW tube? Seeing as most steel stockholders don't seem to be aware that this comes in five different grades I think its probably safe to presume that trikerdrew doesn't either. ERW1 is basically plasticine, whereas ERW5 will tear rather than bend. Waterpipe and conduit aren't good choices for a frame either, much in the same way that the cardboard tube out of a bogroll isn't a good choice either.

Stock Jap frames are made out of relatively thinwall ERW (probably about equivalent to ERW3, but that's PROBABLY!!) and if you start welding lumps of thick walled tube to it then that brings a whole set of structural problems of its own.

If you want to be a bit more specific about what you decide to do, then I'll answer any questions you might have, but to just sit here and type a treatise on hardtailing frames would take for ever.

[madastoast]

another sentence to remember is

A little information is a dangerous thing!

Which is a lot deeper than it looks

Armed with the CORRECT info you can do virtually anything but start guessing and book your trip to the pearly gates

[trikerdrew]

After reading my original post I realise I sound like I don't know my arse from my elbow.Not true :D .!!I have two years city in guilds welding and have done loads of bits from roll cages to pannier frames for ammo boxes.
Main problem was what sort of tube to use as pointed out there are several all with own problems after welding/bending etc.I was erring on side of caution with heavy gauge erw.Triangulation was going to be used as much as possible and some decent gussets(oo-err :cool: ).
Just because I want to build on a budget does not mean the frame won't be straight or safe.I have a flat steel worktop with straightline down the centre for measuring off.
I see a good deal of badly fabricated frames either materials/design or just proportions which make me want to go down self-build route.Comments so far still leave me feeling positive.Perfectly aware,and horrified at poor construction and don't want to0 be another stat for gov to ban self builds/custom bikes(TUV sux).
My own personnal fav maxim must be "measure twice,cut once".
Once again thanks for input.
Drew

[Freak]

You know, I think he's gonna do alright :)