Opinion wanted.. on an "anti-choper" ide

[Blake]

alright... so everyone knows my whole thing with making a vision chopper..



sitting around last night had an idea that i dunno if anyones ever done before.. and just wanted to see what you all thought...this idea involves the rear fender... or..something to that effect.


alright.. so we all know the standard chopper fender.. tight to the wheel, follows the curve...etc..  alright now the idea..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=35583&item=2439811194

instead of a chopper rear fender (which if i had..i would only want to be as minimal as possible...to show as much of the tire as possible...i think legally it has to be directly above the axle..but eh..its only illegal if you get caught..

but anyway.. instead of the standard chopper rear fender..  use the tail section of a yamaha r-1... basically make the rear subframe for it.. and JUST use the rear section for the fender..

now what im thinking (going to try to describe the whole setup to you all).  have the standard chopper:
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bstoddar/visionchop.jpg
(wouldnt be exactly like this..but just for a general reference)

but the tail section would be connected to the frame at the angle which would still make the passenger seat functional, but also.. since the chopper is hardtail.... you would keep the tail section as low to the tire as possible.. either make the underneat section flat (cover it with sheetmetal) or make it a radius bottom, kind of like how the visions is already (fit to follow the curvature of the wheel..kind of like a regular curved chopper fender)  ideally.. the rear tail section wouldnt be THAT far off the wheel..dont want it completely sticking out.. so maybe would shorten it a bit..but you basically just want to give it that little flair up look.  i would love to use a tail sections from 2002 r-1 or later.. because its tail like is just a little LED strip.. and you can get replacement lights that integrate the brake and turn signals.. so nothing has to stick out.. and plus it just looks cooler than to big bubbles of tail lights.  but because of the sportbike tail section.. you can have the passenger seat be used (for the biker babe in your life  ;) ) OR... you can get a cowl cover.. to give it that race bike look when not needed..   would definatly have to make some passenger footpegs somewhere..but wouldnt want them to be sticking out.. something easily concealable....maybe even removable.. some sort of clamping mechanism..


just wanted to see what some of you guys thought about it...just wanted some opinions... heck..if people didnt try new things.. we'd never have choppers  ;D



Blake

[RussD]

I can see it now Blake..........We're all going to see you on the next Biker Buildoff series on Discovery Channel going head to head with that Billy West guy, Indian Larry, or Pauly Teautle or something!!     ;)

[Blake]

hehe.. thanks Russ.. haha.. wouldnt that be funny.. everyone with $100k bikes.. and me with a vision that i bought for 100 bucks..haha..


but anyway.. to give a better idea..


ttp://filebox.vt.edu/users/bstoddar/R1(02)GP_pop_1.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bstoddar/R1(02)GP_pop_2.jpg
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/bstoddar/R1(02)GP_pop_3.jpg

a few pictures of a 02' yamaha tail..undersection.. this would be perfect.. fitting right in that little "indentation" near the front..where the tire would fit... and the back part just ever so slightly kicked up over the tire..

now imagine that you have a wide 200 wheel... about 1/2" from the bottom of that tail...  thats what im thinking...



HOT baby.. HOT..



hell.. discovery channel should have a show about ME.... itd be an hour long... the first 15 minutes would be coming up with a new idea..and the last 45 minutes of the hour would be me writing my crazy ideas to the forum.. haha... ITD BE A HIT!!...hehehe







Blake

[Blake]

crap... heres better links....hell...heres the pictures..make it easier..









blake

[kiawrench]

hmmmmmmmm  make a vision into a chopper     defeats my reasoning for a new three car garage,
 one stall for the wife's buick,
 one dedicated to the only bike i ever liked from day one,, my vision
  and one for my first ever bike, rest her soul, a 1969 triumph bonnie , 8 ft  springer  "4" , stretch frame, crazy larry seat/ sissybar / (stash pockets) and fuel tank ,lopez paint and graphics, 650 stocker , rolled and stroked by psycho billy lane and company ,
  chopper from a bonnie was easy, cheap and sweet as all get out to ride, as long as you never had to make a u-turn, then need three streets to make the turn .
chopper from a vision is going to be a lot harder to deal with . no true frame work, so that needs custom
no real size, so would need crystal ball to find old school racing components to  make it happen , then would need real supply of cash - that od crazy larry king/queen cost me 400.00 used in th e70's ,,, so figure a bit on inflation..

  any way ,, you figure it out, i have running parts bike , we see if it works, if it does. you can have first ride-   oh   lets let the design team finish that oil cooler idea,,, dont want to build a chopper and then watch fire dept get to ride it in a sea of foam

[Blake]

IF you're looking for chopper parts i really suggest jirehcycles.. they have a free..like..1000 page cataloge..and have some pretty good deals.. (gas tank im looking at is bout 100 bucks..4.5 gallon mustang, wide 200 rear rim is 175...etc).. i mean..not the name brand stuff.. but for a budget chopper job..it defiantely fits the pocket book..  


but yeah.. the MAJOR thing with this would be the frame.. basically would need a completely new custom one in order to work..as for racing components..well..ill leave that for later endevors.. but things like the radiator would be from a go-kart race shop (found an aluminum 8x16" one looks pretty nice..would mount oil cooler under it)..

looking just at parts... seeing as i'd like to salvage a lot of parts from other bikes..well..maybe not a lot..but anything i can get used would save a couple bucks here and there...  but i basically figured out it'll be somewhere around a grand or so to completely change the bike over...if i use all new parts..well...not using expensive billet stuff..then probabaly closer to 1500 or so...  billet..well..lets not even think of that..im still in college...:)


but as for the oil cooler idea...i mentioned a few posts back it wouldnt actually be all that hard if you tap the oil supply from the oil filter cover..  since there's two ports inside the oil filter chamber.. just simply tap one for a supply line (Jireh, male spigot oil fitting, $1.95 each, would need two), run a SS oil line (lets say two 12" legnths, Jireh = 29.95 each..if you want cheaper lines, black rubber hose at local autozone or something is like 50cents a foot... so lets say 5 bucks) to an external oil filter (Jireh, oil filter mounting kit for use with rubber hose = 31.95)  now most expensive part would be the oil cooler...  basically for that we're looking around 100-150... one i just found after a few seconds of looking on the net was 110 for a lockhart model 500 horizontal oil cooler.. http://www.americaneaglemotorcycle.com/item131541.ctlg



so basically.. the run down:
connectors:  $4.00
black rubber hose: $5.00
remote oil filter assembly: $35.00
Oil cooler: $110.00

total cost for oil cooler: about $160.00 USD...


but also.. i was looking.. they sell thermostats for the oil cooler...  is that really necessary??  or is it fine to route the oil through it all the time.. like..is it extremely bad to keep the oil cooling before the oil temp reaches like 180 degrees??  if you smarter guys out there think so... then automatic thermostat would be about 70 bucks outta dennis kirk, or 55 bucks for a manual valve that you would have to remember to switch open and close when needed which would get annoying...


so with a thermostat.. total cost would be around $230.00 USD...


not all that difficult.. and you'd probabaly be able to add an extra quart or so..also helping in the cooling...



thats all from me now... anyone have suggestions on the thermostat thing?  do we need it? or not...   if you guys say no... then id be tempted to try out the oil filter idea next spring where theres really a need for it..




Blake

[Blake]

Oh.. one more thing..


step in the "chopper" area..



ordered me a couple of "neon" lights today..  


but not neon.


what it is.. is two 6" long cold cathode tubes..  blue...  for 12 bucks... found a nice discount place out in california..  i thought hell..for 12 bucks its worth a try.. but hopefully itll get here sometime later this week and i can try and rig it up.   what i wanted to do was mount them on the inside of each side of the gastank and illuminate the engine at night..but looked and saw with the airbox and frame..theres not much room....  but then also maybe i thought since theres a protective lexan cover on the cathodes, maybe underneath the engine...give it that "floating" effect...


so anyway..expect a couple photos from me sometime later this week or next week showing the neon experiment....haha..




Blake

[rick_nowak]

hi blake,
it is usually a good idea to get lubricating oil up to operating temp as soon a practical, that's why thermostats on oil coolers.  the oil is formulated to work best as a lubricant when temped at the normal engine heat.  that's why, among other good reasons it is not a good idea to redline a cold engine, unless it was designed for that kind of service, like a fire pump engine.
any progress on the chain drive?

[Rick G]

I've seen  jackets to put over an oil cooler in cold weather , for those of you who can't ride  ride in the winter slower warm up might not be a problem. But for those who live in climates , that permit year round riding , it might not be  abad idea  to have  a thermostst. I'm working out a way to have an oil filter ,that dosen't require any tapping, drilling or welding, and retains the stock oil filter.  I 'll report soon.

[RobTx]

Could you use a automotive transmission oil cooler?  They're cheap, like this one for $32.95.  Much cheaper than $100-150.
http://www.mustangsplus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=MPFMP&Category_Code=Trans_Coolers
Rob

[Lucky]

'cmon!... you could walk out of any boneyard with a ford power steering cooler for $5! I would spring for the braided hose though, this is one place you really dont want to spring a leak!

[Blake]

few things..


RobTX:   you could definately use a ATF cooler.. although look at the size of the ones you linked to..  15" wide.. which for our purpose would be 15" tall..  bsically we need something that would be about as wide as the stock radiator.. maybe little smaller.. and like 4-6" tall..  but i would assume anything that has the same diameter tubes as the oil lines would work.


lucky's definately right in the fact that we could use one from an old junker car...  just need to find the right one..


and for Rick N...  as for the chain drive...well basically that has to be put on hold for a few.. till i get a few extra bucks to spend.. mainly because in order to get the countershaft sprocket and rear tire sprocket aligned.. i need to meaure the distance from center that the rear sprocket is.  and since when i do convert to chain.. i want to go with around a 200 series tire..like modern day sportbikes..well..  it should be a nice pretty penny off..  maybe will need an outboard bearing support.   but basically..all BS aside... im waiting till the spring semester here at school..  because i recently found out about the machine shop the engineering department here at VT has..and well..im going to go kiss lots of butt to see if i can get the machining work done for free  ;D..hehe...save a few bucks there....and heck..if they let me hang around the machine shop and let me use all the equipment...jackpot... ;D..


so basically the chain drive conversion is 3rd on my list of "major" projects as of now..

1.  Redo exhaust with mandrel bends
2.  Mikuni Round slide Carb conversion (without a good exhaust, what's the use of good carbs)
3.  Chain Drive conversion
4.  well.. lots more..(i think i got a couple page list around here somewhere of everything i hope to get done in this next year)


but ill definately keep all of you updated like always

Blake