Voodoo Vintage: SUICIDE frame for Mr. David Roberts!!!

[Cornish Pixie]

Lovely looking frame, shame shipping and customs costs would probably make it to expensive to consider as an option for my next project.

Wonder if I could carry it onto a plane as hand luggage

 

[member3480]

Dude very nice work . Shop looks great ONLY one piece of advice stay small do what you can and DO NOT take on more work than you can put out in a timely maner.
Too many shops showing up on threads getting bashed because of work taken and not complete. Stay small and you will always have work and pay all your bills and never have to compromise your work. Welds look great try not to over weld with tig. I like the in dent for the ser. number class act. Number size is important in some states.
VERY BEST of luck to you on your frames and have a happy holiday.

 

[bbillington]

Too many shops showing up on threads getting bashed because of work taken and not complete. Stay small and you will always have work and pay all your bills and never have to compromise your work.

words to live by.

 

[jurand]

It's my own design...

just asking. I was checking your website and did not see this seat for sale. nice design...
I was hesitating between tc bros hardtail and visual impact brat kit. now I have more options. what to do, what to do?

 

[daroberts3]

Whoa - that's MY frame !!!!!! SO thrilled to see it finished. Mr. Roy's turn around time for completion was on time. Great customer service with open communication all along, all while moving and setting up his new facility.
So far my plans are for stock forks, shaved and coated. Blacked out stainless spoke wheels, jockey shift, foot clutch, internal handlebar throttle, foot brake will actuate both brakes, kick start only, simplified, custom and cloth covered wire harness. Maybe WOOD solo seat and dark brown metal flake Sporty gas tank.?!
Influences are old tractors, big diesel trucks, 1930's H-D VL and UL models. Anything with well crafted mechanical aesthetics, think lots of linkages and grease fittings. Don't see grease fittings on any thing new these days.

 

[voodoo]

Whoa - that's MY frame !!!!!! SO thrilled to see it finished. Mr. Roy's turn around time for completion was on time. Great customer service with open communication all along, all while moving and setting up his new facility.
So far my plans are for stock forks, shaved and coated. Blacked out stainless spoke wheels, jockey shift, foot clutch, internal handlebar throttle, foot brake will actuate both brakes, kick start only, simplified, custom and cloth covered wire harness. Maybe WOOD solo seat and dark brown metal flake Sporty gas tank.?!
Influences are old tractors, big diesel trucks, 1930's H-D VL and UL models. Anything with well crafted mechanical aesthetics, think lots of linkages and grease fittings. Don't see grease fittings on any thing new these days.

Dave! Good to see you found the post!

Just wanted to tell you that we're going with the second design. I think it's cleaner than the first and it will look cool as hell from the side view. You might have a new logo for your company in the works!!!

 

[voodoo]

just asking. I was checking your website and did not see this seat for sale. nice design...
I was hesitating between tc bros hardtail and visual impact brat kit. now I have more options. what to do, what to do?

Sorry about that man... I don't offer it on my web site yet because they are specifically designed for the SUICIDE and LONE WOLF frames only. They could easily have new mount tabs fabricated that would allow them to be installed on almost any application, so I might consider selling the components as a DIY kit. Unless someone wants to order a frame to go with their new seat!

 

[voodoo]

Lovely looking frame, shame shipping and customs costs would probably make it to expensive to consider as an option for my next project.

Wonder if I could carry it onto a plane as hand luggage

Wrap it in leather and throw a handle on top man! No one would ever know...!

 

[member3480]

Interesting that you're giving him advice given the number of apparently unresolved threads related to your own shop that are easily found on this site.

Thats why i am giving him some advice. All it takes is one guy and you are bashed on a site like this or others. All my Legal bullshit has been taken care of and the guy who put it on this site didn't really tell what he did but he did get what i said i was giving him. So there is always two sides of the story beleave what you want. When lawyers get involved you cannot tell all and Travis and this site helped me out and i thanked him. This is not about me its about the awsome frames and new shop VOODO is doing.
Later
HAVE a HAPPY HOLIDAY
DADDYG

 

[bbillington]

I'll delete my comment, man. I've sold bikes to some flakes in the past, and know there are always two sides to every story.

 

[member3480]

Dude never delete what you say or think.I am a big boy and can take the lumps that go along with owning and operating a shop.I have been sued more than once and have been in the motorcycle industry for over 35 years and yes there are some knuckleheads out there but sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong. I just took on way too much work because i got caught up in it and didn't do all the right things for my customers. Thats why i can try and tell someone who has just started a shop what not to do if they take my advice or not. NO ONE will ever tell you the bad of owning a shop and everyone struggles always. I have built well over 100 bikes in my time and got some in magazines and broke some 1/4 mile records with others Thats the good of owning your own shop. So along the way you got to take some lumps!!!!
Take the good with the bad.I have people email me still wanted me to build them a bike or do work and i tell them i am retired and give them a good shop to go to. Didn't take your comment to attack me... VOODO and other small shops that do very good work will also have the good and the bad that's life.
But speak what you think this is what these threads are for.
Have a HAPPY HOLIDAY
DADDYG

 

[Cornish Pixie]

Wrap it in leather and throw a handle on top man! No one would ever know...!

LOL, could get a big plastic shopping bag made and say I bought in the departure lounge, so I couldn't check it into the hold of the plane.

Lets talk early next year, starting to think about the next project (thinking pared down hard tail cafe racer, drag bike inspired kind of thing) and we may be able to do some business.

As above, very cool work you got going on.

 

[voodoo]

DADDYG- Believe me... Getting too big too fast is a HUGE fear of mine. I've had to tell everyone that my new frame builds are five to six weeks after order. I've lost a couple sales because of it, but the last thing I want to do is start making empty promises.

In actuality, a full frame build may only take a couple days or so, but it's all the little crap that eats your lunch!!! Phone calls, emails, fabricating new jigs, handlebars, license plate mounts, shift knobs, ect. can creep up and burn an entire work day before you know it. I have a mill in my shop that is still waiting a two hour repair!!!

Every new design I've introduced always gets a flood of orders, then it seems to trickle out for a while. Makes it hard to keep employees in the shop.

I know that we can't keep everyone happy all the time, but thanks for the advise! It's well taken from someone who's "been there and done that" and I'll do the best I can to keep everyone informed of any backlogs or delays. I think constant communication is the key!

Regardless... I have no plans or desire to EVER be a "big" shop! I enjoy working alone or, at the most, with just one other person. I like to personally fabricate or oversee EVERY product that ships out. The moment I get too big to talk to my customers, I'll sell the company to a corporation and start over again like I started this one four years ago- In my garage!!!

 

[member3480]

SPOKEN THE TRUTH!!!
Be your own person and you will be around a long time with no headacks . I had small shops and large shops and its just a bitch to hire people and assume they are doing the work right and then find out that they screwed it up to cut time. I would love to have a guy who wants to learn and work everyday . I would teach him 40 years of bike building. I have built with the best and built for the best but i am just burned out and doctors won't let me do what i would like to do. I still have many builds that i would like to do in my head. Most shops are only two to five product shop and if you can make money off that its cool and stay there but in my experence you never made enough on parts sales to stay alive with employees. Learn how to rebuild a motor from the ground up.Learn how to cut and weld.Learn how to lace a wheel. Last one is a tough one because i have done many and most guys screw them up.
Bottom line do what you are best at if you have a shop and don't let the pressure of others stear you in a different direction.
Right now in the tri state area there is no one with experence now building complete bikes or taking on orders for bikes. Most shops will build or modifi your bike but build from the ground up MOTOR/WELD/FAB No one is advertising that i have seen. There is a open market build some nice bikes show them and they will come. But you need to be ready for the flow.I did complete 26 bikes in 2 1/2 years average price $3500.00 add it up plus frames and motors and i got NOTHING!!!!!Went to my head and got the big building with the large over head 7 people working and in 5 months went broke on out going money. Prices on bike was too low but raise the price and they don't walk in the door. 2 or 3 bikes a year is what you want to build. Buisness is strange and nobody going to tell you the bad and you gain so many new friends that want discounts.
Thats Life......Lets see some more new shops that want to build like VOODOO!!!

PS AND GUYS!!! sometimes you have to wait for good work from shops. I have a friend waiting almost a year for a frame frome a builder in CALLY. But the dude makes super nice frames and my buddy is willing to wait for a kickass frame and yes i didn't build him a frame because this guy builds nicer frames but i did build him a kickass 750 motor.

 

[jim540]

It's my own design...

That is one slick setup. The more I look at it the more details I see. Quite a bit of engineering there. It took me a while to see where the pivot was. Very nice.

 

[voodoo]

That is one slick setup. The more I look at it the more details I see. Quite a bit of engineering there. It took me a while to see where the pivot was. Very nice.

Thank you! I'm currently trying to source a better shock or even an air bladder. The shock currently installed performs well, but I need to find something with post tension so the seat isn't sticking up in the air when no one is sitting on it!!! I had prototyped a design with a swing-stop on it, but getting the shock on was a freakin' nightmare!

 

[Brother]

Thank you! I'm currently trying to source a better shock or even an air bladder. The shock currently installed performs well, but I need to find something with post tension so the seat isn't sticking up in the air when no one is sitting on it!!! I had prototyped a design with a swing-stop on it, but getting the shock on was a freakin' nightmare!

If it's strictly an aesthetics issue when the scoot is riderless I'd just add a tab and a clevis pin to that set-up, rather then redo the whole setup. Sit on the seat, throw the pin in, and hop off.

 

[voodoo]

If it's strictly an aesthetics issue when the scoot is riderless I'd just add a tab and a clevis pin to that set-up, rather then redo the whole setup. Sit on the seat, throw the pin in, and hop off.

That's a good idea! But... I can never seem to find a "pin" when I need one!!!

As suggested earlier, I'm currently researching FOX suspension components in hopes of refining the entire setup.

I'll see what I can dig up....

 

[jim540]

Here is a picture of the Fox Float R. It is at the lower end of the Fox line. New they are kind of expensive but you can find them reasonable from people upgrading. They are available in different lengths and have interchangeable bushing for the pivots. The one I have is 7.25 " center to center. They are air ride and fully rebuildable.

 

[voodoo]

Here is a picture of the Fox Float R. It is at the lower end of the Fox line. New they are kind of expensive but you can find them reasonable from people upgrading. They are available in different lengths and have interchangeable bushing for the pivots. The one I have is 7.25 " center to center. They are air ride and fully rebuildable.

Done deal buddy! I'll be doin' some surfin' here in the next hour...