My '79 basket case build

[rustynail99]

TEEBS!!! i love low tech man, that is me in a nutshell! i made a speedo mount the other day with a sawsall and a grinder! i actaully make all my precision cuts with a sawsall, since i have a real lack of anything else, like a bandsaw or laser cutter....oh laser cutter... how i want thy!!!

 

[BigJimmyW13]

Hey man that's what building a bike in your garage or a kitchen (in my case) all about! Lowtech engineering

 

[Teebs]

OK, so I (kind of) finished the seat mounts yesterday. It was one of those days...

This is what happens when you fail to feed gas to your welder...

So Monday I get to grind and re-weld that. But it was good enough to get the seat pan done.

I welded the piece of tube to the frame first, stuck the piece of air line inside the tube and then marked as best I could with soapstone to get an idea where I needed the 3/8" rod. I had to eyeball it from there. Fortunately my eyeballing is pretty good. It all lined up perfectly.

Seat pan all welded up:

When I'm done, I'll use some adhesive to glue the air line inside the tube on the frame:

Completed... or so I thought:

It turns out that the stud on the rear is a bit of a pain in the ass to remove. I should have welded a nut to the seat pan and used a bit of threaded rod welded to a wingnut. Sooo... Monday will have me grinding and redoing that bit of work. no big deal except I was going to start upholstering my seat this weekend.

I also got the bottom mount for my shock cut out, but I need to do a little creative thinking on bushings etc for that, so no more progress until Monday.

 

[Teebs]

OK, so I had a few hours to spare today and I managed to get a little work done. I got the foam on the seat. I can't wait for it to cure so I can shape it.

 

[Teebs]

Then I started working on the pipes. Not sure how I feel about that left side pipe yet. The bottom bend isn't permanent, just haven't cut it off yet. (Let me just say that I wish I remembered who I borrowed that hose clamp trick from, because it kicks ass when you're working by yourself.)

Also, a big thanks to blacksmithbilly over at TCU for the exhaust "spigots". I have three of these damn things and not a set of pipes between 'em. It saved me a lot of work, and well worth the price just for the knowledge he shares. The parts are gravy. (Very nicely made, btw.)

 

[Teebs]

And a few pics of the bike. One with the new 130/90-16 front tire (mating a 16" rear rim to the drum hub from an old YA6.) I didn't think it was going to clear the lowers, but with a little shaving it's going to be perfect.

 

[Pandorasglocks]

I'm waiting to see how those lights look, should be pretty dope.

 

[Teebs]

I'll get to it someday, brother. I swear...

 

[Tech7]

Hey Teebs, looking good man. Seat looks comfy. Going with forward controls? Looks like your pipes are going to be mid-level? Hey! Do you need new bushings for your swingarm? I have brand new ones that came with the bike when I bought it. Yours if you want them.

 

[curt698]

Teebs, I'm really liking the feel of your bike! I love the balance that front tire gives the bike. I do think that the left pipe doesn't look quite right, the bend seems to be a lot father forward than on the right and a tighter bend too. I know some of that could just be the angle of the pic, but seems like if the two pipes were more similar it might help the flow (figuratively).

 

[Teebs]

Tech, thanks for the offer on the bushings, but I already bought a set. Yeah, high pipes and forwards. The seat is really comfortable.

Curt, the longer bend on the left is to keep the pipes the same length, as the right one has to come across the front of the bike, and you should try to keep your pipes as close to the same length as you can. So I can either have that pipe run forward like it is now, or make the bends go down and back more. The reason I went with this first is that I'm worried that bending it down and back will interfere with the forwards.

Thanks for the input and interest guys.

 

[BigJimmyW13]

I think you messed up the seat... Send the bike to me forthwith....

 

[Teebs]

You sure you don't want me to finish it up for you first?

 

[Tech7]

That looks finished to Jimmy!

 

[BigJimmyW13]

Well I guess there's no harm in you f-n it up anymore. So f away maestro!

Posted via Mobile

 

[Teebs]

Well, I realize it looks all jacked up with its rear suspension, padded seat and total lack of sporty tank, but I'm tryin' man, I'm tryin'...

lol@Tech. Should jimmy take offense to that?

 

[Tech7]

It's all good clean internet fun! Asshat!
Now, it's too nice out, I'm goin' ridin!

 

[BigJimmyW13]

That's what I was doing while I was replying. Riding to my favorite breakfast spot.

I will let this build slide this time, but the next one that's all jacked up. I will have to confiscate.

 

[Teebs]

Thanks for the pass, brother.

I'm off too. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Teebs]

So, a little more progress, although I swear I've been struck by Murphy's Law every day over the last 2 weeks. Not with this particular chop though... well, except the flow regulator for my little welder quit on me Friday afternoon, just as I was getting ready to weld up my pipe hangers. That was after I ran out of argon on Wednesday in the middle of another project... ARG!

The XS is now in my garage as my brother has some projects he needs to complete in his shop, where the xs was My big welder is in the studio. Garage and studio are about 40 miles apart... And I don't take tools out of my studio.

Whateva. I cobbled together a new adapter for the regulator so I'm back in business but won't be in the garage until tomorrow or Tuesday.

AND so.. what I have done:

I worked on the XS rear brake stay: