Just a few of the bikes I've built for myself. I've done a ton of work on motorcycles, bicycles and automobiles for other people, as well as most any other thing that needed some welding done.
900 Kawasaki that I salvaged the frame from the scrap yard. Someone ran it into a parked car and bent the steering head and the down tubes out of whack. I machined up a new neck and modified the frame in order to make it useable again. It's got a 2" longer than stock swingarm made from 1x1-3/4 chrome moly tubing. The sidecar is of my own design. The original plan was for my brother and I to go vintage racing with this rig, but unfortunately, he passed away before that could happen.
My first sidecar. I took the engine and wheels from my drag bike and put them in the frame in the above photo. I made all the sheet metal - it's rather crude, but it was a great project to learn on. I didn't get a chance to get it finished completely. It still needed a fender for the sidecar and the two-tone paint. The color scheme was supposed to have a darker red metallic stripe on the tank, fender and sidecar. The paint colors were a Lincoln Continental combination. Surly and I took a trip to Eastern Kentucky with this thing - had a great time. When I got home a guy wanted to buy my drag bike, so I put the drag bike back together and sold it and the sidecar both.
My first frame build. Rather crude as well, but it went straight and was about all the budget would handle. That's my buddy Steve in the saddle at US 30 Dragstrip: "Where the great ones run!"
The second drag bike build. Much more professional this time around. I was doing welding work for a guy who sold drag bike parts and I would take my payment in bike parts. These were the parts on the sidecar rig. This baby was a hoot! I won money the first day out with it.
Perimeter frame using aircraft wing strut tubing. The engine and rear wheel were from the AHRMA racer. The front wheel has a hub I constructed myself using a Triumph backing plate The middle section of the hub is a piece of schedule 80 pipe that bolts to an aluminum plate that has 2" round bar welded to it that I bored out for the bearings. The aluminum plate bolts into the steel pipe and I machined everything overall to insure it all was concentric.
'78 Yamaha SR500. I had this one for a few years and rode it back and forth to work every chance I got. I didn't do any frame work on it but I did paint it myself. I was pretty happy with the flames.
I've posted some photos of this one before. I made this one from a tubeset purchased off of eBay - lugged steel construction. The rack is 3/8 stainless tubing. I've since replaced the saddle with a brown leather one and added a small brown handlebar bag. It's a nice riding, light weight bike that I've been riding since I screwed up my chest.
Vintage trials bike that is slowly nearing completion. I've been doing other things for other people and working on the clean-up. Surly came down last night and instead of working on the clean -up, we did some work on a bike project for him. Nothing too difficult, just easier in my shop than his.
The motorbike chopper that got started at the high school and I finished here after retiring. The students designed the frame and the "look". It's a fun little thing.
No particular reason, other than the birthday a few weeks ago, but taking stock of what I've done over the years and what I want to get finished before my time runs out. Even if I just rolled over, I've done a lot of cool things up to this point. Hopefully, I'll be able to do a few more. I definitely would like to see at least three more bike projects finished and a couple of car projects as well. Having the shop cleaned up will help. Maybe the sense of urgency that comes with old age might push me along as well. Time will definitely tell.
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