GS500 Hardtail Sort Of Chop/Bob/Molested Bike Thing

[Pattman]

So here we are again, another bike project, and a happy west country Pattman. Time to fabricate!! Well, once the ring roller turns up and I've cleared my garage of all the crap I accumulate.

Back ground story of (theres always a background story); saw it for a bargain price, whipped it round the block and bought it to commute to work. I wasn't a massive fan of the GS once I took it out properly, its small (I'm touching 6'4), my legs cramp up, it lacks any sort of soul, is to quiet, handles ok but not great, brakes work to an extent, god awful three spoke alloy wheels and it looks like a typical 90's midlife crisis bike... but good enough for a hardtail, was the thoughts running through my head as I just about touched a ton flat out over the top of the scenic Mendip hills, sporting a piss pot with my chin bouncing off the fuel tank. Yeah, this project would work I thought and then somehow I managed to be chased by the resident pissed off satan loving goats through Cheddar Gorge... as you do...

I then need to be more mobile with work so back to my van being stuck in traffic but blasting Motörhead very loud, a small compromise, and the bike gets sacrificed to be molested by an angle grinder wielding mad man.

So here it is as standard as it left the factory apart from some adjustable levers.


Updates to follow... if the goats don't get me.

[CrackityJones]

Subbed and watching.

[Pattman]

Ring roller finally turned up after the delivery guy decided he'd rather have it in the back of his truck for two days... asswipe. But its here, assembled and ready to go. Had to do a bit of minor adjustment to the dies though as they where either to big or to small, typical metric/imperial compatibility issues.


Former met grinder, former had a bit of weight loss surgery and now everything works as it should.



And my lad made sure the ring roller was up to task.


Bench building next, jig making then tear down time.

[Pattman]

Finally made the top of the bench that I'd had cut and waiting to weld together for the last two years. Still contemplating making a height adjustable base or to just have it one height. I'll see what stock I've got left.




And the steering neck holder made from box section I've had lying about for over three years, about time it earned its keep.

[Pattman]

Carrying on...





M16 threaded bar, it'll be plenty strong enough to do what I want it to. I'll make some cones to centre the steering neck solid and make it a lot easier to work on.

The jig can go to 33 degrees but with a little grind it'll go more. About right for what I want anyway. I've found another GS500 frame to chop up to salvage the steering neck from to make the frame so I can still bat the crap out of this one for the time being.

Rear frame jig to make to take the spindle mounts and sort out the height of the bench so its level then work can start on the frame.

[Pattman]

Finally had some time to do some more. Not much but chopped the steering neck from the frame and made some centre adaptors for the jig to mount the neck.

[BobberFreak]

Hi.
I have a similar GS. I'm going to mod it some day and maybe this would be one option.
At the moment GS is a Flat Tracker. Pics can be seen in my pic folder.
Is your project has progressed or the goats has caught you?
Br.
Janne

[Pattman]

Getting there and the goats haven't got me yet, little buggers! Bench is up, axle plates made and jig is in place. Bench has been laser levelled in and bolted down so all measurements can be taken of off it for reference and making sure everything is true and straight. Heights have all be worked out, 6" from bottom rails to ground as the exhausts are going to be run under the frame and side exiting through a muffler box. The heights of the axle plates and headstock have been lowered accordingly so the bench is at frame rail height so everything can sit straight on it. Everything has been centred so it should be plain sailing, hopefully.





All the steel is here for the frame and I've got some sheet steel waiting to be made into a fuel tank and battery box etc. Need to find or make a seat, headlight, electric box, fuse holder and sissy bar for camping gear. Build time, at last.

[BobberFreak]

Great!
Looking good, keep on rocking
Br
Janne

[Pattman]

Went for a ride to the last RBL bike night of the year, was a good turn out. Had fun dodging the goats and now deer chucked in the mix through the gorge on the way home....

Front down tube notched, tacked, straightened and welded, lower rails bent and notched to the down tube ready for rear ends to be bent and notched for the axle plates. All good fun.

[Pattman]

Carrying on, blasting out rock and blues in the garage, had an epiphany of what to do with the top tube.... *I didn't really, it*sounded good though. *Formers worked ok with a bit of brute force keeping it straight. *Need to come up with a name for it now, its getting to the point where it should have one. *Bits of shit welded together just doesn't really have the ring to it. *Anyway, pictures and more pictures.

Frame rails cut, notched and channelled for the down tube and axle plates





I worked a length of tubing through a ring roller making the constant curve, offered up before notching



After notching and tacked





Welded in with a crossmember taking the end to the frame rails, i'll gusset this later on to make sure the bastard is solid



With a cross member to keep the shape and deter distortion, also gives a nice shape for the fuel tank I'll make later on. *The lower rail is on a backwards fall so giving the tank a natural flow to the right place. *Forward thinking or what mother fucker!



The rear frame rails will be something like this. *I'm planing on taking the seat down as far as possible so your low to the ground but as the bike will only be roughly 400mm wide and 6" off the ground, leaning through the*corner*will be easy, hopefully.



I'm liking where this bike is going and the shape its taking, probably the best looking one so far. *I want to change the wheels though, looking at Kawasaki 8-9 spoke *mag*wheels instead of the three spoke things, I'll see how it looks when they are on, with good tyres its purely for looks.

[Pattman]

Nice quiet weekend rocking out in the garage building a bike frame, bliss. *Frame is all but complete, some brackets / gussets*(oh matron!) to make and weld in, engine mounts, exhaust mounts, tank mounts, battery box, electrics box, rear brake torsion arm and loads of other stuff I've probably forgotten.

Rear wheel is in for now, need to make some cross members for the mud guard to fix to and figure out where the indicators and associated cables are running. *I've got a plan for the brake light to make it a bit different but inconspicuous.... now thats got you thinking hasn't it....

Rear frame rails cut and welded in place, cross members yet to go in



GS getting dismantled. *Now the problem here is that the exhaust studs are fucked, big time. *Looks like its weld a nut on the end and try to get them out that way but the heads are rusted to shit and falling apart. *May drill them out and try the lock nut approach on the studs.



Rear wheel in and spaced roughly enough with what I had to hand. *Think I'll be going for either straight bars or mini Z bars depending if I get them made or I make them.



Had to have a go making bike noises, its compulsory you know, everyones got to make a twat out of them selves at some point and I'm the master.

[Tattooo]

What kind of a gas tank are you planning on running????

[Pattman]

I'm making one to go in the gap between the top tube and cross rail, probably come out near to the width of the engine

[Pattman]

Three hours. Three f*****g hours to get two exhaust headers off thanks to two rusted bolts sheering off and having to be drilled out. But they are off and the engine can come out at last. Just as well I'm making a new pair from the header back as the mi section is rusted to hell and fell apart when I took it off literally snapping in half.
When the engines out I can get it aligned with the rear wheel, mounts made and bolted in, petrol tank can be mocked up with loads of cardboard, electrics box etc etc, the list goes on and on......