Step 18: 2 minutes later, with the help of a grinder and cut-off wheel, the old cross member was out of the way. While overall happy with the frame, the seat cross member was crooked by a full 1/4”. Step 17: One detriment to a repop frame, depending on who makes it and where is that some quality can suffer. Step 16: The final front end all assembled and in place is quite the difference from the stock hydra glide forks and lightens up the entire bike considerably. The frame was then drilled and tapped to accept a small set screw which holds each in place. Step 14 & 15: As the holes for the seat post and tach cable were not going to be used, some aluminum round stock was turned down on the lathe for some stepped blanking plugs. Drilling out the threads on holes you are going to fill ensures that you get the grime and oil out, resulting in a clean weld. Step 13: Stock gauge mounting points were cut off of the top tree, the remainder of the threaded holes welded up and the whole area smoothed on a belt sander. The hex stock was welded to the front of the neck, and the whole setup will be very subtle once the headlight is installed. The lower tree was drilled, the pins pressed in and welded from the bottom after having some detail added to them on the lathe. Step 11 & 12: Fork stops were needed, and a bit of steel round and hex stock were the solution. Step 10: The final TIG welds with good penetration, and kept just shy of flush to the OD of the stem so the bottom bearing will go on and off with ease. Step 9: Heavy chamfers on each piece ensure good weld penetration, and a V-block is essential for making sure the stem is straight and true. A piece of 1” OD cold rolled steel turned down on the lathe made for a slug, perfect for the job. Step 8: To run the early 1950's Triumph forks on an H-D frame, the Triumph stem needs to be extended by about 1/2”. The key to a project like this is a variety of tools, and remember that power tools are not always the best choice, the file and hacksaw can be your friend. Step 7: Note that the cast lug was also cut off the top of the neck to clean things up a bit. You could also cut small patch pieces and weld them in place if desired instead of using straight filler. Step 6: TIG welding the holes in the neck, though a MIG would work just as well. The holes from the bore for the fork lock are open and exposed and will need to welded shut. Step 5: Grinding and filing away the rough edges, being careful not to bite into the neck more than necessary. Step 4: A variety of tools to smooth out the metal in the tight crevices of the neck were used: pneumatic die grinder, hand files and a Dremel with assorted attachments. Drilled a hole in each corner of the cast area and connected the dots with a jigsaw. Step 3: Windowing the neck seemed like a fun and motivating place to start. Step 2: Started with a repop wishbone frame, cheaper and easier to find than an OG frame. Step 1: I picked up a '59 Harley-Davidson FLH motor, trans and title in a later frame complete with tons of junky bolt on parts. Tyler Build the Frame for Your Custom Chopper I hope you enjoy watching the build unfold. This build was all done in a tiny one bay workshop behind my house, which was part of the outbuilding where Lowbrow Customs was housed for a number of years. I had Jesse Bassett at The Gasbox rebuild the motor and I was off to a rolling start. I ended up getting a good deal on it, trading the rolling chassis for some carpentry work, and selling off all the rest of the bits and pieces I didn't want. I kept seeing this bike on Craigslist as a titled '59 FLH, though the motor looked roached and it was in a late 60's swingarm frame and festooned with lots of aftermarket reproduction Harley parts loosely bolted in place. I dug this up and figured it was worth sharing, as it shows steps all along the process, from a basket case Panhead bought locally on Craigslist on to the finished chopper which I still enjoy.Īt the time, I had never owned a Harley-Davidson, having a number of Triumph motorcycles, as well as a random assortment of BSA, Yamaha, and other makes over the years. I took these photos and wrote the associated words back in 2011 or so, which ended up as a four-part build article in Hot Bike magazine.
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