Lars BMW rear suspension...

[Prof]

lars bought an R100/7 BMW that had been converted to rigid. But being in the country meant a sore back pretty quickly, especially with the original 4.00 rear tyre. So he asked me to create 1960's R60 suspension and get it a bit more ground clearance...


My workshop is getting full of projects, so to work on his bike I have to roll out three choppers each morning. Missing in the foreground is Stu's KZ1100 which I hope he will get to work on again soon, red rigid frame is recently purchased shovel frame for which I have everything to make a righteous chopper, next is Rob's shovel roller (I'm waiting for him to have some time to get down to continue on it).

Next is rather interesting... a BSA frame with agrafted in HD hardtail, I converted the steering head to accept HD bearings and it now has an HD narrow glide. Motor for it is under the rags; an XS500!

Next project in the lineup is another Rob's iron head that again is waiting its owner to have some time to work on it with me. Next is my CB750 project that has gone nowhere for a couple of years but I live in hope!

Chopper on stand is for sale ($6000) as soon as it has had a tuneup. Is up there to check points etc...


Here's the BM as Lars rode it in. Hard tail is bolt on. Quite nicely made, but too flimsy for my liking with a couple of basic engineering mistakes. Anyway, it is going and we'll see what we can cook up...


First step is to chase up a photo of an R75/5 series on the net for stock bike angle. This was traced (small piece of paper) and transfered to a larger "angleometer" via a home made enlarged protractor...


Bike is then put on a bike jack and blocked up to get the desired angle...


Next is ground clearance in this case 6" (150mm). We have to allow for sag when the bike's weight is on the wheels. I allow an inch at the rear and two at the front...


Next measure up for a stand...


Measurements onto paper...


1" angle is to be used and the pieces cut to length. Hole centres are marked with a marking guage, but a tape measure will work fine. Note that upright being measured is set on the base to give an accurate measurement... obvious but easily forgotten...


Holes are slotted at the top so stand can be removed once welded up. Here the rear one is bolted up and ready to weld...


Finished stand. Red arrow points to a temporary bracket welded to hard tail so legs don't collapse until all is welded up. Green arrow points to connecting bars to make the stand a stable unit...


Bike on stand. I had made a texta mark on the fork legs with the bike on its wheels and when I lifted it up, found that the forks actually collapse 80mm on a BMW about half their full travel. So not seen here are 20mm boards I place under the stand to get the extra ground clearance we will need plus and extra 10mm under the front of the stand...


Today, I took out the drive shaft housing and this afternoon, took the new swing arm and old shaft housing to Lonsdale (Lee McPeake Engineering) to have the shaft pressed out and put into the new swingarm.

Next job is to assemble swing arm to bike and check the swing arm angle against requirements to see if my measurements to date are correct.

Stay tuned...

[Prof]

Swing arm has grease, grit, a dent and lots of pits from rust, so gets a good clean with wire brush and flap disc. Decided to not fill dent as Lars is not super financial... is on top so can be touched up any time. Also some other extra jobs he may need done as in some new exhaust brackets as the originals were terrible and battery hold down is almost inaccessible. Seat front mounting bolt is not properly retained so these may add a bit of $$ if he wants them fixed...


Primed and painted...


Hard tail now removed and engine mount needs re spacering with the hard tail tab now gone. Spacer that was on left fits rhs perfectly, so just one to be machined up for the left side..


Measured and done...


Just for your interest, hard tail had a number of deficiencies which I thought worth pointing out to help would be builders. Front end of red line shows were hard tail was bolted to the rear engine mount. Ideally another support should have been set up at end of red line to provide sufficient rigidity. Secondly green arrow shows rear axle mount. This was simply a hole in the axle plate that the axle slid through, but with no retaining bolt. Ie only the right hand side of the frame resisted lateral movement. Eventually something would have broken... [Addenda: When Lars picked up the bike (10/8/18) he said the bottom frame tubes had both cracked and he had to get them sleeved and welded]...


top brackets are cut off (blue arrow) and paint is linished off the frame (red and blue) where the new sub frame will be welded on...


Footbrake lever had to be cut off too, to allow the frame to be attached. It will be welded on again once frame is complete and be a part of the gusseting...


With the wheel in place we can measure up the overall stance of the bike and angles of the swing arm, which should be down a little of the line of the motor...


An extra 15mm height will make it pretty close to what is needed...


Some pieces of 15mm timber added in...


Shocker on R60 is near vertical so we set these up the same. Will actually tilt the shockers back another 3 degrees to compensate for the front end dropping 80mm vs the rear 30mm...


Top 2/3rds of shocker should be covered with the mounting tube. I am waiting on some hydraulic tube that will be strong enough to mount the shocker. Here a bit of thin stock to test out set up which I will show later...


I purchased some lengths of 1" lead pipe many years ago and have about 3 four foot lengths left. Here bent to the approximate curve (needs to be a bit wider towards the bottom) so I can start rolling the 1" DOM tube we are using for the job...


More pics soon...

[Youngblood]

[Prof]

To set up angle of subframe I mount a ruler parallel to the ground...


Frame tube is 25.4mm x 3mm DOM tube and it is tough. My roller does not like it one bit and the job is tediusly slow compared to normal 1" tube...


Tube needs final bending with heat to get the final shape. It is then cut at each end a bit oversize, the angles cut approximately and then trimmed les than 5mm at a time until we have the right clearance between subframe and shocker...


A piece of cardboard is folded a few times and taped onto the swingarm to get the right clearance...


Trimming back the ends must be done with restraint; a little bit at a time. Final shape of ends need to be a close fit the the main frame for welding. This takes patience as not only does the end have to conform to the curve, but it also must be shaped so that the smaller diameter rear subframe lines up nicely with the outside of the mainfame... makes for an interesting cut. Close fit is important to reduces stresses when welding as well as preventing the tube from pulling out of alignment...


Top cut here seen just before the final shape is achieved; you can see the slight gap at the outside front...


Wednesday should see the second subframe tube bent and fitted. The extra challenge is for it to conform in all ways to the first. After that we can tack the two tubes and then add in cross bracing and guard, seat and exhaust mounts.

[Prof]

Forgot to show setting up the swing arm. It is centred using a verniers or engineers steel rule and the pivot pins screwed in to a preload of 15psi (which I guess). Then locknut needs to be tightened up...


Have to turn a 27mm socket down on the lathe to fit...


Has to be thin, but does the trick and doesn't crack...


Ok. Now onto the second sub frame tube. This time done with heat. A couple of lumps of steel plate go into the vice with one end of the tube to be bent. Our pattern (the left hand side) slides into the plates as out guide. Usually tube is bent by heating the outside of the bend to prevent buckling, but this tube has a 3mm wall and I don't want the outer side to flatten as we bend, so I heat the inside of the bend which will actually result in the tube being slightly more that 3mm on inside of the bend... and no flattening...


Takes 25 minutes. Less than half the time of rolling, so I will only charge Lars the this amount for the first side...


To cut and fit the rhs tube takes a lot of care and measuring. It needs to start at the same point on the back of the main frame. be at the same angle and be the same distance from the shocker. Time and patience of of the essence. This can't be rushed...


Measuring up the distance from the centre line reveals a couple of things. The rim is offset to the left by about 5mm.


The right shocker is 12mm closer than the left..


First job then is to machine up a spacer to set out the shocker or the whole kit and kaboodle will look lopsided with the style of seat and guard we are using...


Spacer is made to rest on a rodge machined in the hub, which will add some support to the bolt securing the shocker...


Centre line runs from centre of back bone down the centre of the tyre. We use a square to mark the beginning point of the right hand side tube...


Lots of trimming and trying finally produces two matching frame sides...


We need a cross piece to reinforce the tubes, carry the rear of the solo seat and for the forward mounting of the guard. Shocker travel is first measured to determine how far up and forwards the wheel may travel...


The wheel is then blocked up this amount plus 30mm to allow for the extra travel of the wheel (the axle is behind the shocker and will travel slightly more)...


We allow 15mm for clearance and add a mark on the top of the left tube...


Measure this from a known point and mark the other side the same distance back...


Guard which came off the rigid, needs to be reshaped to allow for wheel travel. The sides are pushed out progressively across the whole guard by adding some downwards pressure over a round surface, the horm of the anvil in this instance...


Guard on wheel at wheel's highest point. A couple of small pieces of 15mm tinber are under each end to give the needed clearance...


Cross piece is cut to length allowing 3mm overlap each end and then shaped on the grinder to fit over a piece of scrap 1" tube. I rarely dress this grinding wheel as I like the rounded shape for doing these jobs...


Front guard mount is a piece of 30 x3. It is drilled before curving to the shape of the guard. Because the guard is aluminium, I will fix it with three M8 bolts so the alloy is less likely to crack; remembering Lars rides over some pretty rough country roads and aluminium is not strong...


Bent on the edge of the anvil bed...


FCross piece in place. Testing bracket which will be welded underneath. I actually set it in position under the cross piece and tack it very gently with the MIG...


Bracket and cross piece then taken to the welding bench and bronzed... does a nice job with multiple curves...




Now for the seat. Lars is on a budget, but the pivot is awful. Original is very floppy which is not conducive to comfy cornering. Original seat tab has been redrilled (crooked and weakened) for an even smaller bolt with no locking set up. A better set up is essential...


I use 10mm shoulder screws which have a machined and hardened shaft and machined up a matching pivot piece with a 10mm hole...


This is welded to an extension made from angle iron with a brace. The angle allows for a decent weld to the back of the backbone...


More measuring. It is lined up with a machined join on the gearbox (blue dotted line)...


... and levelled...


The pivot needs to be high enough on the frame so the shoulder screw doesn't hit the frame when the seat is taken on and off. So we will lower the seat by cutting and bending its bracket. Something also needs to be done with the seat bracket because of the holes that had been drilled in it. By removing the holes we solve both problems...


Measure up cuts with verniers so it doesn't end up cockeyed...


Bracket welded into place and seat mounted...


Last job on the seat is to machine some bungs for the springs adn weld them in place. Slots are cut into the front to retain the springs and do away with bolts and nuts which are an absolute and time consuming pain on sprung seats. Bungs are 30mm high so the seat does not slope back when the rider is on it...


Seat mounted...


Now looking more like it!


Have had a glitch with supply of tube that will cover and mount the shockers... was supposed to be here Monday, but I found out finally this afternoon that the supplier had forgotten to notify the driver. Lars will be here in the morning and I was expecting we would make up these shocker mounts... so we'll just have to see what else we can do until the steel arrives hopefully in the early afternoon.

[Prof]

Got the steel (hydraulic tube) but it turned out too bulky and very heavy. Back to drawing board and we will use 1.6mm tube, beefed up in the appropriate areas. Would prefer thicker, but not available and this will be strong enough. The tube I have chosen allows about 6mm clearance, necessary because the swing arm moves in an arc and we don't want shocker rubbing on the cylinder...

So, here's the plan... the top shocker eyelet will fit into a clevis which bolts to the top of the shocker mounting cylinder allowing any rocking movement. Mitre 10 supply me with a couple of 50mm post tops that will fit the bill nicely for the top and have some nice shape to them...


Top of mounting cylinder needs to be thicker as it will carry the whole weight of the rear of the bike. Simple way to do this is sleeve it and do a multitude of plug welds. 8mm holes are drilled with a step drill and the burrs left on the inside are removed with a grinding wheel on the pedestal drill and run at top speed...


Sleeves cut and slit and inserted ready for plug welding. They protrude 10mm so the post caps can slide over and locate prior to welding...


Clevis's are cut from 3mm wall 50mm x25mm rectangular tube. Here marked for cutting. Then centres of holes measured, marked and drilled. Tube is then cut to create a clevis...


Parts laid out. M10 nut has been welded over one hole. An M10 bolt is welded to top of clevis. Caps are drilled and mounting cylinders now ready for welding...


Left shocker assembly bolted up...


Assemblies mounted on swing arm. Tomorrow we'll make the bracketry to weld them to frame... and then the bike can settle down on its wheels and we'll see if my measurements were correct!!...

[Prof]

Today we've completed the shocker mounts. First job is to make some reinforcing bars on shocker towers. Tubing is strong enough, but might tear at the welds being only 1.6mm. So we shape up some 30x3 flat bar...


Get both the same by clamping together and linishing...


Run a slight bend down the length of each bar using this cool little bender that fits in the vice... you do need a substantial vice to do this length...


8mm holes are drilled to be plug welded...


Then edges are bronze welded. The bars are under cut and plenty of heat applied to make for a strong weld...


Done and sitting back on the shockers...


Shocker towers will be joined using some heavy curved tube plus gussets below. ..


And what better to use than one of those horrible western bars. Tube is 3mm and saves bending. Two bends to be used are the two small pieces in the middle of the photo...


Before attaching we have to make sure everything is square. Sight across the rear axle as well as a double check with measuring tape from rear of fuel tank...


With bike level check for vertical. Wooden blocks and wedge holds it right...


Both towers welded with mig. This would probably be sufficient, but to be safe will add the gussets as well...


Patterns made and 30x3 bar cut and shaped...


Gusset each side of curved tube welded in. Should be a strong set up that looks light and nice as well...


Now the big test! you may remember the forks compress a lot when the bike is off the stand and there was a lot of measuring and a bit of guesswork about how high to start off. Well we wanted 5" ground clearance... and guess what?
We achieved it. Rear shockers are on softest setting and are fairly soft anyway so Lars may wish to preload them a bit. But we got what we aimed for, which is encouraging...


Looks good...


A simple rear guard bracket incorporating the tail light will come next. Rear brake lever has to be set up as a part of the gusset that will go down the bottom at the rear of the frame join. Side stand also needs lengthening and we'll have to add a couple of threaded bungs to mount the exhausts.

Need to get on with another bike for the moment and come back to this one in a couple of weeks.

[Prof]

This week we are able to get back onto Lars machine. Since the last post I have also begun on the exhausts and set up the brake, but more on them later. Today I continued the rear guard/taillight/number plate set up. You may remember tail light and number plate were originally side mounted. Not compliant of course and actually more trouble than they are worth from my own experience. Anyway, enough of that.

Lars wants the guard shorter than I originally set it up, so a piece of masking tape gives a nice straight guide for the bandsaw... an old hacksaw bandsaw separated from its base and mounted upright...


Double check the clearance...


A simple one piece stay made of 12mm stainless tube will support the rear of the guard. Here ready to bend. These benders are great value, low priced and very useful...


Main bend needs to slope upwards to clear guard and support taillight etc. Guidelines are drawn out on the floor so I can bend it evenly each side...


Bends are done progressively in the vice using a long piece of pipe for controlled leverage...


The guard has a pair of mounting holes towards the rear which I will use to keep things tidy. A couple of threaded bungs will receive M8 stainless button heads. Holes are drilled 13mm deep and threaded starting with a taper tap and finished with a bottoming tap...


Bungs finished...


Mudguard stay and bungs set up...


How it will look...


Now for taillight/number plate combo. Number plate outline is traced onto 2.6mm aluminium plate. BMWs don't vibrate so I can go this thin.
For bikes with vibration I use 3mm. Taillight is a Vincent style, here being measured with a calipers...


Caliper opening measured with verniers...


This diameter measurement is halved and transfered to a dividers...


Which is used as a compass to mark the curve of the taillight above the number plate. The same arc is also used to join the light and plate sections...


Cut out on the bandsaw and cleaned up on the linisher and then this littlebelt sander side mounted. It is handy because I can clean up small curves...


Tail light is held by two M5 bolts... Here marking their centres with a scriber...


Taillight also has external wiring pins which need to protrude through the aluminium plate. They are marked by pressing a piece of paper onto the back of the light. Despite what I learned at primary school dirty fingers are very beneficial in fabrication...


Hole centres punched through paper...


Holes drilled with a step drill...


Assembly put together and sitting on the bike...


When finally mounted assembly will be 20mm or so lower, though I will leave final decision to Lars who is probably looking at this post as I type...


Tomorrow I expect to get the guard and taillight final assembled and get on with the exhausts...

[Prof]

Got in half a day's work on the BM rear guard and tail light mounting. Mounting rail is in stainless and we need a stainless tab on each end. Each tab has two M8 button heads fixing the tab to a matching 8mm threaded block welded to the shocker mount. Here the two tabs and two blocks are marked and punched ready for drilling and tapping...


Drilled and tapped and bolted together ready for welding...


Verniers used to set them in place...


Blocks have been bronzed to shocker uprights and then tabs welded to the guard rail...


protruding ends cut and folded with heat and welded over...


Cooled in sand. Stainless has a tendency to work harden and slowing cooling will reduce loss of strength at the weld...


Now for tail light/plate mount. Stainless 30 x 3 is marked so bolts won't obscure numerals...


Assembly will be held to bracket with M6 stainless button heads and nutserts. Nutserts are handy for situations like this where not a lot of strain is involved. much tidier and quicker than welding on nuts...


Face...


Obverse side...


The tab now needs to be welded to the guard rail. So the weld doesn't protrude and foul the tail light mount, I put a slight bend in the bracket with this nifty folder. Will only just handle the 3mm stainless and you need a substantial vice to operate it...


Centre of curved surface like this guard is done with a strip of paper, folded in half...


First weld. Bracket has been taped in plade. The long bolt holds the bracket at the correct spot on the rail. Now that it is tack welded it can be squared all ways with a hammer (side to side) and a shifter (twist)...


Welded and all bolted together...


With the bracket only held at the rail there is a fair bit of leverage which could crack the weld over time, so I will extend the oottom bolt and use a custom washer to clamp the bracket to the tip of the guard. This will make all the difference without haveing to add an extra bolt...


How it looks. Just some final welding and Lars can do a bit of tidy up on the welds and it will look the goods...


Now I can get onto the header pipes...

[Prof]

Final job on the taillight assembly is to secure the bottom end of the tab. I will use a bit longer bolt with a thick slotted washer and locknut to hold the tab to the guard lip. Measure with verniers...


Turn up an ally washer on the lathe and slot it in the mill (angle grinder will do the job too)...


Finished article...


Bolted in place and tightens up the whole assembly really nicely...




Exhausts...

Exhausts on Lars BMW, leave a lot to be desired. They don't match each other, in fact one is two inches lower...


Pipes also drop very low...


... and are rather kinked. Lars asked me to tidy them up, but it is much cheaper to start pretty much from scratch...


Fisrt step is to make up a couple of brackets for the pipes at the rear engine mount...


A mistake often made with exhaust brackets is to misunderstand how thin exhaust material is and how weak a single line of weld is. The exhaust under vibration and road shocks will eventually crack along the edge of the weld. Solution is to run a pair of parallel welds by folding the bracket. Stress is now spread over a much larger area and the bracket is now immensely strong...


Two pieces of straight pipe are heated to make a gentle bend (yellow arrow). I have pieces of solid bar machined to slide into the ends of different sized pipes for this purpose...


Bike is now levelled...


Pipes are measured and tack welded to brackets. Left pipe sets the height because of the side stand lug. Some cardboard is taped to the pipe to give clearance and tied into place...


Level is placed across the framework and both pipes set the same height...


Wedge slid between pipe and engine bolt to set right pipe in place...


I am keeping the upper part of the header which is a nice curve and not kinked. New bottom curve will be made from a mandrel bend. Would be nice if I could bet a wider radius bend, but have to use what I have available. To match the mandrel bend to the straight and curved pipe we use a pattern made from some stainless MIG wire. Match it to the curve of the mandrel bend...


Using the pattern. Where the pattern touches the upper curve is marked and the pipe cut...


Marks on patter determine where bend is to be cut...


Cut a few mils longer; easier to cut some off rather than add some. Here you can see curve needs a bit over 2mm removed off the back end...


Now welded strongly enough to remove and finalise welding. Note that inner side of mandrel bend is wider because of pipe squashing when bent, so some cuts are made in the mandrel bend so it can be tapped into size...


Now for left side...


Mufflers need brackets to support them. These are made from 8mm x 25mm bar so they can be threaded. They are aligned for welding with some 6mm threaded rod...


To finalise muffler position, the headers need to be firmed up with the header clamps. But to tighten them I need BMW Tool xxxxx! Hmm! Manufacture one. Use an old galv water pipe T piece...


Mark where the cuts will be...


Fits nicely...


Does up nicely...


Last job is to make up the final muffler brackets. Make nice curves by centre punching the hole location and swinging an arc with a dividers...


Centre drill all holes if you want accuracy. Twist drill bits have a flat end. So if you don't use a centre drill, the twist drill will wander and your hole will be off to one side...


Most of the curve can be done with the angle grinder...


Finish on the linishing belt by holding plate vertically...


Not horizontally...


Brackets have to be offset by 10mm. Done in this cool vice bender...


Measuring offset. Both ends have to be parallel. As you can see, the one the ruler is on needs a bit more bending...


Mufflers have slots. Bolt heads need to be rectangular so they don't turn. I could weld a tab to the bolt head as I have done previously, but these hex washer head bolts just work with a flat ground in the washer on opposite sides...


Muffler bolted in place...


Exhausts are now welded and linished and fabrication is complete. Final job is heat relieving the welds to the chrome moly frame and painting the frame.

[Prof]

Back on the final bits...

Polishing rear guard...
Prepared the rear guard bracket for polishing with the following tools...
1. Die grinder with grinder bit to smooth any weld bumps,
2. Die grinder and emery cylinders to remove grinder marks,
3. Right angle die grinder with sanding discs followed by buffs...


Then onto the polishing wheel using polishing soap to end up looking pretty schmick...


Frame...
As mentioned earlier, BMW made these frames out of chrome moly, a bit of a surprise for a 70's bike. This material is much more susceptible to brittleness near the weld than mild steel and many advise stress relieving with heat especially when MIG welded. Not being an experienced with moly, I researched on the net and asked a number of welders. Results were interesting to say the least, with internet experienced welders vehemently taking opposite opinions on both MIG welding moly and on stress relieving. They included airframe, race car welders and statements about current airframe manufacturers. I finally settled on advise from an South Australian builder of chrome molly roll cages. He said TIG is better with moly but not essential. Said the only way to truly stress relieve the welds is to put the whole frame in an oven with specific settings of time to maintain a set temperature and a cooling down phase. He does not stress relieve his cages, but takes care with his welding. His advise in this case was 1. to make sure I had a large weld area to spread stresses; achieved by extra gusseting and 2. for piece of mind, I could play a flame over the areas and heat the metal around the welds but not to any redness.. and just let it cool naturally...

So, I will go ahead with original plan to gusset the joints... and will add some gentle heat once all done.

Most value you will get out of cornflakes is to use the packets (supplied by a friend!) to make patterns...


Left and right top gussets can be indentical...


Then cut out of 3mm plate. Hole to be added in the centre; 1. to look cool and 2. to allow a little extra flex in the gusset. Strange you may say. Well you will notice the gusset is highly curve at the rear. This means the gusset progressively thins out as it approaches the frame tubes. This is important to prevent a stress point where the gusset meets the tube. A flat end to a gusset would cause a tendency for the tube to crack at the end of the gusset. Also gussets should not be located in the centre of the tube as this is the weakest part of the tube and a crack can occur here too. The side is much stronger...


Clamped together and held in the vice with another G clamp. Closest to viewer is a vice grip to steady everything as gussets are drilled with the hole saw...


Pair ready for welding...


Welded in place along the side, but just slightly in...


Buttom gussets done next; left side...


Right side incorporating brake mounting...


Side stand...

I lengthened the side stand earlier on and set the bike at the right angle, but spring needs fixing as it is too loose and falls off and the side stand has a few woofs in it as it was not worth finishing until pipes were installed and I could sort out retraction clearance.

I normally heat and rebend springs, so proceed...


Shortened and rebent...


Unfortunately it immediately straightens under tension, so I reheat and quench. Try to put it on and it snaps. This spring is just too brittle...


Out with my spring collection. Find one the right length a bit lighter (Original broken spring on right)...


Works fine. Straighten the kinks in the stand. Retracts well and bike sits at right angle. Got called in to tea at this point, so will grind off a couple of lumps tomorrow and then it will just be stress relief and painting...

[Prof]

Lars picked up his cafe'd BM today. Here's the remainder of the story...

Final jobs included cleaning up any dags from welding. Side stand also had some funny lumps of weld and steel on it from a previous life. Surprises customers how much time final prep takes...


With gussets welded in, the four points where the new sub frame meets the original moly BM frame are heated and allowed to cool to help normalise the metal around the welds...


Rags assist the masking tape to quickly mask out what is not to be painted. Here the primer laid on...


Then on with the satin black and YUK!!! CAn is faulty and full of jellied paint. Have to ride back to the shop and get a replacement. Seems they have had a run of cans with this problem. Could have warned me yesterday because I now have to leave this area to dry overnight...


... and get rubbed back and repainted...


Frame painted...


Exhausts... Lars previously had them wrapped. I decided to give them a decent paint because if he puts them under wraps they will tend to rust. Secret of a lasting exhaust paint job, I have found is to use a good quality 2000 degree primer and top coat and do some progressive heatings. It also helps to coat the initial 12" inside if you can with primer and top coat...


Rear alloy guard gets a polish before installation...


Only wiring needing done is to taillight. Simple? Well should be. However once the two wires (running and brake) are isolated, excess wires are cut out...


...and wires extended to tailight and covered in heat shrink...


Taillight has a rather primitive method of wire attachment... spring loaded caps... leaves everything to get moist and dusty...


A pair of narrow clamps retain the universal drive boot. The bolt on one is seized and bent. WD40 and a special screw driver is used to finally get it freely moving...


If you look at the screwdriver blade in the previous photo, you will see a line across the blade. This is because the blade has been filed to better fit screws. Screw drivers as they come form the shop, have a slightly angled blade (diagram #2). This causes the blade to tend to twist out of the screw slot . The answer is to file the end of the blade so the faces are parallel (diagram #1). I have a number of screwdrivers filed to use with hose clamps and clamps like this...


Brake lever needs to be bent outwards to clear muffler. I use this big old wrench and heat...


Finished job, now clearss muffler nicely...


Lars will need a 'C' spanner to adjust the rear shockers. I have one that is close, just a little small. Use this as my pattern. Draw around the pattern on some 3mm plate. Then mark in a broad texta patch over the whole distance...


Then use a sharpened spoke to make an accurate outline and cut out with thin cutting disc. curve is smoothed with a grinding blade...


Notch is final shaped with a three corner file. Remember to only put pressure on file in the forward movement...


Works a treat...


Friday morning and the machine is ready to be collected. Take it for a spin and she tracks nice and true. Something about a BM. My father's 75/6 (900cc actually), the one bike I regretted selling recently. This one is also lovely to ride. But being an old school chopper rider, I'd never get to ride it. Too bent over to be comfy for long and no sissy bar when I go to the supermarket or one of the many shops I visit to get bits for the workshop! But... if had had a non chopper it would be a BMW cafe...




The new back end...




New pipes... business like...




Waiting for its owner, rose among the thorns?!!


Lars and mate roll up to collect. Kevin and Peter also roll in to say g'day while we are finalising things...


... including a couple of spins to get some video clips (You can see one of them on Facebook)..


Loaded and hready to go home. EH is a fitting carrier...


One more happy Chopper Shed customer... who'll be coming back shortly to add the DNA springer I have in the workshop...

[Skip]

Great work Prof..love the build..Lars has a cool bike there!!