Here it is. It's a low quality pic but you can get the general idea. I've just mocked up some of the major components, no real work has started on this project yet. This is kind of a left-overs project. The only part I bought just for this project is the engine. The triumph frame is left over from a chopper project, gas tank from same, the seat will probably end up on the Scout, gsxr front end is left over from a streetfighter project and the headlight came with my Buick. The rear wheel I will be using is a 16" hd with a wide white on it, it's just not on the bike yet. Trans will be a triumph 4 spd box. Everything is going to be custom fit. I think the headlight is visually too heavy where it is due to its size and I may move it lower. It was just a handy place to put it using an old gas tank bracket that was easy to hand when I put it on there. It will be a while before I actually get started on this one. Too many projects. What do you all think?
You gotta be*****in joking. LOSE the testicular-elephantitis headlight and god forbids you from running the gixxer frontend. (ebay that... $$) Then come back with new pix. (you asked... ) actually, now that I think about it... what are the length and diameter of those shox? They're inverted right? If it'll fit on my "touring" bike, I may be very interested in that whole front end... pm me... but it looks less than hokey where you have it!
I like were your going but maybe you shouldn't run the gixxer, sell it and put a springer or girder on it(I dig girders myself). That headlite is WAYYYY to big no matter how low you mount it. I have a Trump front end that is REALLY cheap that would clean up the front of the bike lots. It does have the mount for the disc brake, I was gonna cut it off and turn them down(not a whole bunch tho)and run fork gaiters. And keep that 18" on the rear, looks******en! -Jesse
i'm gonna disagree. i saw that front end there before reading any of the text in this post and thought to myself... "huh, a guy that's willing to do his own thing. that looks cool." i say run it. but lose the headlight, yeah
I like the front end but it needs a matching wheel out back, think old TT racer meets new technology. Tho it wont go fast enough to really use those brakes like intended. -Jesse
Well, I agree with you guys on the headlight but not the front end. It stays. There's no way in hell I'll trade a good handling front end that actually stops when I say whoa for a pos spindly little thing just cause it looks old timey. As for a spool hub up front, one chopper with no front brake and only a 4" drum out back was enough for me. I guess you need a bit of a sense of adventure and some vision to 'see' this bike with this front end on it. What I do plan to do us paint the upper tubes black instead of that gray hammerite and get a spoked hub for the front and run a 19" wheel up there. Maybe even lose the brake from the right side. Then it will look pretty good. This is just a mock up after all. I'm going to flip the bars over and put a smaller headlight on there which should help for now. Hey burndup, guess you didn't really want to see my bobber pics after all, eh? Too freestyle for you? You'd like my Indian bobber though, it's going to be fully traditional.
Its all good! just given you a hard time! I think I have eccentric taste in bikes, they gotta be all the way or not at all, you know? Like taking a particular style and just nailing it. Doesn't have to be at all "trad," just consistant. (Notice how my bikes are stock and pretty weak, cause I can't pull it off yet... gimme time!) Like, I'd be all over the gsxr front end on an old triumph, if say you were gonna do it full-on cafe style... that would be truly sick. Its a logical and linear enhancement... But to ME, it seems awkward having it on the same bike as a 45. As how having drag slicks on an otherwise stock model A would be awkward. Thats just my preference. And yeah, I don't like the idea of actually doing a lot of riding on a bike with no front brakes either, totally with you on that. (cause you gotta be psychooo to ride a chopper!) We all like seeing pix, and expressing what WE would do, but you're building it, you're the one whose spent a lot of time staring at the parts and therefore have the vision. Its your bike, and you're gonna build it the way you want. Just keep posting the pix! We dig em, and we'll always tell you what we think. Later, J
The front end is definitely cool - got a brass knuckle look going on.. haha. But that headlight does look like a mutant elephant testicle (not that I ever saw one)..... keep the progress photos coming man. THat things got mucho potential!
i actually dig the front end a LOT! I like your idea of painting it black and running a single rotor too. And, I was going to suggest going with a bigger rim out front (preferable spoke), I dont think it will make a diff what size the front is 18,19, 21 whatever as long as its bigger then the rear... i would not go bigger then18 on the rear for sure though but a 16 might be cool? Well anyways, I like this bland of new and old and have a fully open mind to it! Did you see the current issue of streetfighters? there is a speed triple in there running spoke rims... the front is a 17 running a 120 so i dont think that will work for you but you might be able to ask the guy where he got the hubs machined (prolly too much $ b/c it will most likely be in the UK, but it be a start). so the headlight is a given... gots to go. now, as long as you're not oposed to blending new and old i think the bike might need something else new to tie the forks in a bit better... modern tread design tires? modern tech headlight so you can see? shiny paint, no suade pin strip bs on this one. looks good and i like your vision so keep us posted. pete
I don't know if the headlight is too big or just it's sittin' too high. I agree about the front wheel, should be spoked. The forks are ok. Kind of a lame photoshop but you get the idea.
Hey guys, thanks for all the constructive comments! We all agree that it's not cohesive in the styling dept but I'll keep hammering away at it until it is. Here's a couple more mock-up pics to try out. This is the actual rear wheel for the bike but the tire is a lower profile white wall. Front is still up in the air. The 19" spoked wheel doesn't give the right perspective sitting out front like that but I ran out of time. After I did this I came into the house to turn the computer on and heard this loud crash. Back in the garage this thing was on it's side with parts everywhere. Maybe that was the best mock-up yet! Thanks for the photoshop on the headlight too. I think I might try it moved down like that with the drop-bars turned over to ride low, just for kicks.
If you're running an "inverted" hydraulic tube frontend with a cast-aluminum wheel, please don't call it a bobber. Besides, w/o the complementing monoshock swingarm, it's not as great as you think it'll be. Being different is one thing, and I understand the safety issues...I run a stock-length '48 BT springer on my '52/'65 Pan with only a hydraulic disc in the rear. Stopping-wise, it's instant death if I ever get in a "situation". I'll make adjustments to that later. But as far as the "ride" is concerned, my current chassis setup rides better than my old Paughco straightleg with a late-model Narrowglide (and 80ci Flathead). I personally think the setup you're dealing with is a big contradiction, in many ways--just my opinion.
How do you get contradictions out of a bike being built out of spare parts? The whole thing is just a big bucket of stuff thrown together from the depths of my storage room! I've never seen any harm in having a little fun with automotive stuff. Anyways, I'm also thinking of trying a dual headlight setup on this little bobber using some '30s vintage fog lamps I have lying around. The yellow lenses look pretty cool as well. As far as this front end thing goes, it sure has drawn some controversy. I kinda like that. Maybe I'll leave it as is.
The Jalopy Journal
