I want to build my own Bike any ideas?

    • 1161 posts
    February 8, 2010 2:48 PM PST
    Im in to choppers and bobbers any one have any referances online or books along with motors (Styles, Reliablity, Stroke Sizes)?

    Any ideas and advice welccome.   Metric not excluded 

    Buy the way: The Less Wireing the better.
  • February 8, 2010 3:28 PM PST
    old school is always a crowd pleaser,re building me a 74 soft tail low n fatl
    • 1780 posts
    February 8, 2010 5:23 PM PST
    For me I'm a big fan of Pan Heads and up-sweep fish tails,,,,nothing screams Old School like those two
    Dragon
    • 1780 posts
    February 8, 2010 5:26 PM PST
    Seakers wrote...
    Im in to choppers and bobbers any one have any referances online or books along with motors (Styles, Reliablity, Stroke Sizes)?

    Any ideas and advice welccome.   Metric not excluded 

    Buy the way: The Less Wireing the better.

    I tell ya what.....I saw a choped out Yamaha Road Star once that was one bad ass looking scooter. I believe the Road Star has the push rod motor, somebody correct me on that if I'm wrong

    Dragon
    • 1161 posts
    February 8, 2010 5:27 PM PST
    cool thanks guys for the info.
  • February 8, 2010 6:38 PM PST
    Having built a few bikes, the first things i would tell ya to get after you find a bike is a factory service manual and factory parts catalog. If metric is an option there are lots to chose from and at good prices. I like Suzuki but thats just me. If you can find a pan head at a good price grab it quick. If bucks are tight and ya want a Harley I would go with EVO sporty. The ironheads are nice but lots of work to keep them running. There are forums on line for just about any bike or style you could want to do. The one that helped me the most even before I got my ironhead was XLforum.net. Ebay and crageslist will become your best friends. Get it set in your mind just what you want and go for it. If I can help in any let me know. Moose
  • February 8, 2010 8:48 PM PST
    I just typed "choppers" in the search at ebay and got 21,144 results, might be something useful for you there, anything from chassis to motors.
    • Moderator
    • 19004 posts
    February 8, 2010 9:30 PM PST
    Yeah, listen to Moose for he has built some really nice ones.
  • February 8, 2010 9:46 PM PST
    thanks Rex
  • February 8, 2010 10:01 PM PST
    First order of business is to pick a motor to start with............

    evo,  flathead, ironhead, k-model, knuckle, pan, shubble .............

    I think the Knuckle head is cool, maybe I'm related or something.........
  • February 8, 2010 10:49 PM PST
    Knucks are nice, but a good single rebuildable head will cost you almost a grand. If you want a solid reliable drivetrian then start with a stock new Evo. A little work, and a light overall bike makes for good performance with a easy to live with engine. Sure you can get a Rev Tech 100" for the same money, but you are not getting as much motor, and there is alot to be said for the ability to get parts at the local dealer.
    For frames there are a zillion options for the Evo, and that leaves you to find your personal style. Remember though you want to be able to ride what you build, and while hard tails are cool, and cheap. They will also beat you up pretty good. Same goes for a springer front[except the cheap] If you must build a springer do LOTS OF HOMEWORK. The forks will make, or brake a build on the sreet
  • February 8, 2010 11:32 PM PST
    Sorry I mis-read the original, thought it said "Metrics not Included"...... you won't get any argument about the Evo being the best Harley motor for reliability and parts availability, you can buy and see them anyplace dime a dozen. The reason I feel like this, down here when the Harley shop has an event or going to BikeWeek I see the following average, if there's 500 Harleys in a line 3 might be shovels, 1 pan, 1 knuckle and maybe 1 flathead or ironhead.  

    Personally when I'm scanning custom bikes I go right past the Evo's without a thought unless they are set up as a street legal drag bike or cafe racer. I'll walk over to admire an old beat up oil leaking knucklehead or pan before I'll walk to a brand new kazillion dollar world famous chopper you see on the discovery channel from one of the stars, they all look alike to me.

    The old Harley's stock or home built are just more worthy of respect knowing what a man has got to go through to build, maintain and ride one.

    Choosing Metric or Harley is all you and what you plan to do with it, the metrics will be more dependable if you plan to ride it any distance for sure and the sky is the limit for what you can do with them but how often do you see someone taking a trip on a chopper? Or why would anyone want to?
  • February 9, 2010 1:54 AM PST
    nightdragon wrote...
    For me I'm a big fan of Pan Heads and up-sweep fish tails,,,,nothing screams Old School like those two
    Dragon


    I agree with Nightdragon 100% Pan and fishtail upswept just doesn't get any better. 

    • Moderator
    • 19004 posts
    February 9, 2010 2:05 AM PST
    FourEyedFloyd wrote...
    nightdragon wrote...
    For me I'm a big fan of Pan Heads and up-sweep fish tails,,,,nothing screams Old School like those two
    Dragon


    I agree with Nightdragon 100% Pan and fishtail upswept just doesn't get any better. 


    Yeah Floyd and Dragon, that is a great look.

    BUT (one of my big buts)

    I would also like to build and old Super-glide or FL sport looking bike. Wait a minute that is whu I ride a Road King.

    Nevermind...

    • 0 posts
    • 0 posts
    February 9, 2010 2:55 AM PST
    sorry, should have put a picture

  • February 9, 2010 3:00 AM PST
    Wild! Still there is no replacement for the HD, Shovel, Pan or Knuckle and you can get new built Knucks and Pans now all you need is $$$$$.
  • February 9, 2010 3:05 AM PST
    you got that right, all five of them, $$$$$.00
  • February 9, 2010 3:21 AM PST
     My second chopper (the first was a 62 Triumph Trophy 500) built out of a box of 48 panhead parts. Built this one 45 years ago. 
  • February 9, 2010 3:32 AM PST
    Older than me ................. you Old Coot! lol
    • 1161 posts
    February 9, 2010 5:22 AM PST

    ok thank you all for the info and yes it WON'T be a hard tail with my back problems but I have always loved the look and style of a stretched out front end but not like some of the extream ones tho ( like FourEyedFloyd is about right).

    Bobbers are cool look all there own.  But to me Choppers are old school to me,  not like some of the new ones they make now a days on an assembly line.

    These are some of the Parts books (Catalogs) I currently have and are all over 800+ pages of parts along with a harley-davidson 2010 bikes and parts.

  • February 9, 2010 5:29 AM PST
    Brother, Whatever you going to built. Just built it. My friend and I try do one every year. We work out of a garage we call it. The Shovel Shop. We make extra money on building and fixing. But, there is a catch. We only work on Old Bikes(Harley's). It isn't that we can work on the new one's.But, It's the fixing off and an old bike and bringing it up back to life. To hear thunder of the sound! Well, It's just brings me tears of joy. Feel Like a baby being born! Priceless!
    • 1161 posts
    February 9, 2010 6:25 AM PST
    I orignally wanted to go to school to learn how to work on bikes but with out the know how at all it makes it hard to do it tho. but I want to learn with out distroying my project I know some very basic things but all the little things like front shock oil seals exc. Along with limited funds. That is why I am asking for advice.
  • February 9, 2010 8:37 AM PST
    The best way to learn how to do it, is...do it. Get a manual for the bike you are working on and take your time. The first bike I ever worked on was a 1962 triumph trophy 500, no parts no book no nothing. Messed with it for a long time and talked to every one who knew anything about them. long story short it started me working on Honda 305's and Indian Chief's then HD and now BMW's. It is great when you do it yourself and even better when it works afterwards.
    • 1161 posts
    February 9, 2010 1:26 PM PST
    FourEyedFloyd wrote...
    The best way to learn how to do it, is...do it. Get a manual for the bike you are working on and take your time. The first bike I ever worked on was a 1962 triumph trophy 500, no parts no book no nothing. Messed with it for a long time and talked to every one who knew anything about them. long story short it started me working on Honda 305's and Indian Chief's then HD and now BMW's. It is great when you do it yourself and even better when it works afterwards.



    Ok,  Thanks for the advice and thanks every one for your input.