Monday, November 28, 2011

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sidecar Sunday

This 1920 JD Harley was owned by my father's cousin, Chris Kusto, who use to run Antique Cycle Supply in Cedar Springs, MI. These photos were actually taken right in Chris' driveway.
Chris and Bruce Lindsay seen here in a news clipping from a small town they stopped in when they were on a 4 state road trip including a stop at the Harley factory. (More on that story at another time).
Here is Chris in a 2 page spread about their trip in an issue of American Motorcyclist, August, 1984. That Harley racing shirt use to be my father's. He wore it when he was a kid and hes the one who cut the sleeves off. He later sent it to Chris and it was used in some of the photos in the Antique Cycle Supply Catalog.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Still More Steib Work!

My apologies if this is all I've been posting lately but this really the only thing I've been working on lately motorcycle wise. Also as soon as this is finished I can start working on the 550 Suzuki project again.
I used the two vice clamps to get the flanges as flat as possible against each other to make for a better weld.

 
I started cutting material out so the new panel can lay flat against the body so I can trace my lines for the final cuts.
 
Lookin better all the time!

Monday, November 14, 2011

More Steib Work

Since the two bottom panels are done the next piece that had to be made was the inside support piece. A quick template was made.
 
  
This piece turned out great. With all the pieces made I can start cutting the floor apart.


Friday, November 11, 2011

Old Foto Friday

Here is an earlier version of the Sportster posted here and here. I'm actually looking for those handle bars if anyone has a set they want to sell.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sidecar Repair Continued

Got a little more work done on the sidecar the past few days.

Both panels look good and fit nice so its time to tip the edge to match the seam the runs underneath the sidecar body.

I ended up making my own tipping tool out of some sqaure tube and angle iron.



Both halves tipped nicely but once I got to the "nose" of each panel I had to stretch the edge at the same time to keep the piece from buckling.


Both edges are tipped and smoothed out great. I think next I am actually going to spotweld the two halves together just like the factory and then drop the two panels in as a whole and weld everything up.