my chopper project aka molotov: R*I*P

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sojudave

sojudave

Joined
May 5, 2009
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Austin, Texas
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Hey folks,

I'm new to the forum but have posted this project on forum about motored bicycles. For a long time now I've been discontent witht the aesthetics of chopper bicycles. I simply do not like the frames on them. So I figured I'd build my own. I originally intended for this thing to get some type of motor(and still do), but I've had a good time just pedalling the thing. This project started as a two mt bikes. A 24" men's bike and a 26" chick's bike. I cut the rear part of the men's frame off along with the rearsets, and initially tie wrapped them to the chick's frame. I had a spare set of cruiser bars and some left over forks for a 26" bike.
3505089201_cc61080239.jpg

I initially started trying to weld with a small arc welder, that wasn't going so well, so after some hustling, I ended up with a flux core wire welder. I got the rear sections welded together and replaced the fork spring with section from a spare pair of black handlebars. I did this so there would be a little more control when riding and there would be no chance of the frame bottoming out.
3505898552_54a06f264d.jpg

I was able to pick up some 16" apes, a crank and a set of 4" pedals from Longhorn bikes here in Austin. To change the back bone, I cut two slots in the frame near the headset and bent the frame up and then welded them in place. I had to cut a section from the donor frame to make it fit. I also cut the crank housing from the donor frame and welded it to my new one. Two 21spd chains and the pedals from my suegra's trike and I got a rolling bike.
3505090283_8e512c94b1.jpg

3505092597_d1e04e49ca.jpg
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

fix some of the pics. try right clicking on the picture and putting that between the IMG tags. Looks like you were putting the webpage(url) in there.
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

cman said:
fix some of the pics. try right clicking on the picture and putting that between the IMG tags. Looks like you were putting the webpage(url) in there.
Click to expand...

I just got them fixed. I use Flikr so there were a couple of extra steps I needed to do. They should be visible now.
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

some stats on the bike. It's 4ft from ground to the handlebars, 25" from ground to the seat (when comepletely lowered), 6 1/2 ft from tip of wheel to tip of wheel, and about 3 1/2" clearance at the crank housing.
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

Short update. I should be getting my rear coaster brake wheel tomorrow, and due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm gonna keep it a pedal bike. So I plan to reinforce the rear part of the frame after the wheel is installed, smooth the welds, bondo, and get to painting it. I plan to black out the rims, primer, lay a gold base (rattle can), then try to find a metal flake red (rattle can), and then clear over it. The gold base should give it a darker red color.
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

I blacked out my rims last night using some spray bedliner from Wally World. This stuff comes in a can and can be found in the automotive dpt. It sprays on real think so if you use this stuff, use it in very short bursts. They came out looking good and there is a little texture, but not as rough as the usual bedliner. I do need to touch up some spots that came off when I peeled the tape. On top of all that, I plan to buy a motor kit for the bike afterall. I plan to pick it up on monday.
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

The stance and lines on your project look great!
 
Re: my chopper project aka molotov

Thanks for all the comments guys. I originally intended to motorize the bike, which is why I had to change the frame up from the original mock up pics. Then the plan for the motor got squashed, but now it's back on again. I didn't really care for the original lines of the bike due to the fact that it seemed like there were way to many lines going on. Three separarte triangles seemed like too much. Though it did kindof have a cool burrito look.
 
I squashed this project. For it being motorized, I didn't really trust the frame, and the forks. Seeing as how the forks are intergral to the overall design of the frame, there didn't really seem like there was much choice in the matter, on top of that, the whole pedal chain scenario was really panning out. So the other day, my brother and I took the kit off of this bike and we slapped it onto a Huffy Cranebrook frame. I'll post pics in a different thread. I still might reinforce the frame and make it a pedal bike again or throw an electric kit on it.
 
uh oh, my motorized project is also The Molotov! and i also don't really like the frame it's on, and, here's what it looked like hanging on a Murray cruiser frame:

molre.jpg


the Molotov in present form:

buildmol.jpg


i'd like to stretch a frame like you did, but just enough to get the engine low and behind the seat post.
 
What I did on my chopper was cut off the backbone and reweld it higher up. I Cut it at seat post and then, with a grinder, cut two notches at the head tube(?) and bend it up. Then with some scrap tubing from the other doner frame, I welded the gap between the relocated backbone and seat post. If you can't do the welding yourself, mock it up and take it to a shop. That should allow you to mount your engine lower in the frame. The way the engine is designed, you should be able to run the chain as it is mounted now, but you might run into problems with the chain hitting or rubbing the back section of the frame.
 
sojudave said:
If you can't do the welding yourself, mock it up and take it to a shop. That should allow you to mount your engine lower in the frame.
Click to expand...

thanks, man. yeah, that's what i'll have to do. absolutely gotta learn how to weld! i did cut up a bike to start visualizing better what i wanted.

it's top heavy on the current frame, but i can pedal without busting my ankles, which is the problem i had on other bikes. i'd really just like to stretch a frame enough to get that little Morini behind the seatpost with a lower center of gravity. i want to be able to get a good pedalling start, since i'm 200+ change and it's only a 49cc 2-stroke. i'm studying the way you stretched the rear on your chopper.
 
If you want to stretch the frame so the engine fits behind the post then be sure to reinforce the frame rails by welding a a plate or some tubing between the lower rails. If you don't then you'll have to much wobble from side to side. Also, you'll probably want to add some sort of chain tensioner for the pedal chain, so that it too won't have much side to side wobble. Another thing with mounting the engine behind the post is front enigine mount. The angle for the mount might not jive witht the angle of the seat post. Usually these engines are designed to sit in a v style or a cruiser frame (cantilever?), so the angle of the front mount is in line with the angle of the downtube.
 

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