Posted by Tud on March 31, 2007, 11:51 am
A round of drinks for those workers of metal out there, something I'm
definately not. But hell, why should that stop me. My first project is
going to be what most would likely consider extremely easy. I'm going to
pull the back seat off the bike and I want to install a rack in order to
mount an auxiliary gas tank and I've got some pretty basic design questions.
I figure I'll pick up some 1/2" steel tubing (ok, I actually have a 3'
piece, although I can't recall why) and bend this into a shape to mount at
two points on the side of fender, basically in the same spot that the hand
holds mount onto. You can see from this picture that they're a bit offset.
http://tinyurl.com/msmer
http://tinyurl.com/27aml6
So, I would make two bars very similar to the handholds but that wouldn't
bend out like they do. Next I'd weld two bars going across from side to
side. The whole thing would angle towards the back of the bike, so that the
platform of the rack would be parrallel to the ground but would be more
towards the rear of the bike. I would also have a couple bars that go down
from one of the cross members to attach at the same point as the top
mounting point for the tale light, or would this be overkill? The only
reason I'm think of the additional mounting point at the tail light is
because the weight would be further back on the rack than where the mounting
points are. If 1/2" steel tube is sturdy enough to support a lot of offset
weight then I likely won't bother.
So, I've got a 1/2" steel tube and I want to bend it, am I ok applying some
heat with one end in a vise and just bending it, or is the tube likely to
kink? Should I be using tube or solid 1/2" steel stock? If I stick with
the tube, how are the ends flattened in order to make mounting points? I
assume with the solid stock I'd need to weld a plate to it, but can you heat
up and hammer one end of the tube flat and drill the hole in the flat part
to create a mounting point? I've seen it a bunch, just not sure if it's as
simple as a hammer or if they run it through some sort of machine/press.
Any thoughts on which I hope are fairly basic questions?
--
Tud
SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
http://ah115.com
Sisyphus rides a Triumph
Posted by nunya on March 31, 2007, 12:35 pm
>A round of drinks for those workers of metal out there, something I'm
>definately not. But hell, why should that stop me. My first project is
>going to be what most would likely consider extremely easy. I'm going to
>pull the back seat off the bike and I want to install a rack in order to
>mount an auxiliary gas tank and I've got some pretty basic design
>questions.
> I figure I'll pick up some 1/2" steel tubing (ok, I actually have a 3'
> piece, although I can't recall why) and bend this into a shape to mount at
> two points on the side of fender, basically in the same spot that the hand
> holds mount onto. You can see from this picture that they're a bit
> offset.
> http://tinyurl.com/msmer
> http://tinyurl.com/27aml6
> So, I would make two bars very similar to the handholds but that wouldn't
> bend out like they do. Next I'd weld two bars going across from side to
> side. The whole thing would angle towards the back of the bike, so that
> the platform of the rack would be parrallel to the ground but would be
> more towards the rear of the bike. I would also have a couple bars that
> go down from one of the cross members to attach at the same point as the
> top mounting point for the tale light, or would this be overkill? The
> only reason I'm think of the additional mounting point at the tail light
> is because the weight would be further back on the rack than where the
> mounting points are. If 1/2" steel tube is sturdy enough to support a lot
> of offset weight then I likely won't bother.
> So, I've got a 1/2" steel tube and I want to bend it, am I ok applying
> some heat with one end in a vise and just bending it, or is the tube
> likely to kink? Should I be using tube or solid 1/2" steel stock? If I
> stick with the tube, how are the ends flattened in order to make mounting
> points? I assume with the solid stock I'd need to weld a plate to it, but
> can you heat up and hammer one end of the tube flat and drill the hole in
> the flat part to create a mounting point? I've seen it a bunch, just not
> sure if it's as simple as a hammer or if they run it through some sort of
> machine/press. Any thoughts on which I hope are fairly basic questions?
> --
> Tud
> SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
> http://ah115.com
> Sisyphus rides a Triumph
why reinvent the wheel when you already have a good start on the bike. i
would fabricate a mount that i could weld to my tank that would bolt onto
that seat mount and clamp onto your existing grab handles for added support.
if you wanna spend a couple of days in the road driving down to the s.e. i
bet we could fabricate something that would work well and look nice in just
a couple of hours. i even have a bunch of tractor fuel tanks and i bet one
of them would not only work but look really cool.
michael
Posted by Tud on March 31, 2007, 12:45 pm
nunya wrote...
> Tud wrote...
>>A round of drinks for those workers of metal out there, something I'm
>>definately not. But hell, why should that stop me. My first project is
>>going to be what most would likely consider extremely easy. I'm going to
>>pull the back seat off the bike and I want to install a rack in order to
>>mount an auxiliary gas tank
> why reinvent the wheel when you already have a good start on the bike. i
> would fabricate a mount that i could weld to my tank that would bolt onto
> that seat mount and clamp onto your existing grab handles for added
> support.
I thought about that, my concern is that the seat mount is a bit far
forward. If I'm back in the seat I can feel the rubber hand loop at my
back. Perhaps I need to consider putting a backrest into the mix. When I
get a chance I'll take some better pictures dismantle the reat seat to see
what options that opens up.
> if you wanna spend a couple of days in the road driving down to the s.e. i
> bet we could fabricate something that would work well and look nice in
> just a couple of hours. i even have a bunch of tractor fuel tanks and i
> bet one of them would not only work but look really cool.
I'd ride down but it would take too long cause of all the gas stops. <g>
> michael
--
Tud
SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
http://ah115.com
Sisyphus rides a Triumph
Posted by Al on March 31, 2007, 1:08 pm
Tud wrote:
> nunya wrote...
>
>> if you wanna spend a couple of days in the road driving down to the s.e. i
>> bet we could fabricate something
> I'd ride down but it would take too long cause of all the gas stops. <g>
>
You could trailer it. d/r
--
BS#205 CVNS G&W FD1
..-. -.-- -.-- ..-. ..-.
Posted by Greg O on March 31, 2007, 12:43 pm
>A round of drinks for those workers of metal out there, something I'm
>definately not. But hell, why should that stop me. My first project is
>going to be what most would likely consider extremely easy. I'm going to
>pull the back seat off the bike and I want to install a rack in order to
>mount an auxiliary gas tank and I've got some pretty basic design
>questions.
> I figure I'll pick up some 1/2" steel tubing (ok, I actually have a 3'
> piece, although I can't recall why) and bend this into a shape to mount at
> two points on the side of fender, basically in the same spot that the hand
> holds mount onto. You can see from this picture that they're a bit
> offset.
> http://tinyurl.com/msmer
> http://tinyurl.com/27aml6
> So, I would make two bars very similar to the handholds but that wouldn't
> bend out like they do. Next I'd weld two bars going across from side to
> side. The whole thing would angle towards the back of the bike, so that
> the platform of the rack would be parrallel to the ground but would be
> more towards the rear of the bike. I would also have a couple bars that
> go down from one of the cross members to attach at the same point as the
> top mounting point for the tale light, or would this be overkill? The
> only reason I'm think of the additional mounting point at the tail light
> is because the weight would be further back on the rack than where the
> mounting points are. If 1/2" steel tube is sturdy enough to support a lot
> of offset weight then I likely won't bother.
> So, I've got a 1/2" steel tube and I want to bend it, am I ok applying
> some heat with one end in a vise and just bending it, or is the tube
> likely to kink? Should I be using tube or solid 1/2" steel stock? If I
> stick with the tube, how are the ends flattened in order to make mounting
> points? I assume with the solid stock I'd need to weld a plate to it, but
> can you heat up and hammer one end of the tube flat and drill the hole in
> the flat part to create a mounting point? I've seen it a bunch, just not
> sure if it's as simple as a hammer or if they run it through some sort of
> machine/press. Any thoughts on which I hope are fairly basic questions?
> --
> Tud
> SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
> http://ah115.com
> Sisyphus rides a Triumph
Good luck! Your dilemma is one I fight too from time to time. I never have
figured how to make a nice transition from tubing to flat that did not look
like some third grader did it! The last efforts I did had me cutting off the
tubing, at a 45 degree angle, short of the mount. I welded a plug over the
end of the tubing and then welded a mounting tab out of some flat stock,
looked ok. As far as flattening the tube and making it look good I have
forever given up on that.
As far as bending you should be able to stick the tubing in a vise and heat
and bend as you see fit. the only problem her is getting all the bends to
look the same. Possibly a conduit bender and heat would help keep the bends
looking some what the same, but the radius may be larger than you want.
Tighter radius = more trouble!
I wonder if 1"x3/16" flat for the risers from the mounting points would not
be stiff enough, considering the four mounting points. Then the rack its
self could be made from tubing and the same flat stock. Tubing running front
to back, and meeting with flat stock at either end, or rotate the whole
works 90 degrees as you see fit. This way you would avoid a bunch of bends
in tubing.
--
PoorUB
'05 Ultra Classic
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>definately not. But hell, why should that stop me. My first project is
>going to be what most would likely consider extremely easy. I'm going to
>pull the back seat off the bike and I want to install a rack in order to
>mount an auxiliary gas tank and I've got some pretty basic design
>questions.
> I figure I'll pick up some 1/2" steel tubing (ok, I actually have a 3'
> piece, although I can't recall why) and bend this into a shape to mount at
> two points on the side of fender, basically in the same spot that the hand
> holds mount onto. You can see from this picture that they're a bit
> offset.
> http://tinyurl.com/msmer
> http://tinyurl.com/27aml6
> So, I would make two bars very similar to the handholds but that wouldn't
> bend out like they do. Next I'd weld two bars going across from side to
> side. The whole thing would angle towards the back of the bike, so that
> the platform of the rack would be parrallel to the ground but would be
> more towards the rear of the bike. I would also have a couple bars that
> go down from one of the cross members to attach at the same point as the
> top mounting point for the tale light, or would this be overkill? The
> only reason I'm think of the additional mounting point at the tail light
> is because the weight would be further back on the rack than where the
> mounting points are. If 1/2" steel tube is sturdy enough to support a lot
> of offset weight then I likely won't bother.
> So, I've got a 1/2" steel tube and I want to bend it, am I ok applying
> some heat with one end in a vise and just bending it, or is the tube
> likely to kink? Should I be using tube or solid 1/2" steel stock? If I
> stick with the tube, how are the ends flattened in order to make mounting
> points? I assume with the solid stock I'd need to weld a plate to it, but
> can you heat up and hammer one end of the tube flat and drill the hole in
> the flat part to create a mounting point? I've seen it a bunch, just not
> sure if it's as simple as a hammer or if they run it through some sort of
> machine/press. Any thoughts on which I hope are fairly basic questions?
> --
> Tud
> SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
> http://ah115.com
> Sisyphus rides a Triumph