Well, can you find it in there?
As usual, the bike work picked up a bit in the colder weather but dropped off as soon as it got warmer. We started cycling earlier this year so that and the other hobbies(mainly vintage racing bicycles) have kept me distracted. My fiance was in a cycling wreck recently and required surgery. Linda and I will be married in August and then be off to Italy for a while(cycling a bit I'm sure......... or I'm leaving!) Not sure if I'll get time to do much to it before then.
I have started getting e-mails about the project and I see why. I googled "board track racer replica" and my blog was the 4th listing. Trust me, I still want to see this beast finished so all is not lost. Anywho, I did end up finishing the kickstand and purchased a used B&S Vangaurd V-twin engine last fall. The project is currently displayed, bachelor-style, in my dining room(see above). It has been buried by a few vintage lightweight race bikes(other current hobby) and has gotten little attention.
As for the progress before the break.... here are a few pics of the front fork:
Here is a closeup of the front truss mount. I have seen a few similar to this on antique bikes but I still like the idea of a tripple tree.The kickstand:
When not in use, it folds up and will lay under the seat. On the old factory road bikes, they would usually clip to the back of the fender
A little about the motor I'm using. I really wanted a twin, and if I couldn't be authentic in appearance, I'd be authentic in theory. I found a 12HP Vangaurd(read bulletproof!) on the local CL and decided that was it. The rear hub will not likely take that torque so I'm leaning toward a MTB hub, using the disk brake holes to mount a sprocket. That will be a project in itself. I also bought a Comet 40 series torque convertor and will need to fab a jackshaft mount onto the seat tube.
The twin was stripped of it's shrouds and what wasn't needed was removed completely. The electric start is a nice option that might have to stay! Of course, that will necessitate hiding a battery, etc. I have a trick or two in mind for that. I'm looking forward to fabricating pipes and such for it. The more I type, the more I realize how much there is to do. Depressing!
I ran the motor on the ground and I like the twin sound.
That flywheel sure is ugly, heavy, and dangerous. I need to think of a vintage looking shroud if I want to keep my pretty shins! There is a growing support network for racing these twins and racing parts are out there. Should I bother with a different flywheel? I think 12HP is way more than I need anyway so why add a bunch of billet shiney stuff and introduce a bunch of tuning woes? Just keeping it upright will be enough work!
Here's the motor in the frame. Can you say wide?! Looking like a chopper build! I will of course create an oil filter bypass and remove that.
This bike is starting to look really uncomfortable! Thanks to those following along. Keep prodding me to finish!
Dave
