Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:15:32 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: F-104 vs X-Wing
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 07:12 PM 3/23/05 -0500, ecf wrote:
>
>Anybody around here with a chopper shop want to build an eye-catcher?

You *can* build a chopper in the average home garage.  I know at least one
guy who's doing it now, and another guy who's done it before and is now
doing it again (he's a slow learner! ;-)

You will need some skills and some tools and you'll probably have to farm
some tasks out to pros (painting for instance, if you want to use some of
the fancier automotive paints, or powdercoating, or chroming, etc., along
with welding unless you have a welder and know how to use it).  Oh, and
you'll also need some money.  The tubing for the frame won't be too bad,
but the motor will cost you a few thousand if you want a new V-twin
(Harley-Davidson will sell you a TC-88B for about $3500...they are about
the cheapest).  Other bits and pieces add up too...transmission: $1300,
wheels: $1000 or so plus, controls: $800+, chain/belt and
sprockets/pulleys, lights, spacers, brakes, sheet metal, etc., etc..  If
you want a ball-park estimate, you can get a low end kit chopper for about
$11,000.  That's in boxes on a pallet, lots of assembly required and
unpainted, but otherwise complete.  Start with that, then add another
wheel, differential and axle, tubing, sheet metal and whatever to convert
it to an X-wing trike.  Not too much more, especially if you can scrounge
some old car parts for the rear end at a junk yard and recycle them (no pun
intended, but I'll take it! ;-) and paint it yourself (the sort of paint
job you'd need to make a good looking X-wing won't come cheap at a pro
shop...a lot of time involved in masking and multiple colors...several
thousand at least).

You can also build a trike using parts from an old VW bug...like the
engine, transmission and rear axle.  The rest you build from tubing and
bike parts.  Probably cheaper than a bike engine, even if you have to do a
complete overhaul on the bug motor.

I've been looking into building a bike...but only to the extent of reading
a few books and talking to some people about how they did it and watching
all those shows on TV at the moment (American Choppers, Classic Rides,
Biker Buildoff, etc.).  I don't have a good place to work at the moment
though...my garage is full of woodshop at the moment! ;-)  If you want to
talk more about it, maybe we should do so at a meeting, con or in direct
e-mail?

-- Mike B.
--
"Cyanide is a scare word." -- Director of the Texas Water Quality Board