Honda VT1100 chop

[Doormandean]

Hi all, thought I'd share the reason for my learning to weld - I apologise in advance for the 'if you can't tie knots tie lots' approach to some of the welds!

Bought this bike, loved it, wanted to chop it within minutes of getting it!



A chap who's a local bike builder helped me out by goose necking it, I didn't have the skills or equipment to weld such an important piece



Many attempts at a tank - all failed...

1 - this started going well with complex curves right up until over working the steel and it all splitting





2 - wire cage, looked good until I used A) too thinner steel, B) no real accuracy of cut parts





]

3 - widened and stretched a tank, too thin, looked poop, couldn't get a seal





4 - here we go, but wanted to reduce the size of the backbone, so braced up, cut it off...



new twin crossbar going in



Dodgy tigging



got to remember this was my 4th time using a fig



Space saved by changing the spine



Simple tank design







making a tunnel



Got challenged to make a 'mig man', so this is what came out

 

[Doormandean]

Then seat pan and side covers





Spent tonight going over welds and connecting them up on the tank. Took forever,and I've still got a little way to go yet!

Really have no idea what I'm doing, this gives a brief idea of what I'm up to though if anyone's interested

 

[chunkolini]

Very impressive and you are obviously a 'sticker' with high standards.

 

[norlander]

You jumped in at the deep for sure -but then who dares learns. Spine mod might be a bit light?-hard to tell from photos but as you say have a local bike builder to check your work . Not familiar with that bike-shaft drive? there will be some torque reaction into the frame but I would think that is covered by the bracing around the swinging arm.Looks like you are doing a rigid rear end??.

 

[Doormandean]

Thanks chaps, it's taken a fair while to get to this stage, something happens or finances put a halt to it, I have a break, then some months I get back to it. This year though I'm focussed on getting the damn thing finished LOL

Norlander, I had the local builder do the gooseneck, but the rest is just down to me. The spine is going to get a couple more horizontal braces in there for extra rigidity so fingers crossed things will be fine, I guess we'll see if it folds up on the first acceleration LOL. I've used thicker wall tube than the original as well. Also, most of the tubing has been slugged and migged first to ensure penetration.
I won't be having a rigid rear, but I will be getting Hagon to make some shocks for it, not horrifically expensive, but, that's coming later in the build. It would be great to splash out the money and have the gear ready for fitting but unfortunately i'm getting married this year, and if I told the wife to be that I was going out and spending upwards of a grand on the bits I need she'd stab me in my sleep! I would love to go rigid, but I've got Ankylosing spondylitis and so my old bones and spine are knackered enough LOL! (the illness makes it a challenge building as well, even after a few hours welding last night I've got swollen limbs and aches and pains, but you power through these things or nothing get's done!).

Honda Shadows are mostly shaft drives and fantastic bikes. The Shaft and rad makes it a bit of a pain as a custom bike, but that's also why I chose to use this for a project - not many people customise them.

It will get finished before the summer, but whether it holds together, that's another matter!

 

[shed or dead]

Inspirational!

Nice looking rake angle, and glad to see you didn't give up on the tank.

Well done, I look forward to seeing more.

 

[lchris21]

nice work, good starter project

those motors? they oil cooled? the fins look a bit few and far between........

 

[strada]

certainly jumped in at the deep end,you will learn alot this way mainly by mistakes you make.But fair play to you for having the balls to do it. Love to chop my versys up.
keep us posted on the build.

 

[Doormandean]

Thanks guys!

Chris, they're water cooled so the fins are really only for effect, there are some 'fins' that bolt on to the top parts of the cylinders as well.

 

[DrNik]

That's great, maybe should have carried on with the shaping of the tank I liked that one more than the squarer tank, but it's a nice feeling to step back and look a what can be achieved,give yourself a pat on the back

 

[chunkolini]

Doormandean.
How do I put this?
You are obviously one of those irritating people who decide to have a go at something and become damn good at it first hit.
You are a swine.


I admire the way you have discarded a lot of work and made compromises on your mission.
Cant wait to see the finished article. Nice work.
Chunkolini.

 

[Doormandean]

Thanks buddy! but if you'd seen my tig welds tonight rather than being impressed you would have pointed, laughed and taken pictures of some horrific attempts ready to show your friends at dinner parties to lighten the mood LOL.

For every win there's about 20 losses, but, the important thing is that you forget about the cock ups when you learn from them and make them into a positive!This being the first bike of many (hopefully) and is the one to cut my teeth on, I've still barely tigged in double figures yet, so it's a learning process and if it were easy, everyone would do it ha ha ha.
Next bike, I'm going to make the frame from scratch as well, but can't get ahead of myself yet!

 

[rich the mechanic]

Was it Briz at CCD in Dereham? who did the goose neck for you.

 

[Doormandean]

No buddy, it was Chris Ireland (Desperate Dan) who did it

 

[chunkolini]

A legend.

 

[Doormandean]

A legend.

well, if you've got to get someone to do something for you, you may as well get the guy with the history LOL

 

[norlander]

I forgot to say take plenty of notes and photos as Back Street Heroes might do a write up ( assuming BSH is still going?)
see what you are doing now-I did not clock the struts to swinging arm on the rear mudguard.