If you can get your hands on one of the horseshoe softail oil tanks to use for a visual do it. Even if you are only borrowing one from a shop for an afternoon. Then you can take photos to do comparisons and think about it. To be fair the stock tank isn't horrible but the shape is a bit in contrast to your overall design. Perhaps if you rattle can it silver so it more closely matches the body it might blend more and give you less of a poke in the eye. I think it may just be the fact that your body work is silver, then the black oil tank, then the chrome primary. It kind of sticks out in between them.

 

Congrats on making the Headlines on the front page !!!

 

Thanks! I was surprised to see it there.

 

This build is awesome man! Loving the pics — keep up the good work!

 

Took a break because honestly I didn't want to work on it. Fixing stubborn cars all day then working on my bike at night instead of riding wasn't a tough decision to make. Tonight I got back into it and it feels good. No more 200 MPH tape holding the pieces together. Riveted together to hold it all in place while I TIG it together then Ill take the rivets out. I altered the arc of the wheel opening (not fun unfolding and refolding the lip) but no matter where I fold the fender lip the wheel will look out of place once the chain stretches or I sit on it and it changes again. I love silver on it and I want it to be silver but maybe I should go with a darker colour to obscure the rim vs fender arc so the eye isnt drawn to it. I also increased the fender gap which had a domino effect so I had to unfold and change the shape of the seat pan sides.


A little more tweaking then the bike comes completely apart. Undecided on what to do with the engine. It ran great but its not as smooth (balance-wise) as my 66 so thats nagging at me....

 

Coming along nicely. What you gonna do with the seat so that you ensure you don't feel like you are sitting on a rock?

 

 

balancing AMF flywheels has always been a thing as some the static movement just wont stop - 57 percent number backing it up from a military hang is what we found, but S&S has always favored 60 percent = but they are equal weight wheels and steel not cast iron - and this leads me to the non stop movement on the balance stand, I feel its hard spots ( density in one spot ) in the casting and 30 holes later it has moved all the way around the wheel and back to the spot you started from

I never spun balanced a set don't have the equipment, and sending stuff out has never worked out for me when ever we did it turned out to be a disaster

shaving off some of the flywheel weight has been a thing that has helped as heavy wheels make torque - but the speed of that torque it makes is decreased by sheading some weight - getting off the floor at 30 compared to 60

 

Thanks! The idea I have for a seat (and that could change) is a spoiler seat that sits on top of the body but not overhangs it and I dont want the type with the snaps around the perimeter. It wont extend all the way to the tank, not sure I would like that look but what I was thinking was half to 2/3rds of that seat area then a bracket extending out from the front of it forward to the tank. The bracket or brackets would extend to a hinge mounted at the end of the bodywork that would bolt through it to the frame securing the bodywork and fuel tank at the same time and I will cut a hole in the bodywork almost the size of the seat including behind it so I can have a terminal block mounded behind the back rest and access to my oil tank below the seat. So I need to make a box to shield the electrical from the rear tire.

Thats the current idea anyway.

 

Happy to share but I don't have any more pics. Its simple though. You mark the line where you want to fold it and then make a few passes with the chissel on the inside of the fold you want to make. It begins the fold but you dont go at it hard or you'll bugger it up. Just light passes, maybe 3 or 4 with a piece of wood as your support. You'll see the shape starting. Next you heat up the line you just made with a small torch and then you can use flat wide pliers to slowly roll the lip in to where its folded about 90 degrees. Heat it up again and use a body hammer to gradually work the fold further. Heat again and continue. If you dont use heat you'll crack the metal. With it warm again use a hammer and dolly to make the fold nice and crisp and uniform.