the world needs more rat bikes.

 

Don’t leave it bare. If you don’t powder coat it, at least rattle can it with barbecue black, engine paint, or some other spray can that doesn’t require primer.

A gray toolbox hammered finish would look cool and can be done with spray cans. Duplicolor and others make it.

 

When you mock it up to make sure the bit is what you want, you'll know if that raw look is it, clear it and ride it.

 

If you're going for the ratbike theme then I suggest you let that frame rust a bit then clearcoat it.
Just a thought.

 

That's pretty close to the plan. I'm just not sure yet which way I want to go. Part of this is I have no interest in doing a "show bike" quality finish job on this thing. This bike is being built as a rider, not show pony.

One idea I'm kicking around is sort of a "hybrid rat": Put a great paint job on the tank and the rear fender, but then leave the rest raw. Not sure if I like that idea, but whatevs.

Anyway, what you described is right on the money. Once I get it all put together, I'll either declare it done and leave it, or pull it all apart and get it all dressed up. That decision might end up turning on how long this all takes.

I've been thinking about this project, and don't want it to turn into just a "checkbook" build. I want to hand fabricate at least one major component. I've decided to make that the exhaust. I want to do the curves using a "pie cut" technique, like this:



My design won't be that ridiculous, but that's the idea anyway.

Which gets back to whether or not this thing ends up pure rat. I'm not much of a welder. I can get two pieces of metal stuck together, but pretty is not my thing. So one of the factors in the rat or not question is how good the pipes turn out. If they look fantastic, I may finish the rest of the bike. If they look like crap, I will probably stick with the rat.

Toward that end, I asked my brother in law (the professional fabricator) to come over tonight and take me to TIG school. It's just insane watching someone who's done this all day, every day for 25 years. Amazing. He brought over about 100 pounds of scrap from the plant he works at, so I spent a couple of hours practicing, going for that classic "stack of dimes" look.

Gonna take more practice. Lots more. But I've got access to an unlimited supply of practice stock and a full tank of argon, so why not?

After my welding practice, I decided to start tearing down the donor bike. Didn't get too far (the rear exhaust bolts fought me something fierce). Here's where we are:

 

Apropos of nothing really, this discussion is just closely related to what I was looking at.

I saw this the other day and it made me think. I'm not sure I "like" it, I'm just interested in the questions it raises in the mind regarding the use and merits of the Sportster engine. I surprised me how well and closely it fitted.

Someone slung a Sportster engine into a Evo Softail frame and came up with this.

I once looked at a 1450cc Sportster that had been done up with fatbob tank, duckbill rear fender and, perhaps, slightly wider forks. It was a good look, practical, and I was sorely tempted by it, much moreso that I would have been by a Dyna, for example.

I'm reminded of how potent the Sportie engine can be made and how potentially good an engine design it is. You don't hear of so many high mileage ones though but I suspect because most people only use them as transitional bikes, or barhoppers.

Simple, conservative designs tend to age better if you're into the idea of a long term relationship with it.

 

it sounds like you're leaning in the kind-a-sorta rat direction. there are dirty, loaded with patina, rats and the clean fake rats with scotch brite scuff marks here and there. my shovel head hasn't been washed since the early 90's. my brother in laws friend didn't like how it was looking and he washed it for me while i wasn't around so we had to start over on the patina. i had the urge to wash for about 3 years and i had to learn to resist that urge. i don't have all kinds of stuff hanging off of it, it's just dirty. what ever direction you decide to go will be the right one. i prefer the dirty, no wash, ever, rat.

 

Like where your headed, bare bones rider, but your magneto idea, may hurt my check book.

 

Just about finished with the tear-down.

No real surprises on this. I started out thinking I would keep the wiring intact so I could sell the harness. Quickly disabused myself of such foolishness, and went to work with the wire cutters.

I'm not sure if I like the rear fender. May get a different one.

Next step, I think, is to pull the trans apart. The kicker kit requires that you replace the mainshaft, so I'll end up completely tearing it down. I'm thinking I want to get the gearset out before I put the motor in the new frame. That much less weight to wrestle with.

 

Finally got home from the hospital (father in law stuff). Got some help and got the gearset out.

Should get the motor pulled and put into the new frame tomorrow.