Buddy of mine and I are embarking on a project. We both work in healthcare, but he's a mechanical engineering student and I used to be a welder and can mangle stuff on a lathe a little bit, so we're gonna hit up the metal shop at the local university and screw around some. He's better with design than I am, and I'm a little better at production. Gonna start with plain tube bicycle frames, maybe move up to some weird monocoque type stuff, and see where it goes. Some co-workers have expressed interest in buying our prototype bike frames, so maybe we can make back our materials costs and have some fun while we're at it. What the hell, right?
Anyhow, if that pans out, we're moving on to motorcycles. The hell with human power, says I! Let's roast some fossil fuels! My scooter is in the sig line...only needs a belt drive sprocket and some running gear, but it's been on the back burner since Adelaide went into project mode. But so long as we're working with the two-wheels, I figured I might as well do a little chop work. Maybe modifying an existing frame will be a better place to start for a first motorized project.
This is a pipe dream until January when we can get into the shop, and so we've got some time to dream fantastic dreams until the reality sinks in that we're total retard amateurs. I've got an old 750 Yamaha engine sitting around that I would love to build a crazy frame around...been looking at shaft drive stuff...also wondering about diesel powerplants...
So here's my questions. #1: any Mudders out there with frame-building experience? Like I said, I've done some stuff with roll cages and trailer chassis, but have no idea about building a sound frame from scratch. Where's a good place to start learning?
#2: anybody know anything about diesels? All I've found so far in the bike world is the Track T-800tbi, but the interweb is somewhat lacking in actual info about it. Apart from the issue of relatively low hp/high torque for a scooter, why hasn't anybody come up with a transverse diesel for this application?
I realize that this is all brain candy until I remember that I can't TIG weld, at which point I will probably need to come up with a new hobby. But don't burst my damn bubble, okay?
Any advice appreciated.
Anyhow, if that pans out, we're moving on to motorcycles. The hell with human power, says I! Let's roast some fossil fuels! My scooter is in the sig line...only needs a belt drive sprocket and some running gear, but it's been on the back burner since Adelaide went into project mode. But so long as we're working with the two-wheels, I figured I might as well do a little chop work. Maybe modifying an existing frame will be a better place to start for a first motorized project.
This is a pipe dream until January when we can get into the shop, and so we've got some time to dream fantastic dreams until the reality sinks in that we're total retard amateurs. I've got an old 750 Yamaha engine sitting around that I would love to build a crazy frame around...been looking at shaft drive stuff...also wondering about diesel powerplants...
So here's my questions. #1: any Mudders out there with frame-building experience? Like I said, I've done some stuff with roll cages and trailer chassis, but have no idea about building a sound frame from scratch. Where's a good place to start learning?
#2: anybody know anything about diesels? All I've found so far in the bike world is the Track T-800tbi, but the interweb is somewhat lacking in actual info about it. Apart from the issue of relatively low hp/high torque for a scooter, why hasn't anybody come up with a transverse diesel for this application?
I realize that this is all brain candy until I remember that I can't TIG weld, at which point I will probably need to come up with a new hobby. But don't burst my damn bubble, okay?
Any advice appreciated.
