©Dawn Schmidt Ventimiglia/All Rights Reserved

WARNING: LOTS of pics to load on this page.
We're creating a bobber from three donor bikes and an engine!
Donor #1: A 1969 CL450 frame with title
Donor #2: A 1974 CB450 with locked up engine and miscellaneous parts
Donor #3: A 1998 CBR600 F3 sport bike
Donor #4: A 1972 CB450 engine

Donor #1: 1969 CL450 frame We're chopping the 450 frame and stretching it just a bit.

Donor #2: 1974 CB450 Miscellaneous Parts

Donor #3: 1998 CBR600 F3 Wheels, front forks, front and rear disc brakes

Donor #4: 1972 CB450 engine

PAINT: Although I do have some preliminary old skool ideas for this bike, we're going to let her "speak" to us during the build. We've been tossing around the idea of painting the frame an unusual color and painting the wheels white, but nothing is set in stone at this point. Let the chaos begin!
(pictures are clickable)

Click to go to each section without scrolling:
July 19: Teardown of donor bike #2
July 20: Teardown of donor bike #3
August 9: Welding the hardtail
August 15: Seat Pan
August 16: The "Hannah" doo-dad box and straightening the fork tube.
August 17: Mockup assembly
August 23: Setting the engine in place

July 19, 2008: John and I totally tore down Donor #2, saving everything we could for possible future use or sale. John had to do the muscle work of breaking loose rusted bolts, but we got the job done.

July 20, 2008: We tore down Donor #3 (the CBR) really quickly - of course it helped that these bolts where not rusty and crusty! Check out the wiring that I was finally able to extricate from the bike (2nd pic from right)! That little blue-tailed juvenile lizard (last pic) came running into the garage while we were dismantling the bike, and then hung out on the wall by the door...hmmm...perhaps that's the bike's "totem" animal...
   
 

August 9 - 10, 2008: The steel arrived this past week, so John was able to get the hard tail section of the frame welded into place. He also added the axle section of the CBR. The welds will be cleaned up and then we'll move on to the gussets and brackets.  (First pic is BEFORE, others are after the welding)

               
August 15, 2008: I learned how to make a seat pan! WOOT! I love learning to use new tools, and today I learned how to use a plasma cutter. Very cool. I made a paper pattern using Corel Draw (sort of like a simple version of CAD), glued the pattern to cardboard, then traced around it onto a piece of steel. I did a few practice cuts with the plasma cutter after John gave me a quick lesson, and cut out the pan. It was a bit "wiggly" around the edges, but nothing that a grinder couldn't take care of...so, I went around the edges with a grinder, then a sander to smooth the edges.

Next, John marked the pan for the bends. We couldn't do the front bends in the press brake, so we had to get creative...John tack welded the pan and some square tubing to the workbench, and went to town with the hammer. It worked great! Next he marked the pan for the bend at the back.

 John worked the bend into the rear of the seat pan on the press brake. It only took a couple minutes, and the bend was looking good!

   

 

Next, John marked the pan so we could drill the mounting holes, and we used a drill press to get 'er done. Next, John added some weld nuts to the pan, and I sanded the welds down so they are flush. It doesn't have to look pretty, the seat is getting covered! ;) Tomorrow we'll build the brackets for the seat. We'll do the final shaping of the seat after I get a "test sit" and the bike is in rolling mockup stage.

HOLY HANNAH!!

August 16, 2008: John came home from the store last night with a grin on his face, and said, "Look what I got for you..." Now you have to understand that my hubby is normally a very thoughtful gift-giver. He knows what trinkets I'll like...but a freakin' Hannah Montana mini-lunchbox?!?!?! No offense to HM or MC, but it's not exactly my "style". Ummmm...thanks, hon...now, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why the hell did you get this for me?? He starts laughing and explains that since the little mini-keg we wanted to use for the bobber's electronics would be too wide and the material too thin, he figured this little box would work perfectly. Well - DUH! Now THAT makes sense, as I can paint right over that grinning little pop queen's face before I succomb to sugar overload!  The bike ignition will be installed at the "X".

August 16, 2008: John made a bracket to hold the parts, and he will install a louvered end on the box for ventilation. Quite cool, everything fits nicely!

We also spent some time at Buzz's shop massaging the slightly bent fork tube into a more "straightened state of being".

August 17, 2008: John started a mockup assembly so that we could see how things will fit.  I'm hoping we can keep the clip-on bars, as they look very wicked on the bike, and it would be a heck of a lot less hassle for John if we can keep 'em. We set two different tanks on the frame to decide whether we like the tiny tank or the fat tank - I'm diggin' the fatter one.

We'll get rid of the Honda emblems on this tank, lift up the front and drop the rear of the tank so it will follow the line of the frame nicely.

I test the seat pan so we'll know how to tweak the shape.

August 23, 2008: The engine is set in place.

 More to come, so bookmark the page and visit again!