Michael Lydon I don't have them do that for me, although Online Metals, where I sourced the steel, does offer custom cutting. I have this, which makes quite a mess, but the cuts are very square and clean. All of the pieces I just got, would need work to square the ends up.
Michael Lydon I don't have them do that for me, although Online Metals, where I sourced the steel, does offer custom cutting. I have this, which makes quite a mess, but the cuts are very square and clean. All of the pieces I just got, would need work to square the ends up.
Chris, on that saw, is the blade a diamond , or carbide, or dilithium crystal ?
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
(@miles-ladue) Tungsten Carbide Tipped, no shower of sparks like an abrasive wheel, but puts out it's share of hot little chunks of metal. Loaned my crystals to a dude named Scotty years ago, never saw that guy again.
Finally some progress. We've been fogged in for weeks, which is keeping the temps in the low 40's so everything outside just stays wet. Plus some new concrete poured right where I need to work a week ago. But I was able to get the most important pieces of the new chassis cut today. Hopefully I can roll the drill press out tomorrow and make a few holes.
This part is important because it is where I will mount the 15+ lb. 6x6x8 inch hunk of steel that is the axle block. With much gratuitously added steel, and triple redundancy axle tube retention, this thing is a key part of getting weight as close to the wheel as possible, and it needs a strong foundation.
And it counts as "unsprung weight". The best kind. 😎
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
It looks like our weeks of wet fog may end soon, because rain is on the way. So I'm setting up to drill about 20 holes inside, each one takes some time to set up, then drilled in stages, so it will take awhile. I prefer doing this outside, because I can police all the metal chunks easier, the garage is attached, and bringing them into the house, is frowned upon in this establishment.
Frowned apon in this establishment............. 
Yep. Like using the oven as a powder coat finishing chamber.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
And it counts as "unsprung weight". The best kind. 😎
Don't you mean "sprung" - normally we try to minimise unsprung weight.
And it counts as "unsprung weight". The best kind. 😎
Don't you mean "sprung" - normally we try to minimise unsprung weight.
Ian, I may, or may not, be wrong here...93.14 % probability that I am not wrong...but on a 2 wheeled motorcycle we try to keep the unsprung weight to a minimum...however...on a sidecar....specifically the sidecar....unsprung weight is good for lower center-of-gravity ballast.
Many sidecar operators add weight onto the sidecar, as close to the sidecar wheel as possible, to prevent unwanted flying of the chair.
To get that added weight as low as possible, and as outboard as possible, it can usually be unsprung weight...which is a good thing.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
This is great, sprung, un sprung, weight, weight bias, center of gravity, etc. All things I took into consideration when figuring out how to build this, Bravo.
A rigid frame bike, a hack with no suspension, car, or passenger, plus the fact this thing has 90+ HP, and I'm old, so it will be a tad painful to ride. Really not much info out there for ideas, so I had to combine several different known ideas into one package, ride it and see if it works.
With a rigid bike, you don't really tune the handling, you tune the behavior of the bike, and see how far you can push it. Tire pressure, tire construction, it's aspect ratio all come into play. The type of rear brake and it's ability to be tuned for progressive application. Front suspension dive upon braking needs the ability to be tuned. Running very low rear tire pressure in a tire with some give in the sidewall helps. It is very easy to lock up the rear brake, so you need a brake that can be controlled well, and a front suspension that doesn't unload the rear of the bike suddenly.
With the side hack, I felt that I wouldn't have to equal the weight of a car and passenger. If I built the chassis heavy and concentrated weight as close to the heavy wheel/tire combo as possible, that with all the weight at a low center of gravity, the affect would be multiplied and mimic the heavier high center of gravity of a normal rig. With the new slightly wider chassis, I hope to enhance all of that.
I told my Wife that plan C is to mount a baby stroller to it, put a 50lb. bag of sugar into that, tie a little bonnet on that, call it sweety, then ride around to see the reactions I get. She said...No. So I hope this thing works. 
And it counts as "unsprung weight". The best kind. 😎
Don't you mean "sprung" - normally we try to minimise unsprung weight.
Nope. I meant un-sprung. If you follow the thread you'll recognize the rigid frames (bike and sidecar). It is one of the cleanest builds I've seen. 😎
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Chris @not-bob, we have received a question from the viewing audience.... it asks:
Given your own physical issues and conditions, WHY build a hardtail bike with a unsprung sidecar ?
It seems you are physically beating yourself up, each time you drive/pilot that rig, all in the name of being a 1969 H-D badass hardtail rider.
Edit: I told this audience member to shut his pie hole....but that you would give him an answer.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Valid question, I first built this bike in 2006 when I was 47 and was asked the same question. I had other bikes in the garage, this was built for weekend stuff, it's done many 200 mile days, but no long rides. I've never felt that it beat me up much. Now, being in pain 24/7 is my new baseline, and what the bike does to me, is still the same amount of additional discomfort it has always given me.Chris @not-bob, we have received a question from the viewing audience.... it asks:
Given your own physical issues and conditions, WHY build a hardtail bike with a unsprung sidecar ?
It seems you are physically beating yourself up, each time you drive/pilot that rig, all in the name of being a 1969 H-D badass hardtail rider.
Edit: I told this audience member to shut his pie hole....but that you would give him an answer.
I do have an advantage though, something I learned while earning my frequent flyer miles in operating rooms. I have red hair (mostly) which is a genetic mutation. Part of that mutation is a higher tolerance to pain, I seem to have a double dose of that. Example, when I got hurt, they scanned all of me, finding my lacerated liver and spleen, dozens of bone fractures, etc. Well they found an L7 fracture in my spine, but it was determined to be an old injury, I don't have a clue when that happened. I did spend 10 years in the military when I was younger, so maybe it happened then, I figure it must have hurt, but it was news to me.
While I do have pain, it isn't that bad, I take no pain medication, for my issues, and haven't for years. So I credit being born with clown hair for my ability to ride with no suspension at my age.
