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have been having FUN!!!! Now that everything is almost
finished, we have started making all the custom parts
we need to complete the bike. Here you can see our CNC
machine. It's awesome... we use a CAD system to design
the parts, and it outputs the program to cut the pieces...
super precise!! We have made some assorted small
pieces for the bike and some of our customers, but now
we needed the real stuff... |
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 The
most challenging pieces were the pulley covers for the
3" Karata Belt Drive system. They had to be light, exact
and balanced! We found an Aviation surplus store that
had T6061 Aluminum... this is the good stuff all those
billet pieces you see are made of... Very strong and
light. To make the covers, we took an 8" X 8" X 2" thick
piece and split it down the middle on the band saw...
no easy task, but it came out fine. The rear pulley
cover has the most machining, as it needs grooves cut
to help the clutch cool, and clearance cut in the back
for the clutch hub and adjuster. |
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 It
took about 2,000 passes to get the shape cut and smooth
enough to be polished. We HAD to put our initials
in the face. The front pulley cover was much easier
as the back of it needed only minor machining. We
werethrilled when the bolt holes lined up perfectly
and everything fit as it should!
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 The
next tricky piece was a bracket we designed to clamp
on the lower frame near the rear pulley. It has three
jobs to do. First (see cutout) we had to recess a square
area for the brake retaining arm to slip into, instead
of using a linkage which would have been ugly. Then
(the hole is not there in the picture) we are going
to run the brake line thru the piece at the rounded
end on the bottom right, to keep things clean. Lastly,
we wanted to mount the license plate bracket on the
outside, a mere 1/8" from the frame rail. Again the
piece was cut on the first try (don't kid yourself,
we made probably 10 prototypes out of wood, plastic...
anything we could get our hands on), and the finish
is great, ready to be chromed! |
 One
of the last pieces is the license plate bracket. We
wanted to continue the rounded theme from the pipes
and other brackets we made, but it had to be stout!
Nothing worse than a chromed thin bracket breaking from
vibration. We used 3/8" steel, welded a few pieces to
form the needed 90 degree angle, and made a nice backing
plate. We then (when I say we, I mean Herb!) made a
plate that is the exact shape of the Aftermarket (meaning
has to be re-chromed for our standards) license plate
frame (we got it for the cool invisible illumination
it has) so no seams would show, and blind welded the
backing plate to it! We even countersunk the acorn nuts
so no washers are needed and the bottom of the nuts
were hidden. This thing will NEVER break... gotta weigh
3 pounds. Once chromed and bolted to the Brake Bracket
above, it will look great and hide the bracket completely! |
| Just
a few more parts to go... a cover plate for the unneeded
brake rotor flange on the right side of the rear wheel
and a tricky piece that makes the ignition key disappear!
Now have a look at the finished product... |
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Blue Diamond Pictures....
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