nicky hayden go sideways!

Latest Profile Edit

Really like the flow of the saddle onto the tank on the Honda FTRs below and am thinking the saddle needs to wrap around the tank a bit in defiance to the flat tracker's typical butting saddle/tank junction. FTRs seem a bit less cobbled together than the Ascots did:




This will of course be a mondo bitch to upholster, but then again, what isn't sheer tedium when it comes to fabricating the bodywork on a moto?

exemplars

Cute little SR500


Just b/c an XR600 Thumper would make a really cool track bike

Frame Done!!!

Huge milestone reached with the frame done and engine cradled therein. James Banke got it painted and ready. The exhaust is of course only there for reference and IN NO WAY will represent what the final product will be.

frame review

Took one final look at the frame before powdercoating down at Banke Performance yesterday. Here you can see how the frame rails were reattached for a more horizontal position with the swept down right side for shock pin accessibility.



The distal end of the XR's only Exhaust pipe is absolutely hopelessly not going to work. Too long, too wide in the tire's way. The header will be fine, but Banke will have to come up with some sort of muffler and adapt to it. alack.

Banke's powder coater guy is some curmudgeon who won't do anything unless you select a chip from his special samples box though my colorblindness should preclude such fussiness.

another nose job

Still trying to sort out the profile of the tank. probably will try something where the upper side is a more shallow curve than the lower. This is closer to what I'm thinking, tho it seems a bit conservative:

dreaming

Blunt or sharp nose tank. Decisions, decisions...One thing I really disliked about these studies is the junction between the tank and the saddle. It's not something obvious at first but I can see that the vertical line deviating the two pieces does not flow at all with the frame tubing slanting forward from the rear swingarm pivot. whatever the junction made between the saddle and the tank, it should most likely be parallel with that frame tube because it's such a strong line in and of itself (I think)