Areas in bike scene for fabrications?

[wbks]

I've been doing a tiny bit of welding lately and also have the option of helping to put together a formula Suzuki frame next year if I stick around that long and it got me thinking it seems like a pretty cool job making that kind of stuff.

So what I'd like to know is: Are there any areas in bike racing, or even just production/repairs that require someone to make stuff like frames, swing arms, that kind of thing? Or is that just all mechanized and done by the factory, so there's no room for it?

[imdying]

Yup, GPs

[The Lone Rider]

Theres room for you to make me a cool new front fender

[wbks]

Don't they use carbon frames for GP bikes, imdying?
I would if I was confident I'd do a good job of it, TLR

[wbks]

Bump...

If the frames are carbon then there's only the swingarm for TIG... Hardly a job?

[R6_kid:Me]

Not everyone is using CF frames just yet. I'd say that with all the complex castings etc used to make GP frames lightweight they will have robots doing the welding - or a VERY skilled welder.

Possibly the 125/250 stuff may still have some welding involved.

I've got some work to do on an RX frame if you want to get stuck in and show a young buck how to do this welding stuff.

[toebug]

Feel free to make me a trick single side tubular swingarm!!!

[imdying]

Don't they use carbon frames for GP bikes, imdying?
I would if I was confident I'd do a good job of it, TLR

I think the GP9 is this year. The Japs continue to use alloy beam frames afaik, not because they're better, but because it somewhat aligns them with their road bikes... Win on Sunday etc etc.

There's arseloads of welding left in any case... things like swingarms and exhaust systems are gonna build themselves.

Of course, why not learn how to work with carbon if that's the way bike racing is going?

[The Lone Rider]

I guess you are leaning towards race bikes. I myself are a fan of custom traveling/show/cruise bikes.

I discovered last night a guy who builds from scratch forward control sets - all you need to do is make a bracket to suit your bike and rod extentions. Then paint or chrome.

There are people out there doing it. Just not many people out there to buy and the ones who have the money to buy, in NZ, seem to be the ones who can afford to learn and eventually make really good bits themselves.

[wbks]

Not everyone is using CF frames just yet. I'd say that with all the complex castings etc used to make GP frames lightweight they will have robots doing the welding - or a VERY skilled welder.

Possibly the 125/250 stuff may still have some welding involved.

I've got some work to do on an RX frame if you want to get stuck in and show a young buck how to do this welding stuff.

I don't get it... Are you offering to show me how to weld better or are you calling yourself a YOUNG BUCK... The latter intrigues me

Arseloads of welding I guess than. And for the people asking for parts: I'm pretty inexperienced now but when I get some more experience I'd be glad to make some shit if you pay for the materials... But right now I only made this thread out of interest, I've only done work with an Oxy-accetelene (how do you spell it?) plant which isn't exactly applicable to bikes and a little bit of MIG work, but I'm hoping to have a decent go at more MIG some time soon.

[Sully60]

I don't get it... Are you offering to show me how to weld better or are you calling yourself a YOUNG BUCK... The latter intrigues me

Arseloads of welding I guess than. And for the people asking for parts: I'm pretty inexperienced now but when I get some more experience I'd be glad to make some shit if you pay for the materials... But right now I only made this thread out of interest, I've only done work with an Oxy-accetelene (how do you spell it?) plant which isn't exactly applicable to bikes and a little bit of MIG work, but I'm hoping to have a decent go at more MIG some time soon.

My advice to you is learn TIG welding. MIG is ok for heavier fabrication work but most motorcycle stuff is lighter and you can get a better result with TIG, far more versatile also.

Try making some stuff for your bucket, the crucible of racing will soon expose what works and what doesn't (either conceptually or functionally).

In terms of fabrication making frames and swingarms etc is really at the high end of the spectrum especially in NZ. Places like this are more the norm and far more accesable to someone at the entry level as I assume you are.

Don't limit yourself though, as the Lone Rider says custom bikes are a good creative outlet and if you can make some relatively simple things like forward controls you could put the proceeds into more tooling and equipment so you can tackle more complex items.

And if you can, get a lathe or access to one, fuggin gold plated in platinum piece of equipment they are. Burt would've told ya!

[wbks]

Yea I'm aware that TIG is always what you want for delicate fabrications i.e bike's but I'm also aware that it is A LOT more difficult and takes more skill and experience to do proficiently.

I'm learning this from my dad who's an engineer, so I'll take his word for it. The reason I mentioned MIG was because he has one at his house and has offered to teach me how to use it properly and has a lot of unneeded steel around that I can probably use just to get the hang of making a smooth weld. I get the idea that he also thinks I should learn MIG first due to how easy it is in comparison and because it's around his house, its easy access so I can get pretty good at it with practice and then try and find a TIG somewhere to use, or likely get to work on the Form. Suzuki if I'm lucky.

Making stuff for my bucket was on my mind as soon as I bought it haha, first thing is a better looking pair of foot peg brackets that don't cut into my leg. As for lathe - The school I go to has a set of very old ones, and one rather expensive digital one from china. I guess if I showed I was keen enough and was going to be careful and use the machine properly the teacher might make an exception and let me have a turn once a while after school or something. But what did you have in mind? Custom axle? That could actually be a good idea.

[Sully60]

Yea I'm aware that TIG is always what you want for delicate fabrications i.e bike's but I'm also aware that it is A LOT more difficult and takes more skill and experience to do proficiently.

I'm learning this from my dad who's an engineer, so I'll take his word for it. The reason I mentioned MIG was because he has one at his house and has offered to teach me how to use it properly and has a lot of unneeded steel around that I can probably use just to get the hang of making a smooth weld. I get the idea that he also thinks I should learn MIG first due to how easy it is in comparison and because it's around his house, its easy access so I can get pretty good at it with practice and then try and find a TIG somewhere to use, or likely get to work on the Form. Suzuki if I'm lucky.

I'm not saying that MIG isn't a good option, you're lucky enough to access to welding full stop, good on you for taking the opportunity to learn. You'll need it for when you start crashing,opps, I mean racing that bucket
I've just seen the work that can be done with TIG and it's the next thing I plan to learn, believe me I'm going to have enough repairs to do myself!

Making stuff for my bucket was on my mind as soon as I bought it haha, first thing is a better looking pair of foot peg brackets that don't cut into my leg. As for lathe - The school I go to has a set of very old ones, and one rather expensive digital one from china. I guess if I showed I was keen enough and was going to be careful and use the machine properly the teacher might make an exception and let me have a turn once a while after school or something. But what did you have in mind?

That's the funny thing about fabrication sometimes you need to make a problem so you can then make something to fix it

I mean if you're perfectly happy with bike and all it's functioning parts and how it works in it's current state then there's no need to fabricate anything.

Along with repair you'll soon what changes you need to make to the bike, changing the footrest brackets that cut your legs is a good start, take it further and think about the location of all the foot controls and how everything is located in relation to the bars and seat, you may have to build a set of whorey brackets and aybe some clipon bars. Getting you bike usable in terms of controls and body position etc is important for buckets and a good opportunity to play around and fab bits and pieces.
Some modifications only become apparent when you're actually riding the bike so it can become a cycle of build and test (maybe to destruction) rebuild/alter and test again, continual improvement, continual fabrication.
Sound like fun?

Custom axle? That could actually be a good idea.

Like this?

[gatch]

And if you can, get a lathe or access to one, fuggin gold plated in platinum piece of equipment they are. Burt would've told ya!

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I am a fitter/turner, I use a lathe every other day, am getting into making custom parts for bikes, started with footpegs and bar ends, next project is a custom crank-case protector for a friends race-spec zx-6r, will have a go at emulating some "gold valve" damper adjusters when I can find some to take a drawing from..