madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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I'm getting the whiff of an idea 
- Thread starter general--lee
- Start date
Yep, it's the standard Zed frame.
You could probably do worse than e-mailing Samm and asking her how much a copy of the CD with all the Z400 articles on it is these days...
d.c.s@blueyonder.co.uk
Around a tenner plus P&P I think. If nothing else, it ought to give you a good overview of what you're getting involved in before you get involved in it...
If you see what I mean.
HasBean
Member
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- 467
Took a test ride on a hardtail Harley 'bout 7 or 8 years ago. Can't remember the model but it was very much like the 883 Sportster. Found the back a bit skitish and nervous but have ridden more uncomfortable bikes.
The Z400 seems to be an ideal basis for a bit of 'tweaking'
The Z400 seems to be an ideal basis for a bit of 'tweaking'
general--lee
Member
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- 187
thanks will look into that cd
did you make or buy your frame jig?
i just ordered my bike lift lol
did you make or buy your frame jig?
i just ordered my bike lift lol
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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it is lot cooler than a rusty escort
As it happens, you don't need a frame jig to hardtail most jap frames.
I do have a couple of frame jigs, one was built for building race bike frames on, and I built some fixtures to do rigids for, and then one I built which deals with high headstocks and lots of rake much better than the other one.
graffian
Seer unto the end of his beard
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I rode hardtails for 15years or so, I know[knew] every bump on the normal line between my house and dorking, other roads were sometimes a bit painfull, the force your kicked in the **** is proportional to your speed. I always had a really bad cobra seat so there was no padding and I kept a reasonable tyre pressure. mug on the back, mean pillion, is great they absorb the bumps.
As for handling, my hardly outhandled a lot of swing arm jap bikes, and outbraked them, even if the old flat head wasn't to fast. seen swing arm bikes wriggle like an eel out of round abouts and I was able to pass them, different matter with bumpy roads.
There is someone in your neck of the woods building an XS chop, he's hardtailed the frame. look on billsbikechat forum for TAZ in the projects.
My last chop was a norton with rearsets and clipon's, still not as fast as a bloke from romfords jota chop.
I have an old stocker with a spring seat, suprisingly good.
As for handling, my hardly outhandled a lot of swing arm jap bikes, and outbraked them, even if the old flat head wasn't to fast. seen swing arm bikes wriggle like an eel out of round abouts and I was able to pass them, different matter with bumpy roads.
There is someone in your neck of the woods building an XS chop, he's hardtailed the frame. look on billsbikechat forum for TAZ in the projects.
My last chop was a norton with rearsets and clipon's, still not as fast as a bloke from romfords jota chop.
I have an old stocker with a spring seat, suprisingly good.
Rode one every day into London, plus other jaunts. Rough sh*tty holed London roads, not good - could get blurry vision. On smoother rodes it was absolutely lovely. I ran it with a bit less air in the back tyre. 18" seat height plus an inch and a half of seat, std position footrests. Bumps and dips, you can't always see those or can't always brake to a speed to make those easy, unless you ride slowly everywhere. But you learn to just stand out of the seat a bit for those (unless you've only got forwards).
Re general handling, mine was better than say a CX I had. But that was dire. Any decent rider on a swing-arm bike should leave it for dead, but that's not the point. You handle them differently, and brake differently, or at least I did - more back brake emphasis.
Loved mine; sold it to a mate, bought it back later. Building another one (slowly).
Re general handling, mine was better than say a CX I had. But that was dire. Any decent rider on a swing-arm bike should leave it for dead, but that's not the point. You handle them differently, and brake differently, or at least I did - more back brake emphasis.
Loved mine; sold it to a mate, bought it back later. Building another one (slowly).
Tino
Member
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- G.B. Lancashire
A Jota chop ,now that is just not right!!
graffian
Seer unto the end of his beard
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Laverda triples are nice engines for a chop. The laverda breaker by queens park football ground often had a nice 750 twin chop outside. But I would go with a mirage.
I did wonder about making aircooled heads and barrels for trumpet triples, can't be doing with water cooled angines, the trumpet engines are pretty easy to get hold of nice'n'cheap.
I did wonder about making aircooled heads and barrels for trumpet triples, can't be doing with water cooled angines, the trumpet engines are pretty easy to get hold of nice'n'cheap.
Tino
Member
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- G.B. Lancashire
Laverda triples are nice engines for a chop.
Heart breaking! They are to good for chops. Stick to those twin cylinder tractor engines the Americans use!
This was mine.
general--lee
Member
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- 187
quick update ....
i been so busy at work not had time to crack on finally got it to fire up some how the points got 180 degrees out but previous owner said no one touched it and it use to run perfect al he did was park it up, i dotn think it could do it by slipping or anythign as i had to take quite a bit off to put it right lol...
in for mot this week then fill out forms for register then start chopping , i wanna keep most of frotn half standard and hardtail rear , thinking of using 2 internal throttles so i can use one on left for clutch to do away with all cables on bars, i think foot clutchs are not suited to england
i been so busy at work not had time to crack on finally got it to fire up some how the points got 180 degrees out but previous owner said no one touched it and it use to run perfect al he did was park it up, i dotn think it could do it by slipping or anythign as i had to take quite a bit off to put it right lol...
in for mot this week then fill out forms for register then start chopping , i wanna keep most of frotn half standard and hardtail rear , thinking of using 2 internal throttles so i can use one on left for clutch to do away with all cables on bars, i think foot clutchs are not suited to england
English Steve
Senior Bumpkin
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- 1,127
I have a foot clutch on this
... but it is hand change. I imagine foot change with foot clutch would be 'interesting' to say the least. I've not used mine on the road yet, but I know a few people who do, and they have no problems once they got used to it.
general--lee
Member
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- 187
when i say not suited to england i mean town riding really as thats what i would be doing with it, does your foot clutch stay down when you take foot off or is it like a car one?
and what is is?lol
and what is is?lol
English Steve
Senior Bumpkin
- Messages
- 1,127
Foot clutch is on a friction device, so it stays in whatever position you leave it. That's very handy as you can leave it in gear with the clutch disengaged and still get both feet on the ground if you need to paddle backwards or whatever. It is a toe and heel pedal - heel down to disengage, then toe down to engage drive. You can see the picture a lot bigger in my album - the clutch pedal is just above the oil cans and the gear change is on the side of the fuel tank (sorry about the mess in the garage
)1943ish Harley Davidson WLA - I'll try to get a better picture some time.
