what to use for motorbike frames.

[julianthegypsy]

I was just asked this question by a mate. He asked if he should use gas or arc (I assume he meant mma). My first thought was that I'd probably go for mig, but then I've never done a frame before so I thought I'd beg the question here and get some sensible answers from people who actually know what they're talking about!

 

[Shox Dr]

You can use what you want, Gas/Brazing is still used by the likes of Mettisse. OEM are a mix of MIG and TIG. MMA is for when you are stuck in some far flung flea pit.

I guess it all comes down to how good you are. Stick would be the last procedure I would use.

 

[chunkolini]

My advice to him if he is this unclear would be to give it a miss.
I have heard of motorbike frames being brazed, Tig and Mig welded and if you go back far enough probably gas welded.
Problem they have the capacity to kill people if they dont work.

 

[zzr1200]

I'd say TIG for a motorbike frame.

I have been welding for years (using mig/stick) but I'd personally never attempt to weld a motorbike frame main joint, possibly a small bracket but there are times when paying someone is the only real answer...

 

[outofthefire]

Mig is fine, i'd avoid stick and in my opinion bronze welding is the best.

 

[madkayaker]

If you gave to ask its time to walk away


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[julianthegypsy]

Thanks guys. I'm not actually sure what he has in mind yet. I would have told him to avoid mma and also made sure he wasn't getting into potentially dangerous waters, but I suspect he wanted to know in order to figure out how much it would be likely to cost, if that makes any sense. He doesn't have welding kit as far as I know and I can't see him buying stuff on a whim.
Interesting to see all the ways this particular cat does get skinned!

 

[wyn]

I sometimes weld up suspension components for trikes and it's all mig and tig.

 

[AndyStobbs]

I modified the frame of an old field bike years ago to fit a different engine. Made new bends in red band pipe and stick welded them in. Gave that bike some serious abuse - flips, crashes, poudings of every nature an MX bike is subjected to. The welds never suffered.

 

[julianthegypsy]

I modified the frame of an old field bike years ago to fit a different engine. Made new bends in red band pipe and stick welded them in. Gave that bike some serious abuse - flips, crashes, poudings of every nature an MX bike is subjected to. The welds never suffered.

I'd worry about inclusions with sticks, chipping off all the slag between every run on a small radius. Far happier with a decent mig!

 

[Mr shiney]

I restore motorcycles as a hobby. I use MIG and Bronze as a rule. I TIG exhausts.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Thanks, I've passed the info on. He normally works with wood, so I did suggest a nice Ash frame too!

 

[BrokenBiker]

i modified my dads zephyr 750 to take a cbr400 engine (he blew a hole in his 750 engine, and i wrote off the cbr400)

involved cutting a brace from the fron of the brace, shortening it and then pulling the frame together and re-welding.

i used MMA and it is still holding fine. check regularly for cracks and nothing yet. been on there for about a year, and has been thoroughly track tested and all seems fine.

if i had the chance though i would have mig'ed it as it was quite an arkward job with stick

 

[ronan]

I seen pictures of the norton featherbed frames being made by reynolds tubes in birmingham, they plain old stick welded, but they were the road going versions that were made of mild steel. The racing versions were sif bronze welded and made from t45 or something like that.