Building From Scrap!

by Sebastien
(Vietnam)

In Asia there are many V-twin builders struggling here and there, this is even truer in the country I find myself in as an English teacher. The currant local laws make it difficult to import or impossible to build from scratch. So here I am building from scrapped :).

I bought an old bikethat had seen better days and was barley running.

I drew a plan for the frame and a springer seat, front fork rake and all that jazz. Had all the angles and lengths on the map.

So here I was with all the bits to start the project, and brought them to the pipe bender/welder.

Took the engine to a mechanic to oversize the cylinder and piston.

Had a tank and fenders made up. Well, in this case I started those and banged away at the sheet metal. They don't know what an English wheel or a metal stretcher - shrinker is here.

Let me make this long story short(er).

I had to go see the welder every day to correct everything because he didn't want to follow the plans I gave him. The mechanic still has the engine in parts in his shop. When I finally got the frame witch still has some problems that I will have to correct, it was rusty because they took so long to build it.

All the chrome parts like pegs (which I must say the guy did a great job machining them) and ape hangers, they came back with rust on them.

Now my little project is turning out to be a big one to fix all the little problems.

Now when you are going to ask why I didn't just do everything myself? The answer is simple. I don't have the tools to make it. But When I sell it, I will buy the tools to make the next one myself.

Sorry no pictures because something killed my camera :P all the pictures I took turned out pink and orange sheets of paper.