HPN Paris Dakar replica

Her are some of the plates cut out for the first part of the plating project - remeber lots of tidying up and reshaping some bits as we go.

Some nice new shocks built to spec arrived today.

One of the side plates spot welded into place to allow everything to be lined up for tank mount setting etc

I Have some more but will upload them later. Once all the plates are in place the trimming and edging will be tidied before the bike is put in the jig and welding starts. Might be next week as this is going to be done a little bit at a time.

Velly velly intelesting cookie boy

I know I'm getting ahead of the build but can't wait to see how you modify the swingarm to become a twin shocker.

You doing all the welding etc yourself?

No there has been no welding proper yet - just the spots to hold the plates into position prior to welding but my mate is a Welder and teaches welding at the local college as well as running a fabrication shop he will be doing the welding. He is currently adapting a Jig to be able to hold the swing arm and allow it to be re set 100 mm longer The jig is made from Big h beam girders with anchor points made to replicate the frame mounting points and a bevel box bolt point that can be moved back 100mm keeping everything square and in Line. As he is still working at college till summer break next week the project may be a bit slow getting on, but there are a number of other plates to make up and lots of trimming to be getting on with as the Anchor points for the fuel tank are now done. This is a front view of the tank on temporary bolts to set the length and distance needed for the tank front supports these will be a lot more substantial now they are marked up in place. Believe it or not it is all square just the stand was leaning over and I wasnt so good with the camera - it will become clearer later on.

and the beginnings of the rear end supports the centre bit is to be cut out after welding to help keep things from distorting.

I'm in

Anything special about the steel you are using? Whats the thickness or I suppose it varies for different areas.

Hi Annony - like your projects very nice, I have already done a lot of the engine work on my bike project and did not keep a photo record but may do a little bit more if the money is forthcoming, I am not a welder so my mate is going to do the neat welding and fabrication at the moment its all 3mm plate but that will vary on the swing arm when its done but 3mm is heavier enough the way its going to be finished off. So likes of the headstock - the plates are over the original plates will be seam welded onto the chassis and along the leading edge onto the original p[late (both have been chamfered to create a V along the leading edge. so then your upto 6mm thick on the side plates, There is a lot more plates to be made for around the headstock area. The plates for the fuel tank hanger will be shaped up and edged with a small gusset leading back to the main frame they will look very different and be so much stronger once under way. Many of the jobs I plan for the frame and ancilary parts really will make this a very personal and custom version of a Paris Dakar replica.
Thing is I don't have a CNC patterned set of plates to start with - so this chassis is really having to be plated - lets say roughly first of all then the plates will be tacked and reshaped quite a bit - I know how rough it all looks at the moment but I did not want to start to only show pictures as everything starts to pretty up and the real strength is put into the project. Once this chassis is done I will have all the exact dimensions and needs to reproduce a complete set of CNC plates which can be worked into shape off the chassis and be ready to weld straight on - as HPN do. This is the long way round of doing the job. It would to be honest have been easier to have sent the Chassis off and have it done out at HPN but then it would be a kit bike not my own project. We can all at least see where it goes and maybe share in the bad bits as well as the good parts.

Good luck with project there A 950, just love your description of the engine, sounds a beast<label for="rb_iconid_16"></label>

I'm thinking airheads are easier to ride fast on gnarly gravel roads because of their lower centre of gravity. I liked the power and chassis competence of the big KTM's, but the GS slides more naturally and controlably. Like yourself, I built my 1050 motor for midrange, which is where I spend 95% of my riding time.

Not even sure if I've ever red-lined that motor on purpose?

started trying to work out a wiring diagram to build up a simpler wiring harness, get rid of all the crap, I have decided to use an r80 ignition key, and handle bar switches along with the a few of the relays as a basis and do all the joining up in between myself. They have the simpler switches than the 91 series gs and far more basic wiring like start and kill switch on one side and lights and indicators the other side. there is only the headlight, indicator and starter relays needed and lots less wires as I am stripping out all the airhead charging and ignition systems anyway as I have the endurolast alternator and ignition, I also have Acewell digital speedo with warning lights It means loads of the BMW stuff is not needed in the harness. I may fit some LEd bits as I start the build . This is my working out to scale table - a bit of wallpaper and some kids coloured pencils - you can tell I'm really hi tech eh. That said if I can build it then I can fix it more so in some backwater off the beaten track I will know whats what.

Here we go a few more pics of the chassis progress, first picture shows the bracing to the right rear tube and the frame footrest hanger cut away this has also been done like the tank hanger with a neat return welded onto its cut edge to give a nice profiled edge to the rear. A new brake lever is presently being manufactured it rotates around a metal tubed hard nylon bush. The top of the new lever is just showing behind being built to fit. The bottom part will cosist of a metal plate with the exposed length of lever bolted onto the mechanism so it can be easily repaired or replaced if damaged, its also easier to carry a short part lever as a spare when away on a trip out.

This one shows the left side swing arm area brace welded in place

Next one you can see the tank hung in place and see the finished off tank hanger brackets now all neat and tidy, the headstock side plates are welded in place as well as the original plates having been stitched to the frame downtubes with 30mm welds underneath the inside edges of the plates.

The rear of the headstock done a bit different to HPN, a saddle was fitted onto the rear top tube and an arrohead plate with a slight ridged back welded onto the saddle then the arrowhead welded to the two uptubes, after evrything was cooled down and checked for alignment or pulling the saddle was welded to the spine tube. On the rear edge of the headstock side frame plates some start / finish indents are apparant htis is because to prevento much heat build up the plates were stitch welded then the stitches in filled - these will be tidied up before coating.

The left side mid area frame plate joining the two upper and lower spine tube area.

This is a view of the rear frame bracing and the tank mounting areas, the tank fits perfect - better than when I used the HPN bolt on tank fitting kit, the tank sits really neatly and is clear of the top frame rail and makes no contact with any of the chassis except at its mounting points. It is very secure with no movement.

Another one of one of the tank hangers - big difference to the original flat plate cut outs neat returns and profiled.