HPN Paris Dakar replica

[adventure950]

Hi Rob I know of Richie Moore so thanks for the pointer -I have in the past spoken to him, he however is going in a different direction to me on the engine front - he is trying to create a race engine from an Airhead something that has been done before in many different ways - me I just want to maximise the torque and like lots of low down power which suits off road riding best for my style (read that as pretty slow) and I want a twin shock HPN style bike not a mono which is his route on this type of build - his engines revolve around outright power and do not really develop any more torque than my set up before 5200 revs - I have owned a KTM 950 which does exactly that and probably far better than the Boxer ever could - I found I did not have big enough Gonads to ride that beast anywhere near its capabilities but it was not the best bike for slow technical stuff - well not for me anyway - the Boxer I think is far better and easier bike to ride on gravel and dirt - that is if like me your not into outright speed. I found Richie was however quite negative about other peoples approaches to engineering, ideas or methods - which is a shame because we all have our own way no one way is correct. He is however a knowledgable and affible bloke and a handy contact with his own specialisation and as you say he is putting his money down on the table and not just talking.

[Beater]

Holy Crap. Is that a flux capacitor?

[Airhead Wrangler]

Originally Posted by Beater

Holy Crap. Is that a flux capacitor?

Yes. It also holds your road book when you're racing in a rallye. Just keep it under 88 though.

[adventure950]

Well I have taken a few pics of the very start of the project. Remeber this is still very early days and there is a lot of cuting shaping and welding to go in place as the frame evolves so what you see here are first stage placings of plates that need to be re shaped and strengthened
All the plates are roughly cut to size and spotted into place.
The first picture shows the bike chassis all together with the forks in place and rear wheel the swing arm will be extended by 100 mm before being made into a twin shock swing arm. There is a headstock plate and tank mounting plate clamped in place ready to be spot welded onto the chassis.

[adventure950]

The Tank mounting plates will be greatly reduced in size once the mounting hardwear has been centred up and the plates will be edge profiled - but you have to wait for that. The next photo shows a close up of the plate clamped into position

[adventure950]

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.

[adventure950]

Some nice new shocks built to spec arrived today.

[adventure950]

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

[adventure950]

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.

[Padmei]

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?

[adventure950]

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.

[adventure950]

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

[anonny]

I'm in

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

[adventure950]

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.

[sonnyboy]

Good luck with project there A 950, just love your description of the engine, sounds a beast