1925 board track racer ebike. 500w 8FUN.

[CoopV2]

Hey guys, I hope to entertain you all with my first post, So lets get started,
A few months ago i noticed an ebike racer build online from the UK, and decided I would have a crack at it, local researching I found an importer and made a deal on a 500w 8FUN . While heading home I had a brain fart.... what if I fitted an empty / fake petrol engine, and uturned up the street to the scrap yard. After kicking around the junk, I found a 1950 villiers two stroke stand alone motor, complete. Then the crazy ideas started flowing. That night on tv was American Restoration, and Rick restored a practice bomb. My Brain spoke to me, build a muffler bomb, build a bicycle aircraft bomber style, make it 1925 board track racer. Ok, I know your starting to think this guy has a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock, YES he does. Anyway enough BS. Heres your first pic, lest start with the latest, and if your keen I will drip feed you more

[CoopV2]

I started with two bike frames scored from my mate James, at The Pedal Shop, here on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Did a little cutting and layed out my cut offs, wheels, motor etc on a large sheet of cardboard, to plan out placement.

[CoopV2]

The MTB trees had been kissed by a tree, so another cheap score. I borrowed a tube roller and curved some tube to give the wheel a nice offset, droped the neck angle back a little to lower the Villiers, and made up all the pipe work to finish the main frame shape. Here is a 1926 BSA at a local show, I based much of my shape and placement off this bike.

[Poco Askew]

VERY cool. Awesome job!

[CoopV2]

The little bomb muffler i knocked up out of scrap laying around, purchased some stainless bends and set about wrapping the exhaust around the frame. And added the paint to the bomb for a bit of a laugh.

[CoopV2]

Here is the seat build, from flat cold rolled, hand hammered, shapping the leather, alloy skirt adorned with aircraft rivets and dimple die holes

[CoopV2]

Cut out shape for the fork brace
some rivets, holes and beating
welded tabs to the forks, tadaa

[CoopV2]

At this point it was starting to take shape and I discovered that I would need some gears to make it ride nicer, after some research it seemed the sturmey archer has better lock out pins, and I was lucky enough to find one on fleabay in Russia, cheaper than elswhere. Sold. Epoxy coated it in black, and had the wheel laced with thicker spokes.

[CoopV2]

I should explain that I build custom motorcycles and muscle car stuff, so I tend to add decorative bits and pieces to a build, cant help myself, so you will look at something and ask, what the hell is that for? Answer... no reason, or just for looks.
James gave me a BMX shifter to control the Sturmey Archer, i decided to build the battery housing in the gas tank shell and insert the shifter and power switch while at it, found an old brass door knob.

[CoopV2]

Still have a bunch of things to do, mount batterys, wire everything up, fit rear brakes, mount display, practice my programing,
also i have a 22 tooth rear sprocket and a 46 chainring, need to buy a programing cable so im going to get a 44 chainring as well.
Have test riden on pedal power, and its not easy to input a lot of torque with the smaller 150mm crank arms.
will post more soon, heading off overseas tomorrow to a car show for a week. Back soon.

[JPLabs]

That is truly a beautiful build. I love it!! Quite a unique approach. Ironic, even. The fabrication, styling, proportions, all add up to something quite beautiful, historic-looking, and ultimately quite hilarious, once the beholder figures out what he's really looking at.

It's very stealthy, but in exactly the opposite way, from what it's supposed to be! LOL.

Thanks for sharing that! More!!

[Semper-guzzi]

That is definitely sweet!!!!! i would love to ride that thing around just for the looks it would bring. i wish i had a quarter of your skill and i would knock something out like that. wicked awesome.....

[DaleH2]

Dude, where to begin? Man what a skill set, wish I had half the abilities you do!! Sweetest retro build I believe I have ever seen, and the brass door knob adds a truly unique touch to it all! Can't wait to see how this thing turns out....

[toro1978]

This bike is awesome! Such attention to detail is rarely seen. I also find the original that inspired You insanely beautiful. Hat off to You, Sir.

I am curious what is it going to look like when finished.

[toro1978]

He has to mount the display and controls yet and I am curious if they are going to be in some housing. His skills make me think he is not just going to slap them on the bars and call it a day.

[calfee20]

Yeah I noticed that after I shot my big mouth off about it being finished.

He will probably hide everything in the tank. I hope he ditches the display or comes up with a great idea to disguise it. That bike is perfect the way it is. I really love any front end with Triple Trees.

CoopV2 makes me want to build one. I don't think I would be as hardcore to put a dummy motor on one though. I don't have one of those motors kicking around in the barn. Besides I am quite sure the tank would be beyond me.

One question though. How do you maintain that perfect amount of rust?

[toro1978]

Now that I think about it, one doesn't have to look at the switch and at the dispaly all the time, (provided You only ride one setting, as I do) so they can be very well hidden. I find my display disturbing the flow of my bike, for instance.

[JPLabs]

EDIT: Oops, this was meant as a comment reply to Calfee, above^^

Clear coat it when it's rusted enough. Flat, not shiny. Or just wipe your favourite rust snake oil on it now and then.

I have an old hit n miss engine with the right amount of rust and wear patina. I used to oil wipe, but a couple years ago used clear, and it's working great. Looks about the same as the oil wipe, but collects less dust so always cleaner looking.