Topic: Another dragbike project. Kawasaki based wheelie bar bike

[dragracer]

My racing friends call me a hoarder because I collect stuff I may use for something later. At the same time when someone is looking for something they all call me up to see if I have it. On top of that they turn around and pass their unwanted parts to me that most likely should go to the dump. In this  case,  one man's junk will become a full tilt dragbike project for me. I was given a bare frame with a fiberglass body. I already had a front end/dummy headlight along with several fenders to choose from and a set of  RC wheels.  I went from parts and pieces to an actual rolling dragbike chassis in a few days because I'm an acknowledged hoarder. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to building another dragbike.🤣 "Ain't no rehab for drag racing". Oh yeah, I've hoarded enough  parts to build a complete engine and I've got some hand me down carbs and electronics that'll work nicely. This will definitely be a "sweep the floor bike".  That means I plan to grab whatever junk I see laying on the floor of the shop to put this contraption together without spending any  money. Its going to be as ugly as Kelly Ann Conway but fully functional for my purposes.Still lots of work ahead but I'll pick at this thing each evening whenever I find a few minutes.

Do I need another dragbike?? Hell no!! But who's keeping track anyway.  I ran out of fingers and toes to count them  a few years ago. Stand by, more to come. Shooting to build a basic 6.0/9.50 index/"around the house" ET bike.

[RAFster122s]

Frank, there are far uglier women than Kelly, but political animals are attractive ever...
Glad you got something to keep you out of mischief and bars and strip clubs, besides your respect for Gladys.
Nothing some paintwork cannot put some lipstick on that pig...

[dusterdude]

Cool deal frank

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[dragracer]

It'll be an ugly duckling for sure and this funky yellow fairing gits right in.

[Don R]

 I've been the recipient of a few bikes. My wife has told a few people I'm a hoarder but I can still walk through my shop and I've sold a few runners along the way. My real drag bike hasn't happened yet but I have the bones.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I heard yellow fairings are faster 

[dragracer]

I fixed it Jerry. Now it's slow- all in black.

[dragracer]

Need to sort out the exhaust system next.

[dragracer]

I've been the recipient of a few bikes. My wife has told a few people I'm a hoarder but I can still walk through my shop and I've sold a few runners along the way. My real drag bike hasn't happened yet but I have the bones.

I'm letting the alphabets get the better of me Don. I need to settle down and concentrate back on one project. Now that the exhaust dilemma has been sorted out with the Suzuki dragbike project,  I'm going to push this Kaw in a corner and focus on completing that bike. I'm shooting for a 90 day window to make my first test hit.

[dragracer]

Got a sidewinder for the bike. The megaphone needs to extend beyond the foot peg so I cut a piece from another megaphone to use as an extension. It's coming along, slow but sure.

[dragracer]

I ran into another issue that had to be corrected. The fiberglass body has a stepped seat area. Unfortunately  it forces me to be to far forward so my arms aren't extended comfortably. I added forward type handle bars but it's just not quite right. I decided to take some measurements and simply cut out the dang hump so I can move my rear towards the back of the bike so my arms become more outstretched.  After removing the raised area, it allowed me to get lower into the pocket and put my arms about where I feel comfortable.  I've now got to rebuilt that seat area with fiberglass and then add a support on the frame rail to keep the modified body from flexing. I'll use fiberglass matting and it should turn okay okay after using glass reinforced body filler to smooth out any flaws.

[dragracer]

I made a dash panel out of some leftover sheet metal. I needed a place to mount my delay box and a few other items. I'll strip the paint off and replay it black at some point once I'm done. Still lots of small items to figure out on the chassis before I move on to the engine build. I'm still uncertain about what Cc engine to put together.  I've got several options on hand but will likely just throw together a low compression 83mm/1425cc engine with a 1-2 auto transmission and a slider clutch. Of course I'll add a nitrous system since it's easier to install it now than later.

[RAFster122s]

So the new toy hasn't been parked in the corner yet? Hahaha some nice looking work.
When are you on the track again?

[dragracer]

So the new toy hasn't been parked in the corner yet? Hahaha some nice looking work.
When are you on the track again?

Lol. Nope, it still in the middle of the floor for now. Im definitely getting caught up in this particular build. Fortunately i have rudimentary fabrication and welding knowledge to carry me forward. I've also collected the majority of the parts over the years to make this thing a decent dragbike. Yeap, she'll be heavy and ugly but will get the job done. Crap, sounds like  i just described an old girlfriend i messed with in my younger and less selective days. Lol. Nevertheless,  i don't have much cash in it thus far and hope to keep the budget as close to zero as possible.  I may have to splurge on a valve job, some rings, csm chsin and gasjets for the engine build. It'll also need a new rear slick. In reality i know I'll have to spend about $1500 -$2000 to get it dragstrip ready. I'm out about $100 so far which was spent to buy another used sidewinder. I'll test fitting it this weekend.  Its got some rust and a few fings but will be fine for this budget buold, ugly duckling.

We're planning to race again tomorrow at a lical track. Its a VW event but they're allowing us to run 2 bike classes. ET bracket and 5.60 index bikes. I didn’t complete installation of the fuel injection on my VW dragster in time for this race so it'll be bikes for me tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to the 90 plus degree weather though. I'll jump back on getting this fiberglass seat area molded bsck in on Sunday.  I need to move on to fabrication of a front brake hanger next and then the roller will get pushed into a corner til i figure out my engine program. I don't have a bunch of money so I'm extremely thankful for the basic skills to do my projects.

[dragracer]

Gathered up my supplies and laid in some fiberglass last night.

[dragracer]

My compressor went out on me so i had to use an electric sanders to rough this thing in a bit. It turned out fair for the short amount of time i spent sanding on the new seat area. At least that dang stepped hump is gone so i can move my body rearward now. A test sitting felt much better than before the modification.  This'll work for me very well. I'll use some fiberglass reinforced body filler to correct any remaining problems and then shoot some primer on the disturbed area. I'm not going to be in a rush for an overall paint job until i get this bike down the track. Even with fresh paint, it'll still be an ugly duckling.

[dragracer]

Lots of room to move rearwards now. Much more comfortable than before the modification.

[RAFster122s]

Nice Frank!

[dragracer]

Nice Frank!

Thanks. I'm doing my best with limited skills 😌.  Its roughed in now. I can move on to making the bracing under the modified seat area. Its unsupported now so it has to have some tubing to sit on or it'll eventually crack or break. Thats a task for tonight. I try to do a little everyday. If i keep  making baby steps, sooner than later it'll get completed.

[RAFster122s]

Nice Frank!

Thanks. I'm doing my best with limited skills 😌.  Its roughed in now. I can move on to making the bracing under the modified seat area. Its unsupported now so it has to have some tubing to sit on or it'll eventually crack or break. Thats a task for tonight. I try to do a little everyday. If i keep  making baby steps, sooner than later it'll get completed.

Too hot to do much outside here, 113F at 4pm. Was suppose to have hit 114F at 3PM. I forgot to check at 3.

[dragracer]

Got the frame rail supports  welded in last night. Now the modified seat area will have support to keep the body from cracking or shifting rearward. I still have an area left to tack in place. Yeap. I'm still a better grinder than welder. Lol. Getting it done one step at a time.

[dusterdude]

Excellent

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[RAFster122s]

Frank, it gets the job done, we cannot all be a Michelangelo with a welder, but few can touch your skills going down a track...
Too many people bad mouth their skills and they recognize they are not exceptional with something. They discount they can do that skill at all. Lots of people cannot weld at all, your skills are far better than theirs and you try...just more practice needed to improve your skills. Damn sight better than my skills having never welded. They get it done and you know how to dress the welds with the grinder.

[dragracer]

Frank, it gets the job done, we cannot all be a Michelangelo with a welder, but few can touch your skills going down a track...
Too many people bad mouth their skills and they recognize they are not exceptional with something. They discount they can do that skill at all. Lots of people cannot weld at all, your skills are far better than theirs and you try...just more practice needed to improve your skills. Damn sight better than my skills having never welded. They get it done and you know how to dress the welds with the grinder.

Good points. As you said, sometimes we're our own worst critics.  No, I'm no expert in many of the things i do but i am willing to try to figure it out.  I'm self taught with the welding and don't have the best equipment, but i can get things done to my overall satisfaction. I've saved myself a lot of time and money while building my own bikes.  I think this one should turn out alright in the end.

[dragracer]

I think it goes without saying that if you move your body rearward on a motorcycle, you also need to consider the position of your legs. In my case the foot pegs were alreay to far forward even before I cut the seat area. I knew i had to relocate the pegs backwards at least 7-8". You can see in the pictures where the peg once was versus where i moved it back. This thing is finally fitting me to my preference.