Topic: is it possible to get an amen savior frame?

[cormier1989]

I think these frames look awesome and it would be a really cool build. Does anyone know where you can get one? does anyone make them or similar reproductions?

[fuzzybutt]

i know that mike brown is still making frames, whether he still has one available for the sohc honda motors i dont know. he's really well known in the harley/v twin world.

[apoji187]

you're better looking on the forums at http://www.hondachopper.com/ they have a lot of guys using the amen frames, and occasionally one pops up for sale.

I've found out that most of the guys on this forum look down upon chops or modifications.

[fuzzybutt]

you're better looking on the forums at http://www.hondachopper.com/ they have a lot of guys using the amen frames, and occasionally one pops up for sale.

I've found out that most of the guys on this forum look down upon chops or modifications.

not at all true, alot of folks here have chops and i dont think anyone here would knock a safely done chop in fact. i prefer a stock or cafe style BUT i love a nicely done chop as well.

[Geeto67]

British cycle supply makes amen repros for parallel twins (Triumph, norton, bsa).

other than that you are going to have to find one used. A word of caution, however - you would be better off with a real hardtail and not the amen plunger. Once the spring setup got a little wear in them those frames would walk in the turns (feels like the rim is wobbly).

Amen was not the only mfg of the plunger "savior" style frame. Jammer velvet-rides are basically the same frame.

hand out on www.hondachopper.com in the for sale section. That stuff comes up once in a while. And there is always ebay.

[Ricky_Racer]

Cormier... 1080 (and I believe 754) both have personal experience with the Amen Savior. 1080 drag raced a hot one but (as I remember) ended up going to solid slugs in the rear due to spring bounce.

However, according to the word on Hondachopper, the jury is still out on the Savior tracking. If the bronze bushings are poorly maintained then, yes, the rear can feel loose. But, many owner/riders maintain that they've never experienced poor handling from the Savior.

I picked up an unused Savior last year from JLeather and am slowly putting it together with a prism tank and HA mags. Should be an interesting rider, and if there is any issue around safe handling, I'll definately replace the sliders inside the springs with slugs and maintain the outer springs for looks.

Go for it, Dude. The frames are not expensive and the bikes don't weigh nothin'!  RR

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

http://www.cycleonemanufacturing.com/

Red is a good guy. I met him in his shop in Regina couple years back. His work looks real good. Hope he gets reopened soon.

[kenickie]

There's a guy in Houston that's got one on Craigslist:

http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/1109034532.html

He prefers guns and ammo over cash......

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Nice!!  Prefers guns and ammo trades to cold hard cash.  Shady???

[JLeather]

The Amen is actually much different from the GME/Machine Shop/Jammer/Santee plunger frames.  On the Amen frame the axle goes through the plunger instead of trailing behind it like all the other companies.  Makes it much more stable because the contact area of the plunger to the axle is 2" at each end, as opposed to the 1/2" on the other frames.  Even if the bushings get a little wear the axle stays put.

BUT, you do have to maintain them (lube them once in a while, pull them apart in the winter and check 'em out).  My first chop was a savior, and I've had a couple others (the orange one in my profile I sold to a guy in FL, and I sold a really nice NOS one to Ricky Racer).  Personally I love 'em.  But don't think they ride like a softtail.  The springs only take the edge off, they don't really "dampen" all the smaller bumps.  It's closer to a rigid than a suspension.  They might feel a "little" funny in a turn, but then so does a rigid.  Here's a shot of my last one before I pulled her apart:



And this is what it looked like in the incarnation before that.



Had a lot of fun with that bike.  I've got a stocker too, and I've never really felt unwelcome here no matter how much I cut one up.  Anyone who keeps one of these old bikes on the road is cool with me.

[moham]

Nice!!  Prefers guns and ammo trades to cold hard cash.  Shady???

Not shady. Texas.

[Geeto67]

Nice!!  Prefers guns and ammo trades to cold hard cash.  Shady???

Not shady. Texas.

Def, Shady then.




I had a buddy with a amen savior triumph. I rode behind him once and watched the rear wheel try and work against the springs and straighten out. Yeah it was worn but it was still freaky to watch and I was glad I had sold my honda by then. I had an amen honda 750 and you could feel it walk in just about every corner. Of course I'm 280lbs and 6'5" so I was bottoming that thing out most days anyway. My Amen rigid 550 handles much much much better than the amen ever did even with a full rear rebuild and it runs a 15" VW car tire.

I don't know how close the OP is but there is an amen chop for sale in NY:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brx/mcy/1110044521.html

a little pricey but the guy is negotiable and it looks fun.  LB for lb this is a better deal than trying to build your own because you get all the parts at 1/2 the price.

[cormier1989]

can you all stop being so damn helpful all the time! Yea, i have an M1 carbine that could take a 30 round clip but thats got some Marine Corp history in it, and i couldnt trade it for anything. Guns and ammo over money is pretty shady no matter where your from. Guess he figures guns and ammo will be worth more than a motorcycly frame when the end of the world comes . The frame doesnt have to be an Amen or have the plunger I was really trying to find a rigid frame for the bike. again thanks for the help

[Geeto67]

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/mcy/1097985966.html

for this price I would rather have one of Ken's boxer frames - brand new at $800.

[05c50]

How about one of these? http://www.tcbroschoppers.com/id27.html

...........Paul

[754]

Geeto, that craiglist frame looks very short and squat.

Amen frame has way different lines than that, people are pretty picky about the "look" of their bike.

I got my Saviour new. I never had any handling problems, but I dont expect it to be a roadracer. If you ever ran a car radial on yours, it would give it a funny feel.

 I put 5000 miles on my Saviour frame in a month and over  800 miles a day a few times, so it did not seem that  bad..

I think they use oillite bushings, so unless you pressure wash the oil out they should  stay lubed..

[Shenanigans]

Plunger frames are the cooolest.

If you lock the springs you wont have to worry about any ill handling. 

[Soos]

http://www.cycleonemanufacturing.com/

Red is a good guy. I met him in his shop in Regina couple years back. His work looks real good. Hope he gets reopened soon.

Exactly where I was going to suggest.

Good prices, and he even offers cb650 frames!



l8r

[Geeto67]

Geeto, that craiglist frame looks very short and aquat.
Amen frame has way different lines than that, people are pretty picky about the "look" of their bike.

It ain't mine and I aint buying it for about the same reason, that thing has been streached to the sky.

these days I can see paying $500 for an old honda hardtail but it is hard to justify $750 when new frames can be had for a little more. If it were a savior or santee or one of the NOS paughos I get it but just a plain old hardtail with potentially a million pounds of bondo under it - eh.

[ajinreno]

Maybe I'm just ignorant about chopper style, but I've never understood the point of Amen Savior frames. What is the point of making a frame that looks like a hard tail but isn't a hard tail? It just seems to go against the whole chopper ethos.

[mystic_1]

Maybe I'm just ignorant about chopper style, but I've never understood the point of Amen Savior frames. What is the point of making a frame that looks like a hard tail but isn't a hard tail? It just seems to go against the whole chopper ethos.

Ask all the owners of Harley Davidson Softtails, another bike built to look like a hardtail.  Come to think of it, many cruisers come in this configuration now.

One aesthetic advantage is that the shocks are hidden out of sight under the swingarm.


mystic_1

[ajinreno]

Ask all the owners of Harley Davidson Softtails, another bike built to look like a hardtail. 

I try to avoid talking to anyone who rides a HD softtail...

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Ask all the owners of Harley Davidson Softtails, another bike built to look like a hardtail. 

I try to avoid talking to anyone who rides a HD softtail...

My Fat Boy and I will remember that when you need some help 

[754]

LOL at Rx man..

What is not to get about a traditional chopper frame?

 Lower seat position, Clean unbroken lines.. a bit of rake and forward stretch.. Exactly what you cant get out of a stock frame, no matter how much time & money you throw at it...

 God never intended bikes to have that frame pushed up against the motor look.... engineers that think handling is everything, and people like Ralph Nader & Jill Claybrook, made it so...

 Even Honda finallly makes a bike with a decent looking custom frame the Fury..

 But if you prefer other riding styles go for it... plenty of options out there..

[Flying J]

try this one
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/1124098264.html