Hardley a Davidson diesel Project

[Dougy]

I decided to make the rear light and numberplate bracket today, I'm more than a bit skint so I made it out of 2.5mm plate as its all I had, its a bit on the heavy side but there you go, I got the rear light of a good mate, it wouldnt have been my first choice but my daughter wanted it on and its her bike, so its on

[boutje]

A nice piece of sheet metal work.

[Dougy]

Thanks Boutje I've not done anything like that before, its 2.5mm thick and was really hard to cut, but its very satisfying to look back on, even if it is a bit overkill

[Curtis in Texas]

One nice thing about having that bracket made out of heavier material is you can add some tubing to it and make a nice rear rack with it as the floor for the rack.

Add a little bracket to the rear frame loop and it will carry all the packages your daughter can get on there.

Really enjoying this build. Can't wait to get started on mine.
Now that I have the Elefant running, registered and insured I'm one step closer to gettting on my diesel bike project.
Once I finish out a few customers bikes I'll have the room on one of the lifts to get the bild started on it.

Is getting this bike legal on the street going to be a big hassel where you live? I hear all these HORROR stories about the MOT!
Here in Texas they are more worried about it having proper brakes and lighting than emissions and an having an off highway engine.
I can get a bike title for almost any bike frame as long as they arn't stolen.

[Dougy]

Thanks Curtis I'm glad your enjoying the build, I am too !, It sounds like you work in a bike shop ? Its frustrating working on other peoples machines or projects when you heads spinning with ideas you want to turn into metal, put you thoughts down on paper in the meantime
The MOT isnt that bad really, its just a yearly safety test that in most cases takes just 20 minutes making sure everything not worn out, do you have a similar test in Texas ? My mate John moved to France a couple of years ago and theres no MOT test there its up to you to make sure its road worthy, I'd love that !
And theres also no emisions test for bikes here, but at the moment were getting more and more threats of usless laws from Europe threatening us, France are threatening compulsery orange dayglow bibs ! And this wont go away it will have to be defeated, but we have a pro bike group called the Motorcycle Actin Group (MAG) who will hopefully put that and many other stupid laws to bed. There is another slightly more daunting test called the MSVA with is for one off motorcycles and that is like a four hour MOT where they check everything is upto current standards, costs a fair bit too so some people try to get around it but more and more are getting caught out at MOT time if the bike they say they have is not standard. Ohh to live in the land of the free

[Curtis in Texas]

Thanks Curtis I'm glad your enjoying the build, I am too !, It sounds like you work in a bike shop ? Its frustrating working on other peoples machines or projects when you heads spinning with ideas you want to turn into metal, put you thoughts down on paper in the meantime
The MOT isnt that bad really, its just a yearly safety test that in most cases takes just 20 minutes making sure everything not worn out, do you have a similar test in Texas ? My mate John moved to France a couple of years ago and theres no MOT test there its up to you to make sure its road worthy, I'd love that !
And theres also no emisions test for bikes here, but at the moment were getting more and more threats of usless laws from Europe threatening us, France are threatening compulsery orange dayglow bibs ! And this wont go away it will have to be defeated, but we have a pro bike group called the Motorcycle Actin Group (MAG) who will hopefully put that and many other stupid laws to bed. There is another slightly more daunting test called the MSVA with is for one off motorcycles and that is like a four hour MOT where they check everything is upto current standards, costs a fair bit too so some people try to get around it but more and more are getting caught out at MOT time if the bike they say they have is not standard. Ohh to live in the land of the free

I own a shop behind the house and I'm retired from the Local Electric Power Company. I have always worked on cars, 4X4 Rigs and motorcycles.
I do work for people on their toys, and teach them how to do the simpler stuff that intimidate the non mechanical guys. I find that once the mystery is taken out of the machine guys will take up wrenching as a hobby. So it's a teach a man to fish thing for me,
One of my biggest passions is converting vehicles into something they were never designed for, motorcycles included. Engine swaps and custom transmissions, suspensions and bodies are what I enjoy doing the most. I was studying to be a Mechanical Engineer way back when in night school when my first wife divorced me at the end of my Junior year. (3rd year of a 4 year degree) Only going nights I had been at it 7 years! Just was never able to put my life back together enough to go back to school and finish my schooling, but I still had my tools and desires.
Here's a shot of my little man cave as we call them here in the US. Only took me 30 years to scrape together the cash to build it.


Our Safety test and checks are left up to the Countys and individual State we live in. Some Countys have emissions testing, others like mine, don't. I live way out in the Country away from the crowds. Groceries and normal supplies are anywhere from 12 to 26 miles from us. I had my Safety Inspection done on the E900 Elefant last week at my local Kawasaki Dealership and the guy just looked at it, pretended to read the serial #'s off the steerting head and did the paperwork for $14.50. Took longer to get him out to look at it than it did to have the papers done. Some places will actually drive the bikes around the parking lot, but this guy could see I'd just restored it, so he didn't even try to sit on it. Funny how things go sometimes isn't it? Our MOT's are done by mechanics and garages as a sideline. Other States have full on Government Inspections Employees who rake you over the coals. One of the great things about living in Texas. Some States, like France, don't even bother with safety checks or anything. Those are the States you have to be careful driving in because the junked out car drivers may crash into you without warning and without insurance. We don't have a helmet law here for adult riders, but do for juviniles. Some States don't have any, and some have every piece of safety gear on you, you can think of. I wear a High Viz Yellow jacket when I ride and it does make the cages see me sooner. That, and my favorite bike looks like a Cops Bike from a distance.

Too much Government is not a good thing, even if the citizens are too stupid to care for themselves. It used to be call "Natural Selection". Only the strong survived, but now all the weak and stupid are everywhere. And somehow it's become the Governments job to help them protect themselves from themselves and the strong.

Anyway, I gotta run! Got things to do this morning.

[Dougy]

Done a bit more cleaning up today with the sand blaster, I also put the rear brake cam in the shop to get fixed, hopefully that wont cost to much .

[Hoover]

Doug, what setup you using for the sand blaster?

[Dougy]

Its a jet wash machine we have in work, Part of my job is removing graphiti off brick walls ect, and we can add a tube to a sand hopper which goes to the end of the lance by the nozzle, so it mix's the dry sand with water so theres no dust, that way we can use the cheapish sand they usually use for finishing off block paving.

[Dougy]

Fitted the footpegs today, about 10 inches from the original position but still nice an comfy, I also had to alter the rear brake lever quite alot and heavily brace it, seems to work ok and adjusted up fine.

[Dougy]

I've made the sidepanels today, very simple and heavy 2.5 mm plate ! Its generally built like a tank which I quite like I still need to cut a chunk out of the left hand side panel so the exhaust fits again ! but as I'm still shaking from grinding all day, thats a job for another day,

[Dougy]

Done a bit more on the left side panel today, I had to cut a chunk out and set a piece in so's the exhaust will fit.

[Dougy]

Time to clean out the rusty petrol tank which was full of leaves ! I'm using a organic rust eating product I bought off Ebay for £8. It takes 12 hours to eat all the rust so I'll report back in the morning.....

[Dougy]

I left the tank in the rusteater for about 15 hours in total and it worked like a charm to say I'm delighted is an understatement, I even chucked in the fuel tap for a few hours and that also came up great.



Where there was rust I now have lovely little shiny clean pits, all ready for the filler .

[Dougy]

Tonight I welded in a new steering stop as the original was smashed ! I also welded on a new suport stay for the rear mudguard, both are solid now, also
I've filled an primed all the big bits

With Freyas help of course....
The top pics a vid ! jus click on the pic

[Dougy]

Got bored waiting for stuff to come through the post so I've build it up as best I can to see better whats needed, I suppose the next big job I've got is the return pipe going back into the tank, I'm thinking about braising in a simple piece of pipe shoved into the bottom of the tank, the original Yanmar tank has a filter installed so I'm thinking of using an inline filter, any Ideas .






I've used C90 switchgear but theres no electric start on it so I've fitted a cheeky little rubber coated button here .

I'm thinking Freya needs another eleven years growing to fit it

[Stuart]

Looking good Dougy You mentioned using a filter there and I will say that some have had problems using the small in-line filters as they are made to pass petrol and not diesel. I think that this slight restriction can (but might not) cause a problem so best watch out for it. You might be ok though as you don't use much fuel. Just thought I'd mention it

[Dougy]

Wow Thanks Stuart, a 'lookin good' of you is like getting a gold star in school or a pat on the back of the big boss lol .
I take your point about the filter though an I'll have to give it some thought now to use one at all because it was always going to be a belt an braces thing as I still have the internal filter inside the petrol tank, I might still look on Ebay though for a nice fine mesh filter
I won't let your praise go to my head though boss...

( walks backwords out of the room )

[old clunker]

Hello Dougy, I like your shrewd engineering solutions to problems! Yes I agree, keep things simple if you can. The build is looking very good, and I'm sure that you can't wait to give the bike it's first proper test ride, when it's all finished! I'm sure it will be good.

[Byrdman]

Great looking build.

I just love the look of a white bike. Especially one with some black smoke eminating from it's exhaust!

[coachgeo]

vegetable oil converted diesels use inline filters all the time so you might be ok. (aka thicker fuel than expected and filter and engine is fine with it). Granted they have a fuel pump and are not gravity fed. Cheap to try

[Curtis in Texas]

You can always use a garden hose strainer screen if you're worried about getting chunks of jell or flakes in the engine from the tank.
Garden Supply stores should have some nice brass couplers with the strainer screens in them.

Just an idea.

I like the white. Looks good!
My favorite bike is white too!

Anymore Videos of you riding it????

[Dougy]

Hello Dougy, I like your shrewd engineering solutions to problems! Yes I agree, keep things simple if you can. The build is looking very good, and I'm sure that you can't wait to give the bike it's first proper test ride, when it's all finished! I'm sure it will be good.

Your right Clunker, I'm bursting to get on it again but I'm waiting for a smaller rear sprocket to get made, I've spoken to the guy last week who said he'd get on with making it this week......but he has'nt done it yet so its totally out of my hands, I'll do the return for the diesal though the weekend that will keep me ticking over for now

[Dougy]

Great looking build.

I just love the look of a white bike. Especially one with some black smoke eminating from it's exhaust!

[Dougy]

Great looking build.

I just love the look of a white bike. Especially one with some black smoke eminating from it's exhaust!

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I like the white. Looks good!
My favorite bike is white too!

Anymore Videos of you riding it????

Thanks guys, looking at it I know what you mean but thats just the primer ! Dont forget its my lil girls bike an she wants the paintwork too be (her words) army green and pink ! Although its up to me how thats interpreted, thems the colours, I think she will be happy with a little bit of pink pinstriping and after looking at it in primer I may two tone the green with white also.........when I run it past the boss that is

An more vids asap when I get me new smaller by five tooth sprocket

[Dougy]

vegetable oil converted diesels use inline filters all the time so you might be ok. (aka thicker fuel than expected and filter and engine is fine with it). Granted they have a fuel pump and are not gravity fed. Cheap to try

Cheers for the advise mate, I'll probley fit a filter in there, and I think I probley will fit one and I'll fit a decent sized one to maximise the flow, I'm probley opening a can of worms here but after thinking about it and looking at the mpg diesal riders are getting from their machines is it really worth the hassle of using veg oil ? I think if I'm getting a 100 mpg + using diesel thats good enough, dont get me wrong if theres another fuel strike and I could use veg oil I would, but by using veg oil on such a low powerd engine, would I reduce the performace even more ?

[Dougy]

I done a similar thing as this for my boys ped project an it surprised me quite a lot so...here I go again, a tot up of the build costs so far, I'm going to include the workshop items I've had to buy to do it which will bump up the final spend figure a bit but it is what I've had to fork out, I've got to spend a whole lot more on it before its done, but for now, here goes....

Bike parts.
Rolling chassis....................£76.
Diesel engine......................£170
Transmission......................£250
Metal, cutting discs ect........£150
Rear mudguard...................£26.
Drive chain.........................£15.
Front & rear light.................£30.
Headlight brackets...............£14.50
Front mudguard...................£30
Battery................................£40.
Stainless nuts an bolts...........£150.
Body filler.............................£8.
High build primer Paint...........£33.
Etching primer.......................£11.
Chemicle metal glue................£6.
Brake lever............................£7.
LED Flasher relay....................£5.
LED indicators X 4..................£14.
Horn.....................................£2.
Alloy grips..............................£12.
Throttle cable.........................£11.
Starter button.........................£7.50
Ignition switch........................£9.50
Switchgear.............................£37.
Rear brakelight switch..............£4.50
Rust eater..............................£8.00
Diesel workshop manuel...........£10.
Seat.......................................£45.
Front brake stay.......................£15.
Rear brake cam........................£8.
Petrol cap................................£15.
Front wheel spindle & spacers.....£30.

Total....................................................£1273.

Workshop items.
Tube Bender............................£130.
Welding magnets......................£18.
Ark Welder................................£130
Swivel Vice................................£23.
Welding mask.............................£20.
Vernia calipers............................£15

Total...................................................£336


Grand total.........................................£1609


So thats where all the money went

[Dougy]

Fitted the Indicators tonight as well as the rear brake light switch, I've gone all 21st century and bought LED indicators and relay, cant wait for payday to come around again so I can buy the shed load of electrical items I need for the next stage...

[Dougy]

I've had a bit of good news this week, the dating letter I first started trying to get over six months ago has finally arrived, I had to go through a Dutch organisation called FEMAC who kindly wrote to the President of th Aremacchi owners in Italy to get me all the information I needed ( or to be more precise what the DVLA needed) and they never charged me a penny ! I'm one more step nearer to getting it registed now



I've also had ago at making a warning light consol, theres a bit to go on the back to hide the wires, it might be too big to use in the end but we'll see .

[Dougy]

finished off the warning light consul tonight, I think I need a bigger lathe, the little Clarke one I have is to much like hard work !