Making a motorcycle chassis or this is what tools are for.

[tonyfoale]

This a post that I have been asked to make by many forum members. At last I have got around to it.
I have done it in the form of a PDF which can be downloaded from here
https://motochassis.com/FileDump/Frame%20making.pdf

Here are a few photos as a teaser.

Click image for full size.

[DIYer]

Thanks tonyfoale! We've added your Motorcycle Frame Fabrication to our Motorcycle category,
as well as to your builder page: tonyfoale's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Motorcycle Frame Fabrication by tonyfoale

tags: motorcycle, frame

[olderdan]

Fascinating build log Tony, your attention to detail is inspiring. Looking forward to seeing more of your new engine build,

[tonyfoale]

Fascinating build log Tony, your attention to detail is inspiring. Looking forward to seeing more of your new engine build,

Alan,

Not much progress on the engine. It was a long hot summer, too hot to spend much time in the workshop. So I tried to stay cool working in my office, catching up on some software upgrades and some workshop related programming and electronic gizmos, as well as preparing a new version of the book.
A year or two ago I bought a 1 micron linear encoder for a cam profile measuring device. it didn't get a lot of use, how many cams does one need to measure? I thought that the addition of an LCD display would let me turn the encoder and its black box into a general purpose accurate comparator. When used for cams there is no need for the display because the data is shunted off to a PC for analysis. I added a switch to change functions from one to the other. Here are some pix.

Click images for full size.

[steveofthenw]

This a post that I have been asked to make by many forum members. At last I have got around to it.
I have done it in the form of a PDF which can be downloaded from here
https://motochassis.com/FileDump/Frame%20making.pdf

Here are a few photos as a teaser.

Click image for full size.

Always curious about brazing. For the life of me, I don't see how it's as strong as welding. Sure is pretty, though.

[KustomsbyKent]

Steveofthenw,
As Tony explains in his document, brazing has some advantages for fatigue and vibration dampening, as well as not taking so much heat into the tube.
While it isn't as strong as a steel filler metal would be for Oxy-Acet or TIG welding, the weld bead can be larger which helps add additional material to make up for the lower strength, and because it is a lower temperature there is less chance of burning through the thin-wall tubing and lessening distortion, which is pretty critical on a racing bike.

If you have a torch, pick up some flux coated brazing rod and give it a try... it is more like soldering than welding though as you tend to heat the filler metal and puddle it on rather than making a puddle on the base material and dipping into the puddle.
You can use Oxy Acetylene or Oxy Propane or the electric arc on the TIG welder.
Plus, Brazing is just fun welding as well!
Altho I just like welding... especially Tig, and Brazing, and MIG and stick. Not so much on flux core because of all the spatter.

Thanks to Tony for posting that nice write-up, quite helpful for anyone building a frame and would like to minimize distortion and maintain accuracy. Lots of good building practices and helpful tips and tricks.

For tube notching, I prefer to use my abrasive tube notcher, and second choice would be the end milling operation. Hole saws are my last choice... rough cut and hard to creep up on the fit. I have used hole saws on large tubes for fitting 2x3 square up to 2" round with 1/4" wall thickness.

[tonyfoale]

Always curious about brazing. For the life of me, I don't see how it's as strong as welding. Sure is pretty, though.

It is the strength of the structure that is important, do not get bogged down with the strength of an individual weld.

[Wmrra13]

This is great, thanks Tony!

[olderdan]

Alan,

Not much progress on the engine. It was a long hot summer, too hot to spend much time in the workshop.

Hi Tony, yes I have been aware of the high temperature in Spain & Portugal this year. I once bought a villa in Almeria with the idea of moving there, circumstances at home delayed that for too long so I sold it. The way things turned out I think it was for the best, I do miss the Spanish way of life however but the idea of lounging poolside all day would drive me nuts, I have to have a workshop to keep me sane.

[tonyfoale]

Hi Tony, yes I have been aware of the high temperature in Spain & Portugal this year. I once bought a villa in Almeria with the idea of moving there, circumstances at home delayed that for too long so I sold it. The way things turned out I think it was for the best, I do miss the Spanish way of life however but the idea of lounging poolside all day would drive me nuts, I have to have a workshop to keep me sane.

Lounging by the poolside is not a part of my routine, I do not even have a pool. It is not really the spanish way of life either, it is more like the way of life of the northern europeans who move or holiday here. Geriatrics with nothing else to do.
BTW. the Almeria race track is my all time favourite track.