Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Custom Corner My slight mods :)

Starting with the new front end. Mud guard is not fitted now.

Took you long enough to post those pics Dad!!

Im looking forward to you finishing it now..pipes tank etc, might even ride over and take it out for a spin, LOL

Yeah... just slight mods, nothing noticeable!

Love what you've done from the gas tank forward. Everything up front is awesome!! Nice work.

Ps, I want a front end just like that one!

Very cool!

Are you planning on a larger front tire? Looks like that fender could come down a bit.

I must say...I like it so far!

Excellent! I particularly like the light housing and turn signal position. Good overall look on the front of that head turner to be.

So Richard, what's the story on that COOL girder front end there, dude? Is it your design and build?

(man...I can already tell that that baby's gonna look REAL nice when ya get done with it!!!)

Love that front end !!!!!

keep the pics coming, very nice!

don't care for the fender but I want one of those front ends.

What fender ?

As said that mud guard is not on it that was just to line the bracket up.

Yeah, well, FORGET the friggin' fender there, dude! How's about an answer to MY question about the origins of that VERY COOL girder front end there dude...err...mate, I suppose!!!

Lookin sharp bud... keep up the good work.

I had them made by a firm called Metal Malarky not far from me. Here in Cymru/Wales.

Well Richard, those boys at Metal Malarky appear to have done a great job on those babies!!! So, were those guys working from a set of your plans, or do they already manufacture those?

Ya know, a few years back, another member here at BA.com, who I can't remember his name right now(and who I hope won't take offense to the following if he reads it), also fabricated a girder front end for his BA, but I felt there was somethin' just a little "off" about their appearance. Maybe they were slightly extended, or maybe they were raked out a little too much or somethin', but I felt they were close to "looking right" but not quite "right".

But, YOUR girder here looks near perfect on that BA, at least to my eyes anyway!

yer I designed them and the trail, rake and stance, had a good conversation with the builder and he clicked with me straight away.

I always think work that you want should be done by someone on the same wave , if not walk away. Plenty of other ppl out there building them.


The stance on mine is , to me, just right.

Glad you like it

Yep! I sure do! And, I'm gettin' the distinct impression that Ian(he of the "Royal Order Of The Kickstarter" and our resident "Old Schooler" 'round here) likes 'em TOO!!!

And I'd guess, because of the parallelogram geometry inherent with the girder design, front-end brake dive should also be greatly diminished as compared to the standard telescopic forks, right?!

the parallelogram is a fixed side so it moves much like a fork leg but different. the whole leg/side moves as opposed to just the lower.

Yeah, I know. But what I was sayin' here is that because of the braking forced applied whenever you'd grab a handful of front brake, those forces would be going in a lateral motion(or parallel to the road surface) with a girder set-up and thus are inherently an little more "anti-dive" in nature, as compared to a telescopic fork, where those forces tend to compress the forks while going diagonally down towards the front axle.

Ya know, BMW is basically using an updated version of the girder front-end on their new K-bikes, and I hear that setup greatly diminishes front-end brake-dive.

Yep

Ed (Biker) made his front end up in NY.

An yes I like that front end and headlight now make me a friggin kickstart and points ignition darn it!

guys girder frontends can be purchased and all you need to do is measure, and swap out bearings and races for HD 1 inch stems.....ANGELIS745

Yep, that's true enough, Fred. However, I have YET to have ever seen one look as "right" on a BA as does this particular one which Richard designed here, with his trail and rake proportions. BUT, like I said, that's to MY eyes anyway.

Are you leaving the wheels as is or will you have whitewalls or black? From what I see of your ride, my preference is for whitewalls..... Nice work...keep the pics coming.

They will stay as they are, the front one is to small a side wall to be white. It wouldn't look right. Its a V-Rod 19" solid wheel. Back one is standard.

Off to play with the air filters and stuff now

Love the variety everyone comes up with. Another winner!

Kinda wondering where that headlight bucket came from... almost recognizable from somewhere.

Just done some mock ups to try different ideas out. I like the longer guard. Thinks it gives that much needed length to the bike. I'm a tall chap as well.

.Long Guard



.Short Guard

Also trying different tanks.

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Love the look! The seat goes better with the orange tank.

Final design I think. Will include a matching front guard. So imagine that on there.

You know, ya got a real beefy look there, kinda tough yet elegant. Old school look with modern overtones. I think you got the best of all worlds in that bike. About the only think I would change is the George Foreman grill, but that's just me. Carry on and keep us posted if you will.

+1 on lose the sprocket cover, and lose the engine bars.. spoils the line.. and change the colour of that RED rim tape to white, looks like something from Wales.. O yea, you are LOL