My spirder

Try using this area for frontend information.
Post Reply
kheaton
Lurker
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:12 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: My name is Ken Heaton. I've been in the medical field in the Army for the past 18 years and work on and build bikes as a hobby. My main hobby and goal is to think of parts that do not exist and make them or modify existing parts. I currently own a 99 Softtail that I bolted together, a 78 Triumph bobber that i built from the ground up, a 75 CB360 cafe, and a 76 Kawasaki KH500 that needs a lot of work. I joined the original forum about 8 years ago and I'm glad to see it up and running again!
Location: Augusta, GA

My spirder

Post by kheaton »

I haven't given up on the leafer build but i ran into a problem with it. I need the bike together to ride to an event next week so.........I got a spirder! I think this may be the worlds shortest spirder (20.5"). I didn't build it but its still cool. Can't report on the ride quality yet but hope to have the bike buttoned up this weekend.

Ken

Image
User avatar
budoka
Site Admin
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:51 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: I'm a Kentucky boy who's found himself transplanted into Japan. been into turning wrenches as long as i can remember. i love muscle cars, hotrod bikes, and the martial arts.

been a member of this board since back when it was a part of Chopperweb. been handling the tech side and sharing the admin duties for several years now.
Location: Fuefuki Shi, Japan
Contact:

Re: My spirder

Post by budoka »

now that's neat. where did ya get it?

in any event, it looks pretty cool.

take care,
-dan
-experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
http://knuckleheadsummer.blogspot.com/
User avatar
curt
Long in the Tooth
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:36 am
SELF INTRODUCTION: hi everyone its me from the old bord hopeing to see everyone come here and all the newcomers . lets make this as good as the old one or even better . lookin foreward to seeing everyones projects continue and ill be continueing mine too
Location: utica new york

Re: My spirder

Post by curt »

nice
ever notice when you hit somethin or someone with a hammer you feel instantly better
kheaton
Lurker
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:12 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: My name is Ken Heaton. I've been in the medical field in the Army for the past 18 years and work on and build bikes as a hobby. My main hobby and goal is to think of parts that do not exist and make them or modify existing parts. I currently own a 99 Softtail that I bolted together, a 78 Triumph bobber that i built from the ground up, a 75 CB360 cafe, and a 76 Kawasaki KH500 that needs a lot of work. I joined the original forum about 8 years ago and I'm glad to see it up and running again!
Location: Augusta, GA

Re: My spirder

Post by kheaton »

A guy in New Mexico built it for me to my specs. I hated to buy a front end after all the work I put into the leafer but I have another bike to build and the leafer will go on it. I'll post my issues with it in the build thread.

Ken
User avatar
Maxthegardener
Builder
Posts: 384
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:28 am
SELF INTRODUCTION: Name is Max living in scotland ,and building my first bike, Which is derived from a buellM2 Cyclone..Started with an engine and a Drop seat frame wich was made to my spec by a more experienced builder. would like to learn more about the skills and techniques required to build a frame so I value being a member here...Cheers Max
Location: Angus, Scotland

Re: My spirder

Post by Maxthegardener »

:popcorn: like those..
julian3528
NewB
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:05 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: hgv driver welder/machineist living in stoke on trent England been riding and messing with bikes since 1976 got a gs550 with home made hard tail frame
also have a bandit 1200 cb550 and an sv650 mini twin for the track when I get the chance to race it. main aim is to get to the manx gp and race on the tt coarse.

Re: My spirder

Post by julian3528 »

Hi one question what gas strut did you use in the bottom of the front end ?
User avatar
railroad bob
Contributor
Posts: 939
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:07 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: Hi Dan, thanks for your time and energy spent on this new board. I hope you will give me a waiver on the email account, I have used gmail so long I don't have a clue what my service provider account is.
I just returned home from a 2 week trip in New Mexico, have a few good pix, can't wait to share my off-highway traveling. Got to put 1400 miles on the scoot.

Best, Bob Davidson
Location: Alaska

Re: My spirder

Post by railroad bob »

Thats a good looking fork. Was the builder in Albuquerque?
Alaska - Land of the Individual and Other Endangered Species
An Armed Society is a Polite Society,...
Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants
TANSTAAFL
kheaton
Lurker
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:12 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: My name is Ken Heaton. I've been in the medical field in the Army for the past 18 years and work on and build bikes as a hobby. My main hobby and goal is to think of parts that do not exist and make them or modify existing parts. I currently own a 99 Softtail that I bolted together, a 78 Triumph bobber that i built from the ground up, a 75 CB360 cafe, and a 76 Kawasaki KH500 that needs a lot of work. I joined the original forum about 8 years ago and I'm glad to see it up and running again!
Location: Augusta, GA

Re: My spirder

Post by kheaton »

julian3528 wrote:Hi one question what gas strut did you use in the bottom of the front end ?
I didn't build it so I'm not sure what type of spring is in it. I was told its basically a spring, rod, and a few bushings. There's a thread on here "Saving a Harmon " I think that has a few pics of the inside of a spirder.
Thats a good looking fork. Was the builder in Albuquerque?
He told me the city he's in but I can't remember. His name is Travis though. He posted his front ends on another site and really took an Internet beat down for using John Harmon's idea. I think I mentioned this site to him and how laid back and helpful everyone is here but I don't believe he ever checked it out.
User avatar
railroad bob
Contributor
Posts: 939
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:07 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: Hi Dan, thanks for your time and energy spent on this new board. I hope you will give me a waiver on the email account, I have used gmail so long I don't have a clue what my service provider account is.
I just returned home from a 2 week trip in New Mexico, have a few good pix, can't wait to share my off-highway traveling. Got to put 1400 miles on the scoot.

Best, Bob Davidson
Location: Alaska

Re: My spirder

Post by railroad bob »

I think I've seen some of his work, it looks good, nice lines to his bikes.

I can't count how many times i've seen something done years ago, and someone else uses the idea.
I personally don't see the problem if it isn't something copyrighted or currently in production by someone trying to make a name or money from their creativity.
I don't see that with a Harmon style front end. Same thing as making a springer or girder, isn't it?

I went to a new shop in Phoenix years ago, mid 90s, one of the big shots gave me a short tour, was telling me they were gonna build something never done before,
A chopper with 2 rear wheels in tandem. His face fell when I told him I read an article in SuperCycle about a shovelhead that got that treatment years ago.

Some of you older guys might remember they (SuperCycle) had a young woman touring around the country going to biker bashes on her big tourer, can't think of her name. started with "M". (Marnie?)
She would do a write up about it, a good story.
One of their last issues had a story telling the readers that she died in a bad wreck leaving one of the parties a day after.
Alaska - Land of the Individual and Other Endangered Species
An Armed Society is a Polite Society,...
Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants
TANSTAAFL
User avatar
yona
Conventioneer
Posts: 278
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:55 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: Automotive weldor and fabricator for 45 years, like to dip in to both pools............make hand-tooled leather covered seats and bags.................jack of all trades........................63 years old......live in Baja Georgia, on the coast...former military
Location: Baja Georgia - St Johns River Inlet
Contact:

Re: My spirder

Post by yona »

If you hold a piece of paper in the centerline of the neck, it looks to have slightly neg trail.... I ran into than on my leafer, when I designed the rockers to run the wheel in front... but mine was 4 to 5 inches... it might be a problem . But you can make rockers to move the wheel back some ... I don't know enough about these forks to say .... but you can ask Jaxon Davies... (Jusjaxon) on here and CW... look at his frontend and see if it is different. His forks use a replacable cartridge and the spring can be changed or adjusted. I like his frontends better !
JAXON'S SPRINGER GIRDER.jpg
JAXON'S SPRINGER GIRDER.jpg (69.56 KiB) Viewed 8645 times
I.D.G.A.F.H.T.D.I.A.O.C.C.
jbfrmca
Lurker
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:21 am
SELF INTRODUCTION: dan. my names john or jbfrmca on most boards . i was on the old board(not very much i'm afraid) been messing with bikes my whole life. still want to learn as much as i can while i can. thanks in advance. later john.

Re: My spirder

Post by jbfrmca »

railroad bob wrote:I think I've seen some of his work, it looks good, nice lines to his bikes.

I can't count how many times i've seen something done years ago, and someone else uses the idea.
I personally don't see the problem if it isn't something copyrighted or currently in production by someone trying to make a name or money from their creativity.
I don't see that with a Harmon style front end. Same thing as making a springer or girder, isn't it?

I went to a new shop in Phoenix years ago, mid 90s, one of the big shots gave me a short tour, was telling me they were gonna build something never done before,
A chopper with 2 rear wheels in tandem. His face fell when I told him I read an article in SuperCycle about a shovelhead that got that treatment years ago.

Some of you older guys might remember they (SuperCycle) had a young woman touring around the country going to biker bashes on her big tourer, can't think of her name. started with "M". (Marnie?)
She would do a write up about it, a good story.
One of their last issues had a story telling the readers that she died in a bad wreck leaving one of the parties a day after.
the womans name was marla garber. she always road with her dog to all of the partys. used to like reading her stories.
a friend of mine started that internet beatdown on that guy on chop cult. i did'nt see a problem with what he was /is doing.
the patent ran out awhile ago so there's no legal right to the design. you don't see anybody getting on jaxon for his design. but he did change it up by using a cartridge. i personaly like what jaxon did. not as clean as johns design but better in the fact that you can do something with the spring setup.
kheaton
Lurker
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:12 pm
SELF INTRODUCTION: My name is Ken Heaton. I've been in the medical field in the Army for the past 18 years and work on and build bikes as a hobby. My main hobby and goal is to think of parts that do not exist and make them or modify existing parts. I currently own a 99 Softtail that I bolted together, a 78 Triumph bobber that i built from the ground up, a 75 CB360 cafe, and a 76 Kawasaki KH500 that needs a lot of work. I joined the original forum about 8 years ago and I'm glad to see it up and running again!
Location: Augusta, GA

Re: My spirder

Post by kheaton »

yona wrote:If you hold a piece of paper in the centerline of the neck, it looks to have slightly neg trail.... I ran into than on my leafer, when I designed the rockers to run the wheel in front... but mine was 4 to 5 inches... it might be a problem . But you can make rockers to move the wheel back some ... I don't know enough about these forks to say .... but you can ask Jaxon Davies... (Jusjaxon) on here and CW... look at his frontend and see if it is different. His forks use a replacable cartridge and the spring can be changed or adjusted. I like his frontends better !
I checked that pic again and I see what you're saying. I think it's the position of the bike in the pic though. I just put the bike on the lift and remeasured and I get 3.125" trail.

I tried to find Jaxon on CW but I haven't been there in so long I forgot my password. An adjustable cartridge is def the way to go though. I had to cut .750" off the threaded end of the spring rod to get the front to work good and it was a pain in the ass to get the rockers back on!
Partie
NewB
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:03 am
SELF INTRODUCTION: Work for Delta Airlines as a Flight Simulator technician for 24 years. Also owner and operator of KIL Products www.thekil.com for 6 years. I have many bikes but my last two are featured in Street Chopper and Hot Bike magazine. I am now building a shovelhead chop with split rocker boxes. Rigid frame with 45 degrees of rake. I'm actually building this bike for my dad. I just moved to Atlanta from Minnesota. Took me 24 years to get out of Minnesota. I now have a great shop for building bikes. I also like corvettes. Just sold my 75 convertible 4 speed and bought a C5 corvette. I just turned 50 years old but still act 30.

Re: My spirder

Post by Partie »

Jaxons new website and contact info
http://jaxondavies.com/
Post Reply

Return to “Springers, Girders, Spirders and Leafers”