Oiltank-1

Hah! Really looks the racing-part!

This came with my KSS parts from NSW and the now unresponsive Bob. Ishall actually be selling this, as I have no use for it at all. My bike will be anything but a racer and will probably end up being ‘de-tuned’ mildly, to allow some long-distance cool running with a minimum of maintenance.

This tank is home-made, but really does look the part for a Velocette racer, from all angles. It even fits!

Front right 3/4 view:

2012-12-19 13.23.25

2012-12-19 13.23.36 2012-12-19 13.23.16

2012-12-19 13.22.46

The tapes, of course, won’t be getting in the way, as they are only there to make sure that the frame doesn’t fall off the stand, as I don’t have the wheels on yet… Only the back wheel in, no tyre and the forks still awaiting ‘montage’.

There’s a story in itself! Interestingly, if you wish to fit taper bearings in the steering-head (from Timken or whoever), the size is critical on the rigid frames. My head-races as ‘supplied’ by the mysterious Bob (who races old Nortons and has a beautiful CS1 (see below, ©BobLyons)

CS1

… were correct for the bottom, but the top ‘race’ was running directly in the frame and much larger balls. I can only imagine that it never was actually run like that…

SO, I happened to get a set of bearings for the steering head, but of a smaller OD than would normally ‘fit’ the casting. The reason for this is that the casting itself is VERY THIN, IF the area for the bearing is taken out ‘square’ into the corner, to allow the outside race to fit. There is, therefore, a choice. Either fit the ‘correct’ diameter bearings and GRIND a radius or chamfer on the ‘bottom’ corner to fit deep in the ‘ole’, OR fit bearings out of a Venom etc and turn up a nice tight ring to fit in the casting, that holds the bearing nice and squeezy and lets it drop to the bottom without having to remove metal from the frame. Six of one and half-a dozen of the other!

2012-12-22 17.47.412012-12-22 17.48.18

… a couple more pictures of the oil-tank:

©peter gouws 2013

Made on a mac