Project Raucous - 450cc Turbo Honda Ruckus Project

[Flip.]

Originally Posted by DirtySol In metal trades, it is referred to as just 4130 grade steel, it requires a preheat to weld properly and machines nicely. I misunderstood your post when I interpreted that it was aluminum. Just about any grade of steel will be great for this application, as long as it is not annealed. The bolts may be strong, but I definately know that they will not be strong enough. You have to take into account of bolt stretch when fastener is properly torqued and the sheer amount of loads that it will face. It may be able to support weight just fine, it may even be able to support the application of torque. But I honestly believe, with my knowledge in metallurgy and experience in a machine shop, that as soon as you hit a bump with power applied, all hell might break loose. I urge you to seek an alternative in axle integrity. Heck, send me some dimensions and I will make it for you. I have an entire machine shop at my disposal. The shop has everything from CNC mills/lathes to surface grinders. Whatever you need, it can be made. Maybe we can even work out something on mass production of your kits if/when you go that route. My suggestion is to make the axle run through the mounts and have the end threaded to accept a standard aluminum/steel/titanium motorcycle axle nut. The tensioner issue can be solved VERY VERY easily by just drilling a hole from the back side large enough to accept a long bolt. Then you simply weld a nut to the back and install a long bolt with a jam nut to keep it from backing out. It would be VERY simple, you can use stainless hardware for looks and it will be EXTREMELY effective. Most importantly, IT WILL BE SAFE! Your/riders safety and the longevity of your shop is all I am after here. Lets face it, if the owner or rider of this scooter crashes and gets hurt or even worse, dies as a result of poor design and lack of structure. You could then be sued and have to close the doors along with loose everything. Think about it. I dont pretend to to know what you're talking about.. but to you for giving advice and not being a dick about it Subscribed to this for sure, some amazing work here

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[89civicdx]

This is the best post/topic ever on this site! Amazing pics and details and walk through...thanks very much

[mydriftobsession]

sick ass build... keep it up man.

[your local ricer]

soo sick!!!
subscribed.

[Millenion LTD.]

damn it, leaving?

[tsdneil]

bump for a sick build and great worksmanship. keep it up man

[97_hatch]

awesome

[sayone]

Originally Posted by 97_hatch

awesome

x2

[Hail2mee2]

Just found this thread in the hunt for a Ruckus and absolutely subscribed. This thing's already beyond amazing; can't wait to see where it winds up

[hondaboy4life]

Top notch work and can't wait to see the end result

[Tippyman]

More. Fab. Pix. Now.

[ek9=]]

BUMP!!!!!!!!!!

[SactownXSi]

Amazing Build.

[b18crx]

what besides engine is still honda?

[hachirokukid]

siiiiiiiiick.....

[twistedimage]

in for the win

[Drew Peacock]

Originally Posted by b18crx

what besides engine is still honda?

the PoWAR!!!

[Airbag Club]

WOW!!! VERY nice fab work on this project!! Can't wait to see this project completed!

[ComposiMo]

6/19/08


FINALLY... i got a couple of hours to work on the Ruckus today... yAy!

So heres where i stand...

I'm redesigning the rear axle blocks for more strength... so, while that is taking place, i'm going to be working on everything else. Before i left for California, i ordered a trailer fender for the rear tire. Of course no one has a fender with the right radius, and its nowhere near wide enough for the rear tire. I really want some kind of rear fender on this thing to protect the radiator and help keep things clean in the swingarm area. So, the fender will have to be modified.... and today was the day to get it done!

Here is what i'm starting with... a POS trailer fender..







So first things first, i set the fender in the vise, and made marks every inch along each side of the fender, and then drew lines across with a straightedge... this will give me a basis to cut the slits even, so that when i bend the fender, it bends evenly.



Then, i drew a line perfectly down each side, so that i would know when to stop the cut...



I pulled out the trusty Dewalt Grinder, and made small slits... i was originally planning on cutting one slit for every inch, but being the cautious one i am, i started with every other inch...



And whattya know... one slit cut every inch did the trick... using a ratchet strap, i held it at the radius that i wanted.



Next up is to tack-weld the slits... well, when the slits were cut, the metal warped slightly, so they weren't even/flat... as seen here:



So, i grabbed my sheetmetal vise grips, and held them flat.



Which gave me nice flat edges



Once it was all tacked together, i checked the radius to make sure it was still ok...



And it was goooood...

Next up, i had to make it wide enough to fit over the rear tire cleanly. So, i took the fender, and drew another line down the center of the fender (its not perfectly in the center, and it doesn't have to be, but its straight all the way from front to back).



Then, because i know this fender is under a bit of tension from being bent to match the tire radius, i attached braces to the underside to hold the fenders to keep them from "springing" out, and screwing the whole thing up. This is a very important step!



Now that its all braced and drawn, its time to cut... so i set it up in the vise...



And a simple chop-chop later, i have two halves! weee!



Then, using the bracing pieces, i set them up, and clamped it down to see how much material i was going to have to add back in...



After measuring, i found that i'd need to add 2.5" to the middle... and the fender length is 24".. which is perfect, because i just so happen to have a 24" long piece of steel in the right thickness... i just have to cut 2.5" off of it... so, i measured, put on a straightedge, and drew my line...



And chopped it off



Once i had my piece, i bent it a bit using my super high tech bending machine (aka my knee), and created a very close radius to the fender... then, i started with one side, tack welded it, then went to the other side... unfortunately, i only got one picture of this process... when i get going, i don't like stopping to take a pic if i don't have to... i figured this picture would give everyone a good idea of how i do this...



As you can see, i'm using my fair share of clamps and things to keep things straight, and of course all tack welds are on the sinisde to start with, so that the warping pulls it out... makes it easier to straighten with a hammer if i need to.

And thats it!... the fender is all tack welded together. When it comes time to weld the whole thing, it'll be tack welded mostly, but then i'll use silicone bronze to fill in the gaps (basically it is brazing with a TIG torch), which will allow me to fuse it together without causing too much warpage.



I quickly test fit it on the tire... i still have to space it up so it doesn't touch the tire, but the radius is set to match it after spacing it up, so it matches very nicely!

Now, i have to decide how exactly i'm going to trim the fender... i don't want a lot of it seen, but i want it to protect the innards of the scooter. This fender is not meant to provide any protection for the rider, only the 'under seat' parts.






Modified by ComposiMo at 6:05 PM 6/19/2008

[acrocat]

Damn man even your rear fender is sick. I gotta say you make everything look easy hahahah

[Smokinsax]

damn...a lot of work is going into this thing! The amount of work going into the fender alone is crazy!

[rhd-jon]

so crazy lol....

[fitfreak3]

Awesomeness at its finest

[ErrDizzle]

sick build

[Sliced Beard]

Well CompisMo, I got put on tral status for some reason that I am not aware of, so please email me with your drawings. I will be down in Charleston the week after next and I will make the blocks then. Also, the axle if needed.

I have discussed the cover plates with my uncle and he said that he could put a name on it or our shop name if you wanted. As I am sure that this will likely see some commercial coverage at some point.

BeardMan01 at yahoo.com