Joined
·
112 Posts
David Bird full hardtail Trumpet build
Hey guys, I thought I'd go ahead and start an official build thread. It is my first build. I've ridden my whole life and always performed my own maintenance, but never actually built a bike. I've pretty much blew all my money on the donor bike and the DB frame, so be warned that it might be slow going. I'll buy parts as I save up the money and keep on keeping on. The goal is to be finished by the end of next summer. However, I rarely meet deadlines or goals, so i'll be real happy if I can ride this beast into the Mayan apocalypse of winter 2012.
So it all started when I drove to St. Louis and drug this heap back to Oklahoma. 1972 T120 OIF. Complete, somewhat disassembled, top end taken apart, but low end is mint. Yeah, you know how that goes.
![]()
Tons of stuff was in boxes, rubbermaid containers, loosely bolted onto the bike and completely loose.
![]()
I had my brother in law help me lug this beast down to my basement.
![]()
Next I did my research, read a ton of stuff on this board, asked for advice and eventually heeded to this advice. I am going to completely rebuild the motor in my basement. I've watched the Four Aces dvd about 5 times, ripped it to my ipad and ready to go. Well almost ready, I still have a few specialty tools to purchase. Anyway, I'm in it to do things right.
![]()
Next order of business was to get a proper workspace going. I cleaned out a portion of my basement, went to Lowes and bought some lumber. In a few days I had a proper work bench suitable for rebuilding a motor. I think I overbuilt it a bit. It could probably support a V8, but oh well, it's VERY sturdy.
![]()
After seeing my work bench, my dear ol' dad took me to Harbor Freight and bought me a vice and a grinder! (He's an ol' Triumph softie from way back. He has a 73 Trident) I was pretty thrilled about that. Made in China, but surprisingly sturdy. I bolted them down and started putting them to work.
![]()
Next up I had a decision to make. I could have started buying parts to rebuild my motor, or go ahead and buy my frame. I knew that I was going David Bird full hardtail and I had the money, so I decided to go ahead and get that out of the way. It came in the other day and what a beauty. I've never seen welds this perfect in all my life. It is VERY impressive. It's a full hard tail by David Bird with a 4" stretch and 2.5" drop. I ordered it from Lowbrow and as always, the brothers were a pleasure to deal with. They happily answered all of my questions very quickly. The frame is a work of art.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Next I set out to find a proper motor stand. JJ member 72oifbobber helped me out immensely and gave me the exact dimensions for a T120 stand. Here they are if you need them: http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90025&showall=1 Anyway, I gave the specs to my friend and he fabricated me one for next to nothing. It's a real quality piece.
(Please excuse my friend's kawasaki in his garage.)
![]()
![]()
Anyway, that's where I'm at now. I'll try to keep up with the build thread and post a lot of pics. I appreciate all of you who've done the same. It really is nice to look at other people's progress while trying to obtain an idea of where to start yourself. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions from you guys, but this should be fun.
Hey guys, I thought I'd go ahead and start an official build thread. It is my first build. I've ridden my whole life and always performed my own maintenance, but never actually built a bike. I've pretty much blew all my money on the donor bike and the DB frame, so be warned that it might be slow going. I'll buy parts as I save up the money and keep on keeping on. The goal is to be finished by the end of next summer. However, I rarely meet deadlines or goals, so i'll be real happy if I can ride this beast into the Mayan apocalypse of winter 2012.
So it all started when I drove to St. Louis and drug this heap back to Oklahoma. 1972 T120 OIF. Complete, somewhat disassembled, top end taken apart, but low end is mint. Yeah, you know how that goes.
Tons of stuff was in boxes, rubbermaid containers, loosely bolted onto the bike and completely loose.
I had my brother in law help me lug this beast down to my basement.
Next I did my research, read a ton of stuff on this board, asked for advice and eventually heeded to this advice. I am going to completely rebuild the motor in my basement. I've watched the Four Aces dvd about 5 times, ripped it to my ipad and ready to go. Well almost ready, I still have a few specialty tools to purchase. Anyway, I'm in it to do things right.
Next order of business was to get a proper workspace going. I cleaned out a portion of my basement, went to Lowes and bought some lumber. In a few days I had a proper work bench suitable for rebuilding a motor. I think I overbuilt it a bit. It could probably support a V8, but oh well, it's VERY sturdy.
After seeing my work bench, my dear ol' dad took me to Harbor Freight and bought me a vice and a grinder! (He's an ol' Triumph softie from way back. He has a 73 Trident) I was pretty thrilled about that. Made in China, but surprisingly sturdy. I bolted them down and started putting them to work.
Next up I had a decision to make. I could have started buying parts to rebuild my motor, or go ahead and buy my frame. I knew that I was going David Bird full hardtail and I had the money, so I decided to go ahead and get that out of the way. It came in the other day and what a beauty. I've never seen welds this perfect in all my life. It is VERY impressive. It's a full hard tail by David Bird with a 4" stretch and 2.5" drop. I ordered it from Lowbrow and as always, the brothers were a pleasure to deal with. They happily answered all of my questions very quickly. The frame is a work of art.
Next I set out to find a proper motor stand. JJ member 72oifbobber helped me out immensely and gave me the exact dimensions for a T120 stand. Here they are if you need them: http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90025&showall=1 Anyway, I gave the specs to my friend and he fabricated me one for next to nothing. It's a real quality piece.
(Please excuse my friend's kawasaki in his garage.)
Anyway, that's where I'm at now. I'll try to keep up with the build thread and post a lot of pics. I appreciate all of you who've done the same. It really is nice to look at other people's progress while trying to obtain an idea of where to start yourself. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions from you guys, but this should be fun.
