Chopper Assembly - Assemble it for the first ride, make sure all parts fit before painting

Engine Mount/Frame Gusset : The engine was placed into the frame for proper alignment of the upper motor mount. A small piece of tubing is cut and bolt is welded to the back and attached to the engine mount. Tubing is then cut to connect the mount to the frame and it spot welded into place.

The neck brace was then cut and spot welded into place.

Tank Mount: The Fuel Tank is set in place using precision alignments tools(drywall screws). With the tank centered, the mounts were spot welded to the backbone. The rear mount was welded first, followed by the front mount.

Voltage Regulator Mount: The stock voltage regulator and master cylinder bracket was saved and place onto the new downtubes. The downtube welds have also been grinded in this photo, a polyester glazing putty will be used before painting.

Ignition Switch Mount: The ignition switch is mounted under the tank and is attached to the upper engine mount. A 1.5in tube was cut to house the new switch and a endcap was added. Sheet metal is then added to complete the look.

Tank Sheet Metal: Sheet metal is added under the tank to hide the wire harness and provide a clean look. Using card board templates first, the sheet metal is then cut and welded into place. 3 different sections of metal are used, after the polyester is applied, it will look like one section.

Cosmetic Tank Extension: The WCC tank ends just before where the stock seat pan meets the frame, our seat location has been moved back and lowered. To fill this gap, a "fake" tank Extension is added by welding in steel rod to create a point. This will be filled with Polyester and sanded to match the tank contour.

Swing Arm, Wheel, and Fender: A custom 2" tube was added to the swing arm mount to hide the exposed swing arm bearing extension that was added previously. The rear wheel was them mounted and the fender was bolted on.

Don't forget to add the drive belt...

Trees, Fork Tubes, and Wheel: The 7* triple tress were installed and the 10" over fork tubes were then slid into place. The front wheel was then mounted.

Engine, Trans and Fuel Tank: The Engine and Transmission were set into place. The Primary Drive Case was added. The Engine to Transmission are now bolted in place with the alignment set. The tank was then set inplace.

Tail Light, Shifter Linkage, Head Light and Air Intake: As each custom component is added, each nut and bolt are carefully selected. These will be marked for painting or chrome during the disassembly of the hot mock up.

Wiring, and Throttle Cable: All the wires in the handle bars are pulled through to hide them (blinkers, horn, low/high beam, run and start) and placed under the tank. The throttle linkage is also run under the tank and is exposed at the ignition switch.

Front and Rear Brakes: The front and rear brake calipers are attached. A custom 54" line is added to front to accommodate the frame stretch. The Stock Line is used for the rear.

Starter, Jack Shaft, and Primary Drive: Installed the starter and jack shaft. Added the new 1 7/16" compensation sprocket for the wide tire and installed the clutch and drive chain as an assembly. Then tightened the compensation bolt to 150lbs!

Exhaust Preparation and Install: Before the Samson Big Guns II exhaust pipes are installed, they are treated with BlueShield to prevent blueing. This will cause a carbon layer to form and insulate the metal from some of the heat. This layer was applied twice, you can see the pipes hanging to dry.

Oil Tank, Ignition Coil, Pugs Wires and Horn: The oil tank is placed under the seat. A minor cut was needed for the starter wiring, sense the the started was moved 1.5" A Dyna Performance coil and Ignition system was installed using the stock bracket. The horn bracket was modified (no longer need the vacuum advance) and the horn was installed.

Completed Wire-Harness: After all the wires were routed through the frame and all the components installed, the wire-harness was labeled and documented for future reference. Click on the diagram below for a detailed drawing.

Completion of Hot Mock Up: The hot mock up phase is now completed. All parts have been installed and properly aligned. This was the most difficult phase so for, each nut and bolt was cut for a perfect fit. Custom brackets, sheet metal and wiring... We are now ready for a test drive!

The pictures are article on this page were kindly provided by www.jhchoppers.com

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