Fort Ware Bobber

[supdve]

Pretty sweet looking there Russ but I think the tank needs my touch.

[Rusty Bucket]

...and now having spent another $60 on handlebar tubing, (though I guess I only used 1/4 of it) and with a headlight ring and - according to Stuntman - some ways to go on the paint still looming, that's probably the death knell for finishing the bike on budget.  Here are some final mock-up pics.

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[Dennis]

I'll have to drop by your shop to check out the detail on those exhaust heat shields.  I don't remember seeing those before.

As to your budget, I say "budget schmudget."  Even if your bobber comes in at $2k, you've gotta cool ride to be proud of.

[Rusty Bucket]

I just cut up Fast1's donated wine-rack today to make those shields - problem being I need another wine rack for the muffler heat shields.  The exhaust wrap is supposed to highlight the holes in black when it's in there.  Budget is important, though, in this case:  with the large amount of donated parts used herein, including tank, mufflers, aforementioned wine rack, and indeed the two early-model 650 Yamaha's that were sacrificed in this quest, if the thing ends up costing $2000 it would be kind of obscene.  I thought the original $1000 would be plenty, but having to go inside the farm-bike's engine was a set-back, and the tires were $100 more than average.  I guess I have been including a pile of assorted chopper parts Fritz and I bought in Kelowna a couple of years ago, most of which aren't, and never were going to be, used on this bike.   I'm going to add up the bills on this bike in the next few days and see if I am where I imagine...

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[Rusty Bucket]

Soo...it turns out I have already blown through the original budget on this thing, I might be able to finish it for $1500 rather than $1000.  If I have to buy more mufflers, however, the target gets ever harder to hit...  so, which of these approximate looks appeals more?

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[oldduc]

top one

[Fritz]

My vote is for the Less is more version...
Looks Good Rusty Bucket....knew you could do it....How many years now since pickin' at parts in Kelowna? Forgot his name....but you should send him a pic....
Like the direction you took with the Bars...Looks to be a Fun bike to ride.....Fort Ware should be Proud

[Rusty Bucket]

Roman Yamschikov was his unlikely moniker...hmm, I wonder if there will be a consensus, or whether it will be like the original dithering about the bars...

[fj1200]

Leaning toward the bottom. Pipes don't look so busy.

[Sr.X]

Bottom photo for me as well, less is often better.

[Shep]

Without any question , the bottom.
Shep

[Fritz]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
" Quote from the Pusher ".....
sorry i cant be of more help its a gazer of a bike youre gunna need quite the pip pip gollywock to get that rickedy-pop to shift on down the cobble stone clippity clops

    >>>>>> ***

[Dennis]

I just had to google that quote.  The quote is from the Jockey Journal contributor Pusher.   Probably the best forum next to our own.

[Rusty Bucket]

So... as the computer prompt is reminding me, this is a pretty elderly thread - some might just say it has passed on.  The last serious work this bike got was a couple of years ago now, back before I stuck the LeMans in that ditch in Ferndale.  However, Dave painted the tank a week ago, and since I have been tidying up the loose ends since then, wierdly, and at long last, this bobber is finished.  Guy and I started it up yesterday - and it started first kick!  Well, it started first kick after having the wiring between the breakers and coils reversed - meaning first kick after 25 priming kicks which only resulted in hollow backfires in the exhuast pipes... at any rate, it runs.
  I realize it doesn't look much different than in 2011 - that is the price of bringing one to the brink of being finished and then not (quite) finishing it. Paint, trimming bolts, wrapping the pipes, finishing the shields, etc.  Not stuff that will show much in pics - but the difference between 'almost finished' and 'rideable' is a palpable one to me.

Edit:  I see I formerly said "if the thing ends up costing $2000, that would be kind of obscene."  I would say it ended up costing just about exactly $2000, so not only did it take something like 5 years to finish - when it was supposed to have taken one winter - but it cost double what I thought it would. This underscores what I have been saying, 'It's easy, cheap and fun to take something apart - humans are good at that."  Putting them back together is the reverse of that;  sort of like the manuals say, 'Assembly is the reverse (order) of disassembly'.

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[stevecrout]

Gotta be careful - when they turn out this nice a fella might be tempted to take one of his herd and do the same thing!

Nicely done!