The Chopper Compendium

I haven't given up on the leafer build but i ran into a problem with it. I need the bike together to ride to an event next week so.........I got a spirder! I think this may be the worlds shortest spirder (20.5"). I didn't build it but its still cool. Can't report on the ride quality yet but hope to have the bike buttoned up this weekend.

Ken

now that's neat. where did ya get it?

in any event, it looks pretty cool.

take care,
-dan

nice

A guy in New Mexico built it for me to my specs. I hated to buy a front end after all the work I put into the leafer but I have another bike to build and the leafer will go on it. I'll post my issues with it in the build thread.

Ken

like those..

Hi one question what gas strut did you use in the bottom of the front end ?

Thats a good looking fork. Was the builder in Albuquerque?

julian3528 wrote:Hi one question what gas strut did you use in the bottom of the front end ?

I didn't build it so I'm not sure what type of spring is in it. I was told its basically a spring, rod, and a few bushings. There's a thread on here "Saving a Harmon " I think that has a few pics of the inside of a spirder.

Thats a good looking fork. Was the builder in Albuquerque?

He told me the city he's in but I can't remember. His name is Travis though. He posted his front ends on another site and really took an Internet beat down for using John Harmon's idea. I think I mentioned this site to him and how laid back and helpful everyone is here but I don't believe he ever checked it out.

I think I've seen some of his work, it looks good, nice lines to his bikes.

I can't count how many times i've seen something done years ago, and someone else uses the idea.
I personally don't see the problem if it isn't something copyrighted or currently in production by someone trying to make a name or money from their creativity.
I don't see that with a Harmon style front end. Same thing as making a springer or girder, isn't it?

I went to a new shop in Phoenix years ago, mid 90s, one of the big shots gave me a short tour, was telling me they were gonna build something never done before,
A chopper with 2 rear wheels in tandem. His face fell when I told him I read an article in SuperCycle about a shovelhead that got that treatment years ago.

Some of you older guys might remember they (SuperCycle) had a young woman touring around the country going to biker bashes on her big tourer, can't think of her name. started with "M". (Marnie?)
She would do a write up about it, a good story.
One of their last issues had a story telling the readers that she died in a bad wreck leaving one of the parties a day after.

If you hold a piece of paper in the centerline of the neck, it looks to have slightly neg trail.... I ran into than on my leafer, when I designed the rockers to run the wheel in front... but mine was 4 to 5 inches... it might be a problem . But you can make rockers to move the wheel back some ... I don't know enough about these forks to say .... but you can ask Jaxon Davies... (Jusjaxon) on here and CW... look at his frontend and see if it is different. His forks use a replacable cartridge and the spring can be changed or adjusted. I like his frontends better !

railroad bob wrote:I think I've seen some of his work, it looks good, nice lines to his bikes.

I can't count how many times i've seen something done years ago, and someone else uses the idea.
I personally don't see the problem if it isn't something copyrighted or currently in production by someone trying to make a name or money from their creativity.
I don't see that with a Harmon style front end. Same thing as making a springer or girder, isn't it?

I went to a new shop in Phoenix years ago, mid 90s, one of the big shots gave me a short tour, was telling me they were gonna build something never done before,
A chopper with 2 rear wheels in tandem. His face fell when I told him I read an article in SuperCycle about a shovelhead that got that treatment years ago.

Some of you older guys might remember they (SuperCycle) had a young woman touring around the country going to biker bashes on her big tourer, can't think of her name. started with "M". (Marnie?)
She would do a write up about it, a good story.
One of their last issues had a story telling the readers that she died in a bad wreck leaving one of the parties a day after.

the womans name was marla garber. she always road with her dog to all of the partys. used to like reading her stories.
a friend of mine started that internet beatdown on that guy on chop cult. i did'nt see a problem with what he was /is doing.
the patent ran out awhile ago so there's no legal right to the design. you don't see anybody getting on jaxon for his design. but he did change it up by using a cartridge. i personaly like what jaxon did. not as clean as johns design but better in the fact that you can do something with the spring setup.

yona wrote:If you hold a piece of paper in the centerline of the neck, it looks to have slightly neg trail.... I ran into than on my leafer, when I designed the rockers to run the wheel in front... but mine was 4 to 5 inches... it might be a problem . But you can make rockers to move the wheel back some ... I don't know enough about these forks to say .... but you can ask Jaxon Davies... (Jusjaxon) on here and CW... look at his frontend and see if it is different. His forks use a replacable cartridge and the spring can be changed or adjusted. I like his frontends better !

I checked that pic again and I see what you're saying. I think it's the position of the bike in the pic though. I just put the bike on the lift and remeasured and I get 3.125" trail.

I tried to find Jaxon on CW but I haven't been there in so long I forgot my password. An adjustable cartridge is def the way to go though. I had to cut .750" off the threaded end of the spring rod to get the front to work good and it was a pain in the ass to get the rockers back on!

Jaxons new website and contact info
http://jaxondavies.com/