Freewheeler "Chopper" Project

[Free Bird]

I have gotten a couple of suggestions that I start a post to share my Freewheeler project. So here goes…

First off, not everybody is going to like what I am doing. That is ok. Everybody doesn’t like something….

I started my love affair with Harleys when I was 15 when I got a 1947 Servicar basket case (junk in a box for those unfamiliar with the phrase) and built a beater bike that I had all through high school. It had swap meet ape hangers, VW steel wheel fat tires with no fenders, a stock (shaky) springer front end, stock oil/gas combo tanks, a plywood and swap meet king and queen seat supported by a vinyl covers box with a 35” homemade gold spray painted sissy bar and a brush and rattle can paint job…. Anybody that looked at it thought it was basically a POS…. But through my eyes… it was my chopper…..and I LOVED THAT THING ��

Things have changed a bit for me since 1976 and when the Freewheeler came out a couple of years ago, I could shake off wanting to build one the way I wished I could have built my 1947 beater trike. In April, I decided to go for it. This is the concept (forgive the bad photoshop job).



Here is a list of what is collected/built and going on the trike

Modifications

Font End

· Custom Wide Glide Styled Reversion Triple Trees – M&D -Chicago, IL

o (Eliminating tin covers and headlight)

o Added fat tube covers between trees and down to lower legs (replacing cans)

· 21” x 3.5” 80 Spoke (Twisted Spoke) Wheel - Paughco

· Metzler ME 888 120/70-21 Marathon Tire

· 21” Wrapper front Fender (Modified profile) with custom machined mounts/spacers – Klock Werks

· 1’ x 18” Rise Smart Gimp Ape Hanger Handlebars – Nash Motorcycle

· Biltwell Thunder Riser

· HD MoCo Chromed Lower Legs, Calipers, Axel Nut Covers and Rotors

· Rivco Mirrors with Turn Signals

· HD MoCo Chromed Controls and Nostalgic Grips

· Willy Shiny Wheel Spacers (to cover rotor bolts)

· Clear Coated Braided Steel Brake and Clutch Lines



Rear Tires/Wheels

· Mickey Thompson Sportsman Radials 29x18 R-15 LT

· Cragar 08/61 S/S 15x14

· Wheel Adapter USA 4 x 4.25 to 5 x 4.5 x 2” Thick ***

o *** REALLY IMPORTANT*** Cragar Wheels are not bolt ons with this type of adapter. You have to machine a hub insert to mimic the hub of a car wheel forth wheel to center on and be held concentric to the hub and wheel.

· Custom fabricated fender and differential/swingarm mounts (Eliminated OEM Fenders)

· Custom Turned LED Tail/Brake/Turn Lights (eliminated OEM Tail Lights)



Frame & Body

· Ginz Choppers 35” “Tipi” Sissy Bar and Back rest (also have a Corbin backrest with side arms for my wife….)

· CycleSmiths 19” Driver Banana Boards

· Midtrike Step Brake Pedal Extender

· CycleSmiths Banana Board Brake Pedal (Driver and Parking Brake)

· Picard USA Passenger Boards

· Kuryakyn Extended Brake Pedal

· Baker Customs Solid Extended Shifter

· Pingle Extended Shifter Peg

· HD MoCo rear bumper

· Angled center mount license plate holder - Drag Specialties (mounted on center of trunk body)

· Illuminated license plate frame – Chrome Glow



Engine

· Stage 1 Tuning

o Screaming Eagle 4” Cannons with slash cut tips

o S&S Air Cleaner

· Sumax Braided Steel Spark Plug Wires

· Braided Steel oil line (Rear and off oil cooler on front)

· Kuryakyn Precision Chrome Engine and Tranny Covers (all)

· Diamond Engineering polished stainless steel “groove” show hardware – Engine, Tranny, controls, etc.



I have been engineering / fabricating and or collecting the components for the past 2 months and am now starting the transformation. I am doing it in “chunks” so I can continue to ride between additions.



Folks seem to like the tires, here they are….





The Stage I “stuff” was done at Doc’s HD before I picked up the bike. I got the adapters for the Cragars finished a couple of weeks ago and have been finishing up the tail lights as they have to go on before the tires can mount up (I lose the fenders when that happens). Here are the light housings….



The trees are being machined and the replacement fender engineering work is finished.

The fenders will be more like this than the photo above...





I will share photos of the project's progress as it occurs….

[Jack Klarich]

I dig the rear lights

Question, will they blink like the 64 chevy,

[Free Bird]

That is the idea.

Plan A: 1-2-3 sequencing for turns, Hi/Low for Brakes, and low for running lights

Plan B: Outside units for turns, inside pairs for brakes, all for running lights

Challenge is getting the right combo of modules. I am not an LED Expert. But I am learning and getting guidance from places like Namz, Radiantz, United Pacific etc....

[Jack Klarich]

Very cool

[MDO]

Very nice! Hey Free Bird, is someone in STL doing your paint/graphics?

I want some minor pinstripe work done & am looking for someone.

[Free Bird]

Michael Park in Cedar Hill does good work. http://www.stlpinstriping.com 314-974-7897

I would also check with Steve Scrafford at Docs. They had a trike that they did for a lady that had a nice pinstripe job on it.

Korns Cycle in Overland likely knows somebody too. You could give Rob a call

I am not doing paint until the winter, but had planned on sending the body parts to Crazy Horse Paint out in NC when I do. I have wanted a JoAnn Bortles four color flame job for many years and this is the bike that will get it. (I have a mfg plant that I support there so taking and picking up parts is no big deal)

[Free Bird]

This is JoAnn and the Flame Job I am referencing. The bike has been in Easyriders and took 2nd Place overall at one of their shows a few years back. The second photo is the same bike used on the cover of a motorcycle painting text book.

[haute pursuit]

That paint is sick! Can't wait to see your project start coming together. I was expecting 3 months on mine and that stretched out to almost 8. Lots of unforseen issues and trial and error stuff. The wheels, tires and fenders were the hardest to get like what I wanted... clean lines.

[Free Bird]

Yes.... I am experiencing the same thing. Trying to minimize downtime with changes so I can keep riding it now. The front end swap has been the biggest learning curve. The touring trees employed on the Freewheeler vs standard Pan-Shovel-Evo-TC trees blew up the original plans for the front end. I never have seen that style tree on a hog (remember I stopped paying attention after the shovelhead). So I am working with a guy that does custom front ends and racing front ends to try and get a wide glide look with touring tree geometry. That has been a bear to figure out. But we are nearly there. Just working out the hardpoints for plumbing, headlights, etc.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I just Love the out of the box thinking, takes me back to my youth ... follow your dreams and post lots of pics for those of us that can only live vicariously through yours ... ... thanks for taking us along on your ride.

I'm not a "flame guy" per see, but, those are really sweet, very classy.

[Free Bird]

Has anybody had any issues replacing the front wheel? It looks like the stock hub is narrower than the other touring bikes by ~3/8".

I knew the spacing between fork legs was narrower (kind of a mid-glide thing) as the Klock Werks fender does not just drop in. You have to make a replacement set of spacers for it to get it to mount, but would not have thought the MoCo would have "special" trike front wheels.... maybe so. Keeps the engineers busy I guess

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Has anybody had any issues replacing the front wheel? It looks like the stock hub is narrower than the other touring bikes by ~3/8".

I knew the spacing between fork legs was narrower (kind of a mid-glide thing) as the Klock Werks fender does not just drop in. You have to make a replacement set of spacers for it to get it to mount, but would not have thought the MoCo would have "special" trike front wheels.... maybe so. Keeps the engineers busy I guess

I can't be sure ... my memory ain't what it used to be ... but I seem to remember that the front wheels were the same as the Roads Glide .. seems to me someone swapped them out with a Road Glide ... Might check that out.

[Free Bird]

Got the laced wheel on this week. I am real happy with the way it came out. The Willy Shiny wheel spacers that cover the rotor bolts and the chromed lower legs and calipers make it pop.

It is a 21" Paughco 80 Spoke Wheel with twisted spokes with a Metzeler ME888 120/70 Marathon tire.

I also got the CycleSmiths Banana Boards and the Kuryakyn Extended Brake Pedal on the bike.... BIG difference in comfort.

The placement of the brake pedal and shifter is perfect for me. I am going to change out the heel/toe for a toe only peg. I just can't get used to the heel-toe thing.

I will put that on this week as will the pedal pads that match the floor boards.

Want to give a shout out to the guys at Trike Mid-Step. Thanks for the Parking Brake extension!. It was the perfect solution for the Parking Brake clearance with the Banana Boards installed. The floorboard matching brake pedal works great too, just too dang hot (110 degrees and a 110 heat index) out there to do any more today

I am going to start trial fitting the front fender this week (even though I kinda like the look without one....hmmm....may need to cut mine WAY down) and get the custom spacers made. That's all I've got for and update on the "chopper" project....more to come as things develop....

[ol' school]

Jeff, that thing is really looking good so far!!!

[Free Bird]

Did a first fit of the fender... spacers are too wide and pinching the mounting tabs too much. They are 0.75" wide and need to be about 0.56" Gotta mill them down. Other than that The Klock Werks Tire Hugger Wrapper fender fit right up.

[Jack Klarich]

That fender adds some class with the spoked wheel

[haute pursuit]

The fender looks great! How much rake are you going with?

[Free Bird]

10 degree trees are the plan

[trikeman]

[Free Bird]

Hey Jackson is one of my favorite stopping places on Hyw 40... Coyote Blue.... West Alley BBQ....Double D's (closed now)...... Good stuff