Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Building a cut-down bike scooter, part 4

The scooter frame was complete and had been brushed free of grime, finish, and weld slag. All it needed was a deck to stand on. I started by experimenting with a skateboard-style wooden deck, but it seemed visually wrong and probably too prone to wear and breakage.


I liked and so didn't remove the Iron Horse crest from the steering tube.


I decided that what I really wanted was freewheel sprockets on the deck. I played with positioning some and liked how they looked, and liked that they articulated the theme of a cut-down bicycle.


My client was justifiably concerned about the sharp and jagged teeth of the sprockets chewing up the rider's ankles, though, and I had to find a way around that. But I decided to commit to the gears and welded them in place.


After some thought, I decided to cut sections out of a wheel rim and weld them in place on either side of the deck to define its edges and protect the rider from the sprockets. If I had arrived at that plan before welding on the sprockets, I would have placed the largest gear in the centre, at the widest part of the deck. But sometimes I have to make a stand and resolve the remaining problems later to move forward.


With everything welded down, the scooter was complete. The deck was wide, comfortable, and stable.


This is the completed commission. I was very happy with it and rode it around the neighbourhood for a while before giving it up to my client.


Nice ride!

1 comment:

  1. WΟW јust what I wаs lοokіng foг.
    Came hеге by ѕearching for mоtoг bike
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    ReplyDelete

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