- Why is it necessary to have hand guards for your motorcycle?
- Choosing Hand Protection for a Motorcycle
- DIY hand protection for motorcycle
In the modern world there are a large number of motorcyclists who spend a lot of time behind the wheel of their bikes. While driving you have to deal with various road conditions. They affect motorcyclists and their vehicles differently. Hands suffer very often when driving motorcycles. They may suffer from being hit by oncoming objects or from falling. For protection, you must have hand protection, which is specifically designed for motorcycles.
Why is it necessary to have hand guards for your motorcycle?
Hand protection for a motorcycle is one of the most necessary items. It can be especially useful for those people who are interested in motocross. Your hands are one of the most exposed parts of your body when riding a motorcycle.
They get caught by everything that comes their way. In addition, during a fall, your hands and steering suffer greatly.
Based on this, we can conclude that hand protection must be installed in order to:
- protect your hands from getting hit by oncoming objects,
- protect the steering from damage,
- make the area around the handlebars on a motorcycle more attractive.
Every motorcyclist has their own reasons why they want to install hand guards on the handlebars of their bike.
Choosing Hand Protection for a Motorcycle
There are many options for hand protection for motorcyclists on the market today. Among them you can choose options of suitable shapes and sizes. All hand protections are different in design. They are made from high strength plastic. Thanks to this, they can last for a long period of time.
When choosing, it is very important to pay attention to the following parameters:
- size and shape of hand protection,
- design to match the design of the motorcycle,
- structural strength,
- price.
Mostly hand protection is installed on motocross motorcycles, because drivers of these vehicles very often encounter various troubles on the roads. However, many modern motorcyclists also use such protection to increase the safety of their vehicle.
When choosing, it is very important to pay great attention to what materials the protection is made from. Their strength and duration of use will depend on this.
Protections must be changed immediately after defects appear on them.
Happy holidays everyone! With your permission, I present another post about the work of our workshop, because it lives not only by restorations. Here I will tell you how we built a bobber, so that: “Cool, inexpensive and from what we have.” Carefully! Lots of letters and photos!
About the work done -
One day in the spring of 2012, a man contacted me by email to find out how much it would cost to paint a gas tank... The price suited him, and off we went. A week later I already have a disassembled Izh-Jupiter of the 5th model, not in the best condition, a couple of blanks, two boxes of various spare parts, a frame from a Pannonia motorcycle digested a thousand times by “Ashots from the service station” (this is not welcome) and another carload of ideas. I didn’t want to take a lot of money, and they didn’t give me any, and besides, I don’t have much experience in making frames... Therefore, the only advantage of this work was that it was slow. Deadline: “I would like to ride this season” suited me (approx. 5 months) Task: Build a motorcycle in the form of a bobber, based on a Pannonia frame, Izh U5 engine and using a large amount of handmade items. All this had to be done without a slipway, since I didn’t have one yet... I warned the customer about the imperfect geometry of such a frame, but he didn’t mind. Show-off is more valuable than money.
Here is a general list of the hardware from which they danced. (For those in the know)
— Engine IZH Yu5 — Rear wheel from JAVA, 18 inches — Driven sprockets from Pannonia and JAVA — Gas tank from Minsk M1, as well as from IZH 56 — Fork IZH-PS — Front brake with wheel from IZH, 18 inches — Headlight from Bulgarian loader) - Electrical equipment from Yu5 - Side step from IZH-49 - Pannonia mud flap - Pannonia frame (I wouldn’t cut the old frame, but it had already been thoroughly damaged before me, so there was little value in it)
I'll tell you the list:
Engine. An autopsy showed that the engine was going “for sale”... As they say: “It hasn’t been run-in yet.” And I wouldn’t have passed! The cylinders are very deeply raised, into which various new pistons are inserted; apparently the engine on them was not even started. Placed backwards, by amateurs. The flywheel is tightened as if with pliers (This is with a required force of 180 Newton per meter! Exactly this, I was not mistaken) The crankshaft covers and main bearings are loose in the seats (indirectly the fault of those who like to hammer crankshafts by “slightly pushing down with a mallet with a sledgehammer”) and others little things)) (And so almost every engine, if it has already been opened after the factory!)
After such repairs, there can be no question of the reliability of our motorcycles, so many end up “after capital”. Although sometimes she drives around in this state.
I apologize for the lyrical digressions, because it got boiling. In general, the shafts were straightened, a special shaft-sleeve clamp was used to restore the normal fit of the loose components, the cylinders were replaced, everything was assembled humanly.
Next are the wheels. We tightened the dead spokes and changed the wheel bearings. We adjusted the brakes to the drums. Due to cramped working conditions (gaps throughout the motorcycle), I subsequently had to cut off all the teeth of the Java star on a machine, and press and weld the crown of the Pannonia star (the difference is two teeth), since the chain reached the oil tank under the seat. The fact is that a bobber must be a very compact motorcycle, with as short a wheelbase as possible, hence the requirement for small clearances everywhere. For example, the chain from the fender, battery tank and oil tank runs 8-12 mm. When driving, the chain swings (a crappy, illegally made chain with different pitches contributes to this) and sometimes hits the above-mentioned parts. A simple proprietary chain + fluoroplastic plates in the impact area are corrected. But I didn’t have to do this because of the financial side of the issue. They asked for a centimeter - I made it! (although without a slipway, keeping all these gaps in the air and head is still a lot of work)
Other gaps: The front wheel, with the fork compressed, does not reach the frame by 10 mm, the motor cannot be removed with the heads on, the seat, with the springs fully compressed 2 mm, does not touch the rear fender. In some places inside the wing, with the wheels inflated to 2.5 atm, the tire-wheel gap is 5mm. The kick passes 10 mm from the footrest. And so everywhere! This is a very big difficulty.
Gas tank. The rare tank was purchased by the customer for its small volume of 9 liters, typical for pipe-bobbers. I needed to make a neat little plug. Welded it. The plug itself is made of stainless steel, with a tricky “anti-vacuum” hole.
And also two fittings to install a hose and you can control the fuel level on the go. A handy thing, especially for such a small tank. Immediately made other fastenings
Fork. The autopsy showed the way to non-ferrous metal. A serious condition, almost irreparable. Huge wear and missing many parts. But the customer, for the above reasons (show-off is more valuable than money), said that if it doesn’t fall apart along the way, we’ll leave it. The owner is a gentleman. The holes in the Izhevsk traverses were bored to 35mm. They installed corrugations so as not to spray oil on those around them.
In the headlight I adapted a regular lamp for low and high beam. The light is normal.
The rear turn signals (front ones are not provided) are chic, obviously homemade, very heavy, high-quality chrome plated, it will be extremely difficult to break. The heaviest turn signals I've ever seen. The wires for them are inside the frame.
The stop signal is temporary, the customer promised to put something very cool there himself.
The mud flap (wing) was mercilessly cut before me, but I cut it to a minimum. The fender struts are made from granny's bag cart, which consists of valuable, chrome-plated and thin tubes and rods. The gap with the wheel, as well as the deliberately invisible front fender, completely destroy all attempts to drive it anywhere, even on an “almost dry road.”
Unit “Anli fo veri, veri fain vise”
Next we will describe the handicrafts...
A wonderful oil tank, machined from a pipe, is divided in half by a partition. In theory, one half should carry oil to mix with fuel, so as not to carry an unfashionable canister in your backpack. You can also make automatic chain lubrication)) The tank lid is made of brass. In the other half, there is a charging relay, a lock, wires, and toggle switches. Such an improvised panel. Personally, I like it.
We didn’t find the third red glass (We decided to make them all red). Therefore, there are only 2 finished photos so far.
The battery tank contains the battery itself and the fuse. The side support bracket is also welded to it.
The footrests are made of stainless steel, knurled.
The seat, neatly curved from an ordinary 3mm sheet, springs on springs bought from eBay. Lepota. Made in pindostan. The customer promised to cover it himself, so I had the chance to ride without covering.
Silencers. 4 pipe bends, 1.5 meters of pipe, flanges of original elbows and some electrodes. In fact, they are direct flow, but the trick is that a plug is welded at the very end. The back feels like there are no holes at all. And they are there, but from below, in a row. (Patented) As a result, it’s crooked, but we shoot a lot of birds with one stone at once. Short length, like on the right Triumph bobbers. There is no such thing, but there is gas resonance, but since the volume is small, the pickup comes out a little higher than idle, which resembles 4t. On medium and high, big appetite. The volume balances on the verge of proper customization and throwing objects at the driver in the late evenings. Anyone who thinks that the sound at 2t of this volume would be better if it didn’t sound at all can listen to the video (Meat at the end). To be honest, I myself did not expect such a rich sound from such a motor. (Better live)
Steering wheel: I bent an ordinary stainless pipe with a pipe bender into such a simple shape. Cheap and cheerful.
Frame for number. Why write about her, the frame is like a frame))
Milled plates for the rear axle Well, and all sorts of little things, turned from stainless steel and brass.
Applying paintwork
My wife has been doing airbrushing for a while now, but she’s making progress. The inscriptions Jack Daniels (drawn through a stencil, under varnish) and the painting style were chosen by the owner. In general, not bad, but if I did it for myself, I would do it differently.
Frame…
The frame is a different story. The more I worked with her, the more I realized that she was clumsy, spoiled and did not suit us. Pipe after pipe was cut from it. As a result, there was only one left, a transverse one, in which there were threads for the running boards. The steering column was welded from the mud. In general, everything turned out quite smoothly, but a lot of nerves went away. New pipes were welded into powerful ones with a thick wall, which had a very positive effect on rigidity, as if the motorcycle was generally monolithic. However, this frame, with an oil tank, weighs significantly more than the Ural one without a pendulum.
The impression of others when they saw such a thing: “how compact!” ))) funny, but true. For greater contrast, he was saddled by a not skinny dude.
Very short. Low, quite comfortable fit. It drives smoothly, even without using your hands. The only thing that spoiled the impression was the inconvenient gear shift foot, but I foresaw this moment and made guide bushings to transfer the mechanism. But because of the customer, who wanted to start riding as soon as possible, seeing only half the result, this mechanism was never made for him. Well, there is also the financial side of the issue. In general, there were difficulties with the customer.
He promised to put cool tires on it, with white piping, upholster the seat, make cool handles, engravings, and finish all sorts of unfinished things. (For example, an oil tank valve) But after a large amount of time it did nothing. It's his business... Maybe he didn't expect SUCH a motorcycle.
The bike definitely has character. Engine that requires attention, difficult gearbox, sharp handling. But the main thing is that the gear ratio of the chain is such that if on good, smooth and dry asphalt, on a straight line, being in third gear, you sharply open the gas at low speeds, this is followed by an inevitable and, you should notice, spectacular slipping of the narrow rear wheel. The maximum speed is no more than 80 km/h, according to GPS, but on a vehicle without rear suspension, with such a narrow wheel, you don’t need more on our roads. Long-distance travel is not an option, but around the city it’s very dynamic, so that’s it. It's my opinion. The customer was apparently frightened by such agility and offered to change the engine to a calmer one: a Planetovsky one. But this is impossible with this frame, since in order to put this engine in the frame, you have to remove the cylinder heads, and the Planetovsky one is much higher. If he gets more motorcycle experience, he might be able to ride. I did well, and in general I had a blast when I was skating. I flew out of some turns with the rear slipping, like a real drifter. A very bright spendthrift, overflowing with emotions. I took it to the customer in a neighboring city, under my own power, without having any documents. This is proof that the unit is fully operational. I made my way through traffic jams, it was great, better than a 50cc scooter) This is a personal opinion, but it handles no worse. I could have worked on it a little more, seat, tires, gear shifting and it would have been just a super bobber. And of course it’s damp. It’s a pity to part with such a device, but it’s work...
Here is a review of my own creation.
Thank you for your patience with my graphomania) Smooth roads everyone!
DIY hand protection for motorcycle
Today there are a considerable number of motorcyclists who have the ability and certain skills to manufacture individual parts for their motorcycle. Homemade hand protection for a motorcycle can be a feasible task for them.
Modern craftsmen make such protections from scrap materials. They can be represented by metal tubes and plastic blanks.
For motocross motorcycles, you can make your own protection from a metal tube. It will make control during the race more comfortable and protect you during a fall.
In most cases, homemade hand protection is installed on motocross motorcycles. This can be done using a small number of tools that will allow you to unscrew the handles of the motorcycle and install metal protection in the form of a tube of a certain shape.
Required materials and tools
For this procedure you need:
- spotter, screwdriver or bolt;
- compressor (it is only suitable for working with small dents);
- hammer;
- bar;
- putty;
- developing powder.
Some craftsmen pull out dents by welding. They weld a small metal object (such as a bolt) to the dent so that they can then pull it out. Sometimes it works. Putty is used when other methods do not help.
