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latest project: "Old Cro" the R-evolution

John Player Norton

I always suspected a John Player Norton fairing would work well with a Type247. First time I've seen it done. I think...

Pages and pages of boxer cafe and race bikes:http://www.rockerboxer.com
 
eng/trans removal

eng/trans removal: The frame will be cut behind the rear eng mount and at some point on the down-tube at the front of the frame. Modified 'half-lap lug's will allow the lower right frame rail to be removed and secured in place. Half-lap lugs are a traditional solution and have been used on Type247 race bikes and other BMW 'raised engine' machines, as well as on numerous (non-BMW) production models.

1/2-lap splice:

vanzen12lapframesplice.jpg
 
The bikes that Roger Rueben brought to Spokane were certainly unusual in their paint schemes and performance improvements(?). It wasn't that long ago (OK it was) that most BMWs IMHO were black and boring. Change is a difficult thing for some individuals to grasp.

Woodgrain
 
What a beautiful piece of work!! :bow :bow
Having been involved in the design, fabrication and build of "one of a kind" industrial equipment. I can only wonder, how many bar napkins and restuaraunt placemats have been accumulated with sketches of various thoughts and ideas?
:thumb
 
bar napkins

What a beautiful piece of work!! :bow :bow
Having been involved in the design, fabrication and build of "one of a kind" industrial equipment. I can only wonder, how many bar napkins and restuaraunt placemats have been accumulated with sketches of various thoughts and ideas?
:thumb

simple answer: HUNDREDS + + !!
although, since I find napkins difficult to file after a night at the pub ...
sketches have been generated mostly on Illustrator and Photoshop...
files of them. My websitehttp://www.rockerboxer.com started as a method to store / share the images I had collected of BMWs that were raced and / or altered for racing.
... But I do in fact have some placemats and napkins, too.
some pretty elaborate ones regarding subframe design ...LOL.
 
Neat Project

I like the idea of someone being creative. All used cycles need not be restored to original. There is no doubt that enhancing the line benefits the image of the whole line. Am looking forward to your progress.

Hey, could you take tons of video and maybe create a 1/2 hour show the for Speed Channel? It would be nice to see BMW MC given some air time. Contact Corbins, maybe they could help.
 
simple answer: HUNDREDS + + !!
although, since I find napkins difficult to file after a night at the pub ...
sketches have been generated mostly on Illustrator and Photoshop...
files of them. My websitehttp://www.rockerboxer.com started as a method to store / share the images I had collected of BMWs that were raced and / or altered for racing.
... But I do in fact have some placemats and napkins, too.
some pretty elaborate ones regarding subframe design ...LOL.

Somehow I just knew there was :drink involved :D
Looking forward to the next part of the build.:lurk
 
psychic

Somehow I just knew there was :drink involved :D
Looking forward to the next part of the build.:lurk

I see that looks like "black beer" ÔÇô Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, my favorite !
 
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simple answer: HUNDREDS + + !!
although, since I find napkins difficult to file after a night at the pub ...
sketches have been generated mostly on Illustrator and Photoshop...
files of them. My websitehttp://www.rockerboxer.com started as a method to store / share the images I had collected of BMWs that were raced and / or altered for racing.
... But I do in fact have some placemats and napkins, too.
some pretty elaborate ones regarding subframe design ...LOL.

I can just picture:brow the waitress or bar maid standing in front of your table with a disintrested look on her face whilst you attempt to sketch a fleeting thought on a soggy napkin with the pen or pencil you've barrowed from her.
:bar
 
fortunately

I can just picture:brow the waitress or bar maid standing in front of your table with a disintrested look on her face whilst you attempt to sketch a fleeting thought on a soggy napkin with the pen or pencil you've barrowed from her.
:bar


Yes. Fortunately I know her and can use her pen anytime...
 
Vanzen,

I admire your skills: design, creativity and mechanics!! ;)
 
A composite thumb-nail of my blueprint drawings:

X-FRAMEWEBOLDCROdev.jpg


kbasa: I could load a disk with development sketches that plot the course of this result !

That has to be one of the most elegantly designed frames I've ever seen! Torsional rigidity will be the rule of the day! If there are any Motorrad engineers seeing this from the old days I bet they're saying :doh "Why didn't I think of that!"

I personally think you should paint the frame a contrasting color from the rest of the motorcycle to highlight it. If the bike is going to be black, paint the frame red like a Ducati.
 
thanks: kreinke, ultracyclist, & ljr5487 !

That has to be one of the most elegantly designed frames I've ever seen! Torsional rigidity will be the rule of the day! If there are any Motorrad engineers seeing this from the old days I bet they're saying :doh "Why didn't I think of that!"

Many reasons would complicate the use of such a frame in production. Starting with construction cost, packaging of all the components necessary for legal road use would be another, and finally, the market ÔÇô how many traditional BMW riders would be interested ? (the R1200S was introduced, and the market asked: where's the panniers ? the SO says the back seat isn't comfortable ÔÇô the model is not a big seller... Oddly, I own one).

In the late 1960's when the Type247 frame was introduced, design criteria was quite different. The demands of a 60hp engine, tire & braking technology available, and the status of knowledge regarding chassis design and dynamics formed the result. Also, in all fairness, the engineers chose as a design goal, a 'flexible' frame that would perform equally as well on ALL kinds of ROAD SURFACES, as opposed to one that would work best on the race-track. By the early '80s, BMW was looking to discontinue the Boxer, and, as a consequence, development curtailed. (remember the R1 concept ?)

I'm sure the engineers were aware of 'what could be done', and designed what best suited the 'needs' as defined by production and market demands. (although that may be optimistic ÔÇô since Udo Gietl patently rejected the special race frames provided by the BMW factory in the early '70s after a few outings, and hired Rob North to design one that actually 'worked'...)

The frame designed by Rob North and raced by Butler-Smith in the late '70s was as similar to my design as yesterday's technology allowed, and (at least superficially) quite similar at that.
 
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I'm sure that with todays laser cutting and hydroforming technology this frame would be economical to produce. If it succeeds I hope you have the gumption to blueprint, and sell these frames. Surely there's a machine shop with a laser cutter or waterjet that would take on the task.

I see a real market in the "custom cafe racer" segment.
 
market

I'm sure that with todays laser cutting and hydroforming technology this frame would be economical to produce. If it succeeds I hope you have the gumption to blueprint, and sell these frames. Surely there's a machine shop with a laser cutter or waterjet that would take on the task.

I see a real market in the "custom cafe racer" segment.

LOL. I know that market pretty well ! I also know of several concerns in Europe that DO market race frames and 'performance packages' that include frame upgrades or custom frames. (visit my web-site http://www.rockerboxer.com to know what is available).
Consequently, I know the costs involved for a limited production and what the quite focused 'old BMW custom cafe segment' might be willing to spend ...
 
Body Pieces Arrived

Yam TZ125 seat-base and a Duc F1 upper fairing arrived UPS from Airtech Streamlining today. these two pieces, and a Laverda 750 SFC style aluminum gas tank hammered out by Evan Wilcox will be the sum total of body-work for the OldCro project.

A quick photo-shop sketch:

seattankfit.jpg
 
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