OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tim754 on November 19, 2007, 12:01:51 am
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Trackmaster Frames are now owned and produced by www.powroll.com in the USA. Wasp frames by Wasp in England, (Google it I have just misplaced the address!) and of course GMC [email protected] makes total Quality here!(suck suck)
Please add any frame makers here if possible, Cheers Tim754
Brain starting to fire!!! well fizzle a bit ::)......Cheney Frames www.cheneyracing.co.uk
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YOu want link of current frames or frames that where built but no longer ?
or any frmae makers ? Aka Boss, KR, cheney, redline, C&J, Sonic weld, the list goes on..... Timboe can you explain what info you need ?
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Yes current manufacture please , :)my time machine has lost reverse gear.............. :D
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http://www.faberframes.com/ (http://www.faberframes.com/)
http://www.metisse-motorcycles.com/ (http://www.metisse-motorcycles.com/)
http://www.staracerframes.com/ (http://www.staracerframes.com/)
http://www.tri-cengineering.com (http://www.tri-cengineering.com)
http://www.cheneyracing.co.uk (http://www.cheneyracing.co.uk)
http://www.flattrackaccessories.com/ (http://www.flattrackaccessories.com/)
http://www.rotax.net/Flattrack.htm (http://www.rotax.net/Flattrack.htm)
http://www.americandirtbike.com/ccmflat.htm (http://www.americandirtbike.com/ccmflat.htm)
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what do you want it for dirt or mx or chair ? and what motor ?
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I was led to believe that Sonic-Weld went on to become Trackmaster, anyone else know their history?
I recieved an e-mail about CMS frames a while back.....
The CMS guys name was Charley Cole. His wife was Mary, and the helper was some guy named Shosgoffenhouser or something like that. (no joke) and that's the CMS. The Cz shop I worked at was only in business from 1969 to 75 so I don't know about all the different editions. I think the Cz CMS frames came out in 72 so those are the ones I'm familiar with.
I've often wondered if Charlie Cole was related to Jeff Cole of C & J frames??
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Freaky "Dirt bikes "after market or reproduction frames, MX ,Flattrack (Oval and TT versions) Trials, Enduro, Hillclimb Trailbike Desert racers Speedway.... ,Solo ,Sidecar with any bloody engine from 50cc up.
Mate! So sorry I have such a totally confusing ,difficult and worrying request. ::) Thanks to all for the info that has been forwarded is good to look and mostly dream. ;) Cheers Tim
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doug schwerma knew nothing about geometry the champions were almost copies of the yamaha dt1 frames, just "cleaned up a bit.
not great frames but doug was a brilliant promoter of his product.
terry knight was doug schwermas shop-forman at 19 years of age . as schwerma , begin to manullipate
the us govt. small business loan program, finally went broke and douggy just walked away (from champion), and got into drugs before getting cut down.
mike conley the redline guy , bought the name and all the assets and machinery from champion bank forclosure
terry knight then went into business for himself ,and the
rest is history, as they say as Knight frames.
Carlo lucia made Boss frames early in the peice, then followed the money with the redline guys into BMX frames
the only guys to make any money and get to keep it are linn kasten and mike conley the
red-line guys. they made most of their money with mx bicycles. linn and
mike split up in early 70s and linn took the red-line name only, and
went straight to japan to have them made, he now has a factory just
into mexico from san diego, and has made and kept millions.
Poor ray hensley ,sold off trackmster ,for nothing, and pissed
away the money up in canada 500 miles north of detroit at lake
nippising trying to run a fishing camp.he died of lung cancer and
finally of "cancer of the everything"
Star racer frame are now being remade from the original jigs as are trackmaster but at $2500 grand a pop only BSa and triuph guys are building up resto units as many early units became farm pumps.
cheney frames are still made new and unptith other copies or fabricators are building things but the volume isnt there and youll pay hand build prices.
Mexican copies like gringos etc are still out there but not worth a lot.
kenny roberts built up a few so they are scattered out there also but he did yamma donks so thats you limitation there on Pplants.
i was only thinking about this the other day as it would be kewl to have one of each of the good ones, if i was to get another frame id be looking for a period redline, but they always seem to be Norton or honda, i i have neither.
if your still dreaming of building somthing id say find your power plant first and tracking down a roller or frame is still prity easy.
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Interesting read --thanks Freaky 8)
cheers
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Good info Freaky.......Doug Schwerma was into pushies long before the Redline and Boss guys, I have a Champion BMX frame from the mid seventies and know of another one.
The history of American frame makers is a very interesting tale. The two real innovators in my opinion were Ray Hensley and Harry Hindall. Hindalls welding is the best I've ever seen and he managed to build extremely lightweight frames that are almost bulletproof. Hensley led the way with the original Sonic Welding hard tail frames, considered by most, the first commercially available purpose built flat track frame in the late fifties. A decade later he once again set the standards with his swingarm Trackmaster frames. I'm lucky to own two Trackmasters, including a rare one off experimental frame designed by Ray and built by Clyde Williams in late 1975/early 1976. It's similar to their standard 750 Yamaha frames except for the adjustable swingarm pivot, which you can clearly see in the below photo and not so noticeable, the lowered rear subframe to achieve a lower seat height. The frame was built to enable them to develop a fully "tuneable" frame when combined with adjustable triple clamps. It was later sold to a racer in upstate New York who used it for ice racing. I'm now using it for the basis of my Benelli 650 flat track project.
In the next issue of VMX I've done two pieces on American framed bikes which contain a lot of history pertaining to Harry Hindall and Kenny Roberts frame businesses. I learned a lot researching the articles, especially with the KR frames.
Below, My experimental Trackmaster. It's not as bad as it looks, the rust is only of the surface variety.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/tracky%20frame.jpg)
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That will be a great read to look forward to Firko! cheers Tim754
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It was later sold to a racer in upstate New York who used it for ice racing. I'm now using it for the basis of my Benelli 650 flat track project.
Firko is that confirmed now ? Just its funny you say that, as i remember when you first posted that picture up and i sughested it looked like it was set up as was an ice racer. ITs a pity with these things we struggle to find the original pictures. be good to see a pic of it in its day.
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I was led to believe that Sonic-Weld went on to become Trackmaster, anyone else know their history?
So did they ??
incase of opening up a "Welding for Dummies thread" ;) Whats Sonic Welding...some kind of tig ??
cheers A
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Just calm down. ;) Sonicweld is no more than a trade name for the biz.Guys from Sonicweld opened up Trackmaster and Redline frames. ;)
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Sonicweld is no more than an trade name
:o ::)
I'll have to remember that Mr just a Manx Norton rider ;) ;D
cheers A
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Hmmm - thread booked marked, may have to add to it soon ;)
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Any news on our cheap Chinese Metisse "replicas" yet?
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yeah im in , just waiting on the order form
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i think i will stick with my 1958 ariel duplex frame just need a good motor FIRKO!!!!!!!!
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David Uden,a friend of mine from Omaha,Nebraska,has a Sonicweld Swingarmed frame that Ray H.built for an Expert Racer from Fort Worth ,Texas. W.T Ruffner #74n at that time. It has a long rod ,route kitted T120 750 in it. The swingarm is a built up diamond shaped cross section.Tapered to the Duck plates.The glass is the basis for the trackmaster tank and seat. When Dave bought it it was rusted out under the frame rails in the down tube/cradle area. So ,it was off toour Buddy,Fred Cuba at Fred's Speed and Sport in Hastings ,Nebraska. Fred fabbed new frame rails and down tubes of 4130 and tigged them in.Wonderfull peice of work. Looked like it had never been repaired.This is the only one of these frames I have ever seen.anyway,after replating,the thing looks like a showbike now. I had the opportunity to ride it at Norton,KS about 10 yrs ago.apart from DAvid being a foot and a half taller than me it fit perfectly. Ha Ha. anyway,I did manage to get it into the main event. Ran last in the main. not the bikes fault.It handled great.I was just too short in the squat and couldn't hold it in the corners.Ray Hensley also built and developed the Star racer 650 Yamaha frame which was not a great succes,due to the fact it shook so bad at speed it spit you off. Not a great 1/2 miler,but worked good on short tracks. Whew,didn't mean to get carried away. I'll shut up now,
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Cheney Engineering in Ottumwa/Bloomfield ,Iowa makes probably the best frames for singles (XL/Xr Honda XT/TT Yam.) plus all the modern 450s and 250s,DTX parts and accessories,Brake units,etc. The stuff is really great quality and really budget priced. No,I don't work for Jerry Cheney LOL Just throwing some other options out there. I buy a lot of stuff from Jerry and also Fred's . to find Cheney's website,go to Flattrack,com he has a banner on the bottom of the forum. See ya,TCL
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i have a staracer , fasttrack(out of new mexico) and champion all flattrack frames
jim