Chassis Cracks and Broken Brackets

[monaro308]

Intermission .....
Have just received a 1968 magazine on the Sprite/AE and its saying; A point that struck us was the workmanship.All welds are heliarc............What a heliarc 
thanks --resume transmission--

http://www.advantagefabricatedmetals.com/tig-welding.html

[firko]

Alison....Heliarc is an old generic term for TIG welding from the days when they used helium instead of Argon. The yanks still use the term even though helium hasn't bee used in decades.
 

A point that struck us was the workmanship.All welds are heliarc...........

That's interesting, I've never seen a "heliarced" AE/Sprite, Frank Hipkin, the Sprite manufacturer told me that the early frames were brazed then they switched to MIG welding for the fastback frame. My frames are both brazed and they're both pre '70 early frames.

[jerry]

I was involved with the cross country mountain bike scene over the last few years and I have seen a lot of people spending a lot of money chasing weight savings. One of the cheapest ways to save weight is to make sure your not overweight yourself!!! By the way given that you are not overweight ( and I am!) and you want to save some bike weight what about carbon fibre for some components, Just a thought. Cheers Jerry

[Freakshow]

All this talk about grams of weight saving is a bit pointless i say on an old girl that has a old bloke who is knackered on the 2nd lap, ok mybe 3rd if he is under 40, cant we just ride them instead of all this talk.......... it hurts my head.  next youll be telling me to loose my original airbox cos it weight 100 grams, my body armour weights 10 times more than that.

[Ji Gantor]

No one is telling any one here to do anything.
The Pre 90 Grand Prix race I entered at Conondale last month went on for 15 minutes plus 1 lap.
I am 47 years old office worker.
The temp was 29 deg C with 95 percent humidity.
I lost 3 kilos of fluid just in the 12 minute practise.

Shedding weight and improving suspension all helps you ride the last lap as safe and quick as the first.

Ji 

[mx250]

All this talk about grams of weight saving is a bit pointless i say on an old girl that has a old bloke who is knackered on the 2nd lap, ok mybe 3rd if he is under 40, cant we just ride them instead of all this talk.......... it hurts my head.  next youll be telling me to loose my original airbox cos it weight 100 grams, my body armour weights 10 times more than that.

It's called .....

Ya trying to spoil our fun Freaky

[jerry]

Ji did you have scales there at the meeting to weigh yourself in anticpation of the weight loss? How did you rehydrate? Did you use water or Poweraide or simiiar? Jerry

[Ji Gantor]

Hi Jerry,
Yes I take scales.
Water and Staminade.
I also eat gell.

Ji

[firko]

As interesting as Ji's posts are, aren't we forgetting that this is vintage motocross not F1 or Moto GP. I fail to understand why anyone would even consider this stuff for a VMX bike unless it was on the bike in the first place or you're building a replica of something trick that was available back then. My Boyd and Stellings TM had a full complement of Ti bolts and nuts which I replaced with good old heavy as shit steel in the interest of safety. I've kept the period Ti brake pedal for the cool factor and the fact that I'm too lazy to make a new one but frankly I think it's a bit of a wank. You'd be living in Fantasyland if you thought that spending serious money on titanium to save a few grams is going to make your bike faster or better handling.  It's got a bit of wow factor to some folks but it's not even bling in a shiny sense.

IMHO VMX isn't the correct platform to experiment with turning out bikes into exotic spaceships bearing little comparison with what we used in the bikes's glory days. Like Jerry said, if you want to save weight, go on a diet, if you want to go faster, go to a riding school.

[jerry]

Here's another weightsaving tip. Shave all body hair (particuarly if you are of European extract, void bowels and bladder and if you really serious about weight saving only have enough fuel for your race and not for the whole meeting (much less unsprung weight!) Jerry

[Ji Gantor]

Okay lets all use the factory suspension, F... off those Simons forks and Fox rear air shocks.
Lets all use factory exhaust pipes.
We should also use clothes that are period, see ya leatt.

How many people that say stop trying actually race any more.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

No Jerry those are sprung weight.

Ji

[jerry]

Thanks Firko you picked up my point exactly. Having said that I have wondered if I won the Lotto just how light I could make old Fang the Sang? Of course I could also afford a personal trainer to assist me to motivate my sorry arse to lose 10 kg or so. Then maybe I could get someone to teach me some bike riding skills too. Bugger it I might just go and have a beer. Cheers Jerry

[firko]

Okay lets all use the factory suspension, F... off those Simons forks and Fox rear air shocks.
Lets all use factory exhaust pipes.
We should also use clothes that are period, see ya leatt.

Give me a break.....all of those things you mention, Simons forks, Fox Shox and so on were all available during the era the bike raced. I build bikes as trick or even tricker than most but I NEVER use technology I couldn't buy during the bikes competitive era. Making stuff out of Ti is not in the spirit of vintage motocross unless you're replicating parts that were made from Ti during the era. I believe you're turning bikes into something they never were. It's merely a platform to show off your own abilities. If that's the reason for using exotics, go modern racing where it's more appreciated.

[Ji Gantor]

How about Glenn Bells wave front disc at the nationals last year.
Every one has told me that that was totally legal.
If it is within the rules you can do it.

BSA and Huskys used Ti.
Roger De's  Suzuki was not even for sale so back then they were building their own parts.
 
Ji