VEKST

I finally finished fabrication on the bike, and everything is...

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:45:00 -0400

I finally finished fabrication on the bike, and everything is test fitted and ready for teardown. I have also started to paint the tank and front wheel as you can see from the photos, but they are far from finished so don’t be too quick to judge.

I also took some photos of the finished transmission system to give you all a better idea of how it looks and works.

Here is a quick proof of concept video of the new transmission...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:40:45 -0400

Here is a quick proof of concept video of the new transmission system I developed for the Racer build.

I’ve spent the past week working on this fork for a...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:39:00 -0400

I’ve spent the past week working on this fork for a customer and I just finished it today.

Could I put a Honda gx390 engine on a regular Schwinn or Worksman bicycle?

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:22:48 -0400

Anything is possible with some creativity, the right equipment and enough skill.

VEKST, It is incredibly inspiring to see you build such a prime example of a true board track racer! I am 15 and discovered board track racers only a week ago whilst finding your creation only till now. Since discovery, I have decided to launch a full pursuit to build my own! I bless you for sharing your work with the world and hope to see more from you. I must ask, for my own work, what type of welder did you use? And, did you build your bike from tubing, if so, what tubing? Thank You VESKT. %%

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:34:48 -0400

This is inspiring for me. The biggest thrill for me is when my work inspires others, especially younger people. I wish you the best of luck on your build and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

I use a mig welder for my work and the tubing I have been using is erw tubing.

Before I do further research could you give me some idea of costs

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:53:22 -0500

I can’t rally give you a straight answer to this question because there are a lot of factors that dictate the cost of each individual bike. But the main two are, engine choice and weather you decide to build a frame from scratch or start with a pre-made frame and modify it to suit you needs. Without a doubt most expensive part of the project is time. How much time are you willing to dedicate to your project?

Here are the details about my bikes

The red v-twin

Approx $4k, 11 months, 3-4 days per week, 5hrs a day.

My current 350cc racer build

Approx $1500, 3 months, 2-3 days per week, 3-4 hrs a day.

With that being said I will never be able to recoup what I have invested in the v-twin, but I hope to be able to with the racer.

I hope this has helped and if you have any more questions feel free to ask, I’m happy to help.

Please excuse the loose cables and ugly blue pedals, they are...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:29:00 -0500

Please excuse the loose cables and ugly blue pedals, they are only temporary for testing purposes.

I got the first half of the drive train sorted out… and it works! I can pedal start it just like the bikes of back in the day. I also managed to install the internal throttle and reinforce the fork.

I did a quick mock up today at lunch, just so I could visualize...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:31:01 -0500

I did a quick mock up today at lunch, just so I could visualize how the bike will look when painted. I have also made lots of progress this week but nothing that is noticeable, lots of cleanup work and trouble shooting, particularly with the drive train.

Slowly making more progress on the racer. I feel like I spend...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:28:21 -0500

Slowly making more progress on the racer. I feel like I spend more time waiting on parts than I actually do working on the bike. If all goes well I will have this done before the end of March.

What make of motor is this that you are putting into your new build ?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:44:11 -0500

I received this question awhile ago and forgot to answer it. Sorry for the delay I should have answered this sooner.

The new bike is designed to accept any stationary engine from 50cc to 420cc. The engine I’m using is a Honda gx340 clone that is actually 350cc. The gx series of engine will require a special adapter bracket which can be seen in the photos.

If you're going that retro are you going to start braising instead of welding for that look?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:38:23 -0500

Good question. My bikes are not intended to be replicas, my goal is to bring back what I consider the purest form of motorcycle. I am trying to capture the general look, sound, feel, and spirit of the old bikes while trying to incorporate reliability, minimal maintenance, and ease of use.

I would eventually like to do a bike that is brazed and has beautiful lugs. But until then I have a lot to learn about brazing so I will keep doing what I’m doing and continue to learn more about it as I go.

I was concerned about how the bike would look when finished, so...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:48:00 -0500

I was concerned about how the bike would look when finished, so I did a quick mock up.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for parts, they...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:52:19 -0500

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for parts, they finally showed up this week. I managed to bang out the seat mount, drop loop and, engine mount in just a few days. I still need to do some clean up work but all the time consuming stuff is out of the way.

Next on the list is gas tank and handle bar fabrication.

Work on the racer is back in full swing. To cut time and cost I...

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 01:14:00 -0500

Work on the racer is back in full swing. To cut time and cost I am starting with a industrial bike frame that meets all the minimum requirements of early motorcycle construction. In the next few weeks the frame will be undergoing major reconstructive surgery and I will try to up load the photos as I make progress.

Here is short list of what will need to be done.

1. Add 5” in length to the centre section of the frame

2. Remove current down tube and replace with a drop loop and engine mount

3. Seat mount fabrication

VEKST now has Facebook, tell your friends and help get the word...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:20:00 -0500

VEKST now has Facebook, tell your friends and help get the word out.

CLICK HERE.

Sorry if this is on your site already. I couldn't find details on your engine and cvt setups. Are you willing to share any make and model info about he engines and transmissions you used on your bikes? Thanks, Eric

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:03:43 -0500

The black bike had a Honda gx200 clone with a Comet 30 series CVT.

The red v-twin has a 23hp Briggs and Stratton Vanguard with a Comet 40/41 CVT.

And the newest build has a Honda gx340 clone with a custom made reduction chain drive that is more period correct than a cvt is.

If you have any more questions or need more information send me a email cbappe@hotmail.com

hallo and greetings from germany ! i am so inspired from your work and i wanna ask if you can send me the frame sices. i wanna build one too. it will be awsome if you can help me... my email: msgt_runziatyahoodotde its only for private use so dont be afraid of the question . have a nice day !

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:56:47 -0500

This is a very lengthy question and the shortest answer to it is buy this book Early Motorcycle Operation and Repair. It has everything you need to know to build a motorcycle from scratch, it’s worth it’s weight in gold.

Making some progress on the racer. I spent the last week...

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:56:00 -0500

Making some progress on the racer. I spent the last week stripping the engine and fabricating the engine mount, and aging the engine. The goal for this bike is to make it look 100+ years old, like grandpa forgot he had it behind the barn. I spent so much time making sure my last bike was perfect in the smallest details that I need a change of pace. Also with this being a prototype I want to have the ability to modify things and not worry about having to repaint things.

The engine is mostly cast aluminum with a living patina on it, made out of iron oxide paint and various chemicals. This means it will only get better looking, more weathered, and realistic with time.

I’ve never posted any of the stuff I do at work, but we...

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:36:00 -0500

I’ve never posted any of the stuff I do at work, but we recently go the Kawsaki license and I really dig this design I did last week.

Stickers are here! Show your support and pick one up. $2 each or...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:27:00 -0500

Stickers are here! Show your support and pick one up.

$2 each or free with purchase of another item.

Click here.