Cufflink's Ultima 250 Rigid

[VF143Falcon]

Hey all. So i've been a lurker on here for pretty much 4 years. I started this build a little more than a year ago. Almost done. It sat as a roller with no tires for at least 6 of those months while a stacked cash and schemed on how to get this thing built right with the least amount of money spent (to maintain marital harmony of course)

There is a ton a pictures. Some of them I'll narrate, but probably not all of them. Anywho, just thought i would share the journey so far.



Here is me - with the wife behind the camera - at Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson in June of 2013. We were checking out if a FXDB could be a good candidate for the next bike. It was at this point I finally decided that a factory Harley will never, ever be big enough for me to feel comfortable on. This thing made me feel like a bear on a tricyle. I had been thinking about building my own rigid for 3 years at this point, ever since i had my scoot stolen in Dec. 2010 ( Here's my intro thread: FNG here from CO ) So thats when i signed up for Club Chopper and started reading. Needless to say, i didn't buy this bike.






So i ordered an Ultima 250 Rigid frame. I got it on sale from Jirehs Flea-Bay store for like $495, so I jumped on it. I originally thought a 200 would be more my style but a 240 bike is still cool to me. This was around Labor day 2013.



Build Table Started

Build Table D U N



I ordered up a JP Cycle 240 wheel, on sale of course, for like $180 bones. It came in and i through it on the frame to start to try and figure out how to center it. It was at that point in my head I really finalized how i wanted it to look. Then i started cutting off all the offending split tank mounts, the stupid tab for cables under the frame gusset, and anything else that looked unnecessary. Then i sanded it down, degreased the crap out of it, and rustoleumed the frame to keep if fresh and rust free. I had no idea how long this build would take, since i had spend all the loot that the wife would allow for a month or two.







These are offensive tabs and mounts. They must DIE!

[VF143Falcon]

Sorry, blurry, but it smothed out really nice on this gusset.


Sanding the undercarriage! This thing was COVERED in some kind of gunk that really didn't like to come off. Even under fingernail action it was pretty thick and gross.


So fresh and clean!





Washing off the degreaser. Interesting angle to take a picture from.

[VF143Falcon]

So the frame was hung, and on wen't the Rustoleum.



I primed it first. Turned out pretty good and it dried really slow and hard.






Then the front wheel showed up and I was able to measure for the forks.



I used a super high tech method of little brother holding the wheel while i stuck a broom stick down the neck with a tape measure in the other hand. Worked out fine in the end.





51 tooth Pulley came in at the same time as both brake rotors.




Front brake caliper installed.


And it sat like this for 6+ months.

[VF143Falcon]

Fast forward to July 2014. Finally got the time and motiviation to do something on the chop. Went out and got the Metz rubber.



And then i stuck the wheels back on the bike.



It occured to me that this thing hadn't been on the ground at all yet. My entire perspective of it was on a 35 inch high table. So i made my little brother help me get it off and hold it for me. This got me reeeeeeeally pumped again about building this scoot. Things started moving a lot faster now.







I called up Dave at Chopper Shox and got the skinny on his set up. I had read some people like'em and some didn't. The main complaint was that they were too stiff. I'm a big dude and he seemed pretty worried about me mounting them at any more than a 30 degree angle. He was a good dude to talk to and I asked him a ton of questions. He sent me the stainless spring set up and also a lighter and heaver set of springs in case i wasn't happy with the stainless ones. This is me just trying to figure out how the fuck I could mount these things on there while keeping the seat from being sky high.



I ordered up a Paughco Frisco King Sporty tank, a 10" two eight fender and some 16 inch bars from JSR customs. Finally i could see the profile of this thing coming together.





And of course, Maggie the Garage Bulldog. She's been keeping me company since August this year.

[VF143Falcon]

And then on the the bidness of mounting up the fender.











Then back to the ground for another reality check.

[VF143Falcon]

This was a great way to figure out the seat height i wanted. My arms are a little short for me to sit on the frame.





Back to the garage! I drilled out holes and welded in some top hat bungs to the frame for the tank. Then it was a breeze to get the tabs done for the seat. The builders kit came with everything i needed. Except for the fact that i tacked it all, put it together and tried to give it an easy sit to check the fit. Then it all fucking fell apart on me so i had to do it all over again.

[VF143Falcon]

ENGINE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ordered an Ultima 113, an Ultima 2" Primary, and Ultima 6spd Tranny and tossed them all in the bike.



This is the first real problem i had. The frame was built for a 1 1/4" offset tranny. I ordered the 1 1/4" inner primary spacer and a 1 1/4" offset collar for the motor pulley. The Ultima instructions that the primary came with said that the regular nut for the motor pulley would work with UP TO a 1 1/4" offset. Clearly it doesn't. I called em up and the said 'hmm, thats weird, do you have the spacer?" I did have the spacer. It doesn't fit in the recess of the hole where the nut goes.

So they said fuck it, we'll send you the long nut. I said cool thanks. Fucking thing took 2 months for them to get in stock of course, but i didn't complain cause they sent it for free when the starters finally came back in stock.

This is the short nut.



I ordered up some grips from Boosted Brad, and a mirror. These things are perfect. I got the GMA levers and stuff from John at Scooters. I ended up buying a lot of stuff from John, now that i think of it.






Testing out the coil fit.


Forward controls.




Profiling!

[VF143Falcon]

I got bored of waiting for the fabled long nut, and various other parts that were in the mail. So i started to paint the tins.



After sanding. I was surprised at how not-smooth the fender was.


Tanks was better


Looks orange, but thats my shit ass camera. Its like a Marlboro red.




Headlight finally came.


On the left here you'll see the fabled long nut. Worked like a charm.


Here is how she sits this week.

[SOCAL]

Looking good, I have a Ultima 250 build in my garage too.

[VF143Falcon]

Thanks Socal. I was checking out your thread.

[MDMachiavelli]

That orange and black is looking bad ass!

[BadDawg]

What make springer did you go with? Bike looks good!

[pushrod243]

Very cool keep the pics coming!

[Tx51]

I like....props to you....more pics

[VF143Falcon]

Thanks! Actually the bike is red, but the stupid camera on my samsung evidently has shitty sensors for red.

Got the gas cap in the mail yesterday and I set up the fuel line. I had to massage the angled post on the starter to fit with the oil tank. Turns out the top post one would have worked way better. Last time i listen to someones advice without checking.

On another note: I am an idiot.

I ordered the 10mm banjo bolt brake light from John. Then when it came in i was like wtf. Turns out theres several types of '10mm banjo bolt'. Being that I'm primarily a metric guy i ordered the 10mmx1.0 since thats all i've ever used.

Of course it didn't fit, but i lucked out and a friend had an extra 3/8 x 24 one. The metric one will work well on the blue Yammerhammer since the rear brake switch is a piece of shit so i'll just keep it.

More pics to come soon!