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I'm doing a sort of "How To" thread on another site but thought some of you folks might enjoy a peek at it.

I started with this 1/8th bike kit........it was purchased on eBay for around 12 bucks. It's not intended to be any particular model or year but I wanted to see if I could construct a reasonable looking board track racer for under fifty bucks using only common hand tools, scrap plastic and common (cheap) hardware.

Anyway here's the kit......

ABTRacer1011.jpg

and here's a few pics & mock-ups in progress.......

ABTRacer1007.jpg

ABTRacer1009.jpg

ABTRacer1016.jpg

ABT2011.jpg

BTR4019.jpg

ABTRseat018.jpg

ABTR6016.jpg

ABTR6014.jpg

Here's a 60 cent crankcase before being smoothed out......

ABTR7021.jpg

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I admit, I had to look up "board track racer" as I first thought it was to be similar to those in Olympic racing. This is very interesting!

Mike...I guess my age is showing.

I'm sure many, especially the younger crowd haven't a clue as to what a board track racer is...a little before their time I figure.

A google of Board Track Racers provides a wealth of info on these things...they raced on banked wood plank tracks, no brakes to speak of other than closing the throttle, no suspension etc.

These guys were all about going as fast as they could and keeping their fingers crossed.

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  • 3 weeks later...

That looks to be a stock Harley. He's going after this:

board-track-racer.jpg

They had the dropped handlebars, no fenders (and no brakes, I think!).

......and they typically had no throttle (it was wide open all the time, speed controlled by a magneto cut-off switch)and no clutch! It was definitely for the brave or the foolhardy!

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Don has a more detailed thread on this build going on at scalemotorcars.com, and I believe he's planning to put on a rear fender.

On another note, Don, the way you used Rust-Oleum textured paint on the seat is one of the best-looking answers I've ever seen for simulated leather, and should be the subject of a Tips/Tricks thread on this site.

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Thanks for your interest guys...while I'm not really concerned with building an exact replica of any particular bike, the pic that Harry posted is the "look" I'm after.

My thinking was that the bike kit would make for a great starting point without having to do that much more scratch building or toss out a lot of coin.......just plain ol' fashioned modeling.

I can still remember back when I was a youngster and aftermarket anything simply wasn't available. You had what was in the box, period. If you wanted something different you had to create it yourself.

Skip, I haven't decided for sure yet on the bobbed rear fender...we'll see if it hurts my face when I get a little further along. I set this project aside temporarily so I could get a little more done on "Termite Candy" for a club meeting Sat. but will be picking the racer back up shortly.

As soon as I have the time I'll do a mini tutorial on the "leather look" paint application if you folks think you'd find it useful.

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Ya ever gonna finish one ?????

What's the matter Al...do you need a hug?

Whether it takes me 5 or 20 years to finish one of my personal models so what?

I'm having fun and enjoying what I'm doing, if my posts irritate or keep you from building your models, your way, in your own time frame I'm sure MCM has an ignore button somewhere so that you don't need to be bothered reading my posts..

As long as you've rattled my cage...do you just not like what I'm doing with the bicycle kit?

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What's the matter Al...do you need a hug?

...do you just not like what I'm doing with the bicycle kit?

No Don, I definately don't need a hug from you and yea, I'll use the ignore button.

... It's not the bicycle, I just don't like you !!!!!

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Skip, Harry......yeah, we got a bit off-topic there.......no worries, just a couple old farts scratching an itch that needed scratching I guess.

Oh well, the battery on my hover-round should be charged up by now so I can get back to the workbench....... :lol:

In answer to your question Skip...next up will be bracing the front forks and setting up the drive train.....some of these bikes had functional pedals as well as the engine drive and the earlier ones had leather belts (engaged with a hand lever that acted as a clutch) driving the rear wheel.

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