1/12 Chopper

[crazyjim]

Here's my first bike build. HOK stratus blue, candy apple red, and pearl white were used for paint that was cleared, sanded, polished, and waxed. I used a file to cut grooves into the gas tank. Instead of installing the fork by gluing the frame together, I opted to drill the fork and slide a pin to hold it in place. Used the same procedure to mount the rear tire. The air filter is from a 1/25 scale car. The outer primary cover is scratch built.

[Dr. Cranky]

Ooh, I like the simplicity (and beauty) of the graphix. Nice job. Those choppers are addictive!

[brodie_83]

Looks like a Pepsi bike. LoL looks nice!

[crazyjim]

Thanks guys. I wanted to try out slicing masking tape very thin for a '58 TBird I'm working on.

[Jantrix]

Jim, that is very nice! The only thing I'd like to see different is some of that color on the primary cover.

[crazyjim]

Maybe that would have worked, Rob. I almost tried brush painting a star looking thing but decided I'd screw it up. Maybe the next one - I have enough parts for another build.

[Cool Hand]

Nice job,very cleanly built.I like all the extra details that you added.

[crazyjim]

Thanks Luke. I'm having thoughts for the next bike build - wider gas tank and a taillight molded into the fender.

[RatRod]

Very nice!!! Good to see people still building these. The paint looks great.

[bsoder]

Clean and smooth...I like it!! B)

[crazyjim]

Thanks guys. Never built a chopper before, but I like them. There's enough parts to build another one - after several other projects are completed.

[nybuilder]

Wow your chopper looks really nice. I am building my first and new to this site. What did you use for you plug wires and and the brake cables?

[crazyjim]

Welcome Tim. This is a great place to gather tip and ideas.

The plug wires are telephone wires - you know that usually grey wire running around the house? It has 4 wires inside (red, black, green, yellow). All the cables are necklace wire from Hobby Lobby. HL carries a few different gauges. I should have probably used a larger size, but that's what I had immediately available.

The shift linkage is also wire from HL - a paper clip could have been used.

Hope you post some pics of your chopper later on.

[crazyjim]

Hey Tim - I just thought of something else. I used necklace bead crimps at the cable ends. The crimps are available at HL & Michaels in the necklace section. I bought a package that has 4 different sizes (1-4). They come in handy for all sorts of things - spacers for throttle linkage, radiator hose ends, heater hose ends, fuel lines, etc. I use them instead of paying the big bucks for AN fittings.

[nybuilder]

Thanks for the info Jim can't wait to really get started on my chopper, appreciate the inspiration.

[crazyjim]

It was a fun build. Just build it your way, Tim, and post some pics when you're done.

[Prostreet]

Nice build, Photoetched rotors from a GP bike?

[crazyjim]

Nope. Kit rotors that I stripped in Simple Green, shot Alclad chrome on them, sanded and drilled the vent holes and then brush painted the actual rotor Testors Steel.

[XJ6]

Great paint Scheme...Clean..Sharp..well Defined

[crazyjim]

I painted/stripped that puppy 3 times before getting it right. Appreciate your comments, Don.

[Terry Sumner]

What about the exhaust pipes? Solder?

[crazyjim]

The pipes came right out of the parts I got in a trade. I don't know if they were part of the original kit or not. All I did was open the tips so they looked more realistic.

[Romell R]

Very Nicely done Jim , makes me want to pull out my chopper project that I never finished. Keep up the excellent work.

[Art Laski]

Nice job, Jim!

[crazyjim]

Thanks fellas. Get that chopper project out, Rom. They're a blast to build.