If you want to build a bike, finding a frame is easy. There are dozens of frame builders that can fill your needs with anything from a rigid to a Sportster, a Softail, or an FXR.
These choices are OK for your basic custom bike, but what do you do if you want to create something as long and wild as the bikes shown on the pages of STREET CHOPPER? What if you like the style of a certain frame, but the tubing up front doesn't quite place the steering head as far ahead or upward as you'd like? There are a few of the major builders that are willing to custom-tailor their frames to make your dream bike become a reality.
We dropped in to visit Phil Day at Daytec Frame Center in Hesperia, California, for some answers. Phil's shop not only builds hundreds of fantastic rigid, Softail, and rubbermount frames each year, the company also does a fair amount of custom frame building for customers with special needs. Each frame ordered from Daytec starts with a frame build sheet, listing everything the customer is looking for. Standard dimensions are listed, as are incremental boxes of varying rake and stretch dimensions that can be checked off -- just in case standard isn't quite your thing. There is another box on the order sheet with the designation of other. That extra box allows the customer to write in his or her own personal criteria -- within reason, of course. Daytec will thoroughly discuss the specification sheet and counsel the customer by talking about what they want their bike to look like and the type of riding they intend to do with it. By taking this extra time, Daytec has a much better chance of ensuring the customer their finished bike is something they'll be proud to own for years to come.
We told Daytec that we'd like to stop by the next time the staff was building a custom frame to see how it's done. Phil gave us a lot of good information on what goes on at Daytec while he walked us through each phase of the build and explained how varying the rake, the downtube, and the backbone stretch affects the geometry of the frame.
All Daytec custom frames start...
All Daytec custom frames start out with a parts list similar to this one. After the customer checks off all the boxes of what he's after, one of Daytec's employees figures out which one of their pre-made parts kits will be close enough to get things started. By starting out with the kit that best matches the final product, Daytec is able to save much unnecessary fabrication work
Daytec was going to build...
Daytec was going to build a custom frame for a customer with 40 degrees of neck rake, 5 inches of backbone stretch, and 8 inches of upward rise from the downtubes. These numbered bins contain what Daytec refers to as staged kits. Staged kits are those that have all the necessary components required for a frame order. They're pulled, then placed in the plastic bin to await assembly at a work station. Phil is looking for the kit that will require the least amount of additional fabrication, as a basis for the custom frame being built today.
All the parts included in...
All the parts included in the staged kits come from these bins. There are quite a few rows of similar parts throughout the storage area.
Phil found a kit that had...
Phil found a kit that had everything we needed, except for a left-side swing arm pivot plate. But it must have been our lucky day. As we thought about pulling one from another kit, Shelton walked over with a side plate, fresh off the grinding machine and we were ready to go.
We will use all the parts...
We will use all the parts from the staged kit, with the exception of the longer downtubes and backbone. Here we see Dave rough-bending a set of over-length downtubes for use on the custom frame.
The steering head has already...
The steering head has already been clamped into the jig and the right downtube was bent to the correct dimensions. Here Dave saw that he had to add a little more bend to the left tube to make both of them even.
After the correct bends were...
After the correct bends were made, the tubing was coped, or notched, to allow it to wrap around the steering head prior to welding it permanently in place.
The coped tubing was checked...
The coped tubing was checked against the steering head for fit before the tang on the end was grounded along the pencil line to get the right shape.
Now that the downtubes were...
Now that the downtubes were prepared, Tony began to bolt the components to the jig so everything could be welded together. Daytec has seven of these modular frame jigs that can easily be converted with different tooling to make any frame in its catalog, and several that aren't.
While Tony ran off to get...
While Tony ran off to get more parts, Dave got busy mounting the part of the jig that would hold the upper engine mount and backbone.
At this point Phil decided...
At this point Phil decided it would be a good time to explain how upward stretch has an affect on the overall length of the frame. The jig you see here is tilted at 15 degrees. For each of the additional 8 inches of upward stretch, the frame will grow 1/4-inch in length, due to the forward tilt. Since this frame was ordered with 5 inches of stretch added, the backbone will actually become 7 inches longer than stock to make up for the 2 inches it gained as the downtubes were stretched by 8 inches.
No, Phil wasn't having another...
No, Phil wasn't having another '70s flashback. He was just trying to point out where that added length of the backbone would be after the extra-long downtubes are installed.
Tony then bolted in the transmission...
Tony then bolted in the transmission plate and engine mounts and the jig blocks required to secure them before welding.
Once again, Dave stepped in...
Once again, Dave stepped in and readied the seatpost in the jig assembly.
We finally put the extended...
We finally put the extended backbone on and were almost ready to start welding.
Before welding could commence,...
Before welding could commence, Phil mounted this gauge in the frame to make sure rocker box clearance wouldn't be a problem when the engine is installed. Everything looked good, so we turned the frame back over to Tony.
Tony started welding at the...
Tony started welding at the upper motor mount portion of the frame.
All tubing was tacked in multiple...
All tubing was tacked in multiple places, as shown here, to prevent warping that might occur by trying to do complete welds before all the tubes are secured by the tack-welding.
Here the seat post and rear...
Here the seat post and rear motor mount were welded...
...followed by the upper seat...
...followed by the upper seat area tubing...
...and the frame was rotated...
...and the frame was rotated in the jig until every weld that could be reached was completed.
Tony was ready to remove the...
Tony was ready to remove the frame to complete the few welds that couldn't be reached with the frame in the jig
This boy can weld! Just look...
This boy can weld! Just look at what a nice job Tony did with his TIG-welding torch. Welds like this require very little grinding or molding to achieve a smooth and custom finished look.
All Daytec swing arms are...
All Daytec swing arms are made in this area, using the same staging techniques and welding processes as those used to make their frames.
This is what the finished...
This is what the finished frame looks like. With so much stretch in the downtubes, the fuel tank and the handlebars will be elevated to give the bike a radical look.
Phil pointed out the area...
Phil pointed out the area in which the additional 8 inches were in the downtubes to give this frame its unique look.
Remember we said the frame...
Remember we said the frame was stretched forward by 5 inches? Here Phil shows us where the extra 7 inches were added to the backbone to make it possible.