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Operation: Texas ThunderAdding a Beltdrive from BDL From the February, 2009 issue of Street Chopper
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Our primary goal this month was to change over to an open beltdrive. Since BDL makes some of the best in the industry, it made sense that Lifestyle Hot Bike/Street Chopper of Anaheim, California, turned to them in this department. All factors considered, this was one of the most straightforward changes made to the A.I. Texas Chopper, and the reason for that is BDL's attention to making such a complete kit with parts that fit smoothly to the bike.  Sure, the closed look is good,...  Sure, the closed look is good, but an open beltdrive is a lot more in line with the look Don Lindfors was creating for the wild chopper...  ...and by using a BDL open...  ...and by using a BDL open belt primary kit, we'd get great looks without sacrificing reliability.  Lindfors started off by disconnecting...  Lindfors started off by disconnecting the battery and draining the primary, then took off the outer cover...  ...followed by the gasket...  ...followed by the gasket and chain tensioner.  The circlip for the clutch...  The circlip for the clutch came out next, then an impact gun made short work of removing the compensator sprocket nut and the reverse-threaded clutch nut. After that, the primary assembly was pulled off as one piece.  Lindfors had to remove the...  Lindfors had to remove the starter jackshaft in order to get the inner primary off of the bike, so he pried the jackshaft's lock tabs open with a hammer and a screwdriver to access it. He followed up by loosening the jackshaft bolt and removing the shaft assembly.  After he pried open the locktabs...  After he pried open the locktabs from the inner primary bolts, Lindfors removed the bolts and tapped the inner primary loose with a rubber mallet, so he could pull it off of the chopper.  Now we could start mounting...  Now we could start mounting the cool new parts, starting with this spacer that went on over the stator, so the primary would line up with the 240 tire.  Lindfors did some assembly...  Lindfors did some assembly work on the clutch pulley by using a 12-ton press to install the dowels for the front pulley hub...  ...then he slid the hub over...  ...then he slid the hub over the pulley and bolted it down using allen bolts with red loctite on them.  But before we could slide...  But before we could slide the clutch pulley onto its new home, we needed to mount the motor plate. It was slid home and bolted down using the included hardware, with one drop of blue thread locker per bolt. You want to snug all of the bolts first, then double check for straight alignment between the motor and the transmission, and finally tighten the bolts down.  Sliding the starter motor...  Sliding the starter motor into the back of the motor plate came next, followed by pushing the sprockets on and checking their alignment with a straightedge. Yes, we know the belt isn't on the bike. That's because this was an initial test fitting before final assembly.  It turned out there was a...  It turned out there was a slight gap, so a spacer went onto the crankshaft behind the compensating sprocket to even it out.  Now we could start final assembly....  Now we could start final assembly. The belt and sprockets were slid onto the bike, then the compensator nut was tightened down.  We continued the bolting process...  We continued the bolting process at the clutch hub nut. Lindfors removed the pressure plate to access the nut, then locked the spline to the hub, tightened the counter-threaded sealing nut...  ...and reassembled the rest...  ...and reassembled the rest of the clutch. Lindfors used all nine of the spring bolts for more clutch pressure, which worked better with our big, high-compression motor. Once its adjustment pushrod was in, our clutch was ready for action.  Time to remount the starter...  Time to remount the starter and jackshaft. After they were in place, this new coverplate was bolted over the jackshaft to guard it from the horrors of the outside world.  There's a decorative cover...  There's a decorative cover that rests between the compensator and the clutch. Lindfors installed the cover studs, then mounted the standoffs over them...  ...and completed the assembly...  ...and completed the assembly mission by bolting the cover to the standoffs.  These pulley covers are optional...  These pulley covers are optional and looked great, but Lindfors liked the contrast generated by painting the outer lips on the compensating sprocket and the clutch black as a personal preference.  Right on. Operation Texas...  Right on. Operation Texas Thunder was now complete. Check back with us next month for final debriefing, as we find out how the bike holds up after a couple of months of urban warfare on the streets of OC.
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BDL 3-inch Open Belt Primary Install
There are dangerous moving parts with covers over certain areas to protect the ignorant. The open belt primary appears naked because of the exposed springs, rubber, and pulleys. The sound is...
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Clean Up With Sixx Gunn
As we've said before, the key to a clean bike is in the details. Getting a bike to show-quality status takes time and careful planning, all the way down to the fasteners that hold your bike together....
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Toolboxes Rule
For most of us, the garage refrigerator is in less than great shape. For myself, and everyone I know, the garage fridge is simply what happens when the kitchen refrigerator gets replaced. Instead of...
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Operation: Texas Thunder
With all of the handling changes done to our American Ironhorse Texas Chopper, we decided it was time to treat this baby to more power. The ignition, the pipes, the cam, the carb, and the air cleaner...
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Foundation Custom Handlebars
Sometimes, making a small change can mean a lot of work. But, it's those subtleties that make parts more interesting and the process of that change usually leads to some sort of innovation. There are...
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Thread Repair
If you have ever spent any time wrenching on your bike, we can guarantee you have stripped a bolt or damaged some threads. Perhaps you were mounting a bracket in a new place or just tightened about...
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GP Designs Head Breather
Our job is to search out things that will improve the looks of your bike and add an increased level of performance or function. When we find one of these little gems that no one else has seen, we are...
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Installing Cool Kickstands
The kickstand is probably one of the most important, yet overlooked components on any motorcycle. Serving only one very important purpose, to keep your bike securely standing upright when not in use,...
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Better Hindsight
Changes in style often mean changes in performance. Take your mirrors for example. How well they work depends on how tall they are and the size of their surface area. Taller mirrors may not flow with...
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