Simplex 5 speed build

[pd]

Rick ,

You must have long arms or that shift lever is pretty short . LOL

The set up looks pretty good , even without paint .

Pete .

[ndian22]

Hey Pete you preparing for the drive back? I'd be tempted to stay awhile longer in Az. but you're probably ready to move on.

Yeah long arms but not that long. Got lots of projects started and the hand shift is one that's almost though not quite finished. Like the leaf fork the concept works but the details take a little longer, plus once I see that it's going to work I often switch to the projects that pose unresolved issues that are a bit more challenging. I think it's an issue with no longer working on other peoples crap for a living & I'm rebelling on my own crap.

I did straighten out a couple of things on the leaf fork, but I'm a session or two away yet from tearing it down for paint. I took her out yet again and tested the changes. Still felt fine so I'm calling that part good. I have a wheel centering problem that places the rotor too close to the spring leg, it clears but only just and at that the tire is .25" off center...has lots of room on the other side, wheel runs true, so I'll flip the wheel to see if that's any better. I've seen front wheels that were slightly dished during lacing, not a problem if the forks are wide enough or if you run a drum, but this fork is not that wide at the drops. If the flip works I'll have to remount the tire as it's directional, but no big deal. If that's not the problem I can spread the legs enough and run spacers, but I'll have to install a wider axle, this one is maxed out already. Nothing to worry about I've got lots of options. Now that shift lever...   Rick C.   

[pd]

Good Morning Rick ,

We'll be in Arizona for another 2 - 3 weeks . That's maybe a bit longer than I care for as the heat is starting to be uncomfortable . Only 93°F today .
Then we'll meander East and then North into the New Mexico mountains for the Summer . It'll be Spring of 2019 before we head back to Michigan .

I noticed the rotor is/was a little close to the rocker bolt .
Test rides are what I look forward to , as they usually mean the project is close to being finished .

Pete .

[ndian22]

Good call on N. New Mexico Pete, beautiful country. I've spent some time in the Red River, Taos & Eagles Nest area & really enjoy being there. Lots to see and do within day trip range in both New Mexico and Colorado. Post photos from time to time.

Looked the fork over yesterday and took some measurements as well and concluded that my problem is in multiple small adjustments & will just take some time to get perfect. Unfortunately I've run out of multiple thicknesses of wheel spacers in my assortment and have ordered some. Also ran out of hardened thin profile nuts for the rocker bolts and they are real space savers.

I need to also slightly adjust the spring eyelet, maybe a 1/16" to perfectly center and with that I can perfectly square & parallel the actuator rods. If I'm off at that point I'll know adjustment may be needed at the rocker fork pivot. Once all this is confirmed I should be able to center the hub/wheel with the correct hub spacers including the disc brake caliper adapter which normally mounts inside the rocker, but if space is limited can bolt from outside of rocker. A longer hub axle bolt may be required as well.

Building one off forks could probably be considered a project best avoided by the novice fabricator, but once it's been explained I feel most anyone can tackle the job with a high probability of success. Rick C.

[pd]

I'm definitely looking forward to the mountains . It's been about 40 years since I last set foot on 'high ground' .
I hear the narrow gauge rail trip between Durango and Silverton is one not to be missed .
We've been checking possible camps and have found a couple that seem to be worth a decent stay .
I've been waiting to give my XT350 a good workout .

And , agreed , knowing/understanding what you're doing definitely increases the probability of success .

Pete .

[ndian22]

Yes Pete that narrow gauge train ride is a must see & do to believe! Having the Honda along opens the door to some cool exploring & save on fuel at the same time. I've a friend that has a nice vacation home just outside of Red River & that's usually where I stay, but the area is replete with serviced & secure campsites.

Also since it's a major vacation/ski area emergency trauma services are first rate & air transport well organized. Med emergencies happen so it's nice to know that help is available even in the mountains & major hospital facilities are only minutes away.  Lots of fun in the wilderness with full services & security at hand....Rick C.

[ndian22]

Forks aligned & caliper installed. Works like a champ. I need to change the quill as the bars ride too high, plus I prefer a quill that you don't have to take the controls off to remove the bars, real PITA. I'll add some shiny's & black paint to finish the front of the bike then move on to complete the hand change lever.

I'll also convert the coaster brake to disc & install a 30 tooth sprocket to replace the 54 tooth that actually makes third my best first gear, though I use second to start out it's actually too low a ratio as well. I have a 44 tooth on the Harley & second is just right for use as first, so it will need a sprocket change at some point too.

All these changes are necessary to prepare the Copper Gator for outfitting as a sidecar, but also benefit the bike as a solo ride. I also like the look but it sure not going to please some, but I doubt the last set of forks pleased the hard core either. Rick C.

[pd]

"You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time."

Abraham Lincoln

Who do you build these bikes for , anyway ?

Pete .

[ndian22]

I'm completely self absorbed Pete, though not totally unaware.

[pd]

It could be that creativity requires as much .

Pete .

[oil-lamp]

Ok the caliper is for the front wheel. What kind of brakes do you have for the rear? 

[ndian22]

I'll use the same type 160 mm Avid rotor and caliper that I'm running up front on the rear as well. The rear is currently a coaster & not a lot of help of course. I'll machine a hub adapter to mount the rotor on the pedal sprocket side of the wheel. I built an adapter like this for the V twin soft tail project I'm currently working on as well. The side car I have in mind will also use the same type brake on the car wheel. I've used this front 160mm Avid brake on both the the Simplex (170 lbs.) and six of the last seven motorized bikes I've built and they have performed well. All of these bikes run the old coaster style bicycle hubs on the rear, which on the lighter bikes actually stop quit well at town speeds without using the front brakes, but the added 100 lbs. of the Simplex & my Harley Peashooter require the use of a front brake as well. The Simplex is running 2.5" tire on front and a 3" on the rear, both on 26" rims so I have a pretty good size tire patch to utilize the added braking power of the little Avid's front and rear on the Simplex, but the tires couldn't utilized much more braking than these. 

I have a dual pull brake lever for the front & rear brakes & I'll mount a foot lever on the car frame to operate the "rig" brake when the hack is attached.

All three brakes are mechanical.  Rick C. 

[ndian22]

The rear caliper, rotor & adapter for disc braking on the Simplex Copper gator. The rotor is 160 mm & the sprocket a 27 tooth. This fits inside the drops & replaces the coaster brake and a 54 tooth sprocket. The diminutive sprocket is the largest size that can be used with the 160 mm disc setup & the caliper only just clears the chain as it is.

There is quite a bit involved in getting everything to fit and work together, mainly final setup and fitting with a given bike frame/wheel & tire combination. Even though I scratch built the frame for my bike, increasing the height & length, the frame width is close to the Simplex original. This particular brake conversion would be much easier with another 1" between the drops. I've been thinking about a change to a Maxxis rear tire 2.4" x 26" replacing the 3" x 26", but haven't ordered yet. This change would decrease rear tire height from 28" to 26" and really add to the frame and tire clearance for the twin chain lines. I clear without rub, but extra space would be nice. Lowering the rear & adding the more aggressive tread pattern would also change the stance to dirt or sprint bike look I prefer.   Rick C.

 

[pd]

That's a pretty tight setup , Rick .

I'm sure you thought about using a larger rotor .
In any case , the chain lube will have to be some real sticky stuff to stay off the braking surface .

But , it looks good , so far .

Pete .

[ndian22]

I've got a 200 mm rotor as well that would work & yield another 3/4" of chain clearance. I also can option the rear brake setup to the opposite side of the bike (like I'm doing on my V twin build) & that makes a lot of sense, since that pedal chain is seldom employed, if ever, and can be run with dry lube. I do have options on this.

I'm working on changes to multiple bikes this Spring and one change is leading to others, 'kinda fun, but not posting much along the way as some of my modifications have already been changed & that is difficult to follow along with. I'm taking photos that I'll post when I'm certain that change is what works for me...especially with the Simplex Copper gator.

The girder leaf spring is working great, but still needs paint before I post photos.  Rick C.