Aermacchi Mockup - Putting together my next race bike - with Paul Brodie
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 5. 03. 2021
- Building an Aermacchi race bike is like working on a giant puzzle. I'm finding that parts that were readily available 20 years ago are getting very hard to find. đ€đ
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#motorcycle #racebike #aermacchi #fussyframebuilder
HAHA. You said it right! Setting those loose ball bearings in the cup with grease DOES bring back memories.
That headset part, flashbacks. Only way to stop indexed steering.
~18:40..., bringing back memories..., oh yeah. Just about all of it. Dedicated "motorsickle" mechanic from 1963 through 1979 with a smattering beyond. I'm 80 now.
Still riding?
@@paulbrodie Yes, some. My daughter bought a Chinese dual purpose bike and I keep it at my home, ride it whenever I get the notion. I assembled it a couple years ago, was shipped to my home direct, much like setting up so many I put together new for dealers back in the day.
So awesome to see you working on the motorcycle! your work is top notch Paul.......And Mitch is doing a great job editing/filming.
To quote the cool kids "You are living your best life" Good for you Paul. This one brought back memories of an old friend who's passion was restoring Bultaco Road racers
MĂĄster!
Very satisfying. Thank you for sharing. Yes, popping ball bearings into a race full of grease is indeed a very old school experience these days. Taper bearings do improve most bikes though.
If I recall, the Rickman Metisse bikes had those back in the mid '60s. I rode the Bultaco made version, I think it had the tapered bearings as well.
Excellent!! đ
Hi Paul, I have been into bikes for 33 years but never heard of a Aermacchi before coming across this video.
I have got to admit that Iâm incredibly impressed with what you have going on here, the aesthetics of the bike so far are amazing.
Looks like Iâm going to be doing some research on Aermacchi now and I thank you for introducing something new to me. đđ»
Shaun, if you didn't know, Harley owned 1/2 of Aermacchi and from 1960 to 1974 they were made in Italy and re-badged to be sold in North America as Harley Sprints..
@@paulbrodie Hi Paul, I honestly had know clue who they were but itâs definitely one worth finding out more about for me. đ
Art meets engineering once again, I love the calm methodical approach. Signs of a very well trained engineer and someone who loves their work. It will be a cracking bike when itâs finished.
I'm a self taught engineer, never did get a P.eng. Thanks for watching!
Thank you once more. My passion for two wheels without an engine could very easily expand to include an engine! Love your pleasure in precision and quality. Sharing your work and passion does just that,gives the viewer an opportunity to have that experience through your hands.
Felix, thanks for watching!
Paul, you don't realize how happy it makes us feel when you make a mistake.
Thank You đđ
Really enjoyed this. Nothing better than putting together a race bike.
Some great craftsmanship going on Paul! Keep these racebike videos coming guys... cheers, Doug
Fantastic frame work.
Great Aermacchi.
Love the bike.
Used to know some spacialist from Holland!
Thanks Paul. Great stuff as always. :)
Fantastic! I am looking forward to the engine build.
Wow beautiful bike! I remember loose balls on bicycles and rounding the number of them down like that from the 1980s. Cages did exist but we viewed them with concern.
That's a bit of history I did not know. Thanks for watching!
Keep up the great work and loving the motorcycle content!!
I'm back for my 3rd viewing. Gets better every time! Thanks Paul.
Thank you Dave!
Excellent work Paul.. I did a complete restoration of my dads 68 250ss in 2020 and now working on an 72 350sx scrambler build.. Iâm not a road racer but do enjoy the Aermacchiâs. Btw. I do find it easier when mounting a new tire, install the tube in the tire first. Much easier to align and fit the valve stem to the rim.
Yes, someone else mentioned that too. I was just doing what my father showed me years ago.
You run a greater chance at pinching the tube that way.
When I first started going to racing in England they are a Mackeys all The thing then the Japanese came in such a shame such a pretty little bike still Got fond memories of them enjoy your program Michael
Yes the Yamaha 2 strokes really did change the racing landscape!
love how careful you work :-)
Wow just wow
loving it already ,,
Paul, if you google hook wrench you get a lot of new to buy results. A few of the adjustable ones covers your expected lifetime. Just in case you or someone else is searching for these. They're quite easy to build yourself using a hardened pin to catch grooves or holes (better looking nuts). Thank you, just can get enough, best, Job
this may sound silly but it is kind of relief watching these videos
Thanks for watching!
I've always wanted to do an Aermacchi. I gotta finish the projects I'm doing before attempting this but I just got the shop of my dreams and that's a starter. Fantastic choice of projects!
Aermacchi are great projects. I just had a call from a guy in Victoria, BC: he wants to sell three 250 Aermacchis with a lift stand as a lot. $3500 plus parts too. Congrats on getting your dream shop :)
I like these clean and artistic taste works! I found your chanel yesterday by chance and I have already saw about five videos so far! Greetings from Greece!
Hello Greece! Many viewers have found our videos by "chance", but I believe there is a reason. Thanks for watching!
This thing is going to be great
Ugh, I just love your work and appreciate this channel. Thanks for the motorcycle content!!
Thanks for watching!
My âCâ wrench says âRock Ringâ proving the Japanese do have a sense of humor. Really enjoy your content. Good skills and technique as well as excellent communication.
đđŒ
Thank you.
Good job
18:30 only have to be 38 to remember headsets like this đ€Ł
I miss overhauls like this.
Thank you teacher with you we learn tricks like this barrel
I really enjoy your videos!
A pleasure to watch ..
Thank you.
My âCâ wrench says âRock Ringâ proving the Japanese do have a sense of humor. Really enjoy your content. Good skills and technique as well as excellent communication and production qualityđđŒ
Thank you for watching :)
Great series. Betor.
Yes, Betor. I knew how to spell it all along, but it came out of my mouth wrong, and we only realized it after the video was published. Thanks for watching!
Wow, das wird ein wunderschönes Motorrad đ
Yip ! I'm old enough to remember fitting loose ball bearings....come to mention it I'm still doing it! Hoarding old bikes has it's pleasures đ
Excellent!
I'm just shy of 21 and deal with loose ball bearings quite often, owning old stuff has it's benefits and downsidesđ Greetings from Finland.
Hello Finland :) Thanks for watching!
I do the same, I work the tires on my trash can bin đ
Gonna save watching this when I get home and to the couch and crack a beer.
It looks like you've made a great job of building your Aermacchi frame. In the UK the Rickman Brothers made a Metisse frame for those engines which was quite successfully used not only in National races but also GP's.
Yes, I've seen pictures of the Rickman frames. That company had a very good reputation.
Was watching your mock-up video and thought your history was off a little bit, but then I realized that you were road racing! History is a little different from dirt track! I had a Harley sprint racer 1968.
Headstock bearings, I remember that kind of stuffđđ. I also remember them dropping out of the grease at the critical moment. Do you remember the Francis Beart 350 a work of lightness.
Had the same problems with my sprint bearings falling out when reinstalling. Learned to put the bearings and grease in the freezer over night to thicken it up then install. Turns into a thick paste but have to work fast.
Yes I do remember. I still have all my Aermacchi books, notes, and info that I have saved over the years. Some people get very passionate about Aermacchis, which I think is great!
Being 67 I am no stranger to loose balls. (Damn, I accidentally made a joke! After being so careful not to warn you that Frodo brake linings are Hobbit forming)! They used to say about Bonnevilles that they looked like they were going at 100mph standing still. The same could be said of this. It looks like it wants to get going. Loving it. Thanks, Paul.
Thank you Bill. We are almost the same age!
Awesome work Paul, I an so inspired by your craftmanship. Cheers! from a fellow British Columbian!
Thank you Doc :)
Space for 1 ball, and always an odd number of balls, and usually a prime number, seems to be the rule.....
I don't know how stressed those triangular engine mounting plates are but they'd look good with some lightening holes drilled in them or cut-outs taking out some of the material in the center.
Yes, I will add some lightness. The right side gets completely redone so that the carb can poke out.
A friend of mine owns an Aermacchi 350SS and IÂŽve raced him many a time with my Ducati 350 Desmo, surprizing haw fast that Pushrod Engine is, even with the superior Engine Design of the Ducati itÂŽs hard to catch him.
Yes, Aermacchis can be quite fast. My 350 racer had 35 rear wheel HP and weighed 230 lbs. It was a LOT of fun chasing the slower 750's on the track. Thanks for watching!
In 1962, a local racer bought an H-D Sprint "R" (the road racing model) and modified it for scrambles and TT racing. Nothing could touch him for horsepower. I was given a new, bone stock CL-72 Honda to race a TT scrambles set on a half mile fairgrounds course and chased him for the entire race. I got a well earned second place but he could just pull away at will on the oval.
50 or 60 jears old, to remember those kind of bearings, that was a pretty good guess.
I am 76, by the way, I had almost forgotten about them.
Congratulations on making it to 76!
@@paulbrodie Thanks, I am still kicking ! I still use my motorsickle every day, at least in the summertime. Time flies, when you are having fun, so watch out, a 67 can turn to a 76 in no time, ha, ha.
Hope weâre going to see some speed holes in those engine plates đ
I see a metal plate welded on the side of the headstock, looks like it has something stamped on it.
I that an ID plate?
Those Betor triple clamps are very pretty, after youâve modified them.
All your parts are pretty. That backing plate you made for the rear wheel is a stunner.
When you dropped that big chunk of aluminum on the bench, I wasnât sure what you were going to end up with.
But you kept carving away at it until you ended up with a very nice piece.
Have you ever thought of finishing the frame and other painted pieces with a clearcoat?
That would turn some heads in the paddock.
Letâs be careful out there.
That's the serial number on the head tube. When I started making the backing plate, I didn't know what it would look like either. I like making things that way. That would never happen with a CNC mill. You have to know every detail before you begin. I think my way is more "organic". Thanks for watching!
Very much enjoying the intricacies of your craftsmanship and attention to detail. Where can you purchase your book, Paul Brodie - the Man behind Brodie Bikes? Thanks for the excellent content.
Send me an email and I can set you up with a signed copy, thanks.
i continue to be amazed at your craftsmanship and attention to detail! one thing I been thinking about and wondering, I know you have spent a great deal of effort, on weight saving, with the machining of parts to cut the weight of lots of them well I was wondering how much weight to you think you will cut off the entire bike? I have worked on dirt late model race cars here in the southern US for 45 years and I know some of the lengths we have gone to cut weight, so I was just wondering.. and again, I love your work and I spend lots of time going back and watching you work... thank you sir for the videos! oh and your camera man has a pretty cool name! haha!
Mitch is a good name! My last Aermacchi race bike (stolen..) weighed 221 lbs. That was with the weight savings. It did have a titanium rear axle. My first Aermacchi race bike weighed about 245 lbs, so you can draw your own conclusions. I really like light bikes. They just do everything better. Thanks for watching!
CĂĄm ÆĄn BĂĄc chia sáș», quĂĄ tuyá»t vá»i
I think you do really great work and your skill is spot on. I wonder why the name Aermacchi, I found it started off by having to do with and Italian aircraft company and then some manufacturing of Harleys but I wondered why your using the name ? Thanks for some very interesting videos.
I'm using the Aermacchi name because the engine in this project was made at the Aermacchi factory in Italy, then sold in North America as a Harley Sprint. I'm not a big fan of most Harleys, but I really like the 350 Sprints, especially if they are road racers. From 1999 to 2005 I ran Aermacchi Northwest Inc., my company that specialized in manufacturing and selling Aermacchi race parts. To promote the company I raced my Aermacchi 350 up and down the West Coast. Now does it all make sense? Thanks for watching!
Very cool video, I have a 1972 ss 350 I'd like to get rid of lol
Somebody has to buy it! And prices have gone up..
Great video! How about a quick look at Ruby 2.0 back there?
Yes, we will be looking at Ruby Racer in due time. Please be patient. Thanks for watching!
Your videos are great .. Where can I get one of the fiberglass gas tank shells ?
Try "Glass from the Past", Portland Oregon I believe.
love the "bike stuff" i raced as well on a 600cc . vintage guys always impress me. You ever ride a modern bike like a 600cc , sv650, 90s plus ducati, or a 1000cc maybe?
I have a yellow 996 with a BMW badge on the rear fender. You can see it in the videos. So, yes, that is my street bike. Thanks for watching!
@@paulbrodie loved the bit on the lathe when you did a pad skim w/ a brand new shoe(pad lol) always wondered how a true machinist would set up a drum brake.
@@pfhenryIII That's how I do it, others might have a different setup..
Awesome content as usual. Do you âreconditionâ the drum side at all? I have some hot rod brakes to âarcâ but a friend has the machine for that. Wondering about doing my bike brakes on my lathe. Never knew they needed to be arcâd. If I do this, do my drums need to be addressed?
Thanks in advance. Sorry about the peacock. Love the background competition an many of the videos.
I would only turn the drum if it was worn and not smooth anymore. When I'm looking for used parts, like hubs for example, I'm always happy when I find one that has hardly been used, not something that is almost worn out..
Good
Always a pleasure your videos.
Can I ask why this frame is welded and not brazed?
Thank you.
Thank you. Tig welding this frame is so much easier. I can do it myself. Brazing would take a lot of pre-heating and then I would have to have someone help me by turning the frame so the brazing puddle could stay horizontal. Way too much work.
@@paulbrodie I see. Thanks for your kind answer đ
I liked how well made relativity was levered in.
You can thank your nation's beloved CCM for caged bearings in headsets, bottom brackets, hubs etc. CCM said it was to make assembly and maintenance easier, but the rest of the world will acknowledge it was to cut costs, as is typical with those large brands.
we had one of the harley 2 stokes in the shop that Walter Villa and Franco Uncini rode, my employer made the frames for those bikes that they used in 1977
Yes, Walter Villa was the man to beat back in the day.
@@paulbrodie uncini's father actually asked nico to build a frame for the harley, wich the team actually didnt like, but in assen he was faster than villa, and after that villa wanted a new frame as wel
@@glenroald17 So cool to learn a little bit of the history!
Had the 2 stroke on a dyno in Glendale in the 70's, could not get more then 50 hp out of it with many carb changes and a dozen different Bob Bailey expansion chambers.
The TZ250's were getting more then 70.
@@johnyoung7794 i thought the 350's were more succesfull, i know one resides in germany, together with an h2r if I remember correctly. I think about 2 years ago we made a new fuel tank for the bike, as well as one for the h2r, something about leaking glassfiber tanksđ€Šââïž
Nice videos.... what is it about the Aeromacchi that attracts you to them? Speed? Style? Uniqueness?
Thank you. Aermacchis (no "o") are Italian, single, stylish, unique, and can be quite fast with the right combination of race parts.
Are you putting gold valves in those forks? I put some on a bike and it was a night and day difference. It's about the best thing you can do for oldschool forks that have about all the complexity of a screen door closer
If they're ok in your class.
Not all allow "modern suspension" like gold valves or reservoir shocks.
Those aren't in the Spirit of Vintage racing! I have learnt how to shorten and modify the Better forks for road racing, so that is going to happen. Just waiting for the nicer fork tubes to show up.
Muito bom !
The only tip I think I could ever give you, but machine off the ends of your metal ruler đ so that the measurement start hard up to the machined edge
In High School we had a really sharp metal shear. One of the students cut exactly 1/8" off the ends of about 5 or 6 steel rulers. When other students did their class projects, a sheet metal box, every dimension was 1/8" too short. The teacher wasn't very happy about this.
@@paulbrodie that is actually very funny ... well not if you were the students that is
Just in case I need to put an old tire on a rim what temperature and got how long.? Ya thatâs not going to happen while I am still married. Another super video thanks.
Thank you Dave. 130 degrees F for 35 minutes :)
ĐČДлОĐșĐŸĐ»Đ”ĐżĐœĐ°Ń ŃĐ°Đ±ĐŸŃĐ°
Seem to run pretty high spindle speeds for most of your operations. You obviously make it work. I can't do that though. Running that tap at the same speed you did for everything else... yeah I can't do that.
I don't think my spindle speeds are excessive. I use spiral point taps; they let me do things I couldn't do with a "regular" machine tap. On the lathe I really do have to snap the hand chuck open at the right time so it doesn't go too deep. Thanks for watching!
Paul, I'm curious to hear how your earlier Aermacchi got stolen. I'm currently tinkering with two "66 Sprint H...one street and one race.
I was coming back from a race at Sears Point, and we stayed in a motel in Brookings, OR. My van with everything in it disappeared that night.
Hi Paul, love your videos, you leave a gap in the ball race, for what reason ????.
Thanks David. The balls need space so they can rotate, and if I were to put that last ball in the space would be full and they would all be crowding each other and the headset would no longer turn freely. Make sense?
@@paulbrodie Thanks Paul, will keep watching. Stay well, and have a great Christmas.
Did you make the front brake operating arms or are they 'works Honda' pattern?
Interesting as I don't remember seeing those before. I know it's not stock CB450? Any details of the brake plate mods?
Yes I made the brake arms. If the watch the (3) Aermacchi front brake videos it's all in there.
@@paulbrodie I'm going to find them. Thanks
You don't use hockey tape like the bike shop?
I never liked hockey tape because it got so sticky and held sand in the rim.
I also remember battling with some tires in the shop, Hook Worms on some rims were nearly impossible to install.
I use hockey tape on the levers on my trials bike. That way, my fingers don't get so cold in the winter.
I hate to admit to getting a frisson of horror about packing individual ball races with loose bearings (headsets and wheels). I have no nostalgia for those times!
Regarding the Aermacchi frame, was this the same design as your previous racer? Were the handling characteristics solid? I like the looks of this frame and the use of the engine as a supporting element.
Yes, same design. I built both frames back in 2001. Handling was very good. Nothing weird.
@@paulbrodie Thanks for the info.
@@lorimcquinn3966 Most welcome :)
Very neat .do you originate from the uk
Thank you. Born in Sussex, lived in Southampton, next to the Undertaker, across from the bus station. Thanks for watching!
Re: talcum powder for the tube-
I prefer Goldâs Medicated Foot Powder.
That will probably work too!
Paul did you make that frame? I noticed a S/N stamped on the head tube...?
Jim, yes I made that frame in 2001. I was making a frame for my road racer, and figured that while I was at it, might as well make a spare. So, two frames. One frame got raced, and the other sat on a shelf for 20 years. My Aermacchi road racer got stolen in 2005, so now I'm replacing it.
Yes, I put a serial # on the head tube to make it official :)
Seeing you with your knee, elbow and both hands involved in getting the tyre on the rim, it looks like you'd be better off training an octopus to fit tyres. Then you can just drop the rim and tyre in their tank, then fish the completed wheel out 30 seconds later.
I only have peacocks as pets, no octopi, sorry :)
Would really look cool with an alloy tank Paul,just saying đ
I am going to make a small alloy gas tank, but it will be hidden under the fiberglas shell.
I only remember all the balls falling out of old bikes. Replaced with cartridge bearings.
Hi Paul,
What are you going to use for twin shocks? I'm thinking Hagons for my Aermacchi flat track project.
Good question Steve. I had planned on Works Performance, but I just found out that the owner died and the shop closed in 2017! Bummer. So, right now I am unsure. I want something nice :)
@@paulbrodie It's tough. There are cheap Chinese alternatives, but I think Hagons look like the choice for vintage applications.
@@steveyoung5520 I certainly don't want the cheap alternatives. I like high end shocks.
@@paulbrodie Ikon are Koni knockoffs that seem just as good as the old 7610.
@@jimurrata6785 I will check, thanks.
You can go tubeless on spoked wheels like this. Use gorilla tape on the inside of the rim and you wonât have leaks. The guys racing motards do this all the time.
Well, that would save a little bit of weight... But not really in the Spirit of Vintage.
@@paulbrodie youâve got a point.
No taper roller bearings for the head stock?
I did that on Ruby Racer, but for the Aermacchi the stock ball bearing races work fine. Never had any issues at the track, and the stock set has a certain "look" that I like.
@@paulbrodie Since I'm building a frame for my flat track project, I thought I would go with tapered roller bearings. All Balls makes a tapered bearing set that fits the Sprint steering tube, so I'm building my steering head around that.
@@steveyoung5520 Tapered roller bearings are a nice touch.
What is anti-seize ? Grafite ?
I don't know the formula. It may have some graphite in it, not sure. It coats the threads, and helps to prevent seizing. Good stuff!
Loving the videos. Do you live on the same property as the shop?
Yes, I "commute" to my shop in the morning holding my coffee :)
@@paulbrodie I'm unsure if you are an accomplished bike builder that is great at machining, or an accomplished machinist that is great at bike building. Either way, keep the videos coming. I think I'm on round 3 of watching all of them! Tell Mitch, "BRAVO"!!
@@daveanderson2316 I'm unsure as well. And now we've switched to motorcycles... I just like #makingstuff, and Mitch and I are still having fun with this project. Thanks for watching!
@@paulbrodie I'm sure it is already in the works, but I would love to see more of the "69er". I was big into bmx bikes in the late 70s early 80s. P.K. Ripper, Hutch, Haro, Robinson, Redline - I loved them all. Nothing like Tuff wheels and 3 piece cranks. The good old days!
@@daveanderson2316 It's hardly in the works, but Mitch and I have talked about one day doing an overview of the 69er. But, we just switched to motorcycles for a while, so you will need to be patient...
The old six day riders stopped took out the wheel pulled out the inner tube . Put it all back together against the clock. Strong fingers. Removing fifty years old scrambles tyres hhhmmmm.
Yes, they were real men, that's for sure...
Are you familiar with Jeff Cole from C and J Racing Frames?
I am not familiar, sorry.
Again... Now i would say i like to place some baby powder in the tire so....... kkk
18:45 tranquillo io ne ho 40 e me lo ricordo bene una sfera in meno una volta riempita la calotta! đ đ sono tra i diversamente giovani ...
Thank you for watching :)
thanks to you !đđ
Unfortunately not from Spain!
But, I'm using Betor forks and a Spanish Amal carb!
Ex tyre fitter hand cleaner damages tyres your better using tyre lube
You might be right, but in all the years of using hand cleaner I have never seen any bad effects.