It's all about choice, and these days we have more to choose from than ever before.Some truly talented people are creating original, mind blowing frame products. Aaron Green's Softrigid, Roger Goldammer's BTR3 frame that's now available in a production rigid (cheers from #4)and Maximum Metal works are just a few that really stand out in the crowd.
And then of course, another of my personal favorites and not just because I designed it…the Empire right side drive frame for large tire sizes.
The motor and transmission mount in the stock location and with use of a Baker right side drive transmission a 230 up to 280mm tire can be run and with a Baker off-set pulley or sprocket in the appropriate widths so a 300 to 360mm can also be used. Ofcourse we do widen the swing arm according to tire preference but not the frames seat side rails, the maximum outside width of 11.5 inches provides a narrower than usual seat area.
An integral type neck with machined in fork stop tang is cool but if the tang is damaged in anyway it can be a nightmare attempting repair and replacement means cutting out the neck so with that in mind We choose to run a cup type neck and supply a polished and heat treated 17 4 ph cup set with internal fork stops. The lower cup is easily replaceable in the unlikely event of damage to the fork stop tang. We also include polished stainless paint savers that press into a machined relief on the inside of the swingarm's axle plates to protect valuable paint or chrome from being damaged by wheel spacers.
I suppose we could have designed the frame to be both left and right side final drive and by the time your reading this someone else may have done just that, but in my opinion for the 280mm and larger tires running a left side final drive just doesn't cut it. It requires either a Jack Shaft (not that there's anything wrong with that) or one hell of an off-set in the transmission and/or extended main shaft and main drive gear.
I'll stick with Bert's Transmission thanks.
The Double Barrel frame was still trying to come to life on our development table when Joe Pinette Jr.owner of Fat Cat cycles in Bristol, Connecticut dropped in to check out our wide tire swing arms for stock bikes and was the first to see the Double Barrel frame. By the time he went home it was agreed that the Fat Cats team would be building a bike using Empire frame number 001, “Thanks Joe. ”
The boys agreed to let me take pictures of them doin what they love,but some of the names may have been change to protect the guilty!
The ” Double O' 1-inch build went something like this…
A seat post-less frame has to do more than just look clean for showespecially with today's high out put motors providing the “GO”We used a doubled tube cross over for strength in this critical area of the frame.
Having jumped the fence from an unsatisfactory position myself …but that's another story.We all welcomed the chance to encourage his efforts.
Connection:
Empire Mfg.doublebarrel@bellnet.ca
