IronWorks, The Journal for Harley Enthusiasts, BIKERNET.COM and Darwin Motorcycles, the manufacturer of Brass Balls Bobbers, have teamed up to giveaway a Digger motorcycle. Help us build the Bobber Giveaway motorcycle.
YOU DETERMINE THE IRONWORKS/BRASS BALLS BOBBERS GIVEAWAY BIKE
Your selection of components will determine what gets built for the Enter to win the Digger by selecting the components on the Brass Balls site (just click on the banner below) and enter your e-mail address. Once the voting is completed we will build the bike based on the winning number of votes for each component. Then IronWorks will draw the winner at the 2009 Daytona Bike Week. Watch the pages of IronWorks and here on BIKERNET.COM to see the motorcycle build.
You can’t officially begin a bike project until you’ve got a place to hang all the bits and pieces. That, of course, means you must start with a frame. Part 1 of our giveaway project bike begins in the Brass Balls frame shop. Like all of Brass Balls Bobbers’ frames, this essential foundation is made of hand-bent tubing hand-fitted and hand-welded by a race experienced team. In fact, BBB’s frame production is managed by Sam Wills, a 3-time world champion in Top Fuel drag racing. Sam built race bikes and street bikes for 30 years, so he knows a thing or three about frame geometry and material selection. The accompanying photos and captions explain how each frame—in this case our giveaway bike’s frame—is made.
Brass Balls CNC-machines all motor mounts, tranny plates, axle mounts and steering heads. All material used is either cold-finished flat stock or tubing. All tubes are precisely measured and bent by hand.
All frame tubes are made of high-content carbon (for stronger welds) 1026 DOM (drawn over mandrel) mild steel with .156” wall thickness. The backbone is 1-1/2” diameter, all other tubing is 1”.
The frame tubes are notched so the rear axle plates seat inside the tube before it is welded on both sides. This gives the frame greater strength, especially at the rigid tail section where torque is felt most.
To assure accuracy and straightness, the crew at Brass Balls Bobbers precisely measure all the dimensions, including the axle plates as shown here.
Welding the steering head is a critical step because correct steering geometry is so important to a bike’s handling performance. All parts are TIG welded by hand to assure complete heat penetration for strength.
We want you to be able to register and insure your bike, so like all Brass Balls bikes, this one will come with a vehicle identification number (VIN), which is stamped into the frame.
We always appreciate quality workmanship. Here we get a close-up look at the weld joints of our giveaway bike. If there’s ever a case for “no paint,” this is it!
This is just the first lively installment. Over the coming months we will cover every component incorporated into Brass Balls Bobbers, every element, every construction nuance and every Brass Balls assembly secret. Watch for another installment next week. If you're not familiar with Brass Balls Bobber by Dar Holdsworth and Sam Wills, check their site or click on the next page to see the new models.
BRASS BALLS MODELS
Each one of their bikes is hand built in their shop to detailed specifications. “Our no excuses quality control ensures your bike is safe and is a vision of your rolling identity,” said Dar, the boss. “A bike is a representation of the person who owns it. Don't cut corners on your build. Be bold, be unique, and be you, damnit.”
DIGGER BOBBER
Stripped down to the nitty gritty, the Digger expresses its bad boy styling with a solo seat and hard tail mechanicals that places the rider just 24 inches above the tarmac. Bobbed front and rear fenders expose high-performance donuts. The old-school look is alive and well with a three muscular engines to choose from including the Harley-Davidson(R) EVO, S&S(R) Shovelhead motor, or the unique Crazy Horse V-Plus 100″ motor, (re-engineered Indian(R) Power Plus,100).
Make no mistake; this is not the bike your neighbors or buddies have. It eats sleds at the local bike hangouts and poker runs for lunch.
CLASSIC BOBBER
New for 2008 is the wide stance Bobber that sports a retro fat front tire, larger gas tank, fish-tail exhaust and foot boards. It¹s designed for that old-school rider to cruise the bar and make a statement while they are doing it.
Enthusiasts can select from three power plants including the Harley-Davidson(R) EVO, S&S(R) Shovelhead motor, or the unique Crazy Horse V-Plus 100″ motor, (re-engineered Indian(R) Power Plus, 100). Rear tire choices range from 130 mm to 200 mm. Seat height clears that deck at a low 25 inches from the asphalt.
RETRO CHOPPER
The in-house award-winning designs are carried over to the Chopper platform, which includes hand built custom features and a choice of an Harley-Davidson 80″ EVO, (a standard in reliability), a S&S 93″ Shovel Generator motor (the epitome of nostalgia) or the unique Crazy Horse V-Plus 100″ motor, (re-engineered Indian(R) Power Plus 100).
Every Chopper is built in our shop to your detailed specifications. This is a Brass Balls Chopper with soul. It has plenty of power, turns well and stops in a heart beat. Rear tire choices range from 130 mm to 200 mm rear tire.
Gimme Nitro
OK, this bike has nothing at all to do with the bike you might win, but it sure is cool! This is Sam Wills' new Top Fuel drag bike. After a brief hiatus from the sport, Sam is returning to the world of Top Fuel racing, and he intends to shake the establishment with this bike when he debuts it this summer. He calculates engine power at about 1,500 hp. For the record, many of the same frame building techniques applied to this bike can be found in our Brass Balls giveaway bike chassis.
