Misc: Everything Else Standard Comet Special

Little Honda

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Non-VOC Member
When you say standard stroke, are you going to use a crank from Terry or the factory one you have in the photo?
For my brakes, wheels and forks, I'm tempted to use the internal disc CBX550 stuff that has been sitting in my "someday I'll use that" pile since the early 80's. I have a lay down Norton box, but for the sake of oil retention, I think I will try and find a Commando box as well. I shouldn't even be thinking about it at this point. Must try and stay on track... spent some quality time with my favourite bastard file today. Fitting the rear fender flap.
Nice and complex, too heavy.
 

Oldhaven

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VOC Member
When I built the first frames, I designed the spin-on filter to sit under the tank. I first used the original US Egli tank because that is what I had.
Like many of the Vincent tanks this one is designed to be well forward, so it hides the filter. The tank mounts through the top of the tank with a single bolt like the original Egli tank. It rests on 1/2" thick foam on the tunnel.

I took some liberties with David's UFM design. My Egli tank was made for a wet sump motorcycle and did not have the cutaway or slot in the front for the large diameter oil filler tube.
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I moved the oil filler as far forward as possible, reduced it to 1 1/4 OD, and angled it back. The Norton 961's use this location. This move allows a tank not specifically designed for an Egli Vincent type UFM to be used. My tank is more like the Fritz Peier type at the front. This scheme worked out well since I could not have moved the tank any further forward as the handlebars would hit it at full lock. What is missing is the forward ears or nose that make the Vincent Egli banana or long range tanks so distinctive, though the dropped tail of the tank with knee cutaways is also a distinctive Egli feature.

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In the original location I added a low profile bung which fits below the neoprene padding to serve as a cleanout, though David provides another nice one at the back of the UFM.

The aluminum arch with 1/4" neoprene above and below it also adds a location to secure the front of the tank with a hold down strap, since my tank did not have the through hole for the Egli UFM bolt David mentions.

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davidd

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I do like the Norton styling very much. I particularly like the knee cutaways in the tank. I would have stayed away from the seat only because of the seat tubes, which would have made my head hurt. However, I think the seat looks great, also.

Fuel tanks are always a bit of a pain to customize. Ron was smart to look for a modern Egli tank. I had hoped to build several different tanks, but when push came to shove, I did not have enough time to hammer them all out. The stock Egli tank in aluminum started to look pretty good and I could piggy back on the small demand that existed for bikes that had fiberglass tanks and needed aluminum tanks. Tom Hill, an Egli owner in Georgia, had Dave Ashenbrenner in Florida copy his US Egli tank in aluminum and I called Dave and ordered several more. I recently drove over to Dave's with an engine and a new frame to allow him to fit a new tank to a real bike rather than copying the original tank. I wanted a tank with a bigger carb cut out underneath the tank and a better fit to the mono-shock frame (it fit the twin shock frame well.)

The frame was designed for a more modern fork. Ron was able to find bearings to run a more traditional fork.
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I wanted something easy to find, with good handling and lots of aftermarket support, so I chose the stock GSXR. By choosing one fork I could design steering stops and an original steering damper to work. These items are often overlooked on Eglis.

David
 

Oldhaven

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I did the tube bending with a 1" Holsclaw HandyTube Bender. It is one of those nice old tools that don't seem to be available any more, though they do come up on ebay occasionally. I bought 3 of them (1", 3/4" and 1/2"), years ago, but A.L. Frederick must be out of business now. Well worth having if you want to do controlled bends more accurately than using an electricians conduit hickey or taking up space with one of the floor model benders. This one handled the 1" .058 wall steel tubing in the seat support easily without any heating. It is possible to make a bending template using the center spindle and the bend radius to lay out complicated bends on a plywood base. That was how I made the multiple accurate bends in aluminum tubing for my boat frames. It might prove useful for motorcycle frame builders

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Cyborg

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Nice and complex, too heavy.

Agreed they are heavy and a single disc setup would have been adequate, but the looks (more like a drum brake) IMHO seem more at home sitting in front of a Vincent engine. I could, if it bothered me, replace the ventilated cast iron rotors with something lighter. People often comment on the complexity and the time it takes to change pads, but relative to relining the brakes on the B twin, its a cakewalk.
 
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Cyborg

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Didn't know those tube benders existed. They look slick and I certainly could have used one of those instead of scaring the willies out of the neighbours with a rosebud screaming away on the oxy propane setup.
 

Oldhaven

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Just an update and placeholder. As I mentioned might happen, our house sold and my shop and most of the tools I need are in storage until the new place is ready in November. I did move the project up to our place in north central Maine, but I don't expect to get much done on it.

Ron
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Bill Thomas

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Having done the same as you, Put it together, Without the Flywheels, I don't want to take it apart !,
Mine is made a lot with old bits from different Bikes I have Raced,
Lots of Memories, Just love looking at it, Whose a silly old sod.
Good Luck, Bill.
 

Oldhaven

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They are pretty things to look at, which is why lots of Vincents are never ridden. I have no doubt your special Comet will see lots of miles soon.
Doing a custom Comet like yours or mine involves a lot of staring, thinking, fitting, and the use luck of the draw parts, and it comes together in your mind well before it sees the sun. I don't feel guilty about time spent daydreaming.
The result of all that is something almost entirely unique and your own, even when starting with the same basic parts, which is the reason for the tongue in cheek title of this thread. Besides, what else are you going to do with an orphaned Comet engine?
 
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