Hardtailin an '06 Sporty

Picked up this '06 rubber mount Sportster frame to get some measurement for future frame builds . This looks like a pretty strong frame . I am sure it was comfortable to ride and handled pretty sweet . Only one problem I can see . It's stock ! Not to pleasing on the eyes . Well , it's my frame now and I intend to play around with it . First order of BIDNESS is to dump that rear end . I'll just leave the neck where it is. Lower the ride height . Drop the seat low as low as it will go . Stretch her back a couple of inches.  WARNING...... If you do not wish to view the surgery on this frame , please turn your set off now. It's going to  get ugly before it gets better . I have no intention of hanging onto this frame once I finish the hardtailing it. You can watch how I do this one so you can do your own work on your own frame. Or this one will be up for grabs if its something you want to own . Going to start on this frame this coming week . This is just a side project so it may take a few days to get it cut up and put back together . Orders come first . If anyone has any questions or comments.  shoot them this way .  " If your coasting along, your going down hill " jg

Fresh out of the frame jig

Don't you just love watching other people work ? Sometimes ! . I say this cause this crazy frame wore me out. Teddy Nash came over to weld it up . Man knows how to get into his work. Glad to have a good hand when its needed. Thanks Teddy . This is a Sancho Frame offered by Taber and the crew at Nash Motorcycles.  This is the frame I was working on in my last post. It was a new frame for me as it gets a rubber mount sporty motor . Only it will be solid mount. Front motor mount is in but I didn't weld the rear in place yet. Had a real good measurement but no motor to double check. I usually build big twin evo frames and sporty's  up to rubber mount . Guess I build these now to. Haven't much to add to this right now. Got some other parts to work on . We don't just do the easy stuff . We like a challenge . Got a frame you want built. Give me a call and I may be able to give you just what you want . I prefer to use my replica wishbone frame castings , but it's not mandatory. Thanks for checkin in with Hardtail Choppers.  Remember , " If your coasting along, your going DOWN HILL " jg

Sunday morning Post -Making Something From Scratch

Good Morning Chopper Fans ! Haven't been to the site cause , I BEEN BIZZY . A pal of mine says, "if you try to do it all , you'll spend half your time looking for your tools " . Well I say this cause I am on uncharted territory with a rubber mount sporty project . Haven't done one of these yet and Nash needs a frame , so here I am. With all the different motors these days , there are a lot of different frames being offered . I am partial to the rigids so that's what this frame will be. Not sure what it will turn out like . Still have some work on the rear section. This is just to give you an idea how a frame goes together in my shop . The ride height is set at 4 " level. Going to move the axleplates back a couple more inches  . Real low seat . 30 degree neck rake . Motor will be rigid mount . Next post will have more images . Remember , "If your coasting along , your going downhill " . jg

Wednesday Evening Post

This is fun. A blog with cool people , bikes and parts . As you can see  I am relatively new at blogging. Its not so much about me as it is about bike parts and doing what you love. I have been working on my cast parts mostly. Adding anything that is needed . Been interesting lately. I am getting calls from all around the country . Guys wanting parts I have and some wanting parts I never thought about . Thanks for your input . I am adding all the time to the parts we carry . One man who is about to change the course of Hardtail Choppers is Tony Ford ( VL Tony ). My last posts have mentioned him and his re introduction of the Flxi sidecars . With the reintroduction of the tilting / leaning sidecar and wheel frames, Tony may just be onto something. I knowI want one  (Full Tilt Racer ) . We will be running updates on this blog about our progress . We welcome comments . Tell us what you think.  I am going to post an  e mail Tony asked me to post on his behalf. All words are Tonys and it's odd posting a cool post about yourself . Thank You Tony for your kind words. I am glad to be able to help you make this great project become a reality . jg

John if you like you can add this to you blog...

Im here waiting for things to cure so and so many things are going thru my mind these days....like this would been left in my box of SPECIAL goodies only for my eyes to view   from time to time just wondring what if.....well its no longer a what if  thanks to John Grant and Jim Calcagno and all the others I have already listed for all there efferts in making this reality for me...I have been told your Mr Flxi of today and some even call me the King of Flxi but to be honest all the people who I have meet in the recent years are...not me all im doing is letting people be aware of a SPECIAL  sidecar that was made years ago by Hugo H. Young and wishing it makes a great come back for all of us who missed out on them the first time around no matter what part of the globe your from....and to John Sharp the caretaker of the Flxi museum in Ohio to whom I just spoke to the other day...and to Dave Bailey son of Paul J. Bailey who worked for Hugo H. Young in the 20s. his job was to probate dealt with picture taking and writing promotional materials...     There will be a follow up on them on my website. 

Now this is about John Grant I have know this man for a very few months and I must say this...if you have never done business with him maybe you should...this man is a man of his word, takes care of business, rapid replys to your emails and is always open to new idea and so much more I can say about him  but you need to find out yourself...he is the real GEM by far and I have been in business off and on most my entire life and he is the rarest, most people and companies need to follow after him in there business  and his prices are fair and not gouging people like so many companies are doing these days just to make big profits he enjoys doing what he loves best like he says if your coasting along,your going down hill. 

I also told John im adding more sections on my website/sites like the following: History, Patents, Handling, Race tips, Flxi info, Frames, DIY images, DIY items, Notes, Projects (will replace bodies), Accessories, FAQ, Wanted, Events, Services, Bulletins im hoping this will cover are areas for ALL to enjoy and to find what they are looking for in this sport and for your projects and I myself will do my utmost to not let you all down...I do not know alot about the flxisidecars However, I know there are other out there that know lots more than me and if you wanna share your info,  photos or even your project in a step by step fashion I will be more than happy and honored to add it to my website and give you full credit for it and its FREE and I will review it before loading it up so all may enjoy.

PS..I have been so blessed to have meet all the people that I have listed in my website..and in Johns blog. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart there are not enough words to describe it.  

Thank you all so much

Tony Ford (vltony)  

Tomorrow I will post a new sporty rubber mount project i have in the works. 06 model. Will turn it rigid before your eyes. First one of those I have worked on . should be fun. Anyone looking for a rubber mount rigid frame for a sporty.

Sunday Morning Post

If a guy is going to have a blog . He should write as often as he can. In my case , I created this blog site and I still haven't done much with it. I show my parts . Talk a little bit about what's on my mind and sign off. I can't spend as much time at the computer as a tech savy blogger would . My shop keeps me dragging ass 24/7 . I am just trying to make some parts people want and need . With all the custom shops out there and all the catalogs to buy from , little shops like mine depend on you . We make all American parts right here at home. Frames , and frame castings are what we like to do best . We aren't trying to do it all . We just want to be the best at what we do.  If you like quality parts and fair prices , you can call me direct and we can talk . I am always looking for new parts to cast . Have an idea you think might be a hot seller , talk to me. I may be able to help you take an idea to a finished product in no time flat . Details can be worked out. I am not content to sit around and wait for something to happen . You will find me in my shop non stop , working to bring you products you can't find anywhere else. If you have questions or comments about my parts or one's you would like to make , contact me. If you have any old frame castings for sale or trade , let me know what you have and we might work something out .  I would like to say Thank You to all my Canadian customers that have supported Hardtail Choppers recently and in the past . There are a lot of countrys that have supported us and I appreciate your support as well. Australia , you rock . We hope your floods end soon and your bikes are Dry !. Good Luck David and Karen . Burleigh Bars Australia . My last couple of posts were about the Flxisidecar frames. We are in the early stages of reproducing replica castings for Flxisidecar frames. These will be Full Tilt and Semi Tilt sidecar frames. There is a racing model that should be pretty cool. Any interest in Leaning sidecars , let me hear from you . My pal Tony Ford will be the driving force on this project. I'am only here to add what ever help Tony may need. He has a cool dream and I sure hope he hits a home run with this new business . Check for more info on Tonys Sidecar frames . www.flxisidecars.com . If you have anything on these early racing sidecar frames , let me or Tony hear from you. We are not the experts on these set ups but sure would like to learn everything we can about them . Thanks for checking in today .  Remember , " If your coasting along , your going down hill " . jg

Looking for h-d frame castings

Just a short post . This is what I am looking for . If you have a wrecked , chopped up rigid frame , I am looking for castings good enough to reproduce . If you want to do some trading or selling or GIFTING , give me a call . Looking for a 1969 up neck with the number boss . Original rigid frame axleplates . No mods to the axleplates .tell me what you got . I'am going to cast every cast part I can get my hands on . If you have any thing you can part with , I will show my appreciation big time . Stay tuned. Remember , if your coasting along , your going downhill . jg

Jan. 5 Post - Flxisidecar Racing Frames Info.

Need to add some text to my last 2 posts. I have been talking about the resurrection  of the  Old Flexible sidecar racing frame . This is one great project and I am proud and happy to be a part of . I have done no leg work on this project other than to offer my services if needed .  Some guy's just can't let stuff die. And thankfully for the men involved here , a great old product will soon be available for anyone wanting to be part of the past with quality from the present. I will add the following text as it was dictated to me by my friend Tony Ford (VLTony) . These name's of the men included in the following text are serious about what they do and deserve full credit for there time and work . Again ,I am proud to be associated with these men. Remember , If your coasting along, your going down hill ! .  jg hardtail choppers

John can you do me a favor and add this also to the Flxisidecar blog , Tony.       NO PROBLEM ... jg

I want to point out one thing.... so credit goes to all ....  My website would have never gotten this far if it wasn't for all the people listed on my website . The only name left to add is John Grant . However , the main two are Robert Jones and Gene Harper for I was still missing parts (copies of the originals) that I needed . And let's don't forget Robert Jones this is the man all you collectors and restorers need to get ahold of. He is also into Flxi sidecars big time . And to Eric Bourraque (harley-memories) from France and Tony McCarthy from New Zealand .. Thank You Both for all your moral support and many more , Jeremy Dollarhide for working with me on designing my T- shirts and banner..and my dear friend Dana Meisner who has put up with me thru the beginning working on different ideas on my website... ( I drove this poor man crazy at times for I knew what I wanted )  so now its time for John and I to have some fun getting this Flxi sidecar sport rolling so All can enjoy this sport no matter what part of the globe your from . Thank You all so much , its a dream coming true... VLTony  www.flxisidecars.com .

Tony is a guy I admire. He is making something happen . Didn't matter that it took him 30 friggin years to acquire all the knowledge and model's to reproduce these cool racing frames . If you think the idea of a leaning wheel side car sounds fun . Stay tuned . We will have them shortly for your inspection . What would you pay for something like this ? Thanks for checking on us . jg

Jan. 4th Post - flxisidecars.com

I'am back today with a follow up to yesterdays blog .Yesterday I spoke about a guy I just met with a neat product . If its motorcycles and fun , I am up for any of it.  Tony owns the racing frame market of the old Flxisidecar racing  frames. I asked Tony to add some text to what I had wrote .  He wrote back saying he wasn't able to post a comment but forwarded his comment to me to post on his behalf. It is my pleasure to  know Tony .  I wish him all the best for all his hard work and determination on making something happen from almost nothing . Thats what America used to be about . Doing it ourselves and doing it right. We don't need help. Just get out of the way of hardworking Americans and stop telling us we can't do it . Don't get me started . Here is what Tony Ford wrote about his Flxisidecars .

John your one bad dude and I can't wait to do business with you my new found friend since we have so many things in common... I'am working on another web site that caters more to the " Do it yourselfer's "

Do to the economy these days and that hard earned cash is getting harder to find I decided to work on a " Do it yourself section so all can enjoy this Flxi sidecar sport rather your on a fixed income like me now or just you can only afford a piece at a time to build your own , what ever your case might be ...like my slogan says , Flxi side cars  "we're flxin your way and leaning toward you " which means Im trying to cater to ALL... for the flxi sidecar set up you will need a OEM harley-davidson design scooter frame with ol'milwaukee style castings to cover all void areas . John and I have decided to cover 1958 thru 1999 ol'milwaukee style rigid frames with disc brakes as well so ALL may enjoy this sidecar sport besides just collectors and restorers. 

On this website or I might even add it to my  www.flxisidecars.com . I will show you Flxii info like drawings of the 1918-19 semi Flxible chassis assembly and attachments. it will also cover 1920-1924 full Flxible chassis assembly , springs and spring fittings , attachment fittings and combination brace assembly parts and copy of the original FLXIBLE patent .  A lot of these sidecars were used on Harley- Davidsons , Indians , Ace , Reading , Standard , Excelsior , Thor , Yale , Pope , Henderson , Cyclone and Flying Merkel to name a few. Also keep in mind that most projects are being built by a non professional motorcycle enthusiasts just like so many like us. I'm just an average guy with average tools so what i do here could be done by most anyone . Where special talents like wood working , welding  , upholstery or borrowing specialty tools that I do not have that are needed or just a helping hand . I will seek outside help even bartering if necessary ... hopefully thru friends that I con into coming over or bribe with promises of free food and beverage etc...so please don't take anything i do as the only way (or right way ) to do it. I will be using oldstalgia and newstalgia  technology thru out on my projects , and I also decided to incorperate some of the Harley-Davidson basic commercial ideas and much more ...DIY items , DIY images , notes , pattern pages to give you more ideas for your sidecar after all we all like being different than the next guy . So please keep in mind this is my hobby and I'am now retired yet busy in my garage/shop working on my Flxi sidecar projects as well. John and I will be keeping you all posted as we go. These frames are used for Domestic , Commercial and Racing . So check back to see what John and I have up our sleeves . However John and I have decided to just go for it were working on the details now. ..So come back and check out what we have decided to do ...you won't be sorry .

Please Keep In Mind ..Accurate Reproductions (Robert Jones) is into Restoring the vintage stuff like pre 1936 . He does speedster bodies, springs and much more and makes other mounting attachments for other different vintage models that's why he does all the Vintage , Classic and Restrorers and I myself cater to the Harley-Davidson line from 1937 thru 99 and besides Robert is into Oldstalgia and I'am into NEWsstalgia .   VLTony

PS...This is the beginning of our relationship my friend lets have Fun with it ...wishing you and your family a great future with it ... ENJOY my new found friend .

Tony Ford (VLTony)

Wow Tony , That was a lot of typing . Thanks for adding your info. And for making shit happen.  I"am going to the shop.  Alright you bloggers , if you have comments or questions, check out Tonys web site. I'am here too if you want to add something. Remember , If your coasting along , your going down hill. jg

January 3 2011 post - Racing Side Cars

Recently I was introduced to a guy with the handle of VLTony . This guy is one serious man I plan to do business with . I do not know anything about side car racing frames but he sure does. Check out his site if your interested in 1920-1924 Flxisidecar racing frames. I for one would like to have a set up like this just to have some fun on. The sidecar racing frame when attached properly will lean both right and left with the wheel leaning just like the bike. Maybe you guys know about this and I am the only one that just heard of this set up. I for one love to make stuff and this sounds like a blast . I am going to have one and thats it. I will attach a web address to check out this great product . Tony is a regular guy with a day job . Not some big company with deep pockets. The parts he makes are cast steel . We have similar interest in producing cast parts. I thank all the guys that keep checking back here and want to say welcome to hardtailchoppersblog.com to new viewers. We can produce almost any cast part you can think of. If you have parts you want to cast . Call or click me and we can go over details. I have a foundry at my disposal that can produce parts in steel , stainless , aluminum , bronze . With a new year just getting off the ground think BIG . Make something happen. If your coasting along , your going down hill. Let me hear some feed back on the racing sidecar frames. This sounds like something we can have some fun with. Will ask Tony to send some images but till then , check www. flxisidecars.com . Good work Tony. Bringing back the past isn't easy. Looking forward to my first side car racing frame experience . Need an image right here Tony. Send me a good shot to post . jg