King Pete's royally spectacular bikes.

[Seedy Al]

couldn't help but notice none of you had pocket watches

....

Dissapoint

However....... fuck that is cool that you chaps got together for a photo in front of the og building.

[Steelies]

very cool!

[Valiant]

About three years ago I threatened to build a 26inch BMX that looked like a Pantha.

This weekend was the weekend that talk turned into action.

I have a pile of parts for it that have been sitting around gathering dust, some tube I brought months ago, and some home made tools to make the job easier.

 

Today It started to become a bike.

 

So notching tube with a file is hard work and time consuming, tube notchers are expensive and  a bit crappy looking.

I looked  at some on line and decided that my lathe could do the same job.

 

 

It works perfect, and makes very neat notches. No more filing for hours!

 

 

Nice fit too.

 

 

And it's starting to look like the front of a bike

 

 

Lots to do yet.

[Valiant]

So I should have said before, this is the look I'm aiming for.

 

So working towards that I needed some drop outs.

As far as I can tell all Pantha used the same drop outs on all their bikes so I copied the dropouts on one of the kids Cubs.

 

 

And scientifically worked out their ideal location.

 

Where by I could start to make some seat and chain stays.

 

More later. 

[Steelies]

awesome pete, sweet forks too!

[Valiant]

So these stays have been hard work. Each one has 4 bends in it which need to match side to side.

I made a jig to get the bends symmetrical and in the right place *hopefully*, I didn't take any photos of it though.

Then I made a jig to hold the drop outs in the right place relative to the stays. I went head and welded them together once again forgetting to tale photos.

Anyway today I started to put the back together so I can add it to the front of the frame, I also remembered to take a couple of photos.

 

Freshly bent stays with dropouts attached. They still need a trim.

 

 

More jigging and clamping.

 

 

I'll weld a bar between the two pieces of steel hose clamped to the stays to hold them in place, then flip it and to the same on the top. In theory it will be stiff enough then to start fitting to the back of the bike.

[Moffmo]

Just been reading through this. Some seriously nice work.. I was wondering though. How the hell do you stop on the tall pink bike without dying?

[Valiant]

Thanks.

 

It's not as deathly as it appears.

Either don't stop and do some tactical circles or similar.

Or hold on to a pole, post or wall.

Or step off when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke, which isn't as hard as it sounds.

[Seedy Al]

stop next to a car and use the roof to support your self at inter sections

[Valiant]

I nearly fell off it onto the roof of a car one night.

 

I managed to wobble back the other way and jump off.

[Valiant]

Yeah well.

I made these stays and had them all ready to weld on, they looked great.

 

 

Until I realized I'd completely fucked up and put the bend too far forward and it wasn't going to clear the crank or chain wheel.

 

I sulked about it for a few weeks, ordered some more tube, made a couple of changes to the bender I'd made, and started again. 

 

Here's what I have now.

 

 

 

This time!

 

I also managed to borrow a pair of original Assassin handle bars to make a copy of.

 

Mint!

[Valiant]

I found a few hours for this over the weekend and tacked the rear end together.

 

I'm very pleased with it.

I do however want to move the chain stays out a little to give me more room for a wider tyre, it has plenty of room before it is too close to the chain wheel.

 

[Valiant]

Tonight I did some welding.

 

This was the result.

 

[Valiant]

Some months later.  .  . 

Handle bars. Made, finished today.

Panther gussets made in 3mm and milled down to 1.8mm because I couldn't buy 1.8mm Chromoly plate.

Jigged and welded into place.

Mock up picture because I was feeling proud.

View from the drivers seat.

Also 26x1.75 Gum Wall tyres on their way, Pantha stickers purchased, chrome, paint anodizing, and other 80s spec bling to follow. 

 

[Chris.QCR]

Awesome work as always Pete !

[Steelies]

concur, and milling plate to thickness is 100% barry level achieved

[Valiant]

Ha ha, I knew that at the time.

Did it anyway.

[Moffmo]

Awesome work Pete.

 

Should have asked to see your collection when I was in CHCH!!!

[Valiant]

Thanks mate.

As I remember you had a few other things to sort out last time you were in Christchurch.

Next time.

[Moffmo]

Very true. Would have been in the "sight seeing" part of the trip though haha.