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 Posted 5/15/2013 12:51:16 AM |
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Forum Member
 
Last Login: 9/18/2023 8:01:25 PM
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| So how do these pods fit in your current charity or fund raising events? Are these all still part of the 89 and Tumbler tour you are doing?
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| Posted 5/15/2013 3:06:21 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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| Hey baneful, we have not taken the 89 out for a while . We do take the Rumbler and big Kahuna to charity event. Wounded warriors in two weeks. We have a big opportunity coming up in a couple of months. We will get to showcase the big kahuna and Rumbler. After winning awards at two easyrider shows I have been inspired to build the three bikes for this event. We are rebuilding our batbuilder site to be aligned with Aloha Brothers Fab-Kreations and hope to actively pursue building similar bikes for the public. It has been a dream of mine to create a fabrication business similar to our pool construction business that could market to a broader worldwide base rather than just pools to a 60 mile perimeter. I'll always bee a pool builder but lucky for me it's a seasonal business. We spend a lot of time in the winter months in Hawaii and you can only sit on the beach for so long. My goal is to retire half the time in Hawaii with the fabrication business and the summers in California running the pool business. My goal is to sell basass highly detailed really works of arts Batpod inspired bikes world wide. Thats pretty much it. I have a lot of builds I want to do in my mind and the fabrication business would give me the opportunity to build those dreams. BWD
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| Posted 5/16/2013 1:11:55 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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| Things we got done today. Had to get up really early to meet with my welder at my home because I had an early appt. So we had the front steering bars tacked up and they seem to fit really well. The goal is that it can fit someone more like the 5'6" size. I'm 6'1" so we had to narrow things down. The Honu1 will be a static display but I wanted the ability to let people climb aboard and feel how it must have felt for the Dark Knight. Its does really feel weird. One of my buddies Batman4reals is coming up next week to work/learn on some fiberglass so I will videotape his reaction to his first climb aboard on the Honu1. Had a dream last night about all the things that could go wrong with a lithium battery pack and electric motor set up in the wheel. and since I'm not very knowledgable in that area I decided to go a more traditional motorcycle engine route for right now. We ended up finding a killer deal on two motorcycles and we are suppose to meet with the guy tomorrow. Hopefully everything is as he advertised and I will have two donor bikes. Ill let you know. So we welded the right rear bracket assembly and the hub is being milled out. The rear horizontal radiator mount and the side bar mount are being final welded. The knee rest assembly is being welded as well as the steering assembly. The front shock mounts will also have final welding. By Friday I should have a significant amount of those pieces back. My plan is to wire wheel the metal bringing out its natural luster and then use a clear coat. Not sure if this is going to be the look I'm going for but I will give it a try. Hopefully the motorcycle thing works out and I will be disassembling the motors out of them next week. I have run into a major quagmire in that left hand gun cluster, The opening for the front fork is too narrow and the angle of the fork is too flat. Not too much I can do to correct this with the frame so I'm having to cut the gun cluster .....again. I may have to only do this on the Honu1 and can modify the forks on the Honu2 and 3 since they are steel. So I feel like I am bogged down with this gun cluster and pool appts have been non-stop. I can tell I am losing interest in dealing with this so hopefully I can redirect my mind to deal with it soon. Heres a video on removing bubbles....BWD
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| Posted 5/16/2013 1:24:35 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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| I got a little distracted a couple of days ago because one of my Lambo forum friends alerted me that there was a limited supply of 100% replica Lamborghini Murcielago rims being sold. I had to research and find the supplier and also found a set on Ebay and we ended up getting two sets. Silver for the coupe and black for the roadster. I got the black set today and it was like Christmas. They are stunning!!! And of course made in China!!! I'll post pics as I catch up with my photos. Also found a head for a Lamborghini with two cams that I ordered from my new lambo supplier. Cant wait to get that in my hands and Ill create a video on that when it arrives. Going to create a mold of that for my replica engine set-up. Here's a video of a new CNC machinist Im working with and I found working with him very interesting. Hope you like it. We are creating a hub mount for the hub and bearing assembly for the Honu2 and 3...BWD
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| Posted 5/16/2013 1:33:18 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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Visits: 4,909
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| Thanks for looking. Hope all you projects are moving in the right direction.....BWD Mahalo
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| Posted 5/16/2013 6:28:07 AM |
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Junior Member
Last Login: 6/21/2015 6:09:39 PM
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wow looking good Dave
keep it up
If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal... you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend
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| Posted 5/27/2013 1:23:50 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
Posts: 5,397,
Visits: 4,909
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| Hey guys thought I'd give you some updates as I have been off the board for a couple weeks. Highlights....Got my Lambo Murcielago head and yes its bad ass. Also ended up winning a real set of Lamborghini taillights that are tinted black. Now just gotta find another set and some real grills. Ordered a third set of lambo rims for a future project the price was just too good to pass up. Big highlight was I had Shaggy delivering a truck close to my home and Batman4reals coming up to spend a couple days learning to fiberglass. Didn't tell either of them that the other was coming. Should have seen Shaggys face when he saw Batman4reals at chilis resturaunt. Nice to get together. We went back to my batcave to check out the Honu1 and I had another friend Dennis come by . These guys were the crew from when we took the Rumbler and Crimefighter to Hot August Nights in Reno a couple years ago. We talked for hours everything batman related. Ended up buying Terrys Dark Knight suit for a maniquin I am going to make up for the Honu1. So another highlight I got two donor motorcycles for the Honu2 and 3. We even got the chassis started for the Honu2 and it looks badass. We drop the chassis from 19 inches of ground clearance on the Honu1 to 7 inches on the Honu2. Went with the hoosier tires and aluminum rims. Still waiting for those damn custom spindles suppose to be here on Tuesday. We did figure out how to connect the front end using two bearings, 1/4 thick washers and a 16 inch 1 1/2" heat hardened bolt. The rear axle also has a carrier bearing, piece of 1 1/8 all thread that's been heat treated too. I'm checking into having a spline made but depending on how fast I can get it will determine if we use it on the Honu2 or not. I want this thing rolling on its own power...Soon!!! So I'm very far behind on the pics and videos but I'll catch up when I can. I fiberglassed the majority of today making a mold of the final Honu1 tank, bat emblem, right hand gun cluster, and trying to get that left hand gun cluster to clear the pipe. Took some of the metal work to the painters to try and get a trick look on the metal. I'll find out on Tuesday if it can be done. Got the arm guards painted for the Honu2 and the color is just....stunning. The chest guard and arm guards for the Honu3 are done and either your going to like it or not. Just very wild. Got the second seat being finished and painted but not sure if I'm going to use it or not. My buddy has a seat from a Harley that looks pretty cool on the bike and its super comfortable. My son is starting to drive so instead of buying a new car I decided to buy a donor for a future build. Its a 2002 Cadillac El Dorado "an old guys car" but it has the 32 valve Northstar engine with the front wheel drive setup. We plan on building a Reventon or Aventador in the future so this engine setup is killer for that car. Bought it from my friends 82 year old dad and just didn't have the heart to tell him I'm going to cut up his "last year" collectors edition Cadillac. That engine is so clean and powerful. Ok Its 10:13pm and I'm going back out to the garage to fiberglass some more. I still have tomorrow off to get some of this fiberglassing projects done. It should feel like work but I really enjoy working on the bike so much that it seems like fun. Until next time hope all your projects are moving in a forward direction.....BWD ....mahalo
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| Posted 6/18/2013 1:31:37 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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Ok first off I'm still alive. The honu1 mock up is done and now most all of the pieces are being painted or powder coated for final assembly.im very happy with the look and fit of the bike and tried not to steer too far off the originality path.
The Honu2 is coming out incredibly and has some major improvements. We fabricated an all steel gas tank and had the inside rubberized. The rear axle shaft is being machined to adapt a pulley and carrier bearing. The other end has been splined to fit into the rear hub assembly. The front end spindle and hub assembly fit and spin. I'm having the aluminum rims for both the honu2 and 3 polished on both the outside and inside.we are finishing up the steering handle bars to remain a shoulder steer. The honu2 has the Hoosier tires and the honu3 has the Mickey Thompson tires. Both tires are in changeable between the two bikes. The honu1 has a ground clearance of 19" but we have dropped the bike by 12 inches lowering the center of gravity immensely. We have installed a Harley Davison v-rod seat for the honu2 which gives it much comfort. The honu2 has reverse transmission. All fiberglass pieces are done and I have spares. I literally have only 40 days left so what will be will be. But no matter what I end up with I will be happy considering the circumstances. The pool contracting business continues to be off the charts and that has helped to fund the motorcycle parts. Every evening I am exhausted due to the work and design load but I go to sleep with a smile on my face because of the small forward momentum of the builds.thanks for all the kind notes I have gotten and I'll be posting soon when something either work or hobby slows down. Thanks again Dave aka BWD
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| Posted 6/19/2013 1:49:28 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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Well today I picked up quite a few parts that had been powder coated flat black and they looked great. The two wheels for the honu1 were painted at the factory but the paint was sad. Almost like it had been painted with a spray can.just the quality of stuff today is sad. I had them blasted primered then powder coated and what a difference. I will try and get the Hoosiers remounted tomorrow.
Taking a big chance I took ALL the pieces down to be powder coated. Quite an array of items spindle mounts, piping, chest plate mount, handlebars and a bunch of little pieces. Had the disc brakes powder oater a metallic gray. Even though they will not be operational I don't want them to turn to rust. Took my lambo head to be super chromed powder coated . Will be interesting to see how that will turn out. Even have the inner panel for my H1 replica super chromed. I think I am slowly going to powder coat the entire truck. The H1 replica "T-Rex" has been in the shop for a full week to have the fuel system converted back to a mechanical fuel pump.tired of the humming from the electric. Then I had it tuned and the intake gasket had a leak as well as the exhaust gasket. Whent by to hear it start up and I have never heard it run so well.next will be to change the tires. I got a killer deal on a used set of 42" TSL super swampers but since they were stored squished up in a storage container for three years it distorted the tires so that one tire really wobbles. I think I'm going to get a new set of 40" TSL super swampers that are radials rather than bias ply should run smoother. I want to drive it more often. Hopefully this tune up will make a big difference.
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| Posted 6/19/2013 2:08:18 AM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/26/2023 1:14:45 PM
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I went by the machine shop that is fabricating the rear axle for the honu2 and still haven't started
I asked him to make another axle for the honu3 out of the remaining harden steel shaft.just going to take a risk that it's going to work.
Went by second machine shop for rear footrest brackets and nothing. This has been going on for three weeks. He tried to get me to take the parts to another shop but I had to remind him ofnhisoriginal commitment. I point this out because many shops are run this way. Management by crisis. I have to shame him into doing what he agreed to do. This is very common.
Third machine shop is making my knee rests this has been going on for a month so I will go by everyday till I get them. They were going to make the guns but I will try to get them done elsewhere or do them myself. I was really hoping to have a real metal gun look.
My welder is on a four day project so much of this week is lost. I am going to find an additional welder to weld some of my minor pieces.
Got a lead on three recommended water jetting and laser cutting shops so I will be checking those out this week.its very hard to find good shops and sometime they start out good but fizzle out. As we take on more projects I will need to find excellent shops to do my work. I could write a book on the dos and donts of working with subcontractors. We are hoping to be able to produce some bikes next year. They will be a Batpod inspired bike but fully functional. That's the goal. Anyways thanks for letting me vent and tomorrows another day. Hope all your projects are moving in the right direction. Thanks for looking, Dave aka BWD
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