The Flying Merkel, 1910

[AlanG]

Construction starts with the frame. This is much like a heavyweight pedal cycle frame except that the down tube and seat tube are joined by a large circular bow to accommodate the engine. The top tube is curved in the middle, to allow a short seat tube and low saddle.



This curved tube was my first problem - it is made in a single piece, but with several close-spaced cuts on the underside to allow the curve. As is clear in the photo this didn't work very well for me.

As I pondered what to do, looking again at the photos for inspiration, I noticed that there should in fact be another tube joining the down and seat tubes about half-way up. The fuel tank is sandwiched between this and the top tube. I felt I ought to add this, though it too is bent in the middle, so it will double my problems with the top tube.

A further possible problem is clearance over the engine - as the model was designed without the middle tube, some liberties might have been taken over the shape of the engine. I'll shelve the frame problems for now, and go on to the engine, to check.

Alan

[cdavenport]

A suggestion that may help.

I purchased a bag of lollipop sticks, paper of course, on Ebay for a few buck.

With a bit of patience, they will easily conform to a curve. You can peel away layers or take one apart and add layers to another stick. After some coloring, that may be the solution.

I also found that I can seal the paper with CA and remove any crimps or bulges with sandpaper.

[AlanG]

Engine done. It is quite heavily simplified, but gives a reasonable impression and presents no construction difficulty.



What is more, there seems to be ample clearance to fit the middle tube in the frame, so it's now time to get back to sorting that out. Bear with me, though - it could take a little time.

Re lollipop sticks, thank you for the suggestion, which I shall add to the possibilities. If I can, though, I should like to avoid anything involving hand colouring, as painting and colour matching are things I am really not good at. Maybe one could go inside a rolled tube, to help keep its shape. We'll see.

Alan

[Leif Ohlsson]

That is one really nice vintage motorcycle engine. - L.

[Zathros]

Originally Posted by AlanG

Charles

My usual method for wire wheels is to use silver thread drawn through holes in the hub flange and the wheel rim. I have shown the method briefly in Yamaha HX90 from Kozin and Kawasaki Z400 - Kozin. As I mentioned to Leif above, I think there will need to be some adaptation of the technique in this case, especially for the front wheel. I think it will end up more as shown by mirco in Another spoked wheels tutorial, but time will tell.

Alan

Sometimes you wonder if a person is up to the model, but after seeing your work, I can only wonder if the model is worthy of you!!

[richkat]

Most of these type old cycles had a center type stand that held the rear tire off the ground, the rider would then pedal to start the motor then rock forward off the stand and away we go!....Alan you build is looking great looking forward to the finish......Rich

[AlanG]

Originally Posted by Zathros

Sometimes you wonder if a person is up to the model, but after seeing your work, I can only wonder if the model is worthy of you!!

Zathros, STOP IT

Originally Posted by richkat

Most of these type old cycles had a center type stand that held the rear tire off the ground, the rider would then pedal to start the motor then rock forward off the stand and away we go!....Alan you build is looking great looking forward to the finish......Rich

Richkat, you are probably spot on. I'm not sure which would be more ungainly though, pedalling that thing along the road, or doing so and getting nowhere. Photos of the road bike version show the stand pivoted by the back axle and stowed horizontally in a trailing position, just as you describe. The racing version doesn't carry a stand, but of course the team would have separate axle-stands to serve the same purpose.

Alan

[AlanG]

Right, so a small mod is needed to add an extra tube to the frame. Look at some photos to get the right idea. Hmm, there is something odd about the fuel tank. The left-hand side is completely flat, while the right-hand side bulges out near the front, and is then chamfered off.



All the photographs of the original I can find (including the one which comes with the kit!) suggest that the chamfer should be on both sides. Also I can't find any evidence of a bulge behind the chamfer - everything seems to point to a parallel sides, and a narrow front edge. I'd better change that as well.

Then the bottom bow of the frame looks much broader than the engine crankcase which fits inside it, but the model version fits snugly all round. That really needs adjusting, too, if only to make room for the magneto which fits between the frame and the crankcase. Right, let's overlay the model's frame diagram with the broadside-on photograph which B-Manic showed us earlier, to see what needs doing. Well, everything! The top part of the frame isn't bad, though the seat tube is at rather the wrong angle, but the bottom bow is set far too low, as well as being too narrow.

OK, trace the photo and see what we get:



(original model drawing in black, my cleaned-up tracing in red)

Now to convert it to 3D. Seems I still have a bit of work to do!

Alan

[AlanG]

I realised yesterday that it has been over a week since I last put knife to paper, but I have finally reached the stage where I can get going again.

All the revised pieces for the frame are drawn, so I could get the fuel tank made up and the tubes rolled.



The curved tubes went rather better with fewer segments and wider cuts. I made one of the cuts rather too wide on the middle tube, so there is a bit of a gap. I hope it won't show too much though, as it will be substantially hidden by the fuel tank and engine.

Things went together fairly cleanly.



At this point I impressed myself greatly by remembering that on a bicycle the chain loops around the rear stays, and cannot be fitted without opening up one of the links. What is more, I remembered BEFORE gluing the stays to the frame. So, on to the chains ...

Alan

[richkat]

We have Directv and they have a channel called HD Theater, part of discovery network. they ran the Mecum auto auction last week and on thursday it was all motorcycles! And one of the bikes they sold was a Flying Merkel V-twin!! Did not see what it went for but bet is was a lot!......Rich