We’re rockin’ with this project. I’ve never built two bikes at once, Bonneville aside, but we’re having a blast. Both projects are hustling and this report will bring you up to date.

The CCI V-Bike Panhead is still a roller and we’re waiting on the drive-line elements so we can mock-up the pipes before shipping anything to powder. But we decided to grapple with tank mounting and messing with the seat. But first here’s what Berry Wardlaw said about the 120-inch Panhead from Accurate Engineering:

First off, good morning! I am sending a mock-up engine so you can continue the build and I will give you the theoretical specs for the exhaust diameter and the length. The specs for the exhaust will be for stepped and straight headers. I came to this design from a computer generated program which has been very successful for me in the past.

The REAL engine is going to be pure race and the components have already been ordered. Still waiting for the crankcases but believe (have been told) they are ready. The exterior dimensions of the engines will be the same.

I will include the 3-bolt exhaust flanges. I am using many titanium internal components, modified components as well as custom squish areas, custom oilers and coatings. Ryan Baisley is blue printing my rocker arms (true 1.5:1 ratio). We have been overwhelmed with orders and the Biker build-off thing is getting to be a too much but we are hanging on.

I have two court dates this week, so maybe I can get this shit behind me. I promise to be good. As good as I can be.

--Berry

We’ve sent the transmission specs to Baker Transmission, but haven’t heard anything back. They’re a tough group to communicate with. I’ve offered to write articles about their products, but can’t get a return phone call. We’ll keep trying. I have a lot of respect for their components and we’re determined to use one of their transmissions. Following are communications with John Reed, Custom Chrome Designer regarding the transmission:

The V uses a touring tranny, but any FXR unit will be OK. It uses one of the CCI extended chain sprockets, with the same teeth as stock. But Baker sells a sharp one, If there is any problem with the offset /teeth, etc. let me know and I will go down and measure one. If the back of the engine is the same as a (rubber mount) FXR/dresser, and the front part of the tranny is for a (rubber mount) FXR/dresser, it should be OK.

As far as I know, the back end of the engine mount is the same on Shovel and Evos, and I’m sure Panheads, and late model FXR rubber mount trannies bolt straight to the engines. It’s only really early r/m trannies that need a separate bracket.

The twin cam tranny won’t bolt to a non twin cam bottom- end engine.

On my Vs, with a 110 revtech, I have never had a problem with the engine moving with the tranny, using a stock OEM inner /outer primary, which is a really good stabilizer. If you are using a belt drive with a good billet piece that takes the place of the stock inner, you should not have a problem.

How much hp/ torque do you have on the engine you are using? The V is a lot different than a the Softail setup, that most choppers use, the primary is shorter, and seems to be a lot more rigid.

CCI has a V going to Daytona, Why don’t you ask Your butt-hole buddy, Sean, if you can ride it around, so you can get used to it.

--John Reed
Custom Chrome

John’s in constant trouble with the brass. We will run a BDL primary drive. That brings you up to date on the driveline. Now lets shift to the tank installation.

I believe this is a Regency built tank for Custom Chrome. It was designed as an adjustable stretched fuel tank for Softails, 2000-up to contour a seat, in this case a Corbin job. Because of the multi-fit business I received all the brackets to make the tank fit an H-D chassis, then separate fasteners for the V-frame. That often creates confusion. Actually Bikernet Black Market John saved our ass. “Hey, this is going to mount like a lot of Jap Bikes,” John said. “It slips into that scoop thingee and just bolts to the rear.”

Fortunately mounting to the V-frame eliminated a lot of heavy bracketry that we endeavored to use, only to find out we could shit-can them. I never toss any brackets. You never know…

Some of these extra motions I don’t mind, because we become familiar with their use and will know how they work for future reference. Never know when we might wrench on a Softail.

I asked John Reed if I should put a gusset in the neck. Here’s how he responded:

Good news. The frame passed the European TUV test. Our engineeer is back from the states and has just talked to the TÜV.

To pass the TÜV test a frame has to bear 100.000 load alternations. As we have tested the Paioli front fork at the same time the frame was tested with 500.000 load alternations. So the frame beared more than 4 times the standard test.

regards

--Günther

The above shot shows the front Softail mounting brackets in place. The shot below demonstrates how these brackets weren’t going to work. I must have installed and removed this tank a dozen times before I discovered the error of my ways.

Once Black Market John straightened my sore ass out, we discovered the additional fasteners, carefully labeled in a box. Suddenly the mounting system seemed extremely easy. Mount the rubber grommets into the slider rails, fit them to the scoop, set the Corbin seat in place for accurate tank placement, tighten the Allens in the front tank mounts with the tank adjusted to the perfect height, and we’re golden. That’s the way it should go.

I dropped John Reed a note and he sent me the above sketch, which answered some question, but then we ran into a problem. The scoop is a half-inch narrower than the thick slotted slab of steel bent to fit into the tunnel of the tank and the slots don’t line up. They’re not even. We added spacers to the rubbermounts so they would reach the bracket. That would have been golden, but we couldn’t squeeze the tank over the backbone of the frame.

We removed the spacers and tried again. What seemingly would been the simplest way to mount a gas tank had us completely perplexed. Even with the spacers removed, we can’t get the tank on without removing the scoop, which defeats the purpose of this system. We’re still investigating.

Since this is going to be ridden at Bonneville and we’re calling it the first Sportbike Panhead, we removed the Corbin seat and the plastic tail section and decided to run a sprung slim solo from U.S. Choppers and make the brackets that we can slip way back so the rider can lay on the tank for a fast run on the flats.

We’ll get to the bottom of the tank mounting and mount the seat in the next segment. Hang on. Let’s move onto the Bonne Belle, 45 Flathead progress report.

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