SHEET STEEL CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE FRAME- PART 1

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My name's Matt Urch and I own and run Urchfab welding and fabrication.
I specialise in custom automotive fabrication from building roll cages to complete one off builds. I built the worlds most unique and oldest drift car known as 'The Drift Rod' which can be found on my channel.
So if you're into grinding, welding, fabricating, etc, you're in the right place!

[@samuelcooke502]

Tube framed motorcycles are a dime a dozen! This is a really fresh take on an original frame design!! Great work!

[@douglassleigh2026]

Holy cow that material is thick, that’s going to be a VERY heavy bike. Looks cool

[@Ecosse57]

was thinking the same.

[@EmyrDerfel]

Tubes would probably be both lighter and stronger.

[@douglassleigh2026]

Emyr Derfel the whole point of the build is to showcase the plasma cutter for the client so tubes aren’t really the point. 🏍👍🏻

[@johnhill2075]

Bike, Mongrel, Escort, coffee table or dice, keep 'em coming, I'll be watching! Keep up the great work Matt! 👍👍

[@peterbonnez]

I've not seen a frame like this before. Clever idea. As always - great work.

[@trevorjarvis3021]

This is going to be brilliant - looking forward to the next, next and the next vids in anticipation.

[@doubleboost]

I really enjoyed that plasma well dialed in now

[@boneal4942]

I like the flat-plate concept, inspiring for me👍

[@terryfleming7084]

I don’t even like bikes, but that is a very interesting design! Keep up the good work!

[@rickcrusenberry7027]

That’s a proper built chassis. Good work Matt.

[@daleskidmore1685]

Nice design. Round holes are stronger than ones with corners: remember the Comet Jet Liners. Look forward to the next episode.

[@EDY178]

My dad flew back from Cyprus on a comet in the 50s after badly breaking his leg when in British army ,square windows bad idea on a plane

[@PopaAlexandru.]

Next episode you see the rectangular holes ... you should have argued better.

[@alastairrichrich6058]

It's a showcase of what you can do with a plasma cutter Different is always best Theres only so much you can do with bikes so thinking outside the box is alot harder That's why creativity and imagination is a godsend

[@mikediamond257]

Blown away by how simple you make things look and execute. All those angles etc. you make it look like you’re reading it off an instruction manual instead of winging it so to speak. Your ability to make things and plasma cut them to a T is just....... wow. Question? Do you still have that awesome patina transit you had? I’d love to see more on that if you have the details.

[@redmunchkin]

I like the frame as it is, has an aircraft vibe going on with the holes in sheet metal. Kinda like wing ribs.

[@ralphburton6947]

Look out, Genius at work.....fantastic job Matt.

[@shanewright6958]

It's coming along. Another great video 👍👍🇨🇱

[@billnlori3149]

Very original design Matt. Its cool to see outside the box thinking, too many cookie cutter choppers around. It would look amazing in polished ally plate.

[@malcolmyoung7866]

I won’t be riding this bike. Drop my own enough and struggle to pick it up when I do. This thing is going to be a tank. Love it!!

[@davidhughes1634]

Great video Matt,frame looks a bit steam punk but different from the norm,I like it👍

[@chopperhehehe]

I second this comment 👍👍👍😜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🦄😁✌️

[@thunderace7493]

I've seen girder forks before but I think you've just invented the girder frame. ;-)

[@richardbroom4324]

Love it coz it's different. 👌

[@badWithComputer]

Keep the holes, a plan is a plan; stick to it, i'm sure it'll be grand mate 👍

[@ProjectSupercar]

I quite like the holes, it gives the bike a purposeful look. If you change the holes to slots it may make the frame look overly fussy. Just a thought, loving the project so far. ;)

[@TheDaf95xf]

Hi Matt. Love your inspiration 👍🏻 It takes shape in your head you cut it out put it together then decide you don’t like...... 🙄 That’s what’s so good about Urchfab trial and error 😆 I couldn’t imagine something in my head then put it together like you Matt 🙈 Keep the fantastic videos coming. Cheers Stevie

[@griffspeed]

Have you looked to see if the front wheel hits that frame member when the forks are fully compressed? And.... Have you looked to see if you can remove the Oil filter housing with the engine as close as that to the aforementioned frame member? That plasma table thingy is worth its weight in gold mate...

[@garylee4141]

Keep going , looks really different and good already

[@shovelrickshovelhead8713]

After using that cutting machine I’m impressed at the outcome

[@quadflopper1012]

i like the look of the back bone from the headstock over and down behind the engine and the front sheet steel down piece with the holes, tied together it all looks very chic and custom but the clunky sheet tray under the engine looks like something you'd see on a 1950's homemade tote-goat, it needs the down piece to run down and seamlessly curve under the engine while thinning and splitting into a Y to make the 2 sides of the bottom frame.....

[@micheltebraake7915]

It's going to be a model for the CNC plasma table possibilities, incorporate that more and of course a memory of you Matt.

[@davidallinson2501]

Agree with your concerns regarding the boring holes (pun intended). Lots of shapes spring to mind. I will be interested to see what you come up with. Interesting project.

[@wayneclement7201]

Would be cool to see a sheet metal tank as part of the frame, an origami looking contraption

[@VdubSPAZ]

Definitely looks a bit challenging for sure..... I would sayif you can use tubular pieces inside of the holes to basically connect the rear trianglethat tie in the holes and also strengthened it a bit.... the other thing you may want to consider is creating a small boxed in area as I beam has a tendency to flex as it is strong in one direction but very flexible in another.... .... but you're doing a great job keep up the great work just thought I'd get some insight you can use it or not that's what I love about it.....

[@MJF85]

Love it, it's an interesting design. Keep the holes and maybe do something different like diamond, triangle and square cut outs in the rear stays, shows more of what can be done with the plasma table.

[@robfaith6029]

Mate you're a magician is there anything you can't do.

[@1one3_Racing]

I like it. It's kind of steampunk. I pictured the frame would be like bridgework similar to the base but way more intricate and you would make it 4 sided out of like 2mm and weld it into box. That would look awesome!

[@ninjanelly3506]

How about some cover strips of aluminium or stainless to cover up some of those holes you don't like? How about extending the front engine mount out and use for footpeg mounts if you are going with feet forward controls? Unusual design being flat at the moment look forward to seeing it evolve mat👍🏻😎

[@neilmaguire5665]

Cool looking frame bro

I like the holes keep them dump the steel

[@tomthompson7400]

great start , i saw a harley done out of flat steel plates a few years ago , it looked very futuristic , sort of mad max judge dread , but after trying for ages i couldnt find out any more , all you needed was a cnc cutter and some tome and you could build it your self .

[@MrBckfst]

Interesting project mat. To me the nose of the tray looks like it needs a bit of a surfboard style rocker in it.

[@MrLargePig]

Does it have enough resistance to twist? I can't really get my head around the plate steel idea, closest thing I can think of is the stamped steel Hondas, but they were box framed design. Could be that the T-shaped profile is strong enough....

[@jackdeniston9326]

A) it's a hardtail, cornering not important B) like a norton featherbed, uses wall thickness rather than cunning for strength

[@dennyo3992]

Reminds me of a Nimbus.

[@PopaAlexandru.]

It is not necessary to be able to turn. I hope the rider has a fat health insurance ...

[@blackbuttecruizr]

Looks awesome @Matt! Do you think that bottom tray might be a little messy for oil changes?

[@stevecox2530]

Looks like a gravel trap to me... everything chucked up from the front tyre will end up in there.

[@RickRose]

At the end you said it would certainly be lighter out of tube--Hope you do a weight comparison at the end. Certainly is shaping up to look cool, and it will be stout as hell.

[@deopersad2915]

Awesome I get it as something different and for showing the laser cutting machine,👍🏾 the next one could be out thick Aluminum to get lighter for the frame as you said didn't slott's in it and shapes it new and we always will think of better way to do it 👍🏾👍🏾

[@johnstilljohn3181]

Despite the fact that I am not (yet..) convinced it will work, this is great stuff...! It's kind of 'steam engine meets Honda'. Have you aligned the exhaust headers yet...?

[@MyDailyUpload]

Cutting a series of triangles making it truss-like would be an interesting design. Or two rows of alternating slots with rounded ends might be cool. Both would remove much more weight than the occasional hole. Just a thought.

[@piperdoug428]

Brilliant, keeping in mind the concept is to showcase the table and what can be done it only makes sense to make as much out of flat plat. And let's face it there's plenty of bikes in shows where ride-ability was thrown right out of the shop..... "sounds like 'American Hopper' lol"

[@harryballzack]

Daaaaaaaaamn that looks badass!

[@drygen1]

Love it, if the Mad Max movie dont been made yet this bike would be in it. 👊👍

[@jasonwithrow7972]

Test if you can get the oil filter housing off, it has been many years since I had my cb750, but the 4 into 1 exhaust made it a trick to change the oil filter. Your frame is close enough it is worth a look.

[@neil1150]

Interesting concept, certainly not the first frame built from flat plate, but maybe the first in steel. Pretty sure Hagons (the shock people) have a couple of bikes in their collection from flat plate, and certainly forks built the same way.

[@colinstables]

Cool man, digging it

[@jzledwards01]

I like it geez. I think your right about the holes. Wot about hole, slot, hole?

[@ralfhedstrom]

Hehee, an industrial Meccano look over that bike. Interesting. Looking forward to the next video. :)

[@retro423]

Jeez three's going to be some weight in that frame

[@PirataSports]

Up near the steering you could cut an ‘X’ like the sponsor logo, maybe cut their name in rather than circles.

[@williamhilson8646]

Pirata Sports That’s a great idea.

[@AnttiBrax]

The tank's going to cover it, right?

[@jlucasound]

@@AnttiBrax The tank will be back from the neck. Chopper style. The frame will show some. The "X" could be made just big enough (or small enough, if you like) to fit in that space. That IS a great idea, Pirata Sports!

[@patfilice]

Super cool

[@EDY178]

If Isambard Kingdom Brunel built a bike,this is how it would have been..i like the industrial style,gonna be cool,😎

[@johnmilner2316]

Great comparison! Who better than Brunel as a style icon?

[@harryballzack]

Bernard Badger I had the same thought. Don’t care if it’s clunky or heavy. It’s different and that makes it cool!

[@daos3300]

that's not very kind to brunel

[@Work_G]

I am into this project!

[@davrianman]

Cool bike. Why steel though? Wouldn’t aluminium be better for this type of design?

[@VolV8]

Looks good. Potential to integrate the exhaust into the frame. May be worthwhile doing a few tests to make sure the engine is going to be okay.

[@cedley1969]

One word....Zundapp

[@garyyorke1080]

Well, definitely a different design , as you say tubed frames are easy and to be honest very common. Its a different look the customer wants and I think he is gonna get one gonna subscribe and follow this build , I've seen tuned frames with holes in but this is very interesting

[@Mad-Duk_Machine_Werkes]

I think you should reconsider having those frame tabs directly to the case..... Meaning, you should have a bit of a round spacer on at least two of them, or else you wont get the engine out of the frame for building and servicing!!! You've got to be able to tip it sideways to remove it from the frame budd, with all those tabs fitting directly tight against the main-cases you cant?? Also, think of maintenance, oil drain plug, oil filter, etc, you have to service the bike - Chain clearance?? etc???

[@antmk2dreaming614]

I know the frame is looking a bit heavy and a little unusual but I think this bike is for demo purposes rather than pure road use, showing off the many possibilities using a plasma cutter, remember it is a customers bike not Matts

[@leuvenlife]

I do feel that you are moving the engine up higher than it should be, as normally the sump would be through the cradle of the frame. so either the base plate will be so low that you can't corner, or the engine will be so high that the center of gravity will be rather higher than ideal. This might also play havoc with drive angle for the sprocket heading down to the back..also, with such a plate, where are your exhausts going? Just passing thoughts, but I need to bounce them off you, just in case any of them are relevant...

[@peterwall737]

Looking good Matt 😎

[@chopperhehehe]

If it was easy you wouldn't do it lol looking good got a steam punk look about it already. Weight don't matter aslong as it cool chops aren't for going fast but to sound and look cool and different and yours is deffo going to be cool and diffrent 👍👍👍😜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🦄😁✌️

[@kittonsmitton]

Good luck with the frame it's coming along nicely, where are the rocket launchers going? Ala 'Bond, Matt Bond'?

[@jasonoxley6125]

Not sure how well this design will be for torsion / twist stress. That said a coffin tank would look pretty badass

[@machineshopatthebottomofth3213]

Looks great but an open section only has a few %of the torsional stiffness if a tube or box of the same wall thickness. This may cause you an issue around the head tube and seat stays where your engine provides little stiffness. I hope this does not cause you problems but if it does you can get around it by cross bracing along the I beam section.

[@TheHulmie]

I like where your going with this, may be use triangles instead of circles to match with the under tray, Looks like an old Greeves frame, it's going to be a heavy beast when it's done

[@leuvenlife]

sharp corners crack. Rounded ones don't.

[@jlucasound]

OK. Now I see where you are going with this. It has been a while since the introduction of this project. My Sub is still there so I was informed. Keep it going and people will become "Rapt"! Make sure this baby gets a rugged powder coat.

[@Daniel_D_King]

Love the idea, a little unsure of the execution tho. Struggling to get my head around the sheer size and weight. Gunna want stiffer springs and thicker oil in those forks and I hope you have plans for some much much beefier brakes. I have a gs550 from the same era and shes a heavy beast as it is. Good luck, looking forward to the next instalment.

[@liboy34]

Hi great job what is steel uses for your projects?

[@ianwright40]

"Do something a bit different"... You nailed it. It's different. Not sure that engine will have the power you need without a low ratio box and how are you going to attach the plow?

[@alic4788]

Put the X logo of Xtreme at the top of the frame by the headstock. There's quite a big space there for it to go.

[@peteledwidge3631]

Lots of pedants on today... Matt runs rings around most re: custom fabrication / engineering... To my mind he can call the bits anything he chooses. I recommend "thingamajob" and "wotsit" as two excellent descriptive words for doodads / odds and sods. Cant go wrong with a correctly adjusted thingamajob. 👍

[@peteledwidge3631]

@@melissahill7930 Matt didnt actually use the 'wrong' terminology per se, he used a slight Americanism, but the uk viewer caught his drift. Whilst I agree, I feel you missed the spirit of my post, is a little tongue in cheek sarcasm lost on you?

[@peteledwidge3631]

@@melissahill7930 Christ, I bet you're a laugh a minute at parties...

[@peteledwidge3631]

@@melissahill7930 Bit of both Love, bit of both.

[@peteledwidge3631]

@@melissahill7930 Jog on, you're boring the sh*t out of not only me, but anybody else reading this.

[@theoriginalwallace]

Do I detect a hint of actual steampunkery here, Matt? 😉

[@garagemonkeysan]

Nice video. I Beam frame is cool. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@alastairrichrich6058]

#urchfab Mate its ur vision and taste most importantly its ur creativity and passion Trial and error when doing something like this Love the channel Awesome work matt

[@Thefabforums]

very cool

[@Urchfab]

Cheers mate.

[@jamesdisney9150]

I would get some big sheets of Styrofoam board and cut out some designs and put them together off the measurements you have so you can see different looks without wasting Steel it's a good way to get inspiration without wasting a lot of materials nice work

[@1212sman]

Maybe the one thing that bumps me a bit is the junction at the bottom of the down tube where it joins the tray that mounts the engine. It seems to me it could be a little tighter to the front of the engine with maybe a bit of a kink angled back towards the front of the engine. Otherwise I am really digging the vibe.

[@TheOldaz1]

Think the metal could have been thinner and still have plenty of strength the way you're making it. Twice as many holes would help keep the eight down a bit without sacrificing strength. Certainly an interesting approach. Also don't forget some sort of seals to stop junk getting into the head bearings. Thanks Matt.

[@krychamlawa]

Masz ty głowę koleś

[@TheGrumpyChef]

How do you determine the design of the frame will be strong enough for the h.p. and road safe?

[@WRXBase]

I didn't realize how large that engine was. WOW.

[@canalboating]

could come in handy if they do a remake of mad max, love it

[@ironhenry2708]

Matt check the angle of the head stock to make sure the front wheel clears the frame, just an observation

[@PopaAlexandru.]

The frame of a motorcycle flexes in the curve ... will the one shown flex?

[@danieljgwallace195]

Matt could you put the frame back on the plasma table and turn some of the holes into urchfab stars?

[@ironnsmith452]

A cone live tail stock arbor would support the right end of the tube nicely

[@stevecox2530]

With the rear engine mount, just put two bits of bar in the adjacent holes with a triangular plate to the engine bolt hole.

[@grahamx8623]

Nice industrial look. You need a bigger engine though, 1200 Bandit would be good. Dumper tyres? They'll handle the weight and shouldn't affect the handling as it's a chop. So far so good.

[@stephengent9974]

Not to my taste. I get the concept for the sponsor, but it is kind of clunky looking. Don't get that honking great tray under the engine. Way more in there than you need for strength

[@vogs72]

Stephen Gent, tray could do with some added lightness indeed.

[@daos3300]

@Stephen Gent kind of missed a trick or ten. could have gone anywhere with the plasma, went for the overweight tamepunk look. unless the sponsor specified the material weight, in which case removing 90% and really showcasing the plasma would have been the way to go. the title caught my eye - sheet steel - i thought something light and engineered. not sure this can even be called sheet, more like steel plate.

[@vogs72]

No disrespect intended as I couldn’t fab a biscuit tray, only a reference to a Lotus.

[@djyul]

Going to be fun and messy doing an oil change as well!

[@williamhilson8646]

While that might be a shorter than your normal videos are kind of video, thats not a bad start for this build. As for the hole issue you mention, you could add some other shape like small triangles between them I guess or use every other hole to make rounded corner diamonds. I say just build it as you originally saw it in your head and see how it turns out. Looks good so far either way.

[@NewmanRacing]

Make sure you have enough clearance for the front wheel through it's travel. That front cross member is way further forward than the front of the engine would normally be. Could run into issues when the forks compress.

[@petelattimer6808]

how does a new frame leave the bike as regarding needing to be re-registered or an SVA test before it can be registered etc?

[@Weldangrind]

I appreciate your vision. Perhaps you’d feel better about the holes if you added some depth. Maybe insert a 12mm piece of DOM tube into each hole to see if you feel better about it. Maybe just welding some washers over the holes would change the whole feel.

[@garyh3823]

Great job man!! Instead of holes, cut scroll work in, instead