We raked a Harley Softail Custom!

#harleydavidson #motorcycle
#chopper
#custommotorcycle
#softail

[@williamrenner2504]

God bless, that's a lot of work.

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

It always is. Sometimes I wonder why I do it.

[@xanbiker]

Nice Rake!! It is looking good!!

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

Thanks!

[@aaronhenderson494]

Once again, great video Bill. You make this project look much easier than I know it really is...thanks for sharing.

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

We are glad you enjoy our videos. It is a lot of work but it's what we live for.

[@87ricer]

It just keeps getting better and better awesome outcome 👏 🙌 it's gonna be slick looking Merry Christmas

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

Still a long way to go.

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

Thanks!

[@swampthing31]

Lookin good nice paint!

[@jerrybigrig]

😎👍😎

[@markwilliams9793]

This is exactly how I imagined it would be done, thank you for confirming it, great video. I live in Knoxville and can't find anyone who does frame modifications so thought I'd likely do it myself. I think I'm going to attempt it.

[@riffraffchoppers]

This is a horrible way to do this do not do it like this you are creating many stress points

[@markwilliams9793]

@@riffraffchoppers What would you suggest?

[@markwilliams9793]

@@riffraffchoppers Do you know anyone near Knoxville who modifies frames?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@riffraffchoppers Choppers have been built this way since the 60's. I have put thousands of miles on some of my choppers and never had a stress crack.

[@riffraffchoppers]

@@markwilliams9793 he should have cut the backbone and lower leg portion at the correct angle like the neck then butted those up to the back correctly and Welded everything in that way instead of this half ass way making a bunch of passes to connect the two. Extremely ugly and prob took more time to do those welds than to do it correctly.

[@chrisbrady-t1u]

Wait a second.Didnt you say I wouldnt need a jig or fixture or special tools?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

I made a short video explaining how I did my first 2 choppers without a frame jig. While it can be done without one using a frame rack is always preferred.

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

I have about a thousand dollars invested in this frame rack. It would cost less than that if you didn't buy the rotisserie parts. I'd rather spend the money on a frame rack rather than pay someone else to do a frame for me. Nothing like having bragging rights and being able to say, "I did it myself".

[@mansoor-martyhassan9206]

Been waiting for this video ally life... Thanks for putting out

[@danielburke4113]

Good job. Lots of explaining the process.

[@eloyanzaldua7433]

I just mark the back post nearest to seat post n down tubes, then cut, then heat back tube nearest to seat post n slightly bend upwards bout 11/2", then properly fill in with cold roll n cut pieces from a trashed frame. Align all marks n weld properly. My buds used to freak when i do it this way but after 30 yrs yhey quit bitching. I find it to b much easier. No on one ever taught me this way but it just seemed easier so i just kept doing it that way. No one i kno does it my way but ive raked n streched many choppers this way. Try it some time.

[@carlodangelo8348]

great teaching

[@somoss0117]

Great video

[@DailForster]

Started with 30° rake, raked 10° more, added 5 more in the trees. 45° rake. Whats the over on the front end? 16-18 inch?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@DailForster I'm going off memory, but I think I used 4" longer tubes.

[@Nunya369]

After doing this rake, can the existing forks be reused or do we need new longer forks?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

No, you will need longer forks. I think we needed 4" longer fork tubes on this build.

[@kingoncommonlaw130]

How high can u stretch the frame before u have to lengthen the back bone?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

If you go up at all, you need to lengthen the backbone.

[@darealist777]

Could you have put plate to start rather then welds

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@darealist777 I don't understand what you're asking about. What do you mean by "plate"?

[@darealist777]

Instead of welding like you were 3:30 could you use plate and template like 9:46

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@darealist777 The main part of the neck (3:30) is over an inch thick and that's where most of the strength comes from. The webbing under that (9:46) is just for added strength. The plate webbing I added is only about 3/16 thick. While it helps making it stronger in the vertical plane it would not be thick enough to resist bending from sideways or twisting forces. I hope I'm explaining that well enough. If I only used the plate steel to reattach the neck it wouldn't be thick enough to resist bending side to side or twisting. The more rake you put on a frame the more stress the neck has to endure.

[@darealist777]

@@WitchcraftCycleWorks yep that's what I was wondering

[@riffraffchoppers]

Hooooly shit this is a terrible way to stretch a frame my god. Why would you but the frame back up to neck??? And cut out the back bone and put a new one ?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

I'm curious as to what is so terrible about this?

[@riffraffchoppers]

@@WitchcraftCycleWorks building up the weld like that is insane for something with that much vibration. Very half ass way to do it really regardless if it holds up and horribly ugly

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@riffraffchoppers Wow! You seem to be angry about how I do stuff.

[@riffraffchoppers]

@@WitchcraftCycleWorks naw just pointing out the obvious. You obviously have some fab skills why not take your time and do it right and better?

[@WitchcraftCycleWorks]

@@riffraffchoppers Who gets to say what is right or better? This is custom work. People are free to build whatever they want. I have built choppers in the fashion that you described. This one was one of my wife's bikes and she wanted the neck to look as stock as possible. As long as it is safe who is to say if one design is better than another? This whole argument seems to be because you think laying a series of welds on top of each other somehow creates stress cracks. This is done daily on ships, high rise buildings and heavy mining equipment all of which are subject to far more stress than a motorcycle. Had I done as you say and cut the spine out and extend it to the neck, I would then have quarter inch thick DOM tubing welded to the neck. With full penetration the weld is only a quarter inch thick. The way I did it on this bike the weld is over an inch thick. Both ways are more than strong enough to hold up. I assure you my design is in no danger of cracking apart. The first chopper I built like this was over 7 years ago and has several thousands of miles on it so far. If it wasn't safe I wouldn't have my wife riding on it.