Tubing Bender for Building Motorcycle Frames.

A tubing bender guide for the novice and professional bike builder.

If you want to build a motorcycle or chopper frame yourself, you will need to learn techniques for using a tubing bender. After all, bike frames are made of metal tubing which is welded together and, in some locations, curved by the tube bending process.

The design of your frame must consider the horsepower and size of the engine which will be supported by the frame as well as the type of metal used to construction the frame. The three types of tubing used for bending a frame are, in order of strength, Chrome-Moly, Drawn over Mandrel (DOM), or Electric Resistance Welded (ERW).

Whatever type of tube you plan to bend, you'll need to have access to a tubing bender. If you choose to purchase one, you will find that you'll need any investment of $300 for the least expensive as well as die sets which cost from $150 to $300 for each size of tubing you plan to bend for your frame. There are less expensive bow-type tubing- bender which hold the tubing between a pair of rollers while the die presses in to form the bend, but these are not recommended because they do not compress the tube in such a way that the sidewall shape is true.

If you are really into frame building and plan to create frames from all three types of tubing and for various engines, you may well find that, with accessories, you'll end up with over $1,000 invested in a good tube bender with dies. Of course, if you wish, you can thttp://www.custom-choppers-guide.com/tube-bending.htmlake your tubing to a professional motorcycle frame builder and have your tubing bent to your design blueprint specifications.

Your small workshop may use one of many different tube (pipe) bender styles, either hydraulic or mechanical. Generally, tube benders curve the tube along the horizontal plane. It is a good idea to bend the tube so that the weld is not along the top or bottom of the bend, but off-center. This adds strength to your frame bend.

Whether you purchase blueprints for your frame or design it yourself, you'll need to keep in mind that, when using the tubing bender to create frame curves, the tube may have to be bent slightly more than the degrees desired due to the fact that tubing has some spring back or memory. The over-bend will depend on the type of tubing being bend, the diameter, die radius, and tubing thickness. An example recently encountered when using a magnetic base dial angle finder to create a 90 degree bend, nearly 94 degrees were required when using the tubing bender to obtain a perfect 90 degree bend.

But you will almost never need a 90 degree bend for a chopper or bobber frame. You won't need a 90 degree bend on any of our frame plans.

If you design your own frame, keep in mind that safety comes first, so you'll need to be sure your geometry and design are going to properly support your motorcycle configuration. If you have never used a tubing bender before, you'll also want to practice some bends before actually beginning using the tubing bender to shape your frame. The process is not rocket science, but it is a critical part of your overall motorcycle or chopper safety and performance.

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