would you trust these welds....

[thebaileylee]

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107489

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Why don't you ask the guy that did them, he's on here. ;-)

[Triple Jim]

I don't know the situation, and whether you might now own it and are asking for safety reasons, and I mean no offense to the guy who welded it, but no, I would not ride that motorcycle with the welds as shown in the photos.

[guzziownr]

Some welds are more artistic than others.  A little customization from Antietam Classic Cycle.  Early T-3 swingarm modded for use in a '75 Eldorado.

[arveno]

yes , why not ?
I have seen worst on HD choppers .... and none of them broke.

[MotoG5]

Personally I would grind them out and reweld. I have been a power plant welder for quite a few years and I will admit to being somewhat picky.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Some welds are more artistic than others.  A little customization from Antietam Classic Cycle.  Early T-3 swingarm modded for use in a '75 Eldorado.

Just to be clear, I did not weld that. I only wish I could weld that good. It was actually done by Curtis Fisk at Full Circle V-Twin in Hagerstown, MD.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I would say not pretty but stuck.   A stick welder would be the last method I'd choose for that job, though.

[LaMojo]

I would say not pretty but stuck.   A stick welder would be the last method I'd choose for that job, though.

:1:  The welds don't appear to have much penetration - I wouldn't trust it especially with the long leverage and impact loading it will have to resist.  But after years of designing and inspecting structural steel, I may be too critical.

[guzzisteve]

The gusset plates are plenty big and welding is good enough. Ever look at a Ural or their sidecars?  Not any better, sidecar stuff is crooked w/welded together. 

[Triple Jim]

The problem is that you can't tell if those welds will hold during use by looking at them.  In my younger days, equipped with a 120V input 50A stick welder, I made a few welds that looked like that, and had more than one suddenly break completely loose without warning.  Luckily I never trusted any of them in a safety related application.  If you have to take out the grinder to knock down the big bumpy welds, it's because of what LaMojo said, the welds didn't penetrate, and are mostly sitting on top.

I later learned the term for making welds like that:  "Hanging grapes."

[mtiberio]

I have heard it said, that if you have to grind your welds after welding to make them look pretty, you are a grinder, not a welder...

[Waltr]

Just to be clear, I did not weld that. I only wish I could weld that good. It was actually done by Curtis Fisk at Full Circle V-Twin in Hagerstown, MD.

Is this a stick weld?   

[Triple Jim]

Is this a stick weld?

I don't mean to butt in, but that's a TIG weld.

[Waltr]

That is what I thought, still nice weld.   I thought I was missing some new innovation in stick weld technology.  I have seen some real nice stick welds but nothing that even.

[Triple Jim]

When I had the crummy little stick welder and an oxy-acetylene setup in my own shop, I did most of my welding with gas.  Then at my first engineering job, we hired a welder to put together a full scale all-aluminum model of an M1 tank that I had helped design.  He let me try his TIG machine and gave me a little instruction.  I was hooked from that moment.  It was very much like gas welding, and even allowed real-time heat adjustment with the pedal.  I could go as slow or as fast as I wanted, with no slag or dangerous spattering.  In the 30 years since I bought a TIG welder, I have used the gas setup only for things like heat treating and cutting, and stick only on rare occasions, and that was with the TIG machine set up for stick.

[guzzimatic]

That is what we call a row of dimes.A very nice TIG weld.A long time ago as an apprentice Boilermaker working on a nuke I was pimping a welder who could only hold a steady bead for 3 inches,starts and stops were terrible.Everything was X-rayed and if it failed I had to air-arc it out the next day,NO FUN...so I figured out I could grind out the first and last 2 inches and make this guy pass X-ray! My pusher(foreman) was very pleased!

[Rough Edge racing]

 The row of dimes is nice to see ...but the real quality of the weld is proper penetration...

[boatdetective]

The welds look pretty hideous to me. I'd have to agree with the others.  In this case- weld failure literally could mean your life.  I don't know why anyone would use a stick welder on a motorcycle anyway. MIG machines have become so inexpensive and really have improved tremendously. Of course i love TIG- but it takes a lot of practice to get proficient. MIG will give you a consistent, clean weld that should be way easier for the mere mortal to achieve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4RrDeUKcH4

[Rough Edge racing]

  are welds on a Moto Guzzi TIG or MIG?

[Chuck in Indiana]

MIG

[Stevex]

I'm not convinced that headstock's even straight. A couple of iron bars and a G-clamp do not a jig make.

[boatdetective]

I'm not convinced that headstock's even straight. A couple of iron bars and a G-clamp do not a jig make.

Oh come on- don't be a wuss.  What's the worst that could happen   

[Perazzimx14]

Is this a stick weld?

No that is "slap weld". Slap it on and hope it sticks. I'd trust JB weld over that set of "welding" skills. I am a pipefitter by trade and been around some of the best welders in the piping industry. I would be embarrassed to show stuff like that and something like that would never leave our fab shop or be produce in the field.

 

[Perazzimx14]

Just to be clear, I did not weld that. I only wish I could weld that good. It was actually done by Curtis Fisk at Full Circle V-Twin in Hagerstown, MD.

If you have natural talent I have guys that can bring it out and teach you to weld like that in short order. The biggest thing is having the natural talent. I have guys that practice their a$$ off and will never be good welders. Welding is an art a toxic art! It is linked to several horrible diseases like Parkinson's and is hell on your eyes, lungs and internal organs. I learned early on in my apprenticeship I didn't have the talent to be a welder and in the long run I'm glad I didn't. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

If you have natural talent I have guys that can bring it out and teach you to weld like that in short order. The biggest thing is having the natural talent. I have guys that practice their a$$ off and will never be good welders. Welding is an art a toxic art! It is linked to several horrible diseases like Parkinson's and is hell on your eyes, lungs and internal organs. I learned early on in my apprenticeship I didn't have the talent to be a welder and in the long run I'm glad I didn't.

Like painting, it can kill ya. <shrug> Good ventilation is a must. Almost all the welders I knew at a GM plant where I worked died from brain cancer. (!!) That said, it's all about puddle control.. you *have* to be able to see the edge of the  puddle. I've taught several guys to ox acetylene weld on aircraft structures. Once you can weld with a torch and understand puddle control, the rest are easy.

[twowings]

The row of dimes is nice to see ...but the real quality of the weld is proper penetration...

This person knows what he is talking about...without penetration you are just making a metal scab that will fail in time...usually not the ideal time...

[cleatusj]

I did not ask a one of you to trust my welds, but I sure trust them over half the great looking mig welds I've watched others lay down. I have no doubt as to the penetration.  The neck is straighter than several stock Guzzi frames that the factory chose to sell.

I buy and build my bikes to ride and ride hard, if you do less that is your problem.

I have never said that a pipe/boiler welder could not weld, but most that I have met seem to think no one else can and if stick is so bad why is that the way bridges are welded.

[Triple Jim]

...and if stick is so bad why is that the way bridges are welded.

There's nothing wrong with stick welding as a process at all, Cleatus.  I'm sure you know it's often used for simplicity (no fancy equipment needed), and when you need a lot of high-current penetration for big welds on heavy steel sections.  I stick welded this bending die a few decades ago.  It's 1/2" carbon steel.

[cleatusj]

This California sees more off pavement and off road than a majority of dual sport adventure bikes ever do. Last spring it ran all but the extreme expert single track of a dual sport off road challenge. The front knobby was what came with the KTM 640 front end and will be replaced with a DOT knobby. The sidecar keeps it off most single track.