I'm making my own motorcycle frame but I'm curious to know what type of metal alloy is best to use in terms of weight, strength, and durability(stainless steel? Iron? etc) Are these metal tubes available on the market? What are they? What are they made of? How much do they cost per meter? Are they easy to weld?
As many different alloys as there are motorcycles, typically a cro-moly for modern bikes for weight and strengthHowever, aluminum and mild steel have been used extensivelyReally depends on your application, i.eengine size, type of bike etcStainless is usually to:expensive,heavy,prone to fatigue except for very specific applicationsCro-moly and high carbon steel can be difficult to weld and still retain good strength characteristics, same for aluminum leaving TIG as the only practical method with these materialsMild steel will weld up quite nicely with oxy-acetyleneIn short, plan on mild steel and having a serviceable frame that is somewhat weaker and heavier then technically feasible Of course, lots of money changes everything.
WHY are you asking this in the mental health section?
