Help to I.D. my TI frame
- Thread starter stinus
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That's a nice frame, but aside from the overall shape, I can't see any detailed similarities with my KHS TiLite. If it is a KHS, I think it must be made by a different builder. Cable stops, cable stop positions, seat tube slot (both length and aspect), brake bosses, dropouts are all different.
However if the dimensions were the same as my KHS, that would add weight to a possibility of it being a later KHS made by a different builder. You could give the seat tube c-c and c-t, the c-c top tube, the head tube and the chainstay lengths. It would be interesting to know how they compare.
I think it is beyond doubt that my frame was made by Litespeed in some sense. All the details, fittings etc are the same as Litespeed details and Litespeed made all their own fittings. However that doesn't explain how KHS were able to sell them for £700, so I feel there is more to learn about that. However it might explain why they had later frames made elsewhere if they couldn't make a profit at Litespeed's prices. All the fittings would then be those available to the new builder. Ti KHS frames were still available up to c99 in the UK.
However if the dimensions were the same as my KHS, that would add weight to a possibility of it being a later KHS made by a different builder. You could give the seat tube c-c and c-t, the c-c top tube, the head tube and the chainstay lengths. It would be interesting to know how they compare.
I think it is beyond doubt that my frame was made by Litespeed in some sense. All the details, fittings etc are the same as Litespeed details and Litespeed made all their own fittings. However that doesn't explain how KHS were able to sell them for £700, so I feel there is more to learn about that. However it might explain why they had later frames made elsewhere if they couldn't make a profit at Litespeed's prices. All the fittings would then be those available to the new builder. Ti KHS frames were still available up to c99 in the UK.
mechagouki
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The crimped stays and simple dropouts are saying post cold war russian to me. Check inside the headtube and bb for rainbow weld oxidization, if you see none it's probably a good one, if you do see it, assume it will crack, sooner or later.
What do these abysmal Soviet welds look like then?
I wonder whether there may be some exaggeration sometimes. There is no doubt that much of the earth's reeserves of titanium are in the Soviet Union. There is also no doubt that, with the ending of the Cold War, many highly skilled Russian aerospace welders were in need of new work. Was the result really so bad?
It just makes me think how brave they are, all those people who get onto a Soviet airliner every day, dicing with death as to whether any of the hundreds of thousands of crude abysmal welds that keep the wings on etc is going to crack and fail that day.
All aboard, all aboard, Suicide Airlines Flight 999 is now boarding. All passengers get ready for your journey to your final destination!
I wonder whether there may be some exaggeration sometimes. There is no doubt that much of the earth's reeserves of titanium are in the Soviet Union. There is also no doubt that, with the ending of the Cold War, many highly skilled Russian aerospace welders were in need of new work. Was the result really so bad?
It just makes me think how brave they are, all those people who get onto a Soviet airliner every day, dicing with death as to whether any of the hundreds of thousands of crude abysmal welds that keep the wings on etc is going to crack and fail that day.
All aboard, all aboard, Suicide Airlines Flight 999 is now boarding. All passengers get ready for your journey to your final destination!
I think Anthony may have a point here.
We used to have a brand over here, magmaa, that specialised in ti frames.
I remember they bought all Ti from russia, claiming they had the best experience, and a greater choise of tubes, quality and general know how.
This is just reffering to what i remember reading and speaking with'em,
Me personally don't know a bit about Ti or any kind of metal excep the heavy one!
We used to have a brand over here, magmaa, that specialised in ti frames.
I remember they bought all Ti from russia, claiming they had the best experience, and a greater choise of tubes, quality and general know how.
This is just reffering to what i remember reading and speaking with'em,
Me personally don't know a bit about Ti or any kind of metal excep the heavy one!
Do remember soviet Ti being used on the M Trax frames, but that was bonded so an entirley diferent reason for any failure
Some of the Taiwan Ti builds also had the same criticism levelled at it, more likely it was propogated by the boutique brands to justify the prices in comparison
There again the fine welding on Moots, Merlin, Seven etc is very pleasing to the eye, but doesn't come cheap and good to have an alternative
Some of the Taiwan Ti builds also had the same criticism levelled at it, more likely it was propogated by the boutique brands to justify the prices in comparison
There again the fine welding on Moots, Merlin, Seven etc is very pleasing to the eye, but doesn't come cheap and good to have an alternative
mechagouki
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Actually, Soviet era planes did (and still do) have a bit of a habit of falling out of the sky. But don't just take my word for it:
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_new...russian-air-crash-leads-to-more-hand-wringing
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_new...russian-air-crash-leads-to-more-hand-wringing
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