Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
CB750 Café Racer With Class
Brad Bartkus was so kind to send me and e-mail with some photos of his super classy CB750. The balance between originality and cool Café Racer is super sharp in this build, and I really like this bike. And the Yoshimura exhaust is a tell tell sign that this is no sissy bike!!!
And please pay attention to the tachometer decals! Mr. Bartkus explained to me that the Kanji symbols mean Kamikaze, but I believe it says “Rev higher than this point and dad will kick your ass!!!” But my Japanese may be a bit rusty??? I could be mistaken???
Godffery's Garage - Café Overkill
About three weeks ago an e-mail dropped into my cling on for dear life mailbox. This mail was from Mr. Jeff Stephens aka. Godffery, saying; “I’ve been fallowing your blog, and it’s good to see your back up and running. I may have some content for you?”
And yes indeed he did, a link with access to literally hundreds of pictures of his work. A treasure chamber of Honda goodies, straight out of Godffery's Garage - a little shop operate out of his home in Burlington WI
Unfortunately I have not had the time to go through all of this material yet, and hope to do a follow up at some point?
But what I will do, is to do something out of the ordinary! Namely put a CB550 on this blog!?! Sacrilege?!? Well have a look at it and see what you think?
Well this spoiled lady of a 1978 Honda CB550K, is not a stranger on the internet. She has been on Discovery channel’s Café Racer TV, Bike EXIF, and it was featured in the Oct/Nov 2011 issue of Café Racer Magazine.
When customer Richard Coasby gave Mr. Godffery a budget that would allow him to build something really special, he did.
Mr. Godffery says this about the build: The donor bike was rough to say the least, so I didn’t feel too bad cutting into it or tossing what was left of the stock parts. [...] The suspension & hydraulic clutch were probably the most challenging of the mods; why twin shocks instead of a mono? Everyone is doing mono conversions. Why exterior fork springs? I just liked the vintage look. Why go hydraulic on the clutch? I hadn’t seen it done yet on a CB550 and it would help the lever action with the Heavy Duty Barnett clutch plates & springs.
This bike was built to be ridden; there are a lot of real interesting builds out there but just not practical to ride. You’ve probably here the expression “MotoPorn” You know, really nice too look at but no touching; Well I like to think of this one being a little more like a MotoProstitute because you can actually wrap your legs around it and ride it as hard as you like…!!!
I fully agree on the last part! If you make a bike you are afraid to crash, you have build a sculpture NOT a motorcycle! But crashing this baby would be a bitter pill to swallow!!!
There are too many things on this bike that I would like to tell you about, but the blog format really do not allow me to do so. But I will leave a list of specs at the end of this post, for you all to study.
List of mods & parts:
Frame modifications by Randy http://www.framecrafters.net/
Tank, Seat & exhaust http://www.benjiescaferacer.
Custom bits and pieces http://www.power-barn.com/
Billet aluminum exhaust clamps, tappet covers, oil cap & triple clamp nut.
Brake plate [Rear] – Vented & lightened.
Brake adjusters – Removed from fork lowers, allowing for free floating.
Cam & Valve springs – WebCam.
Carburetors – Keihin CR26.
Clip-on handlebars – Telefix.
Clutch actuator – converted to accept Yoyodyne hydraulic slave.
Clutch cover – Oil sight glass added.
Cylinder head – Ported.
Dual disc conversion – Modified stock Drilled & thinned.
Electronic Ignition & Coils by DYNA.
Electrics – Relocated under seat.
Exhaust – (Special requested 6” shorter & with heal guards) 4 into 2 stainless steel, by Benji’s.
Fenders [Front & rear] – Modified Ducati.
Fender brace [Front] – hand fabricated aluminum.
Fork tubes – 50.4mm over from Forking by Frank’s.
Fork brace – Tarozzi (modified for fender brace).
Fuel tank & Bump seat – Aluminum, by Benji’s.
Gauge face – Replaced with custom & turned 45°.
Headlight ears – Cast aluminum, from Mike’s XS.
Headlight & bucket - Modified Ducati.
Hydraulic lines [Clutch & Brakes] – Red braded stainless steel from Slingshot Cycles.
Idiot lights – Built into gauge face with LED’s.
Ignition [Coils, Timing & Leads] Dynatek.
Intake manifolds – Ported and modified to except Carb balancing tubes.
Master cylinders [Brake & Clutch] - radial Nissin.
Oil pressure gauge – Added directly into oil pump.
Oil temperature gauge – Added to billet filler cap nut.
Oil filter adapter – Randakks.
Polished Alloy – By Mike’s polishing.
Rearsets – Tarozzi from Fast from the Past.
Rearset support brackets – Hand fabricated aircraft aluminum.
Sprocket cover – Vented, lightened and modified to accept oil pressure gauge.
Steering dampener – Multi setting Daytona.
Suspension [Front] – Internal springs replaced with modified 69 CB450 external springs.
Suspension [Rear] – Dual inboard using modified stock swingarm. Fabricated by FrameCrafters.
Tail light – Austin Healey / Triumph TR3.
Tires – Dunlop K81.
Timing cover – Clear acrylic, engraved by Frankenstuff.
Triple tree [Top] – Removed handlebar clamps & gauge mounts from stock.
Wheels - 18” Akront aluminum shouldered rims and stainless steel spokes from Buchanan’s.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Honda CR750 - Follow Up
Last year a showed you this great CR750 replica from the Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2010. Now I have found this clip on youtube that is very nice, and shows a lot of the bikes details. Have fun!
See old story here: http://clingonforlife.blogspot.com/2010/11/cr750-replica-at-tokyo-motorcycle-show.html
Friday, 25 November 2011
F**ck It! It is Friday....
... So let's get out there and ride with the gang (Asian Style) ! ! !
Yoshimura Daytona CB750K Camshaft
Oh my god! To put the four words, Yoshimura, Daytona, CB750 and Camshaft in one sentence, is grand!
As some of you may know, this is NOT a camshaft, this is a magic wand.
Buy this product here:
Yoshimura Mikuni TMR-MJN32
As an alternative to Keihin CR carps, for your CB750, the Yoshimura Mikuni TMR-MJN32 carp set is a top of the line product with one extra millimeter in boresize. And more is more, right?!?
Mainly sold in Japan this luxury item is hard to get, and hard to pay for! But holy mother of Jesus it looks sexy. The carps can be ordered in metal, or dark green black, with red tops - Mmmmm! The set comes with aluminium velocity stack, and not the plastic thing you get with the Keihin carps. I LIKE IT!
Buy this product here:
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Mike Hailwood & Honda At Isle Of Man - 1967
In 1967 Mike Hailwood and Honda won what many historians consider to be the most dramatic Isle of Man race of all time. Fighting against such motorcycle racers as the notorious Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood made the record braking average speed lap of 175.05 Km/h.
It took 8 years before this record was broken.
