Every time I feel discouraged about not getting my pieced together bike back together thinking about selling it . I look on here and find inspiration. Don’t know if that’s good or bad lol
This thing wasn't much more than a foot wide ! I'm way to fat to be riding something like this, probably look like the circus bear on the tricycle LOL
My Bud has a green one purchased 1969 . Only one to be ground the day he stepped foot back into Cinti from Viet Nam .Sold the 48 Pan to purchase it . 250.00 sale
Hang in there Okie Pete. I'm 71 and this is my latest project, a 1961 BSA. Should have it on the road by this afternoon.
Back in the very early 70's I was in the market for an old Harley. I searched and searched for a rigid-frame model. The first I came up with was a basket case knuckle head. The guy was asking $200 and I kept looking. Finally found a complete '54 pan in running condition. I paid less than $500 for it.
A few months ago I posted some photos of this as it was still apart in my garage. Couldn’t do much as I was recovering from a hospital stay and between loss of strength, winter with an unheated garage and just hurting from what I went through. Finally started putting it together as the weather improved and I felt better. Had a few battles with it. One as advertised “reproduction” part didn’t fit, it became a battle with the online business to get a refund. Then oil leaks from the top end rocker shafts, P/N 11101 from H-D wouldn’t seal it neither did the Drag Specialties Teflon seals. Finally got some James Gaskets 11101X seals, slightly smaller diameter and thicker and those did the trick. Starter failed the other night, bad relay. Fortunately I had a small screwdriver stashed to jump the solenoid at eleven o’clock in the gym parking lot. Free “batwing” fairing from an ex coworker, stopped by his house last week and picked it up. Mounted it, looks good. Had one that came off this bike years ago, gave it to a friend from his bike. So, full circle comes back around! Paint shade is a bit off, another winter project. Having a windshield cut down,,that might be done by the weekend. Onto the next adventure.
One of the all time greats, changed motorcycling forever. If I bought another bike it'd be a '69-'76 CB750.
My only critique is that on this Honda, you sit on the seat as compared to the Harley where you are wrapped around the bike (if that makes any sense). With that being said, you surely cannot deny the engineering, and the ungodly quickness of the bike. Denver Mullins made a bundle of CB750 Choppers and were/are very well received.
As an old buddy of mine would say, "The difference between a Honda and a Harley is you show up on a Honda but you ARRIVE on a Harley". Needless to say, he rode a Harley!
I was a tech and the service manager of both Honda/Yamaha/KTM/Polaris and H-D/Buell dealerships younger in life. I actually built an Amen hardtail frame CB750 chopper back in my teens in the '90s for another one of the mechanics, and later did quite a few H-D based choppers/"pro-street" bikes as well. Love 'em all, myself....here's a real deal '70s CB based bike I spotted the other day on a roadie in the Merc. Younger guy in his 20s riding it.
I have to make this comment about the picture from Street Chopper Magazine above. If the bike was to be in a magazine and @jnaki or Robert K Smith were taking the photos, they would have had the owner remove the red tag and clean the tires. That's just my opinion.
Hello, Thanks for the nice comments. Robert K. Smith was an editor at those magazines and we got to be good friends. When I was getting out of the photography end of magazines, I sold my complete 2.25 x 2.25 size camera system to him on a great discount. The complete kit, action trigger, multiple telephoto lens unit replacement, extra backs, flash and countless rolls of 2.25 x 2.25 Ektachrome film all went to him in the nice leather satchel bag. Lockable and lightweight for photo shoots. Out west, there was a time when nothing except for Harleys were accepted as custom motorcycles. But, with the numerous hot rod and motorcycle shows in So Cal and in Northern Cal, some Triumphs and Hondas began to creep into the custom builds. Yes, as a photographer, we saw the trends as we saw the builders of the top customs, “Not Harleys.” The one thing that made the Hondas acceptable were the multiple exhaust pipes. At least they were even and that made designing them easier than the three cylinder pipes of the later Triumphs. I usually went to the custom motorcycle photoshoots on my Harley. I tied on the leather case with the 2.25 stuff inside. On top of that case, I had my 35mm stuff in an old army backpack. It was stuffed enough to act as a backrest for me, while riding my Harley to and from the photo shoot. Riding long distance without my wife acting as a nice back rest was what I needed. The photo backpack acted as my wife in absentia. Ha! The longest ride was Laguna Beach to San Bernardino in the East. I also went the opposite direction, to Camarillo on the way to Santa Barbara. But, usually, a Santa Barbara road trip was in the 327 powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery for comfort and a longer vacation time. Jnaki Yes, those little things make a complete photo stand out. So, I did do those things. But, it takes a good eye to see that hinderance in the photo shoot. The car shows are harder to not get people standing in the background. But, on those days where everyone is bringing in their cars or bikes, move in day, it creates a time when one can get a good shot of the hot rod or bike in a show. But, yes, at a photo shoot, the photographer has the eye to get the set up correct prior to the final shot. I noticed that the custom bike is nicely done, but those editors would have told me to get some color into the photo. Blue on green is a hard sell… So, the owner’s girl friend or wife could be a stand in model… or not…YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
