makotosun
Avoiding creeping perfection!
I don't know where to really put this build, but I have hinted about it with my signature for some time. It is really kind of a Motocross base, but it's intended use is more street than trail. Given the trends in bikes I see here I think it may be an interesting stepchild build.
It all started in 2007, when I brought home a 1971 Yamaha DT1 that had been turned into a motocrosser back in the 70's. It had been ridden hard and put away wet a number of times, but the price was right and it had a tone of neat period correct race parts from back then. So one dark and rainy night in December, it followed me home . . .
I needed good paperwork before I would really build in earnest, so after much trial and tribulation, (and a couple of years in storage) I was able to chase down the name of the last registered owner (two or three transactions before the one I acquired it from) who I discovered was living in "the home" and couldn't recognize anyone, much less sign over any paperwork. I was lucky. Turns out it was owned by a real motorhead who apparently raced it back in the day!
His brother was his guardian and was able to sign off, but not before I got the full story of the invasion of North Africa in WWII! A 4 hour round trip, an hour of stories, a trip to the Oregon DMV then a trip to the Washingto DMV and I have plates and a registration with a title in my name in transit! ;D
Some of the cool parts that came with the deal:
Akront Shouldered rims and hubs from a MX:
An A&A Racing http://www.aaracing.com/ period correct flat track rear fender:
MX shocks and front end as well as completely stripped of street wiring, lighting etc. The seat was a ratty thing and it was set up to run pre-mix. A neat surprise was a frame coating that seemed to be an early version of powder coating!
All in all a nice base for a full on build. I wanted to go with a flat tracker/MX inspired street legal bike that could have been build as a factory "Works" model. We'll see where this goes.
It all started in 2007, when I brought home a 1971 Yamaha DT1 that had been turned into a motocrosser back in the 70's. It had been ridden hard and put away wet a number of times, but the price was right and it had a tone of neat period correct race parts from back then. So one dark and rainy night in December, it followed me home . . .
I needed good paperwork before I would really build in earnest, so after much trial and tribulation, (and a couple of years in storage) I was able to chase down the name of the last registered owner (two or three transactions before the one I acquired it from) who I discovered was living in "the home" and couldn't recognize anyone, much less sign over any paperwork. I was lucky. Turns out it was owned by a real motorhead who apparently raced it back in the day!
His brother was his guardian and was able to sign off, but not before I got the full story of the invasion of North Africa in WWII! A 4 hour round trip, an hour of stories, a trip to the Oregon DMV then a trip to the Washingto DMV and I have plates and a registration with a title in my name in transit! ;D
Some of the cool parts that came with the deal:
Akront Shouldered rims and hubs from a MX:
An A&A Racing http://www.aaracing.com/ period correct flat track rear fender:
MX shocks and front end as well as completely stripped of street wiring, lighting etc. The seat was a ratty thing and it was set up to run pre-mix. A neat surprise was a frame coating that seemed to be an early version of powder coating!
All in all a nice base for a full on build. I wanted to go with a flat tracker/MX inspired street legal bike that could have been build as a factory "Works" model. We'll see where this goes.