Big Guy From Jersey

B

BLVCKxSCVLE

New Member
To start off I'm Chris from West New York, NJ. I am 22 and have been on 2 wheels since as far back as I can remember, I've always had a love for bicycles and as I got a bit older Motorcycles and such. I have been watching this site for about the past 4 months but did not have time until now to be active.

I would have to say that my biggest obstacle would have to be that I do not have mechanical skills (cleaning or maintaining an engine, welding, frame cutting ect.) but my biggest advantage is that I have an incredible amount of heart. I finish what I start and I love to learn new things.

I would like to purchase a bike from craigslist within the next few months, if anyone has any advice as to what to look out for (good & bad) I'm all open ears. I am anxious to meet and make new friends through DTT, you'll definitely hear back from me sooner than later!
 
Rich84vw said:
hey im from jersey too. i have a feeling i may be the only guy from south jersey though..... :-\
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What part of S Jersey do you reside? Also I'm still taking opinions or advice on a good starter bike to shop around for
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
What part of S Jersey do you reside? Also I'm still taking opinions or advice on a good starter bike to shop around for
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i grew up in ocean city but currently im like 25 minutes west of atlantic city.

i got a honda to start with. this is the first legit bike i've owned (have had mopeds and ridden a good bit of dirtbikes though) and after some research they seem to be the most versatile and easy to get parts for out of all the vintage stuff, and you can get them for cheap. also alot of people have them so its likely that when somehting breaks, someone out there has already had your problem and knows how to fix it. i guess the fact that alot of people have them is the down side though too haha. mine was only 400 bucks but i kind of wanted something to fix up, and also something i wasnt gonna feel bad completely hacking/welding up the way i wanted.
 
Well, since the Jersey crowd is chiming in, I guess I'll join in. I'm from Mount Holly in Burlington county. Technically it's South-West Central Jersey, but really it's just a suburb of Philly. To the OP, congrats on catching the bug and I hope you find a good candidate for a build. CBs tend to be very popular since they're plentiful and lots of parts and info is readily available. Same goes for Yamaha XS bikes. If you plan to do most of the work yourself and are looking for a "learning experience" start with something simple like a twin. Read up as much as you can and then get started!
 
hardline_42 said:
Well, since the Jersey crowd is chiming in, I guess I'll join in. I'm from Mount Holly in Burlington county. Technically it's South-West Central Jersey, but really it's just a suburb of Philly. To the OP, congrats on catching the bug and I hope you find a good candidate for a build. CBs tend to be very popular since they're plentiful and lots of parts and info is readily available. Same goes for Yamaha XS bikes. If you plan to do most of the work yourself and are looking for a "learning experience" start with something simple like a twin. Read up as much as you can and then get started!
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definitely will take the advice, btw which bike is a twin?
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
definitely will take the advice, btw which bike is a twin?
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"Twin" in the vintage bike context usually refers to parallel twins (two cylinders right next to each other, oriented vertically) as opposed to "v-twins" or "opposing-twins" etc. There are plenty out there, from the low-displacement CB175 all the way up to the Triumph Thunderbird at 1600ccs and anything in between.
They all operate in pretty much the same way except that they have different crank angles with pros and cons to each. The XS twins have a 360* anlge meaning the pistons rise and fall together. This makes the ignition simpler and allows the use of a single carb if you want, but the vibration is very noticeable and sometimes uncomfortable at high RPMs (and at idle, if you're a pansy). CBs like the 350, 360, 450 and 500 all have a 180* crank angle which helps keep displacement consistant and reduces vibes, but you have to have a separate ignition for each cylinder.
In any case, do your research and look for something that will fit your riding style. All the older Jap bikes are very reliable and easy to work on.
 
hardline_42 said:
"Twin" in the vintage bike context usually refers to parallel twins (two cylinders right next to each other, oriented vertically) as opposed to "v-twins" or "opposing-twins" etc. There are plenty out there, from the low-displacement CB175 all the way up to the Triumph Thunderbird at 1600ccs and anything in between.
They all operate in pretty much the same way except that they have different crank angles with pros and cons to each. The XS twins have a 360* anlge meaning the pistons rise and fall together. This makes the ignition simpler and allows the use of a single carb if you want, but the vibration is very noticeable and sometimes uncomfortable at high RPMs (and at idle, if you're a pansy). CBs like the 350, 360, 450 and 500 all have a 180* crank angle which helps keep displacement consistant and reduces vibes, but you have to have a separate ignition for each cylinder.
In any case, do your research and look for something that will fit your riding style. All the older Jap bikes are very reliable and easy to work on.
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thanks a mil hardline for takin' some time out to drop knowledge on me... First decision I will make before I can decide which brand of bike is amount of CC's. When I named this thread "Big Guy From Jersey" I meant it lol. Im 5'11 or 5'10 and pushing 290
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
thanks a mil hardline for takin' some time out to drop knowledge on me... First decision I will make before I can decide which brand of bike is amount of CC's. When I named this thread "Big Guy From Jersey" I meant it lol. Im 5'11 or 5'10 and pushing 290
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my honda is a '72 cl350. same as the cb only it came with some slight variations that made it a little more offroadable(like high exhaust pipes). i like the size/power of it alot but im also like 5'7" 150lbs. my buddy is like 5'11" and he bought a bigger cb500 twin. i think its a '74. they're also dohc so the power to weight is a little better. the cb750s and 550s are even bigger but theyre 4 cylinders so they have 4 carbs and are a fair bit more complex, they are also a lot faster though if thats important to you. just more tuning and stuff as well.
 
I was definitely taking a loooong look at 750's on CraigsList. I have two questions though, the 750four and the 750 difference also do any 1000's make good cafe candidates? I saw a few 1980 XS 1100 Special while lookin' around Craiglist. Lastly in everyones opinion how cheap or how expensive should the bike you buy for your project be? Also are there any years that are just shunned upon for cafe's? (80's or newer bikes for example)
 
wanker any thoughts on how a 750 or a 650 would do on speed with a big guy like myself? ( 280-290 lbs.) Any thoughts on my other questions from recent posts?
 
BLVCKxSCVLE said:
wanker any thoughts on how a 750 or a 650 would do on speed with a big guy like myself? ( 280-290 lbs.) Any thoughts on my other questions from recent posts?
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To be honest like any other 40hp 70s air cooled bike . Kinda slow . But who cares unless you're out to drag race . What matters is that you like the bike and how you ride it . I got a buddy with a Bonneville pushing 280 but can throw that bike around like a rag doll . We canyon carve like we're on a deathwish. Frickin scary . Best advice to you would to focus on suspension and to have it set to your weight and riding style . If any motor wise just open it up to breath better with some pods or modded air box and good exhaust system . Handling and stability is where someone of your stature wants to put their money .
 
Oi Mate.. Very nice to meet you. If your ever looking for peeps to ride with.. give me a shout. Were always riding!

Cheers
SETH - Rockers CT
 
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