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Just been down to drop off some exhaust flanges I had lazer cut.
He's decided to make the system from 48mm dia stainless.....HMOG. Here's a thing - on the "stock" framed Cafe Racer we're going to cut a notch out of the stock frame member on the right hand side - opposite the exhaust port - so we can accomodate the bend on the GBFO pipe. Then I'll weld up where the rear OEM pipe used to pass through the frame to put the strength back.
Despite Herr Koch and others, I'm still not convinced about cutting the frame out completely.
While I was down there we discussed the Turbo system for the Cafe Creme project.
He's a very talented fabicator and while we discussing the Cafe Creme turbo, he said why didn't he make the frame - yet another [ very big ] piece of the jig saw sorted.
I was looking for an old Brit bike style steering damper and they are silly money. You can buy repros for £60 ! [ $140 ?].
Spotted these while I was rummaging through parts at an Autojumble. Actually QR wingnuts for a racing bicycle [ pedal ] - but what the hey ............they LOOK right.
The component parts for the Brit dampers are relatively inexpensive, so I'll simply make up the missing parts - more for looks than function .......................
Getting back on track now - the Dunstall tank / seat cover arrives next week, and I can check out if that's going to work.
In the meantime my pal has just seen Greg Hageman's [ Docs ] Vincentish Yam, so it looks like back with his original plan for a Vinnie Homage.
Love Doc's work - but I'm not totally clear why he removed the Vincent copy Yamaha swingarm / monoshock rear end and fitted twinshox !! We're also looking at recreating the Vincent Girdraulics, but using modern components. We've also got another pair of the 5" speedo / revcounter housings.
Another good [ potentially ] idea gone for a shit.
There's no way I can use the Dunstall seat / tank cover without major surgery, so I'll carry on with the AJS 7R buck to make my own cover.
However, while I was in the garage playing, I remembered a mod I did originally to the first tank mock up, where I used an infill to lose the bottom curve of the stock tank. Didn't work 100%, but when I raised the rear of the tank a tad - it totally transformed the image. So, I'll do another tank [ as above ] and lose all the pressed steel seams around the extremites of the tank and see what we have then. Add in the Brass Monza gas cap and the stainless Manx style strap and shot in a FO Red - might just do it. As usual - works in my mind. Now then does anyone want a Dunstall tank / seat cover ?????
Boy am I pissed off !!!!!!!!!!! Went down to the exhaust guy today to check on progress [ after 4 weeks ] ...........FUCK ALL is the answer. Bike still where I left it, and even the bits of pipe and bends in the temporary jig have been removed. He HAS sent my MAC pipe away to have the flange copied at the laser cutter [ 3 weeks ago ].
IOW - a total waste of fargin space.
I've given him a week to get things under way, otherwise it's down and collect it all and look for another exhaust guy. A great pity as this bloke has done some ace work for me in the past. Ah well .............................
So, another call into the exhaust guy yesterday - and , yes you guessed it - zero progress and the bike in exactly the same place I left it over a month ago.
Bike is now back in my garage ready to be pulled down so I can use the engine and forks to mock up the frame for the Cafe-Creme Boardtracker. NO sign of my Mac rear pipe that he sent off [??] for an exhaust flange to be copied - I've given him a week to retrieve that.
That's a double ballache, as the exhaust guy was going to make the bends for the Cafe Creme frame.
I do have another option for the exhaust manufacture - it'll just cost me a bit more as the guy is 60 miles away - the other one was less than 2 miles !
Spotted this steering dampener the other day - looks remarkably similar to the two I picked up recently [ see previous posts ].
So, I called in the National Motorcycle Museum to take a look at some original Manxes - yes they ARE the same !
The irony is that mine have "BSA" cast in them ! Remember in those days, Birmingham and the Midlands was a hot pot of motorcycle / bicycle manufacture. Seems like someone at Norton may have dipped into the BSA parts bin !
First job - contact the exhaust guy and see where my Mac rear exhaust has gone to.
He's now got it back in his workshop so it's off on Monday to collect that before he loses it again.
Next two weeks will see my pile of parts sorted out ready for an all out effort. Can't believe the year is 3/4s over .................................................
MAC exhaust now back in my garage [ for Cafe Creme ].
Started sorting out all the parts into boxes for the 3 projects. Also started pulling down the low mileage donor in an effort to kick myself up the ass and get some progress going.
One or two parts seem to have gone AWOL in the past 6 months of storage ! GOOD sort out in the garage this weekend. I've scored some more shelving / cupboard space. Never know, I might even be able to get sufficient room to work !
Mrs. B is coming up with the £150 to get the roof waterproofed - then I can think about some form of light / power. That'll either be a GBFO extension lead [ 150 ft! ] or a cheapo gennie.
Yep that break in Saxony sure did me some good .............................
Right over that now - pal and his girlfriend are on the mend.
Good few days in the garage sorting parts and stripping the Cafe Creme donor bike down to the bare bones. Turns out the frame will be ideal for the Vindicator as it's in excellent condition and the PO had already fitted taper headstock bearings. I'll just switch the chassis plates around to keep the paperwork good.
Also sorted out a few of the "goodies" and decided that the Guzzi "Flat back" headlamp didn't look quite right for the image I had in mind.
Then I came across this little beauty - brand new and couldn't be more "right" for a 60's Cafe Racer.
Made a $130 hole in the budget, but it looks the bollox and solves the problem of the light switches.
TJ, I'm glad you're still moving forward my friend.....does the heart good.
I'm still in the market for for a decent TR1 motor or even just a good bottom end and trans should you com across one for a sane price.
Pallet shipping from the UK to me shouldn't be too awful, at least that's what it looks like on this end.
But.....regardless, I'm pleased that you're back in the shed!
TJ, I'm glad you're still moving forward my friend.....does the heart good.
I'm still in the market for for a decent TR1 motor or even just a good bottom end and trans should you com across one for a sane price.
Pallet shipping from the UK to me shouldn't be too awful, at least that's what it looks like on this end.
But.....regardless, I'm pleased that you're back in the shed!
Lee glad to see YOU'RE back firing on all, or at least most cylinders ............... The trip to Holland is still on at some stage when I'm hoping to score a trailer load of donors / parts.
I'll look around for a sensibly priced bottom end / motor. That said - prices for TR1s / XVs in the UK has DOUBLED in the past year. There are a lot of folk going the "Vincentesque" Cafe Racer route.
In fact the last mule I sold was specifically for that purpose. The guy reasoned [ and I agree ] it was cheaper to buy a complete 'ish bike and sell off the parts he didn't need to recoup part of his outlay. He's busy squeezing the lump into a Featherbed [ doesn't work !! ].
Talking of which [ we weren't ] - I had a good look at a spare BMW Airhead [ R80 ] main frame the other day - VERY Featherbed 'ish and with more width between the bottom rails. I saw a Sitter race outfit that had the top frame rails made in a F'bed style to take a Norton 5 gallon tank ...there's food for thought, especially as secondhand F'Bed frames fetch a minimum of $1500.
I have been very lucky with all my purchases using that theory - and on every one of my projects the donor parts have ended up virtually at no cost once all the non essential parts have been sold off.
Best laid plans etc .................... just as the seller was passing the boxed chrome headlamp to me - it fell out of the bottom, smashed the lens and dented the shell !!!!!!!! :
He was so embarrassed that he sold me the goodies below - new 7" Lucas headlamp with switch / ammeter panel, "Stop" lamp and Brass petrol taps [ both for Cafe Creme ] and all for less than the price of the chrome headlamp !
Yes - the guy is a genuine enthusiast - as well as a businessman, rare combination !
He has over 3000 sq. ft. of assorted oldtimer goodies. We had a real good chat and ended up he's going to market the Cafe-Moto merchandise and the John Hancox artwork and calendars [ soon on their way - 2013 version ].
I put him on to some of my contacts and it looks like we might share a consignment of 2 1/2" Monza alloy gas caps ....watch this space.
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