TonUpSoldier
bad assed, super fast and fully gassed
My name is Joshua Pipes and obviously i live in Dayton, Ohio, though i've lived just about everywhere out west for most of my life. I started riding dirt bikes when i was barely strong enough to pull the clutch lever in and have been riding something ever since. I've always been a big fan of the vintage britt and japanese bikes, but love everything with two wheels and way too much power for a sane person. I learned at an early age how to work on most bikes, though there are a few out there i've never touched...the Desmodromic Duc's come to mind...scary. Having a pretty good idea how to make just about any old snotter run, over the last 8 years I started tinkering with building my own cafe bike ala Steve Carpenter's SOHC CB's. My first real attempt was a 76 CB550F SS. I paid $450 to a guy whose wife wanted the "death trap" out of her garage. It was a runner. Switched it over to pod filters, 4into1 header and clubmans and I had my first cafe bike. Unfortunately, I had never learned how to fabricate, and still to this day i struggle with it. So she was pretty bone stock as far as the tank and seat went. But i didn't care. She ran like a scalded dog. About a year later, the fuse block gave out. I rebuilt it, but shortly after that the dry rotted wiring started to give out here and there. I got her running again and then sold her for twice what i paid for it. I still kick myself in the arse for that! My next thoroughbred was a 78 CB750. I bought it pretty much stock, though the gent whom owned prior had fitted it with a Jardine 4into1 that simply screamed. That 500 pounder lasted a couple years before i got bored with it. It was hot, but she handled pretty heavy too. After a time of research I settled onto my current ongoing project, a 77 Suzuki GS750B. A big DOHC as well but still a tad lighter than the CBs and a better handling bike all around. Early on Suzuki and Kawasaki decided that Honda had the market on dead reliability, so they did the next best thing, making their bikes faster than anything out there at the time. And the GS750 was the cream of the crop for a couple years. It had the popular and sexy lines of the CB's but the raw bad ass horsepower of the Kaw influenced powerplant. The mix made for an excellent handling, extremely powerfull bike. With that in mind, coupled with the fact that it's fairly similar design of the CB made for, in my mind, the perfect choice to build my ultimate personal cafe racer. While still a work in progress (I havent settled on a tank design yet, and frankly, I'd like to learn to make it myself) it's well on it's way to being the bike of my dreams.
While doing all this for myself, and learning as I go, and seeing the popularity of the style grow (was it ever not popular?) it occured to me that I might start building these bikes for sale. I mean if OCC can build choppers as an art, then why not a cafe bike?? And, in my opinion, they're a hell of alot meaner! Lets see em pull one of those two wheeled land yachts thru a hairpin HA! I don't plan to retire from doing this, as I have a decent job that I happen to enjoy, but it's a passion that I cant ignore and its a good way to let it out. Plus, someone else can get pleasure from the amazing looking and fantastic running machines. Unfortunately, while the popularity of vintage bikes have grown, so have the prices. So currently i have a couple of Yamaha XS's (good old vertical twins sound great) as my starter bikes, as well as a Kaw KZ440. They're not for me, as im a rather tall guy and they feel like mopeds under me, but they sure are fun to flick back and forth! My plan is to have at least one of them up for sale by spring, so if you're interested let me know!! They'll not be as damn sexy as Carpy's CBs, but they won't cost 8grand or more either, and still look damn good.
So that's me, if ya have anymore questions, just ask! It's a pleasure to be part of the DTT forum! TON UP!!!
While doing all this for myself, and learning as I go, and seeing the popularity of the style grow (was it ever not popular?) it occured to me that I might start building these bikes for sale. I mean if OCC can build choppers as an art, then why not a cafe bike?? And, in my opinion, they're a hell of alot meaner! Lets see em pull one of those two wheeled land yachts thru a hairpin HA! I don't plan to retire from doing this, as I have a decent job that I happen to enjoy, but it's a passion that I cant ignore and its a good way to let it out. Plus, someone else can get pleasure from the amazing looking and fantastic running machines. Unfortunately, while the popularity of vintage bikes have grown, so have the prices. So currently i have a couple of Yamaha XS's (good old vertical twins sound great) as my starter bikes, as well as a Kaw KZ440. They're not for me, as im a rather tall guy and they feel like mopeds under me, but they sure are fun to flick back and forth! My plan is to have at least one of them up for sale by spring, so if you're interested let me know!! They'll not be as damn sexy as Carpy's CBs, but they won't cost 8grand or more either, and still look damn good.
So that's me, if ya have anymore questions, just ask! It's a pleasure to be part of the DTT forum! TON UP!!!
i like cafe bikes better anyway!
woohoo!! lest you all think i aint got shit..haha