Monday, February 7, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Yamahopper: Strange Connections
So this is my 300th post. Also with a record 118 views the other day, (small in comparison to other blogs, but its a big deal for me) I thought it would be appropriate to just tell you guys how this whole mess started for me. This is also a follow up to this post
So this is a big write up, it took me a while but I hope you guys enjoy it.
Que the twilight zone music....
So this was my first real bike. Flashback 6 years or so. I turned 17 over the summer, started drivin on my own and it was the following winter I was itching to find a bike for the summer. At the time a good friend of mine, Tim, who worked at Mark Conforth's hot rod shop told me they had an old BSA basket case for sale. Tim got me some pictures and I thought about it. I didn't really know what I was getting into with a Brit bike.
I ended up contacting my ol'man's friend Billy. He knows the ins and outs of all kinds of bikes and is a master at customizing anything he gets his hands on. So I picked his brain about BSAs. He told me not to bother, especially for a first bike. Then tells me "I got somthin similar down in the barn you can have. It's a little more reliable and it's got some work done to it" That somethin turned out to be a 1979 650 Yamaha.
I was stoked. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't wait. It was winter and the snow was piled up. I had to wait till things thawed out at Billy's before I could go get it. For a good 2 weeks all I did was dream and draw chopped 650 Yamahas. As I said Billy is a master craftsman and to get something from his collection just floored me.
The day finally came when we could go pickup the bike. We trudged our way down to the barn and there it was. I didn't exactly know which Yamaha Billy was talking about, but there sat a bike I remembered seeing years ago when I was maybe 13. It was on a lift in his garage and I thought it was really cool lookin bike. No idea years later I'd be owning it!
Billy made a lot of one-off parts on this bike like the hand made velocity stacks and battery box cover out of aluminum. Hand made sissybar, chain guard, shortened shocks. The neck was raked a few degrees. Photos don't really do justice all the little tricks Billy did when he started building this bike. Billy also told me this bike use to be a trike! Check the link here for more photos!
It was from this time (February) on that my ol man and I worked on getting it road ready by spring.
I ditched the large Honda tank and used this sportster tank with some sweet mold work done to it.
I also picked up a parts bike from Benny. I had plenty of extra parts now and all the electrics I needed. I later found out the parts bike I bought from Benny, he bought from his friend Marlin. Marlin is the same guy I bought the ex cop car from a few years ago, I never knew the bike use to be his.
It was getting closer to spring time now and Billy's yard needed cleaning up. I cleaned his yard in exchange for him painting my tins.
I told Billy what I wanted and we matched the colors in a regular PPG automotive paint book. The gold is actually some 1990s Suzuki car color. The flames are pearl and Billy added the touch of the green in the flame licks.
When the tank was finished I picked it up from Billy's and on the way home I got pulled over for the first time for speeding. (Remember I was still 17, wasn't driving for all that long) I didnt even realize I was speeding, didnt even see the cop! I was just too excited to get home and put the tank on the bike!
The seat was done by my ol'man's neighbor Greg He moved next door that same summer. He stopped over one day and he was lookin at the bike. He asked what I was gonna do for a seat. I wasn't exactly sure, Billy made a quick seat cover for mock up but it wasn't finished. Greg is an auto upholsterer and offered to make me a seat. I stuck with the black and white scheme but wanted large pleats going across. I find out later this was Greg's first motorcycle seat.
It was about June/July the bike was finally finished, but I had to wait till August, my birthday, to get my motorcycle license (turned 18) because of issues with the insurance and with the state of NJ. (thats a story for another day)
When the bike was finished my ol'man also gave me a Bates headlight. Not just any Bates. The light came from his shovel head that had seen many many miles. Cool right?
So heres where the strangest connection begins. I was talkin to my Uncle Neil one night over the phone. Telling him all about my newly finished bike. I also told him how I was lookin at a BSA first, but passed on it since Billy gave me the Yamaha. Just out of conversation I described the BSA to Neil, telling him about the old chopper parts it had. He then says to me "Thats my old bike."
Sure enough it was. Neil built the rigid frame and put the Sportster front end on it after it was t-boned in an accident. Neil (also an HD master mechanic) was working at Tramontin HD at the time. He told me would get a lot of flack for ridin a BSA to a Harley shop everyday. So when it was wrecked he rebuilt it with Harley parts hah! Neil was interested in getting it back. Unfortunately by the time I knew this, the bike was sold to someone down in central or south Jersey. If you bought this bike let me know!
The wrecked Beeza
It's interesting how family history comes full circle sometimes with things. The Yamaha is not "vintage" or "period correct" or anything of that hype thats goin on now. But its stems from all that was good in the early days of choppin motorcycles.
So this is a big thanks to my dad Joe, Billy, Neil, Benny, and Greg.
I also want thank you RetroFit readers for subscribing, viewing, and commenting here. Your feed back keeps me going and helps me improve this place. Keep it up! Sure theres a thousand other bike blogs out there but I try to keep this a home grown, no frills, no marketing, no excess bullshit blog. Just simply enjoying the old bikes and the history behind them. We're not being vintage because its whats popular now, we're just doing what we always did.
Thanks fellas! See ya down the road.
-Cal
So this is a big write up, it took me a while but I hope you guys enjoy it.
Que the twilight zone music....
So this was my first real bike. Flashback 6 years or so. I turned 17 over the summer, started drivin on my own and it was the following winter I was itching to find a bike for the summer. At the time a good friend of mine, Tim, who worked at Mark Conforth's hot rod shop told me they had an old BSA basket case for sale. Tim got me some pictures and I thought about it. I didn't really know what I was getting into with a Brit bike.
I ended up contacting my ol'man's friend Billy. He knows the ins and outs of all kinds of bikes and is a master at customizing anything he gets his hands on. So I picked his brain about BSAs. He told me not to bother, especially for a first bike. Then tells me "I got somthin similar down in the barn you can have. It's a little more reliable and it's got some work done to it" That somethin turned out to be a 1979 650 Yamaha.
I was stoked. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't wait. It was winter and the snow was piled up. I had to wait till things thawed out at Billy's before I could go get it. For a good 2 weeks all I did was dream and draw chopped 650 Yamahas. As I said Billy is a master craftsman and to get something from his collection just floored me.
The day finally came when we could go pickup the bike. We trudged our way down to the barn and there it was. I didn't exactly know which Yamaha Billy was talking about, but there sat a bike I remembered seeing years ago when I was maybe 13. It was on a lift in his garage and I thought it was really cool lookin bike. No idea years later I'd be owning it!
Billy made a lot of one-off parts on this bike like the hand made velocity stacks and battery box cover out of aluminum. Hand made sissybar, chain guard, shortened shocks. The neck was raked a few degrees. Photos don't really do justice all the little tricks Billy did when he started building this bike. Billy also told me this bike use to be a trike! Check the link here for more photos!
It was from this time (February) on that my ol man and I worked on getting it road ready by spring.
I ditched the large Honda tank and used this sportster tank with some sweet mold work done to it.
I also picked up a parts bike from Benny. I had plenty of extra parts now and all the electrics I needed. I later found out the parts bike I bought from Benny, he bought from his friend Marlin. Marlin is the same guy I bought the ex cop car from a few years ago, I never knew the bike use to be his.
It was getting closer to spring time now and Billy's yard needed cleaning up. I cleaned his yard in exchange for him painting my tins.
I told Billy what I wanted and we matched the colors in a regular PPG automotive paint book. The gold is actually some 1990s Suzuki car color. The flames are pearl and Billy added the touch of the green in the flame licks.
When the tank was finished I picked it up from Billy's and on the way home I got pulled over for the first time for speeding. (Remember I was still 17, wasn't driving for all that long) I didnt even realize I was speeding, didnt even see the cop! I was just too excited to get home and put the tank on the bike!
The seat was done by my ol'man's neighbor Greg He moved next door that same summer. He stopped over one day and he was lookin at the bike. He asked what I was gonna do for a seat. I wasn't exactly sure, Billy made a quick seat cover for mock up but it wasn't finished. Greg is an auto upholsterer and offered to make me a seat. I stuck with the black and white scheme but wanted large pleats going across. I find out later this was Greg's first motorcycle seat.
It was about June/July the bike was finally finished, but I had to wait till August, my birthday, to get my motorcycle license (turned 18) because of issues with the insurance and with the state of NJ. (thats a story for another day)
When the bike was finished my ol'man also gave me a Bates headlight. Not just any Bates. The light came from his shovel head that had seen many many miles. Cool right?
So heres where the strangest connection begins. I was talkin to my Uncle Neil one night over the phone. Telling him all about my newly finished bike. I also told him how I was lookin at a BSA first, but passed on it since Billy gave me the Yamaha. Just out of conversation I described the BSA to Neil, telling him about the old chopper parts it had. He then says to me "Thats my old bike."
Sure enough it was. Neil built the rigid frame and put the Sportster front end on it after it was t-boned in an accident. Neil (also an HD master mechanic) was working at Tramontin HD at the time. He told me would get a lot of flack for ridin a BSA to a Harley shop everyday. So when it was wrecked he rebuilt it with Harley parts hah! Neil was interested in getting it back. Unfortunately by the time I knew this, the bike was sold to someone down in central or south Jersey. If you bought this bike let me know!
The wrecked Beeza
It's interesting how family history comes full circle sometimes with things. The Yamaha is not "vintage" or "period correct" or anything of that hype thats goin on now. But its stems from all that was good in the early days of choppin motorcycles.
So this is a big thanks to my dad Joe, Billy, Neil, Benny, and Greg.
I also want thank you RetroFit readers for subscribing, viewing, and commenting here. Your feed back keeps me going and helps me improve this place. Keep it up! Sure theres a thousand other bike blogs out there but I try to keep this a home grown, no frills, no marketing, no excess bullshit blog. Just simply enjoying the old bikes and the history behind them. We're not being vintage because its whats popular now, we're just doing what we always did.
Thanks fellas! See ya down the road.
-Cal
A new blog is born!
For those of you who dont know, I'm a 3d animation major at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. I transferred around a lot, lost credits yada yada. But now I'm finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I'm starting pre-production for my senior animation "The Requiem Ride". Many of you have seen the storyboard panels I posted a while back. So instead of cluttering up RetroFit with my pre-production stuff I started a new blog.
http://therequiemride.blogspot.com
Its going to be a long process. Pretty much this time next year it needs to be finished, or damn near. So for those of you interested in more of my 3d work/artwork check it out. Feedback is always welcome, critiques, anything. Also in the near future I will have some of these panels for sale as prints. The money will go into funding this project. It will help cover the cost external hard drives, dvds, and other costs.
Not much is on the site now, but there will be more added soon!
http://therequiemride.blogspot.com
Friday, February 4, 2011
Miss ridin that bike and miss that ridin weather!
No, I didnt sell it, it's just hasnt been ridden in a while. No way I could ever sell it because this was my first bike, and the first real bike I built for the road. Not only that it was given to me by a good friend. Billy gave me this bike in a half mockup stage and from his help and my ol'man's we got this machine on the road. Thinkin about it I should do a quick write up on this bike. Theres actually a good story how I acquired it.
But yeah, missin that warm sunshine right about now... These photos were taken up in Utica, NY.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Suzuki bottom tree
Next up was to clean up the bottom triple tree so I can figure out what to make for a head light mount. Unlike the harleys, yamahas, etc, there are no tapped holes in the front of this casting. This tree only has one and it's going in the wrong direction, plus its sticking out like a zit. Time to cut it off!
Ground down, and made a v groove for the weld. Also with this casting there isnt enough meat to drill and tap new holes in the front for a mount. So what ever plate I make, it will have to be welded on. No big deal.
No photos of the welding process, (forgot the camera) I just heated the casting evenly using a torch, brushed it clean quick, and then just welded it up with the mig.
Then I smoothed everything out including the rough casting marks all around the piece. Its as smooth as a baby's ass.
All this work I should almost get the bottom tree chromed!
Mock up for the headlight. I almost feel like the light should come up about an inch.
Side view doesnt look so bad.
This view it seems like the light should come up a little. Opinions?
Ground down, and made a v groove for the weld. Also with this casting there isnt enough meat to drill and tap new holes in the front for a mount. So what ever plate I make, it will have to be welded on. No big deal.
No photos of the welding process, (forgot the camera) I just heated the casting evenly using a torch, brushed it clean quick, and then just welded it up with the mig.
Then I smoothed everything out including the rough casting marks all around the piece. Its as smooth as a baby's ass.
All this work I should almost get the bottom tree chromed!
Mock up for the headlight. I almost feel like the light should come up about an inch.
Side view doesnt look so bad.
This view it seems like the light should come up a little. Opinions?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
It's been done!
My ol'man tells me.... Veiling gun that is...
Jeff Leightons 1938 Knucklehead "Violet Fantasy"
From here
My ol'man's 1936 Knuck. These are the only 2 good close ups of that paint job. Only the frame was done by the veiling gun. Story goes my ol'man went to Mr. J out of Paterson, NJ to paint the tins and the frame. He told Mr. J what he wanted on the tank and fender, but let Mr. J do whatever he wanted to the frame. Mr. J mentioned he just got a veiling gun and was pretty excited to try it out.
I'm not shorting the Harpoon's work by any means. What ever is old is new again! My ol'man did point out that he has never seen that paint job on anything else other than his old knuck up until now. Whats cool is both bikes have similar color scheme. Congrats to the Poon for his amazing work displayed at the GNRS this year.
Jeff Leightons 1938 Knucklehead "Violet Fantasy"
From here
My ol'man's 1936 Knuck. These are the only 2 good close ups of that paint job. Only the frame was done by the veiling gun. Story goes my ol'man went to Mr. J out of Paterson, NJ to paint the tins and the frame. He told Mr. J what he wanted on the tank and fender, but let Mr. J do whatever he wanted to the frame. Mr. J mentioned he just got a veiling gun and was pretty excited to try it out.
I'm not shorting the Harpoon's work by any means. What ever is old is new again! My ol'man did point out that he has never seen that paint job on anything else other than his old knuck up until now. Whats cool is both bikes have similar color scheme. Congrats to the Poon for his amazing work displayed at the GNRS this year.
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