New Team member to Join the shop.

Well, time has gone by and I am getting more and more busier, I finally decided to start employing some cool people that have as much passion as I do in the industry.

This is Dakota at 2 years old on the Drag strip and ready to go.

 

 

 

So, here we have Dakota, a cool young kid that is full of energy and has more drive than a Four wheel jeep.

 

Always willing to learn and have a go, and is a fun kid to have around, reminds me a little of me in a way.

He is into fabrication and has entered numerous competitions in welding etc and has passion about the whole industry.

Here is his own work at school for his project bike.

Here is his 1956 Bowtie as his daily driver.

 

 

A real Grease monkey !!!!!!!

Yes, that’s his Own 1956 Tri-Chevy  that he built him self and its a cool Hot Rod for sure.

Dakota also Drag races his Motorcycle with his Pop’s too, and is not afraid to have a go at anything, as well as mig and tig weld, he is doing great at school and will be a much needed acquirement for out team,.

 

 

Disney now has cool Hot Rod area to hang with the kids.

I took a ride out to California Adventure, seeing as it is only 6 miles from here and boy have they changed the area for the better.

If you are a Hot Rod nut, then this is a superb time to hang with ya kids, as the guy who designed this was really into the scene.

 

I spent many hours checking all the cool stuff out and it really is a head turner, the amount of attention to detail will blow you away.

Even the firing order is correct on the spark plugs above the pistons.

Disney must of spent a fortune to transform the old park but- it is great to check out as the detail really is unreal.

 

Really great signs and buildings.

Set design is so cool and I just kept staring at the great work they managed to pull off.

It is well worth a visit if you are a car nut. Even the Gas pumps were all hand made, but sure looked real.

 

So many cool places to look at the the Cafe  is pretty cool inside too, I have been 3 times now, as I live so close to the place.

Yes, they even have a Belly Tank there and Yes, its a real one.

 

Plenty for everyone to have a look at and I am sure you will not be dissapointed.

 

Plenty of cool Neon signs that light the sky up after dark and really does change the look and feel of the park, a MUST to see when you are there.

Kids love the look of the place at night too.

So, if you are in the So-Cal area, this is a MUST to check out.

Hope you enjoyed the pics that I took with my little camera?

 

Saving time removing bolts

Well, if you are anything like me, you want to try and save time where ever you can on a machine, especially if the weather is steaming hot or bloody cold.

What I do when I remove bolts etc, is quite simple and many of you may already do this, but go to the local hardware store and but a 3/8″ drive socket adapter for an cordless drill.

That way these are easy to undo and fast, as well and fitting new bolts and will not only save you time, it will stop your arm aching using a screw driver.

Hoping to go to Moon eyes show in JAPAN this year.

Hey There people

Well, already 100 degree’s here, so I am catching up on some work and thought I would start a blog today, as I am contemplating going over to Japan and might even build a bike for it if I have time.

 

The Moon Eyes show is an awesome event and many people from the states go over for it, so I am hoping to be able to fly over there and maybe even have a booth. But- time is running out and may not have time to enter but can still attend.

Right now, this is all on paper, but would be great to see some of my Japanese friends and have a look at their rides and of course, their great country.

I am good friends with SHIGE SUGANAMA, he is the owner of Moon eyes  and I have wanted to attend his show for many many years, so will speak to him to see what the chances are of me attending such a cool event.

Logistically a nightmare but I think a container can be sorted to ship a bike there, but time is a ticking, so not sure if I can pull a build off or not but I am definatly thinking about it.

Let me know if anyone else is going out there, as i shall be there with my Cafe Racer and apparel and some parts, as well as the Hot Rod parts like a Model A steel Cab and other goodies.

 

100 degree’s today but gotta keep going.

Well, I am sure for you too, the weather is a tad hot? My poor old walnuts are struggling in this heat, remember, I am from a cold and wet country and even though I have been here 12 years, the sun still does kick my arse.

Hot enough to melt a Motorcycle I think?

So at the shop I work early in the morning and late into the night at this time of year, to try and beat some of the intense heat that we get here in Southern California.

 

Anyway, I shall try and add to the blog today what I am up to, this morning I was at cars and coffee in Irvine, plenty of cool rides and now quite a contingent of Motorcycles attending, so a nice break for a Saturday.

Today I have a gas tank to fit on a Cafe Racer I am finishing for a Customer, ground up build and boy is she looking cool now.

 

 

I also have started on another Cafe Racer which is another frame up build, this time for a guy over in Korea, this is a Black stealthy machine and will be adding photo’s a little later on.

I have some buddies that left the shop yesterday morning and drove to Bonneville, so hope they are having fun ?

 

Still have customers orders to pack and will be doing that shortly as I like to pack the orders as fast as possible.

 

I have a Serviceman coming from base camp to bring me his newly acquired CB750 that doesn’t run and have a job there to try and get the old girl to fire back into life.

Got to keep our military happy.

On other news:

I have new Employee starting on Monday, young lad, into bikes and cars and will be cool to have another team member to the crew.

 

Look out for more parts too, as I am gearing up for more exhausts, this time for the 500/550 and of course my 750 Honda’s, although- I shall have NEW 4 into 1 systems for the 1979-1983 DOHC and will advertise them on the website as many people have emailed me about making these available and I listen to my Customers.

 

Eventually I shall start a cafe Racer evening, where people can turn up and hang out, grab a free coffee or soda and shoot the breeze with other like minded people, so keep watching the blogs and of course my face book too for more information about all that will be going on.

 

GAS- ELECTRIC CAFE RACER

Here we go with a new concept and as with the price of combustable fuels these day’s, I believe this is now a viable option.

Here we have John Gustafson’s cool Electric/gas powered Cafe Racer.

Some info below is from JOHN.

 

 

GAS/ELECTRIC Cafe racer: Final specs…approx. 325 lbs. Chassis, 1978 Honda CB750K, Custom dropped suspension and modified fuel tank by ASAP Powersports of Rancho Cucamonga, Rocket 5 rear cone by Carpy’s Nostalgia Speed Shop of Anaheim, Modified 1964 VW headlight, Hensim 200cc enduro engine, total of 54hp, 147 lb-ft torque…88 volt lithium iron phosphate nano foam battery pack, 200 amp, 90 volt controller, Enertrac 602 motor, fly-by-wire dual throttle control by G&G Hybrids..Bike designed and built by John Eric Gustafson and Arnold Gregorio.
These are becoming quite a trend, here are just some others out there.
Another Electric set up is OSSA’s answer to the Cafe Racer.

With a throw-back aesthetic and a forward-thinking electric motor, the Barcelona based design firm Arc-Tic has revived theOSSA brand (of 1960′s Grand Prix racing fame) with an all-electric cafe racer concept.

The bike draws its inspiration from the iconic OSSA monocasco 250cc that Spanish racing phenom Santiago Herrero rode to multiple Grand Prix wins until his life was brutally cut short by a crash during the Isle of Man TT. The revolutionary monocascodesign used a lightweight exoskeleton instead of a traditional internal frame. While its two-stroke rotary valve engine only produced a modest 30 horse power, the reduced weight allowed Santiago to throw the bike into tighter corners and come out of them with lighting fast acceleration. Other racing teams were confounded by the level of performance the monocasco was getting, and in 1969 Santiago rode it to three Grand Prix wins. However after his fatal crash in 1970, the OSSA team was so devastated that they withdrew from motorcycle racing all together.

The new all-electric monocasco pays tribute to the innovative design of the original and is intended to be a stylish around-town cafe-racer.  It’s still just a concept, and like most concepts, it stands a good chance of vanishing without a trace.  However, if something as brazenly homely as the Boxx scooter is getting produced, then this gorgeous monocasco should get the green light for sure.

 

 

Another set up thats going good over sea’s.

Voltra: An electric café racer concept from Australia Based in Sydney, Australia, Dan Anderson is studying industrial design and as his final year thesis project, he’s designed the electric bike – Voltra – that you see here. ‘The Voltra is an electric which conveys the visual sense of excitement and exhilaration not currently addressed in the alternative-fuel motorcycle

 

This time a Canadian Gas/Electric Cafe Racer.

 

They’re Back! Cross Drilled Boxed Swing Arm

OK guys, take a long hard look at this puppy, this is the dogs wobblies or what?

If you want to increase the stability of your in line four, then simply look no further.

 

This cross drilled swing arm is identical the old Dresda swing arms of the day, back in the UK when these were all the rage at the Clubman circuits.

 

Plenty of bracing here, and powder coated too, this is a really good set up for you and I am sure that you will enjoy many miles of smiles when you hit the tarmac.

This is 21 inches long and all ready to simply bolt to your HONDA CB750 K model.

 

So, if your rear end is all over the road, treat yourself to this great set up, this comes complete with Bronze bushings and chrome rear adjusters, this really is a great set up and I know you will be happy as to how these fit and look.

 

What turns my dial.

Well, I thought I would bung a few old photo’s on here to show you what I am about, as I love motorcycles, Hot Rods, WW2 Aircraft,Pin Ball machines, Neon signs, slot machines, Pin up Girls, Low brow artwork, Custom cars, Tattoo art, Surfing, vintage clothing, Things that go bang etc.

So here is just a snippet of what turns my dial and maybe, just maybe you may even share the same interests.

 

 

 

Yep ! That’s me with Big Daddy Roth, many moons ago in Las Vegas, great times.

 

Long live Rat Fink!!! 

My Old 32 deuce that’s chopped and channeled back in the UK late 80’s.

Here I was at Muroc dry lake in Southern California, Edwards air force base.

 

 

It was dusty as hell and boy did we have fun that weekend.

A dream come true for me, to be on the dry lakes was just phenomenal to experience.

 

 

Oh yes, it sure was dusty at the dry lake that time, and I had a heap of fun.

Me and my Scottish Pal, Shug, this guy lives and breathes dry lake Racing.

 

Back home in North London on a cold day, fixing my T100 Triumph before going to work.

 

 

Way back now and in the 80’s with my 1953 Sunbeam 500cc inline S-7 Motorcycle.

A rare day when the Sun pops it’s head out in London on my T-100.

 

The Sunbeam changed from Pea green to Jet Black, out in the middle of the Hampshire Countryside.

Me and my mate Jeff Vodden from the Shifters, I drove his beloved 5 window to the Drags in Bakersfield,.

Me with my 32 deuce, chopped and channeled and looking less wrinkly.

My 1928 Roadster body i was working on out in NSW in Australia, I then moved here to the USA with it.

Here is the Model A in my driveway in Orange, California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I painted my F150 to match my Roadster.

 

Yes, I did all the artwork too in my driveway.

 

 

My old 1965 XP Falcon ute in Australia on the central coast.

 

My Brother lent me his 1979/80 DT175 to lap around on in Woking in Surrey, I loved that bike.

This was me way back when with my First car, its a 1961 Ford Consul.

Cafe Racer Customers come to shop.

Today at the store front, I had a few Cafe Racer customers, stop by the shop to pick up some new parts for their rides.

 

It is always good to see bikes that are being built or have just been completed and I enjoy hearing of their creations and how they turned their own motorcycle into a cafe Racer.

Today I had 3 Customers turn up on their very on rides, this one was a 1978 that he picked up for a song, and is just starting to transform it into a Cafe Racer, he bought bars before from me and is now on his way to adding more parts as he goes along.

He will use one of my seat bases and maybe the well known 4 into 1 exhaust system I manufacture too, so good luck with your ride my friend, it looks like you are going to have miles of smiles.

 

Next up is a guy who purchased the Road Rocket from the original owner, this was a cafe that I built 7 or 8 years ago and is still going strong today.

 

A fun and super fast machine and I am always stoked to see the Original earlier Cafe Racers I built, still blasting down the tarmac and sounding awesome.

We often get TON UP riders in and to hear how things are going and just generally chat about bikes and whats going on in their garage is great to hear.

I look forward to meeting many of you and when I start bike night, maybe come out and chill?

A lot of this for me is always a great feeling as I get to see the machines that customers are building and, using my parts too.

 

Another bike came in today, poor guy has taken this machine to 4 shops and no luck with fixing the issue.

The bike had been knocked over by a car and the right side of the motor suffered damage.

The Bolt that goes into the crank and holder the counter balance was busted, so, I managed to remove it and fit another that I took from one of my engines,then set all the timing and cleaned it up best I could, I also jetted the carbs as they were well out, now runs like a top.

 

He will be a happy rider now as I also fitted a new battery and a new rear license plate assembly.