Monthly Archives: May 2022

Memorial Day, I am at home and in the Barn

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
30 May

I often spend a wee bit of time on my own up in the Barn at the back of our place, thinking about what to make next etc., this time I thought that I should do something about all the Hoops I have bent up for the Honda’s, over one hundred of them, and as you know, they take up a lot of space.

So, whilst sat having a cuppa tea, I was going through some old snot boxes and came across 4 old used Connecting rods from a CB750 I stripped years ago, then and there I thought that these would be great to repurpose and make some Rail Hangers that I can affix to the wall and then store my chassis Hoops in a more uniform manner.

A quick look in my storage and had some spare 7/8 tubing that I use to make my handlebars, so I removed two lengths of that cold rolled steel, a few welds for a nut to be inserted into the tube and there you go, all ready to bolt through the Connecting rods, as I bolted them to the Metal upright posts in the Barn.

Nice and easy to get to when I need some for a build I am working for or pulling some out for Customers orders, neatly stacked and boy do have have more room rather than a pile up in a box.

Just thought that I would share today as many people are off work like me and relaxing at home, I am super stoked to have made this and its so functional as well as recycling old parts that are no longer any good to use, I am glad that I went ahead and made this and maybe give you lot a few ideas to tidy up your Barn, Shed, Garage or Workspace?

 

 

My 4 into 1 is still making people happy after 22 years in business

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
28 May

Well, for 22 years I have been sending my very own 4 into 1 exhaust systems to Customers all over the globe and along the way I have many repeat customers.

I love hearing from them too, as they perform really well throughout the power curve and sound so cool when you get on the loud button.

Alexander Iverson purchased the 4 into 1 system for me and is over the Moon with the look, Fit and of course sound and I am sure that you will be just as happy when you purchase a system from me?

Weekend is here but its going to be damn Hot In Southern California

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
14 May

I know, I know- I should not complain about the weather, but- I left the shores of Blighty back in 1997, this weekend it will be in the 90’s and I am lucky that I now have the Barn to work in, albeit no A/C.  Its surprising how much you can get done when there is a big ball of fire trying to make you evaporate.

Today I shall be packing up quite a few New exhaust systems, with more on the way, busy time of the year for me as people are wrenching on their machines and of course, with warmer temperatures, then riding season is at its most fruitful, I too love riding early in the morning as the warmth of the Sun begins to make the tarmac steam and for me, there is nothing better to clear your head than a crisp morning.

But parts have to be re-stocked and I am trying to get the New Place in some sort of order, so I can pick and pack my parts a little easier and then ship right out to my Customers, I am lucky as the Main Post Office is just down the road, so that means I can take them directly to the Loading dock to scan and load the packages and boxes onto the truck that is going out to deliver.

I am coming up with a few different parts too and this all takes time, but I am enjoying what I do and when you work from your own Workshop with no landlord hassling you, a lot of stress simply disappears.

Happy Sunday everyone and hope you get a little bit of time to be able to do some wrenching on your machine, let me know if I can help by phone or text, 714-598-8392.  keep building and keep riding.

New set of frame Hoops made and banging out other parts too.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
06 May

Well, time and tide wait for no man, woman or child for that matter, I have been flat out as of late and will be busy for some time to come for sure, albeit in the Barn designing a few different exhausts and parts etc.  Fun times ahead and I hope to try a few different brands of machines as well, a kaleidoscope of colors in parts and a good sprinkling of new tools to help you work on your ride easier.

Many people email all the time carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or at carpysgarage@aol.com with questions on their build and what they can do to get the motorcycle running a little better.  I try and help the best way that I can, I have been doing this for more years than I can remember but we are all a big combustion engine family and, if I can help, I feel great for making someone’s day.

So, today I made a bunch of round steel Flat Frame Hoops, I have sold over 500 of these and needed to make a load more once more as I was almost out of stock, these are all mandrel bent and I make them long, that way you can cut and get the look you require easier.

Tomorrow I shall continue to bang out some of these frame hoops, but this time I shall be bending the versions that have the 22 degree kick up, as I only have 3 of them left in my inventory, so I will be quite busy for some time and hope to be offering a few more parts on the website to help you get your creation on the road.

So stay tuned as there may be a part you are looking for and I make these right here, not in China, not in India and Not in Taiwan, all made in California USA.

I Always want to thank you for ordering from me, I have been running my business here in SoCal for 22 years and it just get more enjoyable every year, I get people come up to me where ever we are in the world and say, hey! Arnt you that guy who builds the bikes in California? I am always blown away by that.  So thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me and my products, it means a lot.

Peace N grease

Carp

 

 

Plymouth to Ivybridge Ton Up Boys 1962

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
03 May

Young Motorcycle Racers are gathered by a transport café on the A38 Exeter to Plymouth road. They are the ton-up boys taking off into the night.

British biker subculture originates in the 1950s and is influenced by American pop culture and the rock and roll music of Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry. 1960s rockers portray a rebellious image emulating the cool moody actor James Dean with white t-shirt and socks, jeans and Black Boots with Fisherman socks, and of course , leather jacket, quiff and motorbike.

 

The ton-up boys create a lifestyle out of motorbike racing. The aim is to reach the speed of one hundred miles an hour in other words do the ton. The transport café is the starting and finishing post for races and games such as buzzing or chicken are played.

Chicken is putting a record on the jukebox and running to your bike and doing the ton and returning before the song finishes. Chicken is also doing a u-turn lean where the outer edges of the tyre touches the road used to measure a rider’s skill.

 

A Westwood TV production, presenter not known

Kiyo Builds a Triple Engine CB750 Machine for Speed.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
01 May

Some of you that may be old enough to remember the Legendary Builder and Racer ” Russ Collins” May well indeed remember the triple engin monster of a machine called  “Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe”, This was named after the famous Rail line and Russ Debuted the bike back in 1973, when I was a mere 11 years old, little did I know I would watch this motorcycle in person and what a great feat of engineering for its time.   Featuring three nitro-burning CB750 engines mounted in tandem, the AT&SF was the first motorcycle to make a seven-second quarter-mile pass (7.80 seconds at 179 mph) at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1973.

The bike not surprisingly, the AT&SF was extraordinarily difficult to ride. A horrendous crash in Akron, Ohio, in 1976 destroyed the motorcycle and left Collins in a wheelchair for months, giving him plenty of free time to contemplate its replacement. It was during this long recuperation he dreamed up “The Sorcerer,” powered by a pair of 1,000cc Honda Fours tied together and tuned to fire like a V-8 then topped with a GMC 3-71 supercharger. The NHRA Top Fuel record that Collins set on the Sorcerer in 1977—7.30 seconds at 199.55 mph—stood unchallenged for more than 11 years. Collins was more than a decade ahead of his time.  But, the machine is now being completely rebuilt and the motors are almost ready once more.

49 Years after that, one of the coolest engineer/Builders has built his own Triple Engined SOHC machine and dreams of hitting the Salt for a record of his very own, Originally from the coastal city of Kumamoto on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Kiyonaga-san opened the Kiyo’s Garage workshop in Gardena, Los Angeles County, back in 2013. Back then Kiyo created a CB750 Custom Machine named “Cherry Blossom” Hand made stretched frame and a ATP Turbo with ARD Magneto. Ran really well at El Mirage dry lake.

 

Kiyos worked at the garage company for over a decade and was Yoshi’s top Mechanic/builder, he learned a lot from Yoshi and decided that it was time for him to get his own workshop in Gardena, so he set up shop in 2013 and has become a prolific quality Builder/Fabricator of Motorcycles.  His second machine was another CB750 Based Creation called ” Gekko ” (it means “moonlight” in Japanese).

Except this time, he linked together two CB750 motors, boring them out for a total capacity of 1,620 cc.Of which he ran at El Mirage and Bonneville on SCTA events.

So to complete the trifecta of Motorcycle and of course Engines, Kiyo decided to go with a trilogy machine that evokes his Japanese heritage with Motorcycles and Manufacturers, as well as his Engineering skills and Custom creativity, thus the “Galaxy” was Born.

The idea of actually building The Galaxy started to materialize when Kiyo and his wife, Kat, visited the Haas Moto Museum in Dallas, Texas, in May, 2019. They were there to discuss the museum’s acquisition of Cherry Blossom and Gekko — but Kiyo also presented the museum’s owner, Bobby Haas, and director, Stacey Mayfield, with sketches of his three-engined concept.

All three of The Galaxy’s four-cylinder power plants are 1978 Honda CB750 units with F2 large port heads. Each motor has been bored out to 836cc, and fully rebuilt with lightened and balanced crankshafts, heavy-duty connecting rods, performance cams and oversized stainless steel valves. Extra care was taken to make sure each motor’s internals conformed to the exact same spec. Each motor is fed by four Keihin FCR 35mm carbs, with significant work to the intake manifolds to help them run optimally. All three carb sets are linked via a rod and heim joint setup to make it easier to synchronize the throttle slider. But re-jetting is still a chore, given that there are 12 carbs to fettle. The entire setup breathes out through twelve custom-made exhausts.

This behemoth is powered by three bored-out CB750 motors which essentially makes it a 12-cylinder 2,508cc glory, a mean feat that really hasnt been replicated since the days of Russ Collins in the 70’s.

So much hand crafted work you dont even see, his attention to detail is unsurpassed and I can relate to the hard work that has gone into to create such a work of art.

Just to dial all three of these in with 4 Keihin FCR 35mm carbs to each cylinder, must of been a mechanical nightmare to say the least, so Kudos to you Kiyo for patience alone.

A very skilled and self motivated man that I have huge respect for and at some point try and make the trip down to his workshop to tell Kiyo in person about the way I enjoy his builds, I have known Kiyo for many many years and have always held him in high esteem.

Well done my friend and hope to see some great times placed on the dry lake.