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.
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
Geoffrey Chaucer once said ” Time and Tide wait for no man.” And to be honest, he is right, I have many pokers in many fires and as we moved to a bigger place with my very own workshop, I thought some of my stuff in storage can go to others, as I have a lot of things to build, finish and design.
So here it is:
A 1977 CB550F Super Sport HONDA FOUR Project of which I have had for quite some time in my storage container.
This bike is rolling and I also have the Pink Slip and the numbers all match up too.
Still needs finishing but all the hard work is done to be honest and would make a fun Bar hopper or parts runner when completed.
The Motor was rebuilt, needs a sprocket cover as we cant seem to find the old one, but there are many things on here.
Here is a list or two,
This will make a great project for someone and is priced really well to sell, I also look forward to seeing it completed and on the road sometime very soon too.
It sits so very well and that’s how I envisioned this build when I started to acquire parts for the inline four Honda.
I have always liked the Old School Diamond treaded tires, they are not cheap as well and this makes such a good deal for a client out there as there are many cool parts on this ride as you can see by the photos I just took today.
This Motor has a Stainless Steel 304 grade Four Into 1 set up and that this style is a frame hugging design that I think will turn heads when it fires up.
Just look at them Chunky tires, this really is a great looking ride and it will travel along the gravel very smoothly indeed.
It has a set of Piggy Back shocks on the rear to set the Arse just right for them tall tires.
Still needs things like a drive chain and a front sprocket but this is all easy stuff to be honest.
These little 550 bikes are a great powerhouse and will surprise many people when you get this on the tarmac.
Has a 5-3/4 steel headlight with an LED set up that is brighter than Einstein.
I put on expensive handlebars and these really do feel super comfortable and no wrist ache what so ever, also fitted early 1970’s Race throttle and grips for an added bit of Nostalgia.
So here she is, like I said, I have the PINK SLIP-TITLE for this and the Numbers match, so a cool deal for someone out there.
Thanks for looking and Maybe you can pass this along to some of your friends, you will notice the Original speed equipped finned Points cover too?
I have always doodled since I was a youngster, I drew Motorcycles on anything to be honest, be it a Napkin on the table, the school folder or on an opened up chewing gum wrapper.
But todays graphic artists are on another planet, and Garinca Bali from Indonesia is no exception, I came across this Royal Enfield Custom he designed for a competition, and even though I have no idea how the heck that you do something like this, I admire the bloke, what a great skill.
Just thought that I would share today.
Always loved Solid Works etc but this is Art Station and boy you can do all sorts of creations with it.
Clever people that I have always admired, making visual and crisp creations from someone like me who give them a chewing gum wrapper sketch.
I think life would of been very different for me if we had this sort of software at school, but when i was at school all we had was a microfiche LOL!
So, if you are learning this Modern art of designing on a Computer, good on you, I love seeing stuff like this and hope someone can draw up a sketch of mine sometime so i can share it with others on the INTERWEB!
The New Year is here, still a crazy world out there and I am not taking any risks to get ill again, I got all my shots, I then caught Covid and then at Christmas got a cold almost as bad as the New Omicron, what a shit start to the year for sure, but- I have got the cold just about beat, still coughing like a badly tuned motor, but I am on the road once more.
For over 20 years I have rented a building for what I do, we all throw away good money on rent and the Landlord is the only person that makes anything out of that, but- this year is all different, about 7 months ago we put in plans for a barn to be built on the 1 acre we have here in La Habra heights. We had to jump through the many hoops and have many inspections, but at last we are now making some great progress.
Once the Concrete slab was laid and left to cure for a whole month, we started to get the Barn ready to go together on Wednesday, the sun was out and the rain storm we had for a week before had gone, this is a really excited time for Carpys Garage and wanted to share some of the build with you.
A great Company that makes steel Barns for many years was the choice that we went for, robust and affordable, a steel skeleton is constructed and bolted with high grade bolts to the Concrete floor, this is a sturdy set up and am glad that we went this route.
I have no idea how I am going to decorate as yet, that all takes time and of course money, but the main thing is to get the workshop put together and then see what I can do to make it my own and have fun creating what I do from the comfort of home. And not a drive to work either.
This will indeed be the perfect place for inspiration and dont have to worry about parking, or the street sweeper etc or the Land lord coming by to increase their rent, this is a bitchin set up and super stoked to be doing this.
It is the perfect size for me and although will take a little time to dial in, it will be such a relief to jump out of bed and stroll up the yard to the Barn and begin to make parts or create builds to offer the Customers all over the globe.
I wanted a Red Old style Color Barn as the area we are in has many Ranches etc. And we thought this color will fit right in, hope to find an old Cart Wheel later to add to the side and of course old industrial Lights to mount outside, along with a Cow or Bull skull with Horns.
Lots t do but making great headway and will be a fun project as we go along, some might not understand the importance of your own workshop, but those who do, will really get how stoked I am to be in this situation.
Eventually I shall decide on a cool Barn door, as I don’t want just a regular roll up, they are noisy too, so I am looking into a few styles with Jennifer to see what would look good on the front.
It is also a nice wide opening, so I can get my bikes and Hot Rod in there with no issues, the run off is super good if we do get any more of the wet stuff.
Just wanted to share the news with all you lot, I know that a lot of you will be stoked for me and I look forward to making brand new parts here from the countryside of ideas.
Its Bulldog approved now and she will enjoy hanging out again in the garage as she was in many of my shops and loved hanging around in the workshop all day.
So, thanks for reading my little Blog and I will show more of when I have got other stuff finished in the Barn, but good things are happening and many thanks for sticking by me.
Thought I would show the New Little CB350RS HONDA that’s out and about, very Nostalgic looking, what do you think?
Here we are 2022 at last, man – What a crappy 2020 and glad to see the back of it and start a fresh and hope that we all have some good health and enjoy life as much as we can.
I somehow caught the Flu over Christmas and it Royaly buggered me up, Only about 80% right now but at least I am up on my feet, and I wanted to make sure that I did a bit of work at the house and get a few things ready for when My Barn arrives for assembly on Wednesday.
I have a few Projects I would like to finish this season and I hope my health gets a lot stronger as I took quite a whooping last year with Covid and the Flu, so lets all keep our pinkies crossed that we are all fine and can go and wrench on our machines to our hearts content.
There are many things that I hope to make and offer on my website for all the avid Motorcycle builders out there, I receive so many emails and texts about what you lot are up to, it drives me to help get your machine completed, and sure hope that you can complete yours this year to get on the tarmac for the new season when it eventually arrives where ever you are located.
Just wanted to wish you all a Very Happy New year and thank you for all of your orders, emails, phone calls and texts, I love chatting to you all and look forward to continuing great communication with you in this New year we have all started.
Look Forward to seeing what you are all creating and maybe see you on the road one of these days?
Here is something to have a laugh at at days gone by back home 1965.
Well, what a bloody tough year we have all had, for me it has been crazy, what with moving to another location as well as catching Covid and then on Christmas day catching an awful cold with the same symptoms of Covid but without the temperatures, its been a long battle throughout. From having some of my suppliers completely closing down due to the Virus to some retiring early, I have had to come up with some more ideas for parts and apparel to have for the coming year we await.
But, the positive side to this awful dilemma we are all facing right now is, we have some time in our garages. sheds or back yards, to turn a wrench, help a mate or give a whole new project a go and take any frustrations out of what’s going on in the world and turn it into a working machine that is yours and yours alone.
I love making parts or building new rides, its a therapy and an escape from life’s woes to be honest, and also there are many many failure before I find something that fits and works as it should, so for those who are trying it on your own, or building your own machine, Failure is a learning curve, we all do it and not only once. I have almost given up on a particular piece I was trying to make, I left if for a day or two and when I head a fresh brain, it all clicked and worked.
Do not be afraid to fail, I have sat and pondered and even been seen to shout at the parts calling it all sorts of names but in the end we managed to come up with a result that we are happy with, the fun is in the creating at most of course, taking your ride out and stretching its legs for the first time is such a thrill and the Euphoria is un measurable, but what I am trying to say is
“Dont Give up” There are many friends on the internet that can I advise, heck, I even put my phone and text number on my website so people can text me, rather than waiting all weekend for an answer from a company phone, i want to help the best way I can, its not all about sales for me, its Service and the camaraderie of the fellow builder.
I am hoping that this coming 2021, we can all have fun in what we do and maybe even meet at an event or on the tarmac, or at the very least, on the end of the phone of email, there is something self gratifying when you complete something on your own machine and I receive many emails and photos from customers who have really enjoyed creating a unique Motorcycle that they want to personalize for themselves.
Hoping that you can get some time and turn a wrench and have fun with that two wheeled machine of yours and maybe I can help with parts or advice?
Wishing you ALL a very Happy New year that’s almost upon us and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your orders from around the globe, you all Rock!!!!
Here is a little video I saw on you tube of a guy with minimal tools rebuilding his little Honda Cub.
I forget to add pics of Motorcycles that I have built over the years and some times I kick my self for not posting anything, but today I will overcome my forgetfulness and add some photos of a fun creation I built using parts that I had around the shop.
I wanted to build something that was a cool reference to Cafe Racer styled Motorcycles back in the day but, of course using a later motorcycle but, still early enough to be classes a classic and I started off with a 1971 CB750 Honda four that was just basically a frame, I had a bunch of boxes with parts in them and over time, I started to put a few things together.
I had an old Fiberglass Racing Gas tank that I thought would be just the job, I fitted it to the frame and sat on the bike, immediately crushing my nuts, that’s when the Penny dropped and I thought what an apt name for the bike and thought if I did it in the style of the Norton Logo, this would look pretty Classic.
I chose to go the traditional deep Black Color and then pin line around it in Gold, as that would really give it the 1950’s era British Motorcycle look that went along with Norton, BSA, Triumph and Matchless, as well as the Vincent of course.
Now the Gas tank has a Ton Of clear sprayed on it, I had to test fit it to the frame, as I had powder coated the frame Gloss Black and Built the Motor to an 836cc and wedged her back in the chassis, the bike was looking really good and I was happy about this, but now I had to come up with a Classic styled seat unit for the Nut Basher, so I went the whole hog and built one from scratch.
I tried all sorts of ideas until something clicked, but had to thing of a cool way of mounting a tail light and I wanted to have the light incorporated into the seat hump. I chose to French the rear Led tail light into the cowl, and although it took a full day, it came out really well indeed and was super stoked that I had gone this route on the NutBasher Machine.
It sat on the frame just right and I attached snaps to the sides of the until so I could pull the cover off and get to any documents I need, or remove the seat if I ever needed to quickly, I also made sure there was a ton of clear coat applied just incase I scratched it and could buff it out on final fit etc.
I was super happy with the way the seat unit fitted and the tail light assembly was Classic looking but in fact was an Led stop light that was as bright as Einstein.
I wanted to put a lot of detail into this creation as I knew it would turn many heads where ever it ended up, this Fuel tank held 5.5 Gallons and that made for some great riding, without worrying about running out of squirt, but it sure was bloody heavy once the tank was filled up to the top.
She was a Long and thin Motorcycle that screamed out Nostalgia, it ran hard as nails and breathed really well as it has a hand made 4 into 1 Racing exhaust that was built in less than 3 hours by a Indy Racing mechanic, this would really exit the gases well and have never heard something so mean in all my life.
This was created by a top Indy exhaust builder and designer and he didnt even need the bike to make it, just an upside down engine, it was so cool to see him knock this out.
A sheer work of art and it fitted like a glove too, this was made in Inconel and a one off like this, nobody in the world will have one like this. The material is as I said Inconel that refers to a family of trademarked high strength austenitic nickel-chromium-iron alloys that have exceptional anti-corrosion and heat-resistance properties. … Burns Stainless recommends Inconel 625 alloy for exhaust systems due to its excellent strength, corrosion resistance and fabricability. And it sure stood up to my fire breathing 836 motor no problems at all.
This is such a nice system, shame to coat it Black but I want the bike to have a lot of Black parts on it, so ceramic coated it will get and I am sure it will look great.
This Motorcycle will not just look fast, it will haul so much arse, it will leave people scratching their heads as it goes by, and the roar from the exhaust will stay with them for a lifetime I should think.
Another thing that I do and nobody ever did back then was, make my own gauge faces, I have created many over the years and this Ton Up machine needed a great set of gauge faces to give the top end of the bike some class too. So I went with a Roaring Tiger, Synonymous with the 1950’s Triumphs and colorful to say the least.
These are really easy to apply and give your tired old gauges a brand new lease of life, also very unique and personal to your bike, something that I have been very proud of.
I even repaint the needles and add a longer Red line to the end, so you can clearly see where the needle is pointing at speed, also if you look, I have readjusted the configuration of the gauge faces and they digits start at a different position than the stock factory versions.
Not sure that you will notice but, I also changed the 100 to the word TON, which of course means the magic 100 MPH and a milestone in Café Racers back in the day to reach that Golden triple digit. I also added my own Oil Light warning display of which has a High Beam and Neutral light, just to keep you informed as to what’s going on up top.
The Motor was totally rebuilt, the head was Ported and polished and has an 836 Yoshi kit inside the jugs, this pulled like a steam train and of course, stainless Allen head bolts throughout the whole engine. I also drilled the starter Motor cover and fitted bronze mesh for a cool Look.
Rear Hub got my Custom drilling and Polishing detail, as well as rear brake arm, I sure loved creating this Motorcycle and always enjoy doing my own thing to it.
I machined my own Motor mount to follow the fins of the engine and on ALL motors, I have always run an Alcohol filled Oil Pressure gauge, to give me a true reading of actual engine oil pressure, through the oil galley.
Cerakoted exhaust system looks great against the Silver and Polished Aluminum of the inline four engine, I used Italian rear sets to give this bike a wee bit more aggressive stance when you are sat upon it. I sell many pairs of these and dead easy to fit, they function so well and smooth, I try and use these on the majority of my creations.
All clean and new, this bike ran so well, it was like a new wrist watch to be honest and sure do miss this Beast of a Motorcycle, but enjoyed every minute building it.
Rear sets look pretty darn cool, I drilled and polished the sprocket cover too, for that Racy look and give it a little more Bling, personal choice but I have fun doing that.
The Grips you may find to be from somewhere else, and you would be right, I used Original 1970’s Schwinn Bicycle grips, put them in Boiling water and then pushed them onto the handlebars, they fitted snug as a bug when they cooled down and look great and flow with the piggy back shock reservoir’s.
A tall drink of water for sure, running on 18 inch rims and Bridgestone tires, a Combination I have used many many times, these have great grip in all weather but of course, have a nice Classic tread pattern too.
I have always been a fan of how this bike has sat, she looks ready to race off down the road from any angle, I also made sure that the front fender sat tightly to the tire.
I also removed the fender stays to clean the look up at front and I think that it works well, I hand drilled the front rotor and you can see much polishing of Aluminum was done to give this bike some class.
There really is a lot of detail that you will not notice at first but hope you like what I have done, we are all different and have many styles we like, but I get a lot of emails about this build and thought that it was time that I shared it with you lot.
I should of made a mold of the gas tank as I really liked that shape, even with the Chin Divot at the front of the tank, that goes back to the early TT days and stream lining.
Everything redone, even machines the Oil Filter Housing to give it some fins, a thoroughly pleasing to the eye motorbike that I am quite proud of creating.
Thanks for looking at The Nut Basher, I hope you liked what I have done to this old inline Four Honda and I continue to build and make parts for these 500 pounders.
Thank you for reading about this bike, if I can help you with Parts, Service or just if you are stuck, you can email or text me. carpy@carpyscaferacers.com carpysgarage@aol.com or TEXT 714-598-8392
Sitting in my office, looking at the fog bank rolling in across the front of the window, reminds me of years gone by when I was back in England, I had an old garage that was built in the 1960’s, the doors were missing and I shared the area with 9 other garages, closed in by a wall and agate, the Fog would roll in just like today and I continued to work on one of my projects, be it a 2 or 4 wheeled model and just shrug the weather off. Today the Fog is surrounding me but I have been fortunate to have an office now and as I type this, the New Concrete slab that has just been poured for my new workshop, is hardening and hopefully in a months time, the steel Barn can be constructed and give me a new chapter in my life of Building and manufacturing parts for Motorcycles and Hot Rods.
This Covid Virus has really turned the globe on its head and many times I have heard news of friends and family catching this awful strain, I too submitted to it, even with 2 shots, but, the world is now evolving and in a way, getting used to life with a mask and Social distancing. I mean, Life has to go on, we have to live, survive and of course put bread on the table.
I see a few companies starting back up, albeit on a smaller scale, but we have to carry on and get back on track, and not look back at the sad and painful year or so that has gone by. I am getting enquiries on commissioned builds but am not ready to commit to contracts on these until I know where I am with my New Workshop etc. and want to take my time to equip the barn with the tools I need to do what I do.
But, 2022 is just around the next apex and I can see it approaching a bit faster now, I see a way better year ahead for all thank god and look forward to attending some shows and exhibitions etc. to show people New parts, builds and also just Human Communication, something I do miss of course, without communication, I have no input into what people like, want or are hoping to see in our two wheeled family and with the new Year offering hope with Vaccinations and the like, I believe that we can slowly get back into gear and enjoy the hobby that we all love.
I love all Motorcycles and really enjoy chatting to other builders, some of who simply knock my socks off with their own creations that leave my proverbial jaw continually slammed on the ground in amazement of their skills and creativity.
I think that as a builder and manufacturer, we all feed off input and the importunateness of shows and meetings etc. is Vital in the industry that we are in, and looking forward to attending a few shows next year, even if its just to stretch my creativity legs so to speak. I really do enjoy talking with Customers about their needs and what makes their crank turn and even though I still receive many phone calls and emails, its always great to see the Client in person.
So, here’s to a way better year and look forward to seeing some of you on the tarmac, always great to hear from you all and get an idea of what you are creating at home.
Over 21 years I have been here and now I look back and think how far the Motorcycle scene and Community has come along in regards to self builds or designs.
It is so refreshing to see creative minds out there who have thought about creating their own machine from something that probably wasn’t even running a few months back, and now they are tearing down the tarmac with a huge smile on their faces.
I love seeing other people Motorcycles and this is a Big family in the 2 wheeled world and we all have something in common when we see a machine and look closer and what the Motorcycle comprises off to make it such a stand out bike.
Sometimes, just a little Brat-Cafe style Machine catches your eye, and this little Buzz bomb is an eye catcher for sure, and of course, you do not see too many GB250’s over here, in Europe there were many more available as I should know, when you were 17 years old, you could ride up to a 250cc Motorcycle on a Provisional License. So, many 250 contraptions were made by many big names and its always fun to see old Iron that has been resurrected and now is a fun motorcycle to enjoy on the local tarmac.
How much fun is this? Mostly built by Honda in Japan, Europe did see quite a few of these, but alas I haven’t seen any in the USA, its a shame, as the Platform is ideal for a Brat-Cafe style Custom machine and this particular build was created by a Nonthaburi (Thailand) based “Sabbath Bob Custom” workshop. Its a head turning little Tarmac eating 250cc bike and I love the styling.
The Knobby Trail tires set this off from the bog standard road bike and by simply dropping the trees down and pulling the upper fork tubes up a few inches, well, it throws that from end down- Giving it a more aggressive stance, also removing the stock gauges leaves the top end uncluttered. As well as taking off the higher factory handlebars and going for a set of Clip on’s that are fitted below the upper tree, will give you that cool back aching ride that reminisces the days of old school racers.
Using a 4inch headlight with a Foglamp lens, really makes the 250 look like a 400 cc Motorcycle and everything becomes tucked in and tight, which works very well on many machines in this style.
This is a fun bike, not show Quality and what I like about that is they are not bothered where they ride it, on smooth tarmac or in the woods and tire choice is key on any machine, sometimes you have to forgo comfort for styling and this works very well on this GB250 bike and love the choice that the Thailand based company went with.
So with a little amount of money and plenty of ingenuity, you can create something cool out of almost anything, I love this Bar Hopper and wanted to share it with you. There may be something similar in your garage. Just doing them few things, changing out the gas tank from a larger bike, does completely change the look of the bike from its stock guise and with a bigger tank, you can get further too.
Keep your eyes out as I have seen a few 250’s made into cool Custom rides. Enjoy your Weekend everybody and send in any pics of your rides to: carpy@carpyscaferacers.com
