Awaiting Hurricane Hilary

Well, here we are, I am sat in the office, gazing out of the window at the rain that started to to fall a few hours ago, we are used to having pretty much, 340 days a year of sunshine but to be honest almost year round riding weather in Southern California, so to see some H2O coming down is quite refreshing.  But – We are expecting Hurricane Hilary to be arriving this afternoon, something SoCal has not witnessed in 86 years and, to be honest I don’t think it will be anything like a hurricane, more like a windy day in Seattle I think.

Plenty to do in the workshop as well and need to pull my finger out a little as its starting to fill up faster than Noah’s Ark, but its all good and will get to them, I need to sort a few bikes out, I may let the Katana go cheaply as I just dont have time to work on it, been sat inside for many years and I am sure someone will want that machine for $500, as its a great platform to have fun with, but as yo see, I have many projects to get sorted and the weather will cool off in a month or so and give me to me to see what I can concentrate on here.

I will be building some of the CB750’s to sell, but will of course, show the machines on my website for you lot to have a look through and see if there is anything that may float your boat etc, but I still am making parts for bikes and always continue to manufacture new stuff to get your bike back up on the tarmac.

Just thought I would write a quick blog and show you what I am up to and hope that where you are is warm enough to get out into the Barn, shed, garage etc and start wrenching.

 

 

Summer time at the workshop

Well, the Californian Summer hung off for a while, but now it is in full swing and boy is it getting hard to work in stifling heat and humidity is up the ying yang right now, feels like I am in Florida to be honest, but the show must go on, I have so much to do but right now I am waiting on some help with my Barn doors to be hung, they are big heavy wooden sliding doors.  But once they are up I can start to organise a little bit more, it is lucky we have a large property as I can store old projects all over the place but need to get it all under one roof soon and be more happier when that does come to fruition.

Like many of you, we are always wrenching on things, for me I have New parts to make or to become a dealer for and of course, I have Motorcycles to build and projects to finish, but as the saying goes, ‘Rome was not built in a day”.

It seems I have spent so many years on my knees but to be honest, I feel comfortable that way, even if the bikes on a lift, I guess it goes back to grass roots or what you grew up with, we had nothing as a kid and made the most of what we had, if we were given something we would cherish it and improve on it, but I still have so much passion in creativity with parts and creations and hope that I never lose that flame for design and ingenuity etc.

I love all sorts of Vintage and classic stuff, from obviously Motorcycles, music, fashion and of course cars or trucks, my recently purchased F250 has been fun but I have to also wrench on that and have changed stuff so far to improve the ride and running, with more to do as this is my parts hauler.

I was at the ceramic Coaters and decided to take the back roads to my place as the traffic was busy and it was 100 degree’s, the old F250 has been great so far as it has not got hot, but the 390 seems to be having carb issues, it has the stock Autolite 2 barrel and to be honest even though jets changed, power valve changed, float level set and cleaned many times, it just will not start after a few minutes, so things will be changing next week to sort that issue out.  But had to pull over and take a pic of this cool vintage sign I saw on the side of the road.

I love Southern California for old shops and signs and seem to see something different every time I go out to be honest and thought that i would share with you as I love Vintage signs too.

My Birthday coming up Thursday and I will not be working that day and enjoy time with my girl Jennifer, we do so much together and the good thing is she likes pretty much the same stuff I do, so we really get each other, she rides to and that makes a huge difference and she understands the trials and tribulations of running a Motorcycle and Automotive business.

Just wanted to say howdy to you all out there and thanks for supporting me in what I make and sell, I love you all.

 

Keep your eye on the website for more parts and bikes soon, just got back from the Post office, sent exhausts to Hawaii, Puerto Rico , New Zealand and Brazil today.

Happy 4th Of July Everybody

Time sure does fly by and now it is the 4th July, I wanted to wish everyone that I know in the states a Happy Independence Day, Jenn has made an Apple Pie and the Smoker is full bore cooking some Hamburgers and Hot dogs to celebrate the day. Just some different fun stuff to watch on your day off.  HAPPY 4th Everyone.

I went out for a Pint of milk, Came back with 10 CB750 Engines

It’s a funny old world, I mean, I initially went out to get a pint of milk and on the way there I came across a stash of SOHC Motors that a buddy of mine needed to off load as he was clearing his place out for renovations etc, what better way of getting rid of them then to let me have them.  And, as I have a Long bed Pick up truck, I thought to myself I should be able to get all 10 engines in the back of the F250.

Lucky for me, it’s only 4 miles from my place, and as my old beast only does 6 Miles to the Gallon, it was well worth taking the turck to go and get these SOHC in line Four Motors, they had been sat outside in the Californian sun for many many years but I can use some of the parts even if some of the motors are locked up etc.

It was no easy task carrying 10 CB750 Motors from a back yard and loading them onto my truck, at 230 pounds each, every one became heavier and heavier, by the time I had dragged the 10th Engine out and up and onto my bed of the F250, i was feeling as weak as watered down beer. But I got them all on and then thought about it, man- That’s just over One Ton of Engines, and the F250 is a 3/4 Ton.

I know I will have use for these, even for parts alone, I have a small collection now that for now I shall place in my barn and wait until later on when I have some free time to see what is what.

These towed home no problem in my pick up and that hardest part was unloading a Ton of engines, as it was only 3 miles from my place and I was already tired from throwing tem up onto the pick up bed, but, not as far to move to the barn.  I sure felt it afterwards as thats 2 ton moved in less than 2 hours.

I have stored them away now in the Barn, but I am still working on New doors for the outside, so will just have to tip toe around for a bit until I am ready to hang the doors up.

Glad to have got them and I know I will be turning to a few when I create some more machines for the tarmac, nice to have spares at your finger tips though.

I have another Motor in a frame you can see and one more on a dolly in the shop that I need to move over, always something to do at my New location, it will take a little time to get it how I want but then it will be icing on the cake as working from Home is always the easiest and more enjoyable way of working i think.

I have a lot of work to try and catch up on since our European visit but refreshed and ready to take on another chapter in the life of Custom Motorcycle creation, I have a few ideas for more exhausts, Handle bars and other parts, so stay tuned to the site if you can.

Oil leaks whilst i was away need to be cleaned and gaskets fitted, Doors painted and hung, and then organise the bikes and where the parts will go is something that is not to be rushed but everyday there is something to mess about with and I enjoy so much.

Thanks for reading my posts, I like to share what I have been up to and its great hearing from you too and seeing what you are building at home, if I can help I always will be it via email carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or call / text at 714-598-8392 as its a pleasure having a chin wag where ever you are in the globe.

 

 

Picked up 6 CB750’s today

Sometimes I get a call asking if I could clear out a garage or back yard as it has a motorcycle in it, this time it was 6 CB750’s, so what closed the deal was it was free but a friend of mine I have known many years and helping him out was the least I could do, and as he was less than 4 miles from me, I took the big G F250 out there and loaded up and bought the bikes home. I dont like to have to many as the place gets jammed packed but, its hard to not when it is so close to home.

To be honest, I can never really turn bikes down, especially CB750’s as I have had over 150 of these over the years and parts are always good to have handy, so I could not say no to this fella and help him out of a predicament too, these were in the back yard of his place, so a huff and a puff as some had flat tires etc but, determination is always key here and I wanted to get these home to eventually be used as another build. Once I get the Barn doors completed I shall space in the workshop to haul these up there and find a corner to rest them up together.

I have always enjoyed coming up with another build, they do take time and of course money, but when you hear them fire for the first time in many years, its something you get quite a buzz from, I get many texts or emails from Builders and customers who tell me that they just got their machine to run and I feel so stoked for them as I understand the euphoria that they feel when they first time you hit the starter or kick the kick starter and the engine coughs into life.

These are getting harder to find in back yards these days, I remember at one point I had 25 CB750 Honda’s in my back garden and driveway about 20 years ago and I have built every one of them over the years, so I was quite stoked to have these and bring them home. But don’t want the place to look like a junk yard so have to hold back on other stuff I have been offered.

Nothing super rare like sandcast etc here, but a couple of K1’s of which I have always liked anyway as never was a fan of the Ko with the Big side covers etc, there is no rush to do anything with these 500 pounders, so just unload and put them up in the Barn later until I come up with a build plan for them.

I have spent a lot of my life with Motorcycles and finding new stuff is always fun, just bringing them back with a plan of getting these to be back on the road in one form or another is always a challenge that I quite enjoy.

I have some Motors to look at tomorrow, so who knows what I may bring home, the hunt is half the fun and even though they are what I call snotters, parts are always handy to have when building machines.

So now is the time to unload these and see what is there and then I can mentally remember what these are as I store them and know that I have a choice of frames and years if I get into creating a new Build that will turn into something head turning, its hard to refuse when you build motorcycles and parts for a living, some will get it, many will not and think its some disease etc. LOL!

Of course, if I do start a creation, I will be sure to post on the website and share with you lot as many of you ask what I am up to these days and I thank you for that, I will be making more new parts too, so keep checking back on the website to see what’s going on, I do like to post blogs too and give you lot something to read.

 

More Exhausts on the go, busy times at Carpy’s Garage

Busy day at home and more 4 into 1 Exhausts systems are now completed, I have been busy as of late and just about caught up with previous orders, I love making these and getting them sent to all over the world.

These are the CB750 and Cb500-Cb550 Yoshi style systems, some of these will be Ceramic Coated, some will remain Raw and be packed in boxes ready for shipping etc, always good to be busy and more styles coming out soon.

I sent a few boxes off to Europe today, good to get that lot on their way to their Customer and they can get their own machine back on the tarmac, the Sun is out and that always gives you a little extra boost of work ethic, so got a ton done.

Well, I best get a few packed away in boxes and put in my workshop, but just wanted to share what i get up to some days.

Thank you for suppoerting me, I am a one man show and the show is going good.

El Diablo Drag Pipes Ceramic Coated Silver SOHC CB750 Chopper

Thought I would get a set of my ” El Diablo” Drag pipes Cerakote coated in Silver, they look like Polished Aluminum and the advantage of this is that they will not Blue like chrome does.

I have always liked the way cerakoted exhaust look and stand out to any weather compared to chrome, I fitted these to my Chop and love the way they look on the bike.

Is Cerakote exhaust worth it?
Cerakote is by far the best option available when considering high performance ceramic coatings. It lays down smoother than anything else we have found on the market, and it can be applied to so many different materials including engines and exhaust systems.
I have sold a few sets already and hope to be making more of these Drag pipes next month as I have almost sold out of my inventory.
These were easy to fit and I did away with the old Exhaust flower clamps and shims, these have floating flanges and sits in the cylinder head tighter and bolt on.
Available now and I ship world wide, I am here to help too, discounts on orders of 2 sets or more.

Drag Pipes sound byte for cb750 1969-1978 Chopper “El Diablo’s”

I thought that before I chrome this set, I would fire the old Chopper up and try and catch a video with my phone of how they sound, mind you the carbs had no gas in them at all, I attached my Auxiliary Fuel tank that I use to tune carbs and fired the bike up, it has not run in a while but she got going and at least you can hear these.  The the best audio equipment I know but at least gives you an idea of how these velvet tone Drag Pipes Bark.

I have Just taken One set to the Chrome shop, so hopefully by next week I will know how they look and the full price , Looking like $499 a set of Chrome pipes though.

Check my parts page as I will post pics when I get them back from the platers.

Honda Santee Chopper, replacing worn out engine covers

As you may know, I picked up an old Santee framed Honda Chopper in a Local Garage a while back, progress has been slow as I am making parts for it to offer to the Chopper builders that are all around the globe, but i noticed that the engine case covers were looking bad.

The covers had been chromed, and as these are aluminum, the material gets hot and then cold and sweats, causing the chrome to bubble as it can’t expand like aluminum does, so it had bubbled, peeled and then started to corrode the aluminum, so I thought I would try and repurpose some old spare covers I had by polishing them to a chrome finish . As you can see from the photo above, the transmission cover was removed and the old gasket was toast, so luckily I had a New one in my cupboard as well as other parts needed to refurbish this area of the bike.

I removed the stator cover, but it took me a while to get this sorted as that round dark blue plate that is on the starter collar, fell off and hid behind the crank sprocket, took me a bit to fish that puppy out but never lost hope and now it’s time to remove the coil winding and the infield coil that are screwed into the case, I also leant the bike over and placed a blue tarp on the floor, as I did not want to drain the New oil that’s in the bike that I put in when I got the bike running for the first time, I knew I would lose a little bit of oil, so placed a catch tray under the chassis to save any catastrophes that could occur on jobs like this.

Make sure that when you remove any Factory Phillips shaped screws on your Honda- That the screwdrivers are JIS models. ( Japanese Industrial Standard) as regular Phillips screwdrivers will most like round the screw heads off.

What is the difference between JIS and Phillips?
JIS, or Japanese Industry Standard screws are just different enough in shape that Phillips drivers will not fit well and slip/strip them. The difference is in the leading angle of the point of the driver. Phillips bits have a larger angle and therefore don’t bottom out in the JIS screws, causing slippage.
Also, make sure that you use OEM Factory Gaskets, as the aftermarket versions not only fit badly, usually the holes do not all line up and the gasket seems to be inconsistent in thickness, I did learn the hard way, thinking I would save a few bucks on the cheaper brand, only to find I had to take the case all apart and fit OEM ones to stop the leaks.
Glad that I managed to get some time to work on this old girl today, she was left in an old garage in La Mirada for many years, sat on a pile of dirt and then covered with years of hoarding, so I will be happy to have it running and use it for a bit, before I put her up for sale, its a good looking rig now and I am sure when I have the New Stainless exhaust system on, it will find a new home ok.
I have lost count of how many SOHC motorcycles I have built, let alone worked on but in the hundreds for sure and always something different to find on some, I love what I do and continue to offer service for customers all over the world.These inline four Motors are fantastic machines and have given me many miles of smiles once they are tuned right.
Covers are on now on this side of the bike, still got to add a finned cover on the stator and fit another gear shifter as the old one is a horrible welded thing that I do not want to use, then I need to turn the bike around and remove the clutch cover and give that the same treatment.
On closer inspection of the front drive sprocket, I see a couple of issues here, the offset is out a little as the sprocket is wearing against the side of the chain and secondly, the sprocket that is fitted is an earlier version 530 and 77 and 78 Motors had 650 chains, I will fit a 540 but will address the issue here and have a sprocket on the way as I do not want any dramas of the chain breaking and destroying the cases.  Also, Chops have super long chains so need to count the links so that I can buy a custom one to replace this tired version.
The Old girl was looking tired, dirty and in need of a good clean up before any polishing can take place on this part, I always like to vapor hone these, that way the material is super clean and ready for some serious polishing, using some good old Jewelers Rouge.
Time to change the look of this 40 year old girl and turn it into something fresh and clean and to be honest, look like a brand New factory part, now I could refit the part in its OEM look but want to polish the piece to a chrome finish seeing this is a Chopper and not a restoration bike.
Now you can see how different that the Clutch cover looks after a process of vapor cleaning and now this part is ready for another transformation and get it polished up for that Custom styling that is so popular.
I am going to try and vapor many parts before I polish, as it makes everything so much easier to buff with no oil residue or grime in the way when I begin the Polishing stage, I am sure that you agree that this way is way better than the old school way? Now, the stator cover that’s on the bike is chromed and all peeling off, I want to use a spare old Stator cover I have and will vapor hone it to make it clean before trying to polish it.
This  spare old stator cover was just as tired as the other parts on the inline Four, and I am sure that yours looks in the same way too???? This Chopper will not be a show winning machine but a traditional Custom bike that was created back in the day and want to try and show what was in the magazines in the 70’s and 80’s when these were seen all over the place.
There is a bunch of old dings and scratches in the stator cover but many will buff out luckily and then it will have an old Finned cover going on the outside to embellish the engine as I have other finned covers on the bike, also these parts are getting harder to locate and finding some parts in my boxes of old stash came in handy but of course, still needed a lot of work, but the other one on the bike had been chromed and was peeling off and oxidizing badly, so this is the better way to replace it i think?
There is still a ton of stuff to do on the bike but wanted to share this with you today as it’s almost the weekend. Here are a couple of little videos that I took with my phone to show you what I am doing as the weather was raining outside, hope you enjoy?

Exhaust Systems I manufacture- Sound Bytes From Customers

Howdy one and all

Here we are once more with a small Blog, this time I thought I would look about for some sound bytes of my exhaust systems for the Honda and Triumph etc, I have been selling these for 23 years now and continue to make more performance systems for other makes as I continue to help the Motorcycle fraternity with well made American Products.