Tag Archives: classic

New Parts and New projects this year

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
03 Feb

Hey Everyone

Hope that you are all well and trying to continue doing what you enjoy- This Pandemic is a royal Pain in the proverbial arse, but we have to stay strong and continue masking up, keeping your distance and soon after we all get the Jab, hopefully we can get to some sort of even Keel and enjoy the freedoms that we once all took for granted.

Things will be changing a little with me as I shall be having a steel barn built to keep me close to home, I can make prototype parts and start to create some more motorcycles for Customers and of course my own, I have a few ideas for many things and here I can do all that and much more.  I shall be offering more exhaust systems, that are all made right here in California, none of the China crap will be here and hope that you can pass the word so we can keep our money in the USA as so much money goes to China, but none from me- I tell ya that for free.

 

I love what I do, I really enjoy making new parts, I also enjoy the many emails and texts that i receive every day, if I can help someone out of their dilemma, even if it does not involve using my parts etc, I am still happy as someone now has got their machine on the tarmac.

Have fun with what you do, its an awesome hobby of ours and everybody wants to help each other out, I get a lot of calls right now as people are of course at home locked down in some cases, so, as to not get bored, people are creating their own style machines and there are some great creative minds working overtime as I type this Blog today.

So get into them Garages, Sheds or back rooms and have fun wrenching, I am here to help anytime, be it phone, Email or text, sure look forward to hearing from you, stay safe and get wrenching.

 

Looking forward to a more positive Healthy year

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
29 Dec

A couple of days left in this terrible Pandemic year, good riddens to it and sure hope that 2021 will be great for us all, of course it will take probably half of that year for all of us to get back on an even keel so to speak, but we shall get there and life will change for the better.  Where we can go out and eat, enjoy meeting folk again, even attend shows and Motorcycle meets etc, life is so short and precious and I think that everybody’s attitude will be a tad different now too.

I love making parts or just building bikes, I am no Pro at this, and didn’t go to school to learn how to either but I grew up with 2 wheeled machines and still to this day do not own a Snap On tool, just the old Sears Craftsmen’s lol. The photo above is me about 20 years ago with my Rocket 4 seat base I created and, still sell today. And Below, was when I helped Dennis Roth create a tribute trike to his dad who passed away Ed Roth, and of course, it had to be CB750 Powered. How much fun did we have with this, hope to find photos of the finished product one day when it was on display at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

 

Exhausts are going out the door pretty quick these days

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
07 Nov

Well, a day off at last, albeit I will be catching up on things at home etc, but- I am in my office and for once, it has started to rain.  Something that we do not get much of in Southern California, so I will engulf this as it reminds me of back home in the UK and, it also gives me a little time whilst I have a cup of splosh, to tell you that I have been selling quite a lot of 4 into 1 exhaust systems as of late.

I have not added up the amount of systems I have sold over the years but its a few thousand now and I am so stoked that Customers still like them and, they are made right here in California and not China, I get many emails from customers, letting me know they love the look, fit and of course the sound and performance that these systems make, a very unique and smooth breathing system that I am very proud of and cannot thank you all enough for purchasing.

It is unreal the places that my systems have ventured out to, Russia, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, etc as well as Australia, New Zealand and the surrounding Islands, from Hawaii to London too, I am amazed when I get the order to see where it is going. So thank you all for that and I shall be looking into some more designs when the New workshop is built, something that will always be enjoyable.

These will fit the CB500 the CB550 and the SOHC CB750 K F models from 69-78 and you will see a big difference from stock, weight for a start, sound and of course the response is way faster and smoother, rev that girl out and watch the RPMs enjoy the free flowing system and the bark as you shift gears.

These come in a variety of finishes, for the Tough look, there is Raw steel, its bare bones and will rust of you dont wither wrap it or clear coat it but it looks killer when fitted and the industrial look in really popular right now.

Also there are Color options for the systems, we get them Professionally Coated with Cerakote.   High temp ceramic coatings act as a ceramic insulation in that they protect your exhaust system from rust and corrosion. Ceramic coating will protect your exhaust from things like road salts, oil and gas, heat from your engine, and exhaust gases that flow through your pipes. Also can improve the performance of your engine’s horsepower. It helps increase the speed and maintain the quality of exhaust gas flow while keeping the temperature of the engine low. When you apply the coating to the exterior, it can make the exhaust flow faster, allowing for a reduced loss of power and temperatures. 

Above is the Burnt Bronze which has a Texture to it and helps dissipate the heat fast. You aren’t going to want to replace the items in your exhaust system very often, and you won’t have to when you use a high temp ceramic coating. The coating reduces the thermal cycle surface temperatures, reducing the exposure to a constant hot-cool cycle. This all means that the coating reduces the risk of the metal arts in your exhaust system weakening.

A stealthy 1978HONDA CB750  SOHC looks Tough as Nails sat outside the owners garage, he loved the fit and sound of his machine and rides it as much as he can, it looks great eh?

The Sidewinder is a good system too and hugs the frame tightly, it also allows for a Main stand to be used if you wanted to.

The Yoshi is my Best Seller and as you can see, it sets this machine of nicely a great Motorcycle and it gets a lot of attention where ever it is ridden to.

Above is the Titanium Color that some people order, its great to be able to offer a few colors as the bike they are building can have a matching system that suits the styling.

We try our best to come up with a great exhaust and I think that we have made many people happy that this is available not just in Raw steel, but in a variety of colors and stainless steel too.

The good thing is that this 2 piece set up comes with a Removable Baffle and you can either pack it with fiberglass to quieten it or leave as supplied for that Velvet tone, as 99% do keep the baffle in with No packing at all.

Which ever way to go, I am here to help, I look after all my customers and over seas I adjust the customs forms so you dont get hammered with Duty fee’s etc, and as the system is a 2 piece, I can get it in a smaller box, which means cheaper shipping as well.

I have always loved working with these machines

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
05 Nov

Time does indeed fly by and as we now spend a lot of time at home, I thought that I would let you know that what ever I do, there will always be time to turn wrenches and create parts or a cool Custom machine in my workshop, and I continue to do so, next few months will see the beginnings of a new place to work in, my own Barn and its an exciting time. I can redesign older parts or make new ones and of course, continue to create machines and parts to fit them.

Below is just one of my shops that I had a ball creating these 2 wheeled delights and thought that I would share.

The shop below was about 9 years ago but they all look like this at some point and loved being immersed in Motorcycles.

CB550 I am putting together from parts laying about.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
15 Sep

Well, here we are and will shortly be beginning a New journey, moving to a bigger place with an acre of land and shall be having a Barn built for my workshop, so I thought I would try and use some of the old parts I have in my storage, to at least get a rolling chassis, so will be easier to move around when the time comes for me to move all my stuff.

This 550 frame was a friend of mines, but he got into a bad accident a few months back and will no longer be riding again, so, rather him getting rid of the frame, he gave it to me with some bits and bobs, and Ii thought now was a good time to at least assemble a few bits that I do have and see where we end up down the road a bit.

I had de-tabbed it and welded a hoop a few years back and then he had the chassis Powder coated and thats how it stayed, so I now have this at home and am now starting to see what I have to get this in some sorting of movable project, and I have a long way to go, as well as dealing with the smoke ash and bad air quality, due to the fires, I shall not be rushing this.

I am going to be putting it together in my spare time and see where we end up, but have an idea roughly of a Brat style bike that might be fun to ride on El Mirage dry lake etc later  on when the SCTA meets start up again.

When you start off with just bare bones, and no Game Plan, who knows where you will go, but, as we may be on the move very soon, I need to clear some of my storage out of parts laying about and at least make this 77-78 Frame Rollable, so I can move it about a little later on.

I managed to locate an old swing arm and fitted that to the chassis, and then I pulled out some TEC shocks that I had in a box and thought that this would be the best project for these as they are Brand new and will set the bike off nicely.

I had some Polished lowers in a Draw and some Hard Chromed upper stanchions all wrapped up in a box in my storage facility, so a good time to put together a good set of front forks, complete with New O-Rings and Upper Nuts etc, finished the look off with some chromed Dust Covers and there you go, a neat front end. I actually use A.T.F. for the oil and then set the pre-Load by adding 4 Stainless Washers in the top above the spring, just like they did at the Race tracks, as I hate the plastic tube spacers, dont trust them at all.

This bike needs everything, so it may take some time to get all together but, for now I am piecing the bike in the garage and its taking shape right now, a 18 Inch rear rim laced to a front polished hub and stainless stee spokes was the order of the day and of course, it would not look as Custom, without a set of Diamond Pattern Tires.

You may also Notice that I have fitted a Pro Moto set of Black 7/8 Handle Bars, with a center brace, just to give it a more Tracker look and to be honest, they feel really good on these tree’s.

Now she has a rear wheel and, even though she sits higher, I really am digging the ride height and stance of this machine, admittedly, she may drop down a tad when the Motor gets plopped in but, I like this concept so far and am having fun piecing this old girl together to begin a new life after many years of laying dormant.

Not sure on the Headlight or the Gas tank right now but, as I have a few parts laying about, I am just using them up for now and can check them later if I find something else.

This does have a nice look and feel to it, it roils so nice with new bearings and the bars give it a Classic pose and something I have high hopes for later on, long way to go and noticed the right foot peg is incorrect, so will need to find a 77 version so the brackets fit the frame right.

You may get bored at looking at these photos but right now I am trying to get a feel of how I want this bike to look and am sure I will be trying a bunch of gas tanks until I get the right one to work.

I polished up the old Rotor and will grab a set of old caliper and brackets from my storage and see what I can mount up on here,then strip and polish to a chrome look.

I tried another gas tank off a 500, still not sure and will keep trying, I will make a seat pan but make sure plenty of padding and i think tuck n Roll but not sure what color just yet, will wait until I know what fuel tank I shall use on this build.

Working on a super cool front bobbed fender, getting there and will be stoked to get that all dialed in, looks pretty dope already but just a few tweaks more.

That where we stand right now, and talking of stands, there is no main stand for this, so I have to come up with a longer kick stand for this bike, as she wont be able to stand upright with out one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Era is now here but, we shall always be riding our Motorcycles, no matter what is thrown at us!

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
31 Aug

CORONA DIARIES 2020 from the  deep warm depths of La Mirada. California

August is now out the window, on its toes and halfway down the road, thanking god that his part of 2020 is now in the can and hopefully the next time August comes around, we might be able to life a more normal lifestyle.  I mean, the one we have now sucks like a new Dyson and I will be glad when we can count down the 2020 timer on December 31st approaching midnight.

Things here have been quite crazy work wise, as I have exhaust orders up the Ying Yang and many daily custom parts flying out as soon as I make them, which tells me that people are at home building and creating their own unique two wheeled machines and I am super stoked to see that you are putting all your frustrations and down time to great use and at the end of your build, you would of created your own transportation and can enjoy 2021 way better than this year.

So today i thought I would put some vidoes on my Blog to help your day and week for that fact, go by a little easier.

And for the next segment of two wheeled entertainment.
Life in the megalopolis can grind down even the most badass individual. When the city rubs Aki the wrong way one too many times, she hustles her way onto some sweet retro custom motorcycles and gets gone… Tokyo Gone.

Next up is the amazing Jody Millhouse of Thornton Hundred motorcycles, which is based in good old Blighty, over in Milton Keynes, home of the Concrete Cows.

Thornton Hundred Motorcycles work using the latest in CAD design and CAM manufacturing technology to create truly unique designs. They are constantly re-investing and with every success comes fresh investment into new products and manufacturing techniques. They are dedicated to creating a relaxed and personal buying experience from our workshop that is based just outside of Milton Keynes, near Junction 15 just off the M1. They are also committed to delivering exceptional customer service, responding to all enquiries in a timely manner, inside and outside of working hours.

Now, check out just one build of a Brand new 2020 Triumph Bobber, as Jody takes a new ride apart and transforms it into what I would call a “Fat Attack” and creates a beast of a machine that has Cad Custom parts, hand made stainless exhaust and Custom Lower trees, I loved the clip ons that use a snap ring, very Novel. May not be your Cup of Tea but wanted to share his video as he creates some awesome works of moving art. You will have to put up with the odd commercial in between the build but its worth the look at the quality that Jody is known for.

Sunday and many an hour getting this CB550F Dialled in.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
23 Aug

A Super Hot Weekend, why do I attempt such crazy work when the weather is like this? I guess we all do right?

A long day but managed to get the old carbs out as the idle was not functioning, but a complete redo was needed and boy what a pain in the arse the 550 carbs are top get out of the frame.

I dont know what Honda was thinking and if you are like me, you dont have time to look for a service manual and then read through all the jargon as to the correct way to remove the carbs.

Honda never want to share photos to make it easier, so no quick way there, I looked at the bike and just went ahead and took it on as a Customers machine and went from there.

Sure, I have worked on over 100 of these bikes but they all had the air box missing and now I know why, as they are a fecking Royal pain in the rear thats why, but I did manage to figure it out and as it was 100 degree’s in the Garage, I had to be as quick as I could muster, but that plan went right out of the crappers window and I struggled for quite some time to be honest.

But now I can look back and laugh, well maybe now LOL, it required a lot of patience and I had run out after 20 minutes and the swear jar is filled to the brim now, but much better for it.

The Carbs are on tight and I had to undo the air filter box and move it back about half an inch as thats all it would go and no matter how fecking hard I tried, I could not get the whole air filter box out, probably because the breather hose was catching but I did not want to remove it if I didn’t have to. I then managed to remove the rubber hoses from the air box and that gave me a little wiggle room to get the carbs off but not much.

I managed to pull the carbs out from the Left, but many people told me they will only go in and out from the right, so no idea how I managed that but, they came out and undamaged too.

The carbs needed a complete overhaul and I checked the rest of the bike over, the throttle cables are OK but I could do with new ones, I didn’t have a pair on hand, so lubed up the originals and they function great. but, putting the carbs back in is not as easy as 760’s, especially if you are using the stock air box.  I basically did the same thing but this time I headed from others and went in from the right.  And after much swearing, sweating and a lot of grunting, I got the carbs to get to their position, and- to help the carbs fit back into the intake manifolds, I put a smearing of axle bearing grease around each opening.

Plop, they went in, I did up the hose clamps on the manifolds and then I covered the air box rubbers in WD40 and then slipped them back into their positions, rotating until sat flush in the box.

After reconnecting the clutch cable and throttle cables and more hoses than a bloody fire truck, I emptied gas tank of the old fuel and bunged that in my van, as that will run on anything.

Bought some higher octane gas and poured her in and the bike fired up right on the first go and idles lovely now, pumped tires up and took her for a little blast up to about 60 mph around the houses and it runs great now.

So, any of you attempting to put carbs on or off and still use the stock factory air box, take heed, use WD40 and grease as it really helps and get those rubber hoses off the air box first to give you a little wiggle room.

A nice all together machine, Genuine 11K miles and now she fires right up and rides quite well to be honest, I do think I will replace the tires as these are original ones and I will feel happier with new rubber on this machine as this is now my Girlfriends bike and I want to make sure all is good for her to take out anytime she wishes.

What amazes me is how damn quiet the bike is with that big old chrome Cannon perched at the rear of the bike, but, its staying on there as the bike is too original to mess with to be honest and would like to keep a stocker around anyway.

I will do a few more things to the bike as we go along, I would like to powder coat the main stand and kick stand at some point, so may buy another set and do it when I feel like I have some coating to do, that way Jennifer can still use the bike and no real down time needed.

I am happy that the bike now fires up right away and purrs away to its hearts content, this will be a keeper and I am sure will only get miles on it around the countryside where it will reside in an old style barn.

Hope that you like the Blog today? As I am sure that many of you can relate to the trials and tribulations that we have to go through sometimes, just to keep these machines running?

Have fun with your machine and I am here to help or advise if I can, this is a big family when it comes to 2 wheeled machines and thank you for taking your own time to read my exploits and hope that it made you smile at least once?

 

Thursday and almost the weekend.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
13 Aug

As we approach the weekend, I am sure there are many of you that will be sweating your arses off in the garage, shed or back yard, trying to put your long term project together and give you something to do while many places have forced you to stay at home.

Be it a Tracker, Brat, Cafe Racer or restoring it to stock, I am always here to help with questions and as I have built so many of these inline fours over the 20 years here in California, I am always happy to give advice as to help you repair your big 4 machine and get it back on the tarmac once more. Below was an Old 70’s bike I found and got running in just 2 hours.

Spending time in your work area with your machine has never been more exciting to be honest in these times, as you can focus and continue to build a machine to your style and color and the only thing stopping you is your imagination.

I always have things to do or finish or even for that matter, make a brand new part for the SOHC and this month is no different, I have a massive undertaking for a lot of exhaust systems and Hoop conversions right now but I will succeed and get this all done.

I love what I do and thank you all for your emails, phone calls and texts about building or supplying parts to you, and I strive to push the envelope all the while.

Have fun and remember I am just a text away if you need help or direction, Motorcycle Building and riding should be fun, we all stress when we get stuck, but I am here to at least try and help you from pulling your hair out. Thanks for reading my little Blog today and hope I can help you with your Motorcycle.

Something to watch whilst you are at home.

Sunday and plenty to do in the Garage

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
09 Aug

Hey you lot, hope things are OK with everyone?  And you are trying to get on with your Motorcycle Project in this Pandemic. I am still flat out playing catch up and thats a good thing to be busy.

With the weekend crashing by so fast, its hard to sometimes catch up on a daily Blog, but I try as I know many people read what I am up to etc and like to hear from readers of the things they are doing to their 2 wheeled machines in this strange times that we are in right now.

I have a multitude of things I have to try and get sorted, over 50 more exhausts to build, more Tee shirts to design and I have a 550 Honda to Rebuild Carbs, a Triumph Scrambler that needs a service and a bunch of Customer orders I need to pack and get ready to ship for tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be my 58th Birthday, hard to believe that I am approaching that bloody Golden age in 2 years, but I feel like I am in my 30’s and thats because I have a great girlfriend that helps me in what I do and achieve, and having a strong support system is paramount when it comes to a business.  And with Jennifer at my side, we can accomplish much more than if i was trying to do it all on my own. She rides her Own Motorcycle and I am so fortunate that she has the same passions and interest as I do, we make a great team.

 

Well, I am going to get a few things done but I was thinking of things I may like to do some day and I thought about Hill Climbing on two wheels, its a fantastic sport for spectators too, maybe one day I will have a go, id prefer a Vintage bike but hey if the opportunity arises, I’d give these bikes a shot. Have a great Sunday everyone.

 

Friday at last, the weekend begins

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
07 Aug

Its that time at last, Friday evening, its nice to know that the weekend is now here, I have many orders to try and get out the door and tomorrow I shall be up early so i can pack a bunch more orders to send to my Customers.  It’s my Birthday Monday and although i have to work, I am blessed to have another year of doing what I love and I shall be churning more parts out this week for sure.

Have a Great weekend all of you and hope you get some time to work on your steed or even get to ride it.

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