Tag Archives: custom

How to build a cool set of forks for your CB500-CB550 or CB750 Honda SOHC Motorcycle.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
21 Mar

I get so many emails asking about certain things that I create on the bikes and parts that I build here at my place, so- I thought I would do a little Blog on my Custom Fork service that I have been doing for many years and shipping these set ups all over the Globe. So below is what they start off like, just a bog stock set of worn out, tired, telescopic front forks.

These came off a bike that was parked up many years ago and the Customer purchased the complete bike for a decent price and wanted to take the machine apart and create his own cool Custom ride, he wanted my fork service and this is a Blog on what I did.

Looks like Dogs or cats or something Hairy had been crawling across this bike for some time, also if you look, you can see the tubes are toast as there are many pits in the tubing and hard chroming these days has got so expensive to do.

The Caliper will need to be completely torn apart and I will Blog that a little later on, this is not an uncommon thing to have sent to me to fix and rebuild and hope you enjoy this little journey of what I did to get these set of forks into a really Custom looking piece.

The main goal is to take everything off, then clean up on the outside and then once happy with that, the fun begins in the transformation of these fork tubes.

There is an array of parts that I need to rebuild these and as you can see I have everything for this to fix and get the guy a really nice set up for his Motorcycle. If you look, you can see I machined the lower Fork Stanchions and put grooves in the legs for a great Custom Finished set.

Above, you can see I am about to fit brand new Honda Fork seals to the stanchions and what I personally use is some Home Depot PVC pipe that fits perfectly over the fork tube and allows me to use the tube as a Press to get the seal to slide into the recess inside the fork and not damage the rubber of the seal.

I sat the forks on a small pad and then used my Rubber Mallet and gently tapped the pvc tubing until you feel the seal come to an abrupt stop, that means its into its seating and no more tapping required.

Once the seal is in, I plop the snap ring into its place using some circlip pliers, this holds everything in snuggly and no scratches on the fork tube. You can buy these at Harbor freight Cheap.

I use Brand New genuine Honda Dampener Bolts and crush washers, I like using the real deal and not the Chinese crap that’s out there, and this will have longevity compared to China’s inferior quality.

I also fit Brand New OEM Rubber Fork Dust Caps and to really give it that Custom touch, I fit Chromed steel Dust Covers to finish off the polished Finned Lower Stanchion.

See what I mean?  It really does complete the front fork in dressing the part to show you this is no run of the mill ride, it has attention to detail.

I finish the lowers off by Polishing the clamps and adding stainless Lock washers and stainless flanged nuts, this is a great look and easy to get a wrench on to remove the front wheel at anytime.

I cleaned up the dampeners and spring and set a pre load using 4 stainless washers, an old Motorcycling Racing trick, I also do not ever use standard fork oil, I do like the old guys did and use ATF and that’s so much cheaper to purchase too.

How do I know how much to put in forks? As many of the years of the CB750 have different lengths of lower stanchions, so the volume of fluid changes.

As you can see, I have the Factory specs for the Honda CB750s right at hand and actually sell a book with all the settings in , so I can easily look up year and model to get the capacity required.

Bang on the money and now this is all ready to button up and get the forks completed for the Customer.

See, they sure do look Custom now and am happy with the way these look and the preload is right on the money too, I also use Brand new fork Caps to give the top to bottom New Parts finished look.

So there you go, a Custom rebuilt set of forks that I offer and boy do they look sharp, not cheap but add the parts up yourself, and you will see this is a good deal.

I sure hope that you liked this little Blog, thank you for following me and purchasing my parts, its my passion and Career.

Some Videos for your Sunday enjoyment

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
28 Feb

Its a Sunday and I have a million things to do this weekend, what with Motorcycles to build, parts to make and orders to pack, its a busy weekend for me and thought that I would add some videos for you to watch of other bike shows and cool things to maybe get some of you to get in your garage and have a go at something.

Little snippets of great stuff to watch whilst you design and start your own projects, its fun to be able to have a go at your own machine and nothing better than when you first fire your ride up and sling your leg over something that you are passionate about.

Ever wanted to go to deals Gap? here you can from the comfort of your seat at home and when you have created your machine, take it here to enjoy the twists and turns of these canyon roads.

And now for a trip overseas and to Portugal for henry Cole and his Motorbike show, enjoy.

Picked up some Original Chopper frames

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
12 Feb

Well, sometimes things come along and you think to yourself- ” I might have a pop at these later” And sure as eggs are eggs, I have them at my place.

These are some cool old pieces right out of the 1970s.

First off is the Black frame, A Denver Choppers frame, these were one of the best out there and built many frames over the years and I was lucky enough to locate this one not too far from me, its been sat in the desert for many years but later on, I think I can build something cool, may take time to find some period parts and have my own twist on it, so we shall see how this goes.

 

Since 1967

Denver’s Choppers was the first company to manufacture the long down tube stretch frames, or the Swedish style as they became known, which was actually Denver’s style. There is even a motorcycle club in Sweden called Denver’s Choppers, so named after the long stretch bikes.

Denver’s Choppers became famous worldwide in the early 1970’s, and their parts have been used by world renowned bike builders over the last three decades. Denver’s Choppers has been and will continue to be one of the leading trend setters in the industry.

They have quite an aggressive rake to their frames and that’s what I like about their chassis, now, this is just parts right now but in time, I hope to try and assemble it into some sort of cool 70’s style machine and be able to take it out around here and experience the trippy feeling of being a Chopper rider.

A long way from anywhere and even though I have owned a few of these frames in a while, I have always sold them to guys that want a chopper bike, but thought that it would be cool to have a couple of real customs, so it will take time but hopefully I can pull another machine out of the Barn later and see what these are like again, as it has been a long while since I have had one of these Iconic machines.

I am sure it will have a few different parts on it to get it rolling and still need to find adjusters, but dont see one in the rear rigid, so may drill the back to allow for a long wheel aligner bolt to be used.

Still has the Original OIL tank and Battery box, but may copy it with a New version if this is in bad shape, but its all fun and still a learning curve, so I really have my work cut out and it will be a long battle of which I hope to become the Victor in.

So the start begins for parts, bit by bit and then we shall see how I go about all this and enjoy another Denver Mullins Chopper frame for the good Old CB750 Honda.

 

This is something how I want it to look, this is a Denver  Chopper, similar frame.

 

Little OLD 350 I made Scream and boy did it yell and Loved it.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
09 Feb

Allo Allo Allo!  Just thought I would add an old CB350 I sorted out and it ran like crap for many moons, it had been to numerous shops and nobody could get it to run, let alone rev, I took a look and came to the conclusion the carbs and exhaust needed sorting, so took his old set off and got rid of that and fitted my own set up with the secret sauce added to pep this baby up.

You may have to turn your volume down as its fecking loud but it revs well and not red lining either. it pulled strong through all the gears too.

This little machine would scare a few of the big brothers versions for sure, I like loud pipes and want people to know that you are coming up on them, but I did fit a baffle too.

I sold quite a few of these systems and may manufacture them again at some point, the good thing with my system is that it really did produce power and the sound was just killer.

This was a big challenge, as the bike had been to Numerous shops and garages and nobody could get it to run, I saw the issue right away and once the carbs were rebuilt and a good battery with my exhaust system, this little 4 Banger screamed back into life.

My exhaust system hugged the frame super tightly and fitted up so easily, and as soon as you hot that Loud button, you knew right there and then, you were in business.

I shortened the muffler, as I wanted an aggressive look and then the baffle with endcap simply slipped back in and dressed the rear of the exhaust up, a very cool Custom approach.

This bike really pulled like a Steam train when you got it out on the tarmac, I sold many of these and will be producing some more later when i locate another 350-4 I can use as a donor bike for parts.

She was a super loud machine now and the power curve was all the way through, and, this machine loved to be revved, even though I gave her plenty of beans, it did not Red line.

Fun times playing with this 350- Four and hope to get into another one and share it on the website.

 

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.

 

New Year, let’s hope this one is a fruitful one

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
03 Jan

Well, 2020 can go and bugger right off, what a shitty year for everybody around the world, and we still have some ways to go before we can all meet up anywhere, so I tend to think I shall be here at home and will put my time and energy into making New parts available for you lot that are building at home right now.

I am so lucky that I find creating parts very therapeutic for me and will make the most of this lockdown scenario to see what I can accomplish and make available for you all in this 2021 year that we have just started on.

I am looking forward to seeing how your creations are going and hopefully you can send me some quality photos with a full description of what you have done, as many people ask about readers rides, so looking forward to some emails of your projects.

So I am wishing you ALL a very Happy New year and lets get building and see some very cool machines on the Tarmac for the Summer.

 

 

 

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.

 

Wishing you ALL a Very Merry Christmas.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
23 Dec

Well, here we are, on the Cusp of Christmas Day and most people locked away in their houses and told to stay there, so, with that in mind, I wanted to at least try and raise your Spirits by wishing you All a Merry Christmas and sure hope that the New year brings us a healthier one.  I want to thank you all for supporting me in this tough times and hoping that the positive side of this Pandemic is that you all got to spend some time in the Garage, Shed or back yard and wrenched on your projects to pass the time.

I too will be glad when we can wave goodbye to 2020, what a terrible year it has been, still some way to go until all of us can get out and meet but I hope that you have maybe come up with a cool creation to put together at your pad, to keep you busy and to show everyone your creative flair and aptitude.  Customizing Motorcycles will always be fun for me and I continue to do what I can to try and offer you all the quality parts that I manufacture and sell Globally.

 

Well, Have a great Christmas and if I can help, you can drop me an email at:  carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or a Text at 714-598-8392 Always try to help anyone out of a jam.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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