Tag Archives: custom

Saturday and busier than heck

Posted on by Steve Carpenter

Its the weekend and I am trying to get so many orders out, thanks for being cool about waiting as some things like chrome parts etc take a while as some of my own suppliers are closed still, due to the Pandemic, so I have to try and locate other companies, but thank you all for sticking with me and I am trying my hardest to get all your parts to you. So not a big blog today as I have to run to post office then make some more parts etc, just thought I would add a little video i did a while back, when I was at El Mirage Dry lakes for a TV show.

Working on Customers parts they send to me

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
17 May

Well, I have been really really busy as of late, many of you are at home and are now working on some long term projects, and this is the perfect time to catch up on them “Need to do” lists that you have mentally noted and tucked into the back of your skull, and I do get a lot pf phone calls, emails and texts asking how to repair this, service that or get them out of a pickle.

Nine out of ten times I can help them or at least steer them in the right area and get them on the road, but sometimes there just isn’t a way of completing the issue unless I can physically see it and this is the case with what I have been doing this weekend.

The Cafe Racer machine is synonymous with things like Clip on’s, loud exhausts, sleek designs and even some streamlining of the body work. And the other day a rather Large parcel turned up and on inspection I could see it was a Honda CB500 Gas tank, and it really did need some help.  The Customer had seen my machines and noticed the knee inserts that I hammer and shape into the tanks and wanted to have a go himself- Nothing wrong in that but he went a bit too heavy and put a crease in the tank one side and tore a hole on the other.

This is a tough repair to be honest but I am here to help and over the weekend I am going to attempt to have a smooth hammered Cafe tank all in primer with gas cap and lock and can get him out of his proverbial pickle that he is in. he did a pretty good job to be honest but sometimes these can go pear shaped real fast once you have crossed a line of hammering.

But, nothing ventured, nothing gained is something I tell my self a lot and its time to resurrect an old gas tank and get it to the look that he wants.

I have looked at the gas tank and I am afraid its 86’d, it has too many holes, tears and had to grab another old gas tank to try and emulate the look he was going for, its not the same color but its going to be painted anyway.

Sometimes the gas tanks are bad inside anyway and can tend to have hair line splits, then when you stretch the steel the hairline crack opens up and you then end up with a lot of work to try and fix, sometimes the steel is so thin in places, it is super hard to weld up, even using a Tig, so the thing is to evaluate the time its going to take, and when I did, well, it is far easier to get another gas tank and just begin from the start.

So, another Honda Tank was located and now I am about to start on the knee inserts, but first, you need to remove the tank emblems and the plastic trim that has hardened like a rock and will easily crack off anyway, take out the petcock too.

 

People ask me all the time, “What hammer do you use to make the knee inserts?”  And this is my personal choice of implement. I prefer the Egg shaped hammer as I can control where I want the metal to go to an extent, some people use other bodywork hammers, it’s Just personal choice.

As you may well be able to see, I tap and tap until I see the side of the tank stretching and then just take my time and keep hammering, it has a long way to go but you will see this change quite quickly and I guarantee to you, your arm will be aching thats for sure.

Take your time as it is way too easy to over hammer and get a crease in the side and that will be a bugger to pull back out, so just go slow, its noisy but its worth the effort of you want hammered knee inserts in your gas/petrol tank. there was a bunch of dents in the right side of this old tank anyway but I got that all sorted after some manipulation with hammer and heat.

As you can see, it is a slow process but dont give up, the more the do, the better it is, I can hammer with either hand now, but I have made many of these over the years but still find it therapeutic.

Well, almost there, just a little bit of spot filler and wet n dry sanding and we shall be ready to send to the customer.

The customer should be well happy with this, he will of course paint it what ever color he likes, this paint is just red Oxide high primer, but covers well and i like using it.

I am now ready to add a New Gas cap and locking mechanism of which will be Genuine Honda.

So, the New OEM Chrome Gas cap is now to be fitted, I prefer fitting these before main paint as when you remove it for final paint, the holes line up nice and the cap shuts good and snug.

I also fitted a Locking clasp mechanism which is stock Honda and these not only work well, it is a nice look against the tank.

I just make sure that the gas cap locks and unlocks and sits well, as if you fit these out of square, sometimes the cap will stick and you cannot get it undone, so just take some time.

So there you go, thats all fitted up and I am more than happy at the way this tank looks now, it took a little time but it was well worth it.

Have a go your self, I am sure that you will get a lot of self satisfaction from changing your old gas tank into a cool unique Custom style.

This is now ready to get packed up and shipped to the customer, thanks for following this Gas Tank conversion and hope that you enjoyed the coverage I have put on my blog this weekend.

 

 

Always here to help if you get stuck on a project at home.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
05 May

Well, with all this lock down around the globe, people are getting bored, but- on a good note, people are getting into their long term projects and want to finish it in this time that we all have at the moment, so as of late, I have been running around like a headless chicken . Trying to fill orders, answer emails and texts as well as phone orders and questions, and try and build a bike and design parts, its all going a wee but mad but, I continue to push hard and try and come up with new parts etc.

I am going to be making braided oil Lines for the 77 and 78 CB750 as they are  longer than the other models , so in a few days you can look out for them and maybe help me and pass the word that more products will be coming out of the shop soon.

Once all this pandemic settles down and we are all healthy and back on track with life, I shall shall continue to make parts for Motorcycle and Hot Rods and some other services I may be offering too, so keep checking back on the blogs at least, as I try to be your one stop shop, many follow but I really have a passion for this and I push hard every day in what I do and hope that you like what I am making these days for your machine.

 

I am hoping to be manufacturing more exhaust systems and may delve into a few more Models too, as I seem to be getting quite a few inquiries into other Honda’s and system styles, so there is something I am now looking in to and will of course share any news as and when I am ready to share with you lot.

I love all sorts of machines, this was My Ducati that i should of kept, boy what a fun toy that was to blap around the twisties here in California.

If you need anything, just drop me a line at carpy@carpyscaferacers.com and I will do my hardest to help out or even just advise, thats what I am here for and maybe steer you in the right direction if you get a little of course in your build etc.

The main thing is to have fun, we have all been there at times of the crossroads, just as you think you are making headway, there is always a fork in the road, or an obstacle that you do not think you will be able to get around, so just drop me a line, call or even Text me, and I will be here to try and help you out of your dilemma. 714-598-8392

 

 

 

Sunday and I am busy in garage

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
19 Apr

Well, no day of rest for me today as many people need parts for their rides, so I have been burning the proverbial candle at both ends, as I know what its like when you start on a project, you want to try and get as much completed as possible whilst you are still all fired up about the idea right?

So today not much of a Blog but a little tv show I was featured that you may or may not have seen, just thought I would share it.

Right, I got to get back into it as I am making Kick stands this afternoon.

Quarantine – How I deal with the Lonesome Blues

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
07 Apr

Well, we are entering a new World right now, times are hard and quite scary to be honest, most of us have been Quarantined and have to stay at home, in Isolation from the world, but keeping safe, Healthy and away from that nasty Virus.

But, I am getting many orders for parts this month as so many people are at home and have decided to pull up their sleeves and got into their Garage, Shed or Cave etc and start or finish off their project they had started a while ago and ran out of time to complete.  And now we only seem to have time on your hands, you may as well tick some of those jobs to do off the list and make this time in isolation a rewarding one.

I just received an order for a drilled rear brake hub assembly, I have made quite a few for Customers over the years and to be honest, I find it quite therapeutic doing the drilling on the hub and thought I would share some of my experiences with you lot and maybe you will want to have a go your self??????????

I’m about to go out to get a few parts as I had orders today, wont see anyone but I have to go to storage and grab some stuff so will be back in a tick.

Right, I am now ready to get myself situated to get some drilling done on a hub that a Customer has ordered from me and you too can do this if you have some time, a drill and some patience, as it really pays off in the and and gives a unique Custom look on your machine. So, have a look here, I have three hubs to create for Customers and I will show you what I do ok?

Strip your old hub down, just have to remove the 2 springs that hold brake shoes and the split pins that hold the swivel, remove brake actuator and arm and you will be left with a bare plate, once you have completed that task, which only really needs a pair of long nosed pliers, you will then need to secure the hub onto something sturdy, so the plate doesn’t move when you start to drill your lightning holes. I always use a piece of old plywood and secure the plate on top it by using a washer and a wood screw, easy as that.

I use an array of drill bits and to be honest, I just go for it, no set pattern, what ever I think looks good I just drill and change bits as and when I see fit, that way, not one hub is ever drilled the same.

I always have a shop vac at hand, as you are going to get a lot of swarf from the Aluminum and it gets everywhere to be honest, so every now and again, I vacuum the mess it leaves, else you will be feet deep in alloy shavings.

So here you go, this is the pattern that I like the look of and I can still add or make a few holes bigger to give a different pattern.

Looks a lot different when its polished eh? Also, I add New brake shoes and actuator arms etc to make this really look like a Custom piece and so easy to fit too.

So as I have plenty of home time, I thought I would show you how I make these great pieces out of old tired brake hubs for the CB500-CB550 and CB750 Honda’s.

I am sure that you may want to have a go and see how you fare? Its such a great feeling when you bolt it all back together and its therapeutic for me thats for certain.

See, the Patterns are always different, that way, each one is unique to any other out there, its a neat old school look and cools the brake too as it aerates as you ride.

A trifecta of hubs I am doing and this does take some time to complete , but I really like doing these and they come out looking very cool indeed, as you can see below.

So, once all together you can fit right away to your wheel, or, if you are building a Custom rim, just plop in into the hub, it sure dresses that part up so well.

I have built so many that I have lost count over these last 20 years but always fun to create and I still get orders for the custom hubs all the time and glad that you lot like what I do.

Thank you for reading my little Blog today, I have fun writing these and its always cool hearing from you all to see and hear what you lot are creating in your sheds or garages etc.

Drop me a line if I can help you at all, even if its just for advice, my Number is 714-598-8392, you can also TEXT me on that as well for a faster response.

Stay safe everyone and we shall all get through this and be back on the tarmac having fun with our creations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working from home during this time?

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
28 Mar

Well, the world has changed dramatically in the last few weeks and, for the worse- But, we are all keeping our hands clean and away from our face etc and Social Distancing is the new Norm.

Now, I have been quite buy as home at my shop inside the garage as many people are restricted to their home quarter’s, and to try and alleviate any frustrations and of course anxiety, people are trying to work on their projects or hobbies- And in our fraternity, that means working or creating a motorcycle that they were hoping to get to at some point but were busy with life in  general etc.

I like to build bikes at home, less stress and close to the kettle for my favorite brew etc and I am sure it is the same for you lot as well?

There is something satisfying when you create your own machine, even just adding some Custom parts to individualize your motorcycle, and I receive many emails complementing me on the parts and service that I give via my website or over the phone etc, I really enjoy taking something that is old and tarnished and revamp it into to something cool and unique in many ways.

I try and do everything my self, but on things like the chain Guard etc above, I make the first one and then make a fixture and take it to a steel bending company to press out more, as if I didnt do that, I would be making chain guards all month, and that can burn the candle down real fast, but, as these times right now are tough, many supply shops are closing temporary and this holds my orders going out a little, but- if you lot can be patient like I am sure you will, as soon as I receive my materials, I can finish orders I dont have and ship right out.

 

Wishing everybody a healthy weekend and if I can hep you at all you can email me at carpy@carpyscaferacers.com call me on 714-598-8392 and even text me on the same number.

Thanks for reading.

CARPY

 

Built a set of Custom forks for a Customer, thought I would share.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
23 Mar

Many people have sent me their forks over the years to rebuild, polish or just hop up a bit as they get tired after 40 years of taking punishment from all road surfaces over time.

As the photo shows above, this is the old set that I am going to be working with, I strip these down, clean up and then what I do is machine some cool looking ribs into the stanchions to have that Custom look and then magnaflux it to make sure all is ok.  Once that is done I polish the lowers and then get brand new fork tubes made for the uppers.

I like to use as much Genuine HONDA parts as I possibly can and these will look so clean when everything is put back together and then you fit to your inline four machine.

As you may be able to see, I have New Hard Chromes fork tubes fitted and I have just put the OEM Honda Fork seal in place, here is the trick that I use to fit these seals, also- Remember, make sure the lettering faces upwards not down.

I use a piece of UPVC tubing that I bought from Home depot for about $2.00, this slides down the tubing and sits snug on the seal, but it fits inside the aluminum stanchion perfectly.

I simply tap the Plastic tubing with a Rubber Mallet until the seal bottoms out on the shoulder and there you go, no press needed and no damage at all, I have been doing this method for over 20 years now and never ever have I had a fork that has leaked by using this tubing.

I use some Harbor Freight Circlip pliers to snap the Original 2 hole clip back into the recess inside the fork leg, you will feel it seat when you let the pressure off the pliers.

I use as much genuine Factory parts where ever possible, and in this case I use New old stock Dampner Bolt and Copper crush washer, just to make sure all is new and fits as it is supposed to.

I use genuine Honda Dust caps to make sure all the crap stays away from the forks, then- Just to add some super cool Custom finishing, I like the way these complete that Custom styling on the front end.

See what I mean? Its a nice Custom finished look that really does not cost a lot of money and it is chrome, no plastic crap.

I have always used ATF for forks, the old Pro Racers mechanics used it and I still do today, I also used stainless washers on top of the springs to set the pre-load.

That’s is how much I pour into rebuilt forks and people ask me “How do you know how much to pour in”?

This is one of my Bibles that I use on things like fluids, point gap, timing and the like, always served me well.

I also make sure that ALL the threaded holes are chased through with a tap, this makes sure that the refit goes smoothly and you dont scratch the lovely polishing I have done.

I make sure that I hand polish the lower clamps and use stainless nuts and lock washers, this set up is really a thing of beauty and I am so stoked when I complete a set for a customer, a lot of work and time, but boy is it worth it and changes the look of the front end.

A great looking set of Lowers that will turn heads where ever you go, not a five minute job and not made in China either, all done from right here in California.

These are now ready to ship out to the Customer, so he can easily fit them in to his triple tree’s.

Just take a look at them, what a cool set up these are and all New hardware, Hope that you enjoyed this blog about that what I do with the good old inline fours.

Let me know if I can help you with your Honda, I have been doing it here in California for 20 years and never tire of it, it is a passion of mine that I hope shows in my work?

Thanks for taking your time to read my Blog and hope it may of inspired you to work on your machine?

The Vesco Honda SOHC 1974 CB750K Custom Built Brat Bike

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
09 Mar

Well, this was a super fun build that I did and it is not often that I purchase an old snotter and then, after building it, sell it back to the owner I purchased it from, but this was how it was, I saw that there was a SOHC 750 in a garage in the City of orange for sale and made arrangements to drive down and take a look at it.  once I got there and the garage door was lifted, I could see this sorry arsed looking inline four that was parked up, leaking a little oil and looking worse for wear.

I mean, it had everything there to make it look cool, but- it had not run for many many years and the young lad who owned it said he tried a few ties to get the bike to run but he lost interest and its been sat in the garage just collecting dust, so- we stood and kicked the tires for a while and eventually came up with a figure, shook hands and it took the three of us to push the old girl into the back of my van, but at last I had this old 750 in the Transit and had already worked out what I wanted to do with this 500 pounder machine.

The old girl is in my van and getting ready to drive home, I looked at the title and noticed his last name was Vesco- Your not related the the famous Don Vesco are you? I inquired.

Yes, he was my Grandfather, That is so cool as Don Vesco held many Land Speed records and had tons of 750 Honda’s back in the day, so I was super stoked to be able to own something with Vesco’s name to it, so, I drove home with a smile and half an hour later I pulled the old girl out and took a look at what I have to play with..

The Old girl was tired but, this is not my first 750 and as I have been creating Custom Motorcycles out of these here in the USA for over 20 years, I was quite eager to see what I had to work with but knew I had my work cut out if I was going to make a Custom creation out of this 1974 Honda.

Motor needs some love and had no idea if it would even turn over but I love these inline four engines and was going to see what it took to at least get to run and see where I can do with a full build on this 500 pounder.

The carburetors had seen rain, wind and snow by the look of it and the slides were stuck solid and as I have have rebuilt many of these rack of four set ups, I wasn’t too worried and thought I would strip the bike to where I need it to be and see where I am at.

 

I wanted to try and get this running, so I pilled carbs off and cleaned them up, fitted new jets etc and fitted new intake manifolds , as well as putting an old set of handlebars on as the clips on’s didnt fit right, I also hooped the frame as it was cut already and thought I would add my own style seat and see if I can at least fire it up, I had a 4 into 1 exhaust that I make that was in the rafters, so pulled the old rusty Kerker off and fitted mine, added an oil Pressure gauge so I can see where we are at if the old girl fires up.

The rims were too rusty, and was lucky to have an Original set of Lester wheels in storage that I could use on this bike, so fitted them and added some new Bridgestone tires and fitted one of my drilled brake rotors to the front end too. This bike went together really quickly and in the space of a week I was ready to fire this puppy up and see if it would even be able to move under its own power, I had spare parts in my garage or in my storage so it was a zero cost other than the tires to put this Honda together.

With rebuilt carbs and my 4 into 1 system cut down to a more aggressive loo, I was eager to see if this will fire up, it had compression and spark so I kicked her in the guts and she fired up right away with a nice brak from my exhaust system, I knew this would be a fun bike.

I made the handlebars and the seat too and this was probably the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden, I was so suprised how much fun this bike was and it had linear power too.

Well, I was happy at the way this bike was looking but the gas tank looked horrible just black and wanted a cool Custom 70’s flake look set of tins on this bike now.

 

So, I thought I would use the original tank that was on the bike, but wanted to get rid of the factory gas tank fuel cap and make a custom set up, just to be different.

I cut the old neck off and then ground it all down to make sure this was flat to the tank, I made sure there was no gas left in this tank before but it had been empty for about 7 years lol.

I make a gas cap kit now and this is how I did the conversion on this tank, as you can see, I fit the weld in Gas Cap Bung into the opening on the top of the petrol tank.

It sits in the original location really well, I simply ground all around the gas tank to make sure I have a good ground and then simply tig weld the bung in place, for a neat smooth Custom look.

All welded and to be honest, I do not need to grind the welds as I shall be doing a little body work on this to smooth everything out, so this will be covered up anyway.

I used a Harley screw in Gas cap and this really gave it a custom but Classic look, I was really happy at the end result of this and glad that I went this route on the bike.

Now that looks a lot better with the Custom 70’s style paint and am happy I went this route in the end, the 750 looks pretty tough like this.

This bike turned out great and even though I wasn’t finished with it, I wanted to get a few miles on this bike before I finally completed the other bits that I wanted to do. As you can see, the Vesco bike is on the Dry Lake at El Mirage where Don Vesco himself races bikes and broke records and the day this was fired up, Team Vesco did over 400 mph at Bonneville, so I thought this was fitting that i was at a SCTA meet in El Mirage with my Girlfriend Jennifer.

This has a great stance and is so comfortable to ride, the drive train works smoothly and my aggressive 4 into 1 barks like a scolded dog, I fitted an Led headlight that is 5-3/4 inches with internel led turn signals to make it all legal for the road. She sure looks swell out there in the Desert.

I like the meaty Bridgestone tires that were shoe horned onto the Lester Rims, those rims came of a CR750 Race bike and I had them in storage for almost 20 years.

I love it out here at El Mirage dry lake, if you can get a chance to get here for the SCTA racing, you should, I loved taking the Honda out here and I think it felt at home to be honest.

So there she is, the Vesco Honda Four, a brute of a bike and it looks pretty tough out there in the So Cal desert, I am so glad I went ahead and built this machine.

Now it was time to take the bike back home to Las Mirada but what a great time we had out on the dry lake, watching the Hot Rods and Motorcycles race on the Lake bed.

My Girl Jennifer takes the reins as I help a broken down Motorcyclist on the race track at El Mirage SCTA event.

So, I now get ready to put the Vesco bike in my Van and take it back home to my garage and figure out what I am going to do with this Motorcycle.

So, I sit the bike on the drive way and I am think of what else I might do to it, and I have to write a few emails to customers etc, it was when I got on the computer I see I got a message that I had been invited to the OG Bike Build show in LA and its in about 4 weeks, heck! I could maybe strip this bike and redo it to how I want to and show the bike, of which is a tall order but heck, why not eh?

So, even though it is a tall order, I had to come to the decision to take this bike and strip it to the bare frame and begin a cool build for the OG show, I shall still keep the Gas tank and side covers the same and the Handle bars etc but the rest will get some rework.

The strip down begins, I want this to be a trick frame when I am done and now is the time to take the bull by the horns and remove everything from this 500 pounder and make this a head turner.

I am taping the frame where I will be cutting and making quick release Custom Pieces that make engine removal and cylinder head removal way easier as the stock frame is so difficult to remove the motor when in the cradle.

Top frame removed and I shall be fitting my New  Steel tubing Frame kit that I now offer on my website for the 69-78 CB750 Chassis.

Heave ho and away we go, I have removed so many engines on my own over the years, there are many ways people do it, some lay the frame down etc, but I like the old school brute strength of removing the 230 pound behemoth, I always go this way and then put the motor on a milk crate as its about the same height as the lower frame rails, I am always knackered afterwards though.

 

Well she is out at long last, time for a cuppa and an Ibuprofen lol- But seriously, the Motor is out and now the hard work begins, you too will notice how dirty and grimy a frame becomes after being used for 40 years and this thing has more oil on it than the Tin mans Elbows.

I Have welded the New removable top Rails in the chassis, now time to cut the right Lower side of the frame, so I can make a removable side for the 750 Four.

As ypu can see, the top rails and side rails are now in place, looks bloody awesome and not seen this EVER done before, I wanted to really push the boat out in the short amount of build time that i have on the Vesco Honda, I bet people wont even notice it when I am done.

Make sure all the weld area’s are clean and my Kit that I sell will work great for all of your machines from 1969-1978 and glad I have made these kits to be honest.

See, all nice and shiny, and soon to be ready to media blast all the paint on, prep and paint for a Custom Color and this time I think I shall go with a metalflake Silver, to keep with the Custom 70’s paint style.

All media blasted, she is now ready for the start of paint, this will take some time as i want the thick flakes but this will look great in the Sun against the Gold of the tank etc.

The race is on, and as you can see, I have the Silver Flake paint on the Chassis and I went ahead and chromed the rear swing arm, just for that added Custom look.

I have to rebuild some front forks, I went ahead and machined the fins in the lowers and polished them, then I needed to add new seals to the old girl for new life.

I use a piece of Plastic tubing and gently tap the tubing onto the seal and this easily presses the fork seal into the stanchion with no damage at all, so easy to do like this.

Custom look and even have chrome topper caps on the Original black covers, just to give it some nice bling and look a little different from the rest out there.

New tubes, springs and I set the pre-load using 4 stainless washers, as I dont like using that Plastic shit that many fork places offer, washers is the old school way and I also use Automatic Transmission Fluid instead of gear oil, another old school way.

Time to work on a custom rear brake Hub Assembly and I shall strip these, clean it drill the holes for aeration and cooling the hub and then polish it and fit new brake shoes and actuator arm to it.

All done and am happy at the look I was after, a nice custom touch that I do and offer this service to many people and is available on the website.

Front brake rotor gets the same treatment, I do all this at home and use my old drill press to make all the holes and then countersink both sides, for me, its therapeutic to be honest and boy does it look good when finished.

Now I just need to clean it up, paint the center and I shall be ready to mount on the Original 1977 Lester mag wheel, now for the cool pics below.

You can see the Custom paint nicely, all seems to flow really nicely and am super stoked I got the job done in time and it runs like a top, this sure is a stunning Custom bike and am proud to have completed such a creation, I just went for it and there you go, I have never built a bike twice but it was well worth all the hard graft.

Rebuilt and polished Caliper, Rotor is polished and painted and braided brake lines too, I did all I could think of on this machine, it really is a head turner.

Vintage style metalflake Candy paint with fish fad aways, captures the spirit of the build and hope that you like the direction I took on this SOHC bike.

Custom master cylinder, new switches, hand made and triple chromed handlebars really do set this build apart from many but- I hope I have inspired you to have a go at your machine now?

I wanted something a little different on the exhaust set up and thats why I thought I would go with a stainless steel 4 into 2 into 1 performance set up and boy does it sound sweet.

I did so many tricks to this bike, I machines some upper fork covers to match the lowers and this time I went with a Custom headlight that is so different than the others that you see, it is pleasing to the eye and I just cannot stop looking at this bike.

You can see the detail and the quick release chassis rail too, hope you like what I achieved in such a short amount of time?

Custom drilled levers, hand made front fender and a machined bucket out of 6061 Alloy to house the GPS speedometer, all flows together on this 74 CB750 Honda.

The Devil is in the detail they say, I did as much as I could in the short amount of weeks I had, but so stoked the way she turned out in the end, well worth the hard work.

Riders view, thats a GPS speedometer and I had to hand make the housing , this really is so cool to look at from any angle, so many tricks on this ride.

Re-charged shocks with Custom machines finned covers and 2 inch allot risers,make this Brat bike sit to the height I needed to sit my fat ass on top of.

Oh yeah- I even painted a Vintage Skid lid to match the paint scheme of the bike and think it worked out pretty good.

The stainless exhaust systems has a deep bellow that gets your attention, and this breathes so well it gives you Linear power all the way through the band.

This has been a fun adventure, not sure I could warrant another build so fast but this was a fun challenge and the cool thing is that the original owner that I puchased it from loved it so much, he bought it back off me.

So many cool little Custom touches I did on this bike, I would have to take a long hard look to remember what I actually did.

Sitting in the parking lot in Downtown LA, I got many cool remarks about the Vesco Honda and so glad that I made it in time to show people what this bike is about.

Hard to top this build but, I love creating them and hope I can continue having fun with this old 750 Honda bikes of the Nineteen Seventies.

Just goes to show that with a little imagination, there is a lot that you can accomplish on something, I was certain I would get this completed for the show too.

Plenty of eye candy and color, hope that you like what I have managed to create.? The good old SOHC Honda Four.

Took me some time to figure out the finned aesthetics etc  but the long process worked out really well and all seems to flow very well on this Custom Build.

This bike does look really well in the sunshine too, all the nuts and bolts are stainless steel too so no rust ever.

The Vesco Honda sits pretty level and you will be surprised how comfortable this Motorcycle is, I sure miss it already. LOL.

A tough bike, super strong Motor and sits well, this will last many many miles and hope to see it again one day.

Thanks for taking your time to read about this Vesco Honda build, I hope you have enjoyed what I have created?

Sat in my driveway before I took it to the Original owner in the City Of Orange.

Well I guess its onto another build, hard to top this one though.

At the OG show in LA where the Vesco Honda made its Debut and many people gave me the thumbs up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sturgis Honda still in the planning, but making some headway.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
16 Jan

Rome was not built in a day and the same goes with this old inline four Honda CB750 machine, it is a wee bit of a head scratcher as so many things I am trying out, some work, some do not, but I guess that is the adventure in stepping into the unknown, when it comes to fitting non stock parts to a well known brand.

Well, the 230 pound inline 4 Motor is finally in and I tell ya, having a girlfriend that drops everything and gives you a hand, manipulate this arse grape giving engine into its cradle, well, its a blessing I tell ya, what a girl. We managed to get this motor in the frame area as I cut the old rails out and am making them removable.

The Lump is in place, it will be taken out later when I get to strip it all down and work on the frame for welding and I think I shall paint it, but right now I have no clue on color yet and am glad we got the motor to sit in this old Duplex cradle chassis, but so much more to do now.

This is an old KO Die cast Motor and this time we have lightened the flywheel and will not be using a starter Motor, it will be kick only, but should save some weight on the starter alone.

You can see the frame rail that is removable, I will strip the bike later and paint but I wanted to show you my own Custom oil tank that I want to use, instead of the ugly factory version.

This is roughly where I will fit the Oil tank, it also has a Battery box in the rear, this will house an 8 cell anti gravity battery and open the frame up, as I didn’t want to have stock oil tank and side covers on this build. This oil tank will fit snugly under the frame and I am stoked to be able to incorporate this set up . And so, we plod along, trying this and that, until I am happy with the way the build is going, no idea on color yet or rims etc but will sit down on the weekend and try and write up some sort of game plan for this Sturgis Bound Motorcycle.

 

 

The Sturgis Bike Build Begins on this old CB750 Honda Four

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
10 Jan

Been busy with a number of other things this week, but I thought I would make an effort and start doing some more chassis modifications on the SOHC 750 seeing as the weather has been really good for January.

Such a long way to go and having no game plan can be quite a task, this is not going to be an easy build as I may indeed change a few things as and when needed if I am not happy with the concept, the fun of creating a new Monster I guess.  Rome was not built in a day either, so ” Steady as she goes” and we shall see where this mysterious Machine takes me, as over the 2 decades I have been building here in California, every build gets tougher and tougher.

Frame rail cut and my own Custom insert bungs will be fitted but first have to cut 1 inch off either end of the rail to allow for length of weld in fitting, I just wanted to try something a little out there.

Hogged a little out of the upright as steel insert Bung needs to fit snug before I can weld them in place, I like to use air tools where I can, as they save so much time, rather than a round file LOL!

Here is my fitting, it sits nice and snug and will make it easier to fit and remove the engine , many of you will understand this as these inline four engines are fitted so tight into the frame, you would think that the tool kit would come with a shoe horn.

This is just before the side stand mount and I was happy to get these to fit nice and snug, and once everything is welded, the Rigidity will be there, these bungs are used in Roll cages a lot too.

Makes it a lot easier using this saw., I have had the saw many years, and always gets me out of trouble, the old stuff is always the best in my opinion and when cutting anything, take shorter cuts and test fit as its hard to add on when you have taken too much off.

Fitted in place and am super stoked at how it looks , a long way to go and what I really need to do is fit the engine in the frame, that way I can add all the engine mounts and make sure that the geometry is bang on before I start any welding etc.

Now, when these are inserted, what I shall also do is drill a hole though the frame and tubing in 4 places, that way I can get an extra few spots welds on it, as well as but jount welds all around the neck, but in slow spot welds as I dont want to cause any distortion with heat.

My engine bolt lines up and is nice and loose, not tight, so I will keep an eye on all this when I eventually fit the motor to check alignment out, so not going to rush this and , as I am doing this on my own, I will take my time fitting the motor, last time I nearly popped my Arse grapes out lifting that inline four up on my own and sliding into the frame.

Also, I need to clean up the engine mounts as they have old nasty paint on them, I will for the motor and build the bike, then- pull all apart, bead blast the frame, hand file it smooth and then hopefully either paint it or Chrome it, we shall see on pennies available.

Bit better but so much to do, hope that you are enjoying the little Blog as i begin this slow transformation of this inline Four 750 Honda.

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