My Hot Rod 4 into 1 Exhaust system for the CB500 and CB550 Honda.

 

Well, Colder weather but had to continue and get a few things completed as a lot of Rain was on its way here and I worked as fast as i could to get a set of HOT ROD Exhaust system ready to Ceramic Coat as a Customer in Australia is eager to have them on his bike,. I just sent a set to the UK and he is really happy with they way they look and fit, as well as the way they sound.

This exhaust came out well and the Customer wants this one Silver in Ceramic Coating, so this is how it looks when it is coated and fitted to the CB550 Honda Motorcycle.

It bolts up so easy and stand out in the crowd, an aggressive style that shows your Engine off well too, it barks like a scolded dog and lets your engine breathe all through the curve.

Another with a Raw header and a ceramic Turn out and these are very popular for many bike builders, order one today from me and choose weather raw steel, Ceramic Silver, Black, Titanium or Bronze.

 

Worked on rebuilding the Vesco Bike front Forks today

Well, pushed hard today as Rain is forecast for later on this afternoon and needed to start and b rebuild the old front forks for the Vesco bike, as they had seen better days over the last 40 years and it is now time to make them stand out in the crowd as I am trying to get this bike done in time for the OG show in march.

I am super stoked to have got these done and, as I put these away in the garage, the rain started to fall, so great timing on my behalf and feel pretty accomplished today.

Had to fit New Fork seals, and lucky for me I had a spare New set that I could use for these Machines fork lowers and I always fit with the Numbers facing up on Honda’s.

 

I also use a piece of UPVC tube to act as a drift and tap the seal in bit by bit, its an easy way of fitting seals and many people do this if they do not have a press handy.

I fitted the New Rubber fork Caps onto the top of the Lower fork leg and then slid down my Custom Chrome outer cover over the top of that, just to finish it off a little more Classic.

Now its all dressed up and I am really happy with the end result, these forks now look so different now that they are machines and polished to a Chrome finish.

I love the look and the finish and its the devil in the Detail that I am into and these certainly have a really cool look to them, rather than just stock ones.

I have always machines these fins into the forks so that the whole bike flows from the front to the rear and I get many comments on my fork set ups, which is great to hear from other builders.

Still more to do to the bike but other than adding about 7 ounces of Automatic Transmission Fluid into each tube, but another tick off the long list of things that I must try and complete.

A seriously cool bit of kit for the bike and glad that I took today and spent some time getting these right on the money, they sure look great and finished just in time before the Rain arrived.

So, these will now be bagged up and put away until I start on the rebuild of the frame, the frame is now at the paint shop and getting ready for some serious Metalflake Silver.

 

Time to head inside now but wanted to share how much I have managed to get completed today and hope that you enjoyed what I have created for the Vesco Honda Brat Bike.

 

Love what I do, best job in the world.

I have always enjoyed being my own boss, Yes there is never any wages, yes everyday can be a Monday, yes you can burn the candle at both ends, the the rewards of creating something with your own hands, far out weighs the negative sides to being self employed.

Happy Hump-day Everyone.

The Vesco Honda now gets a Coat of Paint

Today was a good day, you know what its like when eventually things start to go to plan, albeit around the houses a little but I did get the end result that I was seeking and today I want to share with you how far I got on with the Vesco Honda CB750 Today.

I wired up the tail light assembly, and these can be no easy task at times, especially when the wires are different colors to the Honda version and no instructions of diagrams, I usually test the assembly on a battery before hand, just to save me from blowing fuses, I keep a few handy anyway, as there is nothing more frustrating than connecting something up on your harness, hot the switch and hear the Phhffft of a fuse blowing and a small small or burnt ether as you start to raise your own temperature and let out a few choice words that would make a Sailor Blush!
So, I wired up the rear tail light assembly, all works great now and, being a LED module, this will make sure that you will be seen in any weather condition and thats a good thing, especially having a strong braking tail light.
I fitted a new battery and leads and fuse box too and am happy at the result for now, remember, this is no show bike right now, I want to get her running to be able to asses the Honda to see what I will need to tear down and rebuild into a show bike, but its fun doing this and today was a good day.
The Gas tank looks so much better now, it was a sort of Maroon Oxide when I picked the bike up and I removed the gas cap neck and welded in a Harley bung, so the top would look a little smoother and more Custom to be honest.
But I was unsure as to what color to have on this bike as I dont really have a them for it, but though that I would go with a cool bright design and use smaller metallic/ flake with the old fish scales and shadowing thats so reminiscent of that 70’s back home in the UK and over here in the states.
As you can see, this really does brighten up the bike and I am happy that this is this color for now, doesn’t mean I will stay with this if I chose to build into a Custom machine but right now I am happy with the look and the side covers flow with the gas tank, thats very important to me and the outcome is pretty much how I first envisioned creating this 750 Four and we are almost there to take it for a test ride.
The Lester rims are tall and even though I am 5″11 I am almost on tip toes when I am sat upon this motorcycle, but I have tried to make the stance of the bike as level as possible, I believe I have achieved this look and my own Brand of Handlebars really do set the bike off better, something I am quite proud of to be honest.
The 4 into 1 of mine looks so aggressive with the tail pipe Cut down low and I wanted a short turn and exit to make this Brat bike something of a head turner, but I have still more little things to do and clean up.
The gas tank still needs to be sealed up as I ran gas through it and the bloody carbs blocked up dues to sediment in the gas tank from the flake in the paint, so I have now taken the gas tank to a radiator shop and they are going to seal the inside the tank and I should be good to go then.
The colors came out well and represent days gone by over the 70’s and I am pretty stoked at the outcome, and with a New petcock and throttle cables, this will last quite some time now.
The side covers are great, and I have just received the emblems to put on the covers, the 750 four script and the Diamond emblem below, so that will set the side covers off.
Obviously the bike needs to be taken down to the frame and all gone through later but I want some fun on it now and hopefully by the weekend, this will be ready to take for a run on the road and see how she is.
So, a little more bits and bobs to do but this bike has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time and I am really happy at the result and the guise of the Honda it is in right now.
Lester rims are Original Race ones from a CR750 I removed them from, front is a 1977 and the rear is a 1978, still need to fit new bolts and a speedometer cable tomorrow.
Sure looking forward to test riding this later on this week, its been sat since the mid 1980’s, so this will be quite a fun ride.
I have just received some side cover emblems too and they look really Nostalgic.

Outliers Guild Moto Show LA’s Coolest Custom Motorcycle Event

At last, LA has their very own Custom Motorcycle show, situated in Down Town Los Angeles in the Art district, this show not only offers a unique peek into the 2 wheeled lives, but also the Architectural wonder that has remained in this part of the city for many years.

The Outlier’s Guild Motorcycle Show, also referred to as The OG Moto Show, has brought a unique motorcycle experience to Southern California.  The event will gather over a hundred of the top custom builders from across the country and thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts together in a unique setting.  An all-star roster of builders will be participating including: Alchemy Motorcycles, Carpy, Cerberus Motorcycles, Chabott Engineering, Chopper Design, Duane Ballard, Eastern Fabrication, Iron Cobra, Jeff Wolf, JSK Moto, Kickstart Garage, Kiyo’s Garage, Max Hazan Motorwork, Monnom Customs, Moto Chop Shop, Sean Burley, Sosa Metalworks, Speed Merchant, Steady Garage, Steve Cabellero, Suicide Machine Co., Twin Line, Woolie of Deus ex Machina, Zach Siglow and Zanutto Engineering.

Additionally, the event will feature a one-of-a-kind OG Moto Market with vendors, food trucks, coffee, and live entertainment.  Performing during the event weekend include the Woolly Bandits, an LA-based punk garage band lead by Christa Collins and the Powerflex 5 featuring skateboarding legend Steve Alba on guitar, tattoo artist Corey Miller on drums, and Bobby Abarca on bass.

New to this year’s show will be the OG Moto Gallery, an exhibit of motorcycle-inspired art, photography, and a collection of vintage motorcycles.  The gallery will feature work from artists and photographers from around the world including an exhibit by the renown artist, Ornamental Conifer, titled “Reliable Souls,” presented by Vans.  Other featured artists include: Steve Cabellero, OVMD, Tomas Pajdlhauser, Robert Schlueter, Ben Giese, Maryia Bulka, Jasper Wong, Blue, Carter Asmann, Tyler Cornelius, Andrew Ritter, Bombshell Deluxe, and more. Participating photographers include: Norman Reedus, Estevan Oriol, Willie T, Dylan Gordon, Matt Jones, and Laurent Nivalle.  Additionally, the Motodoffo Collection presented by Doffo Winery, an impressive array of twenty classic and vintage motorcycles will be on display within the art gallery.  The OG Moto art gallery will be open on select dates after the event with the schedule to be announced on the OG Moto website.

The OG Moto Show is supported by: The House of Machine, Alpinestars, Bell, Flexfit, Meguiar’s, Moto Doffo, Rev’it, Rizoma, Roland Sands Design, Royal Enfield, Vans, and WD-40.

About the Outlier’s Guild Custom Motorcycle Show

The Outlier’s Guild Motorcycle Show is a motorcycle event that celebrates vintage, modern classic, and full custom motorcycles.  Founded by Jay LaRossa of Lossa Engineering, Stan Chen, John Pangilinan, and Ralph Holguin of RMD Garage with the goal to produce a unique motorcycle experience for enthusiasts.  The event will feature art, photography, music and a diverse and impressive collection of motorcycles on display.

Blog by Steve Carpy Carpenter:

When I pulled into Anderson street just off the freeway in Down Town LA, I knew this would be a very cool venue to have this event, the old buildings had more character than the back streets of Jack the Rippers area in London, I loved the old mixed with a little bit of new. Graffiti seems to be the norm here instead of street signs but- is part of the Down – Town culture, that has molded this part of California, as an artistic explosion of self expressionism.

The old Deco buildings that line this area is only muffled by the odd sounds of construction and sometimes the mild mechanical click of a 35mm Camera, as this area is a Photographers Paradise for fashion and craft.

Beow Jay LaRoss, Photo Credit- Rahoul . LA Motorcyclist.com

 

I pull into the side street and into the back of the show buildings, emblazed on them are huge renderings of cool art, some people and some just out of this world art that will make you stop and raise an eyebrow or two, a brilliant venue for such a show and I was super stoked to be one of the lucky guys to be invited as a builder. Jay LaRossa has been a builder and Creator for many years, he was one of the first guys that actually came up to me and said hello some 18 years ago at a show in Costa Mesa. A solid guy much respected in our two wheeled industry and creates some wicked machines, and to be invited here is really quite an honor to be honest.

With over 100 machines of builders Motorcycles and so much cool Art that is displayed in the next room, this is a must attend show, the vendors were so friendly and actually spent time showing you what their passion is, the bands Rocked on and there was a totally euphoric feeling in this building, as if everybody was one, I mean- there is no racial undertones in our industry, we are all cut from the same cloth and have a similar interest in many things, if only the rest of the world would be on an even keel like us eh?

The quality of the motorcycles here were so cool, some fascinating concepts, some bloody mind boggling engineering and the artistic talents were let loose on some of these motorbikes of which I had to pick my Jaw up from the concrete.

So, to add my bike here and on a platform was indeed a very cool feeling, I was so surprised at how many people knew who I was and I had many questions about my parts and the bike I created- The Harlequin Honda.

It was like a Family reunion for me in a way and this show had so much to offer for people, I mean, there was something for everyone, be it Custom, Cafe Racer. Brat, Tracker. Chopper, Bobber, Classic etc, there was a cool vibe the entire time that Jennifer and I was there and I am not sure how many times we walked around this arena, there was always something that caught your eye.

The vendors were a blast and everyone was approachable, also what I liked is, nobody tried to force a product on you, they were there to enjoy the event too and the relaxed atmosphere made this event such a hit, we loved it all.

I even scored some cool Moto wear too, there was so much cool stuff that I was glad in a way that I didn’t have my Credit Card with me, else I would be in trouble in the first 5 minutes of the vendor area,Tobacco Motor-wear Company has real quality wear and the shirts are a much better cut of cloth that many I see in expensive retailers, nice to support small business such as all and a great venue to show your wares.

 

Jennifer and Gigi hanging out at the show, it was awesome to catch up with people and just have a chinwag for a while, met some great friends and look forward to next year.

I love the Diversity of Machines that were on Display, this was inside in the art area with many other Motorcycles, I love this old Crosser, brings on memories of hurting Kidneys and arm pump when I was a kid in the UK in the 1970’s.

Even something for the Jetsons fans, this Scooter was pretty darn cool and worth a tidy penny these days.

The Kriedler was a cool bike to be seen around town on when I was growing up, I had a Suzuki AP50 but these were out of my price Range, Belgium created some cool machines back then.

This Anvil Honda has had a lot of fabrication, I loved everything about this machine, would of liked to have chatted to the builder, well done mate.

Like I said, something for everyone, steam bent wooden fairing was a neat trick on this Honda, you can see my Machine sat next to it, a great set of Motorcycles for sure.

I loved this build, simplistic, albeit not much chance of seeing at night with that light but other than that a very cool and well created Bobber, Killer Paint.

Barry Weis of Storage Wars fame had his Dustin Bin fairing machine on Display, so much work gone into this, I went back to it many times just to drool over the Aluminum.

A thing of Beauty and would of loved to hear this Motor run with then pipes on, Great job Barry.

Hutch Blew me away with this Beemer, what a great build, you cant see any electrical wires and a Brave man to creat a bike in white too, this was just a masterful piece of creativity and I bow to you, this South African builder is based at Yoshi’s and is a super nice fella.

Check this out, so much Aluminum work, some very gifted people at this show and everywhere I looked I could see some fun and clever engineering.

This Italian 350 Steed was tough, I would of loved to have slung my leg over it, I loved the color scheme and the rear tail Cowl, very nice piece to look at here at the show.

Skate Icon “Steve Caballero had this Classic Honda Tracker, Steve has a huge skill set with machines as well as art, loved looking at this, made me think of my Brother in England.

Buddy of mines BMW, actually the one next to it is his wifes, very cool Toasters.

Craigs super neat CB750 he created, his company is Kickstart garage up there in Redding, super nice guy who I have met a few times, and loved his Creation, Killer Color.

Plenty of Honda bikes here and all so different, looks like Dustin Kotts style, clean and lean, loved it.

Kev from Moto Chop shops Thruxton has a full fairing now in place, fun machine with that 60’s Rockers styling, Great job mate.

Scott and Owner Kev Stanley from Moto Chop shop, show their chops and chinwag with many, super guys and all have a passion for two wheeled machines.

Dustin Kott has been building many years and it shows it here, clean, smooth and flowing, very nice cafe style Motorcycle and color combo.

 

 

Now thats some killer alloy work, I loved this fairing, tank and seat combination, many hours with a torch and a hammer and English wheel, Loved the Lester Mags too.

I was really into this Suzuki, a lot of cool lines, I really liked the fat attack and the stance is right on the money, fender and fairing matched well, brilliant job my friend.

I loved the smooth lines on this what I call a Battle Star Galactica machine, this cool Yamaha was tidy and I would of loved to have ridden it, check out the stainless exhaust system.

Jennifer and Mark Baker, Both in the 59 Club Orange County section, have a natter about this great show, loved the Barry Sheen shirt, I had mine on too, well, we are Both Brits remember.

More 59 ers from Orange county Steve and Tiff hang out, Steve’s a Model for Stag magazine. LOL.

Few more lads from the Orange County 59 ers, CJ on the right organised the ride to the show, Dennis in the middle was game too. As well as the bloke on the left and I have forgotten his name but will add as soon as my Brain gets back into gear.

A slew of Machines that all caught my eye outside at the rear of the building, over 100 bikes on Display there alone and all very cool and unique to them selves.

Yes, I would ride any of these, plenty for all to see and enjoy and what a relaxed and fun environment this show was.

Some well put together machines here, be it Cafe Racer, Brat, Tracker, Custom etc, these were all great bikes and we really did enjoy taking all these builds in .

Deus doing their bit, great company of which I used to go and see in Kings Cross in Sydney when I lived there in 1997.

How could you not love this Drag bike, its a crapshoot alright, awesome stuff.

Above: How about that, Plexi covers, I loved this Motorcycle and it should of been up on a stand so people could see all the engineering involved on this Rocket!

I have always dug Scramblers, even as a kid, so to see new versions cropping up here and there is always a treat for me, all of them are individual and this is a cool ride.

Another Tough Yamaha and has the right look and stance, and that fork brace will make sure there is no wobble at the front end, great achievement mate.

Everyone that looked at the Motorcycles and art that was on display at this unique event, all seemed to be happy, thats a great thing to see and I sure hope that we have many more shows in this guise.

I loved this Bultaco, not sure if Originally it was a Sherpa T or a Persang, but I loved this transformation , could be an original TSS motor too, but I loved the sound of these Spanish 2 strokes and what a machine, so clean lines, well done mate.

It is always refreshing to see two wheeled machines taken to another level, this has had a lot of work to get how it is today and I spent a little time looking at the complexity of this particular build, kudos to you for your time and patience.

I liked everything about this Tracker, smooth flowing lines and loved the headlight shield, I would ride that bike all the time and so nice to see it at the OG show here in LA.

A very good mate of mine Mel Bain, Actor, School teacher and Motorcycle aficionado, super cool to meet up and see him and his lovely wife at the show, he enjoyed the outlier guild show immensely.

Bikes outside and all over the place in Down Town LA and was great to see some of them parked up for the show.

The weather was super nice as well, which meant for enjoyable riding for everybody that visited the show here, we walked about quite a lot before heading back, there were bands playing that we wanted to see.

Christa Collins of the Woolly Bandits played in the evening, Christa was a child star at Disney and had a song Minnie And Me and was super stoked to see that she drifted to my Harlequin Honda, all that Dazzle must of caught her eye. #pilgrim imagery

Music, Motorcycles, Oh My , what a great Combination. #pilgrimimagery

Just made the whole event even more cooler for me, a great photo by #Pilgrim Imagery

Looking forward to the show next year, well done Jay Larossa for getting this together.

My Old School Metalflake looked pretty cool in the lights of the warehouse as Christa belted out a few tunes, using the Harlequin Honda as a Prop, cheers Girl. #Pilgrimimagery

Hope some of you managed to see some of the bands playing, they were great and the whole event had a great vibe all the time.

So, with that, I will finish up with a really good mate of mine, I first met Skratch in 2000, we are all into Motorcycles, Hot Rods, Pinstriping and Nostalgic stuff like Drags, Custom Builds and just so many things, so nice to catch up with him.#Skratchsgarage #Bellhelmets

He has been laying Pin lines for many moon’s, as well as lettering etc, he does a lot for Bell helmets too, a very cool Hot Rod and Kustom builder too, a super all around talented guy that I have had the pleasure of being mates with.

Skratch, doing what he loves and he can lay down pin lines with speed if needed, a very talented and approachable geezer.

So, with that, I shall bid you all a find farewell, this was a brilliant show, thanks again to @jaylarossa for putting together LA’s coolest Custom Motorcycle show, bringing us all together as a cohesive lifestyle of 2 wheeled aficionados. Until the next time, many thanks for reading my Blog, it took a while to download and get this on my website but hope you found something interesting.

Promote small businesses in the Custom world, we all need you.

If this inspires you to get in your Garage or shed and create, then I have achieved another smile in the 2 wheel industry, thanks once more for reading.

 

The Outliers Guild Motorcycle show in Los Angeles

Well this morning I loaded up the van and took the Harlequin Honda down the 5 Freeway to Los Angeles, fighting traffic all the way and then off at Seventh street, I passed a few Old style warehouses and new I was in the right area for this weekends OG show.

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So, I pulled up on Anderson in the Industrial area and drove round the back where a friend of mine Donald Leonhardt was helping out and offered to give me a hand take the bike out, Cheers Don I was stoked to have help, as the 750 is no lightweight machine.

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We eased the bike into the old Warehouse and there was a hive of activity, the smell of fresh paint and cut timber filled the air, along the concrete floor are a number of hand made wooden Pallet style platforms, for which the “Invited Builders” will be displaying their machines and I was lucky enough to be one of those builders.

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So many cool machines had already turned up and the amount of attention to detail and engineering feats were mind boggling, Leonardo Devinci would of been right at home here, and to add to that, the building next door will be displaying cool art and design, as well as that, there were a few cool areas for Vendors. Such as Beringer Brakes, Deus, Tobbaco Motowear Co, Stellar Mo brand and many many more.

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The building is a superb venue and you can look at the bikes that are on the Wooden platforms, check out the vendors upstairs etc and then walk out the building into the alley at the rear to see more Vendors, more motorcycles and yest another building where the Art show will be, so a great Horseshoe shaped event thats super easy to navigate.

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Many bikes will be there, close to 100 I should think, so if you have a chance, get down to the show this weekend, it will be a fun place to be for sure. I am looking forward to see what all is on display, love seeing other bikes that have been created.

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DATE | MARCH 31, 2018

TIME | 12 – 9 PM

LOCATION | 6TH ANDERSON [NEW VENUE]

615 S ANDERSON ST

LOS ANGELES, CA 90023

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I am sure there will be something for everyone and many different manufacturers machines will be sat proudly for you to look and absorb.

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Hutch will be there with his awesome Beemer, this thing is off the hook, I love the minimalist look and lines , such a lot of time to get it to this standard.

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Below is the info you may need.

http://www.ogmotoshow.com/info/  Hope you can make it out, this will be a really good show and not to be missed, plus a chance to chat to some of the builders, these bikes may give you food for thought and you start a creation of your very own.

See you there, you can text me on 714-598-8392 to see if we are close by for a chinwag, be great to see you all.

 

The OG Moto Show is an annual motorcycle event located in Downtown Los Angeles featuring select Cafe’ Racer, Bobber, Classic, Tracker, Scrambler, Old School Chopper, Modern Classic, Brat and full custom motorcycles on display in a unique setting. The vision of Jay LaRossa of Lossa Engineering, Stan Chen, John Pangilinan, and Ralph Holguin of RMD Garage to help bring this style of motorcycle culture to Southern California.

The event gathers thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts together in a unique setting. The experience will feature art, photography, music and more.  Coffee, drinks, and food will be served throughout the day.  Select vendors were on hand offering goods for purchase and the highlight of the event will centered on the custom motorcycles on display.

 

Come to the OG Motorcycle show in LA this weekend.


The OG Moto Show is an annual motorcycle event located in Downtown Los Angeles featuring select Cafe’ Racer, Bobber, Classic, Tracker, Scrambler, Old School Chopper, Modern Classic, Brat and full custom motorcycles on display in a unique setting. The vision of Jay LaRossa of Lossa Engineering, Stan Chen, John Pangilinan, and Ralph Holguin of RMD Garage to help bring this style of motorcycle culture to Southern California.

OGMotoShow2

Many bikes and Art on Display, a superb Gathering of unique Motorcycles and craft under one roof, see if you can make it and spread the word, its a show not to be missed.

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The event gathers thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts together in a unique setting. The experience will feature art, photography, music and more. Coffee, drinks, and food will be served throughout the day. Select vendors were on hand offering goods for purchase and the highlight of the event will centered on the custom motorcycles on display.

I will be taking my Metalflake Harlequin Honda there to sit with many other super cool builds.

 

LOCATION | 6TH ANDERSON [NEW VENUE]

615 S ANDERSON ST

LOS ANGELES, CA 90023

TIME | 12 – 9 PM

Hope to see you there, you can text me to see if I am around at 714-598-8392, so much to see there you will enjoy the whole place, Music, Art, and these cool Motorcycles.

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Finally, I have the Harlequin out of the Garage and in the sunlight, so good to be able to see it in real light, still a few things to do last minute, as always but I will load her up tomorrow and head to LA for the show and leave it there, then come back on Saturday and Sunday, took a long time to get this Super Sport how I wanted it but I really am happy with the end result.

OK, now to just finish a few things up on this Harlequin Honda, hope you like what I have managed to achieve, just wanted a Custom Creation this time.

 

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Get the parts you need for your Build this season

Well, for many the weather is just starting to ease of a little, Spring is almost here and I know a few of you will already be in the garage or shed, with the heater on, trying to figure out what to create with your two wheeled machine.  Spring mostly brings great weather and I am sure that by now, you are ready to jump in head first to build your Custom Motorcycle and get the bike out on the tarmac as quick as you can.

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Be it a Cafe Racer, A Cool Brat style, a Full on Custom or a wicked Tracker style, we have the parts that you are looking for, and with over 4 decades of building Motorcycles, I do my utter best to help you create your machine and get the parts out to you as fast as I possibly can.

book

Many people email me about their machines and ask for ideas or just inspiration, I have been there many times and you eventually hit a wall in the design process, but many hands make light work and many ideas from people certainly help mold that design into a more solid Concrete build and then, you are off and working like crazy to get the idea out onto the road.

I too have a few long projects that need to be completed, I also offer Servicing to full builds and, have enjoyed doing this in Southern California for over 18 years.

exhaust and parts

If I can help with anything, even if its advise, call 714-598-8392 or even text and I will do my very best to help you out, this industry is a fun and creative one and I hope that I can be of some assistance to you, this is not just a job for me, its my life and I continue to push the envelope on parts where I can.

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Jakusa Motorcyces and just some of Tamus Jakus designs.

Here’s something for the curvy crowd: it’s a Harley Davidson and Bugatti fusion machine, mixing the best of American motorcycle engineering with a European design aesthetic from a bygone era. It’s as art deco as the Empire State Building and as curvaceous and sexy as Ingrid Bergman. It goes by the name of Jakusa Atlantico and it’s one of the few ‘fat and round’ looking motorcycle concepts that we’ve taken a shine to. Sure, it’s a theme bike but don’t let that get in the way of a good idea!

Jakusa

What we have here is a fantastic combination of the Harley Davidson Fat Boy and the ultra-rare and incredibly voluptuous 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. This particular concept by Tamus Jakus, is the perfect example of using retro lines and curves and a fair amount of simple streamlining to produce a beautiful motorcycle with a slightly modern twist.

jakusa 23

Tamus Jakus is no stranger to designing gorgeous concept bikes; his portfolio boasts some of the most elegant and well thought out car and motorcycle concepts of the era. The Hungarian artist, illustrator and designer has a knack for mixing classic styling elements with modern machinery, to create some insane concepts. I love the Boneville design that you see Below, very stylish.

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Now, if you look below, you will see just a few of the designs that the Hungarian Designer has managed to knock out of the park, his style and color palette is so amazing, I wish I could do something like this, what a great foresight to be able to create things of beauty.

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All amazingly designed that I could be happy with owning any one of those on the board, all the lines flow like a River and so glad to be able to show these works of art today.

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Be it modern or a Classic style, Tamus Jakus just knocks these designs right out of the Ball Park, there is something there for you I am certain of.

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Above is a concept machine that was drafted from an art object and has conformed to the motorcycle perfectly, only a true artist can pull something off like this.

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I am sure there will be many more great designs and I shall be looking out for these from now on, I was always trying to think of what Hungry offers to the world and now I know a Gold Medal Winner when I see one.

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What I like about all his renderings are that the actual finished product is exactly as the drawing, he makes it look so bloody easy.

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He designed this as a DGR ride machine and the concept seemed to work quite well, the bike is complete and does a few rounds on the road and is in a shop on display.

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Look at this Tasty Ducati, a stealthy look but something I wouldnt minding slinging my leg over and taking it for a long ride, like to Las Vegas, it looks pretty comfortable.

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Something for all you Street Fighter fans, the finished Product looks pretty tough to me.

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This Machine looks like the Clubman Racers of the day when I was a teenager, he sure captured the styling using this XSR700 TD3 Model.

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These looks like the early JPS Nortons on Steroids, a Tough and menacing stance, what a great job to pull off on this Motorcycle.

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I sure hope we get to see some of the finished Models on the road or on the show circuit as being as unique as this, makes for you to physically inspect the whole machine when you clap eyes on it.

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Look at this Ducati, I mean it looks as tough as a doorman on New years eve dont it?

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Bobber looks pretty cool, not my cup of Tea but can see the bike has motion and smooth lines.

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I wonder How many heads will turn if they saw this machine cruising down the street, a smooth concept and looks pretty tight.

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Frigging mad machine in the Gulf Livery for sure. May be a wee bit hard around the Hairpins but again I would love to have a go on it.

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I think Burt Monroe would do a double take on this Indian, how I would love to try this on the Lake bed at Bonneville to see what it can really do. Love the Shot Gun Mufflers.

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New and old Concept works very well, reminds me of the JPS livery and the old Caff bikes of the XS650 era back home in the UK, a great job here capturing the Desmo styling.

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I love the work he does with the Triumphs, the fairings are shorter on here and that is reminiscent of the 70’s styled 3/4 Fairings that you used to be able to purchase in many other speed shops of the day, kind of a Phil Reed style.

jakusa21The good old DOHC looks great in this guise, what a tough style and form, well done mate as this is a Killer Cafe styled motorbike I see right here, we need more of these.

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The good Old SR Motorcycle has been seen in many guises for many years but I never tire of it and have always loved the GT40 Gulf Livery and one day I shall create my own version, I loved this little Bar hopper bike.

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Looks a lot better I think with the fairing as then it flows from the front to the rear cowl, unusual right side only Rotor set up too.

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This is a Duck on a frozen pond but it looks at home and I would dearly love to ring its neck out around this area, great concept machine.

Seoul Motion – CB750 Cafe Racer

Here we are with another Build of mine, this time we are shipping it to Seoul in Korea.

This machine has taken some time to get right and she fought me every which way but loose, but I prevailed and became the victor in the end, but- this was a long battle and many a night I have been sat there, scratching my noggin, trying to figure out what happened etc., although, if you build a machine yourself, you will understand that at times, the build will sometimes, give you a right royal swift kick in the knackers, just to get you back.

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This was just a roller that needed some love, so what I did was take the bike down to the chassis, removed the wiring and anything else that what bolted onto this 530 pounds of rusting Hulk!

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I cleaned the gas tank out and then took all the paint off, after that, I put the tank on my special frame and then hammered the knee inserts as I do on the majority of the rides that I create.

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This bike kept giving me the worst grief of my life, like it was trying to tell me to stop what I was doing and leave her alone, even so as much as to burst into flames one night when an Argentinian rectifier decided to let go and fill the shop with more smoke than a Hippies BBQ at Stonehenge.

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The engine was stripped down and gone through and has a new 900cc Engine, and I thought whilst I was at it I would paint this a Wrinkle Black and then polish some stainless Allen headed bolts to offset the black, and to be honest, I really love the way this bike looks.

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The original seat was toast, so I used one of my aftermarket seat bases and re-foamed and upholstered the pan to the Guilerri that was popular back home in the UK in the 1970’s and 80’s.

So the seat works perfectly and has the original hinges and seat lock mechanism, and I am happy with the outcome of this task.

 

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So much work, its hard to remember everything, but- the frame was taken down to the barest of metal and powder coated, but as I said earlier, the bike caught fire as I was 98% completed and had to completely strip the bike down the frame and bead blast to bare metal and start all over again, it was such a downer, but these things happen and I made a positive out of a negative.

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The guy that commissioned me to create this beast is a famous Jazz singer in Korea and I wanted to give the bike a name to bring it to life and give it some character.  So I aptly named it Seoul Motion, and I am shipping it to Seoul this week.

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I have New side covers and they are a deep Gloss black with my pin lines to show off a little detail, even New Rubber Grommets were used so the covers fit nice and snug.

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Yes- this time I wanted to try a 17 inch rear wheel and used a Firestone set up on the tire and also polished the hubs with Stainless spokes, then I drilled and polished the rear brake cover and fitted new brake shoes and actuator, this bike is like brand new I tell ya.

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I bobbed the rear fender and fitted the Beeza tail light, with a Brand new set of Alloy Turn signals to make sure people see him out there in Korea.

 

 

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I chromed the swing arm and fitted new bushes etc., and then fitted one of my custom made finned stabilizer arms to set the lower end of the bike off, complete with new brake rod, spring and adjuster.

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I had to shorten the right height on this machine as the chap is shorter than me, so used some piggy backs on the rear and I got Franks Forks to make me some 2 inch under fork tubes and rebuilt them with a polished set of lowers, new seals and new gators, as well as new clamps and bushings etc.

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I fitted one of my ceramic coated 4 into 1 exhaust systems, as this will sound awesome when he gets on the loud throttle and lets people know he is in town, then tuned and synchronized the carbs to make sure all was well.

 

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I used a Brand new set of Tarrozi rear sets, but I stripped the anodizing off and polished to a chrome finish and these really do set the tone of the Motorcycle off.

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Up front, you will notice that I have fitted a brand new Chrome headlight and inside that is a new harness, as well as brand new Alloy turn signals, this is a cool machine. I also stripped the old gauges apart and rebuilt them, giving them a Custom feel and look, as well as chroming the lower buckets to add a little more bling.

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Another great touch to this bike is that it has a bobbed front fender of mine that matches the paint, right down to the checkers as that means you’re a winner, but also, this has a number of cool things done to it.

If you look closely, you will see I drilled and polished the front brake Rotor, and then had a custom bracket machined for the forks, why is that I hear you ask.

Well simply, the old brakes are well, OLD- so we thought we would try a brand new set up on this machine by making a Wilwood Four pot caliper sit on the fork and see if this helps stopping.

Stopping is increased about 500%, it almost pops your eyes out when you grab a handful of brake lever all of a sudden.

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New Chrome 7’8 Clubman bars are fitted, along with brand new Honda Cables and polished levers, this is also expensive but a needs must with such a build like this.

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New tire, new brakes, and new everything, adorn this Black and Silver Café Racer and I know the owner will just dig this like a shovel does dirt.

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The finned stabilizer bar is one of my own designs that just says it all.

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Hand diamond stitched seat base adds some more coolness to this tarmac eating machine and am sure will turn many heads in Korea.

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I purchased brand new handlebar controls for this build and used Original 1974 GT waffle grips to add some Nostalgia to the bike.

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Of course, this needed a New master cylinder and New throttle and cables, so everything was changed to New and this will benefit the owner immensely.

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Here you can see that I have made Custom gauge faces to show the world what this bike is and also I fitted one of my special display set ups that has a Large WW2 Neutral light and then a high beam and Oil light, these are all stainless steel and function very well indeed.

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New paint, gas tank sealed, New petcock as well as New Gas cap and locking latch just enhances this machine.

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Yes, I even cleaned up the kickstand and chromed it to give it a nice offset against the stealthy Black everywhere.

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I chromed the ignition switch bracket and used a New ignition switch too, along with a brand New genuine Honda set of coils and caps.

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New fork ears were painted Black and badges added where the old reflectors used to be back in the day, as well as new Chrome clips and new gators.

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The Four pot Caliper works so well, this would stop a woman’s period.

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I had to come up with a name for the bike, as I always name the machines I have created and I am happy that I conjured up this and think the owner digs it too.

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I had an original airbox that Henry Abe sold in the 1970’s, so stripped it and then re-chromed it and now it looks bloody awesome.

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This bike sits well, and you will notice that I drilled and polished the gearshift cover, this also has brand new 530 chain and sprockets to make it go down the road ok.

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I even chromed the old safety carrier on the rear sprocket to offset the black as I powder coated the rear sprocket Black.

 

 

I hope that you like this machine that I created and this can now fly to Korea and another build completed from Carpys Café Racers.

 

I will show you how I did the tank.

I, first of all, washed the tank out with simple green and solvent to make sure that there was no gas residue in the tank, then I turned the gas tank upside down and cut the old trim tabs off, as I do not need these.

 

Then with my homemade frame, I slowly start to hammer the tank to get the depth of inserts I require, trying to massage the steel to form in the shape I want, this does take time and makes your arms pump like Popeye afterward.

 

Also, to get the paint off is a real pain if you do not bead blast it, I used to do this with the good old Jasco, but man is it a mess to use and clean up afterward.

 

After this is all done I bead blast the gas tank so it is all clean metal and can see if there is any issues, and also for my own insurance and a cost of $100, I take the tank to a radiator shop and they seal the inside and pressure test it, that way I know that all is well inside the gas tank and no leaks.

 

 

 

Next, I do all the body work and get it ready for the paint shop, as I no longer spray paint but will do the graphics, whether it is a decal or hand lettering as I like to use my sable pinstripe brush that’s a triple O size or a number 1 line brush.

If I am using the checkered tape, I simply rub the gas tank down with 600 and then wet the tank and apply the checkered tape to where I need it.

 

 

The soapy water helps the tape to float to where you need to position it, once you are happy with the location, I use a credit card and a microfiber cloth and squeeze all the air bubbles out, once this is done to all the decals, I clean it with prep wash and she is ready for pin-striping and then once that is all completed, leave for 2 hours as I use House of Kolor these days and it dries super fast, and then its ready for clear coating and buffing.

 

This is when the tank and fenders etc really start to pop after clear-coating.

 

 

 

 

Many other things people really do not get to see is when I have to take the gauges apart, sometimes these can end in tears if the needle breaks and is stuck in the drive unit, but this time all was well and i wanted to use some of my own designs again on this machine and am glad at the way that they turned out.

 

I painted the needles with good old One-Shot enamel and then put my decals on the original faces, and slowly put these back together.

Now, these really do look way better than the Originals and with the New display set up in the middle of the bars, this completes the top end.

 

These kind of finish the top end of the bike off very well and the owner is pretty stoked about them as well.  All I had to do now was simply shorten all the wiring as with club-man bars, these sit lower and I don’t want loads of wires all bunched up and rammed inside the headlight.