Tag Archives: inline four

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

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
03 Jun

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

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

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

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

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

Honda Santee Chopper, replacing worn out engine covers

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
30 Mar

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

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

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

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

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

Exhaust Systems I manufacture- Sound Bytes From Customers

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
14 Mar

Howdy one and all

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

Old Video but was fun to look back at the shop in the City Of Orange

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
01 Mar

I had fun with this shop, had to build all the walls, move one wall 20 feet back, move stairs etc, paint floors and make a brick facade speed shop ewtc, it took a long time but sure did look good.

Lucky for me now I have my very own workshop/Barn, so no more renting premises, as so much money goes to a Landlord.

But wanted to share the old place to you lot, hopefully you will dig it?

The Rocket Four Motorcycle I built out of a non running CB750 Four Honda back in 2007

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
17 Feb

Time does indeed scream by at a pace that I really cannot fathom these days, but I am glad there are such things as you Tube etc that keep videos that I posted all them years ago.

Here is the “Rocket Four” Bike that I created out of an old non running inline four, I love these 500 pounders and this was a great build that none were around at all when I did this, so it stood out, I have no clue where the bike is now but hope they had fun with it?

Fun days and The seat I made for this bike came on to be a best seller for me, sending over 500 of these Rocket Four seats all over the globe, quite proud of that to be honest.

The REVOLVER CB750 HONDA Custom Cafe Motorcycle I created and now resides in Australia

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
02 Feb

Every Motorcycle that I have built from the ground up is always tough to let it go, but- that’s what I do, create and build motorcycles as well as parts etc, this was fun creation that I put together for a Girl out in Australia, she wanted it gold flake and I did my very best to give her a Creation that had all the bells and whistles too.


It took me a while to get this machine to how I wanted it and I really enjoyed completing this project for the customer, using an old rusted out drag bike that I had sitting in the yard for years, it was so nice to recreate something and for the owner to be super stoked about it to.

I put my heart and soul into this build and I still supply these parts to my Customers today, a very cool head turning machine that not only looks great, it has a built motor and of course my Performance 4 into 1 exhaust system on it too.

So much Metalflake was used and Gallons of clear to give it that depth, braided cables throughout and am super proud of this build.

I hope that you like the way the bike sits and of course looks, more tricks than a Magicians coat to be honest and it was a blast to put together for Jess.

Custom Gauges, Display lights and a Ton of other Modifications throughout this bike made this one of my favorite rides of all time it sure was a piece of art.

I have sold hundreds of these 4 into 1 exhaust systems of mine, they sound and perform so well and have that 1970’s superbike reverb when you get on it.

Just thought I would share a fun memory that was so enjoyable to create and it resides on the other side of the Globe.

Here it is in Australia with the Owner, a one off machine that came out the way that she wanted it to look , thanks for having a look today.

 

Exhaust for SOHC Honda’s 1969-1978 The SIDEWINDER

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
14 Jan

I have been getting a lot of compliments on the 4 into 1 Exhaust I manufacture called The Sidewinder, this really is a great performing system that not only fits well, it sounds crisp and is a true Performance pipe.

These power houses are available in Raw steel, for that Industrial Look, or you can wrap them with Heat wrap for your Custom look, but also I get these Cerakoted in Ceramic and have a Choice of Colors of Black, Silver, Titanium and Burnt Bronze.  These are designed to fit the HONDA CB750K CB750F inline Four Models of the SOHC size, that’s from 1969 up to 1978.

Also , the advantage of this system is that you can still run with your center stand attached as these pipes wrap to the right hand side of your engine and clear the oil pain, the second thing is you have a totally clear access area to your Oil filter housing, which makes for easy oil changes and filter swaps etc.  A really well made system that is affordable and pretty easy to fit, even on your own.  I have done this many times and so glad I went this route, the whole system itself is about 13 pounds so easily lighter than the stock version.

These are all made right here in California and ready to fit to your bike and get you back on the tarmac, these are held into the Cylinder head by floating Flanges, so no more messing around with either half shims or them finned pinch clamps, simply bolt on with 8X35mm Bolts or if your head has studs, then these just slide right on into the ports and simply tighten sequentially.  I use a Stainless Bolt to attach the tail pipe to the header, as springs tend to jump off over bumps, mostly made for the track, so a tried and tested method is a high quality stainless bolt that I supply with the system.

Yes these do come with a Baffle and I do not add any packing to it, I like the 95 Decibel output but if you feel it is a tad loud for your area, then any local Motorcycle shop sells the fiberglass packing or use some steel wool and wrap around the baffle and refit until required sound is found.  No other sound like this, other than a 30 year old Yoshi.

The Photos I have shown are Raw steel, but Ceramic coating is available but takes 10 from order as I take it out to the company to do their coating but worth the wait, I do not store any in house coated, only because we get the odd Earthquake and don’t want to scratch anything if they moved when we get a shaker here.

I personally Pack these systems and send them out to you, I help Over sea’s Customers on the duty form, so you don’t get any silly fee’s, remember, I have been doing this almost 23 years, so know my way around the shipping forms. I packed these in a 16x16x21 double walled box and make sure that it doesn’t move when in transit.

Let me know if I can help you with one of these systems for your Machine, be it Stock, Custom, Café Racer. Brat. Tracker or a Dailey parts Runner, this exhaust will give you more pep and looks pretty cool too.  It breathes so well you will be stoked at the velvet tone that it emits at the rear end.  Looks Great and value for money, way better than the Chinese stuff that’s out there.

I am super stoked at these systems and have many repeat Customers from all over the states and the globe, I love to hear from customers that really do enjoy the burble that these 4 into 1 exhausts make and the throttle response is second to none. All would suggest you up jet 2 sizes on the main, but that’s it, these run so good.

If you need any more information, please drop me a line at carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or call or even text me on 714-598-8392, thanks for checking in and hope that you enjoyed this page on the Sidewinder Exhaust.

Raw Steel System : $380

Cerakote Coated :    $480

Fun times ahead at the workshop.

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
10 Jan

Well, a New year and New projects, I have a bunch of bikes that need to get running and then decide which way to go in the way of building and creating something cool from the shop but many different platforms are sat in the Barn, just awaiting some wrench time, but I do enjoy creating New rides.

I get many questions on how do I put in the Knee inserts on gas tanks, well, first off, I find a damaged tank, I don’t want to use a good solid undented gas tank, seem a shame to bash the crap out of it to be honest, so I usually have something about the shop or in storage that I can use and love to repurpose something that has been discarded, but I do use ear defenders as I have already got  Tinnitus from years of grinding metal, riding motorcycles with No ear plugs and going to many gigs and standing up front by the speakers.

I really enjoy making parts for the machines I build and of course offering it to customers too, its a noisy job but if it was easy, then everyone would do it right?

I have a few ideas for New parts this year, so keep checking back with me, also I hope to offer parts for different models and brands of Motorcycle, so I should be able to help you all, my Customer Service really is hard to beat compared to the many shops that have sprouted up recently, this is my career and my passion not just a business.

If its engine parts you need, drop me a Dime or Text on 714-598-8392 and I am more than happy to help you lot out with your project, this year should be a fun one and maybe I will meet some of you at an event?  I have built many Motorcycle over the almost 23 years I have lived here in Southern California and look forward to building many more.

 

The Hot Rod and Razor exhausts Now in stock, this is how they sounds too.

CB750 Honda Super Sport getting some work done to get her going again

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
08 Jan

 

\Here at the shop I always have things to do, but I always help customers out and when he bought the 1976 CB750F here I could see it needed just a little tlc, many people think they will just need a charged battery and some new fuel and away they go?  In some cases you do get lucky but this old girl does need a little bit more work before I can get her to run again.

This will be a nice machine as super low miles but as she has sat for a long while, the Carbs really do need some work, so first off they are removed and will get stripped, cleaned, vapor honed, polished and put all back together, after that they will be jetted and synchronized so they run great once more.  Not a cheap job but if customer looks after and rides regularly, no reason why these wont last another 40 years.

Intakes were solid as a proverbial rock, I do not want to refit the carbs and find out these have hair line cracks allowing air to leak into the manifolds, so I shall remove these and fit new ones that are nice and pliable and of course I sell on my website.

At least now I have a fighting chance at fitting the carburetors without having to push harder than a steam train to get the things to slide into the manifolds’ etc. Also a good tip on yours is, just add a little axle grease to the inside of the intakes to make the carbs easier to Plop, back into the rubber, makes a world of difference.

Still quite a bit to do as the front brake was binding so hard when we unloaded it from the trailer, this is always due to the steel piston inside the front caliper, as over the years when they sit in all weather and temperatures, the body of the caliper is alloy and the piston steel, aluminum will sweat and leave a rust deposit on the steel piston over time.  When they happens, altough only a small mark, the piston will not reseat when you let go of the brake lever as the O ring is catching that rust spot.  I always tap the caliper body with a rubber mallet to free the piston and that will stop the binding for a sec.

So, as I now move onto working on the front caliper, I will need a few tools, I will need an 8mm wrench for the brake line and the bleed nipple, as well as a 14mm socket to be able to undo the two steel bolts that hold the caliper to the hanger.  Also Dot 3 brake fluid and a bleeder bottle.

I will be fitting a New caliper body, I do not have a New feed line, so will have to be careful undoing the 8mm nut as it looks like its already chewed up from many years of abuse , but I will put a wrench with some tape on it and tap the wrench with a rubber mallet to shock the nut loose and not round the damn thing off.

This is the original caliper and I have no idea where originally this machine had been sitting or what sort of life it has had, even though its low miles, the weather does take its toll on them when sat for years doing nothing.

The Bolts were really tight on this front caliper, so I soaked them with WD40 and then used a socket with extension and go them to undo, but they were really on there tightly.

I replaced the front Caliper completely with the Kit that I sell on here and it worked a treat, really easy to put together and fitted like a glove.

I will advise the customer that on the next service, we should fit new brake lines, but for now we want to make sure that this Super Sport runs well and of course, stops safely.

Fitted the caliper and made sure the bolts were greased so nothing ceazes up like the original bolts and now just need to bleed the brake system to get all the air out.

All the air is bled out, bleeder nipple has the rubber cap placed on top and she is all good on the front end once more and he can rest assured the front brake will work as it should, and now I have to spend a few days stripping the carbs and getting them cleaned like new once more, stay tuned…………….

HONDA 1977 CB550F Super Sport for Sale $5999

Posted on by Steve Carpenter
04 Jan

Sometimes  in your life of buying and selling Motorcycles ,you come across a Diamond in the rough, and here is one that I wasn’t going to purchase at first but something told me to go and see it , as I had no photos of it.  I am so glad I did, this was a one owner machine that was purchased in 1977, it did have a Rear Luggage Rack with sissy bar attached and a Chrome front crash bar, but took that off, although the owner bought it new in 1977 and had the dealership fit them to the bike upon purchase.

(I can supply you with them if you require as they are still hung up in my Barn.)

This is a very nice machine and has 11,000 miles on the girl which is super low for a 45 year old Motorcycle, the old fella used it to go to work and that was it, I purchased the bike and have had it in storage for a couple of years, but seems a shame to keep it locked in and thought that it was time to let somebody else have some fun with it.

The bike is all Original other than the battery, even the tires are original, a rare find these days, I did remove the carbs and go through them a couple of years back, but it has been stored in my Barn with my other machines and I have quite a bit of work and thought it was time for the old girl to have some fun with another owner.

Now, this is not a showroom condition bike, its a bike that was used for a few years for local commuting, but its a rare find for sure, I need to give her a clean up as she is dusty from sitting inside, this was never outside.

To be honest, it would not take much to make this machine Mint, and go in shows with some tlc, its a much loved machine and I know that you will love just looking at this unmolested 1977 Machine.
The 1977 CB550 F2 is a fun and nimble machine and will sneak up on many machines, its responsive and great center of Gravity, makes for some really enjoyable riding on this inline four marvel.

A great Machine that reflects that awesome era when I was a teenager, I remember having a sales Brochure on my bedroom wall as a kid, amongst other notable motorcycles of that era and this brings back so many memories just looking at the bike.

I do have the Title for this too and numbers match the title, so you are all good there, its not been on the road since I have owned it as I have kept it in my Barn with the other bikes and I think its time to offer this to the public as I am sure there are many like me that love these 70’s Iconic Machines.

This Four Stroke Transverse Four Cylinder, SOHC Motor with 2 Valves per Cylinder, and a Bore and Stroke of 50.85 x 50.6mm with a 9.0:1 Compression is a little powerhouse to be honest. It has produces 50 HP/36.5kW @8500 RPM, with a Max Toque of 43.1 Nm/31.8 LB-Ft@ 7400RPM.

I did work on the carburetors and fit a New battery but, that’s it, a lovely condition for its age and nothing cut off or broken on this amazing Honda 550F inline four cylinder.

If you want to capture the late 1970’s in mid size Motorcycling, then this really is it, sitting on this reminded me of when I saw one in the dealership when I was 15 years old, after finishing my bag of chips, me and my mate used to just hang out in the shop looking at the new bikes that had come out, dreaming of the day we could own one.

Be a shame in a way to see it go, but as long as someone gets as much enjoyment out of is as I have, that is all I ask, a rare find these days and I am certain it will turn heads and have many questions asked about it where ever you take this Honda.

If you need more photos or information about this 1977 CB750F Honda, you can email me at carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or you can call or Text me on 714-598-8392 and have a chat.

Thank you for looking and hope you like the photos that I have taken of the bike, its a great color too, this weighs about 421 in dry weight and has 18″ wheels, so a nice height for most riders.

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