Merry Christmas to ALL my Customers around the world

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Steve Carpenter

22 Dec

Well, the time has flown by this year, way to fast to be honest, but its here now and whilst I am still busy, i need to stop and charge my own batteries so I can be fully charged for 2025, I hope that you have enjoyed your Motorcycle this year, whether it was just riding or rebuilding, a feel of accomplishment is hard to beat when you hear that engine crackle into life from a long time in a cold corner some place.

So, I am enjoying some good festive food and of course give me some time to watch some you tube stuff and relax with Jennifer and the animals we have at the Ranch, and I wanted to thank you all for purchasing from me and I always appreciate the emails and phone calls that I receive.

So, I thought I would add a video of stuff that I like watching and am sure that you will enjoy too or may of already watched it yourselves, if you have then I will be adding more over this Festive season for you all to enjoy.

Wishing everybody a Very Merry Christmas and I am always here to help, either by phone, by email or even by text, coming up to 25 years in business and love every moment of it.

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

Posted on May 5, 2020 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

A Day in the life of Yours truly.

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

30 Jan

Well, cant believe I am fast approaching 20 years that I have been over here and creating Custom machines and of course, parts to go with it, I have to stop and pinch myself sometimes, but there it is – 2 decades and still moving along, maybe not as fast as back in 2000 but still have a spring in my limpy step.

Now, just yesterday about 10pm, I heard my phone make that familiar “Ping” I thought that it is probably just spam etc but I picked it up and there was a message from a Japanese guy on Facebook, he said “Is this you?” And there was a thumbnail of a picture.

I clicked on it and Bloody Nora, it was me back in 1997 with my Old 1969 Triumph Daytona.

I remember that day like it was last week, I rode it all the way to the East coast from my flat in North London and boy, was that great fun to ride to, the bike kept spluttering at Hemsby but It was only the carbs and a clean out and tune and she was good as new, thats when Osamu Imai snapped this photo of me in 1997.

So I thought I would share that with you, the bike looked a little different 6 months before when I rode it again to Hemsby but I want happy with white and wanted black, here is my Kicking the bike over to go for a ride in 1996 before I painted it Black.

So, cherish every day, as time really does belt along, that was 50 pounds ago too. LOL!

Mark Wilsmore on the Ace Cafe

Posted on February 19, 2019January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

19 Feb

Happy Tuesday, I am busy in the workshop today but will Blog tomorrow, as I have a lot going on, trying to build a few parts for the Vesco bike and as we had bad weather, I have only just got into it once more.

Spirit Racer – Hedonic Triumph Thruxton R

Posted on December 18, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

18 Dec

The Custom Motorcycle creations that are turning out today is so far advanced than back in the day as we have so many good machines from Water jet cutters to 10 axis CNC machines that can design , print and shape pretty much anything that you can pull out of your mind and install in Machine coding to its control box.

Still, you of course will still need the skill set to be able to achieve just some of these processes, and when you look at today’s builds, not only is the engineering so smooth, the tolerances for detail are even finer.

So, take for instance, the factory Triumph Thruxton R motorcycle, I mean, it is the quintessential Cafe style motorbike that Triumph them selves have re-invented and added everything you need for modern comfort and of course ride ability. When the Thruxton R first came out here in the states, I was one of the earliest test riders of this model here and I was amazed at the way it handled, looked, felt and of course, reacted when I gave its neck a bit of a squeeze.

The Perfect bike, nothing needed I thought to myself, but when you then give one of these thoroughbred motorcycles to a French Motorcycle company named Hedonic of which means.

Definition of hedonic

1: of, relating to, or characterized by pleasure

2: of, relating to, or characterized by hedonism

The Creator of this head turning machine is French Man Serge Heitz and he has made a number of head turning master pieces over time and this time he wanted to make sure you looked more than once when you see this Triumph Thruxton R heading towards you.

About 90 minutes from Bordeaux , the workshop is equipped with everything you require to fabricate steel to alloy and they sure know how to handle that.

Any Motorcycle created by Hedonic will get so much attention to detail, you will be gobsmacked for at least half an hour when you see a finished product come rolling out of their doors.

The bikes curvy Fairing, swooping lines of the Belly Pan and side covers and also the curvature of the Bobbed front Mudguard, are all hand made from Aluminum, with well over 150 hours of kneeling, banging, smoothing and hand massaging these components to the bike that you would think Rolls Royce engineers were creating this.

The Aluminum parts were all hand rubbed for that brushed look to show the quality of the material and see no cheating had occurred, this is simply a work of art and so pleasing to the eye.

The front end is ample enough for the roads of anywhere to be honest but Serg was not happy keeping it stock and wanted to put a twist to the front end of the bike by fitting a Yamaha YZF R6 front end, no easy task, no plans and some careful measurements and patience paid off.

The Rims were changed in favor of 16 inch items and a set of Firestone square edged champion style tires were fitted, not everybody likes these but I personally do, albeit they handle like crap but look so thick and fill the bike out.

Custom Clip ons were made with some very cool touches such as integrated brake master cylinder and clutch cable and wear inverted levers. To slim down the bike’s proportions the factory indicators have been replaced by tiny LED units mounted to the fairing and rear wheel hugger.

Under that Fairing is a custom triple tree along with some Moto gadget instruments, the whole top end is cleaned up and just shows the quality of the french man and his team can do.

The Engine is just under 100 horses and ample enough for anyone to get into trouble with but a cool set of exhausts were made with Turbine rear caps to finish this Futuristic look off to a tea.

The Brown Leather seat unit is a nice touch and I look forward to seeing a few write ups in magazine on this European Machine as it has so many cool angles that just flow, it would be nice to see more about it.

Just wanted to share this with you today and hope you liked it half as much as I did, what a fun machine, something I would love to take out for a blap.

Seoul Motion – CB750 Cafe Racer

Posted on December 5, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

05 Dec

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Rice Boiler – 1974 Honda CB750K

Posted on November 5, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

05 Nov

OK, for a long time I had been planning this build and now it is here and I am so stoked the way that the machine turned out.

I used a snotty old bike to create this head spinning machine and had already built it in my mind hundreds of time, so thus was really a piece of cake for me.

I had an old set of Henry Abe 7 Star rims back in the UK, these are at least 3 decades old and had them sent over the water from back home and wanted to take them apart and fit new front and rear bearings, as well as paint the stars and polish the outers.

Once I chose New rubber for it ( Bridgestones ) I then made sure I had the rear brake set up drilled and polished, as I want the bike to stand out in many places.

I had a S.S. tank and cut all the top flap out and welded that in with a flat plate, then fitted a Stainless Steel polished Monza style racing Gas cap in it.

I then used one of opur own designed “Razorback” seat bases, As I really do love the lines of thaat seat base and knew this would really flow and give that yesteryear look.

I bead blasted the old frame and then powder coated a high gloss full flow Black on it and love the look, almost an enamel look to it and very inert to many fuels and substances.

If you look, you can see our New battery boxes we now make and offer on our website, this is the ww2 style battery box made from 6061 Aluminum and has cool rivets in.

I removed the old Oil tank and we washed that about 7 times and then cleaned out with some simple green, then stripped the paint, had it copper-ed, then chromed and buffed. you can see i was also setting up the rear sets and polished the brackets to give a Chrome finish.

I designed this color scheme by drawing this out on graph paper and used water colors and came out with this design, the reason that I came out to this conclusion is simple. My old man always ran down anything to do with Japanese machines, and as I was a teenager in the 1970’s, Japanese bikes were predominant in all parts of the globe and the old man just looked down on them and called them “Rice Boilers”

So That’s why I named this bike “Rice Boiler”

She was fun to build and I am so stoked at the reaction it gets from people when they first see the bike.

I had a few people just stand there and just keep looking at it, as this bike did not start off like this.

I really enjoy the putting everything together part as you see such a transformation.

The Racing number 74 is really just the year of the bike but I wanted this to remind me of days gone passed when I used to hitch hike to Clubman Racing at Snetterton track and getting a lift on one of these bikes.

There are so many things that I have done to this bike, I should of named it the Magician as it is loaded with tricks. the lower forks are polished to a Chrome finish and all rebuilt, etc., and we hand-drill these rotors at the shop, then surface grind and polish them, looks cool eh?

I hand-hammered the gas tank as I do on all my bikes and wanted to use the Rising Sun as the filler, and boy does it pop!

The finned covers are early 70’s ones I have kept for this particular bike build, I must of had them 12 yeas in my tool box and so glad i got to get them on the Motor .

The red is very bold and I chose an Aztec style gold for the pin line, the whole paint scheme was completed using House of Kolor and I chose a Candy Rootbeer Brown as that was a cool Candy Color that Honda had back in 1971 and wanted to try and get that old School feel to it.

I actually incorporated the neutral light into the head stock nut and think that it will be a cool addition to this ride and make use of the new lights we sell.

New Old Stock handlebar controls were a must, we used one of our polished throttle embellishers and some very cool flake handlebar grips, as well as new alloy levers, etc.

You can see how many brand new or rechromed parts I have fitted to this machine, by just glancing at the photos on this page.

The Ggold flake on the grips really do make the colors blend with the gold of the bike and the shocks.

I wanted to have the race number on there, as well as incorporate the year of manufacture, and it came out really well.

I fitted new old stock fork ears and made our front fork badges t0 fit the sides where the original ugly reflectors sat and it cheered the machine up.

Yes- that is our very own Boxed Swingarm that we drilled and powder coated and really does suit this machine well, as well as helps the cornering as it stops all the rear end stepping out, this is a copy of my Original Dresda swingarm.

Our Stainless Steel Yoshimura-style 4-into-1 exhaust is a very cool sounding and looking set up and is a must with the style of machine that I create, by does it hang well.

You can see the work it took to make the tank look great, also the GPS speedometer is a cool look, but the bracket and the bucket we had to make and polish, it all worked out fine in the end and even though this was not a cheap option, I think its the cherry on the cake.

The headlight is from an old Desoto truck and then changed a little, it looks great with the Candy Rootbeer brown on it and the bezel was re-chromed.

Pretty Much everything is new on the build and am so happy to have gotten this machine done to the way I originally imagined, it screams out to you that this is an old cafe racer from back in the 70’s and I hope you like looking at her!

I tend to use Bridgestones as my personal choice of rubber on the rims I use, as I have always had them and stuck with what I know.

I spent a lot of time getting this bike right and many, many hours taking things off that didn’t work that you will never see, but thats how it goes with bike building and at the end of the day I have a really cool looking classic that is bound to turn a head or two.

I took the old broken and cracked fins off the original oil filter housing and machined and polished it and this is how she comes out. I do this to a lot of my creations, it adds a unique look.

Fitted our Finned Aluminum Ton Up Stabilizer Bar and the whole rear end is new, Brake Spring, Rod and Adjuster, no expense spared on this build.

A fun machine that is something that was made from old snot, rust and cold steel, also so nice to be able to recycle this and get it changed into another form.

I have already had a lot of interest in this machine and will let it go for the right price – this is a unique motorcycle with many, many new parts and one off pieces.

Within two days of finishing this motorcycle, I got it featured in Japan’s Lightning magazine, what a honor that was.

This bike did take a long while to complete, but I changed quite a few things on this until I was happy with the end result. Sometimes that is what happens with custom bike builds- I like this, and some of you may not. But to me, this is a cool machine that just screams out the bikes of the 70’s when I was a teenager in the United Kingdom.

I drilled the brake hub, the rotor and (of course) the front sprocket cover, as that’s my signature style I like to do, but I also had a very cool license plate frame that I have had for donkey’s years and was so stoked to have the opportunity to use it on this bike.

If this does not say cafe racer, then I don’t know what does – it’s an original piece that I am happy I didn’t discard over the years.

The tank took me some time to hammer and weld, but I wanted to incorporate the Rising Sun in the knee inserts and I am glad I did as it really does add a great concept to the bike.

Quite a few coats of Candy Root Beer brown were applied over the Aztec Gold and the end result is exactly the color that I envisioned.

No stickers, this is all real paint you see and I think you will agree, this really does stand out from many that just have decals.

A good stance for this tarmac eating machine.

I used rear sets which gives the bike a well-balanced feel, as the stock pegs are too far forward.

Our Boxed Swingarm and one off Chromed Chain Guard is a good component that i wanted to use on this bike. the Boxed Swingarm was made at the shop using 2X1 steel and it looks and works really well.

All the cases are hand-polished, the starter is rebuilt and the carbs are like new now. This bike runs smooth as we synchronize them using a Mercury stick.

The carbs have to be right on this machines, if you do not sync them they will pop and backfire, something you don’t want to have happening.

The front brake caliper was stripped and polished and our machined stainless steel piston fitted. We also have new side stands to stop the bikes from laying over too much. The originals had a tendency to bend over time. The DeSoto headlight and cool Chromed Diamond Signals, tell people what is going on in front of them.

Stainless Steel Flip-top Monza-style Gas Cap we sell was used on my tank, as well as our own ‘Ton Up’ Fork Badges.

New cables throughout (throttle, tachometer, speedometer and clutch cables) and new adjuster and stainless bolts all over the machine make this a long lasting ride.

I used a Ford big block connecting rod to use as an exhaust hanger. Once it was the right size and fitting, we chromed it and added this nice custom touch to the build.

I didn’t like the stock oil tank dipstick, so we machined a col finned cap for it and boy does it look trick, we shall be making more now to offer to you lot.

See how that cap makes everything flow that has fins on it, I really am happy how this came out, we used 6061 T6 Aluminum and then polished it.

The bucket below we made from a solid piece of 7075 and it came out so nice, tig welded the base and polished it, the bucket attaches by 3 small Allen head screws that sit at the front of the plate.

I wanted to combine new and old components to clean the top of the steering area up and it does look really tidy and clean now.

This was a fun build and I hope that you liked looking at the good Old ” Rice Boiler ” I can hear my Grumpy old man moaning about it right now!

I have already been featured in Japans’ leading Lifestyle magazine and have just had an Italian magazine come over to shoot it and hopefully a brit mag the month after, so I must be doing something right! Interested parties, please contact us for details.

RUBY’S CAR SHOW WE ATTENDED

Posted on June 23, 2015January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

23 Jun

What a great little venue Ruby’s diner is up in Whittier, A stones throw from where I live and thought that a trip to check this Car show out would be fun to attend and get some cool grub at the same time, seeing as it is quite light until at least 8;30 pm, we took advantage of the weather and headed out to Whittier for a great evening with my 59 Club.

Caution indeed,as we parked up and took in the sights and sounds of Ruby’s Diner and what a great selection of cool stuff they had to show us here.

How about this awesome flathead Indian Chief, I would love to have been the owner of this ride and loved everything about it, even the oil leaks!

I painted this design on My leather jacket a few decades ago now and always loved the Indian logo, what a cracking American piece of History.

I didn’t see the owner as i wanted to hear it fire up and cruise down the road, but this show is always cool to see as you never know what might turn up.

Green seemed to be a popular choice of color for many of the cars that showed up today but its a cool color none the less and loved the rides.

The fairlane below was super clean and had every factory option available o it, a sweet long and wide machine that was just nice to look at.

The Pontiac Star Chief was also a hit at the show, Big Chromed D- Cup Over riders and sat lower than a snakes belly, this was really a nice car.

The 5 spokes and Lakes pipes on that Star Chief was a nice touch too. Blew a soft green Lincoln Continental Convertible looked awesome.

Four Door Galaxy was super clean and all original trim too, this has been cherished for many years that’s for sure and I loved it.

Below, this Yellow T Bucket had more tickets than cheap Angels deals and was Blown with open headers!

I would of loved the Dodge Lancer as the Body work was all original and loved the paint patina, not sure where the Hood went though.

Small Block Powered 1930 A Bone was sitting pretty on steelies and lakester headers.

I loved this49 Woody, awesome Super deluxe Model and Flathead powered with a three speed.

56 Wagon was clean and I have seen a few of these out here, loved to own one myself as I had a 55 4 Door in the UK in the 90’s.

Another Green ride, this time a Bowtie on stock rims and cleaner than many cat’s Arses.

Super smooth and clean 56 Belair that had custom 60’s tube grill, just lose the dice and this would be fab!

I know, but as I said, there is something for everyone at this weekly meet and this was really clean too.

Mopar at its very best here, plenty of people looked at this Plymouth, love the big intake scoop.

How can you not just stop and stare, such a menacing front end.

Little Canary yellow and Red 40 ford is so cool, an early owner so a Hot Rod for many years, flattys gone so now a street rod but loved it.

I loved this 53 it sat right, looked right and would of loved to own it and painted it a candy Root Beer brown with lake pipes.

This tidy 55 is a nice model and other than the Dice, I would of taken it for sure.

This show is Every Friday in the Summer and people are so friendly, if you get a chance, come over as I know you will enjoy yourself as much as we did and we continue to do so.

Many thanks to you all for coming out, we really enjoyed your company and the ride on this Hot Summer Night and look forward to our next meet, check out Carpy’s Cafe Racers on meet.com for more rides that we will be doing, come along, we are fun to be with.

I’m Now President of the O.C. 59 Club Section – Stoked.

Posted on September 8, 2014January 30, 2020 by christian

08 Sep

I have lived this lifestyle for many decades, cant tell you why I love this and the passion for Motorcycles and old vintage things but that’s just me, but- there are many like minded people around the globe and we all share something in common. I have been honored to have the title of the president of the 59 Club in the O.C. and am looking forward to meeting you on some of the rides we shall be organizing, as I hope to do this for fun, relaxation and sometimes for a charity too.

We have a certain camaraderie and I wanted to just drop some lines and information about this historic club that started back home and now flourishes around the world.

Make a cuppa, put your feet up and try and absorb some of this information below if you are interested in being part of this great club.

Peace and Grease as always.

Carpy

The 59 Club

First some History on this Ton Up Club.

The 59 Club, or Fifty Nine Club, was formed in London, England by Reverend Fathers John Oates, Bill Shergold and Graham Hullet in 1959 as a church-sponsored youth organization to help underprivileged youth in the church’s parish. In 1960, sensing that the young rebellious bikers of North London that raced along the North Circular Road might be in need of spiritual guidance, Reverend Bill Shergold, an avid biker himself, rode up to the Ace Café to see if these “Ton-Up boys,” as they were called, would be interested in Sunday mass services where they could have their bikes blessed. Surprisingly it turned out to be hugely successful, and thus the relationship between Londons bikers and the 59 Club began.

By 1962 the club had transformed into a very popular hangout where the wild biker hooligans of the time could socialize, tune-up their bikes, play billiards and basically stay out of trouble. It also became a clubhouse where you could dance and listen to 1950s Rock’n’Roll and Rockabilly music, which was favored by the Rockers and their predecessors the Ton-Up boys. The club was also the first place to premiere the 1950s Marlon Brando film The Wild One, which was banned in UK cinemas by the BBC. Throughout the 1960s the Fifty Nine Club sponsored numerous motorcycle rallies in Scotland, Wales, Germany, and the famous T.T. Races on the Isle of Man; and it became a beacon in the community for social activism when it became a registered charity in 1965. Within a short period of time the motorcycle section of the youth club became so large it overtook the entire club and eventually transformed into the 30,000 member strong, worldwide motorcycle club it is today. The clubs success, according to Father Bill Shergold, was based on its entire lack of rules or formal structure and its association during the 1980s with the Rocker Reunion Movemement created by Len Paterson. Also pivotal to the clubs legacy was the creation of a Classic Section, a sub-group of members dedicated to upholding the 1960s Rockers subculture (the music, the fashion style, and British motorcycles).

The 59 Club is now based in Plaistow, London and meets twice weekly. It remains a registered charity as established in 1965, and has evolved into a place where families and bikers are welcome. Today the club is led by Father Scott Anderson, a fellow motorcycle rider and Rocker, and is still favored by those who are passionate about classic or vintage British, European and Café Racer style motorbikes. Current members continue the proud 50 years-long traditions and original club philosophy of having: no rules, no ranks, no politics, and no church agenda. Even though we are a registered charity we are not a ‘Christian motorcycle club’ or a religious organization, but the club is open to male and female bikers alike. Also important is that the club has never been a 1% or outlaw biker club, but do we respect all motorcycle riders.

The club exists today as a historical celebration of the original 1950s and 60s British biker subculture, which was centered on 1950s Rock’n’Roll and Rockabilly music, British motorbikes and Café Racers. The club also maintains strong ties to the Ace Café and the annual Rocker Reunions outside of London each year. Over the last five decades the club has become an icon in the international Rockabilly music community and Café Racer motorcycle scene. The 59 Club is still a motorcycle club for individuals who are passionate about riding bikes, gathering at late-night pubs and cafes, and attending bike related events, like the annual ride to Brighton from the Ace Café in North London. Our 50 year relationship with British motorcycles, Café Racers, the Ace Cafe and Rock’n’Roll music has been and always will be our pride and passion.

The Fifty Nine Club has officially recognized sections in Australia, Belgium, Chicago, France, Germany, Italy, California, Spain, Switzerland, and Texas. Only card-carrying members are allowed to wear the 59 Club patch. These members have paid their club dues and have ID cards registered in London. We wear our patches with pride knowing that we represent a motorcycle club with a vibrant British motorcycling history and a worldwide following. We equally cherish the clubs association with the modern Café Racer motorcycle scene.

Cheers mates.

Our Beginnings in So Cal

So why a California branch of the 59 Club of England? Well after being a member of the 59 Club for many years, I along with friends from Los Angeles and San Diego who are also members noticed a disparity that we felt needed to be addressed, there was no unified 59 Club representation in Southern California for members to belong to. So began the yearlong email inquiries to London about creating a new section, and having their authorization and blessing to do so. After many, many months of communication we were given the green light to move forward with this new American section, we first created a Facebook page for current members and supporters with plans for an official website to come later. Secondly we sought approval from the Ton-Up/Rockers community in England who needed to know we were doing this with respect and the strictest adherance to British 59 Club customs and traditions. This was not going to be a ripoff of the name or a mockery of 50 years of British motorcycle culture, we wanted to do it right; we eventually got a nod of approval from a large number of Rockers new and old from England. And here we are now almost 3 years later with new members in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Orange County, and San Diego; a gathering site for Southern California members who were already in the club, and a new website to respectfully promote the original 1950s/1960s British motorcycle subculture here in So Cal.

Having spent time in England and Europe, and being a biker for the better half of my adult life, as well as being a Rocker for over a decade, I would like to dedicate this website to my brother and sister Rockers in England, Australia, Europe and the very, very few of us that exist here in the States. I’m proud to be a Rocker and a member of the 59 Club of England. I want to thank some important people in the Rocker/59 Club community for all their support over the last year and a half; Larry Fletcher of 59 Club – Chicago, Shadow from 59 Club – Australian, and friends from England Heather and her husband Max from the former original 59 Club – Italian Section. I also want to thank the Council of Management in London, specifically Sandra Hall, for their blessings and support of this new American section. Lastly, I want to dedicate this new section to the growing Cafe Racer scene here in the U.S. and to the hundreds of American bikers in Southern California that choose to ride vintage or classic British motorcycles. So ride with the wind at your back and the warm sun on your face, we’ll be riding up the North Circular to the Ace Cafe, in spirit at least.

Below, me and mark Wilsmore from the Ace and good friend and an ambassador of the Ton up lifestyle that I truly live and love.

About the California Section

Posted by admin on June 25, 2012

Posted in: Creating the Los Angeles Section.

The California arm of the 59 Club carries on the original club ideology and passion for vintage motorcycles like BSA, Norton, Triumph, AJS, Matchless, Royal Enfield, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, BMW, and Café Racers from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Our members come from all walks of life; blue-collar and white-collar, male and female. Most members are in their 30s or 40s who’ve been riding for a long time, some are educated professionals, and some have families, most of us ride on the weekends, some of us ride every day. Overall the club has a very diverse mix of people and backgrounds, but we all have one thing in common, riding vintage or classic British, European or Japanese bikes and café racers.

As an officially recognized section with card-carrying members all over Southern California we keep true to club traditions; therefore we have no club officers, no politics, very few rules, and we have zero tolerance for personal drama, racist or sexist attitudes, drug use or criminal activity. You don’t have to be a Greaser or love Rockabilly to join our section, but you do have to own, ride and maintain a bike that reflects our club philosophy, you have to understand our club history, and hopefully feel a kinship with what we represent. We also support other clubs with similar passions.

Overall we want to keep our club and our sections focused on meeting up at out-of-the-way locales, fun rides, camaraderie and sharing a few rounds of beers with your mates. We ride as a group, and often with other Southern California-based clubs. We attend music & bike events, weekenders, and basically enjoy the biker lifestyle as the original Ton-Up boys and Rockers did in 1950s and 1960s Great Britain. And where ‘cracking the ton’ was a customary rite of passage in England, it is too a rite of initiation for the California arm of the legendary 59 Club, among other traditions such as jukebox ‘record racing’ between pubs and diners.

We attend the annual Mods vs Rockers rides in San Diego and Los Angeles, the annual Hansen Dam ride here in L.A., and numerous other bike events. We frequently ride up the PCH, sometimes along Mulholland, the Angeles Crest, Malibu Canyon or the Santa Monica mountains; more often than not we just hit up a local pub around town. In San Diego we ride up to the Julian/Lake Henshaw/Ramona areas quite often, sometimes East County, and occasionally down the Coronado strand to Imperial Beach or up the PCH to Oceanside

Any more information you can inquire here at 714-598-8392 or go to the website which is http://www.the59clubla.com/

Anke-Eve Goldmann – Cycle Worlds Coolest Journalist.

Posted on July 29, 2014January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

29 Jul

BIRDS ON BIKES!!!!!!!

Well, you have to admit, if you are a bloke like me, there is nothing better than seeing a Girly on a motorcycle, Black leather, curves in the right places and blasting down the road hitting the Magic Ton is something many of us have hoped to see, and now- things are indeed changing and we see more and more Birds on bikes.

Women have ridden bikes for years i know but back in the 50’s and 60’s you didnt see many on them in magazines, unless they were just modeling for the company, this now brings me to the infamous Anke- Eve Goldmann!

What a Girl, a great rider, a great looker and one of the top Journalists in motorcycling history.

Goldmann taught German to airmen’s children at a U.S. Air Force base in Germany. She was the first woman to ride a motorcycle with a one-piece leather racing suit, made for her by German manufacturer Harro. She rode BMW motorcycles and became a spokesperson for the marque before buying an MV Agusta.

Anke-Eve Goldmann was a journalist for Cycle World, Das Motorrad in Germany, Moto Revue in France and other international motorcycle magazines.

Anke-Eve Goldmann was a journalist for Cycle World, Das Motorrad in Germany, Moto Revue in France and other international motorcycle magazines.

Goldman was a friend of author André Pieyre de Mandiargues and the inspiration for the main character, ‘Rebecca’, in his most popular book The Motorcycle (1963).

The book was adapted for the 1968 film The Girl on a Motorcycle starring Marianne Faithfull. From the 1950s, she competed in endurance and circuit racing, at the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring but being a woman, was barred from higher level competitions.

In 1958, she helped found the Women’s International Motorcycle Association in Europe.

She gave up motorcycling after the death of a close friend.

At 6 feet tall, she stood out in any crowd and especially clad in Black leather, she was a natural with Motorcycles and could ride the socks off the damn thing.

This did not dissuade her from seeking fast motorcycles and race tracks; in many photographs she is hurtling down the tarmac, and mixing with other motorcyclists at Hockenheim and Nurburgring – such as here examining a Norton Manx at Nurburgring.

Her ‘pass’ at the tracks, beyond her riding ability, was a facility with writing a good story for the press, and she regularly sent racing and riding reports to Moto Revue in France, as well as publications in Spain, Sweden, Germany, the US, and Japan. Here at Hockenheim, she waits for track time with a pair of Jawa two-strokes and a Zundapp outfit – her suitcase strapped to the parcel rack of her R69.

She worked at a U.S. Air Force base, teaching German to the children of soldiers stationed there. She also spoke other languages, and her command of English was good enough to write two articles for Cycle World magazine in 1962. ‘An Invitation to a Lap Around the Nurburgring’ was published in the June issue of 1962, and a report on women racers in the Soviet Union (!) was printed in October of that year [and yes, I will definitely post it]. In this photo, noted motorcycle author Erwin Tragatsch, author of the definitive ‘Illustrated History of Motorcycles’, stands with a group visiting Anke-Eve with her late-model R69S, now with a British ‘Peel’ fairing (distinguishable by the clear panel in the nose – the headlamp is not mounted to the actual fairing, but is retained in the standard position. The clear section is elongated for a full sweep of light).

And don’t you wish your Elementary School teacher rode a motorcycle like Anke-Eve! She cut quite a figure in those drab days of the late 1950s, and had a bit of an exhibitionist streak.

find it especially interesting that Goldmann designed her own motorcycle racing leathers. Apparently she worked with German leather riding gear manufacturer Harro in designing her custom riding gear. I’m presuming there wasn’t much in the way of motorcycling gear available for women in the 50’s so she helped create her own.

The custom summer one-piece riding suit she designed had a distinctive diagonal zipper starting at the neck and angling across her upper torso. A look that is certainly current today in women’s fashion. Harro went on to manufacture her designs for public consumption.

In winter her jacket featured a wide multi-buckled belt, too large to be merely a kidney belt. Perhaps it helped keep her warm in cold temperatures. Her winter riding suit was significantly bulkier and larger than her svelte summer cat-suit, and clearly accommodated woolen under layers.

After her closest friend died in a riding accident, Anke-Eve Goldmann seems to have given up motorcycles altogether, and began to travel with a backpack to remote Asian locations. Traveling alone, she trekked through Burma, the Sunda Islands, Vietnam, and Cambodia, not many years after the conflicts there had ended.