New set of frame Hoops made and banging out other parts too.

Well, time and tide wait for no man, woman or child for that matter, I have been flat out as of late and will be busy for some time to come for sure, albeit in the Barn designing a few different exhausts and parts etc.  Fun times ahead and I hope to try a few different brands of machines as well, a kaleidoscope of colors in parts and a good sprinkling of new tools to help you work on your ride easier.

Many people email all the time carpy@carpyscaferacers.com or at carpysgarage@aol.com with questions on their build and what they can do to get the motorcycle running a little better.  I try and help the best way that I can, I have been doing this for more years than I can remember but we are all a big combustion engine family and, if I can help, I feel great for making someone’s day.

So, today I made a bunch of round steel Flat Frame Hoops, I have sold over 500 of these and needed to make a load more once more as I was almost out of stock, these are all mandrel bent and I make them long, that way you can cut and get the look you require easier.

Tomorrow I shall continue to bang out some of these frame hoops, but this time I shall be bending the versions that have the 22 degree kick up, as I only have 3 of them left in my inventory, so I will be quite busy for some time and hope to be offering a few more parts on the website to help you get your creation on the road.

So stay tuned as there may be a part you are looking for and I make these right here, not in China, not in India and Not in Taiwan, all made in California USA.

I Always want to thank you for ordering from me, I have been running my business here in SoCal for 22 years and it just get more enjoyable every year, I get people come up to me where ever we are in the world and say, hey! Arnt you that guy who builds the bikes in California? I am always blown away by that.  So thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me and my products, it means a lot.

Peace N grease

Carp

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Working on Greenday HONDA CAFE BIKE today

Well, time and tide wait for no man whats that about?

One must not procrastinate or delay, as in Let’s get on with the voting; time and tide won’t wait, you know. This proverbial phrase, alluding to the fact that human events or concerns cannot stop the passage of time or the movement of the tides, first appeared about 1395 in Chaucer’s Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale.

I’m stoked to still be invited to such big shows with many cool long term Motorcycles builders and the Greenday Bike should hopefully get some attention even after all this time.

Hope some of you may be able to see this old girl at some point, there really wasn’t anything around when I moved here 20 years ago in this style, many Choppers but No Cafe Bikes, and am proud that this is still around 14 years after I created it.

I love looking at this Thoroughbred, it handles well and is super responsive on the throttle.

I have a bit to do this weekend before the bike gets picked up and gets delivered 1300 Miles up in South Dakota.

 So, I have to get on with some more work on the GD Machine but wanted to at least show you how this Motorcycle is looking, Fourteen years after I had completed it.

Working in this Pandemic time of life

Well, as many of you are in the exact same boat as we are, this Pandemic is a terrible thing to happen to anybody, but, we are abiding by the safe distancing and I continue to try and make parts from home and in a timely manner, but, as so many people are now stuck at home, it is the perfect time for you all to be working on your projects etc.

I have had many orders already and wanted to let you know that I am working as hard as I possibly can and in the amount of hours available, to get your orders completed and off into the mail to you, I have customers all over the world and EVERY one of you is important to me.

Please could you have a little patience with me on special orders, ie Exhausts, as I have to get all the tubing, and bends, weld and sand and then send to the ceramic coater, this does take time even in normal circumstances, but I have so many Exhausts on order, I am trying to get everything completed as fast as I can.

 

I will be bringing new parts out soon too, and will post them on my website as soon as they are completed, so keep checking back from time to time.

I also appreciate all the orders and giving me the opportunity to make parts for you and keep my family going in these difficult times, being self employed has huge risks in times such as this and I cannot thank you all for the orders, no matter what the size of them are, they all add up.

Let me know if I can help you with any parts for your ride, as I have been doing this for over 20 years in Southern California and have so many repeat Customers, you are all like Family to me to be honest. Stay safe everyone and thank you for purchasing from me, love you all.

 

Love what I do here in my Garage

Been doing this for close to 20 years now here in Southern California, always fun and challenging to say the least- I have lost count of the thousands of orders I have managed to be lucky enough to generate, through you people, I am stoked that you enjoy my blogs and my parts, as well as builds and my reply to emails when you are stuck with your bike.

I continue to push the proverbial envelope in this great and very competitive market that has now emerged in the two wheeled lifestyle, and its great to receive word from well known companies that let me know that I in some way have inspired them not to give up and keep trying.

I am trying to make more parts and stay tuned to my website as as soon as they are ready i shall do a quick Blog to show you have they fit and look etc and then put on the website to make available to you right away.

Thanks for all the great emails and texts etc, I am busy with a number of things, from Vapor Honing parts, to polishing and chroming, as well as making new parts, drilling hubs and working on my Vintage Hot rod too, never a dull life here in La Mirada thats for sure. Thank you again and as we enter into the 243rd year of this Great Country- I wish you all the very best and look forward to helping you any time.  Have a super week everyone.

 

Moto Guzzi Service today

I get all sorts of machines in from time to time that need a service or other little jobs, I like these as it changes the day and keeps you updated on other machines. it is always nice to sample opther Motorcycles and these Moto guzzis are gracious machines that have a ton of History, unless you have ridden one of these, V twin opposed motors have their own transfer when you down shift and will feel strange at first as you feel the torque of the motor go from right to left as you accelerate and decelerate.

Today was the turn of the Italian steed, this 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 needed new tires and the fluids changed and I got right into it, seeing as it was a fantastic day here in La Miirada.

Fun thing is, the service manual is all in Italian, so after a little research from everything to Moto Guzzi website, you tube and forums, I had enough information to get this done in a timely fashion too.

Similar to an automobile set up, nothing easy on this, to drain the gearbox, you have to make a paper funnel shoot, else the oil will just pour out under the bike and over the frame, so I made a funnel and all was well. Albeit a little fiddly, but after a while, gravity helped me out.

Then there is no sight glass, you check the level from the side bolt and as soon as oil starts to seep out, then thats the level. Same goes for the drive shaft too, very antiquated but does the job and  this is now all buttoned up and ready for a test run. These are fun machines, and have Linear power, a great center of gravity and smooth transition in gear shifting.

 

The Outliers guild Motorcycle show is Today in LA, see you there.

Today we head off to the OG show once more, but today is open to the public and there will be way more motorcycles turning up, over 100 today to be shown in the rear part of the building, this is an awesome show with cool people. The buildings are amazing, the outer walls are literally plastered with great designs and people, come and check the special art area out as that has Motorcycles and a really cool live look static display that will make you laugh. Old and New meet in the middle here and we hope to meet you, Motorcycles are my life and love that there are so many people with the same interest, sure hope that you can take some time out and make this event.

 

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My Metalflake Harlequin will be on a wooden platform with the other special invite Builders, come in and have a look at all these super cool machines, there will be many to look at, great music, and some awesome vendors, come out and enjoy the Easter weekend.

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Hope to see you there, Ride Safe.

Short Movie Bonnie Lass

Todays Blog is a short movie about a couple of fellas that ride from one cafe to another to meet a couple of Birds, along the way, riding through their town and a motorcycle garage, shame they didnt stop in there but, they head to the cafe and meet up with a couple of Girls, I guess they hook up and then they ride off into the sunset.

Worth a look, Good Music track though., make your own mind up, takes a lot of time to get a small production together, believe me, been doing that years and I take my hat or helmet off to the director for getting it completed.

It’s a short movie 3 minutes but worth a look, maybe a sequel coming?

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This short movie celebrates our enduring and timeless passion for motorcycles. The attraction in this story is not limited to two-wheeled machines. If you are a biker you will surely understand. It features young Triumph owners and their friends and although this is a fictional story it sets out to capture the lasting enthusiasm for these British icons.

 The period black & white film style was chosen to reflect the era of classic 50s and 60s British motorbikes. In contrast, the 2017 soundtrack by Black Pistol Fire makes no secret that this is about today’s bikers, both young and old.

My aim was to capture the thrill of owning these beautiful machines through a nostalgic lens and hopefully inspire other young riders who are seeking to express their own individuality. 

 I am excited by the resurgence of café-racers and custom built bikes which remain popular to this day. The road scenes between the two cafés in my movie was inspired by the origin of the appropriately named café-racers of yesteryear.

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This is a very personal project for several reasons. I took my motorcycle test in 1970 at the age of fourteen and I have ridden motorbikes ever since. Most of the bikes I’ve owned were manufactured in the Far East with one or two from Austria and Germany. It was only two years ago when I bought my first Triumph, a special edition Rocket X. In the past year I bought a 2011 Triumph Tiger 800. I really enjoy riding both these bikes, each one with its own special character.

It was a serendipitous moment when I found the backing track “Don’t Ask Why”. My daughter sent me a Spotify link to a completely different band and when I clicked ‘shuffle and play’ the Black Pistol Fire track came up instead. The title and beat suited the story perfectly and is just what I was searching for. After listening to a few tracks from the album Deadbeat Graffiti I immediately made a purchase and downloaded it. These two guys make a great sound so please check them out.

 

I hope you like the film and see if you can spot the “Time-Traveller” who features in it.

 

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Being an amateur filmmaker, the project was a new challenge for me, with scripted scenes, a cast, location planning and post-production editing. I am really grateful to the cast who got fully involved in the project and to everyone else who has given me advice and support.

A few cups of coffee was the total production costs so a really BIG THANK YOU to everyone who gave their time freely to take part or let us use their premises as film sets! If people like it then maybe we will make a sequel next summer.​

Starring

Jack Mourant

Drew Brackley

Joanna Rathband

Kath Innes

 

With special thanks to

Management and Staff of

– White Rock Cafe

– Di’s Diner

– BLP Motorcycles

– Island View Kiosk

 

Tim Davey – DroneGSY

 

Barry Gavey – Incidental Scenes

 Also taking part

Jeff Harris

Shannon Crew

Jade Ferbrache

Ben Le Page

Alain Branquet

Hannah-Marie Robins

Chris Robins

Claire Hurst

Dieter Hurst

Zak Robin

Colin Robin

Roy de Jersey

Martyn Lowndes

 

Music

“Don’t Ask Why” by Black Pistol Fire

 

 

Directed and Produced by

Dennis Le Prevost

CB500-4 Created by French Builders

Well if you think of France, usually what comes to minds is Wine, frog legs, snails, striped Tee shirts, Black berets and people riding push bikes with bunches of Onions and Garlic hanging off it.

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Thats very true, but, they bang out a few cool motorcycle too and this 1974 Honda CB500 Four is the result of these Garlic eaters and a great job too.

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Pure motorcycle company has been around since this Honda originally came out, so when a Customer approached them to create a unique Brat style machine, it was a no big deal slam dunk for them and they got right into the stock bike. the seat was shortened 4 inches too and then reupholstered to give that Classic look.

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A clean look, Pure Motorcycles then hand bent some 7/8 Handlebars up and powder coated Black, then for minimal look, they made a small switch mechanism up which Incorporated the starter button and the headlight, of which works great, to add to the Brat look, this has a small 2.5 Speedometer that has all the led’s at the lower half to show neutral, Oil Light and turn signals. New stainless hardware will not get rusty in the damp European winters as well as using a set of old metal-flake GT grips from a Schwinn, dressed the bars up some what.

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The front  forks were lowered by 2 inches and rebuilt, adding twin Rotors and then polished the lowers and calipers to a chrome finish, the Obligatory Fat Blackwall tires were fitted and although not the best Handling tires, they give the bike some Vintage styling.

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With a fresh rebuilt Motor and the Carbs synchronized, the engine is like New, the Gas tank got a cool retro look and this time they wanted to keep the original side covers to keep the Classic original lines and leave the stock battery and electrics where they were from the factory.

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Bobbed rear fender, Bates style short LED tail light and a brand New Marving 4 into 1 exhausts gets this bike looking cool, Yamaha headlight, Polished cases and New X-Ring chain finishes this Brat style Honda off.

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 Bien Joue my French freinds.

BAAK MOTORCYCLES CUSTOM TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120

 

THE TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120 More fun that watching a dozen frogs in a Fly factory.

The Triumph Bonneville T120 made its debut in 2016, the motorcycling world had been expecting some big announcements from Triumph so it wasn’t a complete surprise, but the T120 was perhaps a little more than most were anticipating.

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At its heart the Bonneville T120 is fitted with an all-new liquid-cooled parallel twin with a SOHC, 8 valves, a capacity of 1200cc, a bore / stroke of 97.6 mm / 80 mm, a compression ratio of 10.0:1, multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, and a 270° crank. There’s 79 bhp (at 6550 rpm) and 77 lb-ft of torque (at 3100 rpm), fed to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox and an X-ring chain.

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Reviewers overwhelmingly loved it. There was a clear and distinct improvement in build quality throughout, and rival motorcycle manufacturers like Harley-Davidson, BMW, and Moto Guzzi had been put on notice.

BAAK MOTORCYCLES

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BAAK Motorcycles was founded in Lyon, France in 2012 by Rémi Reguin, it’s since grown to employ five, and the company enjoys a global reputation both for their custom motorcycle builds, and for their in-house developed motorcycle parts for Royal EnfieldMoto Guzzi, and Triumph.

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THE BAAK MOTORCYCLES BONNEVILLE T120

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The new T120 is the current motorcycle of choice for BAAK, in fact they’ve probably built more customs using it as a platform than any other garage in the world. They built this bike for a customer in Spain, his main request was to use a British Racing Green on the fuel tank, as a hat tip to the cars of his childhood.

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British Racing Green, commonly abbreviated as BRG, is a perfect color for a British motorcycle with heritage like the Bonneville. The team at BAAK matched the fuel tank with a medium tan leather seat, side bag, grips, and gators, with brushed steel knee-indents on the tank.

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The plan was to lower the bike a little and tighten up the handling, so a pair of Shock Factory -20mm shocks were fitted in the back, and a machined aluminium flat triple trees were fitted up front to proportionally lower the front end.

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A new 16″ rear wheel was installed and both ends were fitted with Avon MKII tires, giving the bike and vintage look with the benefit of modern tire compounds. A MotoGadget ChronoClassic dial was fitted carefully into the back of the headlight unit, a nice reference to instrument fitment on vintage British motorcycles, and the team at Baak are currently working on a plug-and-play system for others who want to replicate the look.

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The original handlebar was swapped out for the Baak N°1 wide stainless steel unit, with machined aluminium handlebar clamps, and a mini brushed stainless steel rear mudguard with license plate support – significantly better looking than the factory fitted unit.

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Up front theres a longer stainless steel front mudguard with aluminium supports, Mini LED blinkers from Motogadget, a Monza-style gas tank cap, Beringer Aeronal front brake discs, and proper mirrors left and right.

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The completed bike is a tasteful custom, Bobber-like in some respects, with combined British and French heritage, and a future that will be based in Spain. Also this is a very unique machine and wanted to share this with you as a blog today on my website. www.carpyscaferacers.com

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It takes a lot of thought and sketches before you even come close to a final phase drawing of how you want a machine to look and also, the budget of the customers is a huge part of any project, but this time, the froggies got it right on the money.

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So as I close this for Thursday, hope you all have a great day, the weekend is not too far away now and I know you are itching to either ride your 2 wheeled machine, or jump in the shed and start wrenching to produce your own creation.

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Thanks for stopping by and if I can help with anything for your machine, even if it is advise, I am here. 714-598-8392 and you can even Text me on that to save more time too.

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Right I am off to the shed myself as I am building a project, so, as the Terminater used to say.          ” I’ll be BAAK”