So if you're reading this and been following this long thread that's cool! If not, basically I started it a long time ago to chronicle all the learning and fun I was having over time building a motorcycle, the CB450.
During this long stretch many things have happened. Mostly all good, but not entirely.
The relevant stuff is my abilities and passion have both increased dramatically for the past five years or so, building things literally every single day of my life in that time through work (machine shop), and in my garage, which has turned into a good little shop really.
I've paired up with a friend and we've built a few bikes now, sold close to ten, and are having a lot of fun and making some money to boot. All in all a good time. But the personal projects have slipped a bit, the CB450 included.
So this thread has become more of a chronicle of just all the fun stuff I'm doing and I like to visit it now and again and add to it when I can.
We just finished up another CB350 and I'm going to post a preview picture of it here. We're waiting for a brake cable, and once that's arrived we're going to take it someplace nice and do a real photoshoot in preparation for sale. This is one of my favorites we've built so far, and I'm a little sad to sell it, but that's the business. I suspect it will be gone to a new home before the end of April, likely listing it for sale on Monday!
In any case, here's a picture.
The build writeup on this one is pretty direct. Frame off rebuild. I'll spare the long list, if anyone has any questions about it ask away! We had a lot of fun with this one and we did everything ourselves. Painted frame, painted tins, polishing, fitting, engine tuning, wiring, upholstery... everything is new and excellent.
We did the seat in a diamond stitch out of real leather, not vinyl. It is unbelievable looking, it feels incredible, smells fantastic (if you like smelling seats I guess) and just oozes quality. I can't stress how much better a leather seat is over vinyl. Now that I've experienced it I'm going to make it a point to rewrap the Triumph in leather. It's just too good.
Here's a bad shot of some of the seat detail right after we installed it.
As I said, photo shoot coming soon where we'll really show it off. We try to make bikes that look classy, faster, and more refined than the factory model. We aren't making "cafe racers", "choppers", "bobbers", or any other pigeonholed garbage. I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone. All motorcycles are excellent. I'm just saying that what we're trying to do is create a machine that is sophisticated in a no nonsense kind of way. We don't want lime green wheels, giant fiberglass seat humps, or ape-hangers.
These things make motorcycles into caricatures of a motorcycle. Push the slider too far into any one direction and you've got an ugly machine. There are a billion motorcycle shops out there these days, full of dudes with long beards and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Most of them don't know when to pull back. Too much of a good thing, etc.
You need to know when to step away and say, "that's good". Hopefully some of this comes through in the finished product.
Well anyway, thanks for reading, hope everyone's doing well.
Any questions, comments, criticisms- go for it.