DISSIN' SPORTIES???

If you refer to an xl harley as a 'girl's bike', you are probably the sort of tweaker who buys one for the wife to complement the 'badass bagger' you pay the stealership to polish for you.

I feel much better now!

Have a great weekend - no engine building for me, just gonna do the garden with the kids. Sun is shinin'...

More Hard up stuff

Here's some more fine work from my favourite budget frame builder- another of their fairly-formulaic GSXR builds, seen here at the London International show. I dig the rear fender treatment, and the (Indian Larry ???) tank looks smart too.

My plans are kind of on hold- maybe the GSXR will be a ratty streetfighter this year, depending on budget...

As to the current rebuild action, all good so far. Local hero Ian Borrowman is gonna hone the cylinders, check the head and install my valve seals, and get hold of some new rings, and tasty non-leak James gaskets, then all back to me to bolt back together...then fingers , and everything else, crossed!

REBUILD DIARY #2

Yeah, and some totally gratuitous Le Mans shots- vintage Guzzi with USDs and mags, hmmm good.

As to my own engine build- I have the heads off, cleaned up (a bit) and valves apart- strangely for an engine where the rear pot was smoking, both heads/barrels/pistons etc look very similar to each other- the only real difference i've found is the exhaust gasket on the affected pot is totally shot- could this be my problem, I wonder? Your feedback is REALLY appreciated, go on, use the comment box...

WRENCHIN'

Thank God for Haynes manuals - tho' sometimes you wanna torch 'em, they're basically pretty good. Mine has been seeing some heavy action lately - my sporty's top end has been stripped down to the bone, awaiting new rings, a hone and head/valves check.

Makes a nice change for me to be doing some proper biker stuff, not just messin' around on me blog!

I will take a pic or two - and this probably sounds very daft, especially to any seasoned mechanics out there - but I don't want to jinx my chances of success by posting loadsa pix, crowing over what a all-tound top-bloke I am; and then the bugger still smokes/won't start/generally takes some kinda dump when I put it back together.

I am not 'mechanically minded' as such, but there is something you just can't describe about turning spanners on a beautifully designed engine...

APEHANGER HEROES #3

OK, my 'apehanger heroes' series has been tongue-in-cheek - so today's post comes with a little more reverence. Alright, a whole lot more respect, for one of the REAL heroes of the chopper world, Mr David Mann, RIP . I've never seen this piece before, but stumbled across on one of my frequent internet time-wasting sessions. Enjoy.

ess arrr #2

More hard evidence that the SR500 Yam is one of the custom world's best-kept secrets. What a cracking little bike it is, and a great foundation for a fresh project.

Dunno much about Trojan, they could be getting a right proper googling anytime soon!

BEST ENGINEERING

Always the best trophy category in any custom bike show!

Many of you may be familiar with Robbie from Durham and some of the amazing builds that emerge from his shed way up in the frozen North. He's been in the mags loads of times, and is very clever at both engine stuff and fabrication, and on to of that has a killer eye for original design and great style. Here's the proof, how about a fine chop with a NSU car engine?