But I like the smell of burnt bangers better than the smell of burnt rice.
__________________
Preschool - Kawasaki 100 enduro
Grade School - Honda CB 125
High School - Honda 400 Hawk
College - Honda VT500 Ascot Real life - Honda 919
This my '66 Bonneville as I bought it last year. Presently, I'm restoring it. I hope to have done this winter. So far, the project is coming along pretty well. I did ride it for about eighty miles before I dismantled it.
I'm sharing all of this in part to egg myself on to keep at it. I'm eager for it to be a bike again! The frame, swingarm and related pieces are now powder coated, new chrome rims are laced to original hubs with new stainless spokes, new Dunlop K70s and new sealed bearings. I spent what seemed like forever with acid and sash chain cleaning the rust out of it before coating it. I then sent it out to be painted by a pro (Mike McCauley of CrazySpraz) who did nice job of replicating the original paint especially the hand pin striping. Someone gave me a Caswell "Copy Cad" kit that I have been using to replate all of the nuts, bolts and misc. cadmium plated parts. That has been tedious, but sort of fun. I still have some misc. pieces to media blast and paint. I also need to send my instruments out to be refurbished and I need to overhaul the engine and gearbox. Since it was running smoothly and shifting well, I'm cautiously optimistic that I won't encounter anything too bad. I have also been collecting parts for the last year and a half. I have been finding a mix of NOS, and repops, mostly on eBay. I now have every chrome piece either replaced, or replated. I've got a lot of time and a fair bit of coin tied up so far, but it's almost time to start putting stuff together. My garage is also my woodworking shop so I'm having to work in the basement. The plan is to put the bike together minus the power plant and hopefully two men can carry it out. I can put the engine in once it's out of the house. At least that's the plan.
Very nice Bonnie. Every time I talked to some about my Atlas it made me go out and work on it. Alas it was still too much time than I had so it was sold. Wish I still had her. Oh well on to the next.
__________________
Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
I have a friend who is presently doing a major overhaul of a 1966 Atlas. It is an interesting bike. I have proposed that we take a long ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway next spring if we can get both bikes ready at the same time.
Scoot, that is looking AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it is well worth the money and effort. You are maintaining history and quite admirably I must say.
__________________
Quote of the Year
"One would think that the Secret Service was smart enough to get serviced secretly."
This was in May of '09. I bought the bike off of eBay. It was in Los Cruces, NM and I had it shipped to Ken's Cycle in Sandston, VA. I had just taken delivery of it and was determined to ride it home. I did't quite make it.
It's good right through to the end of the closing credits...
Wow that was great.
My Dad used to have a Norton Commando 750. I remember the raucous sound of that exhaust. It used to hurt my chest when he revved it. He sold it and bought a Ducati 860 which coincidentally is now in pieces awaiting restoration just like the Commando was at the beginning of this project. Hmmm maybe there will be a Ducati project someday.
Wow thanks for posting this
__________________
Preschool - Kawasaki 100 enduro
Grade School - Honda CB 125
High School - Honda 400 Hawk
College - Honda VT500 Ascot Real life - Honda 919
Anytime someone fixes up a classic wether it be a Jap or a Brit, it is an AWESOME thing! LDH is right the Japs could make a better bike than the Brits; which effectively drove them out of the market. But a few things the Brits have over the Japs is Character and the cool factor. Roll up to a bike show on a Norton, BSA, Matchless, Triumph, Ariel, Vincent and all the other great Brit brands you wont be able to get off your bike before you have at least 100 questions about it. Pull up on any UJM and you will get passed by.
What looks to be a pretty cool show is going to air on Discovery HD Theater October 13th called "Cafe Racer". It is going to be all about the Brit bikes and the movement in 60's London they created, i e Cafe bikes the original biker gangs and the very first Squids. Guys trying to do "The Toun" (100mph) from The Ace Cafe to London Bridge. I already have the DVR set. Not sure if it is going to be a mini series or just a one or two hour show.
__________________
Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
The Japs started making bikes later than the Brits. It appears to me that they owe quite a bit to the British motorcycle industry. I look at most Japanese bikes as being both later and more evolved. There are a number of reasons why the Brits were in the state that they were in. If you have a moment read this: British motorcycle manufacturers
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07919Dave
Anytime someone fixes up a classic wether it be a Jap or a Brit, it is an AWESOME thing! LDH is right the Japs could make a better bike than the Brits; which effectively drove them out of the market. But a few things the Brits have over the Japs is Character and the cool factor. Roll up to a bike show on a Norton, BSA, Matchless, Triumph, Ariel, Vincent and all the other great Brit brands you wont be able to get off your bike before you have at least 100 questions about it. Pull up on any UJM and you will get passed by.
What looks to be a pretty cool show is going to air on Discovery HD Theater October 13th called "Cafe Racer". It is going to be all about the Brit bikes and the movement in 60's London they created, i e Cafe bikes the original biker gangs and the very first Squids. Guys trying to do "The Toun" (100mph) from The Ace Cafe to London Bridge. I already have the DVR set. Not sure if it is going to be a mini series or just a one or two hour show.
This my '66 Bonneville as I bought it last year. Presently, I'm restoring it. I hope to have done this winter. So far, the project is coming along pretty well. I did ride it for about eighty miles before I dismantled it.
This looks like it was a great platform to start from. It all looks there, no butchery evident either. Rubber rot evident, but that's an easy problem to deal with. Doesn't look like much corrosion. That will be real nice when you get it all done. (I've seen your later progress posting. Nice work. I MUST get going on my gaggle of old CB750s that are in the garage, basement, and hometown a few thousand miles away)
You mean his spirit had a Black Shadow. They weren't made til after the war me thinks.
1948 was the first year The series "C" which was introduced in the early 1950s had a 998 cc (60.9 cu in) 50 degree OHV V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio. The first model from Vincent was the Rapide.
__________________
Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
Those are gorgeous! I'm sure that the Honda engine is terrific. It makes me wonder...If they were to make a bunch of them and they were priced affordably, would we want one as badly as we do when a company struggles and croaks after making only a few grossly over priced examples? Actually, I followed up and it looks like there were five prototypes made. The guy responsible was killed in a crash afterwards.
An interesting development. I had been deliberating on what to do about my instruments. I knew that I probably would't be satisfied with them unless I sent them out to be professionally restored. However, that isn't cheap and I'm running tight on buck$. I ran across an auction on eBay by someone who does instrument work, auctioning his services. It struck me as a unique approach. Anyway, I bid and won. I'm saving a bundle! It's a bargain as long as he does good work. I'm eager to see how they come back.
__________________
"You meet the nicest people on a Honda"!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Seen some that come back completely restored and others that is a kit job that you could have done for just the price of the kit.
__________________
Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
Not that one, I can assure you! 
The series "C" which was introduced in the early 1950s had a 998 cc (60.9 cu in) 50 degree OHV V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio. The first model from Vincent was the Rapide.
Linear Mode
Chevy Camaro Forum
Ford Mustang Forum
Jeep Wrangler Forum
Volkswagen Touareg Forum
Land Rover Defender Forum
