some thought has to be put into the finances of a project BEFORE it starts and the condition of the candidate bike is important to the equation. only you know how much the end product will be worth to you--the whole world knows how much they'd pay for it and there is usually a pretty grim spread there--if a little caution is taken in front it will pay off in the long run--below are some things to look for when making an offer on a barn bike--

negatives---bent fins, stuck engines, kick starters welded on, stripped shift lever shaft, bent frames, safety wires everywhere (ex racer), transparent oil drops under the engine (cracked case?) and missing exhaust----all bad things that will cost money before a whole lot can even start--

 

 

After a few $ and months I was at the below stage with a tank from Moto Tumbi in Australia......
I made the seat myself--cardboard pan to the right shape---stiffener of 4 cardboard strips down the center and then the whole thing glassed over with one of those hardware store F/G kits--the bump in the back is floral styrofoam sculpted to shape, foiled over and then it too was glassed--a little paint, some upholstery $ and bingo--below are the various stages.

 

 

 

Wheels, bars, fenders, pipes, sprockets etc...

I wanted a disc on the front so I adapted the whole front end from a CB360--not a tough job.
The clipon bars are from Pro-Flo.
Front fender is fiberglass from Speed and Sport mounted on the brace from the 360.
Front wheel is an Excel from Buchanan.
Rear sprocket went from the 43 tooth original to an aluminum 35 tooth from Sprocket Specialists.
I made the header and used a megaphone from a GS500.
The XL ignition and lights are stator supplied. The brake light was originally battery powered so I used a bat pac and was able to preserve the see through look.
These bikes are around 326 lbs stock and this has been whittled down to a little over 260......
With the super tall gearing it winds to around 65 in 3rd gear--I think it will do the ton easily-----

If you need URLs to any of the suppliers, feel free to ask-------

 

 

THAT CLOSE ENOUGH?

previous page