Z500 Special

Source: Chopperstyle, Dutch low budget bike builders forum and the builders website here.

Tantalizingly close to being finished

I had a local bike shop put on a new front tire yesterday, I'd already bought a new battery last week and now it's just waiting for the seat. Right now the weather is incredible, incredibly cold but also incredibly bright. I just HAD to go for a ride. I wanted to know how the new tire would feel (tricky, a new front tire in these conditions), if it would run better with the new battery and how it would handle with 'new' front springs. (I swapped the ones that came with the bike and are probably of a 500 with ones I had laying around and are of a 750). So I bodged up a make shift seat and took it for a ride.

In short: Starts great, runs great, handles great. Love it!

No need to kill anyone

Nobody blew up any leds last night, so everybody survived.

We had a frustrating start of the night. We couldn't get the Virago started at first and had all kinds of unexplainable fuel leaks and an oil leak. Untill we realised that a backfire in the car had gotten the choke valve stuck so the engine was getting all the air trough the float bowl and sucking in way too much fuel at the same time. We fixed it and the bike ran straight away. Unfortunately the battery was flat by that time.

Than it was time to start on the rear light. We made it from scratch with a bar of aluminum, the lathe and a few leds. We're really pleased with the result. (it's still in the test stage at the moment, so the gap you can see between the two halves of the light is temporary)

To a certain someone

Blow up these leds again and I will kill you, mr. Vega!..... ;)

The rear light of the Virago. A job wayyyy to fiddly for my clumpsy fingers. We'll see if it works tonight.

Winter

It'll start snowing soon and they'll start poring salt on all the roads. It looks like I'll have the CB finished just in time to put it away for weeks/months (however long it will take for the salt to disappear from the roads). I hate winter.

Options

Raymond, the guy who did the seat of the CX500 Caferacer, came by last Sunday. He brought a couple of samples and took my seat pan to turn it into a real seat :). Too many options.... Raymond is the best seat maker I know, his seats are not only comfortable to sit on, they're also easy on the wallet. If you need a seat, contact him. Just send me an email and I'll give you his address. 

I didn't pick the Louis Vuitton one, thougfh I was tempted ;). Just guess what I chose... I can't wait to get the finished seat back!!

A cold, foggy and dark night

Excellent to test the wiring loom we made for the Virago:

Missing summer

Waiting for parts while dreaming of summer. The photo is via the excellent blog 8Negro

Possibly the coolest CB750 photo ever

via motor-forum

Emblem

The tank of the CB has an ugly spot where originally the Honda-logo's were. I tried to cover them up with a home made logo. Like the color, not too sure yet about the size and design.

 

I than held this in the sandblaster for a few seconds et voila:

And check out this not-so-brilliant solution for short people I spotted at our university. Apparently you don't have to be very bright to go to uni..

Very cool CX500

Found it on ADVrider, but it's originally from the viewers bike section of caferacertv.

Looking good

Despite TNT f*cking up, as usual (TNT is probably one of the most incompetent companies in the country), I received my parcel of two wheel goodness from Dime City! I was too eager to try it all on the bike to take photo's, but the bike is sitting in the garden now, looking very pretty. Thanks guys!!

Amongst the things I received were very, very much needed air filters and ignition points. Next on the to-do list is picking a color for the side covers. The black is good, but I think I can do better. When that's done I can pick a color for the saddle and have it made. More on that later, because I made a great deal with the best saddle maker I know.

Owatrol

It's good stuff ;)

Not my favorite job

I hate it, but I'm getting there....

Readers ride: Midlife Crisis

Check out Adam's customized BMW R80. A very nice example of a BMW Bobber. You can read all about it on his blog: Untitled Motorcycles. 

Rockin Jalopy's Motorama

I'll try to be there if I can get the CB finished in time

A very nice cafe-ish beemer

I had a very rough couple of days. My girlfriends grandma got very sick and died last weekend. She has little family, so it has been busy. So no work on any of my own bikes.

Came across a very nice Beemer on the net and wanted to share it with you: Love the stance, clip-ons, mirror (but I think you can only see your leg in it) and the overall roughness of the bike.

Via: Last Ze Last Chance Du Garage 78.

Turn your speakers off!! (I hate sites with sounds)