I’ve owned this bike since the eighties, having bought it off a life long mate from a barn for a very reasonable price. Most years it gets a makeover of one sort or another, however for the last few years I’ve not felt inclined to change anything as I quite like it ……. but I’ll probably pull it apart anyway – just for sticks and giggles.
Pretty much everything has been changed / replaced/ renewed from the top of the frame to the floor. The frame was created by my mate Pete (the mad professor) Hartley who initially had the brief to hard tail the rear end but then took it upon himself to chop the lot up keeping only the head stock.
The rest of the build was done over the years in a cold shed in Northamptonshire by a collective of mates (we call ourselves the Scavengers – check out www.scavengers.club) who gather , drink beer and somewhere in the night knock up some one off parts that you can’t buy. ….. hence – built, not bought … a phase that every man and his dog is using now and slapping across t-shirts).
We try and make everything on our bikes, if we can’t then the parts are begged for, borrowed or borrowed for an indefinite period. I am lucky to have some very talented mates … the paint was by my friend Andy of Hairy designs (also works out of a garden shed) a man who for donkey’s years has created some stunning work that have won awards and graced the pages of such rags as Back street heroes and 100% Biker.
The 1 into 2 air intake , again by the mad prof was all made by hand, drilling and filing out two discs before welding on the pipework … it was stunning and I felt a pang of guilt having to paint it as the welds were so nice.
This now services an Amal carb which works surprisingly well. The exhausts were by Wolfy who is a wizard with pipework and with whom I entrust all my exhaust work and then loads of odds and sods, spacers and the like have been spun up by my mate Heisenberg – who is not only one of the most talented and innovative shed builders I’ve ever known but also brews his own alcohol … oh …and is lucky enough to have a lathe and milling machine in his shed.
My personal skill set is limited, so I get to sit and stare at the bike whilst supping ale and come up with the odd idea …. like the push bike ‘bear trap’ peddles I had in a cupboard which I managed to marry up to Suzuki savage foot controls that I turned into forwards… I also have a go at some creative bits like with fiber glass.
The rear mudguard was a front mudguard off a Kawasaki that I cut through the middle then widened to suit … I think it works ok. In all, I dont think its a bad looking bike …. But isn’t it always down to a question of Taste?? One thing I am looking to change will be the ride height…. It’s lower than a snakes undercarriage and its always a little embarrassing when you have to stop and lift it over speed humps. Stay safe. Mac
