But to answer your question, I need a bike I can ride sooner rather than later. I need to get on and GO. But I am like you, a little obsessive about doing things right and end up re-doing it after the fact if I’m not 100% pleased. I had already seen the Kev’s Turbo thread and that guy is nuts! He’s definitely going in a different direction and I don’t think the custom heads are necessary, just something he wants to do.

So you sold 3GT’s huh? I used to be really active in 3SI (3000GT/Stealth International) and still love those cars. Sexy as hell PITA to work on with all the stuff they crammed into the engine bay but AWD and twin turbo makes for a helluva lot of fun!

I appreciate the dialogue but don’t want to clutter up your thread either. Email me and as long as you’re up for it, I’ll keep bouncing my ideas off ya’. strataproductions (at) hotmail (dot) com

Right now I’m trying to figure out what platform to start out with… and I’m leaning towards XS650, KZ650, or KZ1000. I know mentioning other platforms may be taboo but I’m trying to think this out from the start. I’m in love with trying to fuel inject and turbo a smaller engine like the 650. I know forced induction but this would be my first bike build and I’m trying to decide whether to keep it simple for the first build, or go with what I really want long term. I don’t need or WANT a 200HP+ bike… I’ll kill myself. But around 120HP on something unique that I’ve built myself is my idea of perfect. Can you offer any advice on the XS650 platform compared to the others I mentioned?

This was a custom frame but I believe its 6 up, 2 out, and 40 degree rake from stock. Is that doable with the factory frame or do I need thicker tubing? Also, I don’t know how tall this guy is but I want to be able to see over the front of the bike, I figure normal risers would do it. Sorry to hijack your thread, just don’t know where to ask these things. Also, is your blog up and running and if so, what’s the address? I’d love to follow the detailed evolution.

And I second the tip on choindroitin/glucosamine… we used it with an old horse we used to have and it worked so well my wife started using it. There’s a dirty joke in there somewhere…

Glad to hear things are going well for you, also. Do you have any pics, links or a blog for your biplane? That sounds incredible. I would love to see it!

You need to use more exclamation points.

I thought about going with a 6″ stretch, but at that length the chain becomes an issue, may not be too bad with a chain roller though. I’ll probably end up stretching the next one out 6 inches.

Glad you like it. Good luck with your future project.

Go to eBay, search for “Ford spare tire cover”, sort through all of the vinyl slip covers for broncos etc, ad you’ll usually find 2 or 3. It’ll run you $100-130, if you use shorty fenders you’ll get about 3 out of it. 35 to 45 bucks each; that isn’t too bad for a nice ribbed fender.

I still have the other half of the ring which I’m going to trim down the sides for a full front fender. I may actually leave the cutting to a friend that does tin work.

Yeah, I am “among other things”, no denying it. lol And again, thanks for the compliments. It will be really interesting o see if my monoshock works out right on the first shot.

This will be the first bike I’ve done with a monoshock, and I’m sure it will require some experimentation. I’m going to try setting it up like the older style except the “basket” will be inverted, using the lower brace I’ve formed as support for the lower shock mount. If this doesn’t provide enough suspension, I’ll fabricate linkage as shown in the “newer” shock setup on the site you provided.

As with many garage modifiers, I experiment and fail, and experiment some more and fail, and just keep going until it comes out right. My first build started as a totally thrashed ’71 sportster that I hardtailed back in the late ’80s, but my first mods were on a ’73 Yamaha GT80 when I was 8. While my Dad worked on one of his BSA’s or his crazy fast ’67 Camaro, I tinkered on my GT in between fetching tools and parts, or holding his drop light, or turning a wrench where he couldn’t reach.

As for the site, it is an excellent source material for beginners. Great graphics, and simple, clear explanations of the different suspension styles.

I’ll finally get back to work on it this week. I’ll send more pics after the shock is mounted and the seat is at least partially finished. I’m taking photos of the entire process, but most of them will be going up on my own blog site. I plan on blogging the build as part of the travel blog for my cross-country trip (originally slated for late summer, now postponed until spring.)

Man, I’m a long-winded SOB…