the first one i got when i was back is
the mighty suzuki b120
it was just what i needed when i got back, good on gas, $8 would get me too and from work for 2 weeks, and because its so detuned it never requires any maintance, saying that its only got 6000km (4000miles) on the clock not bad for a 30 year old bike
hehenext one i got was a project bike... a 1972 mini buffalo.... its really a bridgestone 60cc 4 speed powered bike
(yeah the guys who make tyres also made bikes, all of which were rotary valve 2 strokes) it was a basket case, with a seized big end and the top end wasnt much better,
there are no parts available any more .. or since 74, so it was a mission to say the least custom made big end, modified conrod, all new seals and bearings, and huskqarna chainsaw rings
here is the very first time i tryed to start it after putting it back together
the next bike is
a vt250 a crappy honda v twin,
i got it given to me with 2 fuct engines
both big ends gone, good on ya honda for using shell bearings instead of rollers on the crank..
she's been apart 3 times now, and is running finally, but a word to the wise, stay away from hondas with shell bearing big ends, it'll only end in tears
next is another basket
a kh125 of 78 vintage, (another rotary valve)
unfortunatly the barrrel is completly shagged,
i bought another whole bike on ebay uk, and when i was over a couple of months ago i took off the barrel and some other bits and gave the reat of the bike to a wrecker mate just out side edinburgh.... unfortunatly... the new kh125's use a smaller bore, so carrying a barrel across the world in my hand luggage was a complete waste of time.... but i just bought this
this new bike has been sitting out side for a couple of years, so is in a bit of a state, but its only done 7000km and has good compression, so im sure ill get 1 mint bike out of the 2
next is one of my favourite bikes of all time... (fav to look at anyway)
its hondas flagship of the 80's
the mighty vf1000. its absolutly mint, showroom condition bike, ive had to give it a full top end rebuild, as they had a fair few problems, bad top end oiling and soft cams, fortunatly this one just required rocker arm re-surfacing, it was mainly the us models that really suffered,
when this bike came up, i couldnt let it go past, i used to have a pic of it on my wall when i was a kid, and always wanted one. shame it handles like a dog
the rear air shock is the worst idea i have ever heard of on a bike , hehe, but a hagon shock will sort that out when i have some cash spare,and finally my mz/jawa/rotax bastard child.
funnily enough its the only bike i have thought of as a "him"
i havn't named him yet,muzjartax? jarmuz? anyway, he's a dog, and has cost me a pretty penny in parts, floats from germany, a new sprag from the uk, still needs valve clearances done, and i think ill turn it into a flat tracker/street tracker, but that can wait
and this is my fav pic of my old zxr750 fighter in scotland
sorry for the long winded bit. and thats just 1 year of bikes, actually not even 1 year
no wonder my mrs hates bikes,
hehe
