July 2024… the guzzi is running great and I am doing quite a few trips out on in, but the weather is so mixed a have found myself doing a few jobs… A couple of things I didn’t like about the bike was the seat and the side mounted number plate, so I decided to change both… I made a new seat, and a number plate bracket and small carbon fender (if you can call it that!) New sear meant a new rear light as I was not happy with that either! I also changed the bars for some flat ones and made some risers… I love the relaxed ride of the guzzi! very different to the Ducati!
A few weeks ago my mate bought Sammy Millers old rolling road from his museum... He has fixed the electronics on it and got it working! I took one of my bikes today and gently ran it up... A relaxed run as my bike is SO NOISY! had to have respect for the neighbours... I definitely should have worn ear defenders even for a low speed run! Later on, he ran his Suzuki GS500 up to 100 MPH on there... what a noise! here is a short video...
yeah! I hope my new fame attracts some young groupies They contacted me via my blog and asked if they could do a review of one of my builds... they have said they will do a few others soon....
790 is a twin, largest single these days is the KTM lc4 2018 and after are the better of the engines.
yeah, not selling though! I feel it will be difficult to move it on at a reasonable price I am in no rush to sell... been doing quite a few miles on it, its SO light and torquey
Getting towards the end of the riding season for me... Last update for a while as I dont have another project yet! Nothing has taken my eye... It was a sad day yesterday, the end of an era in two ways... early morning I joined 30 others to pay my final respects to a good mate on his memorial ride... RIP Richard.... I then visited my favorite biker cafe for the last time before it closes its doors for good. Bacon sandwich and a coffee for the last time there. I first visited in 1972 on My 1965 AJS 250 14 CSR... I have been a regular visitor ever since. My wife asked me why I was so sad... Which made me think why I have always been attracted to the place, it definitely wasn't the decor or even the food! Well it had an elevated position, and a large patio which was south facing... it overlooked the road, river and the Severn Valley Railway line... but most of all it was the many like minded people I met... RIP the Food Stop Cafe at Quatt...
Several reasons... the lease is up and the site owner won't renew... the guy that runs it is ill and also he didn't get on with the owner... Good news it the pub literally 100 yards up the road has turned their function room into a cafe and will open next Friday! so its not all doom and gloom.
well it's time for a new project... I sold the honda as I never really gelled with it and missed the grunt of the V Twins... So I looked around and not a lot inspired me to be honest... My criteria was must be air cooled... Electric start... more than 80 BHP... Then a few weeks ago I got chatting to a guy down the local cafe and he said he had a Buell that he might sell... Never thought about them before and I soon realised they fitted my criteria. He said he had owned it from new, very low miles, and it had been stored in a dehumidified cocoon all its life! he had spent an absolute fortune on it over the years in custom parts, but had not ridden it for 5 years... I collected it today and here it is... not sure what I will do with it yet, but it's going to make an interesting project!
BTW a Buell is on my ever-growing list of bikes I’d like to try/own. I do know the OEM drive belt tensioners are shite, so hopefully the fastidious previous owner will have sorted that.
First job has been to address the plastic tank… While it’s not too bad, its already showing signs of bubbling due to the ethanol in the fuel… I hate plastic tanks, so it has to go. Plan was to make an alloy under tank and then make a fiberglass seat and tank cover. However, I had an old Ducati Monster tank that was rotted out on the bottom so I got Arnie the angle grinder out and cut it up… just to see! I was really pleased with the shape and how it fitted! It did of course mean that I would lose that nice Buell filler cap, so instead of using the Ducati one, I made a conversion ring to take the Buell one, it worked a treat. I made a new bottom for the tank out of some 1.2mm mild steel, and TIG brazed some mounting lugs on, and also a plinth for the fuel tap. This didn’t go well and I got some leaks (good job I pressure tested before putting the bottom in!) The reason was due to my TIG settings… you need both pre AND post gas with braze and you need to flood the weld area with gas before you arc up. The tap plinth brazed on much better. I did mill some shoulders to make it easier as its 10mm thick. Rather than leave a hard welded edge I planished a 90 degree curve on the edges and then recessed the bottom in. Next the seat… I quite like the back shape, but not the triangle that hangs down… I decided to use the existing seat as a pattern and make a new one out of fiberglass. The original seat is actually quite valuable so I was keen to keep it nice. I covered it in cling film before covering that with 3″ wide sticky foil tape. It's very thin and moulds to shape, and does a good job of following the contours, its actually fantastic stuff and very sticky! To make the things line up to the new tank I used builders foam, which once dry, I cut to shape with a bread knife. Be a few days before the resin and mat arrives!
