Topic: Motorcycles Restored Some Time Ago.....

[BenelliSEI]

This bike was in the collection of 7-8 bikes I bought from a gentleman’s widow. I call them the “Pickering Bikes”. I’ve detailed to story elsewhere.

It was originally built by a drag bike shop in the USA, called Orient Express. Big motor, stripped down, it needed a remote starter. I saw photo graphs of a set of wheelie bars that came with it, but never found them. It also had a set of DCOE 40mm Weber carbs! A local Hot Rodder bought it to use in Nostalgic Drag Class...... he was from New Zealand, an engineer here on contract with CN Rail. He had it running in a few weeks. Sent me a video of it running, and then disappeared. I often wondered what happened to it.

[Bankerdanny]

This was my entry into the SOHC4 Honda world, a 1977 Cb550K I bought from a kid in South Bend for $700 in 2011. The bike had belonged to his grandfather and had been stored inside since around 1983. It had a thick coating of dust and about 7700 miles on it. It was 100% as it came from the factory, right down to the tires and battery (and 25 year old fuel in the tank). The top picture was the day I bought it, sitting outside the garage where it was stored at the time. The second was a couple days later after a good wash. I didn't actually have to restore it. I replaced the tires (I had to reuse one tube that still had 1977 printed on it) and fuel hoses. I refreshed the carbs with new o-rings and gaskets. I checked the points and it fired right up. I sold it at the end of the summer 2011 because I thought I needed a bigger bike, which is how I ended up with my first GL1000. The buyer drove to Chicago from North Carolina to pick it up.

[ekpent]

Seems I remember you being in Kalamazoo with that bike Danny. Might have been the time you slept in our short antique bed down in the basement on your Godzilla run. 

[BenelliSEI]

Danny..... that is one of my favourites! Never actually seen one that colour. They all seemed to be “Excell Black” around here.

[Bankerdanny]

Seems I remember you being in Kalamazoo with that bike Danny. Might have been the time you slept in our short antique bed down in the basement on your Godzilla run. 

Yes, when I came up for the Relay Rally leg. Sean, MJ and I ended up doing the full Lake Michigan circle with various other riders such as yourself joining in for some stretches.

That was a great bike and selling it was a mistake.

[ekpent]

Seems I remember you being in Kalamazoo with that bike Danny. Might have been the time you slept in our short antique bed down in the basement on your Godzilla run. 

Yes, when I came up for the Relay Rally leg. Sean, MJ and I ended up doing the full Lake Michigan circle with various other riders such as yourself joining in for some stretches.

That was a great bike and selling it was a mistake.

I only rode as far as Hastings that morning on my 'chopper' 750 and have never got so wet riding a motorcycle before. Had to stop part way back and remove my pod filters cause the were soaking wet and sucking water. Once the bike straightened out I put them back on and made a protective 'airbox' out of a free car seller mag to get home the rest of the way.  Even the money inside my wallet was soaked when I got home !!

[BenelliSEI]

Here’s another one of the “Pickering Bikes”. There was about 2 1/2 K0’s in that buy. This was the first one I built. Mostly all new Yamiya parts, including seat, bodywork, switches, harness, hardware and pipes. Now belongs to a very nice guy in Eastern Ontario.

[newday777]

That's a purdy one

[BenelliSEI]

That's a purdy one

It is! And it should. I suspect at least 50% of the bike was brand new. The gentleman that started these project bikes had no concept of budget. He just ordered what ever he needed. I bet Yamiya still misses him!

[newday777]

That's a purdy one

It is! And it should. I suspect at least 50% of the bike was brand new. The gentleman that started these project bikes had no concept of budget. He just ordered what ever he needed. I bet Yamiya still misses him!

I guess I must have missed that the parts were part of the package of bikes too. Nice. So most of the shopping was already done before you got them?

[BenelliSEI]

That's a purdy one

It is! And it should. I suspect at least 50% of the bike was brand new. The gentleman that started these project bikes had no concept of budget. He just ordered what ever he needed. I bet Yamiya still misses him!

I guess I must have missed that the parts were part of the package of bikes too. Nice. So most of the shopping was already done before you got them?

Yes. Two pick up trucks full of parts (mostly new) and equipment!

[newday777]

Very cool find.

[BenelliSEI]

This Suzuki GT550 was one of the same trove. Took a few months to complete, but stunning bike.

[BenelliSEI]

This was the #2 diecast K0 I finished from the “Pickering Bikes” stash I bought a while back. Wish I still had it for today’s silly prices! Again, probably about 50% new Yamiya parts.

[Don R]

 My $100 gl1000, the 20 year sleeper.  I sold a nice 79 and spent every penny on this one. 
  The bags were cracked and in bad shape, I got another set and made these doors fit them. One bag had a rusty butcher knife, duct tape and twine in it. It had an awful smell from the moldy twine. I can still smell it when I think about it.

[BenelliSEI]

Don..... that is a great looking machine! Did you ever deal with “Pistol Pete”. Years ago, he did some gauges for my ‘75 and sold me some other bits. He did the carbs on my buddy Gary’s. I remember he even ran them on a “donkey motor” and did more than a bench sync. The bike has run perfectly to this day!

[Don R]

 I didn't use Pistol Pete but would have been ahead to have done so. This had a rusty gas tank and then a guy off of F/B sold me a POS that was as rusty. He said he meant it had no rust on the outside. I acid soaked it and lined it with northern gas tank liner. So far so good, I add an oz of Amzoil 2 stroke oil to every tank of gas.
  Before the tank replacement I ran 965 miles each way to Sturgis with two inline filters, and a magnet on the first one. I stopped once along the way to change the pre-filter. The carbs still got "shadow" rust in them. 
  This winter it got a dose of LL110 av gas mixed with the no alky regular. It never ran so well in the cold. I think it suffers what Hondaman describes with the slow burning modern fuel spitting back into the intake. Timing adjustments are coming.

[BenelliSEI]

I didn't use Pistol Pete but would have been ahead to have done so. This had a rusty gas tank and then a guy off of F/B sold me a POS that was as rusty. He said he meant it had no rust on the outside. I acid soaked it and lined it with northern gas tank liner. So far so good, I add an oz of Amzoil 2 stroke oil to every tank of gas.
  Before the tank replacement I ran 965 miles each way to Sturgis with two inline filters, and a magnet on the first one. I stopped once along the way to change the pre-filter. The carbs still got "shadow" rust in them. 
  This winter it got a dose of LL110 av gas mixed with the no alky regular. It never ran so well in the cold. I think it suffers what Hondaman describes with the slow burning modern fuel spitting back into the intake. Timing adjustments are coming.

When I dealt with him, he’d just started restoring  a wing powered “rocket”. Remember the Pulse Autocycle?

[Bankerdanny]

I didn't use Pistol Pete but would have been ahead to have done so. This had a rusty gas tank and then a guy off of F/B sold me a POS that was as rusty. He said he meant it had no rust on the outside. I acid soaked it and lined it with northern gas tank liner. So far so good, I add an oz of Amzoil 2 stroke oil to every tank of gas.
  Before the tank replacement I ran 965 miles each way to Sturgis with two inline filters, and a magnet on the first one. I stopped once along the way to change the pre-filter. The carbs still got "shadow" rust in them. 
  This winter it got a dose of LL110 av gas mixed with the no alky regular. It never ran so well in the cold. I think it suffers what Hondaman describes with the slow burning modern fuel spitting back into the intake. Timing adjustments are coming.

When I dealt with him, he’d just started restoring  a wing powered “rocket”. Remember the Pulse Autocycle?

There was one of these at the Gilmore Classic Bike Show last year