Topic: Highly Modified SOHC 550 wins 2009 World Bike Build

[Ichiban 4]

I just saw that custom bike builder Dave Cook won the number one place for custom built bike in Sturgis last August apparently..

Maybe some others were already aware of it.  I saw his bike on the cover of Hot Bike the other day..noticed the all-familiar Honda rocker caps and head in the pics.

He rotated the engine 90 degrees..so it looks a lot like an old Indian or Henderson four (actually..it seemed to me like a step-back in look and engineering).  But..@ least it's not just another variation on the ubiquitous V-twin engine..that usually dominate the custom builder's fancy.

Here are two URL's..the first is for pics from Dave Cook's website: http://www.bikeexif.com/cook-customs-rambler; the second is a YouTube clip of the bike in action

I'd be interested to see what others here think of the bike??
(I think it's kinda cool..but a little too fancy for my tastes..and doesn't sound very good for a 550).

Al/Ichi

[MRieck]

Sounds likes a box of rocks to me.

[HavocTurbo]

Some pics...

[fastbroshi]

   Very original, that's for sure.   Not really a big fan of the customs when they become unrideable after 15 minutes though.  Wait, given that sound, make that about 5 seconds. 
   Hondas have always had that smooth, revvy Japanese sound and this just kinda went over like a boot to the head.  I predict his next creation will be an upside down Ducati twin with OHV conversion.  "That'll really piss 'em off, hmmph."
   The attention to detail is first rate.  That cover on the front end of the motor makes it look like it has an old school supercharger on it, like one of the blower Bentley's. 
   On a side note, I had a chance to check out a bunch of 20's era racing Bentleys/Alfas at a race and I commented to one of the owners that all of the engines seemed to weep a bit of oil.  He responded that they didn't use gaskets of any kind.  Wow.

[Kframe]

It's interesting, but probably not really practical. 
More of an artbike than a motorcycle, IMO.
-K

[mlinder]

It sounds awful, and apparently runs awful, if the video is any indication.

[seaweb11]

Here is another photo of it at the contest in Sturgis.



Yup there were 2 SOHC's in that show................someone had to win    probably because I left early

[bucky katt]

sounds like the cam chain is flapping around in there

[Ichiban 4]

sounds like the cam chain is flapping around in there

_________________________________________________________

Yeah..I agree with Buck here..also MRieck: something doesn't sound right with that engine.  If it were a regular 550..I'd think something was seriously wrong mechanically.  In any event..it just doesn't seem to have the essential soul or spirit..in sound or appearance..that a SOHC 550 four should have (I've stopped short of saying he f'd up a good Honda engine..simply because he tried @ least to use one in a new/novel way).

Al

[fastbroshi]

Yup there were 2 SOHC's in that show................someone had to win   probably because I left early

Awesome, that HAS to be a cafe racer since they literally put Cafe on it in Old English none the less.   Makes we want to slap a Type R sticker on there.

[MCRider]

That's Derek's bike (SeaWeb) the poster and forum member and person in the picture. He rode it to Sturgis and I think he did hit every cafe along the way.  And back.  

[nobody]

It looks cool but if I owned it, I'd probably never ride it. It sound like crap, looks horribly uncomfortable and probably isn't very stable. I imagine it would pull to the right with the engine turned sideways like that, maybe that's why he never got above fifteen miles an hour in that video. Art bikes are cool to look at but a bike is useless if it's not rideable.

[HavocTurbo]

Other than shaft jack.... which wouldn't be very much given the extremely low center of gravity and barely noticeable angle on the shaft and the fact that it is a hard tail...

What would make it pull to the right?

[754]

Unrideable... surely you jest.. .. sounds like the ramblings of an inexperienced  point of view..

 In 07 I rode my rigid rear 836 over 600 miles,  in around 27hrs.. Which is not that hard to do, but it was my first ride of that year, and I had not ridden over a 250 mile day in over a decade.

 So IMO it looks very rideable.. even has a sprung seat, wished mine had... Upright seating, mid pegs.. not so bad to ride..
 

 I did not hear the clip, computer is too old.. but I will suggest that if anyone on here, has the inclination to build BOTH a 4-1 intake and exhaust, and get it working well, right off the bat, I will be impressed..... and if you win the World Chamionship with the build, that would be even better..

 The intake/exhaust, had to work with the theme of the bike, those and the front timing cover pull off the early four look quite well, if you care to look at a few of the 20,s & 30's fours..

 I really like that bike a lot...

[nobody]

Sorry, I meant to the left. Being that the engine is heavier on the piston side than on the transmission side, I assumed it wouldn't balance well in the frame sideways like that. I'm no engineer, nor have I built a custom bike, that sas just my guess. If my statement is completely off then I apologize and retract it. That being said, I still think it looks completely uncomfortable to ride and it looks to be more of a show piece than a vehicle.

My personal opinion.

[754]

What does tranny and piston side mean...

 The motor is in the middle, the trans is in the  middle, I dont see a problem, and torque reaction wont be a problem either..

 I see a bike that is low enogh to grab with one hand on the bars or trees and be able to push around and steer one handed, a bike the you can hold up with far less effort than a stocker..

 The seating position looks pretty good, I prefer that to sportbike position..

[fastbroshi]

That's Derek's bike (SeaWeb) the poster and forum member and person in the picture. He rode it to Sturgis and I think he did hit every cafe along the way.  And back.  

  No offense meant, I recognized the bike pretty quick.  Shoulda put a smiley face on there.   

[MCRider]

That's Derek's bike (SeaWeb) the poster and forum member and person in the picture. He rode it to Sturgis and I think he did hit every cafe along the way.  And back.  

  No offense meant, I recognized the bike pretty quick.  Shoulda put a smiley face on there.   

Ah yes. Derek has even said he knows the "CAFE" on the tank is a bit ... well, something..., after living with it for a bit. But at this point, might as well keep it and I agree.    Its got some personal history now.  All good.

[Ecosse]

this bike is soooo yesterday and you cats are real L7!

i posted this bike in inspiration gallery way back. look at me, i'm so cool and hip... and stuff.



anyway, i'm not a giant fan of these bikes that look like a sling back old horse, ready for the glue factory, but i like the inline sohc/4 and the ingenuity involved. plus, it tricks the hd 'purists' into giving those lousy 'jap' bikes a second look.

[Caseygroh1]

dave cooks shop is right down the street from my house. Apparently when he won the bike wouldn't even start. I was told he was using a single carb from a model T or A ford and could not get it to run. i guess he did eventually get it running, but it does sound HORRIBLE! something is not right, I'm pretty sure its only running on two cylinders in that video. by the way it sounds and throttle response. look at the video when hes stopped and revs the engine. ultra slow reaction! I've ridden on two cylinders on a 550 and it sounds and runs just like in the vid.

[mgbgt89]

Man.. that thing runs like crap. I can't really see what kind of carb he is running, I think a rack of 4 polished carbs and velocity stacks would look better than a manifold, and definitly run better.

[turboguzzi]

good morning!

where were you half a year ago? 

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=57102

[754]

I was at Speedweek watching the lovely Ms Porterfield getting prepped for her aSALT on the situp record at BuB 2 weeks later!

 240 mph on a situp bike...


Then 2 weeks later Old scrambler and I were at BuB, discussing the finer points of bikes with the 2 time winner of the World Bike Buildoff...

[JAG]

I've had farts that sounded better than that.

The smell is a different story..

[Ecosse]

i just don't know how a bike, clearly the result a lot of work, could run like jag farts.

if he was having issues setting up the dumb choice for a carb (attempt to look vintage i assume), then darn it man, wait until it's done before posting to the interweb!