Indy Supercross

John Wayne rode an SL350

 

 

 

1969 Honda SL350

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My SL350 is one of my favorite rides. I have ridden it just the way it was found, with the exception of new tires and a tune up. The seat was pretty worn out and it was a very uncomfortable,so I bought new foam rubber and a seat cover off of ebay. The cover was sewn about 1/2 inch off center and a bit twisted. I took it to Bob Snively of Snively Upholstery and he was able to make it fit. Bob  literally made a silk purse out of a sows ear and it is much more comfortable.
I am tempted to do a complete restoration, but it would be a shame to loose the character of this bike.
For now I will keep riding it the way it is.

Daytona Bike Week, Maybe Next Year

This morning I got up and left for the shop. I snapped the top photo while standing on my back steps. Then I got in my truck and, I called Steve, we have been friends since elementary school, to ask if he was still leaving for Florida today. Yes he and Shirley had left and were already 200 miles from Daytona. He sent this photo about 5:00 pm He is behind the camera. I guess I can't be too jealous since I did the same thing, the day after Christmas, when it snowed about 12 inches.

 

Wow another snow storm. This is a long winter. I guess it just makes me appreciate spring even more.


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GL1000 Carbs Ready to Install

 

Sonic cleaned, all new o-rings and gaskets.

These were some nasty, stinky carbs when they were brought to my shop.

Should run like new!!!!!

Ed
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-a GG FUN L f Bt t

Lack of Posts

I am working on some stuff, but nothing post worthy.
I will be back soon with some cool stuff.

CX500 Carbs

A customer brought these in after working on them. He admitted he had probably screwed something up. A good cleaning and several new parts and now they should work as good as new.

 

New o rings, jets, air cut valves, other parts and a good cleaning.

Ape Hangers on a Harley

Working on something a little different today. I had to lengthen the wires and do a few other items to get the bars ready. The fender came back from Spurriers Body Shop. Excellent job as usual. I wanted them to fix the scratches in the top, but they redid the whole thing so it would look like new. Now I need to find a good seat to bring the whole bike together.

New item on my wish list Bultaco El Bandido

I was looking for a Bultaco when I found my Montesa 63m it has taken about two years to piece the Montesa back together and I have decided to resleeve and repair a couple of fins on the cylinder,but all in all is just about ready to ride.
I have been looking for another old dirt bike and I think I will make this one a priority.
This bike has enough power to chuck boulders at everybody behind,but was said to handle like the swing arm pivot bolt was missing. Who cares, if I want to ride something that handles great I'll buy a new Honda.



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4 above 11 below with windchill

I started my truck this morning before the sun was up and the thermometer read 4 degrees. It is days like these that make me wonder why I left the central coast of California.
Then again it is a good time to build a new bike for spring! No reason to go outside.



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2012 Review

I am just sitting here in my office, formerly a guard shack that I nabbed from an abandoned section of the factory that is now my shop. The section that my shop is in, was actually the area that my Dad worked when it was a bus factory.I would never have imagined that after all of the places I have been and all the things I have seen, that I would end up working in the same place that Dad spent nearly all of his working career. I enjoy knowing he worked here. He stops by from time to time, when Mom doesn't have him working on the latest project.
 All of the lights are out except over the bike work stations. I started thinking about the past year. It was a great year, I started transforming what has been a hobby into a business, worked on many projects in the shop and away from the shop. We did some riding, had some great get aways, and maybe the best vacation of my life in 2012. All in all I can't complain. Although sometimes I do, but then I think about how much I have to enjoy and I shut up.
Maybe I will ride to California this year and surprise Michael, Allison and the latest addition to the our family Tessa.
So here is to 2013 the year I will be 50 and the adventures that await.

Items for Sale at Retro Dudes

We have a shop full of stuff and it is time to start rotating stock, so check out the blogspot
www.retrodudes.blogspot.com

 

Plenty more stuff

It's all about Bob