This is the final mock up of the G9 and an idea of how she will look, minus a couple surprise pieces!
My smaller forks and front end were removed and put on my friend's '49 AJS (which is coming along nicely). Thanks to bike builder extraordinaire Goldy, (as he is known on many bike forums) I now have an excellent pair of conrods for the engine. I am waiting on an extractor from England in order to replace the main bearings which I have at hand.
Some may note a different tail light and much smaller headlight from earlier configurations; I was playing around and this works much better with the overall look and feel. By the end, I unconsciously built a 50's California custom street scrambler and I have no complaints! My friend down the road (and one town over) provided me the alloy Tail light for free. I installed a NOS Sparto lens I had been saving for a special occasion. The headlamp (not the one pictured) is an old KD with a 5 3/4 Lucas lens. The seat was bought for $20.00 on Ebay, and recovered with marine vinyl. The front mudguard is an AMC item and came with the original haul of parts. The rear is for a Royal Enfield Bullet.
I ended up sending the single side hubs to the '49 AJS and going with the full width wheels. I was very hesitant to do this originally as I didn't like the look. They have certainly grown on me since.
I will attempt to document some of the rebuild and provide more detailed photos soon. Project Covid has lots of updates as well, so stay tuned!
I confess that I didn't get a lot done over the Christmas break, however I did manage to accomplish several small jobs.
One of these items was the construction of a battery box for the G9 project. The 1955 frame is a unique one in a few different regards, one being the off-set side mounted battery placement.
Rather than look for an original, I decided to make my own with some scrap lying around. The box is a little oversize in order to accommodate (small) tools and mountings for my exhaust (more on that next post). This will also give me more leeway when I eventually buy another battery.
It is always a pleasure to make my own parts, no matter how primitive they may be. This is the freedom that comes with building a (mild) custom bike rather than a concours restoration.
I wasn't able to take pictures during the welding/cutting/grinding phase, but you get the idea.
The box has since been coated in black chassis paint, the strap came from a discarded Bell & Howell Filmo camera.
I am a huge fan of YouTube. The idea that anyone, anywhere at anytime can create, edit and produce media for a worldwide audience is fascinating to me. Growing up in a different era, the very idea of it would have been the stuff of science fiction.
That being said, there is a tremendous amount of dross that one must sift through to find gold.
Here are some of my top choices, which are in no specific order.
On Yer Bike
Presenter Paul Brodie travels to various bike shows around Britain, focusing on the custom scene primarily. Many of the segments feature builder Craig Jones, a talented blacksmith who does some exceptional work. The above video details the making of a hand-made licence plate frame for an Enfield. While chopped bikes are not my favourite thing in the world, the presentation is great as are the production values.
Britannia Motors
Micheal Waller is an ex-pat who runs a small restoration business in Upstate NY. Luckily for us, he has taken the time to document some of his work step by step. If you are new to restoring British bikes, this is a great place to start.
Ed Willson's 1968 VW restoration
This video is a classic and a must see if you are contemplating the restoration of a Beetle. With over million and half views, you may have already seen it! Filmed and edited by son Max, Edd walks us through the process from beginning to end. The car itself was up for sale (and presumably sold) for an eye-watering $15,500 USD. The Willson clan have recently 'adopted' a worse for wear Austin Healey Sprite. These videos in my opinion are the real stars, showcasing Edd's amazing fabrication skills.
Hackaweek's Honda CB750 Restoration
Host Dean Segovis brings high energy and comprehensive detail to these restoration videos. A CB360 is currently on the bench taking form as a scrambler which will no doubt prove as entertaining.
Mustie 1
Apart from the over-use of the term 'Barn Find' (a term that needs to die for a while, much like 'patina') Mustie 1's videos are excellent viewing. With a tremendous passion for anything mechanical, he will take on any project in an attempt to make it run. This includes motorcycles, drills, cars and defunct generators most of which are found at yard sales. Apparently he was offered a reality series, however the terms were less than desirable. Good on him, as the last thing the world needs is more 'reality' shows. Shedbuilt Dave
Shedbuilt Dave provides exactly what his name would imply; (To be clear it is unlikely Dave himself was created in a shed, but one never knows!) A man named Dave in his shed, building bikes. For the home restorer Dave makes for an excellent mentor. He utilizes rudimentary tools and old fashioned methods to create alchemy. While I greatly enjoy Dave's work, I hope that one day he will invest in a better camera. Lunmad
Lunmad is something of a quiet legend in the Triumph motorcycle community. While his methods occasionally create a stir with the 'purists', the 'impure' have greatly benefited from his efforts. His humble and amusing presentation is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes maddening world of restoring old iron.
