MotoLady

Rust Bucket Project: The Bondo Bike

At the Deviants CC compound in Vancouver, WA… I spent a few hours going at the BSA frame with an angle grinder yesterday. My mission was to remove the bondo from the frame so I could see what is really going on with the structure of the hard tail, where I need to cut and start over again.

The welds look pretty old judging by the wear and tear, and Wolf told me they were probably stick welds not something more fine tuned. Whoever built this bike must have fancied themselves a sculpter because they chose to use the bondo crap to shape it instead of metal. Seems silly to me.

Monster Project: Phase 18

So, last I left off in Monster Project blog updates… I couldn’t find all the important bits for the rear wheel and attaching it to the bike. Axle, spacers, etc. I ripped apart my garage and stayed up until 5a putting it back together and just couldn’t find them.

I called everyone who’s shop the bike had been at to double check I hadn’t left it somewhere, and finally caved and replaced the rear axle and spacer bits. I stopped by Cheshire Motorsports on Division in Portland and they had the parts I needed… used! Cost me $40 and I was back in business.

Monster Project: Phase 17

Trying to get blog updates for the Monster Project all caught up, been a busy bee. If you recall, the bike was transported in pieces to SDS via my Honda coupe.

Those who payed attention to instagram saw it being put back together by myself and the veteran racer Nobi Iso.

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Sofi Tsingos (parts lady at Ducati Dallas) and her 1977 Honda CB550 cafe racer build.

Words on the process from Sofi-

My dad and I started to really get into Cafe bikes back in 09’. Found a new way to express another kind of art, kinda like hot rods. We looove old cars and hot rods. My Dad started reading up on the old Tritons, he found a frame and started piecing one together. I kept saying I wanted to build one too and started doing my own research. I was thinking about an old Ducati bevel but those where hard to find cheap. I was having a really hard time in life at the time so my Dad got me the CB550 for christmas to give me something else to focus on. Became obsessed with ready other peoples creations on different forums and the cafe racer magazines. Pulling all my favorite parts of each bike and created my own vision I guess… About a 3rd of the way through, my Dad and I moved back to texas where I got a full time job as a tech with Ducati Dallas so that took most of my time. Also had aother project I started and had to finish. The bike continues to bomb around town with me a couple times a week. I absolutely love it and will never sell it.

[ More photos of Honda CB’s | of Sofi Tsingos ]

Hannah Johnson and her very nearly finished custom Hypermotard 1100S. That frame is not just neon pink, but glittery. Hannah is 5’3” and that Hyper has a 33.3” (84.58 cm) seat height. Hannah is also the worlds only female Ducati Master Tech.

Not much tangible progress on the Monster Project as of late. Lots of planning and decisions, and small bumps in the road to completion (as usual). I spent a few hours yesterday working on my mock ups, emailing people and getting timelines taken care of. It’s looking like September (I know, I know). But in the mean time, I can stare at my drawings and drool. (And then fall victim to my slight OCD and erase and re-draw everything ten more times.)

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You might be thinking, “wtf am I looking at?” Well my friends, you’re looking at a motorcycle constructed by a Frenchman from a broken Citroën 2CV automobile. Emile Laray was stranded in the Moroccan desert with only ten days worth of rations… did he shrivel up and die? No. He built himself a damn motorcycle in true badass apocalypse fashion. Now that is custom!

Read the full story and see more photos on Jalopnik »

(And thanks to Tyler for the tip!)