If you're interested in V-12 powered racing boats, and who isn't, then spend a couple of minutes checking this thing out. Engine turned dash, state of the art construction, nothing but cool. If I'd have been born rich that'd be me in the saddle of old Number 9 there zipping around Lake Como. Instead I've got a half finished row boat in the top of the barn that I'm hoping to row down the Iroquois River one of these days. That's OK, though. I'm not rich but I've got "my own".
I always liked B,S & T and the whole jazz/rock/blues blend to their music. Not sure when the concert was filmed but it would have to be about the same time the Sportster was in diapers. The 70's were a good time for music and motorcycles. Kaw two stroke triples, Suzuki two stroke triples, especially the Water Buffalo, and then the four cylinder four strokes from the Big Four with 750 -1100cc's of displacement. Unfortunately, both the Sportster and the entire British motorcycle industry were left in the dust of the performance race. The Sportster has persevered and seems to be doing well in the HD line up these days. There's a couple of really nice looking ones on the showroom floor at the local dealer. Likewise, Triumph rose from the ashes and seems to be doing well also. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for BSA, Norton, Matchless, and the Villiers powered small commuter bikes like Frances Barnett, James, etc., even though most of these were already done for in the 60's. Royal Enfield seems to be making progress over in India now, however. According to their website, they've got dealers in 42 countries, including three in Indiana. You'll be seeing a lot more from India in the next few years as far as automotive and motorcycling products go. Tata Motors owns Jaguar and Eric Buell is working with an Indian company. When they get ramped up over there you can bet they'll be major players.
Like the British motorcycle industry in the 70's, things haven't been going all that well around the shack the last couple of days, at least as far as project progress goes. I had to swing by the college the other day to get my syllabi posted and talk to my boss a bit. While in town I went by the bike shop to see about a speedometer cable. The Sportster had a big tank on it like the big twins would have with the speedo in the middle. That gauge uses a different diameter cinch nut to hold the cable in place than the speedo I will be using. I took the parts with me and, of course, they had one like I had in stock but not the cable I need. So it's ordered. Did some other shopping and made a trip to the library while I was out. Enough to waste about two-thirds of a day. I did pick up a couple of stainless button head screws for the ignition switch bracket and I got the front motor mount spacers painted up.
The earache I've been bothered with all week has also contributed to the slow down. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction the doc called it. It's getting better but it's a real pain, literally - kind of like when I had the shingles a few years back. Didn't seem to be any real reason for it - just showed up out of the blue to make me miserable for a week or so. Probably some type of Karma payback thing.
You know what they say, though. What goes up, must come down.
Keep on a rockin'. Better days are coming and when they get here, I'll be the one on the Sportster.
The earache I've been bothered with all week has also contributed to the slow down. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction the doc called it. It's getting better but it's a real pain, literally - kind of like when I had the shingles a few years back. Didn't seem to be any real reason for it - just showed up out of the blue to make me miserable for a week or so. Probably some type of Karma payback thing.
You know what they say, though. What goes up, must come down.
Keep on a rockin'. Better days are coming and when they get here, I'll be the one on the Sportster.
2 comments:
That Sporty is going to look good when it's finished. Hell, it looks good already.
Fun to think of those seventies hot rod two-wheelers - I rode the H1, H2 mk3, Z1, Z1R (and signed the waiver and test rode a Z1R-turbo). Most of my drag racing was with the Kaws. I remember thinking how ridiculous the 6 cylinder kz1300 and Honda CBX looked when they came out in what, '79? And how the H2 would smoke them - literally and figuratively.
And in high school I would drool over the pictures of the Benellis and Ducatis from across the pond in the magazines. Good memories.
My last Sportster was an '81 that started life as an XLS. The XLS had it's roots with the leftover frames from the ill-fated XLCR cafe racer. Through the eighties and ninties mine morphed into something with a little lower c.o.g., a stroker kit, and a bigger tank. Shook the living daylights out of me, and occasionally broke grade 8 motor mounting bolts. But it was fun anyway, more like a friendly fist fight to ride. :-)
Looking forward to your updates as always.
The bike looks sharp - classic looking lines.
I had a few two strokes back then: Suzuki GT380, Yamaha Daytona Special and a Kaw 500. I rode the hell out of the 380, the others were more in and out. The 380 had a flat bar and I made a set of rearsets for it. I put a rear sprocket on it with 4 more teeth. With the six speed gearbox it was pretty quick stoplight to stoplight. I think the frame was the same as the 550, so the 380 was a little heavy and under powered compared to the Kaw 350 triple but lots of fun just the same. I had a '78 Yamaha SR 500 single that was my main ride during the 80's. Wasn't very fast but was a great commuter bike. I've got a decent picture of it - I'll post it soon.
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