Hi Kurt, I thought I would start a new thread. First , let me extend my condolences on losing your friend. It sucks when you have to ride like the whole world either doesn't see you , doesn't care, or is just intentionally trying to kill you . On a happier note: Yes I do have an H-2, that I restored. Triples are a close second after my GS. They also take up a lot less space, easier to hide from the wife I probably have enough parts hidden away to build another one, But I really want an early H-1 like your buddies 71. I used to ride with a guy who had a beautiful Bonnie 750 I think it was a 78, and my neighbour restored a 750 Commando, was just starting to restore a Hi- Rider (?) . Thats quite an eclectic collection you have, do you ride all of them? (even the Honda chopper)LOL! Sorry to ramble, Adam.
Adam, I ride the ones that are finished/roadworthy and rigt now those are only the Bonneville and the 78 Yamaha XS750(a nice 4 stroke triple) the Honda chopper may get parted out but I'm not sure yet but it nees alot of work but it started and ran fine after sitting out in the weather for almost 5 years. Today I picked up a couple of strange bikes for free no less, mid 60s 125cc 4stroke single cyl Sears & Roebuck motorcycles made by Gilera, one is a parts bike. What is cool is I think Pat would think these are cool. I don't know how hard it is going to be to restore the one but I'll give it a shot! I picked up the Norton about 3 months ago and havn't started the resto on it, should be a pretty easy job though as it's mostly there. Pete's 70 H1 was one of the early ones in Peacock grey an his72 is in pieces, going to make one of them into a AMHRA race bike, don't know which one but both have been cut up in the past, we just put stage 1 ported cylenders on the 70 as well as shaved heads, it's pretty scary especially with the denco race chambers on it!
By the way Kurt, I saw that thread the other day, when I was just going out the door, and did not have time to respond. I just want to let you know that I really feel for you in this instance, and hope that you can get thru this without any lasting scars. This type of thing is really tough, at best. As a few folks stated, I also used to ride a bike, but after a few experiences with folks, in the urban area that I live in, looking right at me, and then pulling out in front of me, I decieded that I better have some sheet metal around me, to deal with these morons... so I gave up the scooter.. But... I still have my MC endorsement on my DL, and when the day comes that I leave the city, and become a "country boy", I plan on riding again! Very little can give you the thrill of riding a bike.. the feeling of acceleration is much greater on that thing, than I ever felt in a 10 second race car... just something about being out in the open, with the wind in your face. Got to build a faster car, I guess ...:TU: JW
Jim, It is so hard to explain to non riders how great it really is, I'm lucky to the point that I have alot of open country to ride in where I live, it's the commute to and from work that scares the hell out of me, I have to ride right through Fort Bragg to get to Fayetteville and that gets a bit hairy at times, most of us ride paranoid and that helps, I also don't ride like a jackass and that helps my life expectancy as well! The one high point on my friend is that he had spent the day filling up on Hooters wings(he had not been drinking though!) and flirting with the Hooters girls an was riding his bike on a wonderful day, so his last few hours were spent doing alot of things he loved and there is somthing to be said for that, it should also be mentioned that Pat had recently come back from a deployment from Afganastan
i agree guys, you can't explain riding unless you've done it. I've been riding for almost 30 years, off road and on, sometimes I get out of it , but eventually the bug hits and I get another one. I've been lucky, never had a serious accident, but I do recognise the dangers and ride accordingly. I love tinkering on them and building new ones. To be honest also like the feeling that others see me as not quite like them, better ? probably not , just different. I kind of like the disapproving glances from the neighbours, when I wheel out the triple or the GS. One of my favourite sayings is: I refuse to tiptoe carefully through life only to arrive safely at death! Again , sorry for the ramble. Adam.
I bought a 79 Honda CM 400 A last year...right now its fully restored back to all its glory. The color "candy presto red" and its looking sharp. I know its a bit small, but its my first bike and I'm learning how to ride it. The cool thing is that the orig owner took out the auto tranny and put on a CB 400 5 speed man. trans on it. The conversion was done correctly, the last bit of that transition was to put a tach in place of the shift lights which I did for 18 bucks. My friend and borad member JT (JTformula) saw the bike when I bought it for 200 and he thought it was a turd. After 300 bucks and a little elbo grease he couldnt believe what this bike looks like now. I cant wait to get this bike on the road, it has 37,000 miles on it and starts better then my friends 750 Honda with 2,500 on it. JT's eyeballs poped out of his head when it started right up with no choke :eek2: . And then a bigger :eek2: when I did the same thing with the kick start :laugh: Not bad for a $200 swap meet purchace :laugh: Larry :TU:
Right on, riding really is worth it. I can tour through the rockies up here on any given weekend and meet 10-15 other bikers and took my only vacation in 3 years to ride through Scotland. Small world, I'm up to 5 bikes including a rebuilt an XS750 and matching XS400 in the stable. Can't explain it, you just love it. ...man, if Pat went doing what he loved then that really is a high point. Sounds like a great guy!
I had to drive to work today, was raining when I left the house, I really need to invest in some rain gear! I donno, I just don't have quite as good a day when I have to drive, at least my big block SportWagon is my daily driver! Larry, I love those little twin Hondas, tuend right they even almost sound British :grin: I've got the 78 CB 400 chopper that has a 450 engine with a 6 speed, I have a spare 450/6 speed and I'm getting a 1986 Nighthawk 450 for paintng my friends 70 Kawasaki H1, I rode the nighthawk about a week ago and it runs and handles great, I think I'm going to make a streetfighter out of it. Adam, are you running stock pipes on your H2 or do you have something more sinister on it? I really like twins(verticle) and triples becuase different is good, I love the reactions I get at the local biker bar(mostly Harleys) when I jump on my Bonnie and kick start it, lots of open mouths! Clint, I have a strange feeling that Pat would have approved of his last day with us, he like myself was a true Anglophile and used british terms as part of everyday language, it did lead to a few puzzled looks from others but hey, ain't that what life is all about?!
Hi Kurt, My H-2 has Wirges chambers on it , that have been reworked and gutted, hence the neighbours frowny faces! It is ported to H2-r specs, 800cc, it's loud, quick and obnoxious:laugh: My first street bike was a Yamaha 650 special, a japanese triumph, rode the wheels off it for years. Kurt, do you ride with a guy that rides a green triple with a Tracey body on it? I was on the Kawi triples notice board and he mentioned a friend that had been killed in NC also. Same guy? Man, small world, too many people suffer when a friend passes. Adam.
Adam, Pete does not have the Tracey body on his H1 but he does post on the triples board, the three of us were all together on that day, they were the two people babysitting my Bonneville at the show, so he would hve been the one that posted it on the triples board, Pete's H1 was green but no bodywork now it's primer black until I get around to painting it, we are still deciding on a scheme for it but I think paint will start within a month. The two of us are still kind of in shock about it, we both keep expecting someone to tell us it was just a joke. I met Pete in Febuary of this year right after he got stationed here, he brought a fork leg in to be rebuilt and we soon became good friends, it's funny, sometimes when we are out in my garage doing some sort of fabrication work on his H1 he'll say "I'm really glad that I decided to bring those forks in to be done" Yeah, we live in a couple of small worlds! Every time I ride with Pete and listen to his obnoxious Denco chambers and smell that smokey beast I can't help but say "I gotta get one of those!"
Kurt, Speaking of Honda twins, I used to have a 1981 CB400T "Hawk" that I bought new in the Spring of 81. The CB400T was the sporty one in the 400 line-up. It was styled to look like the CB750F. I wanted the 750 but only had $1900 to spend (the 400 was $1800 & the 750 was about $2600). I later added the Hondaline Sport Kit to the bike (low bars & rear-set pegs) and a quarter fairing. It was great in the mountains. I surprised alot of guys on bigger bikes with it. The addition of a set of Dunlop "Sport Elites" improved the handling even more. All in all, a great little bike. Wish I still had it, but, in 1986 I found a 69 SS396 Chevelle that I had to have, so I sold my two M422A1 military jeeps and my CB400T and bought the Chevy.
Mike, My 78 Honda chopper started life as a CB400T Hawk II from what I could dechiper from the vin #, those little honda twins sure run great, that Nighthawk 450 is a shining example, no powerhouse but sure runs great and handles well too, not to mention the obscenely great gas milage they get!
