Tools then project

      Having left the states, leaving behind a lot of tools sand selling my beloved Sheldon Lathe and Wells Index Mill - I found myself emoty, nothing to do or make, or in the words of my very good friend - 'Dink with'.

Moping around, looking at my yellow FZR 600R, I know it needs a full service, battery and the fuel system draining, my heart was not into it, the tooless garage moking me,

     My gorgeous wife, then, from the blue, bought me this:

     A Boxford Model A, in my favourite - SAE - it runs sweet as a nut, and will be levelled this week. Joy of joys - now all i need is the steady rests and to pick up a 4-jaw chuck at some point, but there are ways around that.

     Now my FZR is looking more tempting, a fettle over the winter months, prehaps a new exhaust too, all this getting me back into the stride ready for my new project when i find it. Until then - this gets a fettle: 

     It was a write of and rebuild from scratch, and was my first real bike restoration / rebuild. Can never part with it, and polish it occasionally, emotionally attached as i always do to my mechanical stuff.

Back in the UK, now the itch needs scratching again......Thank you Barry

      So, been back in the UK now for 3 months, got the house almost sorted, tools arrived back from overseas safely, unlike some of our belongings. Still have a pang of regret over selling up on my KZ650, lathe and milling machine. But ever the optimist i still have my spanners and tools. The journey begins again. Looking at projects whilst sorting a few things, and generally pottering in the garage. Then I visit the dad-in-law, takes me into his garage and presents me with a large box. "Don't open it 'till you get home" he says. 

     Drinking up the tea, leaving and driving like I stole it, i get home and 2 minutes with a box cutter, the gift is revealed, and it is not quite my genre, but gorgeous and now the creative juices and lists are growing. It is a carbon fibre, to gorgeous to paint, but who knows.

     Need a donor bike first, undecided - should i go modern and dress up as retro, giving the apearance of a classic witht he advantages of modern technology or just gro straight old school?

     The quandry begins.......Will keep y'all posted, but this is the look i am going for:

     The costs to get this done true to original are prohibitive, so am looking to pay homage to the era rather than restore / create a true period racer. Donor will be something along the lines of  CB / GS / Z  or the like, if one comes up at the right price and location. 

      Will see what happens over the next few weeks and months.

     And, as you can see, may have to be creative with exhaust routing and fairing manufacturing. The tank should be easy enough to do, the rest....

     Right, am away to scroll my way through eBay, marketplace, Gumtree and local ads to see what comes up, The itch needs attending too, but not rushing into it.

     Check back for the occasional updates until I find the project. 

A New Hope (no not star wars)

     Well, I may have an opportunity in October to get my bike home. Ii is a slim opportunity but one I am going to grasp.
     So i may have my cafe racer project by November this year again.

     In the mean time i will need something else to do......hmmmmm