Plenty going on around the shop. The “Flaquita” build is getting close to completion, A Yamaha XT500 found a new owner, the trunk lid on the 1966 Volvo P1800 was repaired, and a seat assembly was made for the “Norasaki” build, a 400cc Kawasaki triple tied to a Norton featherbed frame.
Her name is Flaquita. A 1971 Honda CL70 with a 1970 Yamaha Trailmaster 100 tank, modified CB350 sissy bar, CRF50 footpeg assembly, custom seat and rear rack, and a 108cc stroker engine with electronic ignition and 12 Volt electrics. New cables, brake levers, tire tubes and dual sport tires, some new brake shoes, fork tubes, seals, and gaiters, and an aftermarket CT70 wire harness and key round out the build list.
When I got this bike, it had a Chinese E-start engine that was in place, but did not appear to have ever been running. The muffler, chain guard, seat, wiring harness, and tank were missing, and it was well coated with dust and rust. The tank was later located, but the Yamaha tank looked better, so it is staying. The battery cover on the side of the frame was missing, and a used one was found in an online auction for a small fortune.
The tail light body was made a couple years back, and recently wired with no particular place to put it…till the sissy bar went on this build. The rear rack was made from steel rod and brazed together with brass.
If you are heading to the skate park instead of the beach.
The tail light was made from an exhaust clamp, a WW2 era Naval aircraft light lens, a piece of a cymbal sealing the backside, and a 12 Volt LED.
The racks design uses closed rectangular loops so that no cut ends are present. The lower tail light bracket is from an unknown Honda, and has had the base modified to fit the original holes in the fender.
The 108cc stroker engine is mated with a 4-speed tranny, rolling rocker race head and cam, and a Mikuni VM26 carb.
An original CL70 bottom end was located to replace the Chinese one the bike came with.
This 1979 Yamaha XT500 was rehabilitated. A new set of bars, levers, grips, gaiters, spokes, and the ignition plate replaced the messed-up or missing ones the bike came with.
The inner support for the trunk lid on the 1966 Volvo P1800 was removed from the outer skin and repaired. Small areas had rusted through and were replaced with fresh metal.
Finally, a rear seat hump is being made for the Norasaki build. The triple’s pipes will exit the rear portion of the seat. The lines of the hump are made to echo the lines on the Manxman tank.