Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

Chasing Shadows and such.

This was Honda's copy of the Harley Wide Glide.
My bike looked like this, at first.

Back several years ago, I modified my Honda 1100 Shadow to resemble  a Harley Wide Glide. I wish that I could find some pictures. I removed the passenger seat and sissy bar, attached a pair of leather bags, and bolted on a set of high bars. To top it off I added a flame graphic to the tank sides, I've always wanted a vehicle with flames. It did look pretty good.

It was a pretty good road bike also. It had a long wheelbase for a good ride, forward controls so that I could stretch out in comfort, and with an 1100cc motor, it had plenty of power. The tall bars were good for projecting the image, but were uncomfortable and made the steering a bit "different" from what I was used to. I ended up selling the bike when I stepped away from riding. That was also when I was closing out my shop and needed the money.

Just recently I found a Shadow for sale online which was modified in a similar manner that was really dramatic. It captured the bob job look very effectively.

2008 750cc Honda Shadow
offered at 3,995.

Note the 21 inch spoke wheel.

The rear view is as tidy as any Harley!

Profile is everything with a chopper.
I love the whitewall tires.

The builder went through a lot of trouble to project the proper image. The bike has wire spoke wheels, with a 21 inch rim out front. The rear fender was replaced by a minimal unit, that hugs the rear tire. A suspended solo seat and a set of tall handlebars completes the picture. This is one of the best looking conversions that I've seen. The builder really covered all the bases.

Is this a case of a guy building a "fake" Harley? Maybe.

Several Japanese manufacturers have built bikes that resemble Big Twin Harleys very closely. Kawasaki built this Vulcan model. 

'97 Vulcan 1500
offered at 1,950.00

Wire spokes AND whitewalls.
This really reminds me of my FLHS.

That is a lot of bike for the money. It has only 18,000 miles, and the original factory leather saddlebags are included in the sale price.

Of course not everyone wants to ride a FLH clone. While I have always been a big HD fan, I don't have a problem with these look-a-like bikes.  I feel that everyone should ride whatever they prefer, like, and can afford. 

There are other Japanese V Twin cruisers out there. Some can be purchased at pretty low prices and offer a lot of potential to a creative builders.

Maybe I could build a Virago?

A good looking and interesting machine.

I had visited a Virago forum several years ago and had seen bikes that had been modified into retro styled cafe racers or bob jobs. I once tried to build a 750 Virago bobber myself. I removed the headlamp housing and rear frame section completely. The new seat could be cantilevered behind the tank and the rear fender could be attached directly to the triangular swing arm. Yamaha actually did this on their 920 model.

One of the biggest problems that I encountered was that many wiring harness connections were located in the headlamp shell and all sorts of relays, circuit breakers etc. were located under the seat. These would have to be eliminated and minimized but I wasn't sure how to do that. There were some modified wiring diagrams available on the forum, so maybe that was possible.

What really killed this project was that these early Virago motors had a serious problem with their electric starting system. The over running clutch would go out and it was impossible to start them electrically. Unfortunately these bikes didn't have a kick starter. The price of a new starter clutch and mechanism was far more that the 350 dollars I paid for the bike.

The project was abandoned.

Others have displayed more gumption and completed their projects.

This bike sports a real Vincent vibe.

These earlier Virago models had used the engine as a stressed frame member. These had no front down tubes, similar to 1960's Honda small twin models. There have been some really creative modified Viragos built.

I've also considered the later model Star 1100. This is based on the Virago 920, but placed in a new down tube frame. The motor is a perfect 90 degree V.  Any bike that I choose for a project cannot have alloy wheels. Laced wheels are essential for the look that I'm going for. There is a model that features laced wheels, which would give you the freedom to change the rim sizes. Running a 21 up front is an important part of the look.

I've been looking through the Web looking for bikes that have "the look" I'm looking for.

Ignore the tank band. Look at the profile.

I really like the way this bike's front end sits. That 21 inch wheel looks great and it sits just right with the shortened fork tubes. I would have retained the disc brake. I've ridden behind a spool wheel, not a good idea. This picture confirms my suspicion that the Star 1100 could make a very credible Fat Bob.
But could it make a board track/speedster type bike? I don't think so, it's pretty fat in the middle.

The bike has to be slender and the electrics have to be simple so that wiring can be held to a minimum. I would also like the bike to be cheap, with a large supply of used and aftermarket parts. 

There are a lot of imported big cruisers available, but I don't think that they would provide me with the results that I desire. If I am going to get another bike, I want one with a real Mystique.

So I will probably find myself back in the camp of Harley Davidson. A familiar and comfortable neighborhood.

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I suppose that at this point, I should address the elephant in the room. Actually there might be two elephants sharing that space!

While I can write anything that I want in my blog, I have always kept it "factually based" on my actual experiences. So, I'm not going to just "pretend" that I bought a bike.

After my two posts on Then Came Bronson, I found myself getting quite nostalgic about my motorcycling days. 

I also really would like to build a custom bike. I'm not interested in building an expensive, super chrome plated, custom painted, show machine. Although I'm strongly influenced by old Harley Board Track racers, it would probably be more of a "Speedster" type of machine, at least that's my intention. It's going to be built DIY, as is my custom, and it will have to be affordable. Because that's also my custom. 

So the first question is. "Will I actually buy another motorcycle?"

The answer to that is an emphatic yes!

Since I plan to sell at least one of my hobby cars, and possibly even two, I'll have a few extra bucks to direct to the purchase and custom build. 

The second question is; "If I buy and build a bike, will I actually ride it?"

The answer to that is truthfully, I don't know. I can also add something to that; "does it really make any difference?"

Once you buy a car, like my '46 Plymouth, that is never really going to be used that much, is it any different to own a bike that might see even less use? 

Whether or not I ride it a lot will remain to be seen, I've got a bad back, and don't want to make it worse. So only time will tell. 

In the near future I will be posting a lot of motorcycle content. Behind the scenes I will be looking for an appropriate two wheeled prospect. I will report on my progress, but it will not always be in real time. Consider that I still have several hobby cars in my stable that always need a bit of working on. 

I also have an interest in the historical aspects of motorcycling, so you'll see some interesting posts covering that area also. 

In summing up I will conclude with a favorite quote from one of my favorite automotive and motorcycling authors; Peter Egan. "There are only so many Summers left." And...we are already in July! Time to get crackin!

On that note, have a happy and safe Fourth of July!