Bikes have ruled everything for as long as I can remember. Where have you been, who did you know, what did you do? I had chosen a completely submerged life on two wheels. Literally my bike was my life, but one day it wasn’t my life…

Things changed, I changed, my life changed, and I fell into a peaceful motorcycle coma. I thought it would take forever, but others may not have been so convinced. And to my surprise, they were right in the end. I was awakened from my long sleep by her Z650 that I found in the barn. The Z650 was found in a real barn, not just junk with a dusting of hipster dust and an overly optimistic price tag. It got to me quickly and I was tasked with getting it up and running again. This later, as is often the case, led to calls for complete dismantling and rebuilding.

My instructions were to repair, rebuild, or replace it until it was clean, reliable, and mechanically sound, and under no circumstances would any grinder or welder owned by Mr. Kawasaki be used. We were also given additional (and very clear) instructions not to bring in. Produced in 1977. It wasn’t a fun job at first, but the feel of expensive chrome vanadium on my hands and the smell of Loctite 574 rekindled something I thought had long since died. A gradual desire to “build” again began, which I could not shake off. My hands were connecting fantasy and metal. I hadn’t done it in a long time, but I knew I had to do it again for reasons I couldn’t explain (and barely understood).

The AJS twin may seem like an unusual choice, but I didn’t actually choose it, it was just what I had on hand. I had known this engine to him for over 40 years, and in all that time I had never heard it run. I knew it would take some work, but I didn’t foresee how much work it would take. Rule 1: Never assume that you know anything about the engine shutting down. But more on that later. My intention was to build a frame, but fate intervened and just before I hit the buy now button on a T45 tube, a random email conversation with Ian of Blue Frog Fabrication prompted him to be very Offered to build a frame without a gooseneck for a reasonable price. sum. While waiting, I was busy collecting pieces from here and there. There was nothing written on paper, no sketches or drawings, just a fluid image in my head. I’ve never built a chopper or bobber (because technically, I haven’t “chopped” or “bobbed” anything). It’s just a bike and I wanted it to look as simple and simple as possible, but this is often harder to achieve than you might think.

Over the next few months, I amassed a collection of parts that any ’80s bike lover would want to throw in the trash. Naturally, when you collect parts that each belong to different models and manufacturers, you can’t expect things to fit together without at least a little input. The triple clamps don’t match the frame, the forks don’t match the triple clamps, the front wheel doesn’t match the forks, etc. Making these random items not only fit, but work, and most importantly, make them look like they are always happy is the art. In my opinion, this is often the difference between winning and losing the battle of bike manufacturing. No amount of flakes, chrome, or glued-on skulls can hide bad angles and lines. Very little time is wasted staring or thinking at this stage.

As I stared and thought, I turned my attention to the mysterious engine and began to study it. The mood was briefly lifted at the sight of the new piston under the head, but it only got worse from there. Cranks, cams, tappets, pushrods, valves, seats, bushes, bearings, springs, almost anything that rotates or moves up and down required repair or replacement. Also, I took this opportunity to ditch the Amaru monobloc in favor of his VM Mikuni and install a K2F magneto. Instead, spend the rest of your life trying to get the stock company to reliably supply spark to both cylinders at the prescribed time. I did everything by myself, but the concept of “budget” disappeared, and I consoled myself by saying, “I’ll only do it once” and “If I do it, I’ll do it properly.” . Also, what I assumed was a 500cc M20 turned out to contain numerous 600cc M30 parts, including the entire top end…see rule 1 above.

Finances and the limited availability of certain engine components meant that the chassis was complete some time before the engine was finally bolted back together. It wasn’t planned, nor was it a perfect situation, but it did give me plenty of opportunity for painting, polishing, and all the little time-consuming jobs like making cables, mounts, etc. As a completely colour-blind individual, I’m usually not allowed to make decisions about such things, but here I was on my own and completely unsupervised. I did consider spraying it candy brown at first – for two reasons: firstly, you don’t see many brown bikes, and, secondly, it would be a subtle homage to a line in a Macc Lads song, but at the last minute I changed my mind. I don’t recall why, but I ended up spraying it candy black over a silver base with a dusting of silver micro-flake beneath copious two-pack clear. Maybe one day I’ll repaint it brown? I dunno, but for now it’s black, and I’m back…

Finances and the limited availability of certain engine components meant that the chassis was complete some time before the engine was finally bolted back together. It wasn’t planned, nor was it a perfect situation, but it did give me plenty of opportunity for painting, polishing, and all the little time-consuming jobs like making cables, mounts, etc. As a completely colour-blind individual, I’m usually not allowed to make decisions about such things, but here I was on my own and completely unsupervised. I did consider spraying it candy brown at first – for two reasons: firstly, you don’t see many brown bikes, and, secondly, it would be a subtle homage to a line in a Macc Lads song, but at the last minute I changed my mind. I don’t recall why, but I ended up spraying it candy black over a silver base with a dusting of silver micro-flake beneath copious two-pack clear. Maybe one day I’ll repaint it brown? I dunno, but for now it’s black, and I’m back…

Spec:

1959 AJS M20/30 (completely rebuilt, reworked ports. Mikuni VM 26 carb, Lucas K2F magneto, Morgo external oil-filter, one-off stainless exhausts), Blue Frog frame (modified), Avon tyres, stainless rims (WM1 21-inch front, WM3 18-inch rear), Yamaha IT 175 front hub/brake, Honda XL 125S forks (shortened), Suzuki TS 250 yokes, Amal pattern levers/throttle, BSA B44 US-spec stainless ‘bars/Bantam D3 petrol tank/C10 oil tank, Triumph front mudguard as rear (modified), one-off leather sprung seat, Suzuki DR 125 rear hub/brake, Fordson tractor headlight, small LED stop/tail-light (frenched into ‘guard), 2mc capacitor, solid state reg/rec (no battery)

Finish:

Candy black/silver ‘flake paint by owner, polishing by owner

Source: morebikes.co.uk