Well, dimensionally speaking, I’ve proven it’s possible. But practical? Desirable? Those remain unanswered questions. There certainly isn’t much room to spare. Squeezing the fully assembled engine between the frame tubes was a … Monster engine test fitRead more
With the completion of The Bride, I took some time to take stock of the various projects and parts I had squirreled away in corners of my basement. I decided I’m not … Revisiting the RetroblasterRead more
I bought an exhaust for it last August. With shipping and tax, the total cost was $240—not an inexpensive purchase. It’s an aftermarket, but I have my doubts about the seller’s claim … Expansion chamber tailoringRead more
With The Bride essentially complete, my thoughts have turned to the other bikes in my garage. The order of attack is Bultakenstein first, of course, then the Aermacchi-Ducati Special. The Benelli/Honda ATC250R … Visual musingsRead more
I took advantage of possibly the last nice riding day of the year to cruise around town on The Bride a bit in the afternoon. I strapped on a GoPro chest-mount and … On-board video & glamour shotsRead more
I tried adding some heavy-duty 3M vinyl sheet to the tank to cover up the ghosted Can-Am decals. It went on impressively well and looked great initially, but it kept developing bubbles … Fuel Tank GraphicsRead more
I am happy to report that I have been able to put some miles on The Bride, and I feel it’s fundamentally a success. I traced the CVT’s erratic behavior to excessive … The Bride hits the streetsRead more
I finally fabricated a permanent instrument panel, something I had been struggling to make both functional and reasonably attractive. The process required a number of iterations, and what I ended up with … Instrument mountRead more
I installed a Runleader RL-HM032C tach on my bike. It’s a fairly generic battery-operated, inductive, digital tach of the type you find all over Amazon and Ebay. The simple ignitions on these … Tachometer calibrationRead more
On the first couple of test rides, The Bride’s exhaust was clearly too loud—even at low speeds—and had a very sharp, unpleasant bark. The muffler was from an old Bultaco roadracer I … Muffler modificationRead more