Pip’s Honda CJ423

Pip Davidson is 42, and from Thatcham in Berkshire where he works as a Landscape Gardner, but we’re here to celebrate his skills as a shed-builder, having got his first bike project off the ground, and it looks spot-on. What we also love is that the running total on the bike and build so far is just £1,923. (…which is almost exactly US $3,000.)

“It all started in the middle of September when a 1978 Honda CJ250T was on auction on Ebay. No one ever wants this model as they all want the CB. It had been stood for 10 years and was a non starter, no MOT or Tax, and old log book and I won it for £311. She was totally standard 8k miles with a rear rack ! This was the start of my No Smoking bike.”

…So, we can thank Pip’s plans to give up smoking for the bike, as he needed a serious distraction and the bike project was perfect, taking up six weeks worth of evenings and weekends, shopping on Ebay and building.

Pip’s goals were simple; to build a “poor-man’s cafe racer” with a budget of just £1,500 all-in with as many parts sourced from Ebay as possible. After stripping and delugging the frame he had everything powdercoated, re-using the original seat hump to fabricate a new seat.

“I got some help from Allen Millyard with welding the brackets on to accommodate a set of slabside GSXR rear sets that I got for £34 on Ebay (I have one of his custom Kawasaki KH 5 cylinder bikes). On picking up the bike I fecking dropped her off the van and snapped the near side rear set, and guess what, the 1987 GSXR rear-sets are a bit rare to find, and made of magnesium, so no chance of welding ! But manage to source another one from the US.”

Pip did have to buy a few new parts, though, including a set of new rear shocks from Hagon, and a pair of RamAir filters which he fitted to a pair of Mikuni VM30 carbs. Some parts were Chinese cheapies, including the rear LED light, the levers and switches, and the 3D decals came from Thailand for a tenner. Pip tried a set of clip-ons but preferred normal bars, turning the bike from the traditional cafe stance he had started with into more of a modern-retro hybrid, added to further by fitting a set of chunky Avon Distanzia tyres.

Pip’s smartest move was to upgrade the engine from a 250cc bore to 423cc using VFR pistons in a bored-out a set of CB360 cylinders – with more help from Allen. As we all know, there is no substitute for cubes.

“I would describe her as a semi-off-road cafe racer. I still need to do the seat properly and maybe add a different exhasut can. The bike rides really easy and loves the corners. I took her for an MOT last week and she flew through, and taxed, so all legal. Boy she has turned into a monster, sounds like a performance engine after an increase in cc by 70%.  …makes you grin from ear to ear!”

It’s a great looking budget build and we’re very impressed with Pip’s efforts. Thanks for sharing with all of us at The Bike Shed, and please show us what you build next.

from the bike shed