Tim Olgers from the Netherlands was looking for a fresh start. Losing his job and getting divorced in quick succession prompted a rethink, he decided to move away and go again. Being a paramedic and anaesthetic nurse his skills were in demand and soon enough he sorted the career side of his life and started to feel back on track. With cash flow restored Tim needed a distraction, a project, then he found one.
“I decided to build this bike for fun and to have my hands on something that was not related to my past.”
“I had so much fun in creating this bike and found out that it was possible for me to start with really new things and that I was capable of making something beautiful and I felt proud when other people told me how they liked my efforts and the results of my hard work.”
Tim reports hoards of motorcycle loving guys and gals living in Holland, he secured this little Honda CB350f from one such enthusiast through the Dutch version of craigslist. The previous owner had already stripped the bike but had not had time to finish it, it was delivered in several baskets, in a terrible state. It was lucky that Tim sought a distraction because this was a project that was going to be all consuming.
After a thorough clean and investigate Tim discovered the engine required a full top to bottom overhaul. All new bearings, camchain and tensioner were fitted. He sprayed the engine with enamel and the cylinders with heat resistant paint which he then sanded away and polished on the fins.
After rebuilding the engine Tim wanted to add to its beauty, he sourced some new finned valvecaps and some finned point and alternator covers. The carburettors were cleaned in his kitchen and keyster sets made them like new. He fitted some cheap pod filters but they were disastrous when he came to fine tuning the engine so he swapped back in the velocity stacks that were in the standard air filter, now it runs great.
Tim possesses a fastidious attention to detail, every little part was studied and improved,
“All the bolts on the bike I gave a new film of zinc with electrolysis, with a car battery charger and a bath of acid with salt and sugar, after cleaning and polishing they looked much better.”
The wheels were to far gone for even Tim’s level of care to resuscitate so he bought a set of alloy, high shouldered, borrani rims and re-spoked them with stainless steel spokes with brass heads. The front hub that came with the bike first turned on a Suzuki T500, along with the rear hub it received days of sanding and polishing until it was shining like new. The outer rim of the hubs he sprayed gold for a splash of decadence and of course he fitted new shoes in both drums.
The jobs were endless, but thankfully so was Tim’s enthusiasm. He ground the clamps from the top yoke and installed small LED idiot lights, fitted new clip ons, levers and gaiters, he renovated a battery operated army light found at a dump store into a unique headlight, then created the seat pad from an old leather jacket and household sponges. There is more; he wrapped the exhaust and fitted a new barely muffling muffler, hung the Tarrozi rear sets from brackets he cut from scrap metal, then fitted brass coloured chain and sprockets and rewired the bike before guiding the wires through some stainless woven tubes from a shower unit. The tyres are Dunlop K82 front and rear because he admired their matching profiles.
Remarkably for the level of finish he attained Tim carried out all of the paintwork using rattlecans from his local “Action” shop, he reports that the 2k rattlecans have given a petrol and scratch resistant finish. Tim maintains he had to restart the process several times over due to his clumsiness and lack of patience, but they are not qualities we could ever believe he possesses judging by his efforts on this sterling little Honda cb350f.
“I do like to ride this bike and I like the interest of the people on the street, after this bike I build a few more nice bikes, but this little gem was the first thing I made for myself and it felt so good and still feels so good when I am riding it!”
Exactly what it is all about. Great stuff Tim. Enjoy.
via The Bike Shed
