2014 24 Heures Moto - Michelin

Glemseck 101 Round 9 - Cafe Racer Festival

MAARTEN’S WINGNUT

“The wood I got from my grandfather, I have been making stuff with it for the last couple of years, it is oak and almost a hundred years old.” When glancing through the parts and modifications list of customised motorcycles it is not often you come across the use of inherited ancient oak, but when you do it is most certainly something to be celebrated. It is the unique features and eccentric choices made by men in their sheds that keep stalwart platforms such as the Honda Nx650 intriguing, despite their prevalence.

Meet Maarten from Amsterdam, a doctor by trade and a self confessed motorhead at heart, throughout his journey building his own Dominator Maarten has seen many different versions, but of course like a proud parent, he loves his the most.

“I have been riding motorcycles since a young age and driving road bikes for 12 years now. I have always been interested in building my own bike and I guess last winter it finally just had to happen.” He chose the Honda because it was a bike that spoke to his imagination. He set about disassembling everything and seeing how it all fit back together, learning as he went. His previous mechanical experience had began when he took apart a Thompson 40 outboard motor as a nine year old boy, he was hooked and tinkering became a lifelong habit.

Maarten had the bike down to the bare frame and then took his time in selecting the perfect petrol tank, eventually settling on a 1975 Honda CB350 unit, “After I found that I build everything around it. I had a general idea of what the bike had to look like because of the research I did on the internet but I noticed it was kind of building itself. Every time I hit a snag I found on old part from a different bike or a part from the NX650 that I could change or fabricate so that it would fit perfectly on the new bike and solve the problem.”.

Maarten spent a long time refining the wiring and electrics to keep the finished bike as clean as possible, he hid many bits and bobs under the tank but made sure to mount them using the original rubber mounts on his freshly fabricated brackets to maintain their anti-vibrational qualities, “I ended up with loads of excess wiring that I could take off and ended up with a sleek new artery.”.

A sleek new subframe with a kicked loop was then constructed and welded into place, once Maarten was happy with the frame he set to work on the seat. He made the seat pan and battery box so that everything was easily accessible beneath the seat. The next step was shaping the comfy stuff before taking it to the upholsterers, “I was really proud because I had never done this before and the guys at the upholstery asked if I came from a professional shop.” They clearly echoed Maarten’s high standards themselves when finishing the seat in a rich brown/burgundy leather.
“The rebuild was fairly straight forward when I got everything back from paint. But I took forever redoing little things, like gas lines because I wanted them just the right length or shape or whatever. And when I finished I took it all off because I would see something even cooler online.”

With the build coming along nicely Maarten got stuck into the Bikes most unique feature, those side panels. He modelled the shape he wanted in cardboard before cutting and shaving his prize wood to shape. They are mounted utilising some parts from an old door locking mechanism he had lying around the workshop that fit as if they had always been intended for the purpose. The lustrous shine is achieved with 8 coats of varnish. The deep green tank, the leaves to the side panels trunk, was prepped and painted to Maartens design by a pro shop.

 Maarten found the most challenging element of the build was sourcing the correct parts and materials, he claims that with the knowledge he gained in the process he could make the same bike again in half the time, “At one point I drove for 4 hours just to get materials for the frame. I now have a small garage with friends in my hometown of Amsterdam and my neighbor has the same materials lying in the corner… somewhat frustrating as you can imagine.”.

“I had a great time building the bike and even more fun driving it and working out the kinks but I really want to do another build. So she has to go.” It looks like the garage and that new found knowledge are going to be seeing some serious use. Expect to see Maarten’s Wingnut on the Bike Shed Classifieds shortly and we will be sure to share whatever he creates next, fingers crossed it will feature some more of grandad’s oak.

 via The bike shed

NICK’S CB750K

Too often in the UK when we think of New York we picture New York City. Whereas NY State’s hugely diverse landscape carries a fascinating history but more importantly some great roads and scenery, particularly along the Hudson valley. Kingston lies on the Hudson about 90 miles north of downtown Manhattan and it couldn’t be more different from the concrete and glass jungle. Oddly it’s a place that’s stuck in my mind as it’s where I got my first US speeding ticket, after a fun day out on the roads around the Catskills.

Nick Cologero is a professional firefighter for Kingston FD, and in his spare time builds bikes. With a half dozen builds under his belt so far, it’s safe to say he’s well on his way to his desire to open his own shop full time. At least he’ll be well prepared for those little ‘grinding/oily rag accidents’ we have from time to time. For the moment being, this CB750 is his, and it’s clear he’s put everything he’s learnt so far into this classy build. In Nick’s own words “I built this bike to handle a bit of everything. I wanted to build a bike that I would still want to ride home after a long day at work, or take to lunch with my fiancee. I focused on quality throughout the build. I didn’t just want it to look nice; I wanted it to be ridden hard, and to last.”

A bone stock CB750k was the ideal starting point, and it was soon torn down to it’s component parts. With 47k miles on the clocks the engine was treated to a well deserved reconditioning; rehoned bores, new rings, lapped valves, and CB900 cams for added thrust. Once mechanically sorted the cases were blasted, brushed and painted before being reassembled with stainless hardware all round. It was then mated to a set of fully reworked carbs, the power unit now good and reliable for another 50k.

While a brace of pod filters can look trick they are often detrimental to the performance of an engine if the original CV carbs remain. The clue’s in the name, constant velocity, and the turbulent air created by the pods can make a multi cylinder bike hard to tune. Nick’s solution was to ditch the plastic OEM airbox and make his own, more aesthetically pleasing aluminium one. It took a fair bit of trial and error and a lot of Tig welding, but the result is commendable, a great balance of form and function. The engine breathes out through a clever reworking of the original silencers, pie cut for a GP aesthetic and with custom baffles, the engine can sing as it’s meant to.

The standard frame was tidied up, detabbed and the rear subframe reworked, using slugged joints and Tig welding to maximise strength for two-up riding. New chrome wheels, with stainless spokes and gold nipples, continue the small touches of gold throughout the bike and are carried in the reworked suspension. Progressive springs up front meant dropping the forks 1.5″ through the yokes to avoid upsetting the spring rates, and 1″ longer shocks at the rear maintained the stance of the bike. The original loom was in great condition and was modified to allow the electronics to fit under the tank, including the new Shorai Lithium battery in a custom aluminium tray.

Nick fabricated a seat pan and sculpted the foam to follow the stepped rear section. The paint and upholstery had to be outsourced, but have come out beautifully. Getting a good finish in these two areas can make or break a bike and are typically the toughest parts for the shed builder to take on. The droolworthy combination of Porsche Forrest Green and tan brown leather, not typically Honda, give the bike a classic European feel. Nick, ever the perfectionist only notices the flaws of course, and ways he can improve the bike further. But he also concedes it’s built to be ridden, and so it shall!

Nick must be applauded for his taste, particularly as he lives but 40 minutes from a certain company whose chopper builds for Corporations have resulted in some questionable bikes over the last decade. There’s no evidence that the Newburgh bike builders were a source of inspiration here, this classy green and brown CB750 is a statement of restraint. His next project, a Sportster Bobber will definitely be one to keep an eye out for.

The great photos were shot by Nick’s friend Matt Petricone. See more of his work at MatthewPetricone.com

via The BikeShed