Bikes - finished and ongoing
Armstrong MT500
Started many years ago with an unregistered - and unregisterable as it turned out - field bike. My brother David also tried to make it road legal, and I think taking pity on me due to our lack of success (and possibly to get it off his hands...), secretly sourced another bike, did some necessary mechanical work on it, and gifted it to me!
Very scruffy but mechanically fairly sound, I then spent time refinishing it and sorting the niggles. I sprayed it with Olive Drab cellulose, really not liking the lumpy hand slapped on with a broom, Desert Sand (and rust and grime) finish.
A lovely bike to ride (when you've learnt how to start it..), and surprisingly peppy, I suspect the motor isn't entirely in stock military low tune spec.
BMW R80 - The Gentlemans Relish
Originally a fully faired monoshock RS model owned by my other brother Richard, who started the project and took the fairing and other bulky bits off (I still have them). The cowl is an old Buell item reshaped and painted.
This is very much a work in progress, with alloy parts to fabricate, and a Seibenrock 1000cc big bore kit (sourced at a good price by David) ready to go on. The original huge black mudguards have been cut, reshaped and painted to match the tank (which needs a bit of work). Ongoing.
Honda XL200 Paris Dakar
Fairly recent and my jump on, press the button and go, local bike. Rather tired when bought, and work on it fits around it being used a lot. Engine rebuilt to XR spec and some cosmetics done. Was restored about ten years ago, but not all that well. Plenty to do..
Being the Paris Dakar model it has the large tank (15ish liters) and electric start, which makes it really convenient to use.
Very light, economical, reliable and great fun round town and on back roads. A hoot!
Suzuki SV650 - Curvy
first generation (1999) SV650. Not had to do much to it - fitted neater and lighter Delkevic silencer, and a few little changes here and there. The paint is non standard Mazda Soul Red.
Just a very good and characterful bike. The V twin engine is lovely and sounds wonderful. A modern-ish classic?
Cement mixer optional.
