The EEEEE-mail Bag

In this department I will share some of the more interesting email responses I receive from recent web site visitors.

Hi Jim,

Your page is super! The Cow Star (our service mgr. rides a customized Royal Star) and the Menstrual Cycle are going up on the crotch rocketry bulletin board tomorrow morning! 2 years ago I did a '66 250 Monza as a gift for my very competitive but non-riding wife. She wanted a "bike that would beat the Mack 1s" at vintage shows. How little she knows about style! The bike was obtained from a friend who had literally rescued it from the trash. A neighbor had put it out, and every week for 3 weeks the trash guys refused to take it. Our friend, Gus, then asked the neighbor if he could have it, and the neighbor was glad to see the back of it. His kids had used it as a field bike - it had a knobby on the back, but was missing only the tail light/license plate bracket. And less than 5000 miles on the odo!
Gus never got around the doing it up (he and I are Matchless men), and he offered it to my wife. It was her intention to restore it, but I wound up providing all the money and getting the work done. Several friends are actively racing 250 and 350 Dukes, and they prooved a good source for parts not needed on race bikes, like sheet metal. One of them did the motor, which needed surprisingly little. By the way - I hope you cleaned out the sludge trap in your 350 - the Ducks don't have much in the way of oil filtration!
We found OEM tires on sale at Dommi, and tank decals, but our painter friend, who is Underground Cycles, spent many lonely evenings screen painting the air cleaner and toolbox graphics. Since my wife never found the time to learn to ride, the Duke only goes to a couple of shows each year, and will eventually get shipped to our daughter in Seattle. She restores small Hondas. I found a '72 Mototrans (widecase 250 Duck built under license in Barcelona) shortly after doing up the Monza, and bought it for myself. It is original, one owner, last used in '77, with 9400 miles on the clock. It came with all the original documents. It's my "urban flat tracker" and has Akront aluminium rims and handlebar, Spanish AMAL carb and levers, and VDO instruments. It is just as at home in the dirt as on pavement, as it has a skid plate and all purpose tires.
My main interest is my 5 Matchless/AJS bikes: '46 Model 16, '55 G80s, '56 Model 18CS, '56 G 11, and '57 G80CS. The '55 was supposed to be done a few years ago (built from bits over 13 years) but keeps destroying motors. The G 11 and '57 are current projects. The '46 is complete, but needs motor work, and the Model 18 is a frame and motor in the planning stages. It will be a custom job. I learned of your page from a reference on BI, and will be a regular reader. perhaps we can get together at Bike Week sometime.

Pete the cheap

On 7/27/99 CB wrote:
I read with intrest your restoration story of your D7. My question is this, my piston is also froze up, and was wondering if removing the head bolts and the trying to rotate the barrel, was a legal manuvere or a disaster waiting to happen?  And do you know how to contact Mike Swaiki? He might have a few spare parts for me. Thanks again, CB

My reply:
I would not suggest trying to rotate the cylinder as you will surely bend the rod (it is very soft).  Since the rod is pressed into the crank, a bent rod would be a disaster requiring a complete bottom end rebuild.  To get a stuck piston out is not too difficult unless the bottom end is also frozen as it was on mine.  Remove the head and liberally squirt oil (WD40) into the bore.  Next see if the lower end is free.  Unless the piston happens to be at TDC you should be able to pull the cylinder away from the block a small amount and see the crank rotate.  Assuming that the bottom end was free, reseat the cylinder and get a good drift punch.  I use a 3/4" x10" piece of brass rod but anything metal about that size will do.  Assuming the piston is not already at bottom dead center , take a good hammer and using the drift start pounding on the crown of the piston and drive it down.  As the piston moves the crank will rotate toward bottom dead center. Even though this will ruin the piston it will not hurt the bore or the bottom end.  When the piston is at bottom dead center, lift the cylinder and place wood blocks between the cylinder and the base of the crankcase and resume pounding.  Be sure the blocks are of equal thickness so the piston moves down straight.  Keep doing this until the piston is out.  I have done this many times and have never hurt a crank or a rod yet. PS on parallel twins be sure to pound on both pistons equally so they move together and do not bend the crankshaft.

On 7/3/99 Norm Stradleigh wrote:
I have a 1964 D7 that I use in vintage trials (premier light weight). Just recently, the splines on the inside of the kick start lever stripped. I am desperately looking for a replacement. Can you help put me in touch with someone who might have one?     Oh, by the way, the little gutless three speed is geared perfectly for trials.  I've upgraded the rear shocks (3/4 inch longer with damping) and have moved the foot pegs back to two inches in front of where the passenger's pegs go. I have retained the front whimpy forks but they work well for light weight trials. The additional lift in the rear helps the steering.  The setup is perfect for lifting the front wheel without using the clutch. Power (optimistically said) is enough to pull the wheel over obstacles.     Thanks for your help.   Norm Stradleigh Phoenix Arizona 
rennsport_r90@hotmail.com
nfstradl@apollogrp.edu
nfstradleigh@worldnet.att.net  

I did not have an extra kick start lever. Can anyone help him out?

on 7/2/99 Anthony Wyzen wrote:
my name is Anthony Wyzen and I work at the franklin mint. we are going to be doing a model of a 1969 triumph bonneville. What I need to know is what colors it was offered in and what those colors were called exactly or a paint code. We need this so we can match just like the original.  you can reach me at awyzen@franklinmint.com
thank you      
Anthony

Unlike the entry below, this was a serious letter. I gave him the number of Hutchinson Cycle in Wakefield Mass but that number was no longer in service (out of business?). The colors were olimpic flame and silver. Can anybody help Anthony with paint chips or sources for original paint? I can't wait to see the model!

3/18/99 Yukio Atamaishi writes:
We at Yammaha International have been watching your web site with much interest and would like to use it to preview our latest product. It is the Cow Star the logical evolution in our "Star" series. We had such success in emulating a Hog we thought we would focus on another more desirable species. Our marketing division assures us that we will strike a nerve in the American rider with our highly innovative design. We expect the Cow Stars to be available in Yammaha showrooms late this summer.

Yukio Atamaishi
Vice President for Product Development
Yammaha International
Sendai, Japan

2/25/98 Garry Owen sent these pictures under the "seen at Daytona" category. The Menstrual Cycle is CB500-4 (550?) powered with turbo and Nitros! Garry says "Elvis was spotted riding the menstrual cycle in the infield during the 200. A hunk-a hunk-a burning tire?"

The Cushley speaks for itself!

1/31/99 Jim Hawkins from Vancouver, BC, Canada sent me this picture of a Yamaha YC-1 which was the Japanese copy of the DKW single that inspired the Harley Hummer and The BSA Bantam. He says that it is available in the Vancouver area and would make an ambitious restoration project but it isn't cheap! He didn't say how much "not cheap" is.

Also Jim sent a neat picture of his 1969 Honda - PC50A Moped which he says he purchased from a ship captain in the concourse condition seen here.

Return to the Home Page.