1974 Norton Commando 850 Cafe Project Update.

Norman Hyde rear-set foot pegs and controls were found for this project. A buddy had an unused set purchased in 1992 that he supplied for the build.

The stock handlebar mounts were deleted and filled on the upper triple clamp, and a set of clip-ons were fitted. Some of the front controls will be used, but a dual disc caliper system is on hand to update the front end, with a brake master that will most likely replace the stock unit.

The Jet Tools English wheel and shrinker/stretcher made for much easier going on the hump, and the Jet Tools combo brake/shear was used to form the seat pan. The rear frame loop was sectioned about ten inches, and swept upward from the stock lines.

Mocking up the pieces. There will be a hinged door to access the rear hump for storage.

During shaping. This picture is a bit of an optical illusion. The lighting makes it appear to be either the concave or convex view of the seat hump. It is the concave underside with the flat front arch laid on the table, checking for flatness. This was before the tail was put through the shrinker.

The first day of pounding and shaping done.

The seatpan getting ready  to get some center ribs and then the edges folded down.

The Jet Tools English wheel with the combo brake/shear/roller in the background.

One of the challenges restyling the seat  was to make the rear frame loop shorter and upswept. The original loop (seen in the first pic) is significantly longer and slanted downward. The loop and part of the shock mount were reconfigured to get the tighter, shorter tail. Exhaust pipes are fitted and mufflers are getting worked out.

The rear view.

Next up is the bikini fairing and fender in aluminum.

Triumph Trailblazer 250 build begins

 An early 1970's Triumph 250 Trailblazer is undergoing a revival with a few changes. While never a serious dirt bike, the Blazer has enough going for it to make a nice trail bike or Desert sled. Lightweight and moderately powered, this oil-in-frame model is a bike you can have some fun with. The rigid footpegs have been replaced with folding IMS units, the rear fender is bobbed and rear frame loop tweaked upwards, fork brace added, and a larger Honda XL350 tank has been fitted. The bike was also converted to a battery-less set-up by the previous owner. The Bates style seat is just sitting on the bike for now. Love the stock skid plate and longhorn handlebars.

 The color match between Honda and Triumph is uncanny. The fenders and tank are original paint and will remain so. Look at that huge rear sprocket!

While a big fan of the original aluminum tank, the Honda replacement looks perfectly at home and allows a larger capacity.

Still considering whether to simply lengthen the tail pipe or add a muffler. I have a Supertrapp canister that may get the nod.

The original rigid footpegs had been modified to add some grip, but it all got chopped off to build the folding peg mounts.

This is what it looked like when it first came to the shop. The previous owner had modified the bike to accept a Suzuki RM250 front fork and swingarm assembly. The seat height was about 40" without a rider on it. Though unbelievably funky, it had been converted in such a manner that everything could be changed back to original. The rear monoshock assembly used existing mounting points to make it a bolt-on application. Most all of the parts taken off the bike were included in the sale, even the fork stop that had been chopped off and is now welded back onto the bike. Because the RM rear brake panel is on the opposite side from the stock one, the previous owner made a cross-over mechanism to accommodate it. Unfortunately, the original brake pivot mount was destroyed in the process and had to be rebuilt.

The original tank was on the bike when I got it, but had been stripped of paint, and a large dent was in the front from the fork hitting it. Intersetingly, the rear fender, side covers, and seat pan were super light homebrew fiberglass pieces put together by the previous owner.

Back from the Born Free Show in California.

A lot going on the last week. The Cabracer360 was driven out to the Born Free Show in Silverado California, displayed in the show, and taken home with Steve afterwards. The Meta magazine/Dentonmoto Brotherbike came back to Texas. While the future of the Brotherbike is being decided, some repairs will get done for the next recipient. The Born Free Show was pretty incredible, with so many bikes it was impossible to see them all. Above, Steve Caballero testing the fit...and his race face.

Peter J. Salisbury shooting the Cabracer the day before we set out for the show. 40 bikes rolled out of the shop to shoot these pics. Having the shop cleared out was awesome! A small amount of gas is in the tank, visible through the sight glass.

Loaded and ready for the long haul to Cali.

The Meta Magazine MT250 Brotherbike was on display at the FOX Racing booth.

One of the surprises we saved for last was the engraved points cover. Steve loved it!

Steve checking out the bike on arrival at the Born Free show. He has seen it at three different shows, and each time there were changes made.

The Hot Wheels Steve Caballero 1965 Econoline truck. Steve sent these for the Dentonmoto boys.

Rat Fink, SoCal Speedshop, Moon Racing, and Steve's skull stickers.

The bike headed home with Steve after the show.

We went out for supper with Steve and his buddy Jason, who were settling up a weight-loss wager (Steve won the sushi dinner.)

A lot of my bikes have a hidden inscription. This was on the bottom of the tank.

Some photos of The "7" were taken as well while we had the shop cleared out. As soon as Peter gets them retouched they will be shared.