1975 Honda CL360 Revival and finishing the 1948 BSA tail light.

The tank and side covers are in very good condition with what appears to be original paint. A new gas cap and seal were added. The engine side cover will be refinished to match the clutch cover on the other side.

A vintage set of Japanese Redwing shocks replaced the rusted originals. A new seat cover, grab bar, turn signals,  and a taillight lens have the rear-end looking fresh. The bike came without  front or back footpegs. Some replacements are on order.

In addition to the new parts, a lot of time was spent hand polishing the original chrome.

There are still plans for some new tires, battery, exhaust clamps, and a chain.

The high pipes on the CL scramblers are so beautiful. The finned engine covers are stock. New cables, levers, reflectors, signals and the triple tree insignia replaced worn pieces.

Waiting for a suitor.

Version two of the 1948 BSA WM20 taillight bracket painted and mounted on the bike.

Because the rear fender had been bobbed, the usual mounting of the plate in a more vertical position was not practical as it either hung over the edge of the fender or sat a bit too high. Making the license plate with the upper bend allows the light to have the correct orientation and the plate to lay on the fender nicely, and the light is a little more tucked in.

Beautiful even in silhouette. 

1971 Z50A leaving the shop and 1948 BSA WM20 tail lights.

After an engine rebuild and sympathetic restoration of the tank were done to prep the bike for sale. The original muffler was opened a little internally and a new stinger inserted in the end of the muffler. At full throttle it is quite loud.

Although the tank had been sealed before, it was with a latex product that has failed on me before, so it was stripped and replaced with epoxy. The discoloration from where the pinholes at the lower edge of the tank had soaked through was retouched. The entire white portion of the tank was repainted including the underside. The upper red portion had some scratches filled and was buffed out. Original style foil tank warning stickers were placed in the exact original location, easy to do because of distinct fade marks around their previous location. new OEM rubber tank mounting posts and rubber strap were added.  The engine side cover was also painted up. The footpegs and sidestand were fully restored with new rubbers and cadmium plating.

The50cc engine was converted to an 88cc, with a race head and cam, heavy duty clutch, high volume oil pump, and a 20mm carb and intake set-up. A 15 tooth front sprocket replaced the 13 tooth one to take advantage of the added torque.

This bike was found in West Texas with a thick layer of grease and red sand coating much of the bike. The air filter was absent, and the engine was worn out on the top end as a result. Still in search of an original tail light bracket, but if none is found, perhaps one will be fabricated like the ones for the 1948 BSA in the following pictures.

Looking to replace the tail light bracket on the 1948 BSA WM20. This is the first candidate, a 1950's BSA 250 plate with Lucas light fixture. The fluted mounting bracket was fabbed up to compliment the ridge in the lens and front fender. There were a number of holes already drilled in the fender, and it was designed to use or cover up those existing holes. 

The second version uses an older style lighting fixture and a more plain mounting bracket. Once again, existing mounting holes were used.

The second bracket getting a little paint.

The 1974 Norton Commando is a Roller.

A week of rain in Texas in August! I rolled the bike out for the first round of pictures and had 30 seconds before a sprinkle turned to a cloudburst. The side profile is looking a little cleaner with the shortened and raised tail, rear-sets, clip-ons, and rear fender elimination.

This Lucas headlight is for mock-up only, with a new unit in the works. A small fairing in aluminum is still being contemplated. The tires are Kenda brand that the owner picked out.

Because the rear gas tank mounts for mounting the Roadster tank were not on the bike, I am wondering if the bike was originally a Roadster model. New mounting tabs were fabricated to utilize the original mounting points.

Waiting on some bearings to mount the NOS brake drum. The bike is being assembled to the point that it can be started and ridden. Since the bike came as an unknown, it will be necessary to check the function of the engine and drivetrain before disassembly for finishing.

Just a little tighter and compact with big stopping power up front. The stock handlebar controls are vintage cool, and will be rebuilt.

In other happenings, a lot of vintage tail and other type light came in. Pictured are some of the glass lens ones that got cleaned up a little. A few are US navy and other aircraft, with car and motorcycle units making up the bulk of the collection. A guy who looked to be somewhere near 70 told me they were collected by his Daddy.

My favorite from the lot were this matched set of what would appear to be US military surplus units. With clear lenses and small wattage bulbs, it is unclear what they were for exactly. They would have been almost useless as a headlight, perhaps they were used for a front marker lamp. The paint underneath is Army green. The red paint was likely after it was sold to the public. If parts could talk...

There's plenty to do around here still. Time to get busy.