Ive been riding bikes for a long time and I think bikes have more surfer appeal than a car. Sure you can pack 7 yokels into an SUV and blast off into the weekend sunset to annoy any foreign surf spot with neon lights but I prefer to slink in, search down the trails and find a quieter place to surf.
Initially I bought a Honda CB250N and a Honda NH80 scooter in 1978 and for almost 20 years I used both to get around the city and get out of the city. The scooters great for getting thru alleyways, down pathways and its light enough to pick up over a few steps and it has great torque for getting up and over obstacles at low speeds and the CB has the speed to get out of town like a bullet.
Carrying boards was always a problem, sometimes I tied them to the frame but over the years boards got shorter so it just got easier and easier and now racks are reliable. I actually saw a guy back in the 90’s on a 500cc with a 50mm water pipe frame that carried his longboard OVERHEAD !!
Anyway as times change, surfing isn’t all foam and fibreglass so I often take a surfboard, a bodyboard or a mat or a selection of bits and pieces with me and use what’s best but being on two wheels let’s me ride around the lockout fences and get onto the sand and go further.
Actually the scooters are better to explore on because they’re lighter, quieter and have great low range torque. So many times Ive gone down a path, then a track, then a trail, then onto the sand with a scooter when a bike would’ve been the wrong choice.
I still own a bike and two scooters because its a freedom thing to go when and where I want to. I still have the original 30 year old Honda NH80 and it gets a run each week. The styling is classic chunky 80’s, noisy 2 stroke that sucks oil with bouncy suspension and I’ll keep it forever.
I think its a benefit of age that taking ‘the different path’ used to be a big deal but now it’s the only way to go.
I think over the years I have owned probably about 30 or so bikes and scooters (Lots of 60s CBs - Vespas, Lambrettas, 70s yamaha RDs and some R5s) - some show bikes that I did total restorations on. Some all original. Some race bikes and some total beaters. I worked for years in motorcycle restoration and high performance 2 stroke tuning.
Ive built some of those Italjet 180s to go over 100mps - they are super fun.
I got my first bike when I was 11 - paid 200 bucks for it from an old lady back east - I still have it. All origianl 75 RD200
Below are some pics of a few bikes ive had and build over the years.
The original RD200 - I had its matching big brother (an sx650) in the same condition too but sold it
1961 Vespa race bike I built - The add attached is from the guy I sold it to that was selling it cause it went too fast for him.
1963 Lambretta that was a personal restoation project.
*Over the years I have rigged up a few cycles and scooters with racks - they seem to work best when mounted on the side - even done one that laid down flat like a floating side car.
Nice Yammy Wide awake, good to hear there’s another bike aficionado in the ranks here. Funny that people look at me on the Italjet scooter and don’t realise its faster to 60mph than a Porsche 911, until I burn them over and over at the lights. Unlike Europe, no one here takes scooters seriously very much and that plays into my favour with people thinking they are much like a bicycle for some reason ??
Scooters get free public parking, $5 for a full tank, and free air conditioning !
I wish I’d had more experience in motor mechanics to do all the mods I wanted to my bikes but a good mechanic is Gold. The black racer of yours looks terrific, so much good work you’ve done that actually makes it look better, so many resto / mod work makes a bike look worse.
I wish I could add all the great bikes of the past to my collection.
Europeans are crazy about their scooters - we used to get guys who would spend 30,000 bucks on a vintage show bike. Crazy!
As far as the twist and go - I once worked at a place that sold them and about every other month we would have someone buying one because they were going to take it for a test drive and though they were no big deal - they would twist the trottle and plow into our dumpster.
A scooter or small motorcycle can be the only way you are park at the beach and surf at my local break in the summer.
I love oddball bikes!
Over the last few years i’ve bought-fixed-sold a couple… currently have a Honda Rebel 250 that i picked up cheap. I was back and forth about doing a board rack but after reading your comments i think i’m gonna have to. After i get it running that is… hahaha
We are moving to the coast in a couple weeks and it will be perfect for doing a little exploring… Its supposed to get near 80 mpg… looking forward to it!
I’ve ridden all my life and had many bikes Japanese bikes, British and American. It was my main outdoor hobby before I started surfing 5 years ago and they have been put on the back burner somewhat now :).
I currently have a 1200 Sporty that requires a bit of a clean up and I want to make some quick removable board racks for summer.
I think racks are illegal here in Aus though but I think if you stay low key you won’t be bothered too much.
We recently went to Bali and we all had scooters with racks to get to the surf on, they were way cool fun and I think if I would rather get one of those or a ‘postie’ (sample pick below) to get around on locally.
Bikes are my other thing Foils - I rode MX as a kid but had a heavy stack and left it for 25 yrs before learning again on the outskirts of Bangkok, jumping “klong” table top bridges and burning through coconut plantations.
I get all Noob about bike builds in the way that first-timers here do. Boards are bread-and-butter but bikes are for my thrills.
I have a bitsa I’m putting together slowly - Sort-of a cross between an old-school dirt-tracker and a chopper. It does’nt run yet, but I don’t rush these things…It has a 1938 JAP engine, half a 1949 Triumph frame that came to me pre-butchered, so it’s not precious. A BSA Girder fork, a Norton Head tube, 60’s Jawa speedway tank, 1910 Indian seat, wheels from a Rickshaw in Bangkok, and various other bits…
I was on the cult Chris, after getting booed off The Jalopy Journal for having a japanese engine initially! That bike was first intended to run a CB 250.
(JAP is a famous British brand, not to be confused…)
Then I promptly lost my ChopCult password. I dunno, as I say, being a Noob I’m a bit intimidated by the bigwigs there.
yah, i hear yah… i’m a total noob here and there… hahaha
all the folks over there seem to be really cool and keen to help.
i mostly spend time in the Japanese section and the main forum.
lot’s of really cool stuff to look at and learn.
some real homegrown art being built… i’m sure you’ve checked out the pinstripe threads and rattle can threads…
there’s some epic stuff in there.
i’m hoping after this move shakes out to end up with a 2 car garage and hopefully a shaping shack.
i’d like to finally get a bike together… like i said, i’ve got a Honda Rebel. i’m not really a fan of the lines of the bike but, the guys over at machine-13 make 'em look pretty cool imo…
i’d be stoked to end up with a little scoot to blast around town on… something along these lines:
Yep the Rat-Rod look is my excuse for my crappy welding. I have absolutely no specialised equipment!
Girder was selected for it’s smallness, from a 1928 BSA “Clipper” 250cc. I always knew I’d run anything powerful up a pole, so I’ve kept everything lightweight. At 6’3 I bang my knees on the bars of normal bikes and hence that frame is hugely elongated. (Those Brat-style bikes on your link there are a prime example of what I could’nt even sit on!)
Based loosely on early speedway bikes by Martin-Comerford and Rudge, there’s literally a steel gate pole welded into there!
I just love trawling swapmeets, and the latest find was a near-new re-pop Indian-made Enfield front hub. Another hen’s tooth for me, it actually has fully functioning brake pressure springs and all…
Yah, im only 6 foot. I will probably mess around with the rebel for a while then pass it on… id really like to snag an XS650… have you seen/heard the rephased 650’s on youtube… they sound like a v8!
I need to get a proper welder… i have a Lincoln tombstone / buzzbox stick welder…
Swapmeets are the best. I recently picked up a tailight off a late 30’s ford pickup to use on a future build… we dont have a garage at our current spot. Can hardly wait to get into one
So Cool Southpaw - that’s prettymuch the only way I like Harleys! Original and bobbed very suptly. Not much for those modern monstrosity choppers with the fat rear tyre and stuff…
