furyphoto
I shoud probably be working right now
Not long after I proposed to my sweetheart in December I realized that as guys we really get the short end of the stick with the whole engagement thing. And I got to thinking, I want an engagement ring too! I want a little piece of bling that I can show off to my friends, and make them wish they had one. Although I would like my ring to have two wheels and quite a few horses.
So when I accidentally came across a CM400 Classic in pretty good shape for $350 I proposed to myself a little project! And, for about one "zero" less than a diamond ring there were no real complaints from the soon to be boss.
So for this build (my first), the code name is "My Precious!"
Here she is:
when I picked her up
As she sits now in my back yard
I'm not planning a huge build project, just some tinkering, and a bit of stylizing for a fun around town daily ride that turns the occasional head.
I am planning to build in three phases
Phase I - Get her running smooth
When I picked it up, she wouldn't start, but a bit of battery maintenance, and some new gas and she sparked up without much trouble on a cold February afternoon. She blows a bit of smoke, and there are some noises, so some work is in order.
A top-end rebuild is the first step. Waiting for me at the Shipping Depot in Blaine, WA is piston rings, gaskets, valve seals, new plugs and filters, and tires, and a few needed tools I don't own. I will zip across the border and pick them up in a couple of days. Parts are definitely cheaper, and more readily available in the USA. My US post box and NEXUS trusted traveler card make shipping and collecting parts a breeze.
Phase II - Style it up
I am planning to give it a custom Cafe look with some simple changes:
- New Bars
- Custom Seat
- Chop the rear fender and frame a bit
- Smaller turn signals
- Lower the front end a bit
- New Paint
Phase III - Touch it up
- remove the airbox and re-jet carbs
- move electronics to open up the frame
- replace Bulky lead-acid battery with a teeny weeny A123 LiIon pack
- shorten and tidy wires
- move ignition switch and starter button to under the seat
- maybe rear sets
- pipe wrap (hate if you want to, I like the look)
All along I would like to keep it in reasonably rideable shape throughout the process. This is more of a fun living project than a hardcore custom build, so I want to be able to go get groceries, or go to the post office throughout the build.
Wish me luck, and harass me if I forget to update the thread!
-Cheers,
Andrew
So when I accidentally came across a CM400 Classic in pretty good shape for $350 I proposed to myself a little project! And, for about one "zero" less than a diamond ring there were no real complaints from the soon to be boss.
So for this build (my first), the code name is "My Precious!"
Here she is:
when I picked her up
As she sits now in my back yard
I'm not planning a huge build project, just some tinkering, and a bit of stylizing for a fun around town daily ride that turns the occasional head.
I am planning to build in three phases
Phase I - Get her running smooth
When I picked it up, she wouldn't start, but a bit of battery maintenance, and some new gas and she sparked up without much trouble on a cold February afternoon. She blows a bit of smoke, and there are some noises, so some work is in order.
A top-end rebuild is the first step. Waiting for me at the Shipping Depot in Blaine, WA is piston rings, gaskets, valve seals, new plugs and filters, and tires, and a few needed tools I don't own. I will zip across the border and pick them up in a couple of days. Parts are definitely cheaper, and more readily available in the USA. My US post box and NEXUS trusted traveler card make shipping and collecting parts a breeze.
Phase II - Style it up
I am planning to give it a custom Cafe look with some simple changes:
- New Bars
- Custom Seat
- Chop the rear fender and frame a bit
- Smaller turn signals
- Lower the front end a bit
- New Paint
Phase III - Touch it up
- remove the airbox and re-jet carbs
- move electronics to open up the frame
- replace Bulky lead-acid battery with a teeny weeny A123 LiIon pack
- shorten and tidy wires
- move ignition switch and starter button to under the seat
- maybe rear sets
- pipe wrap (hate if you want to, I like the look)
All along I would like to keep it in reasonably rideable shape throughout the process. This is more of a fun living project than a hardcore custom build, so I want to be able to go get groceries, or go to the post office throughout the build.
Wish me luck, and harass me if I forget to update the thread!
-Cheers,
Andrew
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