1970 BSA Project Bike

I’m not even going to attempt to claim any knowledge about the combination of motor and frame in this eBay listing for a BSA project bike. It is supposedly a 1970 frame (B441 of some type) along with a motor from 1967. The VINs are in the last two photos, so check it out if you are interested in bidding. There are 4 hours left in the auction, and the price is just under $1K with 1 bid.

1967 Honda CB160 Cafe Racer

I neglected to post this bike over the last couple of days, and there are only 4 hours left in the auction, but anyways…

This CB160 has been nicely modified to within an inch of its life from a cosmetic standpoint. I especially like the ultra-shorty seat, which is definitely a bit different from the norm. Overall, with the clubman bars, seat, modified front brake, and paint, it is a very beautiful bike. I’m not a huge fan of the windscreen or number plates, but either could be kept or removed depending on the buyer’s personal preference.

Given the price ($7K+ Buy-It-Now, $3,200 current bid but reserve not met), you might expect the mechanicals to be fully modded or upgraded. But by far, most of the parts on this bike are stock Honda pieces. The forks come from the CL160 Scrambler, and that is about the most modified part. The motor was somewhat taken apart, but mostly to check for wear and tear. I will give the seller full kudos for honesty with regards to the detailed description of this motorcycle and all of the things that have been done to it.

Woulda Shoulda Coulda (a.k.a. 1967 BSA 441 Shooting Star)

Sometimes projects go horribly wrong. Other times they fall by the wayside and never end up finished. I’m going to put this bike in both categories.

I did a little research about the head angle on the 441, and from other pictures, it appears like a bike that, in stock form, doesn’t exactly tuck the front wheel under the motor with a steep head angle. However, when I read the description in this eBay listing and saw that the frame had some non-stock welding around the head tube, I thought “Aha!” Then I read the question at the bottom of the listing where someone commented that it looked a bit raked out, and the seller agreed that the welding was probably connected to the relaxed rake, but that “It seams to go down the road fine though. thanks”.

This is all I ask. If you start a project, either finish it or don’t. You can’t stop building a chopper half way. It just doesn’t work. And don’t later try to sell it on eBay as a cafe racer. Please.

1967 Suzuki 250 Hustler Project Bike (No papers and more!!!)

Up on eBay right now is this really eye-catching Suzuki 250 project bike. All was well until I read that it has no papers. And then I read that the motor has no numbers on it. And then I read that the frame is missing numbers, too! If you have a way around this little problem, this is a really nice looking bike that needs a lot of work to be completed.

If you are actually interested in this bike, a couple of highlights are the Triumph twin-leading shoe brake and the new expansion chambers included in the sale. If you couldn’t figure out from the title of this post or the first paragraph, I’m a bit hesitant because of the lack of title-ability of the motorcycle. But maybe the VIN is just hidden under paint and/or powdercoat? Iffy at best…

Catalog of 1967 Dunstall Parts

Up for auction on eBay, and ending in just over 6 hours, is this piece of classic Brit bike history. A genuine catalog of Dunstall parts from back in the day. Looking through this book of wishes (several more photos on eBay), you can dare to dream about buying a complete Metisse road or race kit for your twin cylinder BSA, Norton, or Triumph for a whopping £323. Okay, I admit it, that was probably a lot of money back in 1967. Actually, I found an inflation calculator, and it would currently convert to almost £2,000.

Be that as it may, this is a great chance to own a piece of memorabilia that might just give you some ideas about how your cafe racer should/could/would look given a time machine and a few pounds sterling…

1967 BSA B44 Shooting Star Cafe Racer

Here’s a nice BSA currently up on eBay with about 2 days left. Unrestored and very cool looking, this bike is currently at around $1K. It has the original black with yellow license plate so you can pretend you really are back in the ’60s bombing down the PCH north of Los Angeles. I wonder if this bike will reach the ton…

BTW, the seller of the bike has it listed as a B441, not a B44. Does anyone know the difference? Everything I’ve found only refers to a B44.

1967 Suzuki X-6 Hustler Cafe Racer

Here is a mostly stock 1967 Suzuki X-6 Hustler. It appears that the only mod is the clubman bars. The owner seems to be honest about the condition, noting the fidgety transmission and the fact that the bike isn’t perfect.

I really like the Japanese bikes from this era. The shape of the tanks and the molded headlight nacelles (like the X-6 or the Honda Dream) mark this period and were consistent design cues within the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers in the 1960’s.

There’s only a few hours left on this auction (actually a Buy-It-Now or Best Offer), so hopefully this bike goes to a good home. If I still lived in Ohio, this would be within pick-up distance for me…