Veruca is in Pieces

So the tear down of Veruca is complete and now we are on to the cleaning up of the frame.  Two issues popped up last night, first the swing arm...The first frame we got was not a GS 450, it was a GS400, which has a slightly different geometry to it, and so we need to deal with the placement of the rearsets so they don't interfere with the swing arm, second we need a roller bearing race for the pivot, and spacer.  Now that seems pretty straight forward, but we can't ID the swing arm to order one.  We think it is off a early 90's GSX, but we are not to sure.  Then the forks...the triple tree is off the 400 doesn't fit the 450...from the previous 450 we built I know the fork legs are 34mm and so are the ones we have, so it looks like I will need to make a run to C-bus to pick up the ones that came on the bike...oh well another trip to hang with J Rod and snowboard at Mad River, and Bodega for a few beers...tonight begins the de-tabbing of the frame...grinders ready!

Salt Brat Racer (Veruca)

Meet Verruca. Those of you that remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will definitely remember Veruca Salt the spoiled little girl who flew into a tantrum every time she didn't get what she wanted.  Well what better name for our new little bratty salt flat race inspired bike.  This bike started out as a trade.  I had sold the Cooley at Vintage Days to a shop in Columbus and with it I got a bike with no title, a GS450.  I Sold it to a friend of mine, J-Rod.  He sat on the little GS for a year until this year at the Kentucky Kick Down.  I was getting worried that he wouldn't do anything with it, so I helped him find another GS450 with a title.  The two bikes will be blended to create Veruca.  The frame and some engine parts will be coming off the new GS but most of the old GS will be put onto Veruca.  The original GS was anything but original.  It had the wheels shown the the picture along with a fork and rear end off of a GSR 1000.  So what we are going to have here is a beast of a bike that will ton up plus, simply because of gearing.  We are hoping to run it at the Ohio Mile this year and show it at the Lou Vin Tent at AMAVD this year.  Other bikes that continue to be in the works with us are "2" and the Flyin Hawaiian.  J-Rod is painting all for the Veruca build (I love the Barter System) The overall theme for this a balance between the raw and the polished...Keep watching the site for more pics of the Veruca build and other stuff too...(merchandise is coming soon, and with several call on leathers after seeing Dusty's work we are now offering custom leather painting and design.)

New Leathers...

Ok, at SoHo we pride ourselves on style, and pushing the limits of civilized taste.  So it was no surprise when I came across a leather vest for super cheap that I had to get it, and being the kind of guy I am I just couldn't leave shit alone.  So one of the guys here at SoHo Dusty Ohlman who has been a low brow artist his whole life jumped at the chance to get back to his roots and do a back piece for me.  He had cut his teeth as an artist back in the 80's doing blue jean jackets for $5 a pop...with the cash he bought his first car...well the piece I had him do was a tribute to the bike group I belong to, Louisville Vintage Motoworks and to SoHo...so I designed the piece and Dusty painted it...I'm kind off stuck on the idea of a Fender sunburst motif right now so I had him do the piece in that kind of theme...I think it turned out great...

The Next Projects in the Pipeline

So it's been real busy around here, and a very productive season so far.  We finally got a title for the Flyin Hawaiian 1971 Yamaha CS3 200.  I had found the bike in the spring and bought it with no title under the assumption that all I had to do was some paperwork and it would be done...how wrong I was...the only reason I have a title now is because of a profound quark in the space time continuum.  Cahill and I have been putting floors in the house and we needed the space in the garage to work on the hardwood, so we had moved the bikes out to the street for a little sunshine. One afternoon while working with bikes parked out front there was a knock at the door.  Assuming it was a door to door salesman I answered in a bit of a huff because we were right in the middle of something major...but to my surprise it was a guy with his daughters and he asked me about the bike...he asked if I had gotten it from a yard sale about 8 years ago...no I replied  but I did get it from the guy that did...he said he had owned the bike when he was a kid and had sold it at a yard sale....WTF!....I asked if he had the title...he said he thought he did...how often in your life as a bike builder do you buy a bike with no title and have the guy who happens to have the title knock at your door?....never....just what I thought....anyway....after about a month he came by with the title...I took it to the BMV...and with $35 I now have a title for the bike...

That's just the beginning for this little bike, Jarrod Wettling of Columbus Ohio is a good friend of mine I met though snowboarding, he is a body and paint guy by training and he is also a fiberglass fabricator  by trade...he took two pieces we scored at AMA Vintage Days this year and has done all the body work on then, he has also widened the channel on a peanut tank we also scored for Bad Habit, a little 250 Rebel we score back in the spring...he is a real up and comer in the custom bike scene and can't wait to keep working with him in the future...you rock JRod...

Here are a few picks of the Flyin Hawaiian and JRods work....enjoy....

This is the new tank for the FH...

Peanut before....

During....

After...

Suzuki GT250 cafe racer

So I haven't posted in a while because we have been so busy building bikes...it almost seems that there is a gathering momentum...we have finally "finished" the GT250 and it looks, runs and rides far better than I would have ever imagined...we still have some tweaking to do to figure out a few things and it may change color by next Vintage Days but I feel we have a good handle on things as they stand now...I'm hoping to get a photo shoot with the bike to put it on Pipeburn but we will see...our next project is under way too...another GS450 that belongs to our painter Jarrod Wettling who is doing the tank and seat for the Flyin Hawaiian which I will post about soon...the GS is going to be inspired by three bikes that I have look at very intensely over the past few months...Big Sid's Lola, Mike McFaddens Salt Shaker and Doug Divines Salt Flat Racer...our is....well let just say storied...

Things are coming quick now

Not much time to write long posts by here is a pic of the GT

Waiting Game on the 1971 Yamaha CS3 200

It's a waiting game now...I have sent off for the title on the Yamaha 200 and it is running perfect!  I am going to spend Friday night cleaning the piss out of it, and preparing it for Beatersville.  Fabbing of the emblems will happen this weekend.  After my first test ride of this little beastie I realized it needs the wheels balanced, and that this little torque monster will get you sideways if your not careful...Beatersville is going to be a bit of a disappointment this year because I don't have a full on custom to p

resent, but this bike is a beater for sure and will fit in nicely.  I am cranking back up on fabrication on the GT with a week full of time next week to have it done by the following weekend.  With a little luck the frame will be off to powder at that time along with the forks....

Full Throttle at SoHo

WE HAVE BEEN BUSY!   We acquired another bike about three weeks ago and are in the process of working on it so we have a shop bike to ride...It sucks to run a motorcycle shop and not have something under your ass.  It will be for sale as soon as we finish it and get all the paperwork done.  Oh by the way the bike is a 1971 Yamaha CS3 200.  This bike was the predecessor to the RD line of bikes.  What I love about it besides the color is the electric start...very cool on a bike this old, and perfect for a beginner rider or a women who may have a problem kick starting it.  Oh did I mention it is purple.  It needed lots of work to get it back on the road but it was a real joy to work with.  The plan for the bike is a survivor with some gentle mods, nothing major, but with SoHo that could mean a lot.  We diffidently don't want this bike on the lift all the time so we are keeping any mods to things that can be done easy and quick, which is a change for us because we take pride in the fact that a SoHo bike is one that is crafted by hand and well thought out.  The list of mods is few ...we put on clubmans and changed out the turn signals to something a little smaller to fit the scale of the bike...we also went completely through the bike top to bottom to make sure it could be a daily rider again, because it is getting ready to be driven from Louisville to Cincinnati for a Mod Rocker event on June 1.

We have also been plugging away on the GT... the seat is coming along as well as the wheels, we are mocking up the seat and doings some fab work and the front wheel looks amazing...Thanks to Ricks Custom Powdercoating in Brooks, KY....The oil tank is going to be under the seat cowling....more to come very soon

Productive Night

Worked a bit last night on trimming the block, yes I'm cutting pieces off the block, but not running a chain guard created a odd looking "fin" on the case and cover, after trimming the cover this odd fin was still on the block, so I had to trim it off look very clean, and once The chrome chain is added it will really pop.  I spent a good hour just cleaning the inside of the cover, these are the details that no one will see but I know are there...that to me is the mark of craftsmanship, doing it because you have pride in what you are doing even though no one else will ever know....enjoy
J

Winter Rush is Over now the Build Season Begins

OK so as many of you know I work in the snowboard industry so most people who build bike work on their projects all winter and by the first nice days of spring they are riding and SOHO looks like a bunch of slackers   Well we are.  Don't judge me.  Anyway we have started slowly to get the GT250 together.  What we have done so far looks excellent.  For those of you new to SOHO let me explain a little bit about us.  We fab nearly everything we put on our bikes, so when you see or ride out machines be rest assured that it has had  much blood sweat and beers put into it.  We could easily buy rear sets, but that's too easy, we are making them.  We could go out and buy a seat, but we build it.  That is why our bikes don't look cookie cutter.  We are into details, anybody can bolt on a "popular" tank like a Mojave or some expensive tank bought from a craftsman, but we brave the ankle deep bone yards to find the perfect fit.  We recently picked a XS650 and I began to research parts for it.  I was disappointed and the amount of aftermarket for the bike.  Such a big aftermarket turns people into Lego builders, just follow the instructions and at the end you will have a cafe racer.  This leads to all the bikes looking the same.  I thought it was all about expressing yourself in metal.  We also acquired a 84 rebel 250.  Not a common build, that's what we like, and we intend to use it as a pit bike at AMA,  so look for us doing donuts int the far campground.  This will become a bobber with a bunch of style...

As for the GT we have been making steady but slow progress in between snow shows. The frame is nearing completion...should be done in a week, and the engine covers are being polished by us. Lewis Meyer at Fall City Ironworks helped with the rear loop and it looks amazing. I have cut off all the unnecessary bits like the fork lock tab and side cover tabs...it's looking very clean. The finish filing will be done this week. I have begun to work on the rear drum brake cover, I have drilled holes, stripped all the old clear coat, hit it with 220 grit and will be polishing in the next few days.  The right side cove is next and I hope it turns out as nice as the left side.
As long time readers will know I scored a Wes Cooley Replica last year and flipped it, but I kind of miss the old pig so I am working out a paint scheme that will be reminiscent of the Cooley...Here are some pics, tell me what you think