Out of the frying pan

A couple of weeks ago I rode down to Leicester to consult my very old and irritable friend Tony, who runs Classic Approach a respected motorcycle paint shop and who is also extremely handy around bikes generally. In truth, I was after a quick fix tidy-up of the Road King which is, bless it, definitely looking its age. Furthermore I was hoping to get Tony to slap on a shiny Twin Cam chain-case I’d scored sometime back and a delicious pair of S&S silencers that I’d bought from Bill at the Trading Post just before he called it quits.

The consultation/piss-take started well but Tony soon spotted a potential problem, both gusset plates supporting the rear loop of the main frame, right by the swinging arm mount looked dodgy, and Tony, apologising as he did so, pushed his finger right through the flaky paint and then alarmingly right through the rusted plates. Damn you British winters and salted roads. A small job had just turned into a major re-build. I can’t say I was delighted, but hey, that’s why I’d ridden the bike over to Tony’s in the first place, he‘s got a practiced eye for just that kind of thing. Not knowing what other rot might be lurking elsewhere around the frame, it was soon agreed that the best thing was just to strip the Road King down completely, blast the frame clean, weld it up where needed and then either powder-coat it or paint it.

Geoff at Cycle Enterprises (Stoke Golding, Warwickshire Tel: 01455 213 007) was Tony’s suggestion for the strip and re-build, so while he sweet-talked Geoff, I rode back to Manchester considerably more carefully than I’d rode down.

Not normally all that flush with cash I however finished a new logo for local mate (Hairy) Pete who was launching a new parts business: Mr B’s Custom Cycles (mr-b-customcycles.co.uk) and then sold a load of my Road King cast-offs to another mate, ex-motorcycle cop Nick who had just recently scored a 1995 FLHR himself. But though he virtually cleaned me out of unwanted chrome kak, I had to let him have the S&S silencers too, which in fairness was all he’d really come over to see anyway.

Some folding now in pocket, last weekend I rode back down to Leicester. Picking up Tony I followed him over to see Geoff and we chatted about what happens next. He’s doing the strip down and rebuild, checking the top end of the motor while it’s out and rebuilding the forks with new seals. Meanwhile, Tony will ferret away parts liberated, clean them, polish them or paint them. So that was that, I tearfully left the Road King there with a down payment.

Here’s the rough check list (subject of course to change):

1. Frame: Bead-blasted clean, re-welded where required then painted or powder-coated depending on bank balance.

2. Engine: Top end looked at, probably de-coked, possibly ported and polished. Serious new and shiny Terry’s starter motor fitted (because I had one - thanks Reedie btw). Re-painted barrels and bottom end, new Twin Cam chain-case fitted (using a one-off adapter to take my old Evo 3 screw derby cover - thanks Reedie again) or strip chrome from old chain-case and polish, re-chrome or paint black. Generally fettle. Possibly new exhaust system, or fettle existing system, the saucily named Bubba Cross-Dressers.

3. Wheels: Re-paint black, leaving only polished rims, JMA front brake disc inners, paint black or at least strip awful old chrome off and polish.

4. Brightwork: Paint to be kept standard (I like it and it’s the absolutely original Road King colour scheme) but brought back to life by Tony and re-lacquered, while other parts looking iffy (like the subframe covers) to be stripped and painted black. Cool.

5. Odds & Sods: Like cables and switchgear. I’ve left them with Geoff, if they go on they go on.

The end result should be really very nice, most definitely a 1995 Evo Road King, but improved somewhat, cleaner and even a bit meaner.