We added a tachometer to this splendid Thunderbolt. Found a rebuilt Smith’s tach on Ebay that someone had ordered for a Triumph only to find it would not fit. After installation, the tach locked up and twisted off the drive mechanism and tore the new cable on the test ride, in less than four miles!! Turns out that when the tach was rebuilt some eighteen years ago, they neglected to grease the new parts, or the old parts…. I suppose you win some and lose some. After finally getting everything operating correctly and mounted, I rode the bike some 35 miles to deliver it to my friend/customer. It performed flawlessly and was such a beautiful day to be out on Virginia’s byways!!
Category Archives: Vintage Bikes
CB500 four
Getting close to completion, this all original Honda CB500 is putting up quite the struggle to remain in a stagnant state. Tires, brakes, exhaust, electronic ignition, valve service, carbs cleaned and fuel tank sealed has made it run beautifully, sometimes. Number four carb has too much damage to repair and a replacement is on the way…
Test Pilot
My son and employee Nick loves repairing these old (and new) Japanese bikes! And since he’s built like a linebacker, he truly tests their integrity when he takes them for a spin!! Job well done, once again!