Yamaha XS650 Salvage

It's probably evident from the shop tour that I enjoy salvaging and reusing materials. My main work bench are cabinets from a 40's home remodel and my office door is a cut-down screen door. "Making something from nothing" just a couple of decades ago was more a matter of socio-economic standing than anything else. Of course there have always been those who can do it and pull it off quite well. Today, it's become a bit more "chicy" as reuse has worked it's way into the mainstream in green building and recycled art, both static and rolling.

Rolling on two wheels or four, building a bike or rod by scrounging with a vision is just hillbilly fun. This Yamaha XS650 was given to me as a rolling frame with motor, nothing else. I had couple of different ideas for it until I found the gas tank at an auto salvage yard at which time it was decided that is must become a cafe bike because the style of the tank dictated that. It also got my head in the mode of building the entire bike from salvaged parts. This bike spans a couple of decades in parts and cost me a total of $700.00 to build including new Dunlops. Rode it, sold it, made great money on it and learned a few things on what not to do on the next build. Reduce, Reuse, ReCYCLE, quite the cliche but it's the gospel man.

I must say, I feel very fortunate to live in such a great city. I love my neighborhood, it takes less than one minute to walk my daughter to school, I'm a fifteen minute bike ride away from miles of singletrack, and I walk across our patio to work. 785 square feet of heaven is right behind my house thanks to the cabinet maker who lived in and cared for my house for 46 years.

The shop was unfinished when we moved in, no need to insulate if you're a woodworker and you have a wood stove in the corner the size of an Abarth. The stove has been replaced with an office, the walls insulated and finished and loads of lights to assist my hardening corneas. It's a work in progress, shops and studios evolve, I love the whole idea and process. I think it will be a great space to evolve myself into that back shop neighborhood wack- job, they're in every city, usually good-natured, creative and certainly harmless.

1974 Yamaha YZ125

Vintage bikes consume both my thoughts and my spare time if there really is such a thing as "spare time". I don't even know what the hell the term really means. I guess it's the time that's leftover after all your duties of providing for your family, your home and yourself are completed. So if you blend your passion and profession, are you creating more spare time as we Americans define it?

This bike came to me in several boxes and will be completed for the Idaho Vintage Motorcycle Show on March 29th. If business stays steady over the next two months, the bike will stay in my stable and will be raced and tuned and become a passion. If things are a bit slow, it will be "for sale" at the show and become a profitable project. Win win I think, I'm confused.

Point to the Apex

2009, a time of change, we all hope so anyway. The little dunce has returned to Texas and someone two years my senior is president of our country. I'm excited, it's our turn . I'm also excited to have made that leap of faith in April to begin working at home. It's of course been a little hand-to-mouth but I'm a rich man baby!

Over the past eight months the work has been rather steady and extremely varied. It's been nice as it has allowed me to explore and recognize the type of work that keeps me happy, creative and making a little money.

This project did all those things for me. It provided me with a little more direction on where to point the handlebars and I'm looking forward to the ride.