Good buy! SNAP! My Jap import 2003 Solo AC17 is amongst a handful here in the UK. Doesn't look much like how I bought it now though. Fitted meatier tyres, bobbed fenders, cafe bars/risers, converted to hand-shifter, new 'grille' head/tail/indicator lamps, aftermarket exhaust, side-mount license plate, custom 'riveted' paint job on tank. Still running the original 50cc (showing 3137kms) but with a new Lifan 125 semi-auto sat here waiting for me to find the time to swap it out. These are great bikes which I reckon would have been good sellers if they had been available worldwide instead of being limited to the Japanese domestic market - pitched mainly at students - and only then in relative miniscule numbers. You'll enjoy your Solo when you get the chance to ride it.
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Outstanding 'Guzzi cafe racer. No decription, but presumably 850 LeMans 1. ?
Love me a 'Guzzi. Spent 4 years building my Aero Cycle Car kit (Morgan 3-wheeler tribute) using a donor 1000cc motor, rear wheel and bevel drive from a mint '89 'Guzzi LeMans 5. Sold it in 2015. I so miss that V motor's racket.
Privately imported this '03 Kawa Drifter 800 ('49 Indian tribute) into the UK from Tampa FL last year. Super-low miles (2855). Absolutely pristine on account of spending nearly its whole life in an a/c'd garage. Bargain, at about a quarter the price of a new Indian equivalent - and way more dependable I'm guessing. Despite not being stood over a drip pan, it's never shed a single drip of oil on the carpet during my ownership.
Even without the Covid restrictions, been virtually housebound now for coming up to 8 years, spent as sole carer for my darlin' wife Jen who was diagnosed with dementia back in Oct 2013. Can't imagine life without a few motorized bicycle or motorcycle 'art installations' sharing our living space.
Even without the Covid restrictions, been virtually housebound now for coming up to 8 years, spent as sole carer for my darlin' wife Jen who was diagnosed with dementia back in Oct 2013. Can't imagine life without a few motorized bicycle or motorcycle 'art installations' sharing our living space.
Beautiful photo of your Drifty! These Drifter 800s are super rides. Some nights I don't even bother turning the TV on and just stare at mine instead. Love it! Those aftermarket pipes (Hard Krome?) make a helluva racket compared to the underwhelming sound of the original 2-into-1 system.
Owned a 1500 Drifter for a while back in '09 and I have to say I prefer the 800 in every way. Especially looks wise with its psuedo rigid frame that better suits its vintage tribute vibe.
I can hear it but not see it.
Monkeybusiness!
I went from 150 Lambretta motor scooter to a Yamaha 180 twin Street bike to a Kawasaki KZ900. Even though I had ridden a friend‘s Honda 750, that was quite an eye-opener!
Over the years I’ve also owned a Honda 350 XL dirtbike and a Honda CM 450 T touring bike.
Currently I’m putting off changing the clutch on this Kawasaki 1500 Nomad. This is a 2003 with 50,000 miles on it and when I was working I rode this back-and-forth every day for five years.
I don’t have any good photos of it on my phone so I’ll have to post up something better.
I went from 150 Lambretta motor scooter to a Yamaha 180 twin Street bike to a Kawasaki KZ900. Even though I had ridden a friend‘s Honda 750, that was quite an eye-opener!
Over the years I’ve also owned a Honda 350 XL dirtbike and a Honda CM 450 T touring bike.
Currently I’m putting off changing the clutch on this Kawasaki 1500 Nomad. This is a 2003 with 50,000 miles on it and when I was working I rode this back-and-forth every day for five years.
I don’t have any good photos of it on my phone so I’ll have to post up something better.
Here’s Baggins the Nomad, right after coming out of the shed from winter hibernation.
I should be fixing the tight clutch instead of building these custom bicycles, but the excitement level has waned.
There wasn’t enough chrome on this motorcycle but I had to go and add more.
I’ve had 7 motorcycles and this one longest of all. Baggins has been with us since Aug 15 2003. Over 18 years. I have turned every wrench on this bike myself and it has never been inside the Kawasaki shop once after the day I purchased it.
I should be fixing the tight clutch instead of building these custom bicycles, but the excitement level has waned.
There wasn’t enough chrome on this motorcycle but I had to go and add more.
I’ve had 7 motorcycles and this one longest of all. Baggins has been with us since Aug 15 2003. Over 18 years. I have turned every wrench on this bike myself and it has never been inside the Kawasaki shop once after the day I purchased it.
This was my ‘76 KZ 900, the first bike that I ever did a major custom job on. This probably scared the pants off of somebody before me, because I bought it used from the Harley Davidson dealer With a crappy sissy bar and a nice TNT racing exhaust system for $1995 with only 2000 miles.
Changing that exhaust system lightened the bike a lot, but it also affected the handling. If you were brave enough to weather through the very mild 100~105 mph headshake (!) it would turn 135 smoothly. If you hit a pebble on the asphalt at 135 you would be airborne for about 10 yards.
It’s a little difficult to tell but it’s been raked, goosed, stretched, lowered and extended. It has welded t-bars. HD rear rim and big Chen Shing.
Eventually it also got a HD type steel early style rear fender and a side mount cat’s eye tail light and license plate.
Better photos of Baggins:
These were taken a while back. Maybe 2010. I was over 200 pounds.
My little granddaughter is an adult with a job now.
Changing that exhaust system lightened the bike a lot, but it also affected the handling. If you were brave enough to weather through the very mild 100~105 mph headshake (!) it would turn 135 smoothly. If you hit a pebble on the asphalt at 135 you would be airborne for about 10 yards.
It’s a little difficult to tell but it’s been raked, goosed, stretched, lowered and extended. It has welded t-bars. HD rear rim and big Chen Shing.
Eventually it also got a HD type steel early style rear fender and a side mount cat’s eye tail light and license plate.
Better photos of Baggins:
These were taken a while back. Maybe 2010. I was over 200 pounds.
My little granddaughter is an adult with a job now.
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