The Find

 So I knew what I wanted.  I just had to find it.  After trolling the internet, 'Just Bikes', the classifieds etc, for some time, I found the perfect bike.  1 owner from new.  Been sitting in a shed in country Victoria for the last 2 years.  Sadly, the old guy that owned it, passed away a couple of years ago, and his '79 sat, tyres deflated, with a tarp over it, in the 'good shed'. He also had a '77 SOHC, that someone else was looking at to purchase, the exact same weekend, that I enquired about the '79.!  Small world!

Anyways, what more could I want.  No rust to speak of, was running up until, the ol' fella passed.  It was complete, mostly original, and cheap.  SOLD!  So apart from a few dodgey photos used to advertise it, I bought it sight unseen.

So yeah, it has 81,000kms on it, but here's hoping, she is ok.  Looks not bad!

 What now?  Get it to QLD!  Do the ring around, and found a local Brisbane motorcycle transport company called 'Bikes Only'.  Thanks to guys, they brought it up in a jiffy, and I picked it up on Friday afternoon.  I was so excited... D could hardly keep me from jumping up and down.  Below, a pic of CeeBee loaded bound for home. :)

The Idea

Last September, I sat, moping one sunny weekend, with nothing to do. D says to me, "Lets go get you a motorbike".  It had been 5 years since my last bike.  Reluctantly, arm twisted, and forced into the car, I went to the nearest Suzuki dealer, to umm... 'look at bikes'.  Swung a leg over the new 2010 Gixxer 750, in a 'brown' livery.  I call it Coke coloured.  Took a 600 for a squirt round the block, came back with an almighty grin on my face.  That, combined with the fact that the 750 came in the colour of my favourite drink, D said, ".... now get in there and see the finance man mista!" (or something along those lines.... ) And the rest, until a few months ago is, as they say history.  I love my wife.

The Gixxer is a fantastic bike.  I love it.  However, there's something missing.  Is it too good?  Too smooth? Too powerful? Not powerfull enough? Too bone shaking? Not Italian?  I couldn't put my finger on it, but, I found myself pondering a change.  To a new bike, something with 'character'.  I bounced back and forth, from turning the Gixxer into a streetfighter, to a new Aprilia Tuono V4R, to a ....  Needless to say, D grew a little tired of my flibberty jibbert thoughts.  As always, she had a light bulb moment.  "...You need to keep the Gixxer as is, and get a project bike".

HA!  Hallelujah! Thats it!  So... the quest for a project began.  It needed to be tough.  It needed to be 'cool'.  also needed to be uber cheap, and have readily obtainable parts.  And lastly, needed to be desireable on the market.

Long story short. The choice was simple.  An early Honda CB750.   The quintessential 'Worlds first Superbike'. Inline 4.  Decent horsepower (half that of the Gixxer!) Reliable.  Awesome.  Butt ugly.  Everyone seems to do the SOHC models, up to 1979.  A very common Cafe Racer custom platform.  Common, yes.  Goodlooking?  HELL NO!. Ugh.  However...1979 brought a new breed.  The DOHC models.  The bike itself, still butt ugly, but the engine, to me, looks amazing.  Much 'tougher' than the SOHC, and, more horsepower! Done!  I know what I want.

The quest. To do a custom 'Brat style' or 'Tracker' style rebuild.  Ground up.  Bring on the bike - the first of the DOHC's.  A 1979 Honda CB750KZ.