Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

much in the way of vintage events in the area between now and then . So, I gave him a concrete answer. "I'll call you." The phone call came in a panic less than a week later . "Rick, CRC has added a vintage class to one of their Grands Prix at Los Angeles County Raceway a week from Sunday. How close to finishing the bike are you?" "Ah, not ve ry . It' s all apart right now." "Well , I hate to do this you, but it's my only cha nce to race the bike. Button that thing back up, and I'll be there to pick it up a week from Frid ay. How' s tha t sound?" Grumble, grumble. Click. I met Doughty at Vintage Iron once ag ain on the afo rementioned Friday. On ce there, he led me past the shop into a room full of bikes, coming to a stop in front of what appeared to be showroomcondition Elsino re. . , "So where's the bike?" I said with what I'm sure appeared to be an ignorant look on my face. "You're looking at it." The tran sformation that the bike had und ergon e w as u n r ea l, rese m b li n g something fa r d ifferent fro m what I'd rolled into the shop on two flat tires little mor e th an two-weeks earlier. The bike had been strip ped to th e fram e, which was reinforced in several areas before reassembly. Vintage Iron completely rebuilt and revalved the forks as part of its "Ground Control" suspension package, adding the firm's " Full-On" 23-pound fork springs and low friction fork seals while a pair of Works Performance shocks dressed up the rear end, Doug hty and Co. had also sweetened up the motor by mo difying the head and cylinder to the same specifications used by Gary Jones 10 win the National MX title for Hon da way back in 1973. The stock filter was tossed . In its place was a Vintage Iron G.P . filte r. And a 38mm Mikuni replaced the stock Keihin mixer, wit h all spent exhaust gasses exiting through a Vintage Iro n Works expansion cham ber. Up top, the cockpit was bro ught up to date by adding new chromol y handleba rs and swa p ping the stock controls in favor of all new controls including a sidepull throttle, dogleg levers and a standa rd kill switc h to replace the "off-ru n-off" stock switch. Aesthetic touches to the bike included a completely restored ta nk and seat rep lete with Vintage Iron's replica fenders and bod y work. After Doughty helped me load the bike, I was merril y on my wa y to Northe rn Californ ia to cove r a speedw a y eve nt. Little d id I know, but the week- (Above) Visually, Vintage Iron's handiwork end would play host to the most gruelcan clearly be seen here. The stock fuel ing 48 hours that I've experienced since tank was In bad shape , but Vintage Iron signing on at Cycle N ews, as all of the completely removed the dent and restored ta rdi ness that I usually reserve for my the tank to good-as·new cond ition. (Left) daily trips to the office came to bear. I The motor was the recipient of a new top was late in getting back to Los Angeles end . Lack of fire was cured by replacing from Auburn, California. [ arrived at the coli. Vintage Iron ported the cylinder to 1:00 a .m. , then loaded all of my gear the same specs as Gary Jones' National before passing-out in the sack only to be Championship-winning '73 Honda works awakened by the annoying bleep ing of bike, and added a 38mm Sudc o Mlk unl my alarm three hou rs la ter. My love affair with the snooze button carried me carbo (Below left) Re-valved and re-sprung well past the acceptable time to dep art forks virtually eli minate headshake and Improve ride quality. (Below rig ht) Works Performance shocks are one half·l nch longer tha n Engine cradle gusseting '., $80.00 stock 10aid in turni ng th e Pipe mount reinforcing $40.00 bike but retain the same . Rig ht footpeg reinforcing $25 .00 amount 01 rear wheel Fork revalving , $75.00 travel. ,,,rhat the cost: Vintage Iron low friction fork seals $19.95 Vintage Iron "Full On" fork s prings ' $49.95 Works Pe rformance s hoc ks ' $239.95 $29.95 . Bronze swinga rmhushings . .' V intage Iron G.P:air filter ': .: ' '.$24.95 Head modification : ' -: $25 .00 : $150 .00 . 'Cylinde r porting . .. • _. . : ; 38 mm S udco Mikuni carburetor : $135 Vintage Iron "Works" pipe , $16 9.95 Countershaft sprocket (14 tooth) $19 .95 . $59 .95 Rear sprocket (50 tooth) Tsu baki 520QR chain $39.95 . MIS spark plug cap ' _ $7.95 S ide pull throttle kit .: $29.95 Vintage Iron chromoly hand lebars ..... . • . .. .$29 .95 Dogleglevers , $24.95 Kill button . : . . . .. . . . . . . . . •. . , $7.95 Teflon cables ' : ,$19.95 $7.9 5 Grips ' -.. ' $49 .95 Vintage Iron molded seat foam Vintage Iron logoed s eat cover ... . . . ..• . .. . .$39 .95 Vintage Iron front tender . . ..'. '.. . . . . . . . •. .. .$49 .95 Vintage Iron rear fender : . . , ., $49 ,95 Vinta ge Iron side panel kit $59 .95 Vintage Iron numbe r plate backgrounds $9 .95 Ta nk and side pan el decals $10.00/$19.95 ",rho a ' oooa call? Vintage Iron ' 4774 E. Carmen . Fresno, CA 93703 . 209/252-9053

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