ballbearian
Veteran Member
Your bike looks more like a motorcycle and will always be more beautiful, no matter how old it is.
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A 1975 CB400F high mileage complete engine rebuild
- Thread starter jensen
- Start date
kbongos
Veteran Member
You have a long commute, 100 miles round trip, probably why you are so good to your bikes. My round trip is only 14 miles and I've been riding the bike lately most days. Almost wish my commute was longer, it's the highlight of my day.
jensen
Veteran Member
Indeed, I must rely on them blindly. I don't how it is arranged in the US, but in the Netherlands, we have a travel expenses reimbursement of 28 cents per km. This means that my reimbursement is 35 euro per day when traveling to the office. A part of that money goes into the fuel tank, around 14 to15 euro's, the rest on tires, brakes and regular maintenance. Since I do everything myself, except dyno work, I only have to pay for the parts. I keep a log with every bike I'm riding, to make sure that the actual costs do not exceed the reimbursement. Normally that is 140 euro average per week (I go normally 4 days to the office, one day work at home). In one season I travel around 4 months in total to work by bike, that makes around 2240 euro's a year. Around 900 euros to fuel per year, 250 euros in tires and brake stuff, 100 euro's for oil and filters, 50 euro's to cleaning materials like wax etc. In total around 1300 euros per year spend, keeping 900 euros in my pocket per year for other bikes.
In total I ride official 8000 km commuting (more, around 12000 km due to the touristic routes), but 8000 km's are financially covered.
I almost forgot my morning walk pictures :
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ballbearian
Veteran Member
Yes, this is the part I look forward to regularly and you sharing your experiences on the road and shop.
All the careful accounting is very interesting and unique, I doubt there are many that will balance the money spent on transportation in a practical way with the enjoyment of experience.
jensen
Veteran Member
In the past I worked for another company, small, not having company cars. When I had to ride to my costumers, I used my own bike, a 1998 XRV750 Africa Twin (still regret I sold it), and put 260,000 km on the odometer. More than 230,000 km for the company, for, at that time, 23 cents per km.
jensen
Veteran Member
Found a few pictures:
Summer, winter, rain, heat, I've seen it all on my AT. I took it everywhere, I stranded only once but was able to recover the issue and got home (starter relay short circuit due to heavy rain shower).
For work, I traveled to Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and probably to a few other country's as well.
Every winter I did maintenance, like on the picture below, taking lots of parts off, cleaning, and replacing fluids, checking and cleaning wire harness, electrical contacts etc.
And if you look carefully, you see the CB400f standing behind the Africa Twin, the picture is taken 16 November 2011, 13 years ago.
Summer, winter, rain, heat, I've seen it all on my AT. I took it everywhere, I stranded only once but was able to recover the issue and got home (starter relay short circuit due to heavy rain shower).
For work, I traveled to Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and probably to a few other country's as well.
Every winter I did maintenance, like on the picture below, taking lots of parts off, cleaning, and replacing fluids, checking and cleaning wire harness, electrical contacts etc.
And if you look carefully, you see the CB400f standing behind the Africa Twin, the picture is taken 16 November 2011, 13 years ago.
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ballbearian
Veteran Member
A very impressive twin for sure. Was fuel consumption fairly reasonable?
jensen
Veteran Member
Over 315.799 km, an average mileage of 20,30 km/liter. Because I used the bike for work mostly, a good administration was mandatory. This sheet has lot's of information, including all costs over the years. Every fuel stop is administrated, the amount of fuel, odometer, date, time, year, and much, much more. There are huge graphs of mileage over the years, showing everything I wanted. I can add some of those graphs, but I don't know it's even interesting. It's soooo much data over 13 years. (an average of 24.000 km/year).
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That converts to 47.75 mpg. 
jensen
Veteran Member
Yes, indeed, forgot to convert, thanks !
btw, because maintenance is also documented over the whole period, I am also able to tell which tires were working, what fuel gave a higher mileage, and which not (for this bike), which oil was better than others as well (by analyzing the oil and filter in combination with wear), etc, etc.
I still make choices based on that data, until others proof with data that I'm wrong. I had severe discussions on a dedicated forum for these bikes, not many believed that this Honda Twin did over 315.000 km without issue's.
btw, because maintenance is also documented over the whole period, I am also able to tell which tires were working, what fuel gave a higher mileage, and which not (for this bike), which oil was better than others as well (by analyzing the oil and filter in combination with wear), etc, etc.
I still make choices based on that data, until others proof with data that I'm wrong. I had severe discussions on a dedicated forum for these bikes, not many believed that this Honda Twin did over 315.000 km without issue's.
My only familiarity with the Africa Twin was riding with a friend a number of years ago and watching how well his bike handled and how fast it was for its size. I was absolutely impressed with the bike, though it is not really the style I'd prefer.
Most people do not maintain their bikes anywhere near the level that you do.
jensen
Veteran Member
Not my style either, but since I bought the bike for a purpose (commuting and costumer visiting), I looked at other things:
- Since covering High Way was mandatory, lane splitting is common and necessary, so I the bike should be small (not wide), so BMW off the table....
- I'm tall, and I want to sit straight up, with my legs in a 90 degree angle, thus seat height needed
- I want to look over the cars before me (safety), added to the straight up position, the bike should be high
- Reliability is very important, thus Honda or Yamaha (so BMW and all English bikes of the table)
- Power delivery should be nice and constant, so a flat torque curve would be preferred
- Maintenance should be easy, and doable myself
- No need for high top speeds, 60 to 70 HP is more then enough
- Protection for wind and rain, so a fairing would be nice
- Mileage should be good, preferably above 20 km/l, in combination with a large fuel tank
- Good brakes, preferably double disk in the front
All the above requirements lead to two bikes (around 1997), the Yamaha Super Tenere or the Honda XRV750 AT
I rented both bikes for a day, and choose the Africa twin, mainly for the power delivery and the overall balance of the bike.
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AndrewJK
Veteran Member
Beautiful cohabitation example between Dutch efficiency, passion and art. I was not aware, that You have travelled to Poland by bike...
jensen
Veteran Member
Long time ago, to the Philip Morris Factory factory @ Krakau.
jensen
Veteran Member
O, almost forgot, pictures:
Started with the moon as my guide in a grey and foggy morning, Autumn is coming soon !
Always a nice sight, a beautiful build !
Almost home, the sun showed up. Riding the bike to work was chilly, next week I probably need my heated gloves (with battery's, since the generator of the CB400F or the CB450 K0 are not capable to deliver the power)
Started with the moon as my guide in a grey and foggy morning, Autumn is coming soon !
Always a nice sight, a beautiful build !
Almost home, the sun showed up. Riding the bike to work was chilly, next week I probably need my heated gloves (with battery's, since the generator of the CB400F or the CB450 K0 are not capable to deliver the power)
AndrewJK
Veteran Member
I was working opposite side of the street next to old factory location.
jensen
Veteran Member
The world is a small place
My bike wants to go home, it's peeking through the window of my office
jensen
Veteran Member
kbongos
Veteran Member
Nice pics Jensen, the cobweb one and morning haze very nice.
jensen
Veteran Member
One of the last pictures of this summer, next week, rain, cold and grey. Hopefully I can take the bike a few times to work without getting too wet.
I made a list of things that I need to fix on the CB400F after this season, thus soon in the workshop.
- Add a right-hand mirror, since the original mirror was loose in the holder.
- Aftermarket rear suspension, these Showa's are too old to be safe (some people say that the CB400 suspension was bad from the start)
- Refresh fluids (engine oil, front fork oil and break fluid)
- New rear tire, this tire is done
- etc.
It's nice to see that around a crop field there's is always an area for wild flowers. This is to attract insects, but it's also a nice view.
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jensen
Veteran Member
Many times I rode by this Grand Cafe near the harbor of Lelystad, but never stopped for a drink. But, since this seems to be the last beautiful late summer weather, I stopped for a drink. It was hot in the sun, with the motorcycle gear on, so an ice-cold tonic was a pleasant break. And since I had to take the helmet off to drink, a rare selfie.
And enjoying the view, what else ?
241 km in total today, makes a grand total of 12.540 km this year on the CB400F. The bike runs smoother and better every day, a sign that the running in is almost completed (due to the usage of synthetic oil, running in takes much longer). The bike developed more and more power over the season, especially from 6500 rpm-ish to the red line. When I take the shortest route to my work, there are over 15 traffic light, and every time I have to stop, I enjoy pulling away full power, (almost) red lining the bike in the first 4 gears, untill the bike hits the 110 km/hr. It's eager to cross the red line if not paying attention.
This week, the clutch started to slip when hitting this area, completely unexpected, going up-hill in combination with a strong headwind. Time for new plates and springs,, since I didn't replace them while rebuilding. It's also a change to take off the clutch cover, and the oil pan, to see if everything is good.
But....., how much I enjoy the CB400F, I miss the character of the twin on this kind of back-road rides. So, next season, more twins again, and to be more specific, the CB450 K0 and K2 or either the dream or CB72.
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ballbearian
Veteran Member
The maintenance of our spirit, by stopping to embrace the goodness in our lives and world is necessary as well. I think I see that in your face.
kbongos
Veteran Member
With the suspenders and gloves showing, it appears you take your riding gear serious. That makes perfect sense as you put on a lot of miles, or should I say kilometers, on these bikes. I put very few miles on my bikes, but always wear helmet, gloves, jacket to try and stay safe. Looks like you have some beautiful country to ride with lots of variety in scenes.
It is fun to race up to speed on these machines. I'm not fond of getting behind slow cars. Windy roads are the best. Sounds like you must put on some highway miles. I don't do much of that lately, the wind at high speed seems to annoy me more. Something a fairing might help with, have you tried using a fairing? I have not, but when I start doing some longer highway trips I could see where they could be helpful to avoid all that wind blasting at the head for prolong periods. Another thing I think might be nice for longer trips would be some comfortably positioned extra set of foot pegs up front to stretch and work the legs. As I get older it seems the legs cramp up more.
It is fun to race up to speed on these machines. I'm not fond of getting behind slow cars. Windy roads are the best. Sounds like you must put on some highway miles. I don't do much of that lately, the wind at high speed seems to annoy me more. Something a fairing might help with, have you tried using a fairing? I have not, but when I start doing some longer highway trips I could see where they could be helpful to avoid all that wind blasting at the head for prolong periods. Another thing I think might be nice for longer trips would be some comfortably positioned extra set of foot pegs up front to stretch and work the legs. As I get older it seems the legs cramp up more.
jensen
Veteran Member
Yes, I do, I wear a full-face helmet, leather gloves, a Stadler All-Along Pro Goretex jacket with chest protection and trouser (https://www.stadler-proshop.nl/shop-gelamineerde-gore-tex-motorkleding-dames-en-heren/page/2/), airbag vest and safety boots.
Yes, indeed, the only thing missing is hills, it's all as flat as a pancake. Actually, the largest part of my commuter route is located on the former bottom of the sea, Flevoland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flevoland).
The speed on highway's is around 100 km/hr between 6.00 AM and 7.00 PM. Often I'm late when I go home, and after 7.00 PM, the maximum speed on the highway is 130 km/hr (80 mls/hr). Normally I go 10 km/hr faster than the max speed to overtake cars all the time (btw, 140 km/hr (86 mls/hr) on the GPS is 150 km/hr (93 mls/hr) on the speedo). When the traffic is low, and I have a good view over the road before me, I do short sprints to 165 km/hr (102 mls/hr). I never missed a fairing, the seat position on the CB400F is sporty, so the air pressure is in balance with the weight of the body on your arms. However, I do like the idea of "high way steps", but I think it's dangerous because the rear brake is harder to reach quickly if needed.
kbongos
Veteran Member
I do look forward to some long leisurely cruises in the future. I'm about a year out from retirement(I am 63). This USA is a big country with lots of roads to get lost on, with GPS and cell phones there is no worry about getting too lost. Living in the suburb of a large city the traffic is heavy, I don't like riding on the freeways or busy streets around here, too much traffic to worry about. So I take the bike to work a lot(about 7 miles from home). For that I am buzzing thru residential and side streets mostly that do not have too much traffic, slower speeds.
I would love to have the time, head out into the country, find some lesser used windy roads, explore. My CM450 will be my long distance cruiser. Take some trips into WI, the state I grew up in. Stop at Scrambler Cycle some day off Hwy 8 and say Hi. I don't see myself wanting to cruise too far in this country, but some people are into it. A pool playing team member puts on many thousands of miles on his bike a year, a newer larger cruiser. Places like Alaska. I can't see myself doing that, but some shorter runs, like a few 100's of miles would be good, off the main highways.
In my youth I had a CB500 4 banger and did take that on some longer trips. I recall putting my feet up on some added front pegs, on back pegs, up on top of the turn signals at times just to stretch out the legs. So I like the idea of some front pegs at just the right position, strongly mounted, to stretch those legs. Don't think I would want a big fairing, but I suppose if caught in the rain those might be great. Perhaps a small windshield just to keep that 80MPH wind from the face. And maybe a full face helmet with a decent clear shield is enough. I wear full face but never use the shield, use a pair of clear glasses. My helmet shield is tinted, old and scratched up. I should see what I can find for replacement shield for that, preferably not tinted.
I would love to have the time, head out into the country, find some lesser used windy roads, explore. My CM450 will be my long distance cruiser. Take some trips into WI, the state I grew up in. Stop at Scrambler Cycle some day off Hwy 8 and say Hi. I don't see myself wanting to cruise too far in this country, but some people are into it. A pool playing team member puts on many thousands of miles on his bike a year, a newer larger cruiser. Places like Alaska. I can't see myself doing that, but some shorter runs, like a few 100's of miles would be good, off the main highways.
In my youth I had a CB500 4 banger and did take that on some longer trips. I recall putting my feet up on some added front pegs, on back pegs, up on top of the turn signals at times just to stretch out the legs. So I like the idea of some front pegs at just the right position, strongly mounted, to stretch those legs. Don't think I would want a big fairing, but I suppose if caught in the rain those might be great. Perhaps a small windshield just to keep that 80MPH wind from the face. And maybe a full face helmet with a decent clear shield is enough. I wear full face but never use the shield, use a pair of clear glasses. My helmet shield is tinted, old and scratched up. I should see what I can find for replacement shield for that, preferably not tinted.
RobMan
Veteran Member
Sounds like there is a road trip in your future. Start planning it now and make it happen.
crazypj
Veteran Member
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You get around a bit, and, get some of it paid for.
That can't be beat
I remember fitting a LEDAR carb kit and doing air filter modifications on a Yamaha Super Tenere 750 not too long after they came out (I was 'service manager' at a Suzuki/Yamaha dealers)
Transformed it from a barely 117mph (speedometer indication) to a genuine 137mph bike (owner got a ticket 221Kph while on vacation in Holland, 1984~85?)
He was quite proud of it even though the fine was high.
That can't be beat
I remember fitting a LEDAR carb kit and doing air filter modifications on a Yamaha Super Tenere 750 not too long after they came out (I was 'service manager' at a Suzuki/Yamaha dealers)
Transformed it from a barely 117mph (speedometer indication) to a genuine 137mph bike (owner got a ticket 221Kph while on vacation in Holland, 1984~85?)
He was quite proud of it even though the fine was high.
jensen
Veteran Member
Interesting, because in the Netherlands there are way more accidents on back-roads, residential streets and side streets then on the highway. But if you have an accident on the highway at speed, the consequences are / can be far worse. However, having said that, I did some driving in the US as well (car), and I have to say that I understand you. It seemed that people are chancing lanes without warning, and I was missing a sort of organized structure. I won't say that we have a perfect organized structure on our highway's, but it feels much safer, but maybe I have that feeling because I'm used to the Dutch traffic.
In the Netherlands, there is also a difference between riding during the week and in the weekends. I try to avoid riding in the weekends as much as possible, and if I ride, I'm very precautious. In the weekends, there are many drivers that are either scared or overconfident, under influence of alcohol or drugs. There are also a lot of elderly people on the roads, they lack sometimes traffic insight or slow reaction speed toward unexpected situations. And there are the younger guys, with their GTI's acting tough and showing off.
The most dangerous time to ride is Friday afternoon between 12.00 and 18.00 hr, end of the working week (the last Friday of the month is actually even more dangerous), when people go home, after having some beers at the company, and hurry home because they forgot the time and don't want to miss diner.
Richard Pitman
Veteran Member
I recently read that in the UK, the most dangerous time to be on the road ( based on accident statistics reported by insurance companies ) is between 15:00 and 16:00 in term time on weekdays, when the school run home is in full force, drivers distracted by their passengers.
BTW, how elderly does one have to be, before being described as an 'elderly driver' ?
BTW, how elderly does one have to be, before being described as an 'elderly driver' ?
jensen
Veteran Member
Older than me ?
No, just kidding, elderly driver is not really a description of age, but more a description of how one is able to understand traffic and react to it. For some this is early 70s, for some late 80s.For example, my father, who is now 86, had to hand in his driver's license last month (he failed for the yearly test), for him a personal disaster, but for the community (and me) a relief. During his test, he failed on 5 things, merge onto the highway with a way too low speed (30km/hr), almost pushed a cyclist into a canal, not giving priority to a bus, etc. In short, not able to be a full-fledged road user and thus a danger on the road.
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jensen
Veteran Member
Another day on the bike, got wet on the way back, somewhere in the middle of the route, but could store the bike dry in the garage. The mileage is getting better and better, today I got 20km/l.
Just a little over 2 euro per liter (or 8,97 USD/Gallon) Shell V-Power, ethanol free.
At the gas-station in Kampen, around the corner of the office.
Just a little over 2 euro per liter (or 8,97 USD/Gallon) Shell V-Power, ethanol free.
At the gas-station in Kampen, around the corner of the office.
We complain here about gas prices, clearly it could be a lot worse.
jensen
Veteran Member
What is the price of ethanol free gas in the US per gallon ?
Regular gas (with ethanol) here in west central Florida currently averages about $3.30 per gallon. Ethanol-free 90 octane is about $4.15 a gallon near me.
kbongos
Veteran Member
The riding season is winding down. I woke up, and it was chilly and I wimped out and drove the car. Maybe tomorrow. The discussion about the old age driving is funny, there are a lot of us getting older crew here. As my mom said, getting old is not for the feint of heart. Hey, in todays age, your old dad can take ubers, probably not much more expensive than owning a car.
I almost got in an accident last week going to work, my fault to a good degree - I had left the blinker on and approaching a sharp corner someone was exiting a parking area, I slowed down, thought they were stopping, then they started going again out of the lot at me, had to skid to a stop. Looked at them, they waved their fingers to try and explain I had the blinker on indicating, I guess to them, I wanted to turn into the lot.
I blame this to some degree on the old blinker switches on these old bikes, all manual, with worn out center off positions. I have no idea what a new bike does, but I would guess they turn off automatically after a turn like a car does.
Concerning highways, I suppose with controlled exits and entrances, it may be safer than random country roads Mostly it just annoys me the traffic in and around the city, people think it's normal to drive 10 feet behind you.
I almost got in an accident last week going to work, my fault to a good degree - I had left the blinker on and approaching a sharp corner someone was exiting a parking area, I slowed down, thought they were stopping, then they started going again out of the lot at me, had to skid to a stop. Looked at them, they waved their fingers to try and explain I had the blinker on indicating, I guess to them, I wanted to turn into the lot.
I blame this to some degree on the old blinker switches on these old bikes, all manual, with worn out center off positions. I have no idea what a new bike does, but I would guess they turn off automatically after a turn like a car does.
Concerning highways, I suppose with controlled exits and entrances, it may be safer than random country roads Mostly it just annoys me the traffic in and around the city, people think it's normal to drive 10 feet behind you.
bilbikek411
Veteran Member
Richard Pitman
Veteran Member
Shell V Power petrol is currently £1.559 ( 1.87 Euro ) per litre at our nearest Shell station. I don't think that is ethanol free over here, may contain up to 5%, rated as E5 fuel. Until recently, Esso Synergy E5 was the last 100% ethanol free UK petrol, but apparently even that is no longer ethanol free.
I use Shell V Power diesel in my car, at £1.599 per litre, not for any mythical performance gains but for the additive package. Modern diesels, with AGR valves etc, are notorious for getting clogged up, and I'm hoping that this fuel might help mitigate this.
I use Shell V Power diesel in my car, at £1.599 per litre, not for any mythical performance gains but for the additive package. Modern diesels, with AGR valves etc, are notorious for getting clogged up, and I'm hoping that this fuel might help mitigate this.
Richard Pitman
Veteran Member
We UK pensioners get free bus passes, travel free all over the country, after 9:30 am. However, there are rumours that our new government are poised to cancel these. They've already stopped the pensioners Winter Fuel allowance, which has caused some anger over here. My bus pass came in very handy for getting me to and from the local Ford garage when my car was in for repairs.
jensen
Veteran Member
That's more than half the price I have to pay here. The (mayor) only difference in price is related to taxes
The fuel pumps and streets look very clean where you are.
Maybe due to the high taxes on fuel, that our government are keeping the streets clean
Early morning walk, chilly, no more than 10 deg Celsius (50 deg fahrenheit). Due to the morning daw, lots of cobwebs visible everywhere. Half an hour later the clouds came in, the start of a gray day with showers around 16.00 hour until midnight. I was glad that I could be witnessing the sunrise this morning.
btw, except from the glare when taking shots directly into the (sun) light, I'm amazed about the quality of the pictures and the balanced lighting in these difficult situations. I'm using my Iphone 13 Pro when going out for a walk, and hardly miss by Nikon full-frame SLR camera. The only thing I miss with the Iphone is not having the possibility to use optical zoom. Another thing is the complex manual mode in terms of operation.
Here a few pictures made with my analog SLR, and digital SLR. I think it would be possible to make these pictures with an Iphone or other brand phone, but with the SLR and long range lenses it's easier (yes, a long, long time ago I owned a Harley, build the bike out of boxes, rode it a few thousand km's, and decided that I wasn't a Harley guy):
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jensen
Veteran Member
No matter how good my Digital SLR is, I have good memory's with my Analog Nikon F3 loaded with B/W Ilford film. I had this camera with me when I made my (one-year, one way) motorcycle journey (Yamaha XT500) to Ceylon (nowadays Sri-Lanka), somewhere in the late 80's, beginning 90's The interaction with people with a large camera in hand is different. This picture is taken on the streets in Bombay (Mumbai, nowadays). I still have to digitize most pictures from that time, a task I'm not looking forward too, not that I don't like doing it, but when I'm busy, I think about that moment I took that picture, or the situation or at that time and that place, and then I start to feel old and getting a sometimes a little depressed.
It was a time that there weren't risks, danger wasn't a word in my vocabulary. Safety was something for the elderly. Living on the streets, eating street food, sleeping on the streets next to my motorbike (yes, I got very sick a few times, including typhus), spending no more than 20 USD a day on food, fuel and sleeping, and that was an average over a year !
It was a time that there weren't risks, danger wasn't a word in my vocabulary. Safety was something for the elderly. Living on the streets, eating street food, sleeping on the streets next to my motorbike (yes, I got very sick a few times, including typhus), spending no more than 20 USD a day on food, fuel and sleeping, and that was an average over a year !
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bilbikek411
Veteran Member
Such Very Nice pictures:thank youThat's more than half the price I have to pay here. The (mayor) only difference in price is related to taxes
Maybe due to the high taxes on fuel, that our government are keeping the streets clean
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Early morning walk, chilly, no more than 10 deg Celsius (50 deg fahrenheit). Due to the morning daw, lots of cobwebs visible everywhere. Half an hour later the clouds came in, the start of a gray day with showers around 16.00 hour until midnight. I was glad that I could be witnessing the sunrise this morning.
btw, except from the glare when taking shots directly into the (sun) light, I'm amazed about the quality of the pictures and the balanced lighting in these difficult situations. I'm using my Iphone 13 Pro when going out for a walk, and hardly miss by Nikon full-frame SLR camera. The only thing I miss with the Iphone is not having the possibility to use optical zoom. Another thing is the complex manual mode in terms of operation.
Here a few pictures made with my analog SLR, and digital SLR. I think it would be possible to make these pictures with an Iphone or other brand phone, but with the SLR and long range lenses it's easier (yes, a long, long time ago I owned a Harley, build the bike out of boxes, rode it a few thousand km's, and decided that I wasn't a Harley guy):
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More good pictures, as always.
Not only am I surprised to learn that you owned a Harley, but knowing you to the extent that we do I'm even more surprised that the picture of the shovelhead engine is backwards.
jensen
Veteran Member
Forgive me, I was 18 or so, together with a friend we build this thing, the color was mint green, as I remember. Backwards, yes, that's because I developed the picture myself (at that time, in a dark room, the negative must have been up-side down in the magnifier). There was a time that I did develop my own photo's.
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The black and white look is fine, but I did suspect the negative was upside down when the print was made. I did a little bit of black and white photography in high school and used the school dark room and their enlarger as well, and it's an easy mistake to make. But I also worked on Police Harleys during that era and immediately noticed the points cover "#1" was reversed, along with that side of the engine obviously not being the left side.
jensen
Veteran Member
Sharp eye !, I have also a few color pictures of that time, somewhere, mint green fuel tank. But why were you surprised that I had a Harley? At that time, these were cheap, especially in parts, and incomplete. The year was, as I recall, 1984-1985, and everybody wanted fast Japanese super-bikes and the Japanese Harley clones, mostly from the US, grey import.
I didn't like the Harley's, too much troubles, especially at higher speeds and longer trips, the oil pump wasn't up to it's task as I remember, and with the oil at that time (and what I could afford, not a good combination).
It was a time that me and a friend of my had lot's of fun with mopeds and bikes. He went into English and Italian bikes, I went for Japanese. Sometimes we ride together, but unfortunately, the rides where he in participates are English bike / brand only.
They may have been cheap in your country, but they've never been cheap here. For a long time while working on them for the Police garage, I wanted to build a shovelhead the way I envisioned one. But, I could never find one in any condition for under $2000, and I could buy a wrecked Gold Wing or CBX for not much more than half that amount. So I never did, and when I briefly had that Heritage Softail a few years ago it was much too large and heavy so I sold it.
In the end, we both made the right choices.
jensen
Veteran Member
Funny, how things differ from country to country. The fuel is half the price for what we pay here, and Harleys (were here) cheaper. btw, that time is gone now, Harley's are expensive, no matter what year, what model, and technical state they're in.
jensen
Veteran Member
This is how I know what pictures I have, I do have sheets with the negatives as positives on a sheet, two sheets per film roll. This sheet is from a trip through Thailand, on a rented "motorbike". We, my then girlfriend (still the same) along the Mekong river somewhere above Chang Rai. The Mekong river is the border between Thailand and Laos. We both rode a bike, in the pictures my (young) girlfriend. This was a year or two after the Ceylon over land trip, an in this case flying to Bangkok, and traveling through Thailand for 8 weeks "on a shoestring" (backpacking).
A few years later I took my girlfriend to India, a country I traveled 3/4 of a year, but she hated it. I have to say that we encountered problems that I never experienced traveling alone (people tried to assault her a few times). We never experienced that in Thailand, or other country's we've bin in Asia.
These sheets are in high resolution, I blew-up one picture, and still have a reasonable quality, but with dust and dirt. I could take it away digitally, but I rather digitize the original negative.
A few years later I took my girlfriend to India, a country I traveled 3/4 of a year, but she hated it. I have to say that we encountered problems that I never experienced traveling alone (people tried to assault her a few times). We never experienced that in Thailand, or other country's we've bin in Asia.
These sheets are in high resolution, I blew-up one picture, and still have a reasonable quality, but with dust and dirt. I could take it away digitally, but I rather digitize the original negative.
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kbongos
Veteran Member
The Ceylon over land trip for a year, that must have been quite the adventure. When I map that out it looks like quite a long distance with lot's of 'interesting' countries in between. You must have come back a changed person. You say it was one way trip by the bike, was that by plan or just circumstances? Google tells me it is 8,323km(over 5K miles). That's a long time to be in the saddle. I'm guessing there was no plan, just a great adventure. Did you sell the bike down in India? You could probably write your own Zen book.
jensen
Veteran Member
After graduation as a Physics Engineer, there were no jobs, unemployment rates were high, especially under starters. I decided to do what I really wanted to do, instead of waiting home for better days.
I gave away the bike, or what was left of it, and bought a ticket home. Sometimes I regret that decision, but it took a year to bring the bike to Ceylon, and shipping back was complex and expensive, not worth the trouble at that time in my life (and as an unemployed student, money was an issue as well). I did grind the frame numbers away, and kept the license plate with me (still have it !), and reported the bike as stolen to the local police (I needed the paperwork for the Dutch administration to clean the title). I can tell it now, it was 30 years ago (I did not claim for insurance).
Did I change ? I don't know, if you are that young, your character is still growing, so part of the process. Am I different due to that trip ? Probably yes....
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