Bike Projects

1953 IMZ M72

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Cobbled from parts off who knows how many machines. Picked it up in Sofia, then towed it back across BG in a blizzard.

First real road dirt this bike's seen in awhile....

Scruffy.
Rust never sleeps.

Paint, powerwash, polish & new shiny bits.
Re-upholstered monkey seating

Filler with a few bits of metal holding it together.

August 2006

6 months of work, ready to roll again.

1961 Ural M61

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The Great Frankenbike Resurrection

No registration so screwed around with this thing for years, "finished" & sold in 2013.

Scavenged the parts for other bikes. Wound up with just the frame and engine.

In 2011 or so I decided to do something with it; got a new frame and some boxes of parts from RO through general horse trading...
Stripped the engine down completely, crank is still good so put in new bearings.

...pistons & rings.

Stripped & repainted frame.
Showa forks

Rolling chassis.

Engine back together & mounted
...and it's starting to look like a bike again.

Ignition

Lacing the Wheels
First Mockup

Bar controls, bar end turn signals, fancy assed mirrors.

Sleeping on the job.
Final (?) product...
New Foilhead

1982 Dnepr MT11

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Ongoing Project

I picked up this bike at a good price, she's a bit tired but in good shape. Been sitting outside for awhile. My intention is to use it as a solo for the gatherings in Romania, so the mechanical condition takes precedence.

Obligatory BMW wannabe sticker.

This appears to be a water cooled engine...
Rebuilt top end.

Valves are shot.

Rebuilt heads.
New cylinders.

Rebuilding the harness.
Original K-65 carbs, before and after rebuild.

I've decided to do a "rat" theme with this bike, and fell in love with the beat to shit look of this old M72 tank. I'm not going to paint it, just weld up the holes and oil the exterior to keep it from rusting further.

The interior is a bigger concern. After doing some research I've decided to use electrolysis (process here) to get the rust out then coat it with tank sealant.
Electrode is a clean steel rod inserted through a plastic rattlecan cap and bent so that it won't come in contact with the tank itself. Filled the tank with a solution of 2 tbsp. Sodium Carbonate to 1 gal. water, using my battery charger as a power supply at 12v/2a. Negative to the tank, positive to the electrode.

After 24 hrs iron oxide is steadily transferring from the tank to the electrode. Unlike acids this process is non-destructive: it replaces the rusted metal with steel from the electrode so it actually strengthens the material.

results after 4 days.
POR-15 Fuel Tank Sealer.

Tank mounted, custom hand-sewn leather seat from Oyama's Garage

1965 Izh Planeta

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Commissioned Project

It was dirt cheap, it has compression, it has papers. Believe it or not, the infamous Izh 56 was one of the most popular bikes in the world in its day.

It's dirty but it's been stored in a barn and it's pretty much only surface rust. Right side engine cover is gone but I was told it got parked because of electrical problems & is still mechanically sound.

Of course I've been told that before.
A client in the UK shipped this Izh over for a full rebuild. It's in bad shape so I decided to combine the best parts from the two.

Tearing it down & checking the engine.

Sorting the steel from the rust.
Decided to go with the frame from the Planeta 2, results after several hours of the wirewheel.

I'd already done a digital mockup for paint, we decided on a two-tone spray job using something similar to the original factory green.

Side panels after paint, all interiors sprayed with rubberized body undercoat.
Headlamp rebuilt with an original speedometer, new ignition & modern 12v H4 bulb.

Meanwhile all the aluminum parts have been prepped for polishing; there's one guy available in BG to do it, in between his jobs for the Rolls-Royce factory.

Seat fully rebuilt by Danko, a perfect job as always.
Engine is rebuilt with covers from both bikes in order to fit the snow shields. We converted the electrical system from the stock 6v generator to a 12v hybrid alternator/dynamo VAPE setup.

Some pics of the tank after new paint.
The gearbox formerly known as a friggin' jigsaw puzzle.

Parts back from polish, superb work.

Engine & gearbox finally back together again.
Lots of handlebar controls; left to right is the horn/turn signal switch, decompression lever, hi/low beam switch & choke lever, all mechanical.

Battery fits neatly between interior partitions, everything wired up.
She still has some scars, some bits and covers just couldn't be replaced. I'm ok with that, and a new coat of chrome still dresses it up nicely.

Everything mounted up.

Ready for a new home.

1985 Suzuki VS750GL

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This one was actually running and legal when I bought it. Required a serious electrical rebuild and a few mods but now it's the daily rider.

The footpegs were too short so I custom designed a set and had them machined from solid 440 stainless.

Added some leather, those vintage cross mirrors I dig so much and wrapped the shabby pipes.
The seat was pretty much worn out, stripped it down...

...and new upholstery by Danko.

Fresh paint by Valentin Stanev.
36" Santee wide drag bars.

1981 Yamaha Xs11SH

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Ongoing Project

Another tired but classic Japanese machine, this one has some real balls. With an 1101.6cc 4-stroke, DOHC inline four at 95hp, it's the biggest thing I've ever owned on two wheels. I'm investing in new underwear.

I waffled for a long time on whether to go cruiser or cafe style with this, because it's certainly suited for either. I finally decided on a cruiser as it's the most practical for me at the moment.

Luckily the original airbox came with the bike, cone filters are not the answer to everything. I've had bad experiences with quad carb blocks before though- I hope this bike doesn't prove to be a bitch.
I don't like the lines much, the seat is bigger than the tank and it makes the bike look off balance. First thing to go is the grab rail.

The wiring harness is tidy and appears stock except for some signal lines somebody hacked in. Electrics are basic and easy to access.

Tank's going down to bare metal.
I spotted this on a guy's jacket in S�mbata de Sus, Romania last year; I've seen the skull before in some old books of tattoo flash. Anyway, I like the clean lines and dirty old school look.

Did a digital mockup...

And the tank's primed.
Stark and simple graphics: done with nothing but rattlecans and acrylic pens. They're rough but they'll do.

Added some flames in matte black.
Replaced the cracked cam cover.

Gold on any vehicle only worked for Elvis and Jim Rockford. Coarse blasted the rims & shot them with matte black.

1981 Harley XLS Ironhead

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Personal Project

Common sense be damned; decided to buy a classic Harley to ride in Bulgaria. Yes, hardware here is metric and every nut and bolt on the bike is UTS. Yes, almost all the parts have to be shipped from the other side of the planet. Nope, it don't run.

New bars & controls to start with.

Tank's gotta go, too.
Brakes were gone and the gearbox was locked up. Rebuilt the calipers & put in braided steel hoses.

split tank off a jap something.

I wanted to use a flaired fender from an Izh, but eventually had to give up because of clearance issues.
Off to Vali for branding.

Airbrush work & clearcoat.

Custom seats from Oyama's Garage.
And some custom designed luggage.

Custom wrought iron sissy bar by John Dennahy.
Gold on any vehicle only worked for Elvis and Jim Rockford. Coarse blasted the rims & shot them with matte black.

Most recent changes to front end, 7" headlight & 4" risers for a bit more comfort.