Also I'm sure some members here will be familiar with my username so hopefully no worries there. Also couldn't find the usual Introduction requirement threads, so hope this will work. Anyway, my name is Lyle and I have been a motorcycle enthusiast since about 1965. They are my main interest, hobby and I'm passionate about it! Took time away from my hobby while raising my family, but jumped right back in by 2005, and have just went crazy with collecting, restoring and showing vintage bikes since. Also love to ride as many as I can as well. My main interest is original Japanese bikes from the '60s up to '75, so yes my collection includes all the versions of Honda 305's. Some of my bikes are projects as well as a few survivors. So I hope you don't mind if I share some pics and stories as well as technical advice later in the appropriate threads.
As a teenager in the mid sixties, one of my fondest memories were the once or twice a year visits when I'd get to go to Shadco Honda/Suzuki/Triumph, a motorcycle dealership in Sioux Falls SD, a town about 50 miles from the dairy farm I grew up on. I would let my Dad drop me off there, while he visited other stores such as Sears and Montgomery Wards. Sitting on the many bikes, and dreaming about owning any one of them was pretty exciting, as well as watching the luckier customers picking up new bikes or just having some maintenance done. When I was picked up later, I'd have a whole bunch of brochures of different models to take home and drool over for months.
Even though times were tough as a teenager in the mid sixties, I still look back on those years as some of the "funnest" times in my life. After getting a ride on one of my older brothers friends Allstate scooter when I was 13 yrs old, I was determined to never pedal again, borrowing Briggs and Stratton motors off of my Dad's lawn mowers, rototillers etc. and placing them into bicycle frames by welding crude mounts, just to get the thrill of powered riding.
I begged my dad for a motorcycle, as many of my friends were already getting caught up in the "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" sales boom. He told me when I had my own money I could buy one. So I literally worked on my dad's farm for nothing, as well as hiring out for about 75 cents an hour to neighbors until I finally came up with enough money when I was 14. I then quickly purchased a bike (C200 Honda) from a mechanic neighbor and brought it home. My dad immediately told me I couldn't have it, because I was not old enough for it! He called the PO and had him come and take his bike back. That wasn't part of the agreement I thought we had. But anyway I only had it for less than a day.
After a rough 6 months, my dad finally gave in and let me buy a used Honda S65 and the fun began. I enjoyed riding with my friends as well as touring later on, when I got increasingly larger bikes, just to get away from it all. Finally in '76, when the first of my 4 daughters was born, I sold the bike (a Suzuki GT550) I had at that time and focused on raising my family. In '05, when my youngest daughter finally finished college, it was time to get re-acquainted with riding again. However I soon found out that the new bikes, although technically much more advanced, held no interest for me. So I decided to re-connect with the models I used to own and enjoy. In a couple of cases I actually found the exact bikes after going through several owners. Not long after that, I decided I wanted to get all those models I used to sit on and dream about as well. It didn't matter if it was a 50cc starter bike or a 4 cylinder road burner, I loved them all!
Now that I'm retired, I wanted a separate work shop where I could house some of my collection, and do the needed maintenance as well as complete restorations. I get asked many questions about my collection, such as how do you insure them, what's your favorite, which is the fastest etc. As well as the more negative comments, such as why do you need so many, you should let somebody else have them so they are ridden more, etc, etc. So I won't be surprised by any comments here either. All I'm really trying to do, is live my dream and do my part to preserve the bikes that I enjoyed growing up with. Original restoration and survivors are my only interest. Sorry, but I won't go into what I think about cafe's, bobbers or any customization, that involves cutting up and destroying a bike.
So onto my shop. I was trained as a mechanic early in life at a Diesel and Automotive trade school. However that career didn't last long, as I soon found out it wasn't much fun working on other peoples vehicles. I only moonlighted for extra cash as needed. I now will only work on my own bikes, because too many times before I've used my hobbies for extra money and all too soon those hobbies weren't fun anymore. So I built my shop specifically for the purpose of housing and working on just my own collection.
Here's my work area. I have two lifts for performing anything from minor maintenance to full restorations.
Me finishing up some electrical work on a Suzuki T250-II Scrambler.
Another view toward the work area. A mezzanine is also for parts storage.
Here's a line of mostly Honda's.
Some smaller '60s Japanese bikes.
A couple of early '60s Suzuki's out front. Yeah, I do have some smokers as well.
Of course the grand kids love to go for a ride when they can talk me into it.
Yes, you could say I'm enjoying my retirement!
So there's some pics of my "cave". No way could I get everything into a few photo's but that's a portion, since some more are on display in other locations. Some days I'm content to just relax in there and have a cup of coffee while admiring the many different machines, like fine art. Other day's, like yesterday I completely dismantled, bagged and labeled an entire Honda CB92 that I'll be sending out for media blasting and paint.
Since there looks like a place for a build thread on this model, I'll go ahead and post one.
