Excelsior

 I'm starting this as an excersize in laziness. I have a couple of project bikes, which are tied to various forums. It is an utter pain in the arse typing up and putting in pictures 2-3 times, so I'll put any progress here and link it.
Above is the bike that pushed me to this: an early 30's Excelsior 125.
For anyone who's interested (hi mum!), I'm a recently qualified machinist with an unhealthy amount of old bikes, varying from tatty to utterly f*cked (above picture sums that up quite nicely!). The shiny thing above was my first classic bike (second bike after a much-abused honda CG125, which Dad now has), a 1970 BSA Bantam. Bought it as a rolling frame, then got bored for 2 years and cafe racered it. The build was documented on www.classicbikeforum.com (before and after the bauergrinch fiasco). It'll crop up occasionally, still a work in progress until I find a powerband within it...stop giggling!
Fourth bike (after a D14 banny I sold last year) was my much loved, slightly modded and well used honda CB400/4, another rolling work in progress (and due for MOT next thursday, eek!). I also have a very scruffy BMW R100RS for touring, a Kawasaki KH250 project and the little excelsior. There's some others kicking about but that'll do for now.

So, this excelsior. Bought it off A10 Newbie from the Realclassic magazine messageboard (http://www.realclassic.co.uk/messageswide.html). Pure chance I saw it-I only go once in a while at the moment, with overtime and a house to finish off I've barely time to scratch my arse. I've been after a rigid/girder pre war bike for ages, but the prices are ridiculous, until this came along. Bought in a job lot of bikes found in a field on the Isle of Wight, Mr Newbie has been selling on to good homes. I got a good price on it, so I will try and justify his faith in me.

Look how tiny the controls are! The whole thing makes my bantam look like a bloody lorry. I intend to do it up mechanically, and ride it to work for a bit. Cosmetics will wait, unless I get carried away. I love the look of oily rag stuff, but some of this rot is going to be terminal if left forever. Probably won't get ripping into it straight away, got Kwak and part of the shed to sort first.

Talking of the kwak, here is current progress for those on the KH owners board (http://kawasakikhregister.myfastforum.org/). Micron pipes with bellies resprayed in wickes finest stove black. Was a matt colour, but polished to a lovely satin sheen with an old t shirt. Not had them warmed up yet though. This bike will be H2 purple, cos triples can be as purple as they damn well want, done to a good standard but not conkers or very original-period boy racer look where unobtanium bits are needed. You don't really care about standard indicators when riding it.

 

Final pic from the excelsior...think the moths have been at it! Strange, I Dad hasn't even been near it never mind opened his wallet nearby. Took it off to compare measurements with a talisman twin tank on fleabay. Sadly not a direct swap, do you have one hidden in a sock drawer?