Baby's Got a Pair of New Shoes

Gbrebes

Gbrebes

Well-Known Member
Hey Everybody,

Thought I'd post some pics of my bike with white tires. Little embarrassing posting pictures of the same bike, I only have the one and don't have enough ambition like my friend CCC to build bike after bike.

So I just keep tinkering and tweaking the same old bike. I hove gone back to using a Honda 190 engine, it works really well, just can't rev it too high.

Changed out bike front brake hub for Honda cb100 drum brake. Larger drum, better stopping. Changed rear shimano cb110 hub for vintage Morrow coaster brake hub, not much stopping difference.

Finally, added the Electra cream tires. I like the look, but my concerns about keeping them clean have turned out to be well founded. I went for one ride so far, and the tread that touches ground, has turned black. Not going to sweat it, just be happy with the vintage/dirty look.

Thanks for looking.

Gilbert
 

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Well, I've also just have one.........though it's not near as awesome as yours!! Great look'n ride!!
 
Dirty tires, rock nicks, and oil stains are just evidence that it isn't a garage queen. Wear them like badges of honor. It just goes to prove that you ride your bike and enjoy it.
Great looking vintage ride. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Tom
 
I agree with Tom. Well used tires say loved and used daily and the original white tires did the same thing. I was fortunate enough to have a Dad who was born in 1906 in a very small city that was basically in the middle of no where wilderness so he got to see life up close with out outside influences and he told us about what he saw. The city had a mile and a half of paved road and it dropped of into wagon tracks when it ended.
That road is now part of the Trans Canada Highway. The city was Kenora, Ontario

One of the reasons that there were black tires made was that the pure gum rubber(white) tires were a bearcat to keep clean and they yellowed over time naturally. They learned to mix lamp black, really soot from coal gas burning, into the rubber to make black tires so I was told.

Every one who could own an automobile was the center of attention and as Dad said considerable envy. They often had someone to drive the car for them and maintain it and if not they had to maintain it themselves and scrubbing the tires white or as white as you could get them was a large part of weekly maintenance.
All kinds of tire cleaning compounds and as Dad said he and his brothers cleaned a lot of them for twenty five cents for the four.

I can't imagine that many motorcycle riders in that time were worried about pristine tires. Flats were a much bigger problem and getting a tire off a bike mired in the roads in those days was no easy chore to repair. Dad often talked about a chap that told them he got 5,000 miles out of a tire on his car before it wore out and he never had a flat.

He was laughed at by everyone he told the story to until they found out it was in fact true. Both Mom and Dad said a simple afternoon drive on a Sunday would often produce 2 or 3 flat tires.

I'd ride that beautiful bike with pride and the not pristine white tires and enjoy ever minute of it.

Steve.
 
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Your bike looked great before and does all over again. One of my favorite builds on this forum because it it looks like and is a real rider with so many hand made details.

Some dinks, scrapes, rust and such are now what I think of as the final stage of a paint job. The cream tires are a pain to keep clean so I don't even try.

I've got some dinks, scars and a few dents on meself and am not the least bit shiny. My bikes match is all.

SB
 
Good deal, it's on like donkey kong. Maybe we could ride on bikes a little longer? I'm probably getting too confident, but I have recently been logging some longer miles since the new engine install.

Thanks for the offer homey,

Gilbert
 
Hey Jeff,

I don't think I can make that event tomorrow. Is it the long beach swap meet? If you are going, do you think you can get two passes?

Also are you going to enter your bike in the competition part of the show? I remember we just parked our bikes in the non-completion area last time.

Please excuse all the questions, just want to make the trip happen for sure.

Gilbert
 
Hey, I have a question for ya. I have an old 1955 Briggs B6 S that I am about to use on my bike and I was thinking about shaving the fly wheel blades and getting rid of the shroud. I have heard a lot of people say that it would overheat but as you know we do not ride in a vacuum. How does your engine run with out the added cooling features? Thanks

BTW I am hoping to at least come close to a ride as tight as yours once its all done.
 
I am currently running a honda gc190 engine without the fins and shroud and it does get hot at a long stoplight, but it seems ok so far. I have also run a briggs 5hp with no shroud and shaved fins.

The briggs seemed to get hotter and would sometimes have adverse effects, like a stuck exhaust valve and even a popped valve seat. I would also check the oil every time I went for a ride, because it would loose oil.

I guess it depends on where you are riding. In my neighborhood there is a stoplight every other block, so I get a lot of red lights. If you are in a more rural area, with less extended idling stops, it should be fine. If the bike is moving, the engine is cooled enough.

Hope that helped,

Gilbert
 
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