The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Are All of the Interesting Motorcycles Used Motorcycles or One Off Specials?

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With all due respect to the motorcycle manufacturers out there, it's hard to name one current or anticipated model that is causing any excitement, but, this isn't a criticism, I understand their predicament. When the economy slows down and few people have the resources to buy a brand new bike, what are companies supposed to do? While a segment of the potential customers will … [Read more...]

Cedric Smith CBR1800RR Follow Up

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If you remember our post from last year about the amazing CBR1800RR by Cedric Smith, a Honda Gold Wing converted into a monster racer/sport touring machine with CBR bodywork and no small amount of garage engineering, there are a lot of much better photos available now. A comment from Marc, included a link back to Everett Powersports where Cedric works. It looks like they're … [Read more...]

What Does it Cost to Build a Motorcycle?

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After the last couple of articles about Ken Fontenot's Honda CB160 and Suzuki GT500, I was thinking about how much money it takes to build a bike that looks really good. A comment on Ken's Honda build represents one point of view, downplaying the results a bit because he figured there must have been a lot of money thrown at the bike. While I'm sure that bike wasn't cheap, a lot … [Read more...]

Suzuki GT500 Cafe Racer – from eBay Daily Rider to Vintage Showpiece

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How many times do you scan the motorcycle listings on eBay, but everything you can afford just seems so plain, not something you would be proud to show off on bike night? We've all done it, you see a bike and know it has potential, but what you're looking at practically fades from view, there's nothing to catch your eye. This Suzuki GT500 should change the way you look at … [Read more...]

1968 Honda CB160 Road Racer from Cycle Sports of Houston, Texas

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We hadn't heard from the boys down at Cycle Sports of Houston for a little while and when Ken Fontenot dropped me a note about a couple of projects they had just completed, I thought I better take a look. Their past work was top notch, so I figured these would be no different and sure enough, the work is gorgeous. The bike featured here is a 1968 Honda CB160, built as a … [Read more...]

Do You Have the Right to Repair and Modify Your Own Vehicle? Should You?

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Yes. Next question? -- Unfortunately, there are those who don't agree and in the past few days the discussion of whether you and I should be able to fix or modify things we own has been getting a lot more attention. Right now, cellphones are the issue, there's quite a debate and some pending legislation dealing with "unlocking" phones so you can use them on any network you … [Read more...]