Two Carbs and Two Mags the Hard Way

I've been hesitant to post the progress pics of this project... I had to undo quite a bit of "already done" heads in order to make these parts live and work together. But here's some pictures (for the two of you that come on to this blog) of the final product- all parts installed, mag's timed, and ready for fire. This one has been sitting in my showroom for about a year now. I was waiting on a supplier to provide the Magneto Drive that would go in the generator hole. Things led to things...months slipped by... but ultimately it showed up. On Christmas Eve, no less! It's quite a cute little unit- it has an AC alternator built in, spinning at generator speed and then there is a gear reduction via a timing belt to slow everything down back to cam speed. That gear reduction provides an offest to clear the magneto. Very elegant unit, and it sure does beat the COMMITMENT I have made in the past of carving the gearcase up to fit a drive chain for a "mag-in-the-genny-hole" Of course this unit didn't quite fit the Delkron cases in this project. Don't matter.... I've got the ways and the means (and the blessings from above) to be able to put my hands into this object and make it useful.

  Watch a clip of me checking the magneto timing here

Some stainless chambers for the ba-ding-ding

A while back, when I was doing the H2++, the conversation swirled around the "boy it would be awesome if_____________"... lines where we fill in the blank. One of those lines was a set of really nice stainless chambers. At the time, I knew *where* to get them from, but they were awfully expensive. So, the bike was done, and the set of Factory Pipe chambers we had were hung on. These were defineitely a performance improvement from the factory pipes, but were not ideal. we accepted that and down the road we went. I continued to monitor the source, and lo-and-behold around Christams time of last year, these were now 50% off. Yep, thats right- A complete set of Jim Lomas made in the Czech republic stainless chambers with our choice of mufflers (within a small selection thereof) were available, and only one set remained. These were meant to be. "it really ties the room together" super nice fit, and they have double o-ringed spigots to minimize the 2 stroke ooze. Now onto some engine updates this coming off season!

A rundown of Wendy-Oh.

The Giggle Bus

Or, just "the Bus". I've not had a big, wide bike. Nor one with such comfort and provisions to fit stuff. All my rigs are hotrods that you can even fit a pack of gum on. But the wife is genuinely comfortable in that Chair. And it is a well set-up outfit. And I grin from ear-to-ear when we're 'motoring about'

Going to solo-saddle it for sure, and I have a black center Morris mag that will likely get put on in place of the natural one on the chair, but otherwise she's a creampuff.

The H2++

That's pronounced H2-Plus-Plus. Because she got plussed up in the handling department, and she got plussed up in the braking department.

This one was quite fun for me to do, especially since I have known this bike for at least 25 years and i had never heard it "ba-ding-ding" until early August of 2024. 

I think I started on it in in earnest in February of 2024, and as of Labor day, she is back with her custodian to be enjoyed until the winter. This one will return for warm accommodations, because if you're cold, they are cold too! 

This project was a veritable menagerie of other-than Kawi factory parts, and some non-motorcycle parts in there as well. Plus a few little details I got to whip up with my signature sauce. Spinkle in a few zips, zaps and round parts and we got this little nipper.

We kept it as a go-er not a show-er. Financially, the cost to pretty-up and finish all the bits would have gotten out of hand.... and this one is meant to be enjoyed. So, if you ever get to lay real eyes on it, the bumps and bruises are there and I think she wears them well. 

I really wanted this thing to have a wheelset and tire combo that filled the factory tail section, was performance orientated plus I wanted it to have the outset appearance strongly resemble that of the original silhouette, just tightened up a touch. 

Glad it came out the way it did.

Quick list of some of the bigger mods (if you care)-

Front end is a late model Kawi 636, with stem mods to fit the headstock and a cognitomoto top tree to gain precious trail. Kawi 636 brakes, rotors, wheel. Front fender is a nice little unit off a late model RE and my buddy who owns the bike made u some sano stainless carriers for it.

Motor is still stock internals (for now) with the very end-of-the-road Sudco prepped TM32 Flatslides on new rubbers. UNI filters. Running with the period chambers we had. Muffs were repacked with stranded fiberglass. Oil pump delete from Fast from the Past, running a very safe 32:1 premix.

Tank was sealed with Caswell Dragons Blood, Pingel petcock with no reserve.

Factory wiring was lightly revised to adapt to the new bits, but this machine has all the features present from '75. 

Offset motor sprocket and 420 conversion from Fast from the Past

The rear is where the majority of the mods took place, namely the GS1100 alloy swingarm, and Ohlins shocks. The rear wheel is an 18" magnesium one-of-none unit I found on VFT.org. By all accounts, it was a Hanebrink developed piece. The rear rotor is a front rotor from a Savage, and the rear brake is a front brake off a KTM enduro. Rear master is off a Gixxer. Very few commitments were performed to the H2 chassis, namely only added tabs to the passenger peg braces to carry the rear MC and a small surgical event took place at the headstock to graft in a forkstop feature.

I think it is a great bike to ride and it's also real fun to look at.

Not-so-stock trim

Stock trim

Playin Dress-up

I'm trying to make it less of a floppy door hinge and more like something that stops and turns as well as it goes.  🤷‍♂️