Wow! Expensive!

[Trigger]

Well said that man.

[bike-pusher]

I do hope that's a reply to my post.  I do also hope that the character who claimed that his mate worked for me makes a gracious apology.....

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

That we will have to see.Ok trust you the once got anything for a 750?
Cheers
Bitsa

[Trigger]

Yes Neil, it was a reply to your post. I have a few bits from you, found them top quality and my customers were very happy to have them fitted to there bikes. Keep up the good standards.

[AshimotoK0]

Great for you to join us on here 'BikePusher', I only wish more suppliers would join us too. I am sure there must have been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line 'cos we are a friendly bunch on here  . Are you the person (Neil) featured on the 400/4 in this months CMM Mag? If so the article was a bit confusing as David Silver was mentioned in the RH corner of the article so not sure who photo was taken of ? Not surprising though because they once featured my 400/4 and Mark Williams said that I was restoring a rare CB750 'sandcast' too, which I was not, it was a K0.
Blooming expensive job getting the little 'uns through Uni . ..... tell me about it I am on the final leg after three going there!

Cheers .. AshD

[bike-pusher]

Dunno about this month's CB.  I've worked for CB, CMCM, Bike and many others for 30 years, but have wound that down now, to concentrate on the business.

I restored a few bikes for classic mags, and had bits left over, and I've always been a 400F fiend, so it sort of grew from there......

I find there are three types of customer: (1) The ones who just want to keep an old 400F on the road, and aren't too worried about originality, though they want to keep it looking more or less stock (2)  The ones who want to get one as stock and good as possible, but are aware of costs and don't want to spend £4000 on a restoration (which is easily done) and (3) The ones who are building them to be absolutely 100% 'correct': replating original nuts and bolts, and getting stuff restored to as new when NOS stuff isn't available.

This last lot often have several bikes on the go at once.  One of my customers is aiming for 'one of each' - a blue one, a red one, a yellow one and a maroon one.  Money is generally no object to these types.

There's actually a final type, but very rare: the ones who are aiming to build one entirely from NOS parts.  For these guys, who I think have an endearing form of OCD, it's not actually the end product that matters, but the thrill of the chase.  Like stamp collectors.  Or, as a friend suggested, the thrill is in the hunt, not the kill.

Now, my 1978 CB750F2 is legally back on the road for the first time since 2008 (to go by the old tax disc), it's out of the garage, the chain is lubed, and I'm taking it to work.

[AshimotoK0]

Great reply. The mag is Sept. edition of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics not CB and the guys description of selling parts is almost identical to your description above! Even the bit about selling NOS parts predominantly to Japanese customers!
Please keep contributing...we all appreciate it and can then pass you on to new members as a good honest supply of parts. Luckily I restored my 400/4 in '86 just when David Silver was still working for Sondel and  got his first stash of parts to sell in MCM and Honda slashed its exhaust price to £100 (less clamps!). I owned every shade of 400/4 'back in the day' and commuted to work on them every day from late '77 to '85 until my Parakeet Yellow one was stolen from work, whilst I was away on a business trip, that unintentionally resulted in an overnight stay.

Cheers... AshD

[bike-pusher]

Ah.  That might be me, then.  It's hard to keep up sometimes.