Here's a picture of "Martha Stewart," my '72 Honda CB450K twin. My dad and I got it running for him to ride a few years ago, but he decided he wanted an older Nissan Z-car instead, so I got the bike. I am getting it back into street condition after a year and a half in dry dock, and have replaced the rusted out stock seat with the homemade solo seat you see in the picture, made from a plywood base, some of my stock seat's foam and an old farm coat as a cover. The custom-dented gas tank (one side from an accident with the former owner, one side matched by me with a rubber mallet) and sidecovers are roller-painted with a free sample of concrete warehouse floor paint I intercepted as it was headed for the trash. The stock pipes have several patches I welded on on the undersides, which seem to be holding. I hope to replace the bars soon with some slightly flatter ones, and try gearing it up slightly to reduce the cruising rpm by a few hundred. But the main goals for no! w are a new tire and chain, a new cable or two, rear brake shoes and license renewal. It's only got about 15,000 miles on it, so I plan to be riding it for awhile.

Ben Niven

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