revtothelimit - motorbike forum

1958 Jawa 350 from Brandt Customs

Skub wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 3:47 pm 1958 Jawa 350 from Brandt Customs
1958 Jawa custom.jpg

You can't polish a turd

Yorick wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 4:44 pm

Skub wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 3:47 pm 1958 Jawa 350 from Brandt Customs
1958 Jawa custom.jpg

You can't polish a turd

But you can...roll it in glitter.

Skub wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 4:58 pm

Yorick wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 4:44 pm

Skub wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 3:47 pm 1958 Jawa 350 from Brandt Customs
1958 Jawa custom.jpg

You can't polish a turd

But you can...roll it in glitter.

That's twice you've been funny

The CB550 Four K was probably the worst bike I've ever ridden. It refused to change line - I nearly crashed it within half a mile when I tried to turn left at a roundabout and it tried to go over the top of the island, and in curves it used to go into death wobbles totally unpredictably. On straights too, if it was bumpy. Then the liner on the rear drum split turning it into a lathe so it started costing more in brake shoes than petrol. Tried sourcing a rear wheel, but "they all do that Sir". Fortunately it was my brother's bike and when he bought a VF400F instead, the dealer refused to take it as a trade-in. He abandoned it at the side of the road in Tooting and even the local scrotes wouldn't steal it. It was parked there for months.

Skub wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 1:43 pm

Bustaspoke wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 1:31 pm That brings back memories,a couple of my mate's had CB550's back in the day,I don't recall them having any problems.
They both ended up with Z900's.

There was the usual Honda corporate blind spot of shitty cam chain tensioners,but that's likely to have been sorted by now.

IIRC sometimes carbs out of balance can sound like something far worse.

Me likey.

That's the first time I've seen a Katana & thought ''that looks good',well apart from the lack of an airbox.
A couple of my mates had them back in the day,I never liked the look of them,(The Katana's) but my mates loved them.

The seat looks a bit odd.

The 750/1000/1100 Katanas are all basically the equivalent GSX in a frock, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as they all have more or less the same frame (and so does the GS1000) and they handle well for a late 70s big bike, but they're definitely a big, heavy, old school bike.

Skub wrote: Mon Dec 08, 2025 7:55 pm Me likey.

Katana custom.jpg

Why didn't Suzuki do just that with their own reborn Katana??

Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. Cable operated front disc? Eeek!

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:49 pm Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. Cable operated front disc? Eeek!

The pic above is obviously hydraulic?

Z200 had a cable operated disc brake, was fiddly to set up but worked at the bikes speed (put put put)

Quite a few small Hondas had cable front discs, my CB125T did.

I've only had a couple of Hondas,SS50 then a CB125T,they both had a cable operated front disc.
Never had a Honda since..

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:53 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:49 pm Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. Cable operated front disc? Eeek!

The pic above is obviously hydraulic?

So it is... clearly didn't look long enough- it was too painful.

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 6:48 pm

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:53 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:49 pm Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. Cable operated front disc? Eeek!

The pic above is obviously hydraulic?

So it is... clearly didn't look long enough- it was too painful.

Call me an old fart if you wish, but to me it looks a hydraulic lever set up adapted to a cable disc...look at the lower l/h fork leg.

David wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 7:05 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 6:48 pm

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:53 pm

The pic above is obviously hydraulic?

So it is... clearly didn't look long enough- it was too painful.

Call me an old fart if you wish, but to me it looks a hydraulic lever set up adapted to a cable disc...look at the lower l/h fork leg.

You're looking at a spoke.

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 7:08 pm

David wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 7:05 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 6:48 pm
So it is... clearly didn't look long enough- it was too painful.

Call me an old fart if you wish, but to me it looks a hydraulic lever set up adapted to a cable disc...look at the lower l/h fork leg.

You're looking at a spoke.

There is obviously a cable coming away from the lever....and why would you have aspoke on the outside of the fork leg......