Cafe Bill surfaces...

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cafe_bill
XJ Enthusiast
XJ Enthusiast
Posts: 774
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:28 pm
Location: Seal Beach, CA

I guess after my brief flurry of posts yesterday, I should step up and actually introduce myself. I was on the “old” Seca forum from Day 1 with the screen name of Sportieboy. That forum was started by a member of my own SecaTwo Yahoo Group. (and my SecaTwo Group sprang from my own discontent with the owner of the really old SecaIITalkList that started, I think, on GeoCities.) I resisted the idea of the forum myself, but it has turned out to be the more popular format for discussion groups.

I’ve owned my ’92 Seca II since it was new. I think I paid about $3100 for it brand new… It was the first new motorcycle I ever bought and I still have it. Over the years I married a woman who was into Harleys and we each expanded our points of view; I bought her a Ninja and I bought myself a Sportster. We kept adding to the collection until the marriage was over, and unfortunately she ended up with the GB500 and the RD400 Daytona Special...

I really fell for the Sportsters and they became my primary focus. Flat out awesome bikes... None of mine are what anyone pictures as a “Harley” and I’m the least “Harley guy” around. (How many Harley riders wear Aerostitch suits?) My Sportsters have all been transformed into café racers: rear-sets, clip-ons, good suspensions and great brakes.

Mostly because of the Sportster connection, I delved into Buells, logging over 45,000 miles on a ’98 S3 Thunderbolt. Beautiful bike with a penchant for self destruction and the only bike I ever named; Marilyn... Someday I'll track down a good deal on an XB9R and try and find room in the garage for it.

Then again I'm also on the lookout for a good deal on one or two Ninja 250's to tinker with.

I used to be more prolific in the online motorcycle world but found it cut into my garage time too much. I still own two Sportster focused Yahoo Groups, a local SoCal group focused on all bikes and the previously mentioned SecaTwo Group. I also used to organize a lot of rides in SoCal, but that too just became too time consuming and these days it’s down to one three day rally that a buddy and I that organize each year. Well, last year would have been our eleventh year, but we never set it up. Guess we’re just getting old and lazy…

Through it all I never could let go of the Seca. She’s my “old reliable”, always there in case what I wanted to ride was down, always ready in case a buddy needed a bike, etc. Today she has about 56,000 miles and I’ve decided to tinker with her a bit more. I’m currently adding dual front disk brakes plus wheels from a late model FZR600. Not sure yet where I’ll go with the suspension. I’ve tried a variety of shocks and fork set ups over the years.

In '07 I bought a new FJR1300 and it instantly became my daily driver. After shreading the front tire at 90 mph I decided to stop commuting daily on her and joined a vanpool. (Not to mention getting rid of the stress of 6,000 miles a year spent splitting lanes on SoCal freeways.) The FJR currently has over 42,000 miles on her.

Anyway, I tend to post about things I’m passionate about, primarily brake and suspension setups. I fabricate most everything on my own. I’ve done a lot of aluminum (though I’m not a machinist) and carbon fiber. Back before carbon fiber became cool and commonplace… If I could weld I'd be dangerous. I'm a designer by trade, an architect, but started out thinking I was going to be an automotive stylist. So I tend to have opinions on design...

I tend to pipe up mostly when I disagree with someone’s advice. I’ll no doubt irritate someone along the line… The only rule I have in my own motorcycle groups is “No Attitudes" and while I (try to) remain loyal to my own rule it doesn’t always come across that way. My apologies in advance…
Bill
'07 FJR 1300
'02 Sportster
'97 Sportster
'96 Buell S2
'89/'95 Sportster
'92 Seca II

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