I have a couple fully restored bikes and custom bikes…I like them all :smile:
But those that know me know I am partial to the “survivor” type bikes. There aren’t many Flexos around to begin with… seldom, if ever do you see one with its original Iridescent Blue paint. I decided early on I was gonna do whatever I had to do to save this one.
I look at survivor bikes as if they have a spirit to them…I think some of that spirit gets lost when they get sandblasted, powder coated …re-chromed…new seat. . Maybe it’s just me, my mind is wired differently than most….but I think there are a lot of members on here who understand.
I consulted Tracy Geiger (JTG) before I even got started…he’s one of, if not the resident OldMiniBikes expert on Flexos . I also studied the Flexo of George Holz….he still has his WB 610 powered Scrambler he bought new in 1968…good guy he helped me with a lot of the important small details. I looked at every Flexo ad and picture I could find...
Every nut, bolt ,and washer that was on the bike was kept original…even if it was ugly. I just wiped everything down with a kerosene soaked rag ….The brake and throttle cables were frayed in spots so I smoothed them down and wrapped them in electric tape. I soaked the rusty chain in naval jelly and massaged a fresh coat of oil into the links. Somebody tack-welded the key into the jackshaft gear…I figured they had a reason… so I left it.
No touch- ups, polishing or plating allowed on this one.
Original 5” Go-Power wheels, General tires :
Original Rear brake assembly and sprocket.:
One of the “big letter” AMAL grips was torn off,,,,Ebay is loaded with reproductions or different variations. It took me months to find a nice original that was a perfect match.
Next I sourced a killer untouched vintage WB820 with 40 years worth of beautiful patina on it. :drool: THis was the factory 10 H.P. version!!
I took the motor out of the box and bolted it in…didn’t even blow the dust off it!
West Bend script aluminum mount and stuffer plate :
The correct “ Rev-Grip” steel shoe clutch….
The recoil was missing , so Mark “Scooterboy” Franzen dug through his stash to find a perfect match early version with the correct rotation.
Gotta thank 8-Ball Kenny...the original seat was real nice except for a couple of splits in one side….he don’t like to repair seats, he likes to make nice new ones, but I bribed him into fixing it for me $$$$$ :deal: and it came out awesome!
Then I got lucky again…..member Drheilman had the original chrome tank he took off his Flexo :drool: (he built a custom tank instead) and he was kind enough to send it to me…NO CHARGE!! …many thanks to him :thumbsup:
But those that know me know I am partial to the “survivor” type bikes. There aren’t many Flexos around to begin with… seldom, if ever do you see one with its original Iridescent Blue paint. I decided early on I was gonna do whatever I had to do to save this one.
I look at survivor bikes as if they have a spirit to them…I think some of that spirit gets lost when they get sandblasted, powder coated …re-chromed…new seat. . Maybe it’s just me, my mind is wired differently than most….but I think there are a lot of members on here who understand.
I consulted Tracy Geiger (JTG) before I even got started…he’s one of, if not the resident OldMiniBikes expert on Flexos . I also studied the Flexo of George Holz….he still has his WB 610 powered Scrambler he bought new in 1968…good guy he helped me with a lot of the important small details. I looked at every Flexo ad and picture I could find...
Every nut, bolt ,and washer that was on the bike was kept original…even if it was ugly. I just wiped everything down with a kerosene soaked rag ….The brake and throttle cables were frayed in spots so I smoothed them down and wrapped them in electric tape. I soaked the rusty chain in naval jelly and massaged a fresh coat of oil into the links. Somebody tack-welded the key into the jackshaft gear…I figured they had a reason… so I left it.
No touch- ups, polishing or plating allowed on this one.
Original 5” Go-Power wheels, General tires :
Original Rear brake assembly and sprocket.:
One of the “big letter” AMAL grips was torn off,,,,Ebay is loaded with reproductions or different variations. It took me months to find a nice original that was a perfect match.
Next I sourced a killer untouched vintage WB820 with 40 years worth of beautiful patina on it. :drool: THis was the factory 10 H.P. version!!
I took the motor out of the box and bolted it in…didn’t even blow the dust off it!
West Bend script aluminum mount and stuffer plate :
The correct “ Rev-Grip” steel shoe clutch….
The recoil was missing , so Mark “Scooterboy” Franzen dug through his stash to find a perfect match early version with the correct rotation.
Gotta thank 8-Ball Kenny...the original seat was real nice except for a couple of splits in one side….he don’t like to repair seats, he likes to make nice new ones, but I bribed him into fixing it for me $$$$$ :deal: and it came out awesome!
Then I got lucky again…..member Drheilman had the original chrome tank he took off his Flexo :drool: (he built a custom tank instead) and he was kind enough to send it to me…NO CHARGE!! …many thanks to him :thumbsup:
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