1975 Honda CB125S Brat Seat Foam and Gas Tank

Got a little work done today. Stripped and cleaned up the tank and got the seat foam glued on and shaped. Need to get a couple things before I can start sewing the seat cover but will hopefully get it done this weekend.

1975 Honda CB125S Brat Tachometer Plug

I think I've decided to run sans gauges. Really just for the clean look, not for any practical reason. With that in mind, I needed to plug the tachometer hole in the motor. I keep scraps of aluminum around for just this reason. I chucked some up in the lathe and got my dimensions.

Got my initial turning done and scribed some lines to locate the groove.

I drilled a 1/4" hole in the middle and then left a lip at the top to make it easy to get out.

Once I tried to fit it, I realized that the motor clearance would not allow me to have a lip on the top so I had to remove a little material. Put a little sealer on it and installed the new plug.

1975 Honda CB125S Brat Headlight

I've been really struggling trying to figure out what to do for a headlight. I knew that I wanted to use the original if I could but after looking at the options for headlight mounts, I wasn't satisfied and knew that I'd have to make my own.

I took an aftermarket mount for a CT70 that I had around because it never fit any of my bikes. I took two of the clamps off and bored them out on the lathe to 27MM to fit my CB125 forks.

I then took a piece of 3/8" rod and drilled and tapped each end to fit the 6mm bolts from the headlight mount.

Next was how to actually mount the headlight. I had some flat bar around the shop so I took a piece of that and put in on the roller until the radius matched that of the headlight bucket. I knew that if I just welded it to the rod it wouldn't have much contact, so I cut out a center section so I could sink it in a bit and get more contact.

After welding the two pieces together, I took a flap disc to the inside to smooth it out and just improve the look a bit. It's not super pretty but it didn't cost me any money and only took a couple hours to make. That's a win in my book.

Bolted the headlight to the mount and I've happy with the way it turned out. Still have enough room above to mount the speedo and it's not too complicated. Throw some paint on it and I think it'll be pretty slick.

I'm happy with how the bike is turning out. I've only spent $40 on parts so far which has got to be the cheapest I've built a bike. I'm going to be making a custom aluminum tail light on the lathe so stay tuned for that. After that's done, I'll do a post on shaping my seat foam and sewing a nice leather cover.

1975 Honda CB125S Brat Rear Fender and Bars

Time to start on the rear fender. I had planned to use a Triumph front fender on the rear however after thinking about it, I liked the idea of using the original fender and just cutting a section out of the middle, grafting it together and throwing on there. Here's how I did it.

Started with taping off where I wanted to cut both on the front and rear of the fender.

Holding the two pieces together by hand to see if I like where it sits. Looks good to me. Time to slap some weld on there and throw it on.

I welded a piece of flat bar across the hoop and drilled a couple holes to mount the fender. I like that it sits a little longer than the average brat/cafe bike. Don't want a dirty stripe up my bike while I'm riding in the wet.

My  bars also came in today. They were a bit wide so I cut 2" off each side.

1975 Honda CB125S Brat Front Fender

You've got to just keep plugging away at the little things. Had a free hour today and thought I would tackle the front fender. Most of the bikes I've built don't have front fenders and it's never been an issue except when in the rain in Portland in February. Doesn't take much of a fender to keep the spray out of your face so full chop ahead.

Grabbed the sharpie and roughed out what I wanted.

Went to town with the angle grinder and what was once 1 piece is now 3.

Trimmed it up a bit. Sanded the ends to even it out and we're good to go.

1975 Honda CB125S Brat Seat Pan

The seat pan is pretty much done.

I started with a piece of 18 gauge sheet and roughed out the shape of the seat pan.

I then annealed the sheet metal to make the middle soft where I would bend it to shape and also annealed the edges so I could round the edges to fit the radius of the frame.

Next I tacked the front portion of the original seat pan to the piece I made. I then made paper templates to box in the front of the seat pan, finished welded the whole thing then hit it with a flap disc to smooth it all out. As far as attaching it to the frame, I have become a believer in the industrial type plastic velcro. I know it sounds ridiculous but I've used it in different places on several builds and the stuff is amazing. Something like 1 inch of it ill hold 10lbs. I'll put a couple strips on the side and 1 in the back and it should be good to go. Guess the next step is shaping the foam.

1975 Honda CB125S Seat Hoop Brat

I can't guarantee this bike won't be ugly. I guarantee it won't fast. But it should be fun to ride and I'm sure it will find itself at home in Portland.

So the goal with this bike it to make it a little brat style thing. Why brat style you ask? Well, because it's the least amount of work and won't cost me much money.

I started off with my favorite thing, stripping the bike down. Out came the bandsaw and I hacked away on the frame just behind the shock mounts. Grabbed a section of 7/8" DOM and bent a little hoop, held it on there with one hand, closed my eyes, and welded it on with the other.

I think I'll be chopping the front section off the original seat pan so I get the little section that goes up and over the gas tank mount, then I'll cut out some 18 gauge to finish it up. Will post pics as I get the work done.

1975 CB125S

Well the gang is getting ready for The One Show in Portland again this year. We've learned a couple things over the years. Since we are riding cheap little garbage bikes, an extra bike is a must. With that in mind, I picked up this little CB the other day. Before it goes under the knife, I'm working with an awesome wiring diagram made by NRCB125 from dotheton.com and seeing where I can cut out even more for my build. You can see his original diagram HERE.

Places For All Your Fabrication Needs In Boise Idaho

I don't think I have any readers of my blog in Boise and since it's been a couple months, I'm sure I've lost whatever readers I did have. That being said, I was out today buying some 7/8" bore 2 piece lock collars and was thinking about how it took me several years to find all the sources around Boise for all my fabrication needs. That's the point of this post. I'm going to share all my sources, as obvious as they may be so that hopefully when the day comes that I get a follower from Boise, I can save them a bunch of heart ache and time finding the places in town to buy the stuff they need to finish their project.

Let's start with steel.
There are several places to buy steel in the Treasure Valley however, all suppliers are not created equal. I remember a day when I was at Ace Hardware and paid 3 times what it would cost me for equivalent tubing at Pacific Steel. So you have all your normal places, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Lowes, Pacific Steel... What do all these places have in common you ask? They are over priced and limited in what they sell. Here's the secret. The only place for your steel, aluminum and brass needs that you should go to in Boise is Gem State Metals. Really helpful staff, good prices, will cut, shear, bend and even plasma cut for you.

Gem State Metals
5220 N Sawyer Ave, Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 855-9200


From steel, let's move on to hardware.
Oh, we already know where to go for hardware! No you don't! As your needs and specialties change, so should the stores you go to. We all know that we can go to the box stores for basic hardware. But I would argue the majority of their supply is geared toward construction and home. The best place to go for basic, chrome and stainless hardware both metric and standard is Thriftway/Ace Hardware. They have a huge selection and you'll be hard pressed to not find what you're looking for. There will come a time though that you need something that doesn't fit the mold of what Ace supply's. When that time comes, go to Tacoma Screw Company. You can walk in there and tell them you need some random specialty fastener and the majority of the time, they will walk to the back and return with the piece you need.

Thriftway Home Center / Ace Hardware
4705 W State St, Boise, ID 83703
(208) 342-1668

Tacoma Screw Products
Boise, 2230 S Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83709
(208) 378-0560

Now at this point, maybe you've completed a lot of fabrication on your Jesse James West Coast Chopper mini clone but it's time to hook up that front brake lever to your custom length girder front end with a mini caliper. There are lots of places online to order a number of lengths of brake hose but you don't want 6" of extra hose flopping around. What do you do. Naturally, you head to Alternative Hose Inc. / Andy's Supply. These guys will make any hose you want, in any length with any fittings while you wait. They are a huge supplier and I have yet to walk in and not walk out with my random length custom hose with a standard fitting on one side and a metric on the other.

Alternative Hose Inc.
1051 Boeing St, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 344-3568

Look at you! Your just built your first bike! You did a little welding, a little cutting, a lot of bolt on parts and some custom oddball stuff. Now you're moving on. You bought a nicer welder, you picked up an old lathe and an air compressor. It's time to build something that will really tell the ladies, "look at me, I'm compensating!" The only problem is that you have the tools to start but you need argon, cutting tools, flap discs, filler rod, drills, taps, buffing wheels, polishing compound and on and on and on... Boise may be the most isolated urban area in the United States, but that doesn't stop it from having the suppliers you need. The below list may have some or all of what you need or you may need to go to each store. Either way, there's some great stuff to be found. One of the best fabrication hidden gems in Boise is Idaho Machinery Company. They refurbish a lot of old and new large fabrication equipment including lathes and mills. You may not find a lathe that will fit in your garage there, but they sell taps, end mills, drill bits and lathe tools by the pound...cheap! They have a ton of other stuff as well but the above mentioned tools are what I normally shop for there. Norco is your best bet for all your welding needs. Cylinder exchanges, welding masks, gloves, tips, filler rod, hoses. It's all there. While there are many places to buy tools, like Harbor Freight, quality tools including grinders, flap discs, polishing stuff, and other specialty tools will be found at Tacoma Screw. I have flap discs from Tacoma Screw that I've been using for years.

Idaho Machinery Company
507 E 46th St # 1, Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 375-7098

Norco
1125 W Amity Rd, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 336-1643

The last category I want to mention represents a group of parts that can be awfully hard to find and when you do find them online, you are often left guessing if they'll fit because you can't compare to what you already have. Bearings. Bearings can be a real hassle to find. Especially if you are like me and often combine metric and standard parts. McGuire Bearing Company is awesome! I have gone in there so many times with random bearings I need to find a replacement for. They look in their catalog, head to the back and return with what I need. There have been times when I have stumped them with an odd request, but they were always helpful in finding alternatives that would suit my needs. In addition to bearings, I go there for other random stuff like lock collars, so if it has to do with a machine, they're a great resource.

McGuire Bearing Company
1053 W Amity Rd, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 342-2281

I've listed some broad categories of supply above, but realize there will also be a lot of crossover. I've received the best welding advice from Gem State Metals, I bought cutting oil for my lathe at McGuire Bearing, I buy o-rings and snap rings from Tacoma Screw. I think you get the point. Go in to these places and have a good look around. You never know what you might find.

Hope this helps. This represents 6 years of building stuff in Boise for me.