Pinch your nose and dig deep for your best North Eastern accent and say this word with us, “Tim-oh-nee-um.”
Now, we know at first you’re thinking it’s some sort of pandemic that has the potential to wipe the Earth clean of all it’s two wheeled devotee brothers and sisters to the cult of speed and desire of all things two wheels and although plenty of people on the other side the tracks would wish for that, it’s not. It’s actually the exact opposite…
Picture this, if you will.. Two 35,000 square foot warehouses full of everything and anything you ever have and ever will require to feed your addiction of custom motorcycles. Custom Oldschool Vintage Choppers and Bobbers, Dealers onsite from the likes of Triumph and Harley Davidson out showing their support for the growing custom scene, The Cafe Racer TV Crew including Dime City Cycles, Loaded Gun Customs and a hand-full of other builders, The high-end “AMD’esk” Custom Builder Scene, and just about any old school NOS part you could ever need for both domestic and foreign motor-sickles care of the largest swap meet to ever hit the East Coast.
To good to be true, right? No sir and it get’s better still..
There’s going to be at least 45,000 other like minded folks there with their bikes, their crews and their ideas to share in and help cultivate the next generation of custom garage built speed machines. Is there really a better way to spend your weekend? Walking through over 50,000 square foot of the best the motorcycle world has to offer with your buds. If you ask us, it sounds like heaven!
Join the entire Dime City Crew along with our sponsors and partners and help us share Cafe Culture and everything great about The Ace, Rockers and riding fast on our air-cooled Vintage Speed Machines with the rest of the world of custom and garage built motorcycles. We’re taking over an entire section larger than a 10 car garage with some of our fellow builders and will have Cafe Racer & Dime City merchandise onsite, parts to Ooogle instead of Google and as always, because we love you…
We’ll be GIVING AWAY TONS of awesome FREE SWAG and PARTS! Digg it!
Checkout the digital flier below; save it to your desktop, email it to your friends, post it on your BLOG, share it on Facebook and Twitter, print 1,000 copies and paper the streets with it! Do whatever it takes to get the word out, this is going to an epic event of Cafe Racer proportion and DCC wants you to be there to kick the tires with us and make some memories in 2012!
Stay tuned for more information in the weeks leading up to the event! And if you haven’t already, get your copy of Lowside Magazine today by [CLICKING HERE!] If it wasn’t for them this speed-baked coffee sippin’ kickin Cafe party wouldn’t be happening!
[Click Here] to visit the full info page on Lowside’s Website! For information on becoming a sponsor or partner/vendor for the event email rich@lowsidesyn.com directly for details. Just be sure to tell him Dime City sent you!
Location Information:
Timonium Motorcycle Show
Maryland State Fairground – Timonium, MD
February 10th -12th, 2012
Website: http://www.marylandstatefair.com/
[Click Here] for Directions!
Hotel Information:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
2004 Greenspring Dr.
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 252-7373
Reservation Cut-off: Jan 16th 2012
Single or Double: $95 Per Night
Holiday Inn Timonium
9615 Deereco Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 560-1000
Reservation Cut-off: Jan 26th 2012
Single or Double: $79 Per Night
[the dime city "four hundred" built for season 2 of Cafe Racer TV]
As featured in Velocity’s Season 2 of Cafe Racer TV the Dime City “Four Hundred” our desire with building the four hundred was to not only resurrect another long since forgotten pile of rusted motorcycle parts, but to pay homage to the gods of speed. Throughout the entire build process it was our intention to craft a machine that not only performed well on the track, but one that looked the part and was dripping with simple vintage hues.
We started out with a horrid mess of a bike, a forgotten junker that had a wooden dowel for an axle, mismatched wheels and a cardboard engine made from a Michelob Ultra 12 pack case. Like all projects though at Dime City, we look for the worst off machines as they have the least amount of chance in being picked up by someone and rebuilt given a second chance at life.
The build began with tearing what was left off of the bike discard the trash and items that were not usable and salvaging what could be. Items like the frame, hubs, triple trees and other main components were set aside for refurbishing while ancillary items like the bars, rusted fuel tank and cardboard engine were toss in favor of new hand-built items that would speak to the nature of speed we were aiming to achieve.
Our first step was rebuilding the frame and swing-arm so that they would withstand the rigors put forth by the massively over-built engine that would nestle between the rails. We removed the top center section of pressed and stamped steal and TIG welded and grafted in a new section 1.5″ chromoly tubing. When then used small elbow sections from old chromoly handlebars we had laying around the shop to gusset the mid and rear sections of the frame with a the final piece being a fully gusseted swing-arm limiting the flex the four hundred would have in the tight corners while the Bostrom Brothers tested her at Little Talladega Speedway for Season 2 of Cafe Racer TV.
After the frame modifications were complete we moved on to fitting the vintage replica Ducati race tank and fairing along with building one of our signature “Wasp” rear tail-sections complete with our closed-loop rear section of the frame where we use our tube bender with a custom die to make a perfect seamless loop which provides not only a quality visual but yields more strength and support. The final bodywork piece, the lower cowl, was crafted by a good friend and someone who always will be remember with his loss, Tom Petrovic by hand sculpted first from foam and then transfered to fiberglass and refined into what you see in the photos.
In looking to keep rolling weight to a minimum we opted for a quality set of shouldered aluminum rims laced up with Buchannan’s stainless steel spokes shod with a pair of Metzler rubbers ensure maximum grip on the pavement. On the front-end we compiled a myriad of parts from CB400F, CB450, CB750 and even a YZF 600 to achieve what we believe a stock dual disc setup should be represented as.
As for the engine, the heart of the machine, we chose the best parts available and went with a Yoshimura Black-box 466cc piston kit directly from Japan. We then worked with Kibbellwhite to manufacture valve train that would work in harmony with the Yoshi piston kit and custom Mega-Cycle CAM. The result, perfection at speed. As the Bostrom Brothers quoted, “It’s like a 2-stroke with a strong power band but the range of a 4-stroke.” As for the final sound, imagine a vintage Ferrari at Lemans rounding the first sharp corner and that’s a sampling of what this little track terror bellows from her custom exhaust. And to get power from the engine to the ground we used a set of Loaded Gun universal Cafe Racer rear-sets with our universal linkage kit. They afford quick shifting action and endless adjustability.
And last, but certainly not least, to keep the bike in sync with the corners and undulations on the straights we employed Progressive Suspensions new and at the time, never been installed on a vintage race bike, 970 model reservoir gas charged shock absorbers in combination with front internal coil springs. [They're actually marketed as for Harley Davidson's] Upon our initial test rides of the Four Hundred it was immediately recognized that the combination Progressive put together for us created a center-balanced and stunningly handling machine that could go from the road to the track without any concern.
The entire bike was safety wired to track specifications, the final paintwork was done by Bill Tribby with Liza doing the pin-striping for what we feel is a proper current day replica of what a factory works Honda 400F race bike would have been back in the mid-seventies.
Completed Photo album link here: http://www.dimecitycycles.com/gallery
Build Specifications:
1975 CB 400 Four Super Sport
Vintage Ducati Replica Race Fuel Tank & Fairing
Dime City Original Wasp Rear Seat Section
Dime City Original Lower Cowl Section
Modified Frame (Chromoly Backbone, Braces and DCC Rearsteel Loop)
Modified Swingarm (Chromoly Sections and Bracing)
BlackBox Yoshi 466 Piston Kit
Kibbellwhite Valve Train
Custom MAC/DCC Exhaust System
Progressive Suspension Front & Rear
Excel Shouldered Aluminum Rims w/ Metzler Rubber
Combination CB400F, CB450 & CB750 Front End w/ YZF Dual Discs
Loadedgun Rear Sets & DCC Linkage Kit
Keihin CR Race Carburetors
Tommaselli Clip-ons
Acewell gauge Unit
Cafe Racer TV + Dime City Cycles + Lowside Magazine = TON’UP FUN!
If you’re in the Baltimore, MD area you should seriously head over to the Lowside Crew’s viewing party of Cafe Racer TV this Thursday night. It’s packed with awesome footage from our Grand Opening event and the teardown and beginning of our CB400F build. Trust us, these guys know how to throw a party!
And if you’re in the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete area and want to get down and have some fun come join the DCC Crew at DeLosa’s Pizzeria on East Bay @ Starkey Road in Largo, FL. Look right between the Dime City and Cafe Racer Logo’s on the map and you’ll see it. Party starts at 7PM, showtime is 8PM.
Exact address is: 2535 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33771-2405, (727) 536-8800
And if you can, try to RSVP by sending a quick not to thecrew@dimecitycycles.com. See you there!
The Crew here at Dime City Cycles couldn’t agree more with Cafe Racer TV’s Season 2′s bi-line “Everything Old Is Cool Again!” And with that, why not checkout our “old” 1975 CB400F Super Sport that we turned into a track ready speed machine ready and able for The Bostrom Brothers in a series of track tests to come in Season 2 of Cafe Racer!
We’re pretty sure you’ll think it’s “cool again” and watching it get built will surely be a riot given The Crew from Lowside Syndicate helped with the build. They road/drove over 5,000 miles round trip to delivery a POS vintage Honda with hopes that The DCC Crew could turn it into something worth riding…check it out next Thursday 10/27 at 8PM on Velocity and you be the judge!
You guys have all seen it on our website, you’ve seen us rock the shirts with the smug little cigar smoking cartoon character and if you attended our grand opening event last year, you met these guys in person. The Lowside Syndicate who proudly brings us Lowside Magazine several times a year.
Over the past few years a strong bond has been transformed with Rich Golinghurst and his crew around the simple fact that “we love anything on two wheels” and as a result, we partnered up with these guys to build some awesome bikes over the next few years for your viewing pleasure.
The bike first being our “Four Hundred” for season 2 of Cafe Racer which actually debuts in a few weeks on Velocity. In addition to that, Lowside has been featuring some awesome garage built Cafe Racers that really epitomizes the spirt of Cafe Racers with Issue #6 covering the first part of the build of the “Four Hundred” and launched it in unison with our episodes that will feature not only the Four Hundred, but the entire Lowside Syndicate who rode over 2,000 miles to attend our grand opening and delivery the donor bike in 2011.
Chop what ya got, make it your own and twist the throttle smiling all the way to the ton. That’s the motto that runs round the Lowside offices in Baltimore, MA- what more could you want as a reader and subscriber?
So, for those of you who just thought Lowside was a chopper bobber mag, consider this your official memo that it’s NOT, pickup your copies today and get in on the ground floor of something great that’s contributing to the grass roots revival that’s reshaping motorcycle culture!
[CLICK HERE] to checkout the Lowside issues currently available through Dime City Cycles.
Because The Wing’d Piston knows you expect nothing but the best…
We’re proud to annouce that we’ve partnered with Cafe Racer TV, Ace Cafe North America and DOTHETON.com to bring you one of the coolest spots to hang with like minded cafe appreciators at the upcoming 7th annual Barbers Vintage Festival. The “Cafe Corral!”
All the details can be found on the digital flier below, but just a couple of things we want to bring notice to before you get your reasy little throttle twistin hands on it!
*We need everyone to download the flier and redistribute it to via your Facebook Walls, Blogs, Twitter Walls and whatever other methods of media you use to reach your friends and the community. This is a grassroots events being put on by like indivuduals which means there will not be any fancy advertising campaigns to generate addendance. The event is for you and depends on your to get the word out there, so right click the image and save it to your desktop and plaster that baby everywhere for the next 30 days!
ALL BIKE SHOW entries will need to pre-register per Barber’s rules. We need to have a pre-determined list with identification so you can get your trusty little ton-up steeds throuh security and to the single best spot on the entire Barber compound. It’s easy, just email a photo of your bike with some basic details to jason@dimecitycycles.com and you’ll receive further information from there.
Since Cafe Racer TV started it’s been a wild ride, this is one more turn in the road and we’re looking forward to sharing the good (and fast) times with all of you next month!
Calling all ton-up gunners and runners! Grab the best seat in the house for one hour of the best television to hit the airwaves! Cafe Racer TV Season 2 premiers tonight at 9PM EST on Velocity (HD Theater.)
Also, be sure to get plugged in on the Cafe Racer TV Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/caferacertv/) and hit the Cafe Racer TV website (http://www.caferacertv.com) daily for updates to the BLOG, new video outtakes and of course, the Bike of the Week where you can win tons of free swag by submitting your cool garage built custom cafe creation.
Long live the Cafe Racer!
At Dime City Cycles we like to start the week off right. Spark Plug Cereal, Motor-oil Coffee- you know, those sort of things. Along with any great breakfast though, one must have something to look upon whilst crunching away on ceramic fuel poppers and cafe con sludge’. Maybe it’s a news paper, possibly a vintage moto magazine or for those of you tech savvy next-gen builders, maybe it’s some quality motorbike images fed from the Interweb.
For us, it tends to be the later…inspiration is key to starting ones day right, after-all.
And with that, we give you some introduction shots to the Dime City “Four Hundred” along with a personal review from Eric Bostrom as provided to us shortly after our track test to be featured in Season 2 of Cafe Racer TV.
And before any of you ask, “Why only close-ups?” we’ll remind you, that like any good lady, The Four Hundred leaves some to be revealed. Stay tuned to Bike EXIF for the Exclusive Release of images taken by Erick Runyon.
Bike Details (In Short:)
1975 Honda CB400F Super Sport
466 "Yoshi" Kit w/ Kibellwhite Valves & porting and polishing by: DCC
Four Bank CR Carburetor Kit
Modified MAC/DCC Four-into-one Tuned Exhaust System
Modified Stock/Chromoly Frame & Swingarm
Progressive Front and Rear Suspension
Combination CB750, 450, 400F Front-end w/ Dual Discs
Shouldered Aluminum Wheels wrapped with Metzler Rubber
Replica Ducati GP Front Fairing
Replica Ducato GP "Slimline" Fuel Tank
Dime City "Wasp" Tail-section (All pinstriping by: Liza)
Eric Bostrom’s Review:
After riding the little cafe 400 Honda, I’m fairly certain this has to be one of the coolest motors ever built. The extra beans from the Yosh kit installed by the Dime City crew no doubt accentuated this sensation. But that’s exactly what this bike is to ride, a sensation. As if a 2-stroke and 4-stroke were morphed together, the high revving little engine screams to life as the tach approaches red-line. Keeping her in the power range keeps you on your toes but not so much so that your fighting to stay "on the pipe". The tune that follows is transcending, as if your twisting through the Isle and Mike the Bike is racing right beside you. The infamous pitch of the inline Honda generates an image in your mind and a grin on your face. You can’t not fall in love with this bike.
Thanks for looking and be sure to tune in on Cafe Racer TV in August for a closer look at the “four hundred” along with several other amazing cafe bikes! Go go, Cafe Racer!
