While we're waiting...

to do the tank sealing, I thought I'd tell you about some of my inspirartions in the classic world.

First, a name I mentioned way back in the beginning, Rick Parkington. Rick is basically a self employed restorer based in Edinburgh. He works from his shed in his back garden and from what I can see has an excellent reputation locally as well as nationally and internationlly through his writings in Classic Bike magazine. His common sense approach to problems and his solutions are most helpful when doing any kind of work on a project.

Another source is Mike Brown who is local to me. You may have seen his book, Building Budget Brits, advertised in some of the classic bike magazines. I've talked to him while at a rally/show and he too has a down to earth common sense approach to keeeping British bikes running.

Grahame Blighe has a book called Improving Classic Motorcycles which covers a few areas that can be improved upon. Even though they are applied to his BSA Bantam and Starfire as well as his Triumph Daytona, these can be applied to any classic motorcycle.

I've gotten a few books off eBay that have been helpful or just plain informative; one is published by Haynes and is called The Practical Motorcycle Workshop Handbook or something along those lines. Another is  The Motorcycle Restorers Companion which is like a Bible to restoring in that it has tables and charts as well as chapters on set up, metal and plastic fabrication as well as restoring sidecars.

A couple of small gems are The Motor Cyclist's Workshop by "Torrens" and the other is The Motorcyclist's Pocket Book. The first talks about workshops, mechanical work, tools and other related areas while the second is aimed more at the first time or amatuer motorcyclist. Both are interesting (to me anyway) though no longer in print.

If you're lucky, you may run across them on eBay. If you do, get them, you won't be sorry.