I purchased this bike in 2005 and raced it for a few years until the lure of the 4-stroke took hold. This poor girl got put to the wayside and didn’t see much riding in the years that followed. Then Covid came along and brought forth the era of the hobbyist. With all this time on our hands and nowhere to go, we spent a lot of the time either at the track (because riders are awesome and let nothing get in their way) or tinkering in the garage. When we heard the 2-Stroke nationals were going to be held in April we took that as our opportunity to bring the ol’ girl to life.
My husband took her down to the frame and began the painstaking build that soon took a life of its own. We decided to go forward with a full frame-up restoration and make this into the dream bike she was destined to be. Finding parts was the greatest challenge, but we were able to partner up with some amazing companies that helped us in getting her together. Our dear friend Colin from Faster USA had grown to dread my arrivals, knowing every time I was bringing more parts to vapor hone. They rebuilt our wheels as well, set on retaining the stock hubs with the titanium ceracote to complement the overall esthetic we were after. The motor had the big bore kit installed by Jeff Springman at Bill’s Pipes quite some time ago, so all that required was a refresh. Bill Cevera and Jeff have been there for us since 2005, retaining their pipe and silencer for this bike was a no brainer.
Whenever I build a bike on the design side, like most people I get an idea stuck in my head that I cannot let go. My mind was set on a strict black and yellow combo with hints of red, I had given my ideas to Johnny at Viscid Designs and as usual they delivered. The crew at Spec Bolt were amazing to work with and we got the Nickel works hardware kit and they really pop when we put them on the bike. Sourcing some of the smaller parts proved more challenging, thankfully MotoSport.com was able to provide a large bulk of them.
Given we are a suspension company the shock and forks on those bikes don’t have much available regarding aftermarket parts. Walther and Shiloh set it up to primarily ride tracks such as Glen Helen and Cahuilla. Riding Glen Helen during 2 Stroke Nationals towards the end of the day (when they usually hold the women’s classes…..I guess that builds character right?) the track is hammered. She got me through it all with only a few oh shit moments. Are you really riding if you don’t turn your blood cold at least once while riding? Trying to lower that count, getting old and I don’t recover like I used too…hahah! There is something so freeing about a 2 Stroke, just hearing her scream up the hills brings a smile to my face. I know I’m not fast, but damn for those few moments out there I sure do feel it.
