Post 1: A Long Simmering Passion Comes to Life

I have been looking at bikes for a long time, just didn't get around to playing with them. I rode small bikes in my teens, because everybody does in France until you can finally legally drive a car at 18... Then I stayed off them for 47 years... But then I just turned 65 in April and went on Medicare... Something had to be done. I had spent my Birthday week end on the Dragon at Deal's Gap with my Mini Cooper, and saw a lot of bikes. I came back with an earring, and started looking at bikes on eBay...
I found a nicely chopped orange and black 1976 Harley Sporster with the classic ironhead engine, but missed it by a hair:

Then I ran across a fabulous very unusual 1976 custom chopper built around Honda CB350F 4 cylinder engine, a pure jewel:

I drove to Saint Louis to look at it at the Saint Louis Car Museum, and came back home with it in the van. It barely fit, at a little over 8 feet with that long front end...

I was told it was built as a show bike in 1976, and put in storage in 1981.

The engine is a Honda Classic originally designed in 1972, the only 4 cylinders 350cc motor ever made, and compared to its larger successors, it looks like a piece of jewelry:

The rear end is interesting, in that it looks like a hardtail, but actually has short springs and shocks built into a vertical tube(they are not very effective):

The springer front end is outrageously long at 48", and has a rake over 45 degrees:

The chrome steel wheels are the original Invader wheel design from 1974 with the 5 square spokes.
My wife Rachel loved the paint job, her favorite color, a metallic acid green with psychedelic light turquoise swirls on the tank. Unfortunately, the paint is crazed and flaky, and there are numerous rust spots.