Nathaniel Salzman

Chicago area designer, writer, maker and journalist.

Wrench Log

October 29, 2011

Wrench Log: Back in the cams

In our initial repair session with my 1974 Honda CB450 Supersport, Jeff and I were confident (if incorrect) that the engine had avoided disaster during it’s timing chain misadventures. Good compression and correct cam timing meant we were that much closer to getting the old pony running. In a follow-up session, we’d sorted out the – Read More –

October 14, 2011

Wrench Log: A horse of my own. Part two.

On day two of resurrecting my 1981 Honda CB750 Custom, things were going well. The carbs were cleaned out, rebuilt and bench tested. Though I’d already done most of the work myself, by the end of our previous session Jeff, my Moto Dojo sensei, had turned me loose completely on the CB750.

October 10, 2011

Wrench Log: More optimistic mending

It was late May when Jeff and I first investigated the internal engine health of my 1974 Honda CB450 Supersport resuscitation project. Good compression readings had us confident that the internals of the engine were probably okay. The bike was far from ready to run, though. The carburetors needed to be rebuilt. Parts of the – Read More –

September 27, 2011

Wrench Log: A horse of my own. Part one.

If I’ve learned anything from working on motorcycles, it’s that only fools make plans. That is, at least where scheduling is concerned. Having a plan of what you’re doing and when you’d like to get it accomplished is good project management. However, what I’ve learned over and over is that making specific, scheduled plans for – Read More –

August 29, 2011

Wrench Log: Hopeful Beginnings for a CB450

These things are supposed to be simple. An otherwise mechanically sound motorcycle is supposed to run beautifully so long as it’s properly lubricated, correctly timed and has nice clean carbs. This was the wrench philosophy I’d been learning with my mechanic mentor, Jeff, since January. I’ve watched bike after bike come back to life at – Read More –

August 21, 2011

Wrench Log: Introducing the fleet

This “rebuilding year” has involved four machines so far. My wife’s motorcycle got sorted out right at the end of winter and has been running great ever since. Meanwhile, I went from having both a running motorcycle and a running Vespa of my own, to three old motorcycles, none of which were road worthy. Trying – Read More –

November 30, 2008

DIY: Vespa turn signal buzzer

I have but two simple complaints about my new Vespa Grantourismo. One, that the slightest overfilling of the gas tank sucks fuel into the intake track. And second, that you don’t get any auditory clue when your turn indicators are up and blinking.

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