Services – At present suspended due to the absence of a workshop!

A Pattern-Maker to the foundry trade, I have made patterns for the racing departments of Audi, Ford and BMW in Germany, worked on the design, drawings an making of the patterns for the new Crank-Cases for the twins being sold exclusively through the Vincent Owners’ Club, diverse parts for bikes that I have owned or built and of course those parts made in the course of my Apprenticeship and employment in Germany and here in South Australia.

The wish is now to concentrate on making parts for the Vintage/Veteran Motorcycle scene, Parts that are either difficult to get, have known weaknesses or are just looking for re-manufacture. Anyone with any interest in having something made in any metal should please contact me, so that we can work something out. Nothing is ‘too small’ to take on, will try to help with anything for any bike. Just ask, I am sure that we can come to an understanding which is mutually beneficial! I am at present setting up ‘shop’, so please contact me initially by email with any enquiries, thanks!

Of particular interest are parts that:
a) will keep (or get) something running and
b) that contribute to YOUR road safety, like bits that make bikes STOP! (Brakes!)

Lighting-Conversions to HID (Just a bit of fun DIY)

Discrete Bulb-Conversions to HID-lighting, increasing light output at least sixfold for the same wattage-
without changing the look of the bike at all and still only using 35W or even 24W! Pre-requisite for these is a Halogen-fitting on the reflector, which I am still working on….

I have contacted a manufacturer and they are making a special run of bulbs for me with a colour-temperature of 3700°K. This emits a ‘straw’ colour very close to the old pre-halogen bulbs…3000°K is bright yellow and above 5000°K is too blue to look right on a classic machine. Technically, this straw-colour has a better penetration (especially in a light haze) than the (now illegal) too blue (+6000˚K) so often seen.

No more candle-in-beer-bottle headlights! Even the ‘roos’ need sunnies at night!

I do realise that 90% of the vintage bike riders would never dream of moving their precious bikes at night, but there are still a lot of ‘classics’, even Japanese and European bikes with the old round headlamps (Halogen, too!) that still get used regularly…

(Just as an aside, anything giving off anything approaching a blue light is immediately defectable in Australia since the first of January 2012. Same goes for red facing forwards, as these are reserved exclusively for Emergency Service Vehicles. This means that all those ‘blue’ Halogens (that pretend to be HIDs) and HIDs with a colour above 5000°K are now illegal here and, I believe, also in the UK!)

Wheel-Building (can still do from home)

Wheel-building and -trueing service for your classic wire-wheels. Building done in the materials you supply, or I can get them for you! Painted steel, chromed, stainless or shouldered alloy rims (à la Boranni or Akront); standard, chromed, unpolished or polished stainless spokes and chromed brass spoke-nipples. My supplier is in the UK, transit time is about 7-10 days. Including postage, I have generally found that the cost is usually much less than sourcing the parts locally in Australia.
Turnaround within a week if the bits and the necessary measurements etc. are all on hand. Can also arrange for powder/paint refinishing and new bearings etc as needed. Just ask for a quote!

Electrical re-wiring

Re-wiring using (NEW!) good old-fashioned stranded copper core with PVC insu-lation and a cotton jacket woven over the wire in a variety of colours, and harnesses cloth-wrapped (in black, not sky-blue-pink!). This ensures, whether 12v or 6v, that you retain or regain that vintage appearance and at the same time minimise electrical losses, due to wires that are either too thin or have poor connections (most important for 6v systems). Only the best materials and all connections soldered. Main wiring harnesses for rigid bikes made up to order, or wired up here in the workshop.

7mm, cloth-covered Spark-Plug-leads available, too, in plain black, black with red tracers (or red, green, orange or yellow with various tracers) and appropriate brass fittings.
Just ask for a quote!

The colours available are plenty enough for yer average MC, and there are more. Top are the 16G and the HT leads that I use, and below are the 14G that is used for the mainly 6V wiring for pre-war bikes. Other colours used and available as needed: HT leads, for example, are also available in red, orange, green and yellow (combinations, too) I must say that I prefer the satin black! There are also period plug fittings in brass which I use. Any questions, just ask! I will reproduce any pre-war loom, if you can supply a pattern or template, some colours might be different, though, depending on what is presently available. Don’t forget, if you don’t ask, you won’t get!

© peter gouws 2012-2023