About Me

"You don’t need much to be happy, sometimes a few old motorcycles is sufficient."

Hello, I'm Mark Trotta. Thank you for visiting my classic motorcycle site. I've been riding and wrenching for 40+ years, and in that time, I've brought home numerous car and motorcycle projects. Because of this, I have become quite familiar with old iron, and have also pushed the limit of my patience far beyond what I thought it was.

I didn't always have the skills and the tools and equipment needed to repair and restore motorcycles--these were picked up along the way as I got deeper into projects.

So, here it is, 40 years later, and I've learned how to rebuild and balance Harley flywheels, lap main bearing races, diagnose and repair electrical problems, bore and hone motorcycle cylinders, rebuild hydraulic front forks, and more.

I've fabricated quite a few DIY tools, which helps keep the overall budget down. I've also learned how to identify vintage parts, as well as what goes where and what fits what.

Hopefully my experiences will help other classic bike enthusiasts from a headache or two.

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What I Ride

My first motorcycle was a 1972 Harley-Davidson Sportster, which I bought wrecked in 1981. There was no internet then, all I had for guidance was a few motorhead buddies and a factory shop manual. But six months later, I was riding.

After several riding seasons, I decided to convert the Sportster into a custom hardtail, so I needed to find another daily rider.

From 1983 to 1988, a Yamaha Seca Turbo was my commuter bike.

The Seca Turbo was a fun (and fast) bike. And as you can see from the picture above, it got me through all kinds of weather.

During this time in my life, I chose not to own a car, and these two bikes were my sole transportation. I thought nothing of alternatively riding right-side shift and left-side shift bikes!

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Triumph Trident

I bought this 1974 Triumph Trident as a basket case, non-running and parts missing. With three cylinders, three carburetors, three sets of mechanical points, and a zener diode, this bike was a challenge!

Before and After Triumph Trident Restoration.

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Road King FLHRI

From 2005 to 2010, I rode a 1997 Road King. At the time, I was working at a Harley-Davidson dealer in the next county. It was a 70-mile commute, and 'The King' was a good ride.

After five riding seasons, I decided cruisers weren't for me and sold it.

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In 2012, I bought a basket-case 1976 Sportster.

Before and After 1976 Sportster Project.

Vintage Trike Restoration

I found this Harley trike project on ebay in 2014. Purchase price included a frame, a disassembled motor, and boxes and boxes of parts.

Before and After Harley Servi-Car project.

Read: Harley Servi-Car Restoration

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BMW Oilhead

My daily rider from 2017 to 2022 was a BMW R1100R. In addition to replacing front and rear tires, routine oil changes and tune-up, other repairs included replacing the in-tank fuel filter, replacing the battery, replacing the starter, and replacing leaking fork seals.

I also had to replace the ignition switch due to a stuck key.

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2024

I've retired from my day job, now have more time to spend on my motorcycle projects, including this 1974 Norton Commando.

Read: Norton Commando Build

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You can contact me at: Mark @ Classic-Motorcycle-Build.com

Please Ride Safely.