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, two things have happened; I have become quite familiar with old iron, and I have pushed the limit of my patience far beyond what I thought it was.
I didn't always have the skills, or the tools and equipment needed to repair and restore motorcycles--they 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 many others.
I've also fabricated quite a few DIY tools, which helps keep the overall budget down. And along with these things there's also learning how to identify vintage parts, specifically, what goes where and what fits what.
Hopefully my experiences restoring old motorcycles 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 Harley Road King. At the time, I was working at a Harley-Davidson dealer in the county below mine. It was a 70-mile commute, and the King was a good ride.
After five years, 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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2023
This year I turned 66 and have retired from my day job. A few more motorcycle projects have followed me home, 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.