It was my old 650.“No Leaf Clover”

This bike started out for me as a payment for doing a repo, for a gentleman who owned a pawn shop. (which is a pretty good story in itself.)  I rode it ragged that summer.  Took a trip to Yellowstone from Southern Utah.  And did as many “mini” rides as possible.  As the weather grew cold I sold it.  4 years later I had been working with my brother, custom painting bikes, and doing slight mods to Harleys.  A goof ball guy that loved to stop by all the time talk with us had just bought a bike, and wanted to see if I had time to help him get it running again.  When he brought it by I recognized the bike. It was my old 650. I bought it off him and went to work on it.  The back was stretched 5.5 inches.  

I took a sporty tank and widened it 1.5″.  just enough to make the sides vertical.  Then I welded in the “boner” on top that holds an aluminum boat gas cap.  set the tank on the frame and moved the pet cock to the lowest part on the tank to be able to use all gas inside.  The top end was bored, and the intake was ported and polished.  Forward controls were bought from black widow chopper.  The front and rear fenders were from a triumph bonneville.

I wrapped the rear fender in pencil rod and then bent it down to form the struts.  After these pictures were taken The seat was removed and I made a new pan that was hand tooled leather with  ”No Leaf Clover”   and pinstripe.  As was the battery box lid.  This bike was named “No Leaf Clover”, for the superstition that painting a vehicle green was bad luck.

That superstition turned out to be true.  On the first test ride a rag fell out of my pocket and was caught up in the chain, stopping the bike, and bending the clutch push rod.

Another time the bike was in the shop, and just fell over off the kick stand into another bike, bending the handle bars, and denting the tank of the other bike.  other things went on, but I have learned my lesson, I did two more green bikes after this one, and all lived up to the rumors.  So I’m done.  I had so much fun building this bike, I have built two more 650’s and two other metrics.  Your site is awesome, and the bikes here are cool.

Thanks Dave langston