At last, the Big Block can be classified in the state of Washington as a Collector Vehicle. The annual rego was due last Wednesday, and typically costs about $105 per year. On Tuesday I visited a department of motor vehicle office - where the ladies behind the counter actually smile - with title and rego papers in hand, and for a one-time fee of $71.50, was able to secure a lifetime rego! This can be done in WA state as long as the vehicle is currently registered, and at least thirty years old.

A handful of years ago I converted the bits of the bike to a 1993 K1100RS V-tube frame for a more sturdy backbone as compared to the '87 K100RS single tube frame I had originally used.

Of course, the state is far behind in allocating actual metal plates, so I've been given a plasticised paper, temporary number plate which expires in October of this year. Free reprints are handed out if it exceeds the date stamped.

No club membership or inspection was required. I'm limited to riding to events, to workshops for repair or maintenance, or "casual" use. Since it's so ill-defined, and I don't use the bike but half a dozen times a year, a few longer rides here and there oughta be fine. I reckon it's the best way to keep extra money in my pocket for petrol.

Chuffed.

It's forty years old here and the classification is 'Historic Vehicle', but I know the feeling. Low Flying Brick has just gone through its last government-mandated annual test and as of May 24th next year, I no longer have to pay annual vehicle excise duty (commonly and incorrectly known as 'road tax') on it either.

Dai wrote:It's forty years old here and the classification is 'Historic Vehicle', but I know the feeling. Low Flying Brick has just gone through its last government-mandated annual test and as of May 24th next year, I no longer have to pay annual vehicle excise duty (commonly and incorrectly known as 'road tax') on it either.

The woman who processed my application asked whether the bike was modified or customised at all. I demurred. What do they know!? No one's looking at it and there's no fine print on the application.

don't ask (well, they did), don't tell  

pls do remember the 11th commandment:
just don't get caught 

bad boy wrote:don't ask (well, they did), don't tell  
pls do remember the 11th commandment:
just don't get caught 

As I often say...We know which rules we can break!

Just arrived, my lifetime licence plate. No expiry tag. I am meant to have 'limited use' restrictions, but there's a workaround, as long as I'm not flagrantly violating it we should be all groovy.

I'm glad there's a K on it, but the 225, if we're talking kilos, is a bit on the heavy side. Let's see what we can come up with.

Sun's out, 12° (54f), I've got time for a burble.

I’ve never given the collector plate a second thought. If I’m proud of the bike, well then I’m always just out to show it off!

Should be a nice crisp few days for us!

Happy birthday BB.

The frame BB is currently using - which I obtained from a guy years ago who'd given up on his masterfully creative cafe racer idea - was built into a complete K1100RS on 14 December 1992, in Berlin. Yesterday was an atypical December day in the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia region. It was just above 50F/10c, a light haze kept the sky from being fully sunny, but there was little wind and the dense, morning fog had lifted. I rolled Big Block out into the driveway, the first time since receiving the collector plate from the State of Washington, and went for a celebratory birthday ride.

There are no piccies, which is alright as we had an uninhibited time together, no pressure to stop for a photo op, as I'd left my phone at home, thus no speedometre to warn me off twisting the throttle on empty back roads. 

There is certainly a lot of moss growing on the tarmac this time of the year, which forced me to be extra careful in bends. I was able to stop at a station selling ethanol-free gasolina, so sufficiently tanked up, adding some Sta-Bil, she's good until another day when I can roll her out under the winter sun again.

From the day before.

My gal just showed me some photos she took of me taking my first ever ride on Big Block. It was a reminder on that Facecrack thing (I don't subscribe, haven't for over 12 years) from eight years ago!

I began to gather the bits to piece it together in late 2014, and over the winter of 2015. By spring of '16 it was ridable. It's changed a bit with various components over those years but is still one of my favourites.*



*No running or ridable K bikes were stripped or dismantled in the making of this motorbike.

Great outcome - so rewarding.
No one else is up yet so I’m off to brew a cup of tea and sit down to read the whole 8 page saga (motivation to get out and tidy the workshop).

I remember the feeling of excitement I had of that front tyre reaching the tarmac for the first time.

Two Wheels Better wrote:
I remember the feeling of excitement I had of that front tyre reaching the tarmac for the first time.

Completely get it. In a very much smaller way. I had never really wrenched much in my 50 years of riding beyond servicing plus a bit. When I bought my K in 2019 it had stood in the open unused for many years, and was a big learning experience to bring it back to health. I let Dai convince me that anyone could build stainless brake lines and I felt like Carroll Shelby when I took it out and no one died. ATM I’m looking at converting it to a single SU carb.