Interesting motorcycles, not XS650

[Raymond]

Have we looked at the Flying Millyard Flyer in this thread?

There's more info and videos here https://thekneeslider.com/the-flying-millyard-v-twin/

Quite a good video somewhere of the pre-riding checks and start-up. In the comments following one video of Allen riding the beast along the Berkshire country lanes is one 'Its hard for me to wrap my head around left side driving and it scares me every time i see it from the drivers perspective.'

Uhm, yes, though I can think of more interesting things to say about this hand-built 5-litre V-twin utilising two cylinders from a Pratt & Whitney aero engine.

 

[Mailman]

Have we looked at the Flying Millyard Flyer in this thread?

View attachment 232262

There's more info and videos here https://thekneeslider.com/the-flying-millyard-v-twin/

Quite a good video somewhere of the pre-riding checks and start-up. In the comments following one video of Allen riding the beast along the Berkshire country lanes is one 'Its hard for me to wrap my head around left side driving and it scares me every time i see it from the drivers perspective.'

Uhm, yes, though I can think of more interesting things to say about this hand-built 5-litre V-twin utilising two cylinders from a Pratt & Whitney aero engine.

Have you seen the video of him riding ( or should I say driving? ) his V10 Dodge Viper powered motorcycle?

 

[Raymond]

Bob, I've seen a few videos of the V10 including at an airfield where it clocked 207.1 mph. Amazingly, Millyard rides it on the street and has clocked thousands of miles on public roads. But I don't actually like the V10. More isn't always more . . .

 

[Mailman]

More isn't always more . . .

I wholeheartedly agree!

 

[Adamc]

Have we looked at the Flying Millyard Flyer in this thread?

View attachment 232262

There's more info and videos here https://thekneeslider.com/the-flying-millyard-v-twin/

Quite a good video somewhere of the pre-riding checks and start-up. In the comments following one video of Allen riding the beast along the Berkshire country lanes is one 'Its hard for me to wrap my head around left side driving and it scares me every time i see it from the drivers perspective.'

Uhm, yes, though I can think of more interesting things to say about this hand-built 5-litre V-twin utilising two cylinders from a Pratt & Whitney aero engine.

A lot of Millys creations have been posted here. But always worth another look; the man is GENIUS personified.
Watching the build videos on his YouTube channel is fascinating.
I also like his smaller creations like these:

 

[arcticXS]

Jim, isn't it amazing how once upon a time, one could travel all over on 350-500cc bikes (including Robert Pirsig). Now you need at least a 900 and that's a middle weight at best..lol.

Ain't that the truth. And Persig did it two up on a 305 SuperHawk.

I once met a middle aged Spanish gentleman, en route to North Cape. That would be 4-5000 km one way. He rode a DT175.....
It ain't what you have, but what you do with what you have

 

[MaxPete]

I have always marvelled at and wondered about three things:

• where does he get the money for these builds?

Everything is chrome plated and painted and finished to factory standards and those operations are costly. At one point I thought that they must be commissioned builds for some wealthy patrons - but he seems to actually own most of the bikes himself. Having said that, there are one or two Millyard bikes in the absolutely amazing Barber Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham Alabama so perhaps they were commissioned or he simply sold them on.
BTW - if you are ever anywhere near the Barber site - be sure to go there. It is a stunner.

• how the heck does he get such accuracy with a hacksaw?

I have watched his "How was it Built" videos very carefully and he always starts by cutting up an engine casing or a cylinder barrel with a simple hacksaw. It just seems remarkable that such a primitive method can yield such invariably accurate results.

• how does he modify the bike's frames for the heavier and more powerful engines and also work around the exhaust header pipes?

Anyway - he sure does remarkable stuff.

I will admit that an "XS979" (i.e. a three cylinder version of an XS650) has always intrigued me - but I haven't had an opportunity to work out solutions to the problems. It sure wouldn't produce as much horsepower as a modern litre-bike - but I'll bet it would be a mid-range torque monster!

Pete

 

[gggGary]

Dale's Wheels Through Time​

Ocean to Ocean - On January 31st 1913 the first four cylinder motorcycle to run coast to coast arrived in Los Angeles and touched the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The three riders had left Atlantic City, NJ on September, 20 1912 to promote the Henderson motorcycle. The machine and Baxter wicker sidecar were said to have withstood the months long mostly off-road trip excellently.


Where are we going and why am I in this basket?
This has @jetmechmarty written all over it. Coast to coast using no roads

 

[bosco659]

I have always marvelled at and wondered about three things:

• where does he get the money for these builds?

Everything is chrome plated and painted and finished to factory standards and those operations are costly. At one point I thought that they must be commissioned builds for some wealthy patrons - but he seems to actually own most of the bikes himself. Having said that, there are one or two Millyard bikes in the absolutely amazing Barber Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham Alabama so perhaps they were commissioned or he simply sold them on. If you are ever anywhere near the Barber site - be sure to go there. It is a stunner.

• how the heck does he get such accuracy with a hacksaw?

I have watched his "How was it Built" videos very carefully and he always starts by cutting up an engine casing or a cylinder barrel with a simple hacksaw. It just seems remarkable that such a primitive method can yield such invariably accurate results.

• how does he modify the bike's frames for the heavier and more powerful engines and also work around the exhaust header pipes?

Anyway - he sure does remarkable stuff.

I will admit that an "XS979" (i.e. a three cylinder version of an XS650) has always intrigued me - but I haven't had an opportunity to work out solutions to the problems. It sure wouldn't produce as much horsepower as a modern litre-bike - but I'll bet it would be a mid-range torque monster!

Pete

I too wondered how he does what he does in his videos. Most likely more happens behind the scenes before the final product is born, but the final products are impressive and amazing.

 

[Grimly]

Millyard is a civil servant with a post in the defence establishment, I heard. The place he works isn't short of machine tooling, as far as I know.
There's no doubt he does a lot in his own workshop, but should he need anything particularly finely done, he'd have access to the kit and / or the people.

 

[Calliway]

My winter hobby is restoring and modding bikes. I rarley build a cafe anymore and prefer to restomod bikes without cutting or chopping anymore. Here are some samples of my last 15 years of winte work.

My 1972 CB350 build

The 1977 Martini GS400 build

A 77GS750 Restomod build from a few years ago

The 07 Triumph Bonneville Gulf LeMans build I did about 8 years ago

The Black Gold Bonneville build from about 10 years ago.

 

[Raymond]

A lot of Millys creations have been posted here. But always worth another look; the man is GENIUS personified.
Watching the build videos on his YouTube channel is fascinating.
I also like his smaller creations like these:

Thanks for putting up those vids, Ads. Really like that V-twin - looks and sounds like a proper motorbike that does.

Amused by the LE Velocette that keeps showing up in the riding video, bit like the green Beetle that makes numerous appearances in the Bullitt car chase sequence.

 

[46th Georgia]

My winter hobby is restoring and modding bikes. I rarley build a cafe anymore and prefer to restomod bikes without cutting or chopping anymore. Here are some samples of my last 15 years of winte work.
View attachment 232336
My 1972 CB350 build

View attachment 232338
The 1977 Martini GS400 build
View attachment 232339
A 77GS750 Restomod build from a few years ago

View attachment 232340
The 07 Triumph Bonneville Gulf LeMans build I did about 8 years ago
View attachment 232341
The Black Gold Bonneville build from about 10 years ago.

You do beautiful work.

 

[Mailman]

My winter hobby is restoring and modding bikes. I rarley build a cafe anymore and prefer to restomod bikes without cutting or chopping anymore. Here are some samples of my last 15 years of winte work.
View attachment 232336
My 1972 CB350 build

View attachment 232338
The 1977 Martini GS400 build
View attachment 232339
A 77GS750 Restomod build from a few years ago

View attachment 232340
The 07 Triumph Bonneville Gulf LeMans build I did about 8 years ago
View attachment 232341
The Black Gold Bonneville build from about 10 years ago.

Amazing collection of bikes, beautiful work!

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

Beautiful work Calliway.

 

[Adamc]

My winter hobby is restoring and modding bikes. I rarley build a cafe anymore and prefer to restomod bikes without cutting or chopping anymore. Here are some samples of my last 15 years of winte work.
View attachment 232336
My 1972 CB350 build

View attachment 232338
The 1977 Martini GS400 build
View attachment 232339
A 77GS750 Restomod build from a few years ago

View attachment 232340
The 07 Triumph Bonneville Gulf LeMans build I did about 8 years ago
View attachment 232341
The Black Gold Bonneville build from about 10 years ago.

Love ‘em all; great collection of outstanding work.

 

[TX650A Van Islander]

 

[kshansen]

Not sure if this one qualifies but what the heck, don't for get to have sound turned up.
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1275179396598178

Wife got me into watching this guy's videos.

 

[Kevin Werner]

 

[Kevin Werner]