Recently, the impressive Australian blog Pipeburn.com featured our latest completed bike — Christina Cairo's Honda Twinstar. They pretty much give the full story behind it, but it makes sense to have it on our own blog, too, I suppose.

Some time ago, broadcast producer extraordinaire Christina got the urge to go two-wheelin' right about the time our friends Rex and Norma were selling their pet project Honda. Arrangements were made, and the bike stayed in the family. And we made it our own pet project. Little by little we got to work cutting, unbolting, mixing and matching, until suddenly — a year later — we were finished.

Fittingly, as I write this, Christina is completing Day 2 of her M-Class license course. By 5pm she'll be legal to hit the streets on her elegant Tiny Moto.

The bike started life as a faux cruiser that was visually ahead of its time. And by that I mean that even though it was a 1978 model, it looked very "eighties". We swapped out the wheels for 18-inchers front and rear to give it a level stance. Then we removed everything that didn't need to be there. The tank was snagged from an old Suzuki dirt bike and nickel plated to prevent rust. After some waffling on color, we decided to do a copper stripe on top of the tank. Worked out nicely and matches the seat crafted by our friend Roy Baird.

There are lots of little bits of personality on this diminutive moto, including a quick release nickel-plated basket that incorporates an old Cypress Gardens water ski. The taillight is made from a stainless steel fishing rod holder that I snatched from my ancient Aquasport before it went to boat heaven...

What this one lacks in power, it definitely makes up for in character. We're psyched that it's going to Miss Cairo. —JR