Shoveling the Options

after picking up my fresh rebuilt motor with Kim, it was time to start mocking up some options. My vision for this bike started with one direction and took a major leap in a different direction upon acquiring some tins from Chris and a 2-up seat from the 70's.

well, here I explored some different takes on it, but in the end, #3 is where I'm headed because that's what I want to do and I like it. things and ideas change as we progress through all decisions in life, but sometimes, you need to pause and respect your original gut feelings because you made them for a reason.

Since I can't ride at all, this week will be full of 2 things. PACKING for my

big move to New York and making a plan for the journey of the long-term build that this bike will be taking me on. It will stay here in So-Cal for a while so we will need to get as much done as possible when I'm back out here visiting.....

Get Your Death On - LAST SHOW

OK, OK, so this might just be it. My last show singing and playing guitar with Get Your Death On before I take the leap to NYC. Will there be shows one day when I happen to be back in town? Maybe, but that's just not reality at this point. So, if you're around, come on by Bar Leucadian this saturday night and lets have a drink together. We're coming in pretty hot off of our opening slot with Bad Brains from this past weekend, so it should be a good show! The guys might still continue to play the DUB reggae shows, but this will be it for the DEATH routine. R.I.R. Rest In Rasta

The set will be a good mixture of our Get Your Death On and Get Your DUB On stuff just like our last show was. Whether we are playing slow, loud, and heavy or in the key of jah, its really all dub to me.

east bound and down...

...well...counting down the days till the trailer gets to NY.

some pics of loading up the bikes at Mike D's house with Jason Craze and Josh Conley. My bike was definitely a bit jealous being accompanied by Mike, Josh and Matt Davis's panheads.....great to have the time to check out these bikes up close and personal as well.

big thanks again to Craze for making the trek and taking the bikes east and to Mike D and Josh for the general laughter and loading up that went on sunday morning.

one last socal rip on the sportster...

...before she was loaded up on the trailer and sent on her way to the NYC

I got the phone call late on Saturday night that there was room in the trailer for my bike so at 8am on Sunday, I mounted up and rode up to Santa Ana to Mike D's place to meet the crew and load 'er up.

The weather was beautiful. I could feel the morning dew burning off and it felt so nice riding up the coast past the breaking waves and weaving through the sunday morning almost desolate traffic. Its odd to think that in moments like these, material inanimate objects seem to be alive and you feel like they will miss these things.......but the bike will be fine. I think it is me that will miss moments like these. and at the same time, I look forward to the new ones to come on the right coast.

Strippers and Trannys

just regular shop talk, that's all.

good day today. shovel is on the big boy lift. time to kick it into high gear. It looks like I'll have around 5.5 or 6" of ground clearance at the rear of the frame with the wheel/tire and frame setup which I'm stoked about. On an annoying note I have a nice fork oil leak that probably isn't going away, which is awesome, but dealable for now.

oh and Chris, I poached a set of Gentleman's bars.

speaking of strippers and trannys though, my cowpie tranny was graced in the late 70's/early 80's period correct aftermarket wrinkle black spray coating. AND way too thick as always!

So, after dumping some gel marine type paint stripper on there and waiting for about 15 minutes time had some to break out the wire brush and get that shit off.

and after 2 hours of scrubbing, then breaking out Kim's drill and wire brush wheels and abrasive wheels, it was back to being silver in all of its cast glory.

right side and mounted up in the frame.

Alta Dena and Inna Color

Just in case you forgot, wanted to know, or wanted to press check the packaging......they've done a great deed and put the Pantones that they use directly on the box for reference.

product managers take note.

Hideaway Ride, Chicken Tacos, Nachos

Made the time for a great little north county gem of a ride. Everyone in north county has ridden out to Hernandez Hideaway, but all the different routes you can take make it so fun. My personal favorite is to head out through Elfin Forest on the way out and then Del Dios on the way back.

Here's Carter on his newly finished and amazing TW200. His giantness covers the entire engine and any mechanical parts of the bike. Which I love! I don't care that this bike is only a 200.....in the twisties, there is no keeping up with him.

Dawley is also a champ when it comes to riding. Always claiming that his "Firestones sketch him out at speed", its hard to keep up with his tempo. "Don't mind me, I'll probably be riding slow after these margaritas...." right......

the road entering into Elfin Forest

super radical

arrivee le Lake Hodges

hauling ass down Del Dios Highway on the way home after some great eats at Hernandez Hideaway. I can proudly recommend the chicken tacos, nachos grande and their margaritas.

and after 3 years...

...we have installed the Baseboard Moulding in our house.

a HUGE thanks to Pat for letting me borrow your compressor and finish nailer. this project would never have happened so quickly/easily if I would have gone at it with a hammer instead. Also thanks to my neighbor "Dave from Rhode Island" for letting me use his Miter Saw. because using a circular saw to cut these angles sucked for the first hour.

While these pictures look like random shots.....well, they are, but they are pictures that include a house's rooms with baseboards. Which looks way better than what they were before with the holes in the drywall and weird paint lines and general un-finishedness.

Just in time to head east...

Wednesday Night Ride to Hensleys

A nice short ride from the shop over to Hensley's Flying Elephant. Started out great, fast as always and then resulted in Chris's pan shutting down, not kicking over, him telling us to keep going so he could sort it out and then reappearing at the bar a mere 40 minutes later with a new (old) headlight.