Dice Issue 43 and Michael Schmidt

If you haven't already, go get a copy of the new Dice Magazine, Issue 43.  Fun photos/article on the shovel and my commute to work.   Thanks again to Matt, Dean and Michael.

One of my favorite part of riding across bridges is the vantage point that you get, especially on a bike vs. in a car.  The city changes as you approach it.  While the empire state building is a mere shadow in this pic next to my head, it comes to life as you get closer to Manhattan, and then immediately disappears again behind the lower east side mayhem.

We found this crazy painted wall and ground section off of flatbush ave near where they are building the new Nets arena.  I really hope they move the Islanders into Brooklyn.  AND re-named them the Brooklyn Warriors.  That's what I was thinking about in this picture....while checking my email.

Issue 43 also has features on Schaaf, Eddie Cleveland, JD, Caleb, Scotty Stopnik, and more....suuuper stoked.

Hollywood Hobbs

this truck is parked right near my office.  Every time I walk by I think of Jake.  Go see what he has going on over here at Bolts Action.

"not too fancy, but always delicious...." super weird, but I could see him saying that.

getting primed

got this picture from Bob with an update on the paint for the tins.  Rear fender seam has had some bondo applied, sanded and then primer applied!  He'll just be adding a new black stripe there, and that's better than the bare steel rusting.

brake, STAY....stay.....good boy

This has been a long time coming.  Ever since the bike was built last June actually.  When Chris picked up the frame from the powder coater and said...."wait, shit, I forgot to weld the brake stay tab on first....we'll just do it before Born Free and repaint that small section of the frame, no worries".  Now, I was in no condition or position to complain.  He had dropped off the frame for 24 hour turn around at the powder coater so that the day I flew in Carlsbad it would be ready for the final build.

Well, 9 months later and a summer, fall and half a winter of riding with a front brake only, and I've finally gotten around to it.  My logic has been that downshifting was my rear brake and my front brake was "the one that mattered anyway."

Clean/Remove paint, weld, grind, shorten some linkage piece from an old set of sportster forward controls, mount, look, heat rod, bend to a fun shape, paint, remount, done.

Now all I need to do is get a brake line from VW Paradise to the right length and call it a day.  Time to measure that out.  Maybe Kim and I will swap.  He gets the line and sends it to me with his 1000 mile boots and I'll cover the resoling...?

Main Seal Replacement

The shovel has been leaking oil since its second or third ride.  After cleaning it a bunch and watching where the oil was coming from, it looked like the main seal on the crankshaft was the culprit.  Not too bad to get to, just remove the front pulley and belt, pull off spacers, pull off the rotor (magnets are strong!), unscrew the stator, then mangle the existing seal and pull it out. 

I hope this works.  After reviewing what needed to be done with big Oscar in National City and leaving his garage with the new seal in hand a few months ago, he advised me to try installing the seal backwards (cup side out) since I'm running an open belt.  WELL, that's what I did, so we'll see if it works. Too late now...

Most of the time its me, my clymer guide, a few texts or phone calls and my two buddies trial and error.  Maybe this is what I love about it all.  Learning as you go.  If it worked, then you applied what you knew or learned.  If it didn't, then you will learn, albeit with extra time and money.

Tonight's Shop Music:
The Velvet Underground
The Band
ZZ Top
The White Stripes

up all night

this was definitely a great episode of "Up All Night".  Not only did they mock the term "BEAST" (well, its the new 'epic', according to Will Arnett's character), they restored a sweet vintage honda.  And in the scene when they realize they don't have any tools and go to buy them, they return only with leather jackets and helmets.....pretty perfect.

another great quote line:
(i'll use the actor's real names since its better that way)
Will Forte: "man, she purrs, you should take her out for a spin!!!"
Will Arnett: "yeah, yeah, I should...."
and then he lets the bike die and offers the other two to take it out for its maiden voyage.


elton john, crocodile rock...

fenders are a trip, man

Here are some pics that Special '79 Jay sent me and posted when he was narrowing the rear fender for the shovel.  For some reason the comments on that post got out of control from some guy, hdferg, most of which I still don't understand.

Either way, Jay cut about an inch out of the width of the fender for me while keeping as much of the original paint as possible.  During the process, we realized that the striping on the fender wasn't symmetric on both sides.  I'd had the tins for a year before this and never even realized it.  The tank is symmetric, but the fender, nope.  the 70's.....man.

On that note, here's a link to the now de-classified documents explaining the testing that the military did on soldiers for the effects of LSD from 1964.  They were declassified in '76 and are now posted on the internet for all to read.  

I can't wait to see how everything looks all touched up and glossy.  I want to see the time-aged gold/green come alive.