Farewell Ride to the Year

Took a good 50 mile ride late today to enjoy the warm weather and finish this weird last year the right way. The bike ran great and I got to show a dude on a bagger what reckless endangerment on two wheels is all about. Happy New Year people and many more good miles on the road.

Leaving 2011 Behind

Get it? Yeah, stupid I know. Ready to close the book on this past year and dive into 2012. Big changes and good things on the way.

Rolling On

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” C.S. Lewis


This year hasn't been the best ever, but I'm glad to have all of the good greaseball friends I've got and a great family. Things are looking up for 2012 and I'm ready for positive change. More laughs, miles on the road, and grease under my nails.

Grease Monkey Co-Op

Good afternoon/night in the shop with Bill and Jimmy. We got Bill's Shovel chop back to good health after some electrical trouble and got a good start on installing Jimmy's new Zombie Performance handlebars. (side note: To the idiot that overtightened/stripped the bolts in the hand controls - Fuck You!!)

Always glad to be able to help some of the crew keep their two wheeled addictions at a proper level.

Merry Xmas

Beats going to church every time.

Driven by the Devil

883cc to 1200cc, shiny.
Heads cleaned & valves lapped.
Reassembled and ready to go

I'm painting the cylinders black, but it's been too cold to paint here lately so I'm waiting for a warmer day. It's all coming together, slowly but with the determination of something made of pure evil. Merry Christmas!

Wheelie Madness!

You can ignore the not-so-great music, but these boys have skills for sure.


Just got my pistons and cylinders back from the machinist yesterday, so XL engine build pics coming soon....

I Love Nature

You never know what you'll stumble across.

Random

Getting advice on how to model.
Bill and I at Deal's Gap, like a Boss!
The Buell that may never get finished
My Dad, bike blown up outside of Memphis, but still smiling.
Rollin deep to Smokeout in 2010
My KZ1000 in it's former stripped down form. I seriously miss riding this bike when it was like this.
Cool when you find a pic of your bike randomly on the interweb.

Multi-purpose

Electrical tape, it's not just for bad wiring jobs anymore.

Actual Motorcycle Content

Finally got a few bucks up from the swap meet to get the Slingshot's cylinders bored. Tore the top end off this evening and the parts go to the machine shop tomorrow. Thanks again to Lil Chopper for the bitchin points cover.

Only in Jersey

Pimp Claus.

Bang Bang

Sent to me by my buddy Don. For all you bony-assed, so-called 'High Fashion' models: This is what a woman looks like. With a body like a shotgun going off. Three cheers for all the soft, curvy beauties out there that make you glad to be alive.

 

Swap Meet Shenanigans

After a brief absence, the Uncles of Sarcasm returned to the Charlotte Swap Meet. Good laughs were had and parts were sold. And I got to make fun of baggers and their misguided riders quite a bit.
The view from our freebie extra spot across the aisle
Ed reppin' the old school AMI shirt, with Officer Kevin and Big Mike

How to Spot Uncle Creepy

When a van has "Caution Transporting Children" on the back AND the windows are covered with newspapers, maybe something isn't quite kosher. And before you ask, this is a real picture taken by someone I trust, not some internet gag. Hey kids!! Who wants a balloon animal???

RIP Marco Simoncelli

Just read this morning that Marco was killed in a crash early in the MotoGP race in Malaysia. These guys have the heart and the courage to ride the most powerful motorcycles in the world and race at the very limits of man and machine. Sad to lose a young racer at only 24 years old, but I'm still inspired by anyone willing to put it all on the line for the thrill of competition and the glory of winning.

Angry Hornets

The sound that scares old ladies and thrills young ones.

I cleaned the end cap on the muffler. There's something good about a nice piece of hand polished aluminum, its got soul.

It's Friday, No Reason Not To Smile

Of course, when you're unemployed every day is Sunday, but I digress.....

Real Performance Art

No, not the performance 'art' put on by some hipster asshole standing on a stage and ranting about the gov't while beating on a garbage can lid. I mean the kind that propels you down the road at speeds three times faster than good sense would dictate. A very wise and capable man from Detroit once said that form follows function. For those of us passionate and foolish enough to try to build a motorcycle that you can't buy in a dealership, the real challenge is making form follow function without it seeming like an afterthought.


My long running Sportster project is an immediate example of this challenge. I started with a certain vision for the bike, and despite refining this idea over time, I've always had a focused image of a stripped down, sharp handling, fire breathing XL as the final goal. I'm light years from a high end bike builder, but I like to think I know when a bike looks right. The mechanical part of bike building is easy for me. It's the aesthetic aspect that remains the challenge. I keep chasing that vision and it's what keeps me excited to keep building bikes. It's the addiction that doesn't need a cure.

Man & Nature vs. Other Nature

I can't remember if I've posted this before, but it's worth it either way. Mongolian horsemen engaged in the ancient art of hunting wolves with golden eagles. The dedication it takes from these men to catch these birds and train them to hunt with their human master is awesome. If you thought there was no such thing as a badass bird, watch these giant eagles do their work.

A hundred times more real than a drunk redneck sitting in his pickup on the side of the road waiting for his dogs to chase a deer close enough to shoot at it with a shotgun.

Family Reunion III

FM3 is over and it was kick ass. Despite the weatherman's best efforts, we didn't get wet. In fact, the weather in the mountains was as close to perfect as you could ask for and we had an awesome day riding. Deal's Gap and the Cherohola Skyway were both great with nice clean runs on both of them with very little car or bagger traffic to get in the way.

Just as significantly, Jimmy took his first road trip since his wreck and other than a late start on Saturday he represented fully on his FXR. Along with the sweet riding, we mixed in a healthy dose of drunk/stoned Germans, hill people, and ruthless joke cracking. For the record, we got it on good authority that Hasslehoff is NOT a big star in Germany, despite what you may have heard. Thanks to Mo at the Kickstand Lodge for allowing us to camp there again this year and for being cool in general. Bottom line: Smokey Mountain riding rules.

Hey Hey

The current Horse cover girl.

Harvest Moon

The picture sucks, but the moon was out in impressive fashion last night. Clear sky, nice and cool and the moon fat and low. Great night to hang out on the deck with the pups and enjoy life.

The Backside of Beyond

I know sitting down and talking to a head shrinker helps some people to feel better, but for me it's all about two wheeled therapy. Admittedly, it doesn't give me a chance to talk about what that clown did to me at the mall when I was a kid, but fuck it. 100+ miles this evening in the backwoods cures a lot of ailments.

Free Advice

Whether you like the show or not, this is a solid bit of advice.

The Return of Jimmy

After almost 3 years, Jimmy got back on a bike today. I could say an awful lot about the rough road he's taken to get on two wheels again, but I'll let the video speak for itself. It's good to have you back on the road brother, we've got a lot of miles to make up together.

Into The Great Wide Open

With the big changes around here lately and the fact that the end to this hell fire hot summer is finally in sight, the urge to hit the road on two wheels again is becoming irresistable. Looking at these pics only makes it worse. Anybody want to house/dog sit for me for a couple months?

What's Real

By now this photo is already famous all over the world. It captures a scene from the funeral service of Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jon Tumilson. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in the helicopter crash that killed 22 members of the Navy SEALS recently. His family brought his Lab Hawkeye to the funeral service and when his friend walked to the podium to talk about Jon, his faithful dog followed and laid down next to his casket. I've had dogs all my life and have known firsthand the unparalleled loyalty and love they will give you without asking much in return. More importantly, this animal's display of loyalty for his fallen master should make you think about what's real in this world. I've got no respect whatsoever for anyone that ever put the word "politician" next to their name. The fact remains that whether we are right or wrong in the wars we have waged as a country, good people are lost. I'll trade 100 worthless, self-serving politicians for 1 man like Jon Tumilson who had the heart and the character to risk his own life in support of his country. Keep the good people close to you and remember what matters.

Cell Phones

I'm generally not a fan of what they've done to our collective common sense, but sometimes they're OK.

In Case You Haven't Heard.....

To kill a zombie you have to destroy the brain. If I watch one more zombie movie where they spend round after round of ammo pumping shots into the body and then stand there dumbfounded because the zombies keep coming I'm going to puke. I'm watching a French movie right now and it took these frogs waaaaaay too long to figure out the headshot. So, for the last time, destroy the brain and you waste the ghoul. It's that easy.

Scavenger Hunt

Picked up some choice Sportster parts in the last couple of weeks. It pays to troll Craigslist constantly so you can snatch up good stock take-off parts out there for sale. It's the one upside to the chrome addiction of the typical Harley rider: they end up with a bunch of good parts they have no interest in, but stuff that's valued by the chopper builder. Evo Sportsters 4 Eva.

Two Wheels and a Bunch of Monkeys

It's been a while, ready to ride somewhere again with the crew. FMF.

Displacement

Ever feel like you were born in the wrong era? Although the incredible technology we have today has made life easier and more interesting in many ways, it's hard not to look back at simpler times and wonder if life wasn't better back then. Our country is saturated with lawyers, politicians, cops, and other assorted lowlifes. Far too often men make their living these days by avoiding work, seeking to profit from the efforts of others or to find a way to scam money they have no rightful claim to. Others simply feel that the fact that they aren't willing to work entitles them to put their hand out and expect the government to support them. The concept of receiving only that which you have honestly worked for is foreign to far too many Americans.

More to the point, I lament the fact that in the present day it's next to impossible to hold someone personally accountable for their own actions. It's always someone else's fault, or there is a dirtbag lawyer that will do everything possible to alleviate someone from facing the consequences of wrongdoing. As long as he's being paid handsomely of course. Right and wrong for sale. In the same spirit I really, really, really, miss the days when you could straighten some asshole out when necessary. If some guy is causing trouble, it'd be nice to be able to go ahead and tune him up with no real worry about police or lawyers becoming involved. These days far too many chickenshit cowards get away with running their mouths without having to answer for it right then and there. An otherwise good man feels that irritating hesitation to smack some punk in the mouth when he's clearly got it coming, knowing that chances are this idiot will turn around and sue him. The supposed "civilized" nature of our society has turned everyone into pussies, too scared to take action out of fear of persecution by a system that has no business dictating morality to anyone.

The good old days may not have been all good, but they were considerably better than the pathetic mess we've devolved into. There's no real chance of salvation, but at least give yourself the respect to go down swinging.

The Next Last Time

As much as I love Evo Sportsters is just how much I hate Ironheads. I won't bother with a long explanation of what I don't like about them, but rest assured, I am not a fan.

Alas, the rigors of unemployment led me to respond to a guy's Craigslist ad in search of a mechanic to help him with his. Picked it up and did a decent bit of work to get it tuned up, tightened up, and ready to ride for him. Made a lot of chicken salad on this one, but it turned out to be at least a decent running bike, even it's butt ugly. It's almost done and ready to go back to it's owner, so this is definitely the last one I will ever work on. Probably.

The Greatest Soap Ad of All Time

Getting clean was never so fantastically dirty. Goddam!

Backroads Rollin

Pulled Monica's KZ out of the garage and took a nice 100 mile ride out through the farmlands south of the house. Nice weather and smooth riding. For the amount of money we've got into that bike, it's a lot more fun to ride than it should be. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: The late 70's KZ's are the cat's ass when it comes to air cooled inline fours. Fucking love em. I'd like to do a full on 'Mad Max' style bike one day, if I can get all these other projects finished. And get a job. Ha!

For Sale - Mile Muncher

Selling this bike for my Dad. 1999 Kawasaki Concours ZG1000. Good condition and runs strong. I know it's a long shot for anyone that reads my blog, but it's a good bike for cheap. Much faster & sharper handling than a fat H-D bagger. Blog special price of $2000 with a clear SC title.

Cherry Bomb

Bike pics on the way, but I don't like to disappoint.

The Sportster Rising

I stole this pic from The Horse blog, a bike they will be featuring I assume. Aside from the fact that it's sweet as shit, I posted it to illustrate a very positive trend I've observed lately: the return of the Sportster.
Just between the Revenge Run in April and the recent Smoke Out, I have seen more and more guys rolling on Sportys. Not just riding them, but putting their creative efforts into customizing them. Choppers, cafe racers, street trackers, or just trimmed down stockers. The beauty of simplicity and performance exemplified in the Sportster is making it's way back to the prominence it deserves.

You Mean Trashy Can Be Good?

Goddam right it can be. Exhibit A:

The Face of Evil

My buddy Lil Chopper presented me with this kick ass points cover for my Sportster street tracker. One more nice detail for a bike that is going to hurt the feelings of every chickenshit bagger owner dumb enough to call it a girl's bike. Thanks again Steve!!

And don't get any bright ideas about stealing that name for your own bike. I came up with it and I will kick 7 colors of shit out of you if you try to use it.

Barbarians at the Gates

There is no happy ending and the world is not getting better. Keep the good people close to you and enjoy them while you can. Never miss a chance to let the bastards and the idiots know that they will have their way eventually, but they won't get there without a fight. Make a dent in things while you can.

More Smoke Out

These are in no discernible order, but thanks to Bill for taking most if not all of them. I didn't even take a camera this year.

Chris was keeping this chick warm since she lost her shirt


The fire girls doing their thing.

The Crew.

Roadside, creeping on the ladies. Notice I'm keeping an eye on him.

Mike, definitely not thinking about stealing the bike he's on.

The Amazing Jimmy


The T and the A


Nice sunsets both nights in Rockingham

These two staggered past our tent, the chick was so fucked up that the dude was literally holding her up. Pure class.

Bill actually had sex in this tent, but the other dude cleared out before I could get a picture.

Grade A Man Meat