Noot

Better days . . .

. . most racing this weekend in Iowa has been cancelled due to rain.

It's America ! Show it off with these Sportbike and MX tested and tuned gloves from FTWCO. If you wear Large gloves(please order the XL size) - they fit my skinny hands perfect. They stretch. The inside palms should grip your grips - and I like the "sticky squares" to grab your levers while grabbin' gears, or hittin' the binders. They'll see me coming blazing my international orange through the work zones . . .

Race Shit

An Iowa afternoon . . .

Messin' with these new +.025 brake shoes (for worn drums). I've never used them before, and since the shoes actually run towards the inside about 1/4", they don't fit past the original diameter, which hopefully I can turn off on a lathe. My sprocket is bolted on, a fix performed by David Theilen years ago when I shucked the sprocket rivets on a Springfield run.

They sure look thick, with a semi-metallic blend of brake shoe. It should stop like a sportbike now?

The old, worn shoes were glued on (no rivets). They never worked very good. After I rode in the rain, they would squeak for the next 250 miles. The good news is . . . you couldn't lock up the rear wheel if you tried.

I was doing all this work in the garage after a strong storm came through about 6:15pm last night. I just got home, parked my cherry pickup under my trusty, solid elm tree (full of leaves to deflect hail).
The neighbor's hanging baskets looked like open parachutes in the wind - Holy Shit ! They said it got to 100mph right through my neighborhood. My 1880s house, with original cedar siding and square-head nails held up. The elm bopped a 4" branch, putting a silver dollar dent in my top - Rats.
I had a few sticks here and there - My neighbors (photos below) weren't as lucky . . .

Welding, Chopping & Solid Rivets

Chad got me some stock front fender brackets. I aligned the holes with a drift, centered and tack-welded in place. Gelner blasted the fender. I taped a guide - and followed my line with a cut off wheel. Filed smooth and I'm ready for the solid rivets (if I can get my air chisel in there?). I have a pic of a Korean War veteran from about 1957 with his hacked up pan for inspiration.

Sprint CR

I saw one of these run again recently . . . and this will be the next thing I want to get. I remember watching a field of 15+ H-D Sprints at full speed on the Davenport 1/2 Mile years ago, and this brought it all back.

Dad's "Harley Tool Drawer" has lots of weird tools, pullers and pushers that we know work on only one type of engine - The H-D Aermacchi Sprint ! Bonus ! That big bulge on this side of the engine case houses the magneto . . .

230 Straight 6 vs. 283 Vette

I'd better re-up my subscription since the editor printed my '66 Chevelle in this month's Muscle Car Review Magazine . . . ? !
My response to the article, "Grocery Getter Lives."

Solid Mechanical Motorcycles (and Billy)

To the untrained eye, this bike is not reliable. But if you know what you're doing, and don't cut corners during repairs or service - this motorcycle is as solid and maintenance free as a newer bike. It's ready for many carefree miles of riding enjoyment. I see a lot of built "custom" bikes with parts binding, cables twisting, shit not lined up, wires rubbing, space between washers, wrong bolts, shit on backwards, tires on backwards . . . all with cheesy Chinese crap and weird graphics and unfinished paint jobs (they thought were finished). I don't mind rust and crud if the bike is solid and well put together. The best is when I'm burning down the road and I get passed by a couple dudes on sweet running pans or knuckles - bolts tight, no trailer . . . ever.

PS. I think the above side valve was built by Billy Lane? I like how Billy has changed his life, but he's still into building bikes. Now he's doing Harley, Indian "teens and 20s" racers and thin, board style race bikes. Stuff that smokes and leaks. Billy Lane always had great skills welding and fabricating, and he's been workin' on improving his skills with carbs, valves, flywheels, etc . . . pushing himself to learn the rest. I like the new Billy Lane even better. Keep up the good work Billy - maybe see you again at Davenport this year ?

Last Summer . . .

JR Rogers, Noot and Rory talkin' panheads . . .

Do You Know ?

Can you tell what's different about this fender brace? I took the "hinged" strut off, but there's something else . . . and "Do you think anyone will notice?" The fender fit much better after I did this.

Run to Mitchell through Orchard

Most old farmsteads through this region of Iowa have been taken over by Mennonites (sorta like Amish) immigrants. All the farms have horses and buggies parked out front, and they ride bicycles on the blacktop. My '61 XLCH whizzes by in a heavy crosswind.

The Mennonites are in their gardens, pulling weeds and planting fresh vegetables - and I'm stopping at The Town Pump for an order of greasy fries, ketchup, ranch and a couple icy cold Miller High Life beers. My gas tank is coming loose.

I take the "river road" . . . an 8 mile stretch along the Cedar River. This road gets flooded easily during high water, so it has a few cracks and damage - perfect for Sportsters !

These small hick towns can't afford standard street signs, and most homes have wells (no water towers) It's America.

I stopped at Darrel Klunder's and borrowed some tools to tighten my tank. This ol' girl has been my motorcycle for about 25 years . . . and it just runs so good. I cranked it up to about 68mph for the run home. I didn't see a soul on the road, just me and my bike, leathers down on the tank, gauntlets flappin' in the wind, over bridges, around high-speed curves. The sunset sky a burnt orange.

Thin is in . . .

XLR Pipes

Skinny Legs and Fender

Low tank

Narrow bars

Skinny jeans

Slick hair
New Camaro with bumber guards

All is good . . .
(click photo for JUL 68)

Bronson

Bronson was always spreading good, and helping people in his travels - all on his Sportster. That's the way to be, and just get away a little - like Bronson. We'll miss him. RIP Michael Parks.

Just Relax

Aftermarket lever (at least it's tight !) with old, original hardware. The cable pin is made of a heavy bronze material. It was a real bitch gettin' the cable all hooked in the brake, and adjusting it so it worked without dragging. I was so pissed off . . .

I must have bitched, "Fuk'n Harley-Davidsons !" about a dozen times. I decided to take a walk outside and cool off (and regroup a bit). Then I noticed my beautiful flowers are all really nice this time of year. All blooming. Some I planted 20+ years ago after digging from ditches and woods. It calmed me down, looking at my flowers and talking to my cat.

If I get too stressed out about motorcycles, I like to look at Love Cycles Instagram and it gets me to look at the fun-side again. That Jeremiah never gets upset and always looks like he's having the best time . . . today he was buffing his gear cover with a rooster on his shoulder !

Mason's Chopper

Mason is 14 (going on 15) years old . . .

Michael's Chopper

Michael is the one behind Flying Weasel Paint,

. . . so I expect this will get painted somethin' rad soon?

Buco story . . .

I was in an antique store (I think in Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Iowa area?) and was flippin' through a clothes rack. On the far edge of the rack hung a weathered cycle-champ style police jacket. I picked it off the rack - it was heavy as hell. I noticed it had a set of keys in the pocket. The tag read BUCO. I asked the clerk how much? (no tag) and she hadn't seen that coat in the store. Huh? Where did it come from? I tried it on, and it fit great ! Then a girl walked in, with me holding the coat - and said, "Thanks !" She was about 6 feet tall and kinda built (but in the right places, if you know what I mean?) She helped her friend load a table bought from the store, and hung it on the edge of the rack. She had good taste in jackets . . her perfume stayed on me for awhile, which was kinda cool since it smelled great !