Rochester this weekend . . .

JB and myself have a booth,  I guess????  Come and see us at the Mayo Civic Center this Saturday.  We'll be selling some parts . . . check out some bad-ass motorcycles - get out and live a little.  Donnie Smith will be hangin' with us again (the guy is a walking chopper history book) - and I got a bunch o' questions to ask him about the old days.  See ya'll soon. . . . Oh, Hux is comin' too . . . and that guy that runs track and builds aeroplanes.  AND, if we get out of there early enough, we can make the Show Class Party !

Stand Firm - Stay Your Ground

A older, southern gal in Alabama I always dealt with over the phone at work had this real heavy drawl in her voice.  I could barely understand her.  She liked to use the term "Hold Yer Mud" with me on certain issues with corporate business matters.  Something like this . . ." Now Robert, ya'll jus gonna hav-ta Hold-Yer-Mud with them there suits . . . don't let 'em git 2 ya . . ."

Valentine's Day Dinner

....nice to have a gal who cooks for me.  Wine too.  Dessert was a flipped over chocolate deal . . . . then I fell asleep in the chair with a 1970 Hot Rod Magazine on my lap.  Whoops !

Rusty Nuts . . .

Liquid Wrench or Blaster ?????  Through all my years of restoring old stuff (never owned a torch) this product has saved me many bruised knuckles and aggravation. What's your secret?

Thanks Bake !

Jeff bought a new-style carbide cutter for our Van Norman boring bar.  The type where you can change the triangle-shaped carbide deal (like my terminology?).  It has been tested - and works excellent !  Bores almost exactly on size - and leaves a real nice finish.  After a few test runs on our donor cylinder, I bored the Cycle Nazi's panhead cylinders - and they look real nice.  Hone for fitment - a couple more coats of High Heat HD Silver Barrel Paint - and we're puttin' that to bed - this motor is beatin' me up.

Mismatched Case 1/2s . . .

....don't always mean the cylinders will fit properly. 

Luckily, these fit. 

Engine Building . . .

I enjoy the motor building process, just so I don't have to think too hard.  I've date coded and checked all the casting numbers on my 283 small block project.  The crank is small journal, forged (due to wide band) - mic's out to only .0004 run-out on the journals - so, I'll plasti-gage everything and see what it reads.

'49 Lower

Got a lower end snapped together - with refreshing sounds from Daredevil . . .

REVIEW: Tank's in Rudd, Iowa

I like to check out some of the local dives . . . and we know sometimes (not always) they have the best food.  So, me & C took off for Rudd, Iowa to check out these ribs we keep hearin' 'bout.  Well, here's the review of Tanks . . .

Atmosphere:  Not fancy, a bit outdated - but, Clean

Prices:  $10.95 for the full rack, big potato(real butter) and salad.

Freshness:  Very freshly made - crisp

Beer: Old Mill and PBR both available ! (what else do you need?)

Ribs:  Excellent !  Sauce was very good - Perfect bite to it !

Potato: A big baker russet with the fixins'

Service: Good - Get there real early or late (8:30ish) 

Overall - I'd recommend this down-home bar & grill to anyone . . .

and all the help told us "Thanks & Come Back Again !
Fun Place !

283 Build Up

The "283 Guy" out in Washington state said to get one of these if I could (got one) . . . your basic 275-300hp mid 60s cast iron (date code 1966 on this one) long runner, cast iron manifold.  This will warm up correctly, give increased torque (that's what we're after) and excellent throttle response.  Other suggestions are:

- 097 Duntov mechanical camshaft

- 58cc chambers, ported, comp valve job(use the heads I got with it)

- Maybe advance the cam 4 degrees for torque?

- .021 Metal head gaskets

- Flat top pistons (9.5:1 cr)

- Mill heads .030 - Surface block

- Edelbrock 500cfm carburetor

- 1 1/2" small tube street-rod headers (or warmed over manifolds)

- HEI (will fit with above manifold)

He said it will surprise a lot of people . . .
Thanks Grumpy ! (a different Grumpy)

Do you watch Glee...?

I started watching the show with Cheryl for no apparent reason . . . 

Well, maybe one? 

Hey Wiley . . . (UPDATED !)

Which frame is this one ?  Maybe the Boris Murray frame ?

Looks like it would flex to me . . . .
UPDATE FROM WILEY:  Jeff told me this is the early Boris Murray frame.  Leo picked this one up from Gordon Kately (who ran a fueler at the time).  This frame didn't flex so bad, but it had this wobble at high speeds and it threw Leo off at 150mph.  Amazingly, he just got scraped up a bit, and the bike was pretty much ok too - real lucky that time.  You always think these drag racers get all the glory, etc - but, it's a real dangerous way to make a living.  You never hear of all the bad shit that happens. 
(you can also see Leo's '67 El Camino)

Iowa Swap Meet - Feb 16th & 17th

Got this in the mail . . .

If you need parts . . . this one ain't too shabby - Bike Show, Beer . . .

It gets better every year . . .

True Swiss

This set I nicknamed the " Swiss Cheese Flywheels " since they have been shaved and initially balanced on an automotive-type crankshaft balancing machine (due to the holes in the ends of the flywheels)  They were kinda farted up . . . but, Hey, we saved 'em !

of Fords, Chevys, Dodges (& one damn Willys)

Went on a good ol' Iowa Winter Road trip last Saturday to check out all these guys with old car stashes . . . and go pick up some bike stuff too.  I felt a bit nervous at some of the stops, due to the fact they don't let just anybody see their stuff (if you get my drift?).  No photos please type-o-deal.  These guys are quite elusive in with their collections.  Most of the stuff I didn't even know what I was lookin' at . . . but, some of the parts left me with a big smile on my face.  Way cool old dudes - who don't do internet . . .

1959 CH Project

Powdercoat black w/ clear . . . .

Leo Payne UPDATE ON THIS PHOTO !

I traveled to my friend Jeff Wiley's on Saturday.  I know Jeff worked and traveled with Leo Payne to drag races on many occasions.  Jeff said the frame in this photo was one of the first Yetman frames.  It flexed so bad that when they raced in Bowling Green, the chain came off and just spun on the brake drum.  Jeff called it a piece of ____.(well, you know the word)  Leo named it a "Flexi-Flyer" after the kid's sled.  It just wasn't rigid enough to withstand the horsepower of this XLCH with nitro.  Then Leo acquired one of the first Boris Murray frames and that wasn't much better.  Boris then built another more rigid version that did hold up.  Wiley has a memory like vault, you just have to open it up now and then to get the information. 

SOUND CITY

I really hope this film comes to a theater near me so I can see it with all the rockin' sound and glory.
Dave Grohl bought some of the equipment from Sound City studio where many many totally rockin' albums were produced over the years - and this film will document the history of this legendary studio.  Everything DG touches lately turns to gold, so this should be great !

Jacques Villeneuve (Elder)

This is the brother of Gilles Villeneuve (Alouette, Ferrari).  These two brothers revolutionized snowmobile oval track racing.  Their design and innovations on the Alouette Twin Trackers once dominated pro events and prompted Ski Doo to build their own version in later years.  Now there's a book about "Jocko."  Cool.
After a terrible crash a couple years ago which left him severely broken . . . I know Jacques did race again.  However, age catches up with you . . . and while his stamina may not be the same . . . his determination has been unequaled in the sport of oval track ice racing.

Baja 100

Could you image riding one of these through the Baja Peninsula?

Stars & Stripes Forever !

I've always wanted one of these . . . now I got one.  I know, I know . . . they start kinda hard, real fussy, dead spot off idle . . . who cares?  They are the coolest carb ever made for a Harley.  This point is not even up for debate.  Can't wait for the frustration . . .

 . . . and if it doesn't work . . . It can always play music . . . 

Sing Along - "Oh when the Saints, Go Marching In . . . . 

Oh When the Saints Go Marching In . . . "

I'd never seen this one yet . . .

I love the carb - just got a GBL for mine . . .

Sometimes you just gotta say, "What the ______."

XLCH Trades & Barters . . . and beers

These crazy Italians I know from up north keep trading me old Sporty parts for old Sporty parts . . . weird.
Now I have an early lower tree, cups, short swingarm, a different frame . . . yada yada yada.  After a few Red Dog beers - now I want this other frame they have - so, I'll trade the frame I just got from them - for a different frame they have . . . Confused?  I am . . . .

Back from the Dead Panhead

Got the Cycle Nazi's heads pretty much the way I want 'em now . . . They really needed some TLC and should be a good, reliable set o' heads now.  Picked up some fazners from my "inside line" Colony source ta boot . . . .

Non-Detergent Oil . . .

Sucks . . !

A "car guy" tale . . .

This dude buys a new '58 vette.

Wrecks it the first week . . . junks car - saves motor.

His ol' man buys new '60 Biscayne.

Dude inherits Biscayne in '61 - bolts in vette motor.

Noot's buddy buys Biscayne (from dude who still has it)

Noot gets motor - checks date code.

Noot smiles . . .

All she wants . . . .

. . . . is for the photo shoot to be over soon !

Something like this . . . .

I've always liked how they build old motorcycles in Japan.  Since parts are expensive and in shorter supply, they use what they have to achieve a running, functioning motorcycle.  If all the parts are from that period of time . . . it all kinda goes together.  I have enough parts to do one of these(pic above).  I don't know how many times last summer I was hammering on the K-Model and just wanted to keep going to the next town.
The K is not really set-up for highway . . . on this I could keep going.  See you soon !