Noot

Florida get-a-way . . . on the cheap !

Superstitious? Row 14 is really Row 13 . . . Flyin' on the 13th !

Anna Maria Island: Fishin' Drinkin' & Swimming . . . Fun !

Our beach bungalow . . . . cool pad

Anna Maria Island is known for it's excellent fishing !

Mackerel dinner - Fresh catch !

Canoe trip down the Weeki Wachee River . . .

I like to travel - but, it's kinda expensive unless you ride a chopper and sleep on the ground. We do it on a budget with mom & pop motels, public transportation, fishing off the dock with the locals (no charters). Cheryl and myself have lots of fun all the places we've been - and all the sites we've got to see off-the-beaten-path. Weeki Wachee and Homosassa are weird names for towns . . . but, it's really cool there. Anna Maria is another place that time has forgot. Old Florida the way it should be. Mackerel and Jack until the Ladyfish and Blacktips move in . . . then it's $1 draws and watch the sun go down again . . .

Hi-Tech Knuckle Chop / / /

This bike is trick. I like the juice brake set-up, the rack, fender strut . . . many custom, yet functional fabrications - and it still keeps the old-time vibe. A true custom - rider !

Small shops . . .

Carlo Borrani

Fall night rides are best . . .

1950 Ford

A local guy called my friend who runs an auto repair shop, and asked if he could bring in his truck for a tune-up . . . and this is what showed up !

New primary gasket

The '65 XLCH runs the dry clutch which didn't have time to get oil in it . . . since oil ran out the primary so fast - it never had a chance to fill up !

Dean Kelsey - Harley-Davidson Dealer

I see an obituary for 90 year old Dean Kelsey of Iowa Falls today. Dean ran a salvage business, was a H-D dealer, a Bridgestone dealer, sold chain saws, drove a Caterpillar . . . a million things this guy could do.
Dean was a founding member of the Ghost Town Ramblers M/C, he did motorcycle stunts at the fair, and was a Class C professional hill climber. I remember going with my dad a couple times down to "Kelsey's" where Dean would sell a spanking new Sportster (still in the crate) to Noot . . . and then Noot would set them up and sell it at his custom shop . . . B&N Cycle. There was this very, very steep road to manipulate down into the salvage yard to pick up bikes. I'd crawl on the floorboards since it was too scary for me . . . Dean sure lived a full life. Awesome motorcycle stories now archived forever.

House of Large Sizes

They had these giant I.P.S.(Iowa Public Service) power line spools for tables at Stebs. HOLS would open for The Dig Mandrakes and the bar would furnish cotton on the tables if it was too loud for you. Bed mattresses around roof support beams prevented injuries during slam night ! This was the first girl I ever saw in a rock band - so, she was like "super cool" to everyone that watched a gig. Plus, House had their our tunes - and were just damn good ! Then, it was on to The Stein for a pizza slice at 1:55am . . . Drinking age was 19 . . . All was great in the world, no cares - no money.

Drednex

. . . possibly at Stebs or Dean's Parkade ?

I lived in Cedar Falls (1 block from Stebs)

at the height of the late 80s scene.

Keep it simple . . .

A simple striping job. Do all the things I always do. But, the paint won't dry. I tried fans, heat, hairdryer, more fans, inside, outside. It's drying, but very very slowly. Wet for two days, tacky for 3 days. Just One-Shot Reflex Blue with a pinch of One-Shot Silver. A couple drops of One-Shot Low Temp Reducer, everything strained. Clean X-Caliber. A bit of spirits . . . Cleaned lid with my wax & grease remover until it squeeks. Huh? It's drying, but damn . . .

Supersuckers Show . . .

I got hooked on this band from my friend Matt, who burned me a couple CDs (which I play quite a bit). They were within' an hour drive - so, I went down and checked 'em out. The "No Coast" punk band and Hellbound Glory were both excellent. The Supersuckers were kinda loud (I am 47 now), and Eddie played both tunes I requested. (Kinda cool) I asked him how "life on the road was . . ." and he replied, "Great, goin' good . . . " which is the same reaction I got from any band member I asked that night. Eddie signed a CD for me, and said they are headin' west now to a venue near you possibly - so go check 'em out. It would not be the life for me, but if you like what you are doing - and you are becoming a professional at it - you may as well keep doing it. PS. Why is it, the coolest dudes I meet lately have these huge Duck Dynasty beards . . ?

Bel-Ray 75W - 1/2 Quart

You can use this oil if you run the dry clutch system.
Otherwise, run the proper "Sportster" primary lubricate safe for wet clutches . . .

Polished 'early' Borranis

. . . din-int wook wike dis ven I verse gots 'em.
18" & 19"

Kurpius' Ride . . .

I see this photo (by Jeff Wright) from the Brooklyn Invitational . . . shows that Josh's motorcycle is still out there traveling the byways of this great country. I asked him once who did his motor (lower end) and he didn't know. He never had it apart yet. That was last year, and I assume it's still running the same bearings?
This motorcycle has been coast to coast - multiple times. Where's the headlight? Maybe in his saddlebag, or he parks it before it's dark? Or . . . he rides real close to his buddy? Whatever the case, I'm sure Kid Kurpius can handle it. Hi Josh ! Safe Travels !

Brucie ( by Danny Lyon )

Whenever I perform any of the rituals of owning an XLCH, I many times think of Brucie (the Chicago Outlaw depicted in the book "The Bikeriders" by Danny Lyon). Me and Brucie may have been decent friends due to the fact we have similar motorcycles, and would drink similar beer. Cleaning dry clutch plates, polarizing generators, setting valves, changing sprockets, timing the mag, tightening CP1038 bolts. If you ride a CH, you know what I'm talking about. The tin primary cover. Yes, the magneto. I've ridden a 1960s Sportster for almost 1/2 my life. If Brucie is still alive, it would be cool to meet him. I sure look at his bike a lot. Wish I had one of those tachs . . . . I like that he took off the horn, low mirror - and that white buddy seat !