A few photos of variable interest . . .

You'll be ready to snub ol' Man Winter by then:

I've been to this the last couple years.  Good show in a nice place.  Things to do for your wife while you czech out bikes & parts.  Or maybe she checks out the bikes & parts . . . and you go all the boutiques within walkin' distance?  Good show either way.

ROCHESTER BIKE SHOW & SWAP MEET

MAYO CIVIC CENTER

Rochester, Minnesota

Saturday, February 1st, 2014

Where it'z at . . .

This bike is outside the box:

- molded & twisted frame -

- smoothed out gear cover -

- crazy up sweep manifold -

- crazy slash pipes -

- top mount -

- saddle & sissy -
- kool paint -

- hat & shades . . . this dude is happening ! "

Shot in Tungsten (Mama Tried Build)

Chad's WLA

Start at the bottom . . . and work your way up . . .

Christmas Time

I searched all over for a neat Santa photo (and there's a lot of them)

and just kept coming back to this one . . .

He don't seem to have much?  An old bike, old shoes, a muddy road - 

but, he's goin' to spend some time and give out some spirit.  

You please do the same - give some spirit !

I told Chris . . .

. . . to maybe keep his newly rebuilt engine inside, out of the cold.  

This really isn't what I meant ?

Ricky's Iron

theanchormotorcycleshop.blogspot.com

Coffee, Grain Belt and Methylpropyl Ethoxyprop Ethyl 3

I love washing parts (not really), but I've been in this stuff basically my entire life.  I started cleaning my Bendix coaster brake in this shit about 1972 . . . So, that's over 40 years of parts washer solvents.  Like Bob Spina has enamel paint running through his veins . . . I have Acetone, Xylene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene and Ethyl Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate running through mine.  I actually read the label and about fell over.  I do kinda like the smell . . .

Harley would not do this . . .

I really don't think Harley would do this.  You would need very heavy pistons for this to be necessary, and it might make this area weak.  Why would you need to take away material opposite the counter-weight of the flywheel?????  Now, we'll have to have Wiley check these - and he'll probably have to drill more holes in the counterweight itself to compensate.  These wheels will look like Swiss cheese - and if they hold oil when they're spinning - that ain't really ideal either.  The less holes the better I think.  Unless you could drill the holes in the ends of the wheels so the oil flies out?  What a mess.

Machinists like cast iron . . .

MFMCo. (McFarland Machine & Co.) milled off the broken part, drilled a new diameter and tapped threads for our adapter.  Looks nice and won't leak now !  Most machinists I work with enjoy milling cast iron (due to it's self-lubricating properties) . . . and aluminum. 

What year is it anyway . . . ?

One Shot Gold Size (dry 'til it squeaks) - apply the Manetti's Gold Leaf, let dry 8 hours - then turn it with velvet that's been 3M spray fixed to the face of a Briggs valve in a cordless drill.  What a complicated mess.  Throw on some Fire Red stripes (catalyzed with some clear enamel) and it should be good for clearcoat.
 Let's all cross our fingers !

Floor Work

The bike lift was occupied, so I've been working on the floor.  I know that thousands of bikes are built off the floor . . . but, once you have a lift - the floor kinda sucks.  Does this make me old school now? or will I just have bad knees and a bad back?

I heard ice bikes this weekend . . .

If you got guns . . ?

 . . . I see fuglescreations.blogspot.com has some cool belts available now . . . 

all hand made by Tom himself !

I like the Mauser one

Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack

 Tom Laughlin died last week, and I always respected his movies and opinions.  He used his writing and cinema to send a message.  A message against violence towards our native Americans, women and children.  I know his wife was from South Dakota, and from her experiences with the local Lakota in towns such as Winner, White River and Wanblee . . . Laughlin created the character Billy Jack, a white man who would fight for equality of the local people.  When I ride my motorcycle through SD each year, I appreciate the history of that land too . . . one ideal me and Billy had in common.

OIL Fitting Repair . . .

A damaged fitting, an iron pump . . . a repair is needed.

Cool Shovelhead No. 1

I like everything about this bike . . .

Cool Shovelhead No. 2

I like everything about this too . . .

Fun with One Shot

. . . by "Fun" - I mean swearin', cussin' & bitchin' . . . 

Rocker Arm Lift Check

We discovered these covers give you less room for rocker arm movement than a stock, stamped cover.  I have a Sifton 412 cam (which is about the same valve lift as a stock H cam).  You could see where the previous owner of these CCE covers had their rocker arms hit.  I installed the push rods and turned the motor over with the pan covers on - and didn't hear anything touching.  We measured a couple times, and it's gonna be close.  Big lift cams might not work with these, unless you use thick gaskets or thin spacers to lift up the covers a bit.  Sometimes, 4 eyes, 4 ears and 2 brains are the best . . .

Money Down . . .

I guess whether it's a motorcycle OR a bicycle . . . "money down" is going away from us.  It's all about financing and interest rate now.  I do agree with Norm, it's a really neat bike - nice story.

Prohibition Trip

I like history.  When I heard a prohibition traveling exhibit was at the Minnesota Historical Society, I made plans to see it . . . Packed with original documents (from Capone & Ness), artifacts (real iron knuckles, Thompsons, boot razors) it has a timeline that takes you through this period of time that was tough and tumble. Good times were well deserved.  Life wasn't as easy, yet many times it appears to be more fulfilling - the 20s and 30s in America. 

In the beginning . . . a Motley pan

 " . . . and it has been written, that those who have the youth have the future - so come now children of the beast, be strong -
and Shout At The Devil !

Joey's raked neck wishbone . . .

This was a custom bike years ago . .  it ran knuckles and pans.  Now he's brazed, welded and molding the frame again at his home shop in Vegas. (it's 3rd from left above)

Don Castro #11

Don Castro's No. 11 . . . it started it.   It's possible other riders chose "11" after Castro.  To honor a racer they respected . . . Steve Eklund, Scott Parker, Bryan Bigelow . . . plus, if they win the title, they can just take a 1 off their leathers.

"Soup'R Sunday" Food Selfies !

. . . every Sunday night we have homemade soup & sandwich 

over the winter months.

92%

I really need to see some nitro racing in 2014.

Santa's Workshop

This will be a good engine.  It's like I've been to the H-D School of Hard Knocks on this one.  The flywheels were fighting us.  We got them right - then they didn't like it in their new home inside the cases.  Then the gear cover syndrome.  Then we learn about center-to-center distance - and the ability to identify sounds such as; whirring, clicking, ticking, oftentimes grinding . . . as you grasp the open ends of the connecting rods and listen.  Turn off the music, turn off the TV, turn off everything and LISTEN.  What is that?  Listen to the "mechanicalness" of a panhead motor. I went as far as to bolt on the generator (and it's a good thing I did) because it needed the right idler gear.  Eliminate parts and measure other parts . . . Finally after shimming, micrometers, calipers, dial-indicators . . . and this powerful, lighted magnifying glass - it's quiet now.  Even with the generator - It's quieter than the elves sneaking into your house on Xmas Eve.  All you here now is the perfect mesh and pitch of proper alignment.  Gears that love each other.  It spins free - and wants to keep spinning !  It's right now.  I feel like a worker elf, perfecting a toy for a kid who's been good all year.  That kid is me . . .

Cope with it . . .

Does anyone still use a coping saw to make custom chopper parts . . . ?  Or has everyone bought a band saw by now, but me . . . ?

Chris' 1963 FLH

I like how on a panhead motor you can leave the covers off and slowly turn it over by hand to check the rotation, watch the rockers move, make sure nothing's binding . . . and listen to hear any clicks or ticks.  This thing is nice and quiet - just the way we like it !

Give Thanks . . .

 

. . . for up-sweeps, cast pan covers, marble paint

and chics with chains . . .

Baker & Atherton sign with Harley-Davidson

Brad Baker will take his #1 Plate and ride for HD in 2014.  He'll bring along the crew and his steel shoe.
Former factory rider Kenny Coolbeth will take his 3 championships and many wins and go for a ride with Zanotti Racing.