Paint by Horst

In all my old magazines . . . Street Chopper, Hot Bike, Custom Bike, Custom Chopper, Easyriders . . . there's many customs with "Paint by Horst."  He's been doing custom paint, striping, leaf, murals, originals, flames, candy . . . on and on.  Horst knows what he's doing, and deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award for all the works he's done.  
It brought Horst to mind when I recently saw a fuel tank Pete had for sale painted by him . . .

DC Linkert - MSP

My original DC Linkert had run on for 20+ years without a single cleaning, clog, misfire or problem.  I'll disassemble it - and give it a good cleaning and detailing.  I'll run this new, bored out, modified DC to enhance my recent engine modifications.  Maybe I'll try this vintage velocity stack ?   The intake manifold is lined up perfectly.  Carb spacer matches perfect.  Carb bore matches perfect.  A smooth 1 1/2" tunnel of fuel vapor all the way to the XLR Intake Valve.  Hopefully she'll run about as good as I can get with these common Harley-Davidson components.  M.S.P. - Modified Stock Parts only

Piston Squaring Plate -26

This original Harley-Davidson tool (plate) came in a two different sizes.  One for smaller bore pistons(above) and a larger one for big-twin pistons.  It's designed to check rod straightness, and possibly used for assembling cylinders (my application).  It's slotted where it fits around the connecting rod and serves as a solid base to hold the piston while you assemble the cylinder, with rings compressed.  It gives you an "extra hand" and eliminates problems such as nicked pistons(on cylinder studs), rings popping out, damaged rings, etc.  If you see one at a swap meet, buy it ! 

30 Year Reunion

On my trusty Schwinn to morning coffee, saw a guy fishing . . . Hadn't seen him in 30 years (since high school) and he recognized me too . . . Jim?  Rick?  How's it going? etc.  He chose a life of no job, no wife, no kids, didn't like pressure or hassle.  I chose the opposite.  I did notice he didn't have any gray hair, if any.

Good Day for Panheads . . . LED SLED

I guess the more I ride these panheads - be it a rigid, hand shift, stripped chopper with narrow bars . . . or a late model, dressed, Electra Glide with cushy suspension, wide bars and windscreen . . . the more I like them.  That whirr of the motor is such music to my ears . . . no other motor sounds like a panhead.  Not really sure what causes that whirring either?  Most likely the thin, hollow rocker covers?  Or a combination of hollow covers, rocker design and gear drive generator cases. I always run the felt pads, and they supposedly quiet down the sound, and get soaked with oil, and keep parts lubed and wet with motor oil.  Who knows?  H-D factory parts experimentation continued with model after model on many engines - like the "intake oiler tubes."  Most panhead engines I disassemble don't have them in there anymore, and if they do, the little check ball is stuck - so useless.  Or it's completely broken off, laying in the bottom around a valve spring collar.  The panhead can be the prettiest motor, or the ugliest.  The most oiled out, rat-out pan chopper is the scariest bike ever . . . parked next to a gleaming chrome daydream of a '65 Electra Glide, in Vivid Black or Hi-Fi Blue.  It's up to you.

Iron XR

Hot Dog Kustoms

Arizona Trip

Took a 5 day trip to see my son and his wife in Avondale, Arizona.  They've really got their act together and have a great set-up when the ol' man comes to visit.  We did a Crescent Ballroom show with Red Elvis, Koffin Kats and The Rev & Jimbo to kick start the fun.  Jeremiah (at Love Cycles) put me to work for a day - and I was impressed with his shop and his welding ability.  He's always been really nice to me, and I was honored to get to hang and work in the shop.  Chase Stopnik is a new friend now too - I really like his ideas, and he's just a cool So.Cal cat . . . Nice to meet you dude.  The kids took me to the Andy Warhol show, the Japanese Gardens, old Glendale trolley museum, I went biking about everyday . . . and Eric's Carne Asada recipe is so delicious . . . They like cooking, so I didn't go hungry.  The weather hung around 80, but you can feel those 110s and 120s coming.  A really good time was had by all.  Thanks folks - See you all again soon !

1 Million People - Sturgis 75th

I talked to Alva & Irene (my Sturgis landlords) last night.  They always fill me in on the latest gossip, city council meetings, news, etc. about the city of Sturgis.  Politics, money, big money, corporate money.  I've got to be honest with you.  It's there.  But, the true spirit of this rally is there too.  Alive and well as the day Pappy Hoel and the Gypsies devised this plan to have a rally, races and ride in those beautiful hills.  The stunt man Doug Danger will attempt to succeed in a jump that Knievel failed (on the very same motorcycle) - so that should be interesting . . . and the chics seem interested in what I have to say, so that's cool.

Casting Date Codes: F 8

F 8

June 1938

This is a 1939 case.  It was cast in F(6th letter of the alphabet or JUNE) and the 8(we can assume was the year 1938 since the case is a 1939).  This simple date code is used on all types of older H-D castings like engine cases, transmission cases, gear covers, etc.  Sometime in the month of June, Year of 1938, hot molten aluminum went from a semi-liquid to a solid, cooled - and formed this case.  

When restoring an original-type motorcycle, these date codes are important.  Now we have motorcycles being built with correct dates codes, matching frames, engine cases, etc . . . being sold as "original motorcycles" where as the sum of the parts - were never together as a unit on the Harley-Davidson assembly line.  The larger "raised numbers" denote the actual casting number(part number) of the individual part itself.

25 years of service: Sportster 4 Speed

Transmission story:  This particular transmission goes back to like 1968-1969.  A customer brought in his brand spankin' new XLCH to B&N Cycle Shop (Tony & Noot's old shop) and his transmission wasn't shifting.  The bike was under warranty and the guy supplied a new, replacement transmission.  The only thing that was defective was like a shift roller or something.  It sat on the bench, waiting for him to come back and get it . . . it sat under the bench, in a box for awhile, it finally ended way up on one of those concrete wall support deals that run from the floor to almost the ceiling.  It was forgotten.  Years later when the shop finally closed, it was the last thing they found when cleaning out the shop.  Then it sat in my dad's basement until I bought a 1961CH with a bad transmission - and it's been in my bike for about 25 years.  Still looks like new.  Hardly warn - and it was never out of my bike, until this rebuild.  Nothing wrong with it.  Gears look perfect.  Shift forks perfect.  I only run Bel-Ray 75W . . . a testament to their product - and a testament to my shifting ability apparently - and a testament to the design engineer who stayed in school and listened to the professor and did his homework.

Keokuk, Iowa USA

Lots of talent down in that southeast tip of Iowa.  Bitchin' write up on Steve and his custom panhead for the Fuel Cleveland Show coming up May 9th.  I really dig this photo of Steve's pad . . . Wood floor, proper decor, chopper in the house, leather & leopard . . . just the way we like it !