Noot

Just like a Zippo Lighter: You can rebuild it ! That's the beauty of the early Harley-Davidson engine design which has "serviceable" parts. Races that can be honed oversize and fitted with new oversize bearing rollers, bushings that can be replaced. Cylinders with enough material to bore for oversize pistons. The motors can be put back to service and run again and again. We honed the original rod races (round again) and fitted +.001 rod rollers. His crank pin was still good. The original H-D crank pin - not pitted, still measured standard size. We fitted new wrist pin bushings, reamed, then precision honed for a light press pin fit at 70 degrees(temp).

Gold Mags Are In . . . .

Photo by: C.D.

Copeland's builds are innovative and functional. Solid.

One of my favorite bikes . . . and it looks like one
of those "single fire" mag deals - I've heard they work !

SU on a 45

Bud's Cases

I've been sanding and scotch brighting these cases for a couple days now. The "machined look" will really pop on these . . . all he's gotta do is Scotch on 'em to make it look boss again . . . Cool Daddy-O !

35+ Hours Jammin'

You ever just put your head down and jam to get stuff done? Forget all the bullshit. Forget sittin' on your ass in front of the tube . . . forget all the yada yada shit and get your dirty jeans on - Lock the door, turn off your phone and start grinding, sanding, drilling, measuring - get your hands grungy, dirt in your nose, just jam. I been jammin' about 35+ hours extra, each week, trying to get some shit done. Pat welded up my gear cover (the front was completely broke off) and I got hours in this thing, and it still ain't done - but, it fits now. Perfecto ! But, still jammin' . . .

Bud's XL Heads & Rods

1. Larger exhaust valves (moving seat out)

2. Rods honed for +.001 rollers

3. Wrist pin bushings reamed & honed

perfectly for his new pins . . .

Race Only

25T with special length primary chain
Aluminum Clutch Cover
XLRTT "D" Ratio Transmission Gears
Raybestos Dry Plates

Ironheads For Sale

A couple solid motors, built by my dad. Throw some offer money at us . . . they ain't givin' no satisfaction on the bench.

Wintertime Soups & Sandwich

I like food . . .

EZ Seat: Ironhead Bates Plate

Lower is (1/4" plate) bent at 30 degrees. Spacers between plate and frame. Weld top piece. Drill & slot holes for adjustment. Springs were too tall, so I put them in a 100 ton press and made them shorter. Now just deburr, bevel and paint. The seat is original Bates - "the little shit one . . . "

Slugs & Jugs

It seems I've now bored and honed a lot of cylinders over my lifetime. All types of pistons (cast iron cylinders). Clearances from .001-.002 or .0015-.002 or .002-.003 or .0035 to .0045 and all types of other weird combinations. The bigger the piston, the more clearance, unless it's made of bla bla bla bla . . . there are so many different combinations of materials, sizes and finish. It's really a delicate balance. Get the bore straight and the correct surface finish (60 degree cross hatch) . . . It's the most important part of the motorcycle engine(of any engine) - it's this cylinder and piston combination that endures the heat, the speed, the force, the fuel, the oil, the wear . . . it makes the power. If overlooked and not done correctly - performance and reliability will suffer.

Leo Payne Tribute - from UK

I found this pick from Patrick (UK) and his mate from Scotland - built this lil' dragger with ball-bearings and goodies in the spirit of Leo Payne. Really neato . . . but that carb is way way too dinky. It needs the MG or GAL fuel guzzler. I guess it doesn't really matter if it's perfect or not - I like: "the thought that counts."

A point: You can never recreate history. It never has the same power or glory. But, if you can get a small glimpse or feeling of being there that day . . . the rush. The sense of that Sportster hitting the rpms - the sound - the pull. It's quite worth it - I know. Makes life worth living - and you get a hint of what it was like to ride like Leo. At least in his younger years, before he rewrote the record book and made the rest of us just an enthusiast.

Fins of Iron

I picked up a KHK motor. One cylinder has broken cooling fins, so I've been die grinding (to score) and breaking fins off a Sportster cylinder head - and reshaping. Then "the Master" can try to attach new fins and recreate the glory of this Side Valve, 55", 888cc flat head street stomper !

Bud's Ironhead

How do you like my "patented" engine power washing system?

Well, my friend (let's call him Bud) has wanted me to go through his motor - it needed it.

- piston on backward

- sunk in valves

- pinion nut was off (holy shit!)

- stripped threads

- no primary chain tension spring (holy shit!)

- wrong gear cover gasket (holy shit!)

The incorrect gasket was blocking a vital oil passage - so the oil was just barely seeping through and it's fortunate this thing didn't blow up. It also has Q Cams (ha ha) which are possibly the lowest performance cams ever produced for a Sporty. A broken cooling fin, peeling chrome . . . We'll make it a runner !

Fun with 1 Shot

When the world is lost, totally gone - with but one lonely soul . . .
They'll still have art.

Ebay XLR

Hell, if I owned this thing, I'd never sell it.

Some people just don't get it.

. . . and if you don't have more than

13 grand - You don't get this either.

Sentimental Motorcycle Parts

Yesterday (Saturday Nov. 22nd, 2014) was an interesting day. I started off at 7am driving towards Minnesota in heavy fog. My destination was to my friend Pat's shop for aluminum welding on some parts for a motorcycle engine I'm restoring. As I look around the shop, I see all kinds of "sentimental motorcycle parts." All my own bikes are made up of these parts. Parts that people gave me, or sold to me at very reasonable rates because they like me and want me to have it. They know I'll fix it, and run it on my bike. No such motorcycle I own has more of these "sentimental parts" then my '52 Panhead Chopper. As I'm driving back from Pat's . . . I get a phone text message. It's from my friend Willard who remembers this day - as the day 32 years ago he lost his dear friend Stumpa, a lifetime brother - and fellow member of the Nuggets Motorcycle Club. Stumpa was from Cambridge, Iowa - and was in his 20s when he passed away. Long gone, but never forgotten. The front wheel on my chopper was sold to me (on easy payments) from Willard. It's Stumpa's old wheel from his chopper. It has guided me over 5000 miles so far. I run Willard's old custom risers, Willard's Bates headlight, Critter's old fork brace, DAs fender, Bromie's sissybar . . . it goes on and on. All the parts have some kind of history. It's really cool. Go to almost any shop - and look around. You will see sentimental parts. They are usually cool, unique, old . . . and they draw your eye to them. When the owner reaches up and takes this part off their wall and hands it to you - it's quite an honor. I take it seriously. I will use it, or give it back.

As I got back into town, I called Willard (who was in Charles City today) and we went out and visited Critter's gravesite, had a drink for Stumpa, had a drink for Critter, talked about life, talked about bikes and parts and engine building and racing and choppers and everything motorcycles. The sun was setting as I went home. The fog came rolling in again. We've lived a lot of life the last 32 years. Seen a lot of sunsets. Sentimental motorcycle parts are an important part of friendship - and the preservation of history. For without history, what legacy do we leave behind - What proof? Just to let the next generation know, that we were here, we rode hard, we partied, we existed. Their spirit lives on.

This race video - Is Totally Awesome

This video footage highlights a young Terry Poovey(#18) from Texas. It begins with running practice sessions, then trying to make the Main from a semi . . . then the Main Event. Sit back - crank your speakers and enjoy - Two Stroke Motorcycles. You won't believe how it ends. This is why I love flat track racing . . .

Jim Carroll's Diary . . .

We all know they made a movie after Jim Carroll's diary titled:

The Basketball Diaries.

If you want to see the movie, it's playing on

" this Network " on cable channels:

Monday Nov 24th 11pm

Friday Dec 19th 1am

Friday Dec 26th 1am

DiCaprio is in it . . . and Mark Wahlberg

Carroll was a very talented artist, writer . . .
He kicked his heroin addiction.

Started a band: The Jim Carroll Band

Cut one of the greatest records . . .

Catholic Boy.

Scott Parker - Houston TT

Scott Parker jumping his XR750. Who says flat track racers can't catch air? It was like Knievel on every lap of a 25 lap feature. All 18 riders . . . wow ! ZOOM IN - Crazy air !

Kenny Roberts Makin' a Living

To become the AMA National Champion, you needed to have the most total points from Dirt Track: Miles, Half-Miles, TTs and Road Racing. If you were employed by a manufacturer(Roberts was Team Yamaha), you rode what they had - your bike might be competitive, it might not. Roberts had to ride a highly modified Yamaha 650(750) and try to keep up with the dominate Harley XR-750. He's pushing it hard, harder, on the brink of crashing. Trying to win with under-rated, underpowered equipment. It was bad for points - but great for honing his sliding skills, how to use power, how to negotiate with Yamaha and go road racing in Europe. Roberts had been to school and was ready to take on Europe on the pavement. It led to Roberts becoming World Champion. A hard way to make a living.