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.

Joe Leonard

His Harley KR is pulling away . . .

FULL RACE

Original Autographs of Flat Track Racing

Gary Scott #1  Factory H-D Team

When my dad went to the Indy Mile, Peoria TT, Springfield Mile, Sedalia 1/2 Mile, Des Moines 1/2 Mile, and Black Hills 1/2 Mile . . . he collected autographs from the sport.  I went to Indy a couple times as a youth and remember handing my program through (and over) the fence to Springsteen, Goss, Roberts, Romero, Beauchamp . . . these racers were my heros.  Still are my heros.  

Gene Romero #3

Ken Roberts #1

Rex Beauchamp #31 and Jay Springsteen #25(65X before his national number)

Steve Droste #92

 

Ted Boody #12

Mike Kidd #72

There's Randy Goss, Hank Scott, Scott Parker, Dave Aldana, Darrel Hurst, Steve Morehead . . . and later years of Ricky Graham, Bubba Shobert, Kevin Varnes, Kevin Atherton, Chris Carr, Joe Kopp . . . and I wouldn't trade any one of them for a Jordan or Rossi . . . maybe a Tarkington?  I got Ray Nitschke !

I read obituaries . . .

I got this bad habit of reading obituaries about people I don't even know and evaluating their lives - and the value of their life.  What they did - how they lived it.  Now, I rate them with this (rather terrible) rating system as if they lived, "Shot from a Cannon" . . . or "Squeezed from a Tube."   I guess if you have a family, kids - you know what I'm talking about.  There's no other, greater feeling of life - the feeling you get from your own children, your wife, your life lived through them - with them.  Your offspring can "Shoot you far and away."  The workings of a family can give you the ultimate ride of your life.  Then you have the obits that didn't do much.  No rides.  No giving - No generosity.  No nothing.  All for naught.  They just existed (so it seems) with no legacy - they never dared to try - or go - or do.  Squeezed from a tube.  If you feel you are being squeezed - get out - Get in the cannon.  Try it.  Light the fuse.

No Paper - No Worries

I'm building a racer.(something like this)  An XLR, TT, old-time Class C racer that could hold it's own back in the day against any amateur racer.  A capable machine in the hands of a semi-pro.  All the builds you see are usually "titled" stuff that looks like a race bike, but it's not - and it has a license plate - all legal - and all that jazz.  No title kinda snuffs your plans if you can't hit the street - and that's too bad.  I've got an old Sportster "Scrambles" chassis that someone raced at local club events.  Parts cut off, stock parts missing.  I got a beaten and abused set of cases someone blew all to hell, with hot cams, hot heads, weird pistons . . . and ball bearings.  Why not build an outlaw?  A bike you sneak out of town and hit the gravel.  A bike you load in the back of your truck - and race around the fairgrounds.  Dirt on the tires.  Mud on the motor.  Maybe enter an "ol man's" scrambles event - or short track?  Exhibition.  Something to look at in the shop while sippin' a beverage.  Something to start up and let your friends take a ride.  A big cube mini-bike basically.  A waste of money and time for a few short minutes of fun.  
A complete bike-nut approved build.

Parts FOR SALE

Juice Brake Plate and Lever ($30) New

FLH Shift Arm - Spline Shaft ($15) New

Big Twin Riser Bushings ($20) New

Supertrapp Plates & Cover(some screws) ($20)

Big Twin Hidden Fork Stop Kit($50)

Yamaha TT Tune-Up Kit ($15) New

'68 Guide Tail Light ($50) with good

wiring, lamp, door (cracked license lens)

I'll work with you on shipping the best way . . . 

E.K.

"Being shot from a cannon is always better than being squeezed from a tube."

Ol' Man Winter sent me a text message . . .

 

He texts: Polar Vortex

I text: 5w30

He texts: Dead battery

I text: Magneto !

He texts: Fogged shield

I text: Super Seer Anti-Fog Spray

He texts: 20 degrees

SHIT

He don't like me ever since I sold my ice bike and my sled.

But, I rode today

Out of the garage at 7:00am and down for coffee, 

stop at the post office, stop at the local car garage hang-out . . . 

and all the talk is the weather . . . 

and 

"Why are you still riding your motorcycle?"

Snake River Jump: Re-Creation

I heard Scott Truax (son of Robert Truax who originally engineered the X-2) is trying to recreate the Snake River Jump . . . and we got Big Ed Beckley(stuntman, promoter, etc) will pilot the new-redesigned unit to fly over the canyon, pretty much in the same area as the gone-but-never-forgotten Evel Knievel.  Why can't we just let history remain the glorious history it is?  The fact that is was done.  A daring feat of courage, technology, money, heart and soul . . . it really was a monumental true daredevil stunt that can never ever be repeated, make it or not.  Let's re-create Washington crossing the Delaware, Neil Armstrong on the Moon, the first 200mph quarter mile with a period correct vintage dragster.  Scott and Ed are brave, industrious men who want to do it . . . I just wish they'd come up with a truly unique stunt of their own - and make their own history - and let Knievel keep his alive as it ever was.

Rad Shovelheads from JAPAN

Hey Wiley . . . if I have to have a shovel, how about one like this?  I just have to have a place for my tent, sleepin' bag, camping pillow . . . hell - I'll just look for a Holiday Inn.

Randoms

From the top . . 

Neato Panhead

Chevy Barn Find (model car)

 Joey's Grand-Daughter

Neato Paint

TJ doin' a lost art . . .