Noot

Shea's Love Van . . .

He's put so much love into it . . . Now flush her tank !

Kansas City Trip - Day One

I trip it down to Kansas City early Friday . . .

$500 Truck with $8,000 bike in the back

and a couple tubs o' swap meet parts.

Ricky's still at work - so, I unload the K and start exploring the

Missouri backroads - and do some trails. 75 degrees and sunny.

After a relaxing micro brew - I head back to Ricky's to

check out the shop and his projects !

Way cool shop - everywhere you look.

The total set-up.

After pizza - we head to the Punk Rod Shop

The K Model blastin' into the heart of KC at night.

What a Trip Out !

Lights, Traffic, Curves - Just Revin' the Little K

The most fun is when you're a little nervous !

Hard to get . . .

These cages are gettin' rare - old Sifton, NOS . . .

anything but Taiwan !

Branch

He forgot more than we'll ever know ourselves . . .

Those metal block filters (filled with Brillo pad type wire mesh) are stacked on top of each other inside the square canister. I clean them once a year, and re-oil. You add some oil to the lower tray, and it suspends any dust, sand, rocks . . . and bugs that dare to enter. I doubt anything ever makes it to the carburetor after enduring this obstacle course !

What a fight . . .

It was a war of tire irons. I'm good with the irons, but some of these tapered bead rims, (be careful - it's aluminum !) and the tire is old (1968 date code) but still quite pliable for it's age. That's why I'm using it. It has the vintage, correct look I'm looking for . . . and I probably won't be over 100 mph anyway. I'll have it spin balanced. The Goodyear All-Traction.

All Traction

I'll run this Goodyear on the '59 TT project.

A popular tire with Class C racing in the early 70s.

This one is 4.25 X 18"

Gran Amigos . . .

Quesadilla & Cerveza Preparada

Cycle Nazi . . .

You get this goin' yet ?

Glyptal Buzz II

I moderately heat the cases to get all the oils and solvents out. Clean with hot soap and water, and rinse with hot water. Blow dry . . . you want a clean surface. I like to use a brush, you can work the paint into the pores. 2 coats - after they have been allowed to dry a few hours - then I heat the cases (like the directions).

Denvers

The choppers by Denvers are unique for their front ends, crazy molding, long & low . . . but I always remember the paint. The oranges, the yellow . . . the tangerine !

Terry Dorsch

The (center photo) is on the wall in the Fuel Cafe in Milwaukee. When I was there in February, I was trying to identify the riders - and I couldn't remember who #22 was . . . (far left). After some research, I see it was a pro rider named Terry Dorsch of California. If you search on You Tube (under 1971 Race of Champions) you can watch a special "made for TV race" where a rookie Terry dominates the likes of Jim Rice, Bart Markel, Frank Gillespie, Dave Sehl and others at the San Jose Mile. In the video, he is really drifting perfectly on the groove, rolling into the gas and powering away from the field. His Triumph has the perfect set-up for this track, on this day . . . and Terry is showing his ability to run on a mile. This had to be one of Terry's finest moments in his racing career. Just a couple years ago, Terry crashed his street bike. They couldn't get him to the hospital in time, and he didn't make it - he was 63. Looks as if he lived an exciting life. An exciting life is a life worth living.

I dig my Chevy . . .

Someday when I'm older and all gray. My legs and knees sore from all those years of magnetos and kickstart hot rod Sportsters. I'll need my Chevelle. I'll need the hardtop. It's the same age as me - and we'll both have rebuilt parts - and run the same speed.

Ride Your K to Work Day . . .

Say you don't have a K ? That's OK.

New Trunk Mat

Ready for a picnic basket and a cooler . . .

Sunnen Bevel Cone

This tool works well for all types of bevels up to 3" . . . It will help me when starting to press in races, etc. when the surface has been marred or burred. I can set it up in the drill press and just touch the surface and clean it up . . . When you tighten the center bolt, it expands the wedge and forces out the rubber cone against the abrasive paper.

Michael & Steve

Met two bros in Springville and delivered Steve's pan short block - all rebuilt and ready for warfare. Tall boys, taco meat and just takin' in a sunny day. Reflections, education and discussions were conducted - Big plans were made - This meeting will be continued . . .

Whittier, Stone City, Springville, Waubeek . . .

I went and visited the in-laws this Easter weekend. I took the K Model in the truck so I could get away and explore the twisty, hilly backroads of this part of Iowa. I cut through fields, worked trails, crossed about a dozen streams(small bridges of all sorts) and basically rode every road in the area. Mercer Road is a hilly ripper of an adventure ! All types of old gas stations (make cool shops), buildings, mills, etc. This old, Catholic stone church was quiet as a mouse on Easter morning. A beautiful piece of pride and togetherness - once bustling and ringing with small children and church hymms - quite sad. The artist Grant Wood helped establish an art colony in the 1930s here. I took a break, as I shut down my bike, and relaxed in the grass - taking it the beautiful view of Stone City below. I wonder what this church looked like on Easter morning in 1908, 1920. 1941 (with boys gone off to war), 1965 . . . ? (I'll bet there wasn't a '52K with hot cams parked by the front door.) A clump of wild Daffodils growin' in the ditch (I've never seen that !) Lots of history - a great weekend all together . . .