Good Way To Waste 2 Hours.......

So I have the shovel all apart might as well fuck with some other stuff while its apart right. I bought this new 10" rotor for the stock shovel wheel. Fucking hated the solid look and even looking new I hated it. So last night I went ahead and blew 2 hours of my life and drilled like 65 holes. Actually that is the exact number I drilled and it sucked. I was so tired of drilling holes I forgot to take a pic of the new brake set up and the rotor done. It turned out killer and I was happy with the new forearm muscles I made.

77 Not Crusty.....

Got Drew's 77 stuff back yesterday so last night I prepped and cleaned everything to paint them black. So today when I got there all I had to do was the fun stuff. I like putting motors together and is always a good way to wipe out all the shit in my head. I have picked up some good tricks along the way and if done exactly in the right order there is never any problems. First and for most make sure everything is clean, I don't just mean clean I mean fucking super extra to the extreme clean. Only use clean rags and clean gloves as well while assembling components. I use this crazy shit called 90 wt oil when assembling everything. I picked up that little oil can and have been using it for years. Every singe moving part that gets put together gets a little clean oil and then when the day comes to fire it I know all those pieces have some super clean oil keeping everything moving. I learned from an old timer that you should always use copper gasket coat on copper head gaskets and since I have been doing this I have never had a blown head gasket or even a leak. Three light coats then torque it down to 65 lbs. Done. Got both the heads lined up so the intake will seal good then did the oil lines and pushrods. Tomorrow I put it in the bike then the home stretch and fire it up. I'd say by next weekend its rolling.

Top 5 Saturday

Well just like a blink this week has flown by. Got my heads shipped off to Noot and I am going to put the 77 Ironhead back together tonight. Try and get that customers bike done this week. Yesterday I was in the studio all day finishing up the mixes on our new record. Now it is just waiting on the mastering process. Thinking as a perk for anyone that wants one once its done I will send some copies out for free. We shall see. Pretty stoked on it. It has been years coming and for a bunch of old guys it is pretty fucking punk. So with that in mind I will do a Top 5  1977 punk bands. The real first wave was so short but so important to my life.

Number 1. The Damned- Technically the first band to release a record that was punk. There first ep came out months before the Sex Pistols record. Always been a huge fan of the Damned first three records but there first is always on the turntable. Some of the best riffs and the Dave the vampire has got one of the best voices in rock, Ever. If I had to pick one song of there to listen to over and over which I do often is Love Song. The ep version has four different covers with all the members on each cover. I have two out of four and yes I am a record nerd. So what.

Number 2. The Clash- I don't really feel like going on and on about how great this band is. If you don't know there music then check it out and if you already know then you get it I'm sure. I have very few idols and Joe is one of them. Sure he had his faults as we all do. But he made some amazing music and was a true spirit and defiant voice. Died to young. 

Number 3. The Ramones- Honestly if you know anything about the Ramones then you know as they started touring in 1976 ever town they went to they basically kick started a scene for kids. They went to England and there are many accounts of the kids that were there in the crowd. They went on to start the Clash, Joy Divivsion, Sex Pistols, Generation X and not to mention all the bands in the US. There influence on real rock and roll will be forever. 50 years from now some 13 year old kid is gonna be pissed off about there school, friends, parents and find the Ramones and it will still be exactly the right thing. Timeless and perfect.

Number 4. The Dead Boys- Out of all the US bands I think The Dead Boys had what it took to go the distance. Except once you interject egos and drugs that curve gets fucked. There first record is about as perfect as any punk rock record can get. Its offensive, loud and full of some of the best riffs ever. Cheetah Chrome has been doing killer music now for 30 plus years and I believe if Stiv was still alive he would be also. Remember kids drugs are bad. They did one last 12EP right before Stiv OD'd and it is also amazing. They were from Ohio and ended up in the NY scene  riding the coat tails of the New York Dolls and found a real good crowd at CBGBS and Max's. there is a live DVD out of a set from CBGBS at there peak and let me just say it is mind fucking blowing how sonic reducer it is. 

Number 5. Generation X- Gen X was about as pop as a band could be and still be punk. I have always been a fan of a good written song and they could do it great. Billy Idol himself if you can blank out all the terrible music he made later was a amazing singer and front man. The topics were straight and to the point somewhat political based. But really dragged me in was the guitar playing. I love a overdriven clean sounding guitar. Look up there song called Kiss Me Deadly and be amazed. I may just post it so you can be lazy. Argghhh.

Number 6. I have been called out and I agree full on. The Saints are up there in all and every aspect. The most underrated band of all time. Just because they dressed terrible and didn't have safety pins through there lips the punks rejected them and the squares didn't get it. I get it and that is all the matters. Eternally Yours is epic

Bad Head I Mean Bad Heads.........

So as far as I can tell the cylinders have a fresh bore with 30 over high comp pistons. What I do not understand is why some fuck face son of a whore would put these crusty extra fucked up heads right back on. Seriously if I had a customers bike apart and found this I would insist on doing a complete valve job etc etc. God I hate half ass shit. Maybe the guy did not have enough money. Well he should have saved up the scratch till he had enough to get the job done right. But for now I am blaming the shop that did the work. The picture above explains the whole story except that is the front head that actually had some compression. The bottom pic is the rear with a warped exhaust valve and the intake is also leaking. I dropped some brake cleaner in the dome and as fast as I poured it in it ran out which is what I'm trying to show. There was no sealer around the oil holes which as soon as it started would have been sucking oil in to the chambers. So as of right now I am officially fucked. Noot the man the myth the best friend to someone like me is gonna handle all the dialing and indicating, then we will get her all put back together. I feel like once this bike is road worthy I am gonna make a little day trip out to the shop that did this to me and punch some old retarded man right in the mouth. Not even say a word just walk in make a nice little smile then smack the first person I see that is holding a tool. Then walk out of there like a goddamn super hero. FTW

Round 5 Is Over.........

Usually when some one calls asking about motorcycle stuff. I always try and be honest when it comes to buying a motorcycle. I always say buy a running bike with a title. Over and fucking over I have said this. If you are gonna build a chopper then great you started with a bike that runs and has a title. See what you do is as soon as you buy the bike you go get it registered and then the next day you start chopping it up. Bikes legal and you know you have a running bike from the goddamn get go. Me I was so sick with shovel fever that I bought the best cheapest shovel I could get my hands on. Yes it was cheap as fuck but oh am I paying for it now. After 5 rounds of a losing battle the top end is coming off and going up to Noot. The rear cylinder has 0 compression and for a motor that is supposed to be rebuilt that is a black mark. Better make it right now because the weather is starting to break and I have a shit ton of trips coming up and if I have to ride the ironhead so be it but I built the shovel for riding on trips. Fucking thing is fighting me but I am in it for the long haul. Haven't been beat yet by two wheels and it is so close but today I started pulling it apart and felt like I should have taking my own advice. It is a tough pill to swallow.

Big Iowa Weekend, Noot Tastic

Well made it back all in one piece. Man what a great weekend. So lets start with the drive up to Noot's place. Boring as shit. So get to Charles City, Ia and I cruised around a little and then Noot met me to go over to his shop. Such a cool place they have, real small, real homey feel and his pops is the business with all things Harley. Lil Noot gets it honestly. so we got up at the crack of dawn and drove up to ST Paul Minn for the Donnie Smith cycle show and swap meet. Sure there was some bullshit but there were also some killer cycles and lots of cool people hanging out. Check out my pile from the swap. Wanted a new caliper mount for the shovel so her it is. Sweet knobby tire like I run on everything and some nick knacks and a factory manual for the shovel. Man the prices were great and the deals were everywhere. I think the Heavy guys get all the real good shit the night before but I suppose they should get first dibs. On the way back to CC we stopped at Clappers Customs and I scored the brake for my caliper mount for FREE. OMG that just happened and all because I was with Noot. See it does pay to have good friends. Big thanks to Noot and his sweet Wife Cheryl for housing and feeding me. Drove home this morning through some crazy ass snow storm pretty much the whole way back. No big deal. Top 5 Saturday(little Late).Things that happened this weekend

Number 1. Just to make it clear Noot ate all the chocolate chip cookies his wife had made. Well all but the last two I ate. Ha

Number 2. Ate ice cream and watched V4 TT Isle of Man Documentary. Jim Dunlop was insane and the ride along camera was truly unreal. 

Number 3. Just getting out of town is such a treat. I like driving and I like driving to bike shows. Time to think and I stared at the back of my hand for 6 hours. It is looking pretty wrinkly . I still like hand tattoo's.

Number 4. Talking shop. Man get two or three bike guys together and the shit starts flowing. Future projects, old projects , current headaches and all the middle ground.There aren't too many guys that I know that can sit for hours talking about motorcycles. I t never gets old so I relish the time. 

Number 5. Getting home is always a way to round out any trip. I went and dropped off my swap meet finds and looked over the shop then headed home. My boy about jumped out of his skin when I walked in. Now its get ready for the week ahead. Fuck.