Whats Better.........

Well whats better then Christina, cavemen motorcycles and a pile of Dice rags? The first motorcycle swap of the season. Thats what. So Shea and I headed out about 6:30 in the am to scope out the goodies and promote the show next week. Scored all these Dice rags off of Tony as well as a ton of nick knacks. 
The list:
2x 5" inch chopper fenders
1 cool ole' timey 1 ton press
1 near new 530 o ring chain
1 Panhead oil bag pre' 58 style
15 Dice mags
1 Greasy Kulture
2 Vintage Motorcycle awards to give out at our show
1 set of fork seals for 39mm
Chrome split riser
1 Sportster rear caliper
Think that about does it. Went and rode the shovel and had quite the adventure. We took of from the shop and Shea's bike was acting like a turd. Condenser fail  so we swapped it out then hit the road. Did a few miles on the highway with the shovel. I kept it under 55 so I wasn't pushing it at all. Have to say it did killer. On the way back Shea's bike decided to lock up the throttle so it would not turn and then in one more moment the ground wire decided to jump off. So all in all a fucking great day. Saw all my swap meet friends that I don't get to see all winter and get a pile of treats. Got reading material for the next month. Yes

Repost So There......

Lifted from the COC blog. Fatties Ironhead is what I have been dreaming about. Just think about the curb jumping, wheelie popping, ear splitting, inner leg burning capabilities of this machine. Not so hip on the new paint job but I am talking about the whole bike so one part does not concern me. Two big thumbs up! I'm thinking something like this but a big two stroke motor is gonna be on my next list. Like a DT400 Yama or even a Xl 500 Honda and make it the ultimate urban assault machine. Plus something you won't mind tearing up on some dirt trails. Dreams and shit my friends.

Top 5 Saturday

I forgot to mention that this little Blog just rolled over 100,000 visitors so I think a big thank you is in order. Every once in a while some one will write me from somewhere crazy and I am always glad they are amused, inspired, into what ever I have going on. Mostly they just want more redhead bombs dropped. So Top 5 today will be Why Do I Do This Fucking Blog Thing.

Number 1. Free Looks and Free Thinking. I don't think I get a lot of business from this blog but it does trickle in. Someone that wants a real bike built with no hoorah will keep me in mind and when they get to that point they can get a hold of me and that is great. Mostly I am like a chopper hot line and get all kinds of people wanting free advice and ideas. I should just start a chopper building hotline and cash in a 1 dollar a minute.

Number 2. There Is More To The Blog Then Ripped Off Pictures. I don't know if it is just the fact that the shop and my personal life are so intertwined that I feel I should share everything. Besides being ate up over bikes, cars, trucks, music, redheads, chopper history and the depths of my crazy. I let you into how I talk, think, hate, love and all the in betweens. If you don't like my bikes then you will not like me I am sure. I say what I want and stand behind what I say. I put myself out there and with the bikes I think they speak for themselves. They look good, run good ,and are ready for the season to begin. The weather has been shit.

Number 3. Late Bloomer My Hole Life. The Blog world was already peaked when I started this one. I had had two bikes in The Horse and had just moved into my first real shop space and thought I could get the word out that I was open. It worked, people took notice and I had the ball in my court. I knew from the get go that I needed to update the fucking thing a lot so folks would come back and check it. Over the last 4 years I feel like I have actually made some friends just through blog wormholes. I still find it funny when I haven't seen someone in awhile and we start talking and they say " Yeah I read your blog everyday so I know whats going on". I always feel vindicated and a little weirded out. 

Number 4. So Much More. I know that when I get sucked into the wormhole of wasting time I want to see more and read more then just reposted dribble. I will show a bike or two if I am impressed and feel like others would enjoy it. Most times I post that stuff so I can find it again easily. Like my own archive of sorts. If you like a bike I've built or owned then here it is. You can go back now 4 years and see all kinds of stuff that has had my hands on it.You may be bored and want to look up some music I have talked about that is also here forever.

Number 5. It Keeps Me Sane, Kinda.  I rant, yell, love, explain, fume, try and understand, build, destroy, hustle, plan, execute, all in front of the world so you might be inspired to do the same. Thanks from the Anchorman.

Talking To Me......

Well I have been doing body work on the 51 so I can get the roof painted for the season ahead. Think the bottom is gonna be Satin black and the roof is gonna be all the above. Just go crazy style and use Candy Apple Red and Pagan Gold with the trim done in lime green borders. I think it will look killer. The hard part is just getting the sanding and prep done. Maybe another week or two I will be spraying material. Shovel has got about 50 miles on it at this point with out any other hiccups. I love this bike more than I even could have imagined. The ones that fight you tooth and nail are the keepers in the long run.

Robert Williams........

One of the true greats in my eyes. Anyone that is into Hot Rods or car culture knows this mans art or cars he has built.. I have looked at this painting a thousand times and it always makes me feel like I want to go raise some hell. Robert himself has quite the history and I have had the chance to sit and talk to him years ago. He had amazing stories of the Roth Studio days and riding Sickles around causing all kinds of shit. A true legend and I love his ability to capture time and space with just a little bit of surrealism. The cars are floating in the painting like they are going so fast they are about to leave earth. One day in the not so far future I will have my own Hot Rod Race.

Top 5 Saturday

I blinked and the week is over. Usually I would love this but since the bike show is looming ahead I need to get some stuff done for that. Time is being sucked up into the ether. So last week I listened to New Order on the WLP blog and decided I would post a fun little list of 80's bands that I love. Being born in 73 puts me in a weird age for the whole 1977 punk and then the 1982 new wave stuff. I have always been drawn to the Power Pop scene that was happening from like 78-84. They basically ripped off the simple punk songwriting and added beach boys into the mix and BANG Power Pop is born. So here is my list and I will keep it simple. 

Number 1. The Flaming Groovies- This is one of the weirdest bands on my list. Originally they started out in the late 60's as a rock revival band but as time and taste changed some how they fit in with the later punk scene and the power pop scene. They kept making records for damn near 20 years and all of them are good. The first track I ever heard from them was Shake Some Action  and I was hooked. Crazy good melodies and the guitar work is perfect. I have every record they ever made on vinyl and have made it some kind of mantra to share there music with anybody who will listen. They are that good.

Number 2. The Dirty Looks- Honestly I don't know to much about this band. I remember I paid 1 dollar for there 1980 release in a bargain bin years ago. It looked cool and they are sporting skinny ties and wraparound shades so I just bought it on a whim. Ends up being stupid good pop punk and one of my all time favorite records. Sounds like they listened to the Jam a lot and then maybe some Blondie. Very dance sounding as that goes but not like new wave more like the Ramones. I have since found some random e.p.'s and all of them are killer.

Number 3. Blondie- Guilty pleasure I am guilty for sure. Probably one of my first and earliest crushes was on Debbie Harry. By about 1980 I was already digging on music and I remember hearing Blondie playing the Nerves song Hanging on the telephone and loved it. Of course I did not know it was a Nerves song till much later but if you have never heard The Nerves then I suggest finding it like right fucking now. Anyways Blondie as a band played the New Wave formula to the key of perfect. I always kinda hated New Wave and was stuck in a very punk mindset my whole life. Blondie kind of wrote the book on pop songs and good hooks. So I will give credit where credit is due. Debbie is still cute and almost 70. Holy shit

Number 4. New Order- Definitely the most New Wave band to ever walk the earth. With there synth and killer drummer they had all the right moves and songs to back that shit up. Out of the ashes of Joy Division another one of my all time favorite bands the three others formed New Order. Even as a kid I would here Bizarre Love Triangle and sing along or play air drums along. WLP posted Temptation and I sang that fucking song for two days after so there is something there in that ability to infect your soul. Does it stand the test of time? Yes it very well does because like Blondie New Order wrote the book on using electronic instruments in pop songs and did it very well. So all the bands that tried to do it failed miserably and the OG just kept making good music. I'm gonna listen to Joy Division as soon as I get off this damn computer.

Number 5. The Jam- One of the only Mod Revival proto punk bands that made it work. Sure they dressed like Mods, sure they had fancy pants outfits and sure they played better then any other band of the time. But they wrote the best, powerful punk songs ever. There  time was at the tail end of the first wave punk stuff but there influence would spark the second wave mod scene that infected the USA and the entire power pop scene world wide. Political lyrics and crazy good pop songs can work if there is conviction. Paul Weller had that conviction and believed his band could destroy the masses.. He went out there when kids were wearing trash bags and gimp out fits and went totally against that punk bullshit and did it his way. People got it on his level not the other way around. I look up to folks like that. I try for the same effect on people. There music fucking kills and you should already know that.

Not Gonna Lie.........

Yeah after the 4th heat cycle I had checked that it is charging which it is, checked that the oil pump is pumping and then pushed the clutch in and slapped the shifter into first and off I went. Not gonna lie I was scared a little to just take off never really riding with a jockey shift set up. Easy peasy I was handling it with in the first mile. The trick is to have it into neutral before you stop. I usually roll stop everything so this system should work out fine. It rides killer and even better then I thought it would. Tranny shifts smooth and the clutch works perfect. Checked that the belt was not walking all over and I am going to put some real miles on it tomorrow. The Michael Geltz paint REALLY POPS out in the sun. Dazzling

Give A Hoot And Ride Your Scoot....

Next on the check list is make sure it is charging since that will be the only thing I have not changed or updated. Check all torqued bolts and then heat cycle it 3 more times. I don't think I can explain how fucking happy I am that this fucker ran today. So with that I have got to get some bike show prep work done. Please right click the main flier and bomb it everywhere and anywhere. If you would like me to email you a jpeg of the flier I would gladly do that as well. If you have a local shop and or something really cool contact me and I will hook you up with passes. Etc Etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen I Give You The Wizard.......

 

So after many many kicks and a little squirt of the ole starter fluid it started right up. After the first fire it starts first kick and sounds killer diller.  Just turn your head side ways and smile because I am. 

Good Heads and Home Made Tools...........

Well about the only thing better then sleep is getting my shovel stuff back from Noot. It looks so good I don't want to get the valves all dirty with carbon. Nah I really want to get them all dirty. Should have done this 6 months ago but live and learn. Had to make these tools so I could torque the base bolts and the heads down. Took one old used wrench and cut it in half, then welded two 1/2 inch drive sockets on said halves. I just saved myself a small fortune and with a little bit of patience got the whole top end done in about a hour.  These Big Twins are  quite a bit different then Ironheads even how they go together so I feel a little out of my element but a learning curve is just that. Next time it will go a lot easier I think. Should be kicking on it by the weekend look out for updates.

Chopper Mags Are Best......

Here are a few pages out of the Chopper rags Justin let me paw thru. So many cool fucking bikes and articles. I love the fact that the Tech articles are written in cave man tongue. Like "Take larger Hammer and Make Square Piece Fit Into Round Much Smaller Hole". Funny shit. I honestly think the last few pages are the best. Carl Morrow had a little section at the end for all things drag racing. Had all the top fuel bike E.T's and how was beating the pants off who month in and month out. So fucking cool. Anyways don't bother looking for any of these unless your rich or dumb. Maybe you are rich and dumb and if thats the case buy these and send them to me as a gift you rich asshole.

Top 5 And Saying Goodbye.......

Well seems like every year as soon as the weather gets good you start hearing about people dieing on there bikes. Sorry to say Buddy Bronson a local badass and all around cool guy got creamed last Tuesday. The man lost his wife and daughter two years ago to a drunk driver and then gets killed on his Harley by a hit and run motherfucker. I hope they find the guy/girl and string them up and quarter them. So last night some of the club guys went to his wake and paid our respects along with like 500 other friends and family. Anyone that ever knew him loved him and his bigger then life attitude was what I liked about him. He was at the car show every year and always helped promote. He is survived by his two two sons and granddaughter. So with that I will do my top 5 about motorcycle safety and truths. 

Number 1. MOTORCYCLES ARE FUCKING DANGEROUS.There is no way around that simple statement. One wrong move or one careless action and you are gonna get hurt. Think about it.

Number 2. Know your motorcycle and its limitations. I know how long it takes to stop, go, turn, accelerate past a truck etc etc. Know the scrub line of how far you can lay your bike over in the twisties. And in a accident situation know how to get the fuck off your bike in a hurry. I have had to go through lawns, hedges, split in between parked cars, jump curbs , what ever I had to do to avoid an accident. I know my bike like it is one of my limbs and I know what it is capable of.

Number 3. Old Ladies, Young Ladies, old people, pot holes, teenage black folks, school buses, big rigs, white brown yellow tan pale people, all should be taking as if they are trying to kill you. What I am saying is they don't give a shit if they even had a choice. Car versus motorcycle the car is always gonna win period. Buddy got t boned in a intersection by someone that ran a red light and then just split. There was nothing he could have done. Faster then a blink he was dead. Blink

Number 4. There is a time and place to ride like a asshole. Around town I ride very nice and very aware of my surroundings. I look forward to getting out of town and letting loose. Long open stretches of highway are the places to ride like a maniac. Around town I ride like I am at war with ever car and crack head out there. Fuck everybody and if they ran my ass over they wouldn't care so if I have to yell, scream bloody fucking murder at them, buzz there open window with a giant whack of the throttle to get there attention I do it. I have been riding with the headlight on as well just to help all the retards see me.

Number 5. Life or death is the choice you make every time you ride. Some dudes can't handle that some can. Some ride like there life isn't worth the gas they have in there tank. I love motorcycles more then food I think and that is why I want to be riding as long as this crusty old ass will let me. There are guys that have been riding for years and never had a accident and then there are the damn fools that have used up all the get out of jail free cards you know. Yes this is a heavy topic but with some skills on your wheels and the ability to see and deal with situations out of your control you will ride a very long time. Enjoy the good weather and I wish you all to never lose anybody on the road.

Well Here Are The Holes..........

Been a little crazy this week but I had the final pics of the rotor to share. I am fairly terrible about taking pics while stuff is in progress. So just like magic here it is all done and set up with the new brake. Looks about a thousand times better and will actually work better as well.

Junk For Sale

 One of my buddies in the club has a 72 Ironhead Stroker motor and a pile of parts for sale. Motor is complete from Carb to Generator. Came out of running bike and I think the pile of parts is everything but a frame. He wants around 2000.00 for all of it. If you are interested hit me up and I will pass his number along. If I wasn't having to rebuild my rebuilt shovel motor I would have already bought all this stuff. Damn the luck

Top 5 Saturday......

Well just like a blink it is my daughters birthday today. She is 9 and almost to big for me pick up anymore. She is a very smart arty type girl and she has been turning into her own little person. So shop stuff went well and Drews bike is fully operational and I will hopefully get it dropped off today. Noot is plugging away on the shovel stuff and I am gonna pull the S&S off the sporty to clean it real good and maybe rejet it as well. So Top 5 memories from my childhood.

Number 1. It was sunny and a little chilly the first time I rode my bicycle. I will always remember the feeling of flying and being free. My mom ran behind me for a bit then just let go and let me ride alone. I now know with my own kids what it feels like to let them have little victories and let them taste freedom as well. 

Number 2. I think I was 5 or so and my dad had come back around for a minute or so. He was a truck driver that week and he took me to work with him for the day. We talked on the CB radio and ate terrible food like a real truck driver. He had to drop a load of something at a oil plant and I stood on a giant pile of gravel and threw rocks off into the abyss. One of the last times I saw him for a few years. 

Number 3. First real kiss was at 12 and it was from the neighborhood redhead. I'm telling you honestly and brutally truthfully I have had this redhead thing since day one. Anyway there she was all cute and silly and we hid in her back yard and dared each other to kiss. I thought it was still kinda gross but I knew that at that very minute everything I thought I knew about girls had just been flipped on its fucking head. It's been all down hill from that warm summer afternoon. It was awkward and like smashing two heads together rather then kissing but I tried and she was so cute I had to try you know what I mean. Well over the next few weeks she ended up kissing damn near every boy in the neighborhood. Got my second lesson in the way of girls. They can and will rip your fucking heart out if you let them.

Number 4. First job was a real eye opener. Being that my brother and I were being raised by my mom alone I would say we were pretty broke. So up to the point where I got my first job I only had what I needed. She did a great job but for a young teenage kid I needed some shit. Like punk rock clothes and new skateboards not to mention records. So I worked with a family friend all summer and saved all my money so I could save up for car. I was 14 and knew at 16 I needed a cool car. Well let me just say by the end of summer I was just as broke as the beginning but I had some fun. Bought myself a new bike, skateboard, vans and started my thrift store shopping ritual. I remember buying bags of cool plaid shirts for like 5 bucks. Dickies for 1 dollar and then just hacking them off at the knee for shorts. 

Number 5. The day I moved out on my own. I was 18 and had just graduated high school. God that was 22 years ago now and even the thought of it makes my head hurt. I knew I was gonna fuck off that summer but to what degree I had no idea. Mom said I needed a job if I was going to stay at home and pay her rent so I said F that if I'm paying rent I am moving out. One of the scariest times in my life and it was something I had to do. From that moment on I did all kinds of crazy shit from living with 6 people in a 2 bedroom apartment  to sleeping in a friends car just so I could stay on my own. Had a ton of shit jobs and generally just wasted the best years of my life. For a short time I was free and honestly living in the world not letting the world own me. Fuck

Wild Child Bomb Drops.........

Justin Greene son of the OG Kansas City Wild Child dropped off a little treat for me tonight. Holy Shit almost every copy of Roths Choppers Magazine. I have seen a few of these but never in this good of shape and so many. The flier is from Wild Childs first show in KC in 1967. So freaking cool along with a shirt from the shop. I promised to be extra careful and you can guess what I'll be doing in all the free time I have for the next week or so. We talked about how timeless these bikes were and how out there they are. These guys rode these bikes which seems insane to me. Pretty neat stuff and I posted a picture of Sonny Rogers with my boy from World Of Wheels so now I have the bike that was in Choppers from 1968. Crazy. Justin is super legit and has a good head on his shoulders. This is probably one of the coolest things ever. Thanks Justin.. Lots of KC bikes from the era as well as articles written by David Mann and surrounding areas. Lots of club bikes and there are a couple of how to books as well that Roth put out. So insane that some of these are 45 years old and the bikes look so perfect. Choppers are forever and as basic as breathing.

Spring Cleaner.......

Today was the first truly nice day we have had since Nov. So heat cycled Drews bike 5 times and did all the tweaking to get it road worthy. Starts first kick and sounds mean. Nothing sounds as good as a really tight motor. Went over every part of the bike except the front end. Guess what is not worth a fuck? The front ends is basically rigid do to the fork legs binding up because of the rake, and just being used and abused. Not gonna deal with them unless he wants me to. I would buy a different frame and go stock rake but he likes the chopper glory and honestly it rode alright if you like your prostate touching your tonsils. Got the crack pipe out and rode it on the highway with the new carb. I think it needs a good cleaning but does killer around town. Moved all the bikes out of the shop and did a proper cleaning corners and all. Looks kinda neat with all the Harleys, a Norton and One Honda just chilling out.

Looking For A Reason To Believe.......

Guess what folks it is gonna be 70 degrees tomorrow and you know what that means. Riding in a t-shirt hot damn. So I will go get some miles on the 77 of Drews and then take the crack pipe out for a spin. I put some new bars and a S&S Super E on her last week and let me just say Accelerator Pumps are SICK. So now you are going to hear me wacka wacka all over the place. Pulled a wheelie today not even trying. Good times and I will sing some boss songs as I travel along the road. Hope all you fine folks have a running motorcycle and the need to clear your head. I know I do. Justin lets make this happen I almost shit when I saw all those rags.

In The Trenches, Behind The Radar, One Step Ahead, Two Steps Behind.......

 I use all these terms to describe how I live my life. See I know that I am in the middle of the country. As for a bike scene there is not one to speak of so that is all I can say right. I have my little shop and I keep myself busy knowing full well that I am on a island far away from anyone that gives a shit. My personal bikes are built with almost no time or money restraints so the end product is top notch. I will sell, work, barter, hustle anything my bikes need so the end result is what I envisioned and followed through. As for my customers I don't think I have had a single one that has handed over a blank check and said " Go Ape Shit Like You Would Do If It Was Yours". Fuck why not. Seems like most of my customers are young and broke but want a cool bike to ride. So when the fad burns out 5 years from now on the coast and all the midwest hipster kids want Period Correct bikes I am gonna still be here doing what I do and loving it. Same goes for my music. I have never been in a band that has been big. Like record deal, touring non stop, fucking money. I truly think doing it down and dirty keeps the soul in it. If you are handed shit then you don't respect it. Being a aging punk rocker does have its advantages I just can't remember any right now because I'm so old. What I am really trying to say is I couldn't care less if I am known or not known all I do know is I do what I do and if people notice my bikes, my music ,or even the ability to make beautiful children then I am stoked. As my vision for building motorcycles gets more refined , my ability to actually build them also grows. I have pretty much giving up on painting and really would like to just focus on the build up of a motorbike. Rock solid fab work and style for miles. Another Anchor asshole service message.

As a side not my show is about a month out so please check out the side bar and make a effort to show up. Same deal as always a down a dirty Vintage Iron Show.