World Of Wheels 2013

Spent the afternoon with my boy running around the show. There was some good stuff as well as some terrible stuff. Ryan long has this really long 750 Honda that is named Kung Fu I think.Very cool and had style. Daves Digger with Ray Farhner display looks sick with lights and all. Sonny Rodgers is one of my favorite old guys in town and had a bike in Roths Choppers Magazine in the 60's. Tells great stories if he can remember the start if you know what I mean. Took a picture of him with my boy. Priceless. Another famous Kansas City customizer is Radical Ray who has just been diagnosed with cancer. We made up these stickers to get donations for him. It is doing stellar and I hope it helps. Sat and talked to Gene Winfield a minute and watched them chop a 1940 ford. He is one of the last true old timers around and he is very cool to speak with. So enjoy.

Top 5 Saturday

 As usual I am racking my very small brain on this Saturday morning. Was at a car show last night till fairly late. Still amazes me that people are still building Rat Rods and are proud to display there garage abortions. Whatever right. So while we are on that subject lets talk about motorcycles why don't we. I will say in the past few years there has been quite a few bikes built in the KC area. Between my shop, Tony's shop and some other random shops in town there is starting to be a little scene for old bikes. I do remember when I moved here in 2005 there was only one other chopper dude around and he ended up moving away. I'm not saying there isn't the old biker with his chopper in the stable but in my circle I had the only chopper. So 8 years later there is a solid 20 bikes around town that either I have built or have had my hand on and that is a cool feeling. So lets do a Top 5 about local bikes.

Number 1. Officer Matts bike was one of my first real customer builds. Late 90's sportster with a long springer and fairly wide back tire. Not really my cup of tea but I was happy how it turned out. Bikes been on the road for 4 years now with no issues so that always makes me feel good. He had most of the roller together and then I did all the fab and welding to finish it up. He did the final assembly and that is that.


Number 2. Jakes XS 650. So Jake is one solid MF'er and after some visists at the shop he finally dropped the hammer and he built the XS up. I built the hardtail and some crazy bars, exhaust, battery bax relocated and rewired the whole bike. Took both the front fender struts and made the sissy bar out of them. Jake was on a tight budget so we dd the whole build in record time and at a low low price I believe. He had a few seasons on it then sold it to buy a big Harley. 

Number 3. Tony built 750 chopper. Tony had this insane 750 Honda chopper that went through all kinds of changes in just a year but the first look with the red tins and little rigid seat was the business. Brutal to ride I think he ended up changing it all and then did a grey paint job then sold of the bike. Tony has a real good eye when building a bike and will do the time to execute the bike to the best of his ability. He is now riding a killer 750 street tracker kinda thing and a street racer looking XS. Oh yeah and 2 goldwings and I'm sure there are a few more in there.

Number 4. Daves Digger Sportster. I will say as bikes go this one has a history. I got the frame from Tony and he knew the guy that built in back in the day. It tried to kill me when I built the long bike and then Dave built the show stopper digger. He took everything to the next level and really poured some love into it. Being it was his first bike build he was still amazed at how long it took to put it together. He has been bitten by the riding bug and has said many times that there is nothing like jumping on the bike a nd just ripping it down the highway. I agree. I have ridden the bike a few times now and it is a hand full and just rips.

Number 5. Shawn's Sportster chopper. This bike has been kicking his balls in for years now but I still dig it. It has not been nice to him but it is his bike. Started out as a stock fairly clean sporty then he got the Paugcho frame and then some 4 over fork legs then built it once with Johnny's help and then redid the whole thing again last year with a Noot built motor and disc brake rear wheel etc etc. I think every body has helped him get that bike rolling and it has a real good look. It has fought him at every step but the little victories are still enough to keep him rolling.

Keith Something.....

Here is a killer shot of the Wizard from the Lawrence show. This shot captures the paint pretty much perfect. Keith took the shot and we don't know his last name. Thanks Gonna try and maybe fire this bike up tomorrow if all works out. Crossed fingers and jinx proofing are in order.

Check This Out....

So here is the first flier we have dropped. Did the bike show last weekend and got a lot of good feedback so I am getting stoked on the show. I posted the link to the Show blog so please if you are hip to helping the show out copy this flier and repost it everywhere. We will update as we go along and if you want entries or fliers email me and I can send them out. Thank You and goodnight

Good Day All Around.....

Had a very rare and awesome day today. No house work and all motorcycle day. Every winter this is about the only good bike show in the KC area. The show is in Lawrence KS and is always top notch. The swap meet end of the show was a bust but the bikes that came out were insane. Not to mention the weather was nice enough a ton of people got to ride out to the show. This was the first event where we were pimping our show so we got a lot of good feed back and by starting this early it will give us a bunch of time to promote it. Lets see here I got to see some friends, look at bikes, meet the Go Away Garage fellows, people watch, talk shop and make a little bit of scratch. A good day indeed. Enjoy the pics and if I took a picture of it it means I liked it.

Small World Small City Small Cycle...

                                Top 5 Saturday will be the Top 5 reasons to own a British Motorbike.

Number 1. You find yourself saying that you really want to learn how to work on your motorcycle. If you own a old British bike you most definitely will be learning how to work on one. Ride Wrench Ride Wrench then Push.

Number 2. When they are on they are the most fun you can have. Great power to weight ratio and the sound they make when you really get on it is awesome. They sure do vibrate though.

Number 3. Next level shit to own one. To have one of these on the streets takes full commitment and if you are faint of heart these bikes will devour you. One on the street is worth 10 in the garage.

Number 4. They are very hard to build correctly. Look at the Small City Cycle above and this is hard to do with a little bike. This is one of the best examples out there. Most just cobble together some pile of shit and to get this level of bike drastic measures would have to be taking. I can always tell when I fancy a bike because I dream about riding them. I would love to get some miles on this bike.

Number 5. Cost is no object. I would have to say that in the real world bikes cost money. How much you spend goes right along with how much you can do on your own cycle. For my money I will ride a Harley probably till I die but I have a line on a 441 BSA Victor that  would love to do a little chopper with. We shall see. I don't really have it in me right now to be brutalized by another british bike.