Shut UP!!!

Louie C.K. and The Brooklyn Invitational

I was watching the Louie C.K.'s show on Netflix the other night and noticed that some of the scenes looked VERY familiar...






On the show 14th Street in Brooklyn stands in for Harlem when the bus Louie and his daughter are riding in breaks down. It is the same street where Root Studio and Works Engineering are located and where the the Brooklyn Invitational 2011 was held. Neat.

and DONE.

After 14 months of working in fits and starts I finally got my Sportster done. I took it for the first ride yesterday March 19th, 2012. It was was one day after my birthday and made a nice present to myself.

I started with this;

and after selling off the Sturgis wheels, Fatbob tank, FL front fender, wide glide conversion and other crap I finished with this;


I couldn't have done it without the help of several good friends; Dangerous Dan Von Berg found it for me and provided guidance when I got stuck, Eric Schroeder came up with parts, shared schematics and busted my balls, Jason Hart chopped the rear fender, Dave Herr made the sissy bar, Kimberly McGeary contributed the Free Tomorrow belt buckle that serves as my points cover and Dave Shoemaker sewed up the sublime 70s Cobra style seat cover

Other bros provided encouragement, trouble shooting, bull shitting and split gas money for parts hunting excursions; Nate Spainhower, Kevin Price, New York Bobby Rothenberger, Randy Dugger, Wesley Wren, Ichiro Emasu, Kyle Mulligan and Guy Bolton.
I also used the parts and services of several talented cats; Craig Tirey at Front Street Cycle for the stainless steel Monkee Bars, Brian Stoughton laced my wheels and mounted the tires and I got my Jackhammer grips and Slimline Risers from Biltwell. I also got little bits here and there from J&P Cycles, Chop Cult classifieds and a small fortune in stainless/chrome fasteners from Menard's.

Aside from a few legal chores all I have left to do is ride it, and with gas at $4/gal and rising I plan to use the Sporty as my primary means of transport this summer.

Future plans include shiny paint for the tins, blasting/powder coat for the frame and wheels, take 3" out of the fork tubes, new front wheel, stainless spokes, clean up the handle bar controls, extend the swing arm 2" and swap the peanut tank for a Frisco'd Mustang. I thought about hardtailing it but I will wait until the next build. This bike is meant for daily reliablity and long distance rides with my gal.

This is gonna be a great year.

Shhhhhh, it's a secret

Very busy lately, I have lots of irons in the fire and various secret plans in the works. But when they all come together you will be the first to know.

Slow Progress, very slow

I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to work on the Sporty and take some snaps...

Relocated the coil to clean up the space between the tank and the front cylinder:


Said goodbye to unsightly right side battery/oil tank area:


Notched out a '79 cover, stripped and primed for a dry fit:


Still need to make some mounting brackets and maybe do some more file work around the filler neck then paint it gloss black lacquer:


It is supposed to be in the high 50s all week so I should be able to get the last bit of electrical work done. Now, if my former employer would just send my tax forms I could get my refund and go nuts with my J&P Wishlist. Patience was never my strong suit.

Here's to the real women

Mother, wife, patriot and in the wind.

Dave Barker's SpeedMetal

Earlier this month when I was in Colorado I got a chance to visit Dave Barker's new shop in Englewood. Not only did I get an up close look at his now famous dual Linkert knucklehead (featured in both Greasy Kulture and Street Chopper) but also his panhead and various other projects, including the makings for his Born Free build. Dave is building out the space with a retail/office in front, apartment, practice space and his shop in the back. He will be a very busy guy in the next five months!













Thanks Dave, see you in March.