Wednesday 31 December 2008

thought of the day...

Don't get Fearne Cotton & Fern Britten mixed up...

1973 Shovel new build (2)

Forkin' hell.. This puppy ain't going on with no fork. I need to call the cavalry!

1973 Shovel new build (2)

Neck rake will be 35 degrees. Cheapo chromed neck cups are from across the pond, c/w brgs £30 shipped..! More now tho' due to shitty exchange rate today.

(Thanks for the neck tube Paul!)

1973 Shovel new build (2)

I also scored a neat horseshoe oilbag. It was at an autojumble and was marked "sample". It's just like a stocker I 'spose but it looks a little neater. I noticed the returns simply go into the tank bottom!!
I will fix that before installing. Got a battery place too (luxury).

1973 Shovel new build (2)

I got a neat headlight from Terry Slack (thanks bro') - I have always fitted cheapo Bates copies up to now. This is allegedly a spotlight from a 40's police car.. ;-)

Whatever, it looks cool.

1973 Shovel new build (2)

The front end is together. That's about all the suspension travel I'll have - 2". Maybe a shade more.. Some bikes look good up at the front tho' so I have a little room for maneuver. Need stiff fork springs so posted Q on Jockey Journal about options.

1973 Shovel new build (2)

Rubber fetish. I just fitted the front tire. With the help of a couple of forks (as in cutlery)! Didn't even hole the tube either(!!) - thankfully (done THAT before too) . I get a buzz looking at old tymie tires like this Avon SM2. I heard they use modern rubber but hell, they look old and it gives me a buzz to look at that hatched rib set on the side, like it's the last resort to stop the bike washing away at the front and laying down..
LOVE this - Sinner's Prayer by Kutty Noteboom.

Plum Krazy - yep!


I built this Ariel NH350 digger in2007.

Tuesday 30 December 2008

Crazy...

Dan's mental J.A.P. 500cc powered home-build. Barmy! I LOVE this bike, it's insane: runs 14.5 to 1 comp ratio burning methanol. Kick start too.. ha ha. This is on the road too btw.

There is a thin line.. between genius & insanity thank God!

Crazy...

It's a bit of an animal.. (sorry)

Boring...

Triumph Thunderturd. I restored this in 2007. It's a 1950 model but they came out in autumn '49.. Zzzzzz...
I'm over doing these jobs - it's the dickheads at the parts suppliers you have to deal with that did it.

Built (tough) in England ..

Coventry Eagle had a reputation for building strong little bikes..

I like this ..

You gotta love it.. (?) I do.

$$$$

Junkyard Phantom by Shinya K (formerly of Zero Eng.)

On a mountain near Vegas.

Junkyard Phantom by Shinya K (formerly of Zero Eng.)

Not much to say really..

Zero Originals..

Killer pipes..

Zero Eng. original custom bikes..

Another sick Knuckle in another Zero Original..

Kutty Noteboom's Desert Rose Triumph..


Mind-bending quality art.
The paint on Desert Rose - the chop Kutty Noteboom built for his wife Jamie.. More pics to follow asap.

Kutty Noteboom's Desert Rose Triumph..

I will post more pics of one of the sickest Triumph chops ever built soon. Promise.

Terry Slack's Triumph Trophy street bike..

This bike was finished recently by Terry - his 2nd custom. It has already been torn back down for a colour change tho' (daft bugger..) - well I liked it baby blue at least! Lots of little plating details in gold too. The engine ISN'T stock.. ;-)

Terry Slack's Triumph Trophy street bike..

That's cleeeaannn man..

Zero original custom bikes .. (coming soon)

Seen at Zero Engineering's production facility in Las Vegas NV - several original custom bikes made by Shinya Kimura.. pics coming soon.

Kutty Noteboom's Sinners Prayer..

Unmatchable (I.M.H.O..!!)

Is..

woah.. :-)

A favorite bike of mine..

Kutty blasts the cobwebs out. Diggin' the lines of that lil' scoot..

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

Led Zep poster (and music.. played loud)

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

Another pic of the Triumph chop - with that drag slick..

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...



Fantastic paint on that 70's chop..

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

Scott Craig at work painting freak dots.

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

This original '70s pan chop was being re-vamped..

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

Bitchin' Triumph.. (had a drag slick on the rear)

Visit to Trevelen's shop in L.A...

Scott Craig, photographer Greg Bojorquez & shop apprentice Brock at work in East LA.


I engraved the fork sliders - prison tat stylee.. eek!
I'm pleased how it came out - you can never tell - ha ha. I ended up making a steel fork end cap as that was missing, as is the spindle end nut - it appears to be 13mm dia. metric fine thread (1.25mm pitch). Jonny made up a very accurate sleeve to bring the modified spindle diameter back to it's HD original where it enters the left fork leg. Best deal is - no spacers are needed, except the sleeve which acts as one I suppose..
I'm using a set of shovel tele forks circa 1973. I liked the look of them & decided to shoehorn a 21" Yamaha dirt-bike wheel in. I like old drum brakes best up front. I got some big help from JonnyEightHammers who is a real engineer. He reduced the Harley spindle to accomodate new bearings - they are bigger than the stock Yamaha ones though. I shaved about 20mm off the brake plate to get it in this setup. I had an alloy tab blobbed onto the left fork slider to tether the brakeplate neatly.
The axle plates were hand cut using 1mm cutting discs in the grinder and a hacksaw. They were finished with a file. This was my first experience using one since being taught 34 yrs ago during my engineering apprenticeship. I made up the adjuster mounts from alloy and screwed them in from the back: this screw traps the adjuster screw too. Seems to work. Will need loctite!
My newly built frame jig ready for work: I built this version 2.0 to overcome some stiffness issues in the headstock area, it is better but at the expense of some adjustability..

Starting 2009 with 1973 Shovel build..


My 1973 altenator shovelhead motor sourced from Michigan USA. This motor is stock but has been fully rebuilt according to the guy I bought it from on E-gay..


About myself...

Welcome to my blog. That's me skating in 197whenever.. Well, obviously that's Jay Adams getting gnarly on our beautiful half-pipe, but I'm there watching and getting stoked when Jay and T.A. visited England back in the 70's.
I don't sk8 much these days since I got out of the skatepark business when insurance tripled, but you're never totally over skating huh?