Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Shawn's "other" roller, and....someone returned my camera!

I can post up these photos of Shaw's "other" roller that  I was completing simultaneously with his 4 speed frame project. I'm able to do this because someone found my camera! If you remember from before, when Shawn picked up his roller last Saturday, I shot these photos below, then sat the camera down on the trunk of the OL's car. She was running late for work, and took off while we were loading Shawn's roller up......with the camera still on the trunk!

Someone from the neighborhood found the camera in the intersection by our place (must have been right after it slid off, because I re-traced her work drive route), looked at the photos, recognized the house, the Russian Olive tree, and my truck. He told his wife "Hey, I know who owns this, the guy that builds those cool bikes!". He dropped the camera off today, and wouldn't take anything for returning it, just a handshake. Wadda guy! Restores my faith in my fellow man. Thank you very much.

Anyways, here's Shawn posing with the completed roller. He doesn't look pleased, but, he was stoked. It was just COLD!, then it snowed a few inches again that night. This is the Chassis Design Co. "Bling Cycles" frame I raised the backbone up 1", took the entire drop seat frame section out of, then shortened up the whole rear section about 2 1/2". The backbone had to raise up to fit Shawn's 130 cu.in. Evo elephant motor.....
Here's the sissy bar for the bike. Shawn wanted just a shortie, and I carried the fender's crowned shape up into the top of the bar, and added my trademark "bungy-bar" above the fender, too. I think the bar has a really nice shape. I bend every one of my sissy bars free-hand, no jigs or patterns.
I also fabbed up one of my "Heavyweight Champion" tail light/license plate mounts for him, with a lighted LED plate frame. I sell these in various steps of completion, and I'm taking orders, so....

I call it the "Heavyweight Champion" plate mount, because if you'll recall, Wade went down at 50 mph, and skidded on an exact match of Shawn's plate mount for over 40 ft., and the thing never budged - it kept that side of his bike up and off of Wade all the way until he stopped.
Here's a couple of photos Shawn sent a few days ago, of where he's at on his mock-up. As you can see, no problem sliding the elephant motor into the frame now. Shawn also has plenty of room between his starter motor and the bottom of the oil tank, another clearance problem area before.
38 degree rake, 3 degree trees, and 4 over tubes. I'm diggin' the stance.
Man, will you look at the size of those cylinders??? Also check out the 16 cell Antigravity battery that I notched into the back of the transmission plate area. 1/2 the size of a comparable Deka Softail-application battery, 1/3 the weight, and 480 cold cranking amps! The Deka would be around 320 cca. With the compression releases, no worries starting this motor. Fab Kevin tested, and approved!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Shawn sent some mock-up photos......

I love when I get photos like these. I want to see what my work looks like after it leaves here. Remember this 4 speed frame we stretched to take an Evo, and a Softail 5 speed?
Well, Shawn sent me some photos of his mock-up so far with the frame. Looks pretty good, I think. 
Really like the lines of the Shovel-era 'glass bags, and the FL fender. Classic.
Oh, and I had photos of Shawn's other completed roller from the post below, when it left this morning. That's not the only thing that left this morning, either.......after I finished taking the photos, I set the camera on the OL's trunk, and it left with her when she went to work. It's someplace between here and Louisville.Time for a new camera....fuck.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

You probably wonder where I've been.......

Well, I've been busy as hell. Found most of the parts to rebuild my Road Glide (now renamed The Deer Glide), now if I only had time to tear it down so I can cut the neck off, and send it to H-D to get a new frame! I'm also looking for a nice set of '86-'99 Timkin tapered bearing H-D Factory bagger mag wheels.

Also got my single-looper CFL torn down so I can finish the welds I couldn't get to, and to make a few additions - like the ports in the frame rails to run my hydraulic clutch line internally, for one. Then, the frame is off for nickel plating, and the tins off to Kirk Taylor at Custom Design Studios for paint. Kirk is gonna kill this paint job, I ain't lettin' the cat out of the bag on it until it's done.

Broke everything down on Lumpy's CFL, and it's out to paint, plating, polishing, and powdercoating. Hoping for a 3 week turnaround on all the parts (yeah right!). Deb has some $$$ on the way, so we'll be rolling on her bike again mucho queeko. Also got a call from a guy that has a Ryan Boyd bike that needs to be taken to completion on the fab and fittments. Wants to ride it to Laughlin for the River Run. He says he'll be here Saturday "....if the weather is good". Right now it's snowing, so..........

Brad from Silver City, NM is coming up on Friday to pick up his frame I worked over, and he's also picking up his fresh Pan rebuild from Deluxe Motorcycles as well. Brad will be a busy guy when he gets home! I'm still gathering parts and working on Tommy's Evo and Softail transmission in a 4 speed swingarm frame when we can, too.
Which brings us to this one - Shawn's frame. This is the Chassis Design Co. "Bling Cycles"-style frame that I took the drop seat frame section out of, raised the backbone 1", and shortened up the ass-end 2 1/2". All I have left on it, is to make his sissy bar tomorrow, and install his front end. It'll roll out of here on Saturday, if Shawn's back from SoCal. I need some room! I need a ham sandwich and curly fries! I need a vacation! 
Plus, last week Shawn took home the completed Santee 4 speed swingarm frame that we stretched and fitted up for his son's Evo/Softail 6 speed, the one from a couple posts back. Whew!

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Troggs' Reg Presley dies at 71.....

In honor of ol' Reg.....one of the greatest movie entrances ever......WILD THING!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

What did Phil say???

Punxsutawney Phil came out, and said "Early Spring". Allright Phil! Let Spring Fever commence!