Amigo

I miss this guy.


I think it's pretty obvious why we get along.




Yes, I lifted this pic from somebody's insta page.
Sorry.

Snowmobiles

Never been on a snowmobile.

Which seems odd, now that I think about it, coming from the midwest...
It seemed like people had snowmobiles there, when I was a kid.
Maybe it was just snowmobile suits?
Those were around for sure.  I had one.
Because it was cold in the winter, there...
Cold.


Snowmobiles seem like a fun idea, in the abstract.

Dreaming of scenes like that picture...

Crisp air, travel through landscapes, throttle fun.





It might be my pragmatic side that has held me back from heading to NH and finding some snowmobile rental deal.

First, rental, with damage waiver and cost and whatever trail they happen to have you jump on with every other dipshit non-snowmobile owning tourist.
That experience is not what I want from a snowmobile experience.

Then, when I really think about it, I think of hot and cold.  The hot engine melting the snow on you, from the waist down.  Just enough for that cold damp creep, slipping past zippers.
And the cold, cold enough to have snow hanging around.  Cold enough that any wind stings whatever skin is unfortunate enough to be left exposed...


Probably aughta try it, I guess.
Just to be sure whether the scale tips to the fun or the suck, after a day of it...


(Also, electric snowmobiles seem like a thing that should exist.  I get that all throttle brapping is part of the fun of snowmobiling.  Still, the idea of a semi-silent snow machine really appeals to me.  Quietly slipping between pines, softly crunching in the snow, that sorta sounds more like what the experience should be like, maybe.  Perhaps the technology is getting to the place where that might be possible, without fear of dead batteries after a twenty minute outing?)

Two Wheels Tuesday

Hey, that's my bike edition.


We're getting to know one another, again...

The bike is a runner again.

It's 45 degrees out...

And raining.



So, yeah...

Two Wheels Tuesday-Bonus Edition

Hey, that's my bike edition...


I haven't posted much on this here, not out of secrecy, but because I move at speeds on par with sloths and snails with my own projects.

Anyway, I got the seat back from the leather guy today, which was the last big aesthetic part of the puzzle.


So here is a pic...


It's not especially special, or awesome, or on trend, or near a trend.
Just been trying to do my thing...
Which is undefined and slightly off most other folks thing.
Maybe...

It's just supposed to be fun and practical.
Sorta,
Some shit to blast around on and pretend I am cool...


Still a bit of stuff on the list.
Little fittings and fussy shit...
Snow fell this morning, so my sense of urgency is a bit low.
I might ride it this year, if I manage to take my hands out of my pockets...

These Days

This is how I am rolling...

Maybe

 

Following up on that post about messing with masking tape...

No, I haven't painted anything.  I even pulled that tape off, to go riding.

I kinda hate to tear stuff apart for some dumb cosmetic, fashion nonsense...

That doesn't mean the noodle still isn't pondering the best way to do it, or what it might look like.

(I doctored this image with MS Paint, because I am old school like that.)

Maybe...

One of Those Days

That type of day...
Been hot here, maybe the heat is getting to me.


Maybe a month of moving stuff, fixing stuff, unpacking stuff, boring stuff...


I have some crap tasks yet to accomplish today.
Storms are rolling in, too.


Regardless, I think I need some wind and just be a little loose.
A short blast at illegal speeds and a sixer quickly consumed should get me by...
Just gotta do this responsible stuff, first.

Cam Cover Chop Cont'd

I have something like this in mind...

More filing, sanding and shaping to follow.

I think you should be able to get what I am up to with this, though.

I guess it is the eve of a new year, at this point.

This is the sort of thing that makes me happy, most days.

Hopefully, I can do more of this sorta shit next year.

Maybe I will tell you about last years thought bullshit, later...

Things I meant to do, things I hope to do in the coming year.

Maybe.

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Fins

This is one of those deals that has been rattling in my head for months...

With my new found free time and a cold night, I just got to it.

I had this air cleaner from the T lounging on the shelf since I sold it.

Thought about adapting it to the bike, but never liked any way I could make it fit...

So, it sat on the shelf.

I have intentions to cut the cam cover on the bike this winter.

I also have a pile of points covers, which I kinda hate.

And I had this old finned tri-power, 2 barrel air cleaner I would never use.

I got around to trying to mill off the mounting hole for this air cleaner tonight, to repurpose it as a points cover.

My old drill press does not like being used as a mill, so out came a grinder and a beer.

A few holes later, for mounting screws, and my new finned points cover is a real thingy...

I need to grab some longer machine screws to hold it on and clearence the backside some more, but there it is.

I had almost forgotten how easy this shit comes.

Or maybe I had thought about it so long, it seemed easy.

It was good to fire up some dormant tools.

Better than buying some bit of crap, for sure...

I could never find a match for that air cleaner.  It is some old odd shit from Eelco I think.

It has a new life now...

Isn't that what we all want?

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Needs

I am aware that there are differences between wants and needs...







Just look at this thing, though.


I am sure a few folks on the planet might want this thing.

Can you think of another person who really needs it though?


Yeah, just me...

I need it.


That is Lord of the Rings level magic, right there.

Get Free

Free from Andrew Quinones on Vimeo.

Evidence

Some proof that the bike does actually leave the garage...







Me and my pop, somewhere in Maryland.
I think we had only made one wrong turn on the trip, at this point.

Note, this photo also marks my first ever trip to a WaWa.

The Ride

You may have heard m mention some kinda ride this weekend...





What's up, you ask?

Well, I am headed down to DC for the Rolling Thunder ride.





I know, that sounds about like the exact opposite of anything I might jump in on...
But that is what it is.


My Dad mentioned this deal about a year ago, said it was something he wanted to do.
I sorta gave it a whatever, as a passing fancy, but he kept talking about it...

Said it was important to him, something he wanted to do.


Now, my Dad and I have had a policy of not expecting much from one another in the past. We just sort of passed by each other when it was convenient.
I think we have both grown up some and developed a degree of understanding about each other in the past few years...

You know, we're family.

So, with that in mind, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get on board with deal.


It has a lot to do with why the T is gone and the bike is here.
If I was gonna do this ride thing, I was going to feel good about it.

I was gonna be all in on the deal...


I guess I am.

He is to.

The two of us are going to pound out some miles, get lost, drink a beer or two, laugh and squeeze into some kinda crazy huge motorcycle parade.
A couple of guys, a couple of bikes, a couple of miles together...


I am sure we both have our own reasons for doing this thing. I think a lot of them are similar and some a bit complicated.
Just because we are grown-ass men does not mean either one of us has this out shit figured out.

Sometimes, just watching mile markers pass by with somebody is enough...


That is the story, I am not sure what else to tell you until it's done.

Sprung

I think spring may have sprung.

Time to get on it...

The Short Hairs

I am getting there, with this thing...

I sorted through a few wiring hassles, today.

The taillight and coil stuff. specifically...

The new handlebars, from Special '79, are mounted with the cables routed in such a way that makes sense.

The Crazy German called, while stuff was going down.

I think it was his positive attitude that helped breath some life back into this thing...

We are down to tightening some bolts and sorting out the jets.

Where is the god damned heat?

C'mon spring...

The Hickey

Yeah, the bike is called The Hickey...

I make no bones about this.

That is my name for it.

It is kinda ugly and rather embarrassing.

At the same time, it is fun...

That is the whole point, right?

Well, the fun part at least...

I would like to say that there

was thinking about cool old bike pictures, Easy Rider or something, as I gathered parts.

It would be sweet to say there is a whole lot of thinking about style and shit, that went into this.

But the embarrassing part would follow that...

Is the paint some reference to Lee Marvin's shirt in the Wild unch, or Jack Nicholson's get up in Rebel Rousers?

Maybe something about the cool stuff going on in Japan?

Nope...

I just thought it would look cool.

I was thinking of a Duane Peters skateboard deck...

And knew this oddness would help hide

my f'd up removal of factory decals.

Did I hope it would look like a club bike (meaning some Angel's bike from the 60's).

Maybe...

But not in some planned way...

All of that stuff has been floating in my head, but it has been for years.

I would like to think that my "Cool" senses are pretty fucking refined, when it comes to bikes and such...

No, I just put together a cheap ass bike.

I ordered parts, not thinking about some big picture shit, but rather because they were cheap and I liked 'em or knew I could make them work...

Or both.

I used stock parts. I cut them up and drilled holes in them, I cut shit down, took crap off and generally focused on making things as minimal as allowed by law...

What I couldn't loose I tried to make better, lighter, more cool.

I could have done more...

There is still more to do, even.

But I built a bike to deal with my needs, to deal with the shit I will subject it to...

It will go two-up, it will hop curbs, it will take curves and it will haul ass.

So, here it is...

No more waiting for some glimpse at my vision.

There never was a concise vision.

That is the big secret, on this project.

I embraced the random, rather than waiting for years for just the right bits.

Hell, it wouldn't even be a Sporty, otherwise.

I picked up parts and things without seeing them, figuring I could make things work.

I allowed the weirdness and the beer to make shit come together...

Just a need and some ideas.

Some random parts and some tools.

Just a plan for some base level, street ripping shit.

Something that will carry me and KVC, keep me from getting run over and split a few lanes...

A business machine.

Will there be more (or less) to this thing, later on?

Probably...

But this will get some shit done, right now.

That is the score, with The Hickey...

It is fun and will get shit done.

I might be embarrassed when you notice it, but it is pretty fun having it.

Influence

So, it is pretty rare that I am so direct in pointing out my influences on any given project...

But this bike happened to be featured today on another site today.

I thought I would share...

I have mentioned before, the newer Sportsters have a lot of potential to be something cool.

This is a case in point...

It is a bit older than what I am starting with, but demonstrates what I am taking about.

Fairly simple modifications to this one, but it does it well...

No glitter, no bullshit...

I am not going to copy what Dan Collins has done with this here machine.

It has been in my head, since before I purchased mine, however.

I need to work around the requirements of this state I live in...

They require signals, idiot lights and whole list of other stuff, to get through their inspection process.

Stuff I will have to work around, while trying to get to cool...

Some things, like super narrow bars for lane-splitting are less relevant to me.

Technically, that is illegal here...and a bit absurd, if your footpegs or ass is wider than your handlebars.

But here it is.

Some of my inspiration...

I am shooting for an East Coast version of this.

It'll have the stuff to make it less than a fix-it ticket magnet...

Fenders and cast wheels, to deal with crap roads here.

I want to keep some suspension travel, for the same reasons and for two-up riding...

Simple, easy, clean.

All business...

Freedom Machine Friday

Normally, I would not subject you to pics of fairly stock Sporty's...

But this one is mine.

We are on a journey...

More metaphysical than physical, at this point.

We are getting to know each other...

I told you I sold off the Model T and showed you pics of this thing before.

Here we are at the blank slate moment.

The miles of garish vinyl spin stripes have been peeled away.

The goofy reflectors are now shaved.

Dumb paint on aluminum has been sanded off to a polished shine.

Parts that needed replaced out of neglect or poor taste have been replaced.

These bikes are chock full of potential for being something cool. It just takes some effort to get them there.

The Sportster has always been the the bike overlooked, disregarded...

It is the cheap bike in the Harley line up.

That may have been why it was favored in early "biker" culture.

It is the gateway drug.

But that seems too simple...

It was also favored for the fact that it had some ability to handle curves, with the early Bay Area motorcycle club crowd. It fit their needs.

Went fast, cornered, did what it was supposed to...

That is part of the reason this one is here.

The Sportster hasn't really changed much, in the last forty years...

Sure, technology has caught up with it.

There have been improvements...

But it is still the baseline, the common denominator among biker dudes.

The motorcycle bikers buy for their wives.

The Lady Hump.

Well, this one is mine...

I am sharing it with you just because.

I have dealt with the initial crap I just couldn't stand...

Folks have mentioned that they are curious what I will do with this thing, given the effort that went into the T.

The shorts of it, I don't quite know yet.

We are just getting to know each other...

We are staring at each other, wondering what might reveal itself.

Machines tell you what they need, if you listen hard.

There are factors to consider...

I need to be able to haul as on it.

My own, but also KVC's.

The man has some rules here.

The things I would tear off are required, here.

So, this thing has it's initial shave of shit.

There are some things to be done to make it more legal.

Things to be done to make it more right...

We are just getting started.

Things that are on the list-

I need to make a belt guard for KVC and the man. The original is missing, but it looked like ass so I am fine with doing some work.

I need to have a speedo. I will modify the stock one and move it down by the tank.

The license plate needs to mount to something less like a drag chute mount.

Some manner of smaller air cleaner, something less like a bundt cake pan. This one is better than the original but still seems huge.

I guess I need a mirror, according to Pennsylvania. Fucking assholes.

Suspension work, to make it handle less like an over-ripe banana.

A fork brace, see above.

Maybe it should hunker down more on the back end, again, see above.

The exhaust might get a two into one treatment, just because.

Perhaps a slice on that rear fender.

I am trying to keep things simple and business like in my planning.

Something that can take some city abuse and be good at it...

But also something that can knock back a few hundred miles, as needed.

A freedom machine...