10/30/09

Donde es el loco hombre?



Billdozer pulled out of San Diego with skate punks in tow this week. You can track their progress all the way down Baja here. To ready Bill's diary on the adventure, check out his thread on ChopCult.com. Via con Dios, Amigos!

Phillie Phun Phest




Go shred the gnar with Joe Scraper and the boys (and girls!)
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10/29/09

Afterhours Halloween Get Down


Don't miss this one.
Afterhours Gabe & Lois know what's up. Go hang out with 'em tomorrow!

10/28/09

Biltwell Risers, With a Twist


Excellent how-to on ChopCult for increasing the height of Biltwell shorty SS risers. Thanks for the info, Special79.

Me & Bob, going to Baja


More, as news develops...
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10/27/09

Revival Jam



Paul DeJong and Co. are hosting a BMX and MTB jam in Eindhoven, Holland on November 7th. If you live in the Benelux, you need to be there. For more info visit Paul's Boutique. 

10/26/09

Holy Helmets!


The Street Chopper gang did an awesome job getting some talented folks to sling paint for the 40th Anniversary party. At the end of the day, they were all raffled off (free tickets!) and some very stoked riders rolled home with new lids. I had a hard time deciding which was my favorite, but in the end I think I would have been most stoked to walk away with the one Sonny painted. Wanna vote for your favorite? I put a little poll up on Chop Cult, so cast a vote and let your favorite painter know you appreciate their hard work.


Airea 5150
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Buck Wild
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Cycle Cosmetics
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French Kiss Kustoms
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John Edwards
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Sara Ray
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Sonny Boy
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The Harpoon
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Uncle Bitchen
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Thanks to BFJosh and Rebecca for working the booth and raffle tix all day.
Pics by Wes D.
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Vantastic Monday


Thanks to Scott for this beaut.
You ain't kiddin.

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10/24/09

Street Chopper 40th Anniversary Party


Wow, Jeff knows how to pick his dive bars! This place was great and tons of good bikes. We donated a big batch of helmets a while back and Street Chopper Mag had a grip of talented artists paint 'em up. A free raffle meant some very stoked people went home with some serious momentos. We shot some pics and video but no one is faster on the shutter and upload button than Allen, damn son, there's probably still people at the bar and you've got 400+ photos up on flickr already!

Check his pics here: SC 40th on Flickr

And some more, really good pics from Kristina Marie here.
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Baja Bound




When we were in NY for the Gypsy Run in August we met producer Chris Grosso from VBS.TV. Big thanks to Vander for the introduction. VBS is responsible for the recent Cycle Zombies and Max Schaaf edits that have been ruffling feathers all over the chopper-info-highway. Seems these guys dig the way motorcycling and skateboarding culture share some commonalities.

Well, Chris and his team wanted to take a select group of skaters down to Baja. Way down. They happened to be looking for someone with some Baja experience to help plan the trip, ride along, etc. I just happen to know a guy who loves riding motos in Mexico.

Taking ten days off work isn't exactly easy right now, but hey, it IS motorcycle related, right? I'm going to call it "product testing" and hit the road with a clear conscience. We're leaving bright and early Wed morning and heading south, eventually getting all the way to El Pescadero where there is a public park worth riding almost a thousand miles to get to. Thanks to Chris and Patrick for having me along, I'm honored and very much looking forward it! I can't wait to see these guys rip in person and of course get some knees in the breeze.

Here's the skaters who are going, and yep, they're riding motorcycles. Heath Kirchart, Arto Saari, Keegan Sauder and Patrick O'Dell.

Pics poached from northwestskater.com I'll do my best to post some updates from the road.
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10/23/09

Trent Hates You


I *heart* Trent.
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Rumble in Ramona


NorCal Holly grabbed some good pics at the Rumble in Ramona, you can check 'em here.
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Laying Some Pipe with Bolts Action & Pangea




Back when I was in college I did a big ass painting on plywood for a family friend. They were "multi-cultural" and the giant piece was loosely based on what scientists think the continents looked like before they split up, dinos died and we all started killing each other. I spent days pasting gesso and paint on that ply and they hung it with pride for years. It had lights installed behind it so it had real depth. They probably hated it but were too nice to say so. I named it "Pangea" because it was one of those college words I was stoked to learn at the time. Seems silly now. Please enjoy some new pipes made by the Bolts and Pangea crew. (Less silly, more fun.)



You can make your own pipes with this DIY Pipe Kit.
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10/21/09

Slab City Riot Pre Party


Anyone who has been on an EDR knows that there is usually a decent pre-party the night before for people traveling in from out of town. We're going to do the same thing for the Riot.

Of course you can just meet everyone at the Slabs, but if you want to ride out in a cluster f... I mean group, meet up the night before and then ride out the next morning with us. We are not taking the most direct route, we are taking the BEST route for riding your motorcycle! We don't have a Road Captain or anything that organized but we'll post a map that you should print and bring in case you get lost and if you can keep up with the pack you can just follow along. The route is super fun for about 100 miles, pure twisties in the mountains, it's hard to believe you are only about an hour or so from LA or San Dog. The first 100 miles goes down old highway 395 and on to Julian, gaining elevation to about 4,200' and then a rapid, winding descent into the Anza Borrego desert at sea level. The last 50 miles is a little boring, but we'll show you the quickest shortcut through the farm-country and to the Slabs. Our route has gas stops every 50 miles or less, so ridiculously small tanks shouldn't be a problem and we plan on stopping along the way so riders can top off. We are planning on leaving Saturday morning from our favorite breakfast joint: The Swing Inn at exactly 8:00AM.



Back to the pre-party. It's nothing super fancy, we'll just meet up at Sweet Lumpy's BBQ on Friday night about 7:00PM. Note to locals, Lumpy's moved lately, it's up on 3rd street now by the under construction parking structure behemoth. We'll eat their famous pulled-pork sangwhiches and drink some beer. It lasts as long as it lasts, again nothing fancy or really organized, just good times. You can find local hotels here. The Roadway and Ramada are the closest to Lumpy's and The Swing Inn.

Just for the record we are not providing any "chase" vehicles but if you have a girly friend driving a truck they are encouraged to cruise behind the pack and help people out if they need it. Our four-wheeled machines are going ahead of us to get the beer cold and make sure things are dialed at the Slabs.

We'll publish a map of the whole route in the next couple days and you'll want to print it out just in case. See you soon!

Good News Campers!


Well, no worries about bringing food to the Riot. Onsite Catering, a local, professional outfit has agreed to set up a big tent and drop a refer trailer out at the Range. Full meals, snacks, waters, sodas, tea, etc. The plan is for them to start serving Saturday about 1:00 in the afternoon and shut down about 9:00 or 10:00 that night. Prices are reasonable, figure on about ten bucks for a full-on meal or a couple bucks less for things like chili fries or other snack-sized stuff. Look for burgers and tacos early in the day and bbq short ribs or tri tip. Breakfast burritos and coffee the next morning is going to be a welcome treat! This is a pretty big deal because there isn't much to choose from in Niland, plus it'll be nice to get your drink on without worrying about riding anywhere.

We'll have five kegs courtesy of our friends at Ballast Point. If you like cheap beer, you'll have to bring it yourself, this stuff is the premium, locally-brewed, good stuff.
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Striped Megaflake Lid


Sweet Megaflake Brite Silver lid FOR SALE.
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10/20/09

Slab City Riot Update



McGoo and I drove out to the slabs this morning for one last meeting before the Riot. Everything looks good. We'll have some more info tomorrow on the pre-party, eating at the Range and an official start time if you feel like riding out with us. The route we planned out today is packed with turns, elevation gains and losses and no more than 50 miles between gas at any one stretch. It's about 150 miles from Temecula and the first 100 or so are epic. Bands are confirmed. Ballast Point is kicking down our favorite high-quality brews and Gabe, we even found you a nice bathroom out at the Range. Here's a cheesy little video I put together today after we got back.

Basic info here: Slab City Riot 2009
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Chris Collins to Launch 70Moto, Mike D. Joins Biltwell



After three years of working with us, Chris Collins is leaving Biltwell to start 70Moto, a manufacturer and wholesaler of custom motorcycle parts and accessories. We're excited about Chris's plans, and we look forward to working with him on his new venture. On behalf of Bill, myself and all our vendors and customers, thanks for your continued friendship and support.

In related news, our friend Mike Ellis is joining Biltwell as National Sales Manager. We've known Mike since his days in the motocross and minibike scene, and he and his business partner at Rubber Tree Studios were influential in the programming and start-up of ChopCult.com.

To speak with Chris Collins directly, visit www.70Moto.com or call (619) 757-5605. To contact Mike Ellis, call (951) 699-1500, or email Mike@Biltwellinc.com.

10/19/09

Switching to Clubmans on your T-100



Friend of Biltwell Laura VonMonster made the switch from Mustache bars to inverted Clubmans  this weekend. The how-to thread on ChopCult  is a little weak on descriptive photos, but the project was fun and the finished bike turned out nice. Hey Laura—thanks for letting your bike be our guinea pig.

Vantastic Monday



Whatever you gotta do to "Make it".
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10/18/09

Back in Black



We've got the new, Gen2 helmets in Flat Black in stock and available from your favorite retailer. These new lids come with the spiffy chrome trim, updated liner and improved goggle strap.
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10/17/09

Cycle Source Goes Digital


Cycle Source Magazine becomes the first US based chopper culture publication to launch dual publishing format!

It’s been nearly 13 years since Cycle Source Magazine published their first issue and the world of technology has entered warp speed since then. Today, in a partnership withwww.zinio.com Cycle Source has launched their first digital edition that will publish monthly right along side their printed magazine. Readers can purchase the same $20 subscription for twelve issues now and have a digital edition sent to their computer before the print version even comes off the press.

Additionally each issue will have embedded rich media with streaming videos, photo galleries and live links to all articles and advertisements. By the end of 2009, there will even be an i-Phone app that readers may use to have each issue delivered to their i-Phone device for portability.

So what are the advantages? Well, in short, it makes a two dimensional page into a living 3-D experience. We believe that through this exciting new technology our readers can get more of a “What it was like” sense from our articles, get more information from advertisers and editorial subjects from a simple click, and have a faster delivery service than ever before possible with the printed page. In each issue rich media will make videos, photo galleries and additional resources available right on the pages making this more than just a digital page flip application.

So is this the end of the print version? Not at all! Cycle Source Magazine staffers believe that this will only enhance what we do in print as it will eventually remove waste from an over gluttonous, greed filled distribution system that does very little to encourage growth of smaller, young titles. “We have long been a fan of the Integrated multi-media platform that promotes more than just print and this is just another way to reach our audience,” said Chris Callen, owner/ Editor In Chief of Cycle Source.

To promote the combination of this technology further, a subscription bundle has been arranged to give physical subscribers the opportunity to add the digital edition for a very reasonable $5 per year (12 issues).

Subscriptions can be bought three ways now, paper magazine= $20 per 12 issues (US), digital edition= $20 per 12 issues (Anywhere) or by adding them both together for an additional $5 to the regular subscription rate.

Zinio is a full service distribution company that just recently announced a deal where they are the exclusive digital newsstand provider to Barnes & Nobel. Our first issue is on sale right now and can be previewed at http://www.zinio.com/browse/publications/?productId=500323352&offer=500152027&pss=1

For more information, contact through www.cyclesource.com

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10/16/09

Slimline Seat Update



We're still noodlin' with the Slimline Seat for pre-rubber Evo sporties. I went over to Duane's this morning and he worked some magic to get the foam slimmer and the kick more pronounced. While I was there I finally got a chance to see the Pink Taco in daylight. Man, it's rad. You'll see it in Street Chopper Magazine some day soon. In the meantime enjoy how nice the DIY Pipe Kit worked out for him and Slim, not just for Harleys, eh? Polished Stainless Risers worked out nice too. Thanks DB!




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