Biltwell Inc.

Debunked Down South

2012-01-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

First... A Buell XB running a belt can and will make the trip, no matter what the road conditions are or aren't.

Safe travels Brian!

Second... Dough-nuts can be found at the beach, who said they couldn't?

Thanks Flynn for letting me "break in" your new quad!

Game Changer!

2012-01-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our Friend Alex Peck spotted this beauty today in Northern California. I really am speechless... With all the hype over fairings these days this guy has dropped the hammer on all of us! Made from cardboard probably for weight/speed purposes I'd imagine. Bonneville racer or meth head dreamer, we may never know! We salute you outlaw!

All Tomorrow's Parties

2012-01-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

Awww yeah!

Garage Sale Weekend 2012

2012-01-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for coming out. We're gonna go ahead and make this an annual deal. Great way to spend a Saturday morning. We stacked it deep and sold it cheap, and had a good time doing it. Big thanks to Wahoo's Fish Tacos for the good eats.

Bomber Jacket

2011-12-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

Lots of neat old Bomber jackets with some great folk art on this LINK ENJOY!

I'm gonna challenge Duane Ballard to an arm wrestling competition in 2012

2011-12-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jen.

Duane has talent for days but still hates pants... I just don't get it. Check it HERE

Coming Event: Parking Lot Sale and Sidewalk Social

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

The time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Place: Biltwell HQ, 25839 Jefferson Ave., Murrieta, CA

The Plan: 20%–75% off scratch and dent helmets, handlebars, accessories and apparel

The Perks: Wahoo's catering truck will be here noon till 2 serving affordable, delicious chow (first 75 tacos are on the house!) • free stickers • free beer

Ride your motorcycle out and plan to make it a day. There are few better ways to burn off holiday cabin fever than with a motorcycle ride and parking lot social with bro's.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

We all hope you get something cool like a little monkey for Christmas.

Blabber

2011-12-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

In the next month or two, you'll see a whole new Biltwell website. As we've added to the product line this year it's been a struggle to keep the site up to date so we are going to implement a simpler set up that will make it easier for customers to navigate and easier for us to keep current. Probably the biggest change will be getting rid of the blog. I've been doing it since 2006 and frankly I'm just kinda sick of it. Been that way for a while but luckily I have some friends like Huber who graciously donate thier time to keeping it going.

There are two ways to make sure you stay in the loop on new products, news and events: The Newsletter Email and Facebook. Sign up for the newsletter and we'll email you about twice a month with updates and if you "like" us on Facebook you'll see our news in your feed.

You can sign up for our newsletter HERE and you can find us on Facebook HERE. Thanks to everyone who's been reading this blog, I hope you can make the jump as we move on to easier, more organized and more interactive communication.

-Bill

Hi Bond Modified

2011-12-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

Rico has the answers to your questions about dating and motorcycles.

Vantastic Monday

2011-12-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

Not only does Craig make nice stuff, he's got seriously Vantastic graphics!

EDR DVD Ready to Ship

2011-12-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Finally! The EDR DVD is done and ready to ship. You can buy one here.
Just in time for Christmas, order one this weekend and Lowbrow will have it in the mail on Monday.

Mann Pics

2011-12-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a few of my faves from last weekend.

Wine is fine but whiskey's quicker.

Sweet ass.

Grant juice.

OG Dutch painted pan.

Even the screw heads line up. Best in show for good reason.

Old-Stf builds Nice-Stf.

You said it dude.

Moldy goodness.

Technicolor yawn.

Perfection.

Reflectofinger.

Tobism's attack sporto.

Panheads...

2011-12-14T20:00:00.000-08:00


They just look sooo right! Since I lived in Chico, CA for years I have to check out Chico Moto.

This Weekend / Carlsbad, CA

2011-12-14T09:50:00.001-08:00

Sunday Morning Comin' Down...

2011-12-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

Quick clip from yesterday.

Vantastic Monday

2011-12-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Brant for sending in this one, snapped near Detroit and lookin' a little chilly. Get bent!

Hustlers in Megaflake Have Arrived

2011-12-09T14:55:00.001-08:00

Cobalt Blue, Gang Green,and Wine Red Hustlers have arrived just in time for last minute holiday shoppers. In stock and ready to ship.

Cycle Source Survey Results 2011

2011-12-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Last year we won with the novelty lids, and this year with the DOT-approved Hustlers. Thanks to everyone who voted, we really appreciate it! Wait til' you see what we have in store for next year...

Anaheim Duo Glide in 1965

2011-12-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the picture Rich!

Goodbye Lil' Buddy

2011-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Bikes come and go, but this one was a lot of fun. At least it's staying in the family and I kept the gas tank. Thanks Terry!

Vantastic Monday

2011-12-05T06:01:00.000-08:00

Hippy Killer IV

2011-12-04T18:57:00.001-08:00

New Mule in the Stable: Acme Bonneville Chopper

2011-12-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

McGoo here. I lost my sign-in info for the blog, so I'm pigging off Bill's feed this week. I probably beat this dead horse on Facebook and ChopCult enough already, but I'm sharing it here because this thing has me tickled pink. I'm talking about the Bonnevile chopper our friend Wayne at Acme Choppers sold me this fall.

This machine didn't require many tweaks (few Acme bikes ever do.) I swapped the seat for one of our tuck-and-roll Slimline solo units, turned down the billet alloy throttle grip on the lathe to make an alloy sleeve for a pair of Kung Fu grips, and shortened the exhaust can 6 inches. Throw on a pair of Sanderson pegs and BAM! instant modern Brit chopper.

This brings my personal stable of motorcycles to four, none of which I rode more than 3,000 combined miles in the last year. I'm determined to change that sad stat in 2012, and this bike will lead the charge until I can finish the SpartanKiller.

Thanks, Wayne at Acme for giving me such a sweet deal on this really fun machine.

Man Cave Stuff

2011-12-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Just what every man cave needs: a Biltwell tin sign. At approximately 2' wide x 20" tall, it's just the right size for the back of your man door, unless that's where your dart board is already hanging, in which case you can put it any damn place you please. Mike D. is adding these to the online store as I write this, and they cost less than the pocket change your old lady has stashed in the cookie jar. Treat yourself to something cool this holiday season.

Redneck Ringtoss

2011-12-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

I rode to my friend Caleb's place the other day. He and JD are always up to something interesting. Of particular note on this visit was the new addition of what Caleb calls Redneck Ringtoss. It's pretty basic - a 2" brass ring, tied to some thin line and a hook stuck in the wall. You stand back and let it fly with a gentle arc. It's a pisser until you get the hang of it, and I seem to need to relearn every day. You have to adjust the string just right when you first set it up, but it's really easy. The higher the ceiling, the longer the distance to the hook. Definitely not something that increases productivity around here. It's a fun drinking game, you can do it one-handed and unlike horseshoes or darts, you don't even have to walk over to the target, the ring just comes back when you miss. Thanks for the lessons dudes!

4 years ago today-RIP EVEL

2011-11-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Local Butte Montana newspapers and the Eulogy from his service.

Bottrop!

2011-11-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

Help for Jay

2011-11-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

Motorcycles are dangerous business. I hate posts like these but they are a fact of life if you are around bikes enough. Scott at Backstreet Buckets almost lost a friend when a drunk driver hit his buddy Jay about ten days ago. Amazingly, Jay lived through the crash, but suffered major injuries as a result. Scott says he's a tough dude with a good attitude. I sure hope the drunk gets the maximum punishment for this. Scott is working on setting up a Sunday at Strokers of Dallas for doing an auction, with the proceeds of course going to help Jay with his recovery. We're donating some goodies and you can contact Scott to help out, or send some paypal bucks to jaybellbenefit@gmail.com Good luck Jay, we're rooting for you!

Vantastic Monday

2011-11-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

Three wheel motion.

Picked up a gnome for the front of Biltwell Headquarters

2011-11-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Calling all Locals

2011-11-25T10:32:00.001-08:00

Saturday night after the Classic Cycles grand re-opening in Orange, there is actually something to do in our neck of the woods. Ride over and have a beer.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

I got this postcard from my brother Walter today. Such a thoughtful bastard! I need to stop more often and thank my motorcycle for being the conduit that's allowed me to meet so many great people like Walt over the past couple years. Here's hoping everyone has a good Thanksgiving and if you have a two-wheeled freedom machine, maybe give it a little pat on the ass and tell it "Good Job!"

-Bill

Vantastic Monday

2011-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

We've gone almost two years without an official team van, so last week we picked up this sweet and slightly beat 2004 E350 on the cheap. I was pretty stoked that it looked like it had been a military van, what with those USS Defiant license plates and all. Must have been an Admiral's personal family wagon or something cool like that, huh? Well a quick google search (on the way home with the van) turns up the fact that the USS Defiant is a fictional star ship on Star Trek. Geeks. We are total nerds with a Trekkie van. We're getting new plates and we're going to rechristen it the USS Booger.

Light it up!

2011-11-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

Wet weather makes for great shop time. I made a little progress this weekend on my Acme-framed Triumph project. First I cut and reshaped the mount on this neat old spotlight, drilled and tapped the bottom tree and shaped both trees to have a larger radius on the edges. I've wanted to use this old Linkert float bowl as a tail light for several years. I found this neat guide light that was rusted junk inside, but had a cool glass lens and a decorative bezel (that I've never seen before) at a car swap meet a couple months ago. Sure enough, it fits right on the Linkert bowl after about thirty minutes with some small files. I beefed up the mechanism inside for holding it all together and now it feels bulletproof. The lens is clear, but inside is a small (but bright) red LED cluster. I used one of our registration tube ends as the cap on the back, but I'm gonna whip up something less decorative and replace it. Simple little things but fun to tinker on and it's amazing how long you can spend on the details.

Classic Cycles Inc Grand Re-Opening Party

2011-11-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

Leftovers and relatives suck anyway. Let's go drink someone else's beer and talk about motorsickles.

Classic Cycles Inc.

This Saturday in Anaheim

2011-11-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

A few of us are riding over to this from Orange. Hit me up if you wanna join us. Simo Aid not SUMO aid!

Best Can Crusher Ever

2011-11-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Stolen from the BSMF.

Bolts con DicE

2011-11-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

I am looking for someone to attend this show/party as my stunt double this weekend.

I can not attend due to cheapness and the desire to surf naked on a desolate beach.

With that said, the person to fill this position must have the following attributes:

1) Must love sportos

2) Must have facial hair (girls too)

3) Must be friends with the Wizard

4) Must be easily spaced and or freaked out

5) Must give man hugs to all my "biker" friends

6) And must have at least one "sun" tattoo

Said person will be compensated with DicE issue 41, food, and drink while supplies lasts.

If you feel you fit the bill, please send your resume to

rouserworks@hotmail.com

8+8+3=?

2011-11-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Easy come, Easy go. Sure is fun to ride!

Vantastic Monday

2011-11-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Cool wedgie project in Hebron, OH.
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/2634411901.html

Brothers of the Traveling Lid

2011-11-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

About two years ago a kid in Utah that goes by ChoppyGee had an idea. Grab one of our novelty helmets and ride around, take some pics in it and then pass it on to the next guy. It's been on the move ever since. It recently resurfaced in the west on our friend Eric's grape, who rode it out to Operation Illusive Unicorn and passed it off to our friend Oscar. The stories and pics are loosely assembled in this CC thread. Photo of Eric on his freak-everyone-out derake panhead by ElViajero. I love the reaction he gets with this bike, people just flip out and say it's unrideable even though he just blasted a couple hundred miles across the desert on it...

Two Motos One Hippy

2011-11-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

As the 2012 Freak Out draws nearer, I find myself getting more and more spaced out on earthly delights.

So in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I have decided to sell off BOTH of my personal motos and go surfing with the wizard!

Take your pick

TFL IV is going for $8,765.43

Ferris Bueller is going for $9,999.99
-
Both motos are fresh and ready to hit the streets.
Click the links for more info on each moto.
-
rouserworks@hotmail.com

Turn it up!

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

Thank You Vets

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday me, McGoo and my two kids piled in Josh's van and went down to Camp Pendelton to see Josh's real job. Most people know him as the shit-talking nice guy who mans the Lowbrow West booth or the Biltwell guy with the rigid modern Triumph and street tracker Sporty. A lot of folks don't know that his day job is as a Huey crew chief, which means he shoots people and things from the open door of his helicopter with a variety of lethal lead spitters. (Now he's involved in training other people to do it at the moment.) Since the Huey was introduced in the early 60's and has had a million upgrades since, but still looks pretty much the same, I'd say it'd be about like flying around in a S&S Panhead. Retro and modern at the same time. But with a mini gun. Anyway, we had a good time and managed to sneak in to part of the Pendelton Mech Museum before they closed up for the night. They had a good portion locked up, but I'll be back to check it out some day because they had some super cool stuff. If you know a dude like Josh who is part of the less than 1% of this country who's serving in military, buy them a beer today or at least tell them thanks for eating dirt and shitting freedom so we can ride our machines around and have a good time.

This Saturday

2011-11-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

Rain or Shine we ride the wild thunder.

Happy Birthday US Marines

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Damn snopes has to take the fun out of everything. At least it's based on truth. Happy B-Day Devil Dogs, take a 96 and we'll see you on Monday for PT.

Hippy Killer Edit

2011-11-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

US VERSUS THEM / OIL AND WATER ART SHOW / KUTTY NOTEBOOM / HIPPY KILLER GARAGE from DGTLX WW on Vimeo.

More good stuff from Us vs. Them.

Kutty killing hippies with our Builder's pipe kit.

Lost & Found... Still Lost Though

2011-11-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

K-Mack shot the pics and put them on a disk.

I mailed the disk off and deleted the pics from the compu.

The moto left to start a new life in Austin, Texas.

I collected the devil's paper and met up with the Wizard in Mexico.

Meekm Pholim-breau

Never to be seen again...

Wes Humpston at Oil & Water

2011-11-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

Man, I drew Dog Town logos all over everything when I was a kid. I sure thought I was a hard core skater back then. Of course looking back, I wasn't any damn good but always had fun. It's neat as all hell to be helping out with an art show that features icons like Wes Humpston. Here's an edit the guys at U vs. T put together with him recently. See his art as well as a grip of other heavy hitters this weekend at the show. Yeah, I know it's supposed to rain, but we promoted the whole Shop Crawl thing, so I'm riding no matter what. Oil and Water, right?

Vantastic Monday

2011-11-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Last minute edition. Word on the street is that Ford will be bringing a version of the Euro-spec full-size Transit van to the US in the next year or two. I'll take one kitted like this please...

BCM

2011-11-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

I rode the snot out of this one all weekend. As good as it looks on the outside, it's even better inside.

Check it: Boyle Custom Moto

Operation Illusive Unicorn

2011-11-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the hardy folks who showed up, it was a hell of a party. (Photo by Walt.)

Here's how and why the whole cancellation deal went down. The past two years we haven't bothered with a permit for Slab City. If you've been there, you can guess why. It's a do-it-yourself environment that is billed as "The Last Free Place in America". We've asked our friends who live there (and run the stage) about permits from day one and been told that they've never been required, movies have been shot there, plenty of massive parties, music every weekend, it's all good, c'mon down! So, in the spirit of the place, and with precedent set, that's how we planned it again this year.

Last year LEO from several agencies lined up at the end of the area and would do a small show of force once in a while to make sure everyone was aware that they were there. Makes sense, it's public land, there were a lot of people and obviously a lot of drinking and whatnot going on, so it's logical that the cops want to check it out and let their presence be known. A few guys got rolled up for not wearing a helmet or carrying a fixed-blade, typical stuff but hardly a police state or abuse of any kind.

Apparently this year, after reading about it on the internet, the Imperial County Sheriff decided to check and see if we had pulled a permit. Of course we hadn't. After chewing on it for a day or two the county decided to send a cease and desist letter which we received on Thursday, one day before the event. I got an email version of it Wednesday while we were out there setting things up on site and coordinating where the $1000 worth of rented portable toilets were going, etc.

Needless to say we tried every angle, the Occupy Slab City idea, what if we cancel bands, can I come down and file for an emergency permit, etc. The permit process takes at least 30 days so there was no getting that, obviously something everyone on the other side was aware of. After trying every logical and illogical angle with the super polite County Council we were told, "no matter what you call it, no matter what changes you make, any assembly you are involved in will be will result in you being held responsible for civil and criminal actions."

Our various contacts within local agencies (yes, you might be surprised how many cops we have as friends and customers) let us know that overtime had been approved for the first time in a long time and that there was a good possibility that we wouldn't even be allowed into Slab City. The last thing we wanted to do was parade in there like nothing was going on and surprise all our friends and customers when the man says "Nope, turn around" or "Let's inspect that motorcycle, son". This isn't a movie and we aren't outlaws, so we did the next best thing and cancelled the official event.

We tried to salvage what we could of the event for people who took valuable time off work and rode through freezing rain to have a good time. We got the word out through every channel possible that the SCR3 had been cancelled and even rode over to Slab City on Saturday and retrieved two poor souls who didn't get the memo and escorted them to the new camp. In the end, I think the new location was actually better than the slabs, and we're gonna look into doing something legal there next year.

While we didn't organize or publish anything about the new location (still in Imperial County) a battalion of riders toughed it out and showed up to the informal campout. Wild weather and zero organized activities, bands, etc turned into camping in the desert with friends and that was totally fine with us. Both nights were fun and we had a good ride around the Salton Sea on Saturday. The Rangers at the new site made their presence known but were otherwise cool as far as I've been told. They wouldn't allow bands, but we knew that and had cancelled ours in advance.

The bottom line? We should have purchased the required permits and will look into doing it legit next year. I do think the Sheriff overreacted and that it could have been handled a lot differently on their end. The funniest thing about the whole weekend was how many cops and rangers talked about the Coctagon to various riders. The fact that some chief had to brief his men about a bunch of kooks who ride to the desert and then beat each other with wiffle ball bats is hilarious. One even recognized our friend Shawn's Canadian flag helmet from the video.

BTW, we've got a ton of patches, shirts, etc that we will put up for sale on the Chop Cult store later in the week since obviously we didn't sell them this weekend.

Our sincere apologies to anyone who didn't hear about the change and might have gotten left out in the cold. Thanks again to the people who stuck it out and had fun despite the last minute fire drill.

You may have heard about Charlie the Nomad and his girl's crash. We're glad they lived through a rough one, and wish them the speediest recovery possible.

Media Blackout

2011-11-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

Be back next week.

Chased Out.

2011-11-03T00:17:00.000-07:00

All the details are on the flier. Go on the Wuss Ride instead. Sorry to everyone who worked so hard or took time off and busted ass to get out here. We'll still have fun and go for a ride but it won't be to the Slabs and it won't be an "event".

Bueller... Bueller... Bueller?

2011-11-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Ferris Bueller is finally done, and it's fucking rad!

223 days at powder coat was well worth the wait...

Check the video edit over on the Bolts page.

Slab City Riot 3 Update

2011-11-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Oscar for letting me cherry pick his collection, we'll have some good flicks to choose from this Friday. Word on the street is that the Wuss Riders are even bringing popcorn!

Here's the booze situation. We're bringing a metric shit ton, but you guys can easily drink a metric shit ton, so if you want something special or don't want to dry out when we hit bottom, bring your own. Lowbrow stepped up this week and bought quite a collection of things that mix with with Coke and/or make good shots. They also have this snazzy bottle of Vodka pinstriped by Shawn at Imperial House 71 that will go to the winner of the Slowbrow Slowrace on Saturday. Street Chopper is bringing two kegs of PBR and whoever shows up with the best drinking vessel at the keg wins a big old bottle of something that will make your head hurt in the morning. A boot, viking horn, milk jug, whatever, be creative, win some fun. If you want to bring something to donate to the crowd, please feel free, but no charging for drinks or anything else, please. We've got tons of other chopper-related stuff to give away from the stage and I'll try to outline all of that tomorrow so you can see what some really generous sponsors are kicking down.

Note: Bring firewood if you have the capacity to haul it. Also, bring a musical instrument if you wanna get on stage and jam after the bands. A lot of talented musicians are going to be on hand so don't be surprised by how good the "aftershow" can get!

Weekend Weather Update

2011-10-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

70's durig the day, 40's at night. Perfect riding weather.

The Jersey Patch

2011-10-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

So Black Rob just rolled in from Texas and his CB750 has been puking oil since he rode it from here to Dallas over the summer. Upon inspection a nice hole had been rubbed through the case by a nagged-out chain. Sumo's bright idea for a quick fix got it back on the road. It weeps a bit, but nothing like the gusher it was before. As our English pal would say, "A proper bodge, isn't it?" We'll forever call it the "Jersey Patch".

Speaking of Sumo, he's on the Praying Mantis headed to Vegas and will meet us in Slab City. Last I heard he was in Baker and doing fine...

Thursday Night

2011-10-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

If you are out here early for the Wuss Ride, SCR3, etc, go to the Wild West Arena (same place as Hippy Killer Hoe-Down) Thursday night and watch Shelby Cobra rip it up.

Shovel Love

2011-10-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

As long as it had the old paint it was always gonna be Jay's bike. I just mounted up the tins this afternoon with freshly sprayed goodness from Scott at Backstreet Buckets. Nice and simple, just like I was hoping for, and right in time for Slab City. Thanks Scott, you crushed it! There are more plans for this machine in the near future but for now it's just getting our new prototype H-bars, a Whiskey throttle, a new tire and some much needed scrubbing.

Sex Panther

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mike and his sporty get a little love on Chop Cult. Nice work, Ellis.

A few from the LBC swap last Sunday

2011-10-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

I spy the wuss riders.

Deals.

Get some!

Vantastic Monday

2011-10-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

San Felipe, Baja-Style. I think this is a Pinzgauer, which is short for "Super Mobility, Cab-over Engine, Lightweight, Bad Ass, Box-Van-Thingy that is awesome". But I may be wrong. Either way, I want one!

SHOP CRAWL NOV 12th

2011-10-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm riding to the Oil & Water show on the 12th and wanted to put the invite out there for anyone who wants to ride along. We'll start here at the Biltwell warehouse, go to Classic Cycles in Orange and then Caleb's Cro Customs in Culver City. You can link up with us at any of these locations and then we'll roll in to the show together. -Bill

Get Patched In

2011-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Some new designs in stock now.

Souped Honda 90

2011-10-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Dave up in Washington state just finished this crazy Honda Trail 90. I'm stoked he chose to run our Kung Fu grips on such a nutty little machine. It's got a full race 140cc race engine and all kinds of attention to detail. I know it's not every tough-guy-chopper-dude's choice, but I think it's cool! I wonder if you could make one of those forks work on an old Triumph...

Dear intake leak and slipping clutch...

2011-10-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Dear intake leak and slipping clutch. I tried everything to make you happy but this is not working so I think you should go and hangout with Rico. Love Huber.

Party with the Pros!

2011-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

New project in the Garage

2011-10-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy couple weeks over here. Lots a travel and not much time to post. In between working too much I went over to my buddy Steve's house and picked up his Sporty. This bike has been sitting since Steve low sided around a corner near Eureka on a run last summer. I figured I'd try my lack of skill at a Sportster and see what I can come up with. Rouser, I'm gonna need some guidance!

Scooter Power!

2011-10-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Biltwell Bubble Shields

2011-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

We finally found some bubbles good enough to put our name on. These have great optical clarity and don't smell like puke. (If you've ever used a new-old stock one, you know what I'm talking about!) So far we've got four colors, with more later. Smoke or Clear are $19.99 and the fades in Smoke or Red are $24.99. Check 'em here.

Vantastic Monday

2011-10-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Spotted in Dallas, Texas. I think that flat black must have been added after some rocker rust repair or something.

Got Wood?

2011-10-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

If you are coming to the Slab City Riot 3 and have a truck or van in your group, bring some firewood. There is no such thing as too much!

Poler Man Tent Review

2011-10-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Road tripping on a bike is just like backpacking when it comes to deciding what gear to bring. I obsess on trying to pack as little as possible and still have everything I need, plus a little bit. Each trip the load plan gets slightly modified, but certain things like a canteen cup, fire, coffee, headlamp and tools always go. Recently we got the hook up from the fine folks at Poler.

Now, other than a brief stint with an el Cheapo Wal Mart tent a couple years ago, I have always preferred a bivy sack if there is a chance of getting wet or just went commando with a wool blanket or light sleeping bag in the desert. Setting up a typical tent in the dark and tearing down with a hangover in the morning gets old about day three and the superfluous stuff gets chucked. A bivy packs down nice and tidy, may include a single pole, (or may not). I dig the efficiency and the lack of moving parts, but the stoicism can lose it's charm pretty quick. Now that I've had a few nights in this Poler unit, the bivy is stowed and I've embraced the luxury of a quality tent. I used it on the Gypsy Run last month and my kid poached it from me last weekend in Baja.

The whole tent is really just a fine net if you choose to leave the fly off, which is perfect for the desert and beach camping we enjoy. If there is a chance of rain or heavy dew, the fly goes on over the top. The benefit is superb ventilation and less set up, with a back up plan of water-proofing only a minute or so of extra work away. With the fly on there is a small vestibule for stashing stuff out of the rain, but also out of your tent, ie: dirty boots, helmet, etc. Unlike a lot of single-person tents that have an entrance on the front, this one has it on the side so it's easier to crawl into after a long day and there is ample room for getting situated.

The support poles are all hooked together with shock cord through a couple lightweight joints so there is less fumbling around in the dark. It all packs down to a reasonable size and compression straps mean you can actually fit it in the rip-stop bag without wrestling and then cinch it down to it's minimum size. $170 is a heavy hit for a tent, but like good boots, quality motorcycle parts or other stuff you can make last a long time, it's worth saving for and treating well.

Yes, I endorse a Therma-Rest pad and unicorn Pillow-Pet for ultimate comfort.

Check out Poler stuff here.

No EDR for 2012

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Puertocitas. Too bad, would have been fun.

We just got back from a killer weekend in Baja. We had already decided to not do an El Diablo Run next year but thought the idea of some other Mexico trip sounded fun. Well, that was a fail. The spot we wanted to go to is a little bay about 50-ish miles south of San Felipe called Puertocitas. We went the long way down to Mulege and visited an old friend, then came up to Puertocitas off road (in my truck, not bikes) and caught some of the great, brand new highway that connects the sleepy little gringo village and Gonzaga Bay. Anyway, when we talked to the lady who runs the campground there at Puertocitas she explained that even though it's pretty much a ghost town, they have a commitment to the retired folks there to keep things quiet and that means no loud bikes, dune buggies, parties, etc. Blah!

Santispac, about 700 miles south of the border. I will live near here someday, promise.

So, screw it. We'll host another EDR in a year or two. In the mean time we're working with Tyler at Lowbrow and his video production crew on a DVD that was shot during this year's run. I'm going through the rough cut stuff right now and the riding footage is insane. It's really neat to see "our" kind of bikes shot by professionals. This DVD should be available in plenty of time for the holidays. Maybe even for Slab City...

The new road south of Puertocitas. Gonzaga Bay is getting easier and easier to reach now. That is good and bad.

As for 2012 events, McGoo is cooking up a fun multi-day ride through the Southwest USA that sounds great, so stay tuned for info on that as it develops. Watch out Nevada and Utah...

Our friend Ron in Mulege is a retired Class 1 desert racer so this is his grocery getter.

I think someone got their money's worth out of those sprockets. Coco's Corner is a one man Slab City.

If you go through Coco's Corner, you gotta stop and sign his book and shoot the shit. His words of wisdom? Lower your tire pressure. Good point, Coco, most sensible advice I got during the whole trip.

Unexpected chopper shopper. That one in the upper right ain't half bad. We picked up a couple different small lights from this dude on the side of the road.

Slab City Riot

2011-10-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

We're gettin' ready around here. We've got tons of stuff to give away from generous sponsors, and for the first time we'll have a few trinkets like shirts and patches for sale. Check out the map Alan Stedman did up for the Wuss Ride.

Hell on Wheels 2012 Calendar

2011-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Pick one up here!

Vantastic Monday

2011-10-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

Winter's a comin...

Curb Hopper

2011-10-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Another fun one from Zack at Machine-13.

Tight & Right

2011-10-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Mitch's Triumph is tidy.

New Greasy

2011-10-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Guy's got a banger of an issue with the Bill Ray interview, photos and more. Get it here.
If you gotta see these images large, get the book.

Kundratic Swap

2011-10-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend!

Moto Goggles

2011-10-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Goggles are great. Maybe not if you are just riding down the street to the store or your local bar, but if you are really putting in some miles or riding in shit weather, having real goggles can make a difference. Motocross and snowboard companies have battled over the past decade to include so many features and options that the selection has become overwhelming and expensive. Feature-creep on these products has gotten to the point where you look like a clown wearing half of them or feel like a clown for paying big bucks for them. We figured it was time to go back to a simple, purpose-built goggle without all the fancy vents, neon accents or otherwise superfluous gee-gaws. For $35.00 you will have a hard time finding a better goggle, especially with an Italian-made anti-fog lens that actually works and low-key styling. Check 'em out here.

Gotta have eyes in the back of your head out on the road BRO!

2011-10-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Tight Knit

2011-10-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Just in time for cooler temps. This is a premium beanie, not one of those cheap ass ones that stretch out in a day. Low-key embroidered tag lets the world know you've got taste without any over-the-top, outlandish branding. Get 'em here.

Oil & Water / Nov. 12th

2011-10-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

We've teamed up with our friends over at Us Vs. Them to help produce an art show at Known Gallery on Fairfax in LA on Saturday November 12, 8:00-11:00PM. We'll be riding bikes down there from Temecula and will post up a couple meet-up points along the way if anyone wants to ride down and check it out with us. I'm thinking we will take a long route back in the middle of the night with a few stops at some Los Angeles landmarks. The show is gonna be a banger that really mixes up a lot of different mediums, artists and backgrounds. We've donated about a dozen helmets to get painted up, Lowbrow Customs kicked in a big batch of gas tanks and surfboard blanks were donated by City Fog Surfboards. The list of artists is pretty amazing, here's who's in store so far:

Wes Humpton
Jim Phillips
Risky
Latisha Wood
Tay Herrera
Manuel Cisneros
Graham Nystrom
Les Schettkoe
CJ Nelson
Menso
Honky Kong
Belgium Lion
Ratty Matty
Ralphy the Kid

Details and whatnot here. Hope to see you there and stay tuned for details on the ride.

Vantastic Monday

2011-10-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Vegas Vinnie sends this beaut.

Ride motorcycles. Have fun.

2011-10-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Kill a Commie for Mommy

2011-10-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Good Morning.

Sex Panther

2011-10-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Is back on the prowl...

Tomorrow Night in Costa Mesa!

2011-09-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Rock N Roll Motorcycle Party!?!?

Balls

2011-09-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone read Japanese? Our friend Balls just got covered in Club Harley, but he's got no idea what it says...

The World is Flat

2011-09-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Michael's got some great pics from the Gyspy Run on his blog including this sweet one of me peeing and then me, Josh and J.D. riding across the old bridge. So much help from these two friends on this trip, what a good time.

Slab City 3 Update

2011-09-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

OK, anyone who's been to any of our events knows we pride ourselves on not taking any of it too seriously. In fact, I'd say we celebrate the lack of organization. Don't get me wrong, we do a lot of pre-planning and sweat a lot of details, but we don't have road captains or a bunch of rules and whatnot. Generally we don't even have much of a schedule and just kind of let things unfold as we go along.

This time for Slab City however, since we're going out Friday night and will have a lot more time in the desert than previous years, we thought we'd spice it up with some Grass Games. Well, there's no grass (lawn type that is) so these will be dirt games. Each game is put on by a particular sponsor and the winner of each event will go away something special from them, plus some additional kit from us.

Kit and Allen, better known as the Wuss Bros. Inc., have done a fine job of pre-running their route and will be leading a group of riders out of Temecula through Hemet and down into Palm Springs, around the northern end of the Salton Sea and into Slab City. Highway 74 out of Hemet is one of the best roads in So Cal in my opinion. If you don't know the route or just wanna have fun, this is a great way to get to the Slabs, and these are some good dudes to tag along with.

Here's the proposed schedule for everything. We will have a few of these printed up and distributed around the slabs, so you'll know what's going on.

Friday Nov. 4th

10:30 AM Meet at The Swing Inn, Temecula, for start of Wuss Ride

Ride all day

7:00 PM Movies start on the "Range" stage

We will start at 7:00 and play a variety of old biker movies, plus we should have the premier of the El Diablo Run DVD that we've been working on since May. (More on that later...)

(Fiesta Catering will be selling Mexican food. Bring your own beer.)

Saturday Nov. 5th

(Fiesta Catering will be selling food all day/evening.)

10:00 AM Leave Slab City to ride around the Salton Sea

2:00 Return from ride

3:00 Slow Race - Sponsored by Slowbrow Customs

3:30 Barrel Race - Sponsored by Zombie Performance

4:30 Chug-a-Lug Contest - Sponsored by Beer Booters (beer and boot glass provided)

5:00 Sign in for Coctagon with McGoo. (Bats cost $10.00 / 100% payback to fighters. If 24 people sign up, Biltwell will match the $260 for a grand prize of $500 to the last man standing.

5:30 Coctagon starts!

6:00 Bike Award announcements by Kickstart Cycles

6:15 Shelby Cobra

7:00 Arm Wrestling in front of the stage - Sponsored by Star Leather

7:30 In The Red

8:30 The Hitchhikers

10:00 Archons

Sunday Nov 6th:

(Fiesta Catering will be selling food and coffee first thing in the AM.)

Ride home filled with shame and remorse.

Rules of the Coctagon:

1. No dead blows, Wiffle Ball™ bat swings only
2. No other weapons
3. No punching
4. Drop your bat and you are out
5. Step out of the circle, you are out
6. Must wear helmet

There is only one winner, no second place, cash handed out immediately.

What to bring?

A lot of people have asked what they can bring to help out. Two words: BOOZE & FIREWOOD. We will have a central fire pit that will rage all night, so bring as much wood as you can if you have a truck or van following your crew. Bring plenty of booze, it won't be sold on site. We'll probably have some to give away but it always runs out, so come prepared!

Chew Toy

2011-09-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Picked this up in NY. My dog wouldn't touch it but Willis seems pretty OK with it.

Dynamic Duo

2011-09-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

We got a visit from our favorite girl on girl fighters yesterday. These broads will kick your chopper ass. They rode over from behind the Orange Curtain and did some bar hoppin' on that shady, oil-leaking old Honda with a milk crate. Pure style!

Pan Love

2011-09-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Darkness

2011-09-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is a little hard to watch since it's so dark, but it's the only video we shot out in New York earlier this month. Riding through the city, whether packed with insane cabs in the middle of the day or deserted in the middle of the night, is one of my favorite things to do on a motorcycle. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to do that this year but Josh shot this from his helmet with my Go Pro as he, JD, Caleb and a few friends worked their way from Brooklyn to Jersey. I trimmed it down to fit a favorite song.

Vantastic Monday

2011-09-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Blackout!