2/28/11

Vantastic Monday????

Nothing says creepy like a dude in a Black windowless van with plates that say "BOYLIMO". Man, the Biltwell/Lowbrow van sure does look good!

Vantastic Monday



Whoa. Check it.



2/26/11

Long Beach Swap

Tomorrow's lookin' good!

Almost ready to prowl

Mike is putting the Sex Panther back together with the fresh tins from Blue Moon and seat carved up by Duane Ballard. Watch out cougars...





2/25/11

Kicking my Ass


Getting to know a new bike is always fun. I've been spoiled by my push-button FXR for the past two and a half years. I was fussing with this bike right before Slab City, way back in November. I could not get the front brakes to bleed properly so I parked it, got involved in moving the shop and a million other things and hardly even looked at it. I finally took it down to our local go-to shop a couple weeks ago where Bob and Chris always help me out when I'm over my head (or my head is up my ass). Thankfully, that old PM master cylinder gave them fits too. I really wanted to get it back before the rain starts tomorrow, so when they called this afternoon and said they figured it out and I was good-to-go, I was stoked. I spent a little time down there with Chris last weekend and we got the starting sequence pretty nailed. Or so I thought. Always humbling, motorcycles. Today I finally got it going after a little exercise, and ran up and down the street a couple times, digging it. Pulled up at the first stop sign and the lever went all the way to the grip, I bobbled and stalled it. So the kicking begins. I heard some yelling and looked up. Some broad was stopped right there in the street screaming "Hell yeah! Now there's a real man!" I just laughed. If she only knew. It fired right up after the cheerleading and I finished my two block shakedown. I think I'm over that master cylinder, but I'm digging the bike. Thanks, lady.

2/24/11

Good day



Went up to Pacoima Beach yesterday for a good visit with my friend Wes. We had lunch with Frank Kaisler and I picked his brain for an upcoming Chop Cult interview. I wish we would have had more time to sit with Frank, he's got good stories for days. Probably weeks. He graciously let me borrow some of his personal photo collection which I'm going to scan and put up with the interview. All I'm gonna say is they are glorious. Talk about a dude who has forgotten more than most of us will ever learn, yet is still humble enough to share, Frank really is the man. Thanks guys for letting me be a time pirate and waste your afternoon.





2/22/11

Baja Machine

 After my girlfriend Colleen rode her Vespa from San Diego to San Felipe last month I knew it was time to get her a bike. The only thing she said she wanted was an Enduro. I found this 1981 XL 500 that had been in hibernation since 1992. A few nights of some simple wrenching and it fired right up! Mr. Honda knew what he was doing when he built these thumpers.
 This thing is super fun and you can pick them up running or not for next to nothing. They are a blast to ride and have a nice 5 speed that you can roll down the freeway just fine with. Now go get your bike running and join us on the El Diablo Run...or don't!

Praise the Lords

LOL, and not that kind of LOL.

2/21/11

Vantastic Monday


At least one of each. Workin' for a livin'.

2/20/11

Birds with style


Keith and Leean in PA leave their helmets hanging up in the garage over the winter months. With the old black lids, it's never been a problem. When they got a sunny day last week and decided to pull 'em out, low and behold someone had taken over the Brite Silver MegaFlake. Good thing that liner is removable and washable, eh?

2/18/11

Honda Help


There is a dude in Perris, CA that knows Hondas, worked for the company for 28 years so he knows a thing or two about the venerable fours. He doesn't care much for Choppers, but he'll build you a tight CB750 engine all day long. He's got a few spare parts too, and his prices are reasonable. The best thing is the parts or service you buy come with a little extra knowledge thrown in. He doesn't mind sharing all kinds of tips and hard earned experiences with a dumb ass off the street like me. Dennis prefers stockers and resto jobs but he won't look down on you if you are a chopper guy looking for carb work or a set of forks or engine rebuild. He works out of his house in one of the most organized and jam-packed set ups I've ever seen. I almost hesitate to put his info up here but he said it was OK.

2/17/11

Buell Not Dead


I'm sure it is a technological masterpiece, but it just isn't the amped up Sporto that stole my heart back in the late 90's, dang...
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read more here
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On a more stellar note, the full "hunger" moon is tomorrow night, go ride!

Ride the Wild Thunder


We recently started running some real basic, low key ads that kinda stick out like a turd in a punchbowl compared to most chopper parts companies. No flashy stuff, just an action shot and the headline. What's it mean? Nothing really, it was something McGoo made up years ago. Sort of his way of sayin' "Knees in the Breeze" or whatever.

"Whatcha doing this weekend?" 


"Nothin' man, just ridin' the wild thunder, you know."


"Rad. All I want to do is ride the wild thunder too."

It's sort of became a compliment after a while.

"Man, that dude seriously rides the wild thunder."


McGoo has a knack for words and coining phrases like no one I've ever met. Not surprisingly O. Wilde is one of his personal heroes.

I've been asked about the new ads a couple times and I tried to explain it but I'm not as articulate as McGoo. Basically we got tired of the same old product stuff and just wanted to do something new, something that said "Just ride your motorcycle and have fun. Do your best, take some pride, show some class and ride your machine. Rich, poor, period correct, new bike, old bike, shomper, blomper, whatever, have fun working on and riding that motorcycle." But that was a really long, preachy headline.

The shot on the back cover of the new (and particularly good, I might add) Greasy Kulture 19 is one I took over my shoulder climbing that big hill out of Tijuana last year on the 500. Two of my favorite riding buddies; XS Eric and Huber cranking behind me. One on a Dyna and one on an unkillable home-built XS 650. When I get sick of the workday or internet know-it-alls or whatever, that's where I wanna be, Riding the Wild Thunder.

Jesus, that was corny!

2/16/11

Rippled


Here's a sneak peek pre-polish of some 39mm sliders Wompy turned down using his Jedi powers. These are going on my ACME Triumph project. Juan P is the real deal and if you need some one-off stuff or a full time machinist, put this dude to work. He's clever about solutions, does what he says he will and has way realistic prices. These lowers fade from 1/4" ripples at the bottom up to about 3/4" and then the seal holder area is reshaped into kind of a tulip shape. They'll be a little more subtle after polishing. Ribbed for her pleasure. Thanks again Juan. Check out Still Kickin' for more of his work.

2/15/11

Hells Union-Jeff Decker



I was lucky to get a copy of Jeff Decker's recent book Hells Union before he sold them all. In it are some amazing photographs of his personal collection of Cuts. This guy has some amazing stuff that documents the early chopper/club/motorcycle scene. Thankfully there are people out there like Jeff collecting and documenting as much as they can about this subculture. Each one of these cuts has so much personality, you feel like you can almost picture the guy that LIVED in it and what his life must have been like. Great collection.
Thanks Jeff!
btw my pictures are shit and the ones in the actual book are amazing.

Smuggle yer Plums

That's right, Kutty's purple yard dart is for sale.

2/14/11

What's Black All Day and Yellow Inside?



Our good buddy Jake's Prius with a M2 stuffed in it!
Jake found this deal in southern AZ and drove down from SLC to swoop it up.  But before the return home with his new project, he pulled it apart and shoved it into the Earth's favorite cage.
Buell Not Dead
Just Disassembled

Vantastic Monday

2/13/11

Blue Moon Shine

Jayme hit this one out of the park. Word is, these babies will be at Biltwell HQ in a week or so. I have already began rounding up the troops and asking friends like McGoo, Wompy, Eric Bill and Duane for help getting everything left on the bike wrapped up.

Why so many friends? McGoo is good at making cables, Wompy is a badass when it comes to machining bits, Eric can lay down beautiful welds, Bill understands the wiring harness we created, and Duane is crafting up some leather goodies. When I started this project, I didn't know shit and there is still tons to learn every time these guys help me. I am just glad I have guys like them to help me out and mentor me with this build.

South Africa Bound

This lid, by Big Mike's Pinstriping, is headed to Johannesburg South Africa. If you own this lid, send pics with you riding and we'll try to get them up.

2/12/11

Ride the Wild Thunder

Good weather. Good roads. Good friends. Great day today. 

Yamahauler

Practice makes perfect, or that's what they say. Keep it up Eric!

2/11/11

Worship the Tatas!

Saturday!



Ride 2 Skate Jam


Right coasters looking for something to do on their scoots and skates in May need look no further. R2K5 goes down May 20-22, and it's going to be great. Good luck to everyone who steps up for this adventure, and thanks to the guys at FOTS for letting us contribute to the prizes and fun.

Clean Lines

I dig the stark beauty of BikeEXIF.com 
Just don't bother with the buzzkill comments.

2/10/11

Sex Panther Spy Photos

I sniped this photo from Jayme @ Blue Moon's facebook page. The SexPanther should be roaring again sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.

The Easy Way


Someone is gonna get lucky and win this thing. 


2/9/11

Jersey, where you at?


Once in a while I cruise through our reports and see what other countries are out there lurking about on the Biltwell site. It's always a trip to think that there were chopper freaks sitting in Russia checking out sparkly helmets or some dude on the Isle of Man digging around for some 1" Clubmans. So, down near the bottom sandwiched by Macedonia and Angola, I spot it: Jersey. 


Now, I just spent a weekend with Big Al and Darren and they didn't tell me a thing about this. I figured for sure Walt would have mentioned it by now. Alas, a quick google search shows one of the Channel Islands between France and the UK is a remnant of the Dukedom of Normandy. Thanks, CIA. Whoever this lone soul is, if you send me your address in that Jersey I'll post you out a Mandana just for helping me expand my geographic horizons.

Road Time


I'm ready for a road trip and not one that includes cars or airplanes.