Its been a long time

I was looking through some photos and saw this which made me want to go ride the trails in Richmond really badly. This photo also made me think about how Marcus used to ride wheelies around the block, literally. It also made me think about how Danny used to ride the CRAZIEST wheelies on his street bike 1st, second, third, holy crap wheelies. Thanks for some good memories.

Old to New part 1

I was kind of thinking I would get photos of all of the process from when I got the crusty bondo trap of a tank from old to new and then post them but its been busy and inconvenient to get this thing done. So now Lowbrow has these sweet tanks all new and perfect. Either way, this one is going to be a bit different and I am never selling this once its done. Hopefully I can get some collaboration work from Dan on some paint. I have had these on my desktop for what, a year, no clue anyway These are some of me stripping the paint(somewhat of a shame but it had to be done) and bondo to get Marcus to hook up some new metal additions in the old Kilby Deuce set up.

these

especially this one

Best Hand me down ever

Was home at my parents one weekend and my Dad asked if I had seen the camera that was his Dads brothers that was up in a closet. I immediately got very interested as old cameras are always of interest especially if they are working. He brought down a cool old camera bag and started to remove piece after piece all laying in the photo, which pretty much made my day, week, month, etc. Thanks Gramps and Bro, RIP.

Helmet #7 preview

Gonna be sweet after a bit more and some paint.

Helmet Preview

Arai full face

Turning out cool.

Lock up

Mom and Dad

Photo of a country church

Nature

I know it happens once in a while to anyone who halfway enjoys the outdoors, most recently I had an encounter with a skunk on a back road near home that I swear may have looked up at me before I hit it with my left foot peg like NO,...why!... I say swear cause it looked up and I kind of swerved looking away thinking oh thats gross. Anyways, it seems it is always interesting in one way or another. Here are a couple of close encounters with some really cool birds I had. Photos from one with a little one walking around town and then a big one as I left my old house. The little one seemed hurt and sad but it flew away and the big one was hungry and scooped up a mouse and had a snack, sweet!

Photo I like Richmond VA

Helmet #6 Preview 2

I am pretty much done drawing on this, I am sure it will be a bit different and definitely a bit different after a little paint but I like it a lot.

Listen to your second thought...

Ok so yesterday left me a bit bummed with the bike being done or so I thought for a while. Today I was doing all kinds of errands and chores and heard that there was a training at work and even though I had the day off I thought this one was going to be worth it. Let me explain, I work for a electronics internet retailer and there are trainings almost weekly when a vendor "sells" their products and buys food (important) and you get equal time off which is comp time(most important).

The funny part was I got a text from a friend saying it was a guy who was Terrible who used to work for Niles while training he sweats profusely and has a compulsive laser pointer use problem. Well about a year ago I was in training and we went to one of these trainings of said Niles employee. During the training our trainer fell asleep... and got yelled at. My friend and I laughed very softly while he sweat profusely and there was a bunch of bikini clad women on the TV behind him and got called out in front of 30 people asking us what was so funny. To which we replied whats on TV.

So he is working for a new company (who's stuff looked kinda cheap), so I figured why not go get food and laugh at this asshole while getting an hour off sometime in the future. Food was cold, guy was terrible as always, product was kind of lame and it turned out to be only half an hour, I thought to myself when I found out training was a half hour later and only half an hour I should just leave...anyway fast forward to getting back home after driving around to find an oil filter for a car.

I didn't tear into the bike yesterday to fix the kicker which I am about to order so when I took something out to the shed I tried kicking it over real quick. It caught some teeth and wanted to start so I said hell yes and took it out for a ride. Ran a bit rough probably because of the air cleaner I added carb adjustment so I headed back home to adjust a bit and then back out again.

I get about 4 miles from home down some back roads which I am in like 2nd or 3rd at different points behind a pickup which is going maybe 45 up and down some curvy hills. We get to the road I want to turn at and he turns ahead of me. Right as I am turning he is pulling over with his right hand turn signal on so I pass him and punch it, because thats how the bike likes to run...(seriously) Im riding for a bit after slowing down into 3rd then 2nd in a 30 zone back country road neighborhood.

I turn around and this pick up is like 10 feet literally behind me if that. I'm like ok and punch it to get him off my ass. I mean hauling ass for a second look back... yeah 10 maybe 15 feet. Ok there is a stop sign punch it to it then lock it up in a slide for 30 40 feet and then off again to the right. There is a couple in a car that waves me around them obviously hearing me coming and I was in 4th or so. After a minute I look back and he is approaching so I said to myself "ok this guy is either wanting to talk to me or is really pissed either way I don't want to be going 60 down this back road when I find out.

I know of a gravel pull off kind of down a hill so I plan on going there and there is a foot or so drop and I drop it and slide to a stop standing up while he pulls in sliding. At this point I was thinking damn I wish I had a big knife or a hand gun or something possibly (even though I am sure I would never have the gun at least...on second thought). Guy jumps out and I was smiling hoping he was going to be like "damn son" and at least be some what reasonable in whatever he was thinking. The guy is about 5-10 maybe a couple inches here or there and like 175 190 pounds and 45 50ish and looks country but I think I may be ok if it comes to it. I say whats up buddy. "Albemarle police on the way...Albemarle police on the way son..." I was thinking damn,..."I got you speeding on tape boy" "oh yeah Albemarle police on the way". I was like oh shit I don't have the proper this, or that, no that, damn I can't be here when the cops show up.

Guy is right up in my face at this point at which point my bike decides to die. great... get off and try to say "look man I just got this running sorry its loud but you were on my ass I didn't know what the hell you were up to". He starts talking about his kids ride their bikes on that street(right, your a bad parent then) at which point he is clinching his fist and I start to think ...ok I really would love it if it were a time where he may not have gotten me on video or gotten my license and I could get a quick one or two in to drop this guy and get out of there but my second thought told me he at least had my license.

He starts to try and block me and I started to kick the bike over. Two kicks and its starts and I put it in gear and guy straight up tries to push me over catching me completely off guard. I kind of let the bike go over a bit and catch myself on one foot and stand up start the bike again put in gear again while he tries to push me over. At this point I really wanted to beat the shit out of this guy. Bikes in gear and I take off shooting gravel everywhere.

WTF

I try to get turned around towards home on this crazy hill to foot up onto the slanted curving road and let the bike die. I back up into the gravel again and this guy is getting up still saying they on they way and I was saying what the hell are you thinking trying to push me over old man. I start the bike once again and peel out heading back towards home saying holy shit I should have never pulled over.

Photo I like

Don't you hate it when

Ok so this is going to sound like I am whining I am sure, I think a cooler name for that may be ranting but thats beside the point. So I hadn't really been up to taking the 69 xlch on a ride further from home down to Richmond or Suffolk due to all types of things but mostly small issues like a half working tail light, diminishing teeth on the kicker, and bit of an untrue front wheel to list a few.

Recently things have kind of been a bit hectic and not too cool so I thought I could make the best of a less than perfect situation by finally getting my bike straightened out for the ride to Suffolk, if I got through Richmond. Decided to work out every issue I knew of topping off the oil after replacing tearing oil lines, chain needing to be replaced, fuel lines replaced, new tail light switch relocated, tail light fixed with some wiring changes, front wheel trued, air cleaner cover added and carb tuned a little, and wiring taped and zip tied where needed.

Took a while too long to make that decision as my kicker gear has been dwindling away at this point and honestly I have been putting off fixing it way too long (as seen in a video I will post). I have been riding the bike getting it kicked over off of the last 1/4 of catching gears for the most part(and you better know whats up or you will get hurt even trying cause they barley catch and do about one out of 3 times).

Well I figured it was starting ok for me yesterday and I did all that work I thought it may feel like going for a ride... Wrong. I had planned what to take, packed all my tools, extra headlight, oil, stuff I was going to work on while in Suffolk and loaded up the bike with a bit of extra gas, bungeed and tied the tool bag on, ate, got gear ready, went out started the ritual and and hour and a half later here I sit.

After kicking checking re checking adjusting tappets and while knowing the kicker gears weren't going to do shit catching a few teeth at this point I have decided to tear into it and fix the problem. Which I should have done at first sight of the problem.

I wish I was on the road right now getting away from some of this. I guess you can't run from your problems forever because they will just catch up to you sooner or later. Usually it happens at the most inconvenient time.

Side note: Dan thanks for saying the weather wasn't that great when I texted you...thats what friends are for.

Helmet #6 preview

Really happy with how this is coming, which is good cause times are rough... Small preview.