Saturday, April 30, 2011

...

Friday, April 29, 2011

Damn Fruit Booters


This was brought up last night so I thought I'd share. I did this a few years back after being ridiculed for my "aggressive" in-line skating history.

Later, dammit!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Decisions

The insurance co totaled the VFR but I get to keep it because it's over 7 years old. The plastics are pretty scratched up and broken in several places. Also a bent footbrake lever and clutch lever.

So now you get to weigh in on what I should do:

1) Fighter it or otherwise chop it
1.5) Take off the fairings and make it a naked
2) Buy new plastics with the insurance $ and bring it back to stock
3) Leave it just how it is (patina)
4) Something completely different...

The DR's various mutations

Fresh off the showroom floor.
Bye-bye lame Suzuki graphics.
After the new tail section, under peg pipe and new tire break-in.
Its current incarnation.
All-in-all the wheel changeover went OK...need a bigger chain (just a tad short with the larger rear sprocket) and one spacer was machined to the wrong spec. It wouldnt be any damn fun at all if it went perfect...




Monday, April 25, 2011

Celebrating a bit...

...and maybe Ben will be the only one that understands. I passed a very important exam in the IT world today (what I do to pay for my motorcycles and other debauchery) so I am enjoying some drinks and enjoying spring in the Wisco. DPR fo life!


The doggie

Saturday, April 23, 2011

the Shop...

These dudes know whats what...

Friday, April 22, 2011

Route and stats

You asked so shall you receive.

The route I took:


"C" marks the scene of bike lay-downage.

1351 miles in 5 days - 4 days riding.

Homesweethome

Well I made it back in one piece (plus a few pieces of plastic I put in the tankbag)

Not a lot more pictures to share because central IL is


This excursion was a testing of the waters - I learned a lot of things I will not repeat - also many things that worked and I'll do again. I'm confident the VFR could make a trip anywhere I take it as long as the road is paved. I'm still not sure if I like this limitation, but dang that thing is smooth on the highway.

Here is how to properly plan the next leg of your journey:


Along the way home, I stopped by the always wonderful Field Museum in Chicago, which gave me the inspiration for my next custom/garage built project. I'll give you a hint:

What it looks like today...

Thursday, April 21, 2011

One set of CBR250rr Murdered rims...check


Just got my rims back from powdercoating and they came out damn nice. Now the task of doing the actual changeover begins...should be interesting.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

high rivers, haylocopters and bruised bones

I'm deep in the Ozarks, visiting my aunt and uncle. There's about 3 miles of gravel, 3 stream crossings and another 45 minutes of pavement to the nearest approximation of a town.

The good:
I've dodged any bad thunderstorms
The VFR is awesome on the highway
I apparently didn't forget anything crucial
The Ozarks this time of year are amazing, and lots of great riding roads

The bad:
I've had to lay the bike down twice, once at 30mph when a car pulled out of a parking lot in front of me (then fled the scene) and again on a waterlogged gravel road with a 10% grade. Turns out the VFR sucks big leathery rhino balls on gravel. So the plastics are trashed on both sides and I have a bruised hipbone. Otherwise I'm fine, luckily.

Some photos:


At the Mississippi River in Dubuque. Look how organized I am.


Some roads were more passable than others. The river has not been this high in a while according to locals.


Apparently some farmers have free time to burn.


Just a bunch of old tractors rusting away. I like this kind of thing.


One of the streams I had to cross to get to my relatives' place.


Pictures of the right side after laying the bike down the first time. I was too disgusted to take pictures after the second.




A sign at a park we hiked around. The sirens are for a dam upstream that ruptured 4 years ago, flooding the whole park with water and huge boulders. Reassuring.


The Ozarks.


Not wishing to lay the bike down a third time, I am going to truck it out to the highway.

I leave tomorrow for ???

Sunday, April 17, 2011

jus because...

you guys were having all the fun re-building your forks, I thought I'd join in...

Here's to hoping that the seals hold tight :)

Friday, April 15, 2011

the obsession grows

this little tune will stick in your bean and you'll be humming it all day...

Thursday, April 14, 2011

In spirit of Ben's rubber bands

shits tight...

Notes from the garage


Since the VFR's front end was still torn off yesterday, I rode the GS to my monthly Sheephead game. I forgot how much I like that bike. It's an interesting comparison of technology between the two. Like the VFR stops right now when you hit the brakes and the GS doesn't so much, which I was reminded of at the first stop sign I encountered.

Also, did you ever wonder what 10lbs. of rubber bands looks like? Now you know:

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Vintage Simpson Model 30...I want one



I ran across this on my daily stroll through the inter-web. These are just mean as hell looking. I would of course have to throw a fresh coat of flat black on it before it would adorn my skull.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Caveat emptor





Tom even said when we went to pick it up, "Hey, is that fork seal bad?" I said, "Naahh."

Wonder if I'll be leaving Saturday or not?

I don't fish much...

...but I may want to do this if I'm not forced to be anywhere.

Monday, April 11, 2011

In the spirit of Dan's last post...


found somewhere in the vast space of the internet, I have zero info on this stunning machine...

fighter BSA

hell yeah!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Bike with an identity crisis....but I like



















HD V Twin Supermoto I stole from http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9604 Check out the thread, theres some cool motards.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Just some random photos









All of these stolen from Motolady blog, who stole them from somewhere else.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

May 8 at the Frequency

You could see this:






And, Saturday night my band is playing at Mickey's and you all better be there. Please.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Rich kids on Harley's

The music blows, but the FXR's, Dyna's, wheelies, and burnouts kick ass...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

It's no Can Am...



All this talk about buying new Can Am trikes got me all excited so I snapped up this '94 Honda VFR 750 yesterday. According to Tom, once I ditch the 25-lb center stand I will become part of the crotch rocket set.

Single sided swingarms rule.