Uganda Skate Union

Was watching the news online this morning and was watching a piece on skateboarding in Uganda. It made me do a double take thinking about skating world wide and something I have enjoyed since I was about 8 years old. There is nothing like pushing on 4 wheels 2 trucks and a wooden plank to drop into a concrete pool or just to ollie up a curb. Skating is pure and from the heart. These fellas out in Uganda don't have much but as you can see from some of the videos they are doing what they can. Donations can be made through their website. Send any skate products, money or better yet, email and interact with them. Pretty soon, some little ripper from Uganda might just be killin' your spot. Uganda Skate Union Blog

Dual Engine Triumph Chop

Spotted this bike at this years Smoke Out East down here in North Carolina. The Bike was built by the fellas over at Fly Rite Choppers and I surely thought they would win the chop off. The guy who won built a killer ride but how often do you get to see a dual motor chop that is fully functioning and has style? I don't think that often. Wish I could have heard it fire up but I just dug the setup on the primary linkage and the chain tensioner. Had to have quite a few long nights in the shop to get all the measurements right on the setup. With the new Horse mag in the mail today it looks like they are taking submissions for the latest round of Amateur Chop Off. Been thinking about throwing my hat into the ring, but need to configure a parts list for the Buell cafe chop in question and see if its even feasible. More on that soon. Will post photos and sketches of what I have in mind.

Lost & Found - Sharpie Tank Art = Awesome

I had completely forgotten about this photo and just started laughing as soon as I saw it. Was at a bike show in Virginia Beach last year and was thinking why the hell did I spend twenty bucks to get into this crappy show, then I spot this bike. Seemed like a cool ride from a distance, so as I got closer it got even more interesting. Gotta say, I had never seen a tank adorned with the magical touch of a black Sharpie, but now I have. Art can be found anywhere, whether it be an over priced museum, truck stop bathroom stall or even an over priced crappy bike show. Look around you never know what you might find.

Lost & Found - Favorite Rock Photo

We have all seen images of bands in various scenarios used to dramatic effect or just as a clean and simple photo. Well, this image of Jim Heath, or better known as Reverend Horton Heat, takes the cake for me. If a photo is worth a thousand words, then the complexity of his character and utter fascination with the flame is evident within this image, shot at the legendary CBGB's. The graffiti surrounding him, the glare at the flame and the unkept nature of his shirt make this amazing photo journalistic type of shot, rather than a portrait, all the better. Have a listen below - Reverend Horton Heat - One Time For Me

Rancid - Bay Area punk for the ages

I have been listening to Rancid since the early nineties and there has yet to be a bad album. The latest is just another chapter in their catchy punk catalog to keep you humming all day. Its got the hooks, the great story lines and true character, for which these guys are known. Glad I was able to get to know the back stories on quite a few of their songs after living in the Bay Area for years and them being friends of friends. Hells yeah, a band for the ages and one in which the songs still resonate with me today as they did way back in 1993 when I first listened to them.

Raleigh Rumble Photos - Flickr Link

Finally found a photographer's link to his flickr page with a lot of great photos from the Raleigh Rumble. Quite the assemblage of amazing bikes at the show and hopefully next year more people will come out to the event, as its growing every year.

Raleigh Rumble images by White Wale Photo

Hotrod Hoedown - Bensalem, PA

Hey Rusty Knucklehead's, we will be up north, just across the Mason Dixon line in Yankee territory this weekend at the Hotrod Hoedown. For those who aren't familiar with the show, come out and gear up to get down with a plethora of bands and field of rods and chops. Should be a killer weekend. We will posted up in the main tent right by the bar, so of course we will be hard to miss. Stop in and say hello. Anyone that mentions you saw this blog post is entitled to a free cold beer from me. If you don't enjoy our flavorful swill of choice you may just be shit outta luck, its a Pabst Blue Ribbon kinda weekend.

Hotrod Hoedown

Cafe Chop - 98% Done

Had some friends ask to see the bike in its close to final stages before being fired up for the first time, so hear ya go. Even better were the folks on Saturday, at the Raleigh Rumble, that asked about a few parts I created for the build. I am working on some prototypes as I made templates during the build. Once I get a few other projects out of the way I will begin to formulate a small parts line catering to cafe racer themed bikes along with a few others I have cookin' up in my head. The parts will be universal in scope but will be in the form of a builders kit so they could be applied to any bike with a bit of mechanical finesse.




Original Bike - Bought for$350 off Craigslist

Lost & Found - Helping out folks along the road

We were deep in the heart of eastern Kentucky on a bike trip earlier this summer and hanging out by the train tracks over the Tug Fork river. We were talking about how good we have it life and how lucky we are compared to some of the destitute folks in this coal mining area. The reason we were over in these hollers was to check out the infamous Hatfield & McCoy families of Americana legend. Well, as we were jabbering along and drinking a few beers up comes a bike screaming down the road and throwing down a trail of oil all the way from the stop light. The dude immediately jumps off his bike, nerves wrecked and starts shaking from his near life threatening wreck of sliding across his own oil slick and fear of his bike seizing up.

We quickly say hello and I run over to my bike and grab some tools. His oil plug had been lost a few miles back and he was lucky to even get pulled over while there was still some oil left. I then grabbed a few rags I had and stuffed them into the hole to slow the flow. He proceeds to call his daughters and they come and pick him up to run him over to the store to grab some oil and a new plug. Low and behold no plug is to be found so he has to run home and scrummages through his bolt collection and luckily finds a bolt the right size and screws it in.

Needless to say, we helped out as here was a person clearly in need of aid nor with the ability to turn a wrench. After the quick fix we proceeded to pound a 12 pack and learn a bit more about the local area. So for all the folks you meet or see along the road, stop and lend a hand. Life is too short and most of the world is full of assholes, but I at least like to think that in the biker community we still lend a hand. Pay it forward.

Raleigh Rumble - Bike Show

Damn, what a great event! Have to give a lot of thanks to Ton-Up NC for putting on such a great event and to all the bikers that showed up with some incredible pieces of iron. I love these small shows as everyone gets to talking and talking about their bikes and upcoming projects. Its a collective gathering of like minded folks and a hotbed of ideas for the next builds to come. For all those folks that I spoke with, sure as hell glad to meet ya, lets ride! And for all the folks I wish I could have talked to more, lets rally again soon for a ride or to share info on projects.

Also a big special thanks goes out to Marilyn Stemp for the photo shoot on my cafe build. It was an honor for her to shoot the bike and thanks again. Will be posting those photos when she sends them over. Hopefully cafe chop will be finished by then as well, just waiting on some final electrical components and my water jet cut out tank badges. Also if anyone has a link of more photos posted online from the event please let me know so I can add it here. I did my usual, got talking to so many folks and never got around to taking photos of the event.