New Addition to the Stable

I picked up a 1996 Sportster the other day that I found on Craigslist.  The old bike has less than 5500 miles on it (if everything's as it seems). I picked it up for a mere $3k.  Not a bad investment for a project.  He also threw in a box of parts that were either removed or replaced on the bike - handlebars, seat, windshield, turn signals, and a few other odds and ends.

I'd eventually like to hardtail it, add a springer front end, and provide a few other details to make it one cool little bobber.  I figure it's going to take a little while to get everything sorted out, but expect to have less than $5k invested in a very cool little bike.

As it sits, it's really in great shape.  All it needs is a good bath and it'll look like new.

I'll post pics as soon as I can get some taken.

Weekend's Rides

Well, like a dumbass, I forgot my camera on Saturday.  There were some amazing views as we rode through the Palms to Pines Highway.  Unfortunately, I can't share any of them with you.

There were quite a few people who turned out for the Valentine's Day Ride.  Over 100 riders made their way.

The ride there was great, a little cold through some of the canyon areas, but a little hot once we entered the Palm Desert.  There was a little construction being done that held us up a bit.

For the most part the trip was uneventful.  There was one female rider on a nice softail that ran out of gas about a mile away from the scheduled gas station stop.  Another couple dropped their full dresser at a stop - I don't believe anyone was hurt other than a stain on the ego.

The destination was a diner in Palm Springs that served a buffet of breakfast dishes.  It was cheap and decent.

My wife was unable to join me due to scheduling conflicts with the kids.  So, I spent the Valentine's Day ride running solo.  It could have been humiliating, I suppose, had there not been others without dates attached to their sides.

Sunday, I thought I had to go to the Roadhouse Biker Church for a meeting for those that serve or are interested in serving in the church.  I fastened my newly acquired windshield to the Road King and beat the pavement.

I purchased the windshield for the purpose of adding some flamed tint to it in order to provide additional aesthetics to the bike.  It was not really intended to provide refuge from the wind and insects.  I must add that I was pleased with the experience of riding with the windshield.  I fear I may become spoiled.

I made the trip to the church and waited around for a while.  No one else showed.  I must have gotten the date or time wrong.  It wasn't a total loss as I was pleased with the ride and it was a beautiful day to get out on the scoot.

I enjoyed the past couple of days of riding.  I reckon it's kind of rehabilitating.  I need to regain my confidence in riding and these past couple of days have helped tremendously.  I also need to continue riding as I need to strengthen my weakened legs since the accident left me a bit gimpy.

Anyway, ride safe.

Valentine's Ride

Tomorrow (February 11th), Inland Empire H.O.G. is going on a ride out to Palm Springs for an early Valentine's Day celebration.  They are heading out to some restaurant for some all-you-can-eat goodness.  Unfortunately, my wife is unable to join me and I'll be heading out solo.

If I remember to take the camera, I'll take some snapshots of the scenery, etc.

First Ride in a While

The weather was nice, with a break from the powerful winds that have been sweeping the So Cal area for the last week.  I saddled up and met my friend Kris for a ride to Temecula, Ca.

Our first stop in Temecula was The Mix 101.3 FM radio station to pick up some tickets to the Riverside County Fair and Date Festival.  I grabbed my family four pack of tickets and we headed to Quaid Harley Davidson of Temecula.

Arriving at Quaid, Kris immediately quizzed one of the salespeople on the subject of the new Blackline motorcycle.  To Kris' surprise, the salesperson had no clue as to what he was talking about.  The sales guy got on the phone and called someone who knew about the new bike.  After all was said and done, we were taken to a building across the street to view the new model.  It was sweet, and very comfortable.

Leaving Quaid, Kris had a route planned to take us to Hell's Kitchen, located on the beautiful Ortega Highway.  The back roads taken were awesome.  Mansions situated on large chunks of land, orchards, and coyotes were to be found.  This was one of the coolest relatively unknown locations for riding in an area full of great motorcycle adventures.

After eating a bit and enjoying the fresh air at Hell's Kitchen, it was time to head to Skip Fordyce Harley in Riverside, Ca, where I would buy a windshield from one the salespeople for my bike.

This would pretty much end our day of riding, save for the fact that I still had a decent ride to get home in the mountains.  It was a great day of riding and exploring.  It was just what I needed.

Beautiful Weather in So Cal

Well, the last few days have been perfect for riding.  Unfortunately, there have also been some great football games to enjoy.  Taking advantage of both of these options, I decided to ride to my brother's house to watch the games on Sunday.  It was my first time on my bike in about a month - it took a while for the snow to melt at my place after that 9 days of storms we had.

It was great to get back on the bike. I look forward to taking it for another spin this weekend.

Here's a pic of the bike.  That's my brother's truck in the background.  I thought it'd make a nice backdrop.  Unfortunately, I only had my Blackberry phone as a camera and I've been less than enthusiastic about the quality of the images I get from it.

The Paint is In

Today would have been a really great day had it not begun with a trip to the Humane Society to put down our beloved pet of over 9 years.  She was a 12 year old mutt, looking as though she was a strange mix of Cocker Spaniel and Dachshund.  Somehow, she managed to become partially paralized last night, unable to walk.

The wife called a friend for some advice.  Her friend had a pet that went through the same thing.  After spending quite a bit of money at the vet, the friend was eventually informed that they could not do anything for the animal and suggested putting  her down.

We had also seen something similar with a friend's dog that had become paralyzed.  Having witnessed this, we could not allow our dog to live in such a condition.

After taking our dog to be put down, I fetched tins with their new paint.  Returning to my brother's house, where my bike was stored, I quickly proceeded to assemble the bike.

A short time later, the bike was complete.  I took a brief moment to give it a quick bath.  Once dried, I hopped on and rode it to the place of my employer, where I would display it in all its glory to my co-workers.

I rode the bike home.  It was a brisk 40 degrees or so.  My face was freezing as I arrived home.  It was worth it just to have it nearby while I wait out this storm that will be keeping southern California company for the next week or so.

I'll post some pictures soon.

David Mann Chopper Fest in Ventura

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the David Mann Chopper Fest in Ventura. It was truly one of the best shows I've attended.  There were bikes, miscellaneous parts for sale, more bikes, David Mann art, and more bikes.

Unfortunately, I had to drive the car there.  My bike was still awaiting the painted tins. Although, this was very fortunate for my nephew, who I asked to join me.

The day was beautiful.  It was unlike any day in December that I can remember - the temp in the 80s and perfect riding weather.

I managed to snag a few pics worth sharing.  The parking lot had many bikes and a few cool cars.  The show had more bikes on display, attempting to earn some of the awards being handed out.

All in all, it was a great day and I look forward to next year's event.

If you're unfamiliar with David Mann's work, just click here for a link to a Google images search.


There were tons of cool bikes.  Some of them classics, some rat bikes, and some crazy customs.  Here's a few - not necessarily the best bikes, but different.

These first photos are from the show you are presented with upon paid admission ($12).

Here's a few bikes that some of the vendors had on display.

My wife would hate this 1 due to her hate for odd numbers.

And here are a few images of vehicles found in the parking lot.

V-Rod Trike?

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the motorcycle swap meet in Long Beach.  Unfortunately, we got there a bit later than we should have and the vendors were beginning to pack up.  I managed to talk to a few people and peruse some of the goods, but it would have been much better would have made it there a bit earlier.

There were quite a few bikes in the parking lot to gawk at.  Some were very cool, but not that different from other bikes I had photographed in the past, i.e. some bobbers, choppers, low-rider style Road Kings and Softails, etc.  There was one, however, that caught my eye - a V-Rod trike.  That's right.  Somebody took one of Harley-Davidson's sport models and converted it to fine trike specimen.

Here's the only photo that I took at the event.  Never mind that there appears to be an empty lot.  This was taken quite late and most had already packed up and left for the day.

Still Waiting For Paint

I spoke with Jeff from Skip Fordyce regarding progress on the paint.  He stated that he had already begun the initial process of prepping the tank, but the weather we were having, with the rain and such, delayed things a bit. He stated that with all of the humidity in the air, it takes longer for the paint to cure and allow him to move from one step to the next.  This is understandable, but I cannot wait to get the parts back so I can put this thing back together.

I'll keep you posted.

Flames?

Not having the bike very long, I felt it needed something.  Some people are more than satisfied with a plain black bike.  Not me.  I need something to set it apart from the crowd.

I took the bike apart, removing the tank and front fender in preparation for some added color.  The tank came off fairly easily, but the fender, which should have been simple, was more of a bear.  The fender is only held on by 4 bolts, but there is a shim behind those bolts with the corners mashed up against the bolts that give you some difficulties.  Without much room to unbend those tabs, it took some effort.  I removed the brake calipers and lifted the bike in order to make room for the trusty screwdriver that would be hammered on in order to free the bolts.

Jeff from Skip Fordyce Harley Davidson in Riverside will be adding some airbrushed true flames to the pieces.  I've seen some of his work and it's very nice.  He's also giving me a pretty decent deal.

I'm looking forward to getting the parts back and restored onto the bike.  I think it's going to look great and with additional ideas to make the bike stand out, it's going to be one cool ride.

Here's a picture of the bike in my brother's garage with the tank and fender removed.  It's kind of sad, really.

Law's Restaurant Tonight

Law's restaurant in Riverside, Ca is having a bit of a shindig tonight.  Rumor has it there will be about 25 vendors on site.

I'm hoping to find a couple of things there tonight.  First, I'd like to find a seat guy.  Occasionally, a couple of guys show up to these events with custom upholstered seats for reasonable prices, and I'd like to get my hands on a reach seat for my newly acquired Road King.  Second, I'd like to find a pinstriper to create some flame magic on my tank and front fender in order to break up the monotonous black - especially since I had taken the time to remove those bedazzled looking HD logos.

If I manage to get anything of this sort accomplished tonight, I'll have to post some pics of any changes to the current appearance of the bike.

My Road King

Well, 7 weeks to the day I totaled my bike, I purchased another.  I was looking for something bigger than my Softail that would be more suited for traveling.

The Road King is the smaller of the Touring line of bikes from Harley.  It comes with saddle bags for storage and can be fitted with other amenities, such as a fairing, windshield, and Tour-Pak.

As you can see in the image below, this one is quite simple compared to the Heritage that I once owned not long ago.  It has a simple black paint, and an ugly logo which will be removed soon enough.

I've been scouring the internet for ideas to transform this thing into something more pleasing to the eye.  Well, at least my eye.

I've already put close to a hundred miles on it - even with my gimpy leg.

The first thing that I need to get is a reach seat.  My feet sit flat on the ground with a bit of effort, but I'd like to be even a tad closer to the pavement.

Here it is in all its splendor.