Saturday 30 January 2010

Against the odds

Well against all the odds Derby won today, it just shows you can be down but never out, a nice french supper eaten to the sounds of Alex Cornish, while flicking thro "Flat track racing history" looking for that final part to finish the bike.

This is a pic from said book and its just mint two Brits racing on a horse track, 76 in for the ride back wheel dug in, front on opposite lock. Go baby go................

Wednesday 27 January 2010

RESPECT

The owner of this bike was done a real injustice when it shown in BSH, they havent got a clue, I think this was one of the last BSH I bought. Early ones were ground breaking, but they just lost the plot. I was standing with Tim watching the bikes turn up in to the Meadows after we had been on a Mag run and we saw Nick ride in on the chop, boy was he cool, full face no visor dreads hanging out the back, hardcore you know the score. We clocked him, he had to be one of us, one of the few who just got it. Liz said my mate going to the campsite can he follow you yeah sure, the rest is history. RESPECT

Lifter

Found what was causing the recent rattle in the engine. Not a harmful rattle just a not right sound, you when you ride and hear something thats not right it was that sort of a sound, anyway it was the rear inlet lifter. One new lifter and a set of top end gaskets and all is well. I had a sort thro Kevs bits it was like being at an autojumble and came away with most of what I wanted.

Cheers Kev

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Lightly Polished

I just snapped a phone pic of the lightly polished leg to put on the blog, I was going to write some boring polishing text, but when I looked at the pic I saw lots of background that really need explaining. You can just see a chequered wrist band like we used to wear in the 80's. This one is a 2003 version with a skull on it, which I had around the master cylinder of the Beemer. Three trophies which I won at the udder bike show, all won with the R65 rat, and these treasures are a top of a collection of motor mechanics that I found at the paper recycling. Some guy had put them there hoping they would picked up, his pray was answered.......

Monday 25 January 2010

The bits are back in town

I got feed up with the kids leaving the house upside down, so I thought that I would contribute to the pile by storing the Sporty bits in the house, well the paint needs to go hard doesn't it!!


These are the calipers that I got from ebay they were well cheap, but I'm not sure exactly what Ducati they are off. Anyway I wanted to fit them both to the front end but I cant get hold off a a second slider with the brake mount on, I just have to wait until one comes up. I'm be asking the loveless lads to make me a transition plate. Then I'll need ss bolts and fittings.



Sunday 24 January 2010

Oil in frame



Went up to Kevs to drop my engine off and get the lifters cleaned. At the same time I picked my frame, and wheels up, new bearing all round. Sitting in the corner of the shop is this beauty. So with the finished parts coming home my mind turns to the rear end of the sporty. I want something a little bit different. So I'm thinking of a woody style tail piece...then again.

Thursday 21 January 2010

More polishing

So I have not looked at the Loveless Blog as they some how put all my ideas on their Blog! so here is the fork leg, right hand is roughed up to get the lacquer off and the left hand is the start of the polishing, this finish is with autosolve, I 'm getting in the zone now these will be off to Loveless for brake transition plates and I get my frame back on Saturday! oh yeah and I bet Tim_Dog is blogging about the latest piece of junk that someone has given him!!!!

My is bigger than yours

I was going to post this last week but Tim_Dog beat me to it, he did a blog on loving his shed which is a bit sad, but what more do gearheads want, tea, tools and tunes! So the story is a had 3/4" socket which I exploded about 4 years ago, and I had lost the other one that I had, so I went off to Halfords to get a pro one(good stuff on a Sunday), picked one up it was a couple of quid on the way out I saw the tool chest were on speical offer BOGOF, I got the top and bottom for 200 notes and now I know were all my tools are!

Monday 18 January 2010

Development manager

Took the XT out for a thrash on Sunday and popped round to see my best mate at the loveless workshop, I was greeted with a cup of tea, a " special" biscuit, the smell of cutting fluid and ally chipping. You cant bet the great smell of engineering. Anyway here is my engine, so what!

Thursday 14 January 2010

Tyres

A Barse_Tim hybrid, this could have been one of my bms inspired by the loveless bm cafe racer, not finished to the fine degree that you would expect from loveless but constructed by may hand. I wouldnt have kept that rear tyre which has loads of depth but has gone flat and rock hard, the sort of wear that you dont notice until spring. You know when the last salt is washed of the road and you push that little bit harder and all of a sudden you find that flat spot. Odgies spot in custom car this month explored why we spend money on tyres, on our daily cars we just want tyres on our projects they have have to be more than just tyres, they can make or break the job. Dont save your money on tyres save it on chrome, it'll not get you home!

Monday 11 January 2010

Three clicks away

I was on ebay just looking for parts, three clicks and three web pages later, I spot this. I love this modern Triumph done out in a street style. Old meets new

Sunday 10 January 2010

Til death

This tattoo from Jeff Ensminger is deeply surreal for me, may its the fact that I'm neither veggie or vegan. This is the work of an understanding artist not a ink jockey in a corner shop.

Thursday 7 January 2010

I believe with the advent of acid


I believe with the advent of acid we discovered a new way to think....deep in its tone and meaning......it gives me flash backs to MAG parties Kent shows....the first biker(hate that word) rave(hate that word) tent(like that word). At the time it felt like we brought this goa style trance(so dated words) to the bike scene(picture Constables The Hay Way(with a bike)). Like skating at the Malibu Dog Bowl in Notts(which I did, but its so" in "I dont talk about it). The BMs, one polished one ratty(it always did heads in). We got discovered by AWOL(or we discovered them), it didnt matter. Ideas for a radio 4 show were we cooked food from the campsite by two crazy biker types(is that a face)

...................at about 14mins into the last song? there is a hidden a track, when you find it for the first time it does your head in. Just like another picture of a polished case would have done.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Break the ice

I used the loveless method to remove the lacquer, boy are those lads on one, just check thier blog and see the progress. We havent all got a heated workshops, not usually a big deal but when you have to break the ice in your wet and dry dish its time to move inside.

That far away look

With that far away look in his eye.....he wants it......he needs it...........roll on the summer

Saturday 2 January 2010

Like the diffused sunlight through the industrial fog of early morning Derby.

There is an inner satisfaction in removing lacquer from the sporty rocker boxes a coating put on to stop the American rain staining the ally. It does nothing to stop the English spring salt. The process is time consuming slowly using finer grades of paper. A form of art in its self.

Friday 1 January 2010

Classic Trials









Saw the new year in with Mr Wheeler, we usually have an early one but made an exception great to catch up, still we ended up dominating the party, somethings never change. Today we took the now traditional trip to the classic trials and had a great time. Although Chris W was struggling a bit, he's still sore after trashing his car. But he did managed to fill his 8Gb camera card.