Old photos of shovel project

Bollocks

Wednesday Club and the final clean before assembly, every last part polished and ready to go, read, ask questions and read some more, carefully push the seal on, bollocks thats fucked it. So what next,

1. make a tool to hold the seal
2. heat the seal
3. freeze the head and the valve
4. put the three together

Wait and see....

Cling film pipes

Messed about with the pipes today, they don't really fit but....

Belt up

Spare Bondage tape

Dirty crack

Barn find shovel head

The engine is back after 6 weeks, don't go there OK, when it came out there was snow and now there is sun, an hour with the gifted hands of Gordie and engine, oil tank and bits and bobs back on the bike. There nothing we cant do.

Pruning the apples trees gives me time to think about riding, something I do a lot, even in summer when we can ride that's what I'm thinking about. During a recent yoga session, everyone is drifting into candle lit caverns I'm riding along a tree lined lane on a stripped shovel........completely in silence...of course

Punched

Kev sorted out the fork bits on Saturday and on the way home I dropped into Tim's, who didnt really look rough but everybody had told him that he did, so I just carried on the now tradition, sat in the 3 star heated loveless shed and nattered to Tim and Dave. I didnt get chance on Saturday to get the forks in the shovel, so I got up early on Sunday crunched my way over the frost and within 20 minutes its all back together. I waited till lunch to give it a test ride, nearly dropping it on the ice in the first few minutes, the progressives have transformed the ride but do mean that they are not quite 2" under, I was all for cutting the springs but when I stood back and looked at the slightly punched front end I liked it, so its staying.

Yes this is the T100

At last

The little short mud guard didnt look right either, so I mocked up a seat unit using an old cut off of guard, card board, tape and a dust bin liner, seats going to be thicker, did I write that..thicker

Shovel mids

Fitted the cheap set of pipes that I got of ebay in the summer, dont really like the line, butI can see thro the error. What they do is free up the space to start work on the mids. The 80's mustang tank is not working either so its back into stock, the ally tail guard is from my BM project, its sort of works and may well go that way......then again?

Nearly there

Wednesday clubs adventures in wheel world, well it was Thursday but the same hardcore four some. Tyre off, Chris W screwed the front end to the bench, you to have it fixed to get a good datum. Spaced the hub so that its in center of the forks and then adjust spoke nipples. The nipples were slacked then the nipples were tighten and then nipples nipples nipples, sorry. Two hours later and the rim is in the center, caliper on, offer the disc up and it all looks good, just got to bolt it all together for the final check.

Non build

This fucking wheel has been the hardest part of this non build, its taken a year to get it wrong, the disc was warped, which meant the rim was offset so that he spokes cleared the caliper, what a fuck up. Now I got it set up and measured a spacer, used the old lathe to turn one up and bolted it up, spot on, but now when I bolt the disc on the blots hit the inside of the fork and the caliper mounting bracket needs some milling.

Fuck it I'm going have a go at re spoking the wheel!

Albert

shovel

I was speaking with Scott White and I mentioned that I was stuck getting started on the shovel, he told me a set my desktop the problem, by this he means stick a picture on your PC, this gives your mind a chance to focus when youre between jobs, well it worked, I'm at WDC tonight and within an hour, I solved the front wheel problem and the steering stops. This is the picture I used, I was so pleased I throw the lads out and jumped on the shovel for some night time lane splitting

The sound you never want to hear

Causality. Action, reaction. Cause, effect.

Oil level low, top up, stress on oil tank which breaks bracket, causing kink in breather, pressure build in crank case, front base gasket leaks, oil runs down to rectifier plug, cause plug to swell and push out, no charging, battery goes flat, shovel dies.......when I pull into drive....lucky bastard.

Girls and shovels

Yeah I know its got apes and gaiters, but you cant top this japanese punk rock shovel style especially when the pilots a girl

Best laid plans

sometimes go tits up, if everything had gone to plan the shovel would have a look a bit like this, short shocks, pan swing arm 21 front and shorten forks. In realty it looks the same last year which is a bitch, lesson learned.