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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Spring in Southern Ontario has been great so far. The records tell us we've had more days over 30C (87F) this year
than we had all of last summer combined! If this is GLOBAL WARMING, I say, BRING IT ON! I'm hoping this good weather
continues so I can finally get out to the garage to do the necessary repairs to the bike. Renting sucks, as I can't
do any major add ons to the garage, like it's own electricity, some insulation and making it fit for working during the winter
months. The old scooter sits out there all winter with me unable to do anything to it, getting cob webs and dust all
over the place. Then, with the dog out there all winter, that just adds to the clean up needed to be done before I can
start any work. Add that to the fact that some days my injuries don't allow me to do ANY work at all, or at most an hour or
so at a time, and this cuts into the work time as well. In short, I need to feel able to do the work, then wait for
a warm enough day on one of those feel-good days. This means very few days where I can get out there and actually work
on the bike. Problems aside, the only thing I need to do is change the ring gear, it got chewed up pretty good in the
past couple years, so it needs to be replaced. Then, do the regular Spring jobs on the bike, new fluids and tune up.
Then hope it runs again so I can get her back on the highways and byways of Ontario and beyond. I'm hoping to get up
to my cousin Rick's place up North near Peterborough, Ontario for a weekend, maybe swing by my buddy Duck's place while I"m
up there. I'd love to be able to get away for a weekend on the bike, maybe take one of my sons with me for a roughing
it weekend, travel by bike, sleep in a tent, see the province from the solo seat with the wind in our hair.
That's it for today, come back soon as I hope to keep the site updated more often.
Don't forget to sign the guestbook, I love to get your input to my little site.
Peace;
Chief
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Haven't done much of anything to the bike in a long time. My neck/back problems have really been getting
me down and I'm just unable to do anything called work for any length of time. Sure, I could go out there and muck about,
but I've got about 4 good hours of work there to do and am only able to strain myself for a few minutes at a time, so there's
not much use. No heat or insulation in my garage, so it's not gonna happen over the winter either, unless Santa surprises
me and hits the garage instead of the tree in the living room this year. The wife and I are going to Negril, Jamaica
in the New Year, so maybe the warm sun will rejuvenate this old body and I can get something done when we get back, but who
knows. I'm not too far off from being in a wheelchair permanently, but I'm hoping to be able to do the repairs needed
and get at least one more season out of the old girl (not the wife, the bike!) I'd hate to have to hang it up now and
think that I spent more time amassing parts and putting it together than I have riding it! My dream has faded. While
building the bike, I always hoped that I could ride her down to Southern California to see my best bud Brian, who's now living
there...it would be a total gas to be cruising across Canada and down the left coast to the birthplace of the chopper scene
and to see my pal. He's never seen the bike and because he's paranoid about the internet, will probably never get to see it.
But my bod's never gonna make a trip that long unless I take a year to do it, travelling a few miles a day. The prolonged
pounding of a cross-country jaunt would surely be the end of me and I'd be found somewhere on Route 66, curled up like a discarded,
road killed armadillo, writhing in pain next to the idling Hawg. Oh well, I suppose we all have dreams that die on the
vine, but not being able to ride is a nightmare to this old oil rag of a man. Part of that dream came to fruition when
I actually built the bike on my own. I'd never done it before, and quite frankly, didn't know enough when I started out to
be even trying. But I did anyway. With the help of friends and folks I met on line, I probably killed any chance of
a friendship with these people because of my seemingly inane questions, simple stuff they probably thought everyone knew,
it all helped immensely and with the limited funds I had at the time, it was tough finding parts, new, used, begged, borrowed
and bought. I traded stuff I got from people that I couldn't use, but what others could or would trade for stuff I needed.
Dragging my wife and kids to hundreds of show 'n' shines, swap meets and bike shows, looking for a deal or that part I just
couldn't find anywhere else, the people I met were well worth the price of admission. I'd been riding for a long time,
but with the new family, had given it up in order for the kids to eat and have clothes. Once I was unable to work anymore,
I knew I had to do something to use up the time I now then had on my hands, so I began building this bike. I just hope
now, I can garner the strength and the will to get out to the garage and do the needed repairs so I can get just one more
season out of her. Here's hoping.
PS....today marks the day John Lennon was murdered. My band played the night it happened, and between songs
I said to the crowd, "If it weren't for John Lennon, we wouldn't be playing rock 'n' roll today!" People clapped and acknowledged
John and we played a couple of Beatle's songs. Two days later, I read in the paper that Bruce Springsteen was playing
some concert and he said to the crowd, "If it weren't for John Lennon, we wouldn't be playing rock 'n' roll today!" to which
he was given a standing ovation and regaled as a true visionary in the press. I guess it's the size of the audience
that counts if you're a true visionary or not.
Anyhoo...Goodbye John. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be playing rock 'n' roll today.
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008
Well, it's almost time to drag the bike outta the garage and
do some last minute wrenching and tuning, charge the battery, change oil, new fuel, all that shit. Tomorrow's the 1st of April,
which means within days, the weather will be warm enough to be riding on a daily basis. Sure, we all expect a day or
two before the end of May to be shitty out, all of a sudden cold, and rainy, hell, we may even get some snow! But, spring
has sprung and it won't be long til I'm tearin' up the asphalt again. The Suicide Shovel's second season on the road, and
hopefully and better and longer season than last year's. I didn't expect to be putting on long miles last year, hell,
ya gotta expect to be tightening and retightening things, tuning, picking up parts off the road that've fallen off, all that
good stuff that happens when you've built your own Big Twin from the ground up. But I'm pretty sure I've got it all down now,
and I won't be stopping much more for flying bolts and belts on my trips. I hope to get back to my home town this season,
there's alot of guys I want to see my new ride, and alot of old pals I haven't ridden with for many moons. Hamilton
is a biker town, and my home base, so I want to get back a few times to touch base with the boys and see what kind of trouble
we can get into again.
That's about it for now, here's hoping you all get out there soon and start throwing
gravel from that stock 16 incher, and a safe and high-miled season for everyone out there on two wheels. Those of you reading
this that do not ride motorcycles, PLEASE,KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN. It's
tough enough riding our bikes out there on the open road without having to dodge cell-phoners and sightseers, radio-surfing,
innatentive drivers, not to mention that you outweigh us 4,000 lbs. to 500. Keep an eye out for bikers~ and a
happy and safe season for all.
RIDE IT LIKE YA STOLE IT....... CHIEF
SATURDAY, FEB. 9/08
DOWNTIME.....
WELL, THE WINTER'S HERE AND EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T GET ALOT OF RIDING IN LAST SUMMER, AT LEAST I FINISHED THE
WRENCHING AND GOT SOME REVS WHILE THE WEATHER WAS NICE. IT'S LOUSY OUT, MEANING, COLD, AND WHILE THE WEATHER IN SOUTHERN
ONTARIO HAS BEEN TOLERABLE, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD ALOT OF SUNSHINE AND BELOW FREEZING WEATHER, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT SNOW THING
THAT KEEPS US OFF THE ROADS UP THIS WAY. WE DIDN'T GET ALOT OF THAT EITHER, BUT STILL, IT'S TOO COLD TO BE RIDING ANY
FASTER THAN 1-2 MPH, SO SHE SITS IN THE GARAGE WAITING FOR THE WARMER TEMPS.
DURING PAST SUMMER, IT SEEMED I GOT MOST OF THE BUGS OUT OF IT, ALMOST CONSTANTLY TIGHTENING AND REPLACING
NUTS AND BOLTS, PARTS COMING LOOSE OR FALLING OFF ENTIRELY. IT SEEMED EVERY TIME I TOOK HER FOR A SPIN, IT WAS
A WEEK IN THE GARAGE, FINDING PARTS AND DOING REPAIRS. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YA GET WHEN YA BUILD YOUR OWN CHOPPER FOR
THE FIRST TIME. LOCKTITE IS THE KEY TO RIDING MORE THAN A FEW BLOCKS AT A TIME! BUT, I FIGURE I'VE GOT EVERYTHING
DONE NOW, CINCHED UP TIGHT AND READY TO ROLL. I GOT A DIFFERENT CARB AT THE END OF THE SEASON, SO ONCE I GET OUT TO
THE GARAGE FOR THE SPRING TIME FIRST RIDE, IT'LL BE ADJUSTING THINGS THERE AND MAKING SURE THE CARB WORKS CORRECTLY.
OTHER THAN THAT, I'M SURE I'LL BE PUTTING ON SOME LONG MILES THIS COMING SEASON.
HOPING I'LL SEE SOME OF YA'S OUT THERE.....
-CHIEF
WEDNESDAY, JULY 4TH...07
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
TO Y'ALL SOUTH OF
THE BORDER
NEW PICS OF THE SUICIDE SHOVEL!!!
| Close up of the mighty Shovel mill |
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| Suicide clutch, jockey shifter |
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| tearing out of the garage, lookout for the brick! |
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| Left side...look closely and see the suicide setup |
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| Sitting out front..no, the oil ain't mine! HONEST! |
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FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2007
WELL, I'VE BEEN ON THE BIKE, AND RODE IT AROUND TOWN HERE FOR A BIT, TRYING TO SHAKE LOOSE ANY BOLTS THAT MIGHT'VE FALLEN
DOWN BETWEEN THINGS, AND MAKING SURE NOTHING THAT NEEDS TO STAY ON, FALLS OFF.
TOOLED AROUND TOWN FOR ABOUT AN HOUR TODAY, AND EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTH. A FEW THINGS I STILL NEED TO TIGHTEN
UP AND A COUPLE THINGS TO CHANGE OVER AS WELL.
I MAY NEED TO MOVE THE FORWARD CONTROLS BACK A TAD, MAYBE BUY A COUPLE BOSSES FOR THE FRAME AND WELD THEM BACK ABOUT
3 INCHES, SO MY SHORT-ASSED LEGS CAN REACH THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE A LITTLE EASIER.
MONDAY, MAY 7, 2007
SO, I GET ALL THE FITTINGS, AND I STILL CAN'T GET
THE BRAKES BLED. THE BANJO BOLT WON'T CATCH IN THE THREADS, IT'S JUST A TAD TOO SHORT. (sound like anyone you know?)
SO, THE WIFE AND I GO TO THE ANNUAL FORT ERIE SWAP MEET ON SATURDAY TO TRY TO FIND A LONGER ONE. WE DO. SO I BRING IT BACK
HOME, ALL EXCITED, THINKING, 'NOW, I CAN GET THE BRAKES FINISHED AND RIDE!' TO NO AVAIL. IT SEEMS, THE REASON THE SHORTER
ONE WOULDN'T WORK, WAS BECAUSE THE INSIDE THREADS WERE STRIPPED. MEANING, THE MASTER CYLINDER IS SHOT.
THIS MORNING, I LOOK THRU THE CATALOGUES FOR A NEW, INEXPENSIVE MASTER CYLINDER,
AND ALL I SEE IS $150 THIS, $245 THAT, AND I'M LIKE...WOW! SO MY LAST RESORT, I GO TO THE CHOPPER SHOP TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE.
HERE, THEY HAVE THE EXACT ONES I WAS LOOKING AT FOR $170. (RETAIL) AND BILLY LOOKS AT ME AND SEZ...90 BUX! BOINGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!
"I'LL TAKE IT!" BILLY SEZ IT'LL BE HERE TOMORROW AROUND 10AM. STAY TUNED TO SEE WHAT DISASTER HAPPENS NEXT!
FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007
Well, it's all coming down to the crunch here. The bike is 90% together, just have to
install the seat and the kick stand. I had a helluva time trying to bleed those huge diameter brake lines, so I went
over to X-TREME CHOPPERS around the corner and bought new lines and fittings. They gave me the wrong fittings for the
caliper, so they'll be returned this morning, and replaced. Hopefully, this will solve the problem of the front brake lines.
I hope to be on the road by NOON!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007
WAS OVER TO MY PAL BARRY'S, X-TREME CHOPPERS HERE IN
WELLAND YESTERDAY, AND THE BIG MAN HOOKED ME UP WITH MY SAFETY CERTIFICATE, MAKING MY BIKE SAFE AND LEGAL FOR THE ROAD, HE
THEN POINTED ME TO THE LOCAL MISERY errr...MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, WHERE I REGISTERED THE BEAST AS A 'HOME-BUILT' MOTORCYCLE.
THAT MEANS ALL I NEED NOW IS INSURANCE COVERAGE, AND I'M BACK IN THE WIND.
BARRY ALSO TELLS ME, HE IS FRIENDS WITH THE HEAD HONCHO AT THE
DALTON TIMMIS INSURANCE GROUP, DAN AVON, AND BETWEEN THEM THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET ME SOME DANDY BIKE INSURANCE.
IT WON'T BE LONG TIL I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN. IT'S BEEN A GOOD COUPLE
OF DAYS, AND I HAVE MY MAN BARRY TO THANK.
AUGUST 1, 2006
IT'S ALIVE!!!
YES PEOPLE, MY BIKE IS RUNNING. AFTER GETTING IT BACK, FRESHLY WIRED FROM X-TREME
CYCLES HERE IN WELLAND, THE SUICIDE SHOVEL IS ALIVE AND FIRING ON BOTH PISTONS. NOW, IT'S NOT READY TO RIDE AS OF YET,
THERE ARE A FEW SMALL THINGS TO LOOK AFTER BEFORE IT HITS THE ROAD, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I BOUGHT THE SHOVELHEAD ENGINE,
5 LONG YEARS AGO, IT STARTS AND THE ENGINE RUNS. IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH AFTER WIRING THE BIKE TO GET IT TO TURN OVER, JUST
A FEW RRRRRR'S, AND AWAY SHE WENT, SOUNDING STRONG.
WHAT'S LEFT NOW, IS BECAUSE OF THE MISH-MASH OF ILL-FITTING
PARTS I USED TO PUT THIS BEAST TOGETHER, I HAVE A SMALL PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH, CAUSING THE PRIMARY CHAIN TO RUB AGAINST
THE INSIDE OF THE PRIMARY CASE.
MY FIRST PLAN OF ACTION WILL BE TO USE MY TRUSTY ANGLE GRINDER TO SEE
IF I CAN WEAR AWAY ENOUGH MATERIAL ON THE PRIMARY CASE TO LEAVE THE CHAIN FREE. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, I'LL HAVE TO VISIT
A MACHINIST TO SEE IF I CAN PUT SOME TYPE OF SHIM BEHIND THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY TO MOVE THE CHAIN AWAY FROM THE CASE. IN
ANY EVENT, IT'LL SOON BE RESOLVED.
THE OTHER THINGS I'LL BE DOING BEFORE EVEN TEST-RIDING THE BIKE, WILL BE TO RE-INSTALL THE
CLUTCH CABLE SO THAT IT FUNCTIONS CORRECTLY. YOU KNOW, THESE NEW FRAMES WEREN'T MADE TO HANDLE THE OLD-STYLE SUICIDE
CLUTCH SET UP, SO THE CLUTCH CABLE IS QUITE TRICKY TO HOOK UP AND FIT BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND FRAME SO THAT IT OPERATES SMOOTHLY.
I'VE HAD IT IN 3 DIFFERENT POSITIONS SO FAR, BUT THEY PROVED EITHER TOO DANGEROUS, OR ILL-FITTING, SO AFTER THE WORK ON THE
PRIMARY CHAIN, MY NEXT JOB WILL BE TO RE-ESTABLISH A PROPER FITTING FOR THE CABLE. AFTER THAT, I'LL TAKE THE SIGNAL
LIGHTS OFF, REPLACE THE PRIMARY OUTER COVER, ADJUST THE HEADLIGHT, AND TRY TO DO THE TIMING PROPERLY. SOMETHING I'VE
NEVER DONE BEFORE, BUT ACCORDING TO THE MANUALS I HAVE, CAN BE EASILY DONE WITH THE PROPER TOOLS. SHOULD BE A SNAP.
THAT, ALONG WITH ADJUSTING THE CARB AND GAS LINE, AND I SHOULD BE READY TO HAVE IT SAFETY CHECKED, REGISTERED, THEN INSURED.
YOU CAN BET SHE'LL BE TAKEN AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES AS A SHAKEDOWN RIDE BEFORE THAT, BUT ONCE I'M CERTAIN ALL THE NUTS
AND BOLTS ARE PROPERLY IN PLACE AND NOT GOING TO FALL OFF THE BIKE, LEAVING ME SCRATCHED AND BLOODY ON THE ROAD, A CUSTOM
LICENSE PLATE WILL BE NEXT.
MY NEXT POST WILL BE IN A FEW DAYS, DETAILING HOW I'M MAKING OUT WITH THE SMALL REPAIRS I
MENTIONED ABOVE, AND HOPEFULLY A FEW NEW PICS AND SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE BIKE ITSELF.
Tuesday, June 6,06 (6/6/06)
As of today, June 6,06 (6-6-06 the number of the beast!) This
is how she sits over at X-treme Custom Chopper here in Welland, Ontario. I truly appreciated the long, hard work put in by
'Ripper' out of NYC to work up a wiring schematic for me, but using his drawing, I just couldn't get the bastard started.
I got all the lights working, but she just wouldn't fire. So, I swallowed my pride and for the first time in this build,
I took it to a professional shop to be wired. Once I showed Barry Ward at X-treme the schematic I was using, he took
a few quick looks and told me I had way too many parts and way too many wires in the bike. The way they've been doing
things for a long time is a real simple, fuse-less, 5-wire schematic that's both simple and effective, so I handed it
over to the pro's. I am currently awaiting Barry's call to come pick up my running bike. Should be any time now, and
I'm counting the minutes as I type this. The next pics you'll see on this site of my bike, will be of me riding the
mother-effer! Finally, after 4 long years, my bike will be roadworthy.
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| actual car tire insert under the dash panel gives it a real custom look |
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| flat black swingarm, wheel and pipes give nice contrast to the few chrome pieces on the bike |
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| My own airbrush and lettering warns all of the Suicide Shovel |
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| sprung Perera solo donated by Rev Tramp, hand made tire-tread rear seat |
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| Chrome oil filter up front |
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| home-turned oil cooler looks cool |
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| jockey shifter is the only way to fly |
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| Muddy donated this beautiful and unique brass points cover |
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| I did alot of hand work on this piece to get it like this |
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| Just about road-worthy |
NEW, UPDATED BIKE PHOTOS!!!
NEW ORIGINAL ARTWORK
ADDED 'READER'S BIKES' FEATURE
JANUARY 14/05
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON, AND ARE ENJOYING THE NEW YEAR! NOW, IF YOU WERE A GOOD BOY OR GIRL,
YOU PROBABLY GOT ALL THE COOLEST CHOPPER PARTS YOU'LL EVER NEED FROM SANTA, BUT IF YOU WERE LIKE ME......WELL....I DID ALRIGHT
TOO! GOT SOME COOL NEW TOOLS, AND SOME GREAT NEW IDEAS FOR THE BIKE. MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION IS TO GET OUT TO THE GARAGE EACH AND EVERY DAY AND
WORK ON THE BIKE TILL IT'S DONE AND RUNNING. SO FAR, I HAVEN'T MISSED A DAY, AND EVEN THOUGH I'M ONLY ABLE TO WORK FOR
AN HOUR OR TWO AT THE MOST EACH DAY, I FIGURE STARTING NOW WILL STILL GIVE ME ENOUGH TIME TO GET FINISHED BEFORE MAY, AND
THIS YEAR'S ONLY FRIDAY THE 13TH IN PORT DOVER. THAT'S THE DATE I'VE
SET TO DEBUT THE BIKE, AND I'M HOPING I CAN GET IT ALL FINISHED AND ON THE ROAD BY THEN. WISH ME LUCK!
ALSO, THERE'S NEW PICTURES IN THE READER'S RIDES SECTION,
AND A COUPLE OF PICS OF A PAINTING I RECENTLY COMPLETED OF A PAL'S DAD'S HOTROD. WHATTA MACHINE, I'LL TELL YA.
THE PAINTING IS PRETTY GOOD, BUT I COULD NEVER CAPTURE THE BLING THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS MACHINE. ANCIENT (1930) HOTROD, WITH
TONS OF CHROME AND HI-PERFORMANCE GOODIES. HAVE A LOOK ON THE "MY ARTWORK"
SECTION
WELL, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'VE DONE QUITE A BIT (FOR ME) OF WORK ON THE BIKE. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF MY
PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, I'M ONLY ABLE TO WORK ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO AT A TIME, TOPS. THIS DOESN'T ALLOW FOR ANY QUICK JOBS,
AND WITH THE SMALL CONFINES OF GETTING INSIDE A MOTORCYCLE, WELL....LET'S JUST SAY THIS AIN'T THE SET OF AMERICAN CHOPPER
OR MONSTER GARAGE, AND NOBODY HERE'S BUILDING A BIKE IN AN HOUR! THAT BEING SAID, HERE'S A BIT OF WHAT I'VE ACCOMPLISHED
SO FAR.
I STARTED IN THE REAR OF THE BEAST....HEHE....THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE PLAY BY PLAY OF MY FIRST MARRIAGE.....ANYWAY.... THE
FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE NEW YEAR WERE WET!....SLOPPY WET. WE'D GOTTEN A WHITE CHRISTMAS, SO WITH THE HIGHER THAN NORM
TEMPERATURES DURING THE NEXT WEEK, ALONG WITH THE CONSTANT RAIN, MADE THINGS IN AND AROUND THE OLD GARAGE PRETTY DAMP.
THE GARAGE LEAKS IN PLACES (THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AT THIS HOUSE) SO IT'S NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING WHILE IT'S LIKE THAT.
A FEW DAYS INTO THE MONTH, I STARTED DRYING THINGS OUT, CLEANING UP AND TRYING TO HEAT THE JOINT WITH AN ELECTRIC RADIATOR.
THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TO DRILL SOME HOLES IN THE FENDER STRUTS, AND TO COUNTERBORE THE HOLES. LOOKS GOOD AND WILL
TAKE A BIT OF WEIGHT OFF THE FENDER ASSEMBLY. I ALSO CUT THE STRUTS ABOUT 3/4 THE WAY THRU ON BOTH SIDES, SO THAT I
CAN CHANGE THE ANGLE OF THE STRUTS WHEN THEY'RE MOUNTED, SO AS TO BE ON THE SAME ANGLES OF THE HANDLEBARS AND FRONT FORKS.
IT'S A LITTLE THING, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT BIKES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT ANGLES FOR THE BARS, FORKS, SISSY BAR AND/OR FENDER STRUTS....IT
JUST LOOKS SLAPPED TOGETHER, A BIT UNFINISHED IN MY OPINION. TO SEE THAT A GUY HAS NOTICED THAT, AND MADE SURE
ALL THE ANGLES OF THE BIKE ARE ALIKE, TELLS ME THAT HE'S PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO IT. AND I WANT PEOPLE TO NOTICE THESE
LITTLE THINGS WHEN THEY LOOK AT MY BIKE. SO THE STRUTS HAVE BEEN SLICED AND WILL BE RE-WELDED AT A LATER TIME, WHEN
I GET A WELDER. I THEN MOCKED THE FENDER TO THE FRAME TO SEE HOW IT WOULD SIT. IT'S NICE AND CLOSE,
AND QUITE A BIT SHORTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS, AND THAT'S NICE! I LIKE THAT LOOK. SO NOW I'VE PUNCHED 3 MARKS
IN FRAME THRU THE PLATE ON THE FRONT OF THE FENDER WHERE THEY MEET. I NOW HAVE TO DRILL SOME HOLES AND TAP & DIE
SOME THREADS IN ORDER TO BOLT THE FENDER TO THE FRAME SWINGARM. NOW, INSTEAD OF THE WHEEL BOUNCING UP AND DOWN IN A
STATIONARY FENDER THAT SITS 4" OFF THE WHEEL, THE SHORT, FLAT TRAILER FENDER WILL MOVE AS ONE WITH THE WHEEL AND SIT
WITHIN AN INCH OR LESS OF THE TIRE, LEAVING ENOUGH ROOM FOR TIRE "GROWTH" WHEN HOT. SO NOW THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN
MOCKED, I NEED TO GET THE PROPER DIE TO DO THE JOB CORRECTLY, AND TO WELD THE STRUTS, AND IT'LL BE READY FOR PAINT.
I MOVED ON TO THE REAR WHEEL, AND INSTALLED BOTH THE DISC AND THE PULLEY AND PUT THE LOCKTITE TO IT.
I PAINTED THE WHEEL, RIM, SPOKES AND PULLEY FLAT BLACK. THE WHEEL AND THE PULLEY ARE KINDA OLD AND WITH IMPERFECTIONS
IN THE FINISH, SO I SCUFFED EM UP AND PAINTED EM FLAT BLACK. NICE AND UNDERSTATED I MUST SAY!
WIRING AIN'T MY STRONG POINT......*THERE'S* A NEWS FLASH! LOL
I'VE NEVER WIRED A BIKE BEFORE, BUT GOT A GREAT SCHEMATIC FROM RIPPER. THANK doG I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE HIM!
IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE VAST KNOWLEDGE OF RIPPER AND MANY OF THE OTHERS ON TERRY'S SWAP BOARD, (sometimes even Terry knows what
he"s talkin" "bout!) I'D BE LOST. I SIMPLY DREW UP ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THE BIKE, LITES, HORN, COIL, EVERYTHING
ELECTRICAL, AND RIPPER CONNECTED THE DOTS, SHOWING ME EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. I GATHERED THE PARTS, AND WENT AT IT.
THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CREATE A SMALL FUSE BOX OUT OF A PLASTIC BOX THAT SOME HARDWARE CAME IN. IT'S ABOUT 5" WIDE,
3" TALL, AND AN INCH THICK. I ATTACHED 8 FUSEHOLDERS INSIDE THE BOX, INSTALLED THE PROPER FUSES, AND WIRED TO AND FROM
THE LEADS. THE BOX WAS THE PERFECT SIZE TO FIT ON THE ENGINE/MUD GUARD TO KEEP IT OUT OF SITE, YET ABLE TO
SERVICE.
THE NEXT TRIP OUT TO THE GARAGE, I CUT , DRILLED AND SMOOTHED TWO MOUNTING TABS FOR THE REAR FENDER. I CUT
THEM FROM STEEL BAR, 1-1/2" X 1-1/4" X 1/4". WHEN I GET THE WELDER, THEY WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM RAIL ON THE
SWINGARM.
ON THIS DAY I DRILLED HOLES IN THE STRUTS TO INSTALL TWO BULLET SIGNAL LITES. I ALSO GOT ALL THE WIRING LEADS TO
THEIR COMPONENTS, AND INSTALLED AND SOLDERED THEIR CONNECTORS. I PUT ALL THE WIRING INTO FLEXIBLE PLASTIC GATHERERS
AND LEAD THEM TO THE DASH.
INSTALLED THE IGNITION, KILL SWITCH, HI-LO BEAM BUTTON AND FLASHER. I STILL NEED A 3-WAY TOGGLE FOR THE SIGNAL
SWITCH.
DECEMBER 14, 2004
SEEING AS I'VE BASICALLY DONE NOTHING TO THE BIKE IN THE PAST MONTH OR SO, I'VE DECIDED TO PULL UP MY WELL-WORN SOCKS
AND WILL MAKE MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION EARLY THIS YEAR. I VOW TO GET OUT TO THE COLD GARAGE EVERY DAY AFTER THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER, AND GET THIS BEAST DONE,
ONCE AND FOR ALL! I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING, OR HOW TO DO IT, BUT I'M SURE MY PALS AT TERRY'S
SWAP BOARD WILL BE THERE FOR ME AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE. I'M STILL NOT SURE ABOUT THE CARB
OL' JIMMY FROM VA. SENT ME TO BORROW, BUT I'LL KNOW MORE ONCE I GET THERE I GUESS. I DON'T WANT TO BE MAKING EXCUSES
COME SPRING TIME THAT I DON'T HAVE A BIKE ON THE ROAD AGAIN THIS YEAR. SO WATCH FOR SOME RIDING PICS COME THE MONTH OF MAY.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS I HAVE THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL EVEN WORK OR NOT, BUT I GUESS THAT I WON'T KNOW UNTIL IT'S
ALL TOGETHER AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I JUST HOPE I DON'T COME INTO BIG PROBLEMS WHICH WILL COST ME BIG MONEY, OR THIS
THING MAY NOT FLY AFTER ALL.
I ALSO HAVE TO COME UP WITH $400 TO PAY OFF SOME OLD FINES BEFORE I CAN GET MY FRIGGIN' LICENCE BACK BEFORE I DO ANY
RIDING AT ALL, AND THEN THERE'S INSURANCE.....SHEESH..... IT'S ALWAYS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, AIN'T IT?
ALSO.....
ON THE SWAP PAGE, A MAD PUP HAS LOTS OF SPORTY AND SHOVEL PARTS FOR SALE. CONTACT HIM FOR SOME GOOD DEALS!
NOVEMBER 29/04.....
NEW PICS ON THE READER'S RIDES PAGE. A HOT OLD SCHOOL BRIT CHOP, A SUPER 70'S SIDEWINDER SHOVEL, AND SOME TRAVELLING
PICS FROM MY BUDDY WHATEVER.
November 18/04
Well, since last update, where I talked about Xsspeed's cool Mafster bobber, I bought one of his cool flat,
trailer fenders. Sean gave me a good deal on the fender, and it came with struts already welded on it, and a 'limp dick'
tail light. Thanks man, for a great deal, and I can reccomend Xsspeed to anyone who's looking for custom parts or cool
shop clothing. Check his site out at www.xsspeedchoppers.com and tell him Chief sent ya, he'll take good care of ya, as he did me.
I also bought a set of 6" over wide glide tubes for the Suicide Shovel (what I've taken to calling the bike
these days) and installed them on the bike. Man, they look awesome.....it really kicks the front end out nicely, and
makes the frame sit level now. I chopped off the stock fender struts to make room for the new fender, and WOW!!!! The
bike sits soooooooo low in the ass end now, and along with the new forks, makes the bike look like a cool chopper. The
cutting off of the original struts really makes the frame look like a rigid now too. I've got a bit of grinding left
to do on the frame to make it a bit smoother, but as it sits now, it looks so cool, I'm really happy with the new look.
I hope to get some pics up soon, and you can tell me what you think of the difference since I've added the new parts.
Also, on the READER'S PICS page, I've added a few more pictures that some friends sent in. First,
a collage of photos from Chris R, and his nasty old Shovelhead, that has gone through numerous changes over the years, and
pictures of the different looks it's had.
I was also sent a few pictures from my buddy Whatever, from the Toronto area. He and I pal around
a bit, and he sent me some shots of him, my kids and I from an afternoon we spent together two summers ago, and some
really cool shots of his tour of Western Canada this past season. He rode his '99 Evo Softie from Toronto to British
Columbia and back in a couple of weeks this year, and was kind enough to send some of the shots he took while out on the left
coast.
That's it for now, remember to come back soon, as I hope to have some new pics of the build real soon, as
I'm very proud of the way the bike's going right now. I'm sure it'll be done before spring, and next year,
all you'll get is RIDING PICTURES!!!!!
check out the READER'S RIDES page, and see ya next time.....
-Chief-
September 30, 2004
After perusing a few sites of guys I know from the message boards, I happened to catch a glimpse of Xsspeed's "Mafster's
Chopper" on his site. The first thing I thought was...."Someone's taken a picture of my bike and put it on his site!"....
The Mafster Chopper looks alot like my bike in its stance and lines, and almost the same colour. There are alot
of differences when ya get down to nitpicking, but the original sighting of the bike looked very familiar, and very nice.
Xsspeed's 'Mafster Chopper' softie.
I really liked the look of his bike, and especially the strutless rear fender. I e-mailed Xsspeed and asked him
about the particulars of the fender, how it was made and particularly how it was fastened to the bike to get that LOW LOW
look at the back. I'd been fussing with a couple of different softail fenders trying to get them lower than the stock
"trail bike" look that comes with mounting a fender on the frame's struts, but with the fender stationary, and the rear wheel
bouncing up and down with the swingarm, you had to leave almost 3" of clearance so as not to bottom out.
A pic of the fender Xsspeed made for the Mafster Chopper. This was created using a boat trailer fender, and some
simple struts. All that's needed now is a couple of mounting tabs welded to the softail swingarm, and it'll sit nice
and low on the bike. This will also cause the fender to move up and down with the wheel, making it a bit uncomfortable
(or thrilling!) for the passenger. I'm not too concerned about that, because 1) I"m not thrilled about the idea of carrying
a passenger, and 2) if there IS one, IT WON'T BE ME! Besides, it looks great and gives the bike more of a hardtail look.
Everyone knows how poor I am, and when it came to asking Xsspeed about making me one of his fenders, of course I didn't
have any money. Well, that's not news.....so Xsspeed, being the nice person he is, offered to sell me the prototype
of the fender you see here. It got a bit warped with the heat from welding, but it's absolutely fixable with a little
body work. He also tossed a used "limp dick" tail/brake light into the deal, and made my day! I'll make
sure to get some pics of the work done to mine as soon as the parts come in and I get to work on it.
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