Swap meet

The LaGrave Field swap meet is going on this weekend in Fort Worth, and I had a chance to head out yesterday to look around. There was the typical crowd of muscle cars and mullets, and very few things that were not priced through the roof, but I knew it was going to be a good day when i stepped out of my van to see some old friends right there in the first row. In a flash I was reminded that  I had been out of the scene for a long time, and it caught them off guard to see me at a swap meet, but after some catching up, and a quick introduction to the vendor they were talking to, the hunt began, it felt good to be out there digging through the junk again looking for something that had been forgotten about, or over looked by the parts hoarders. i made my rounds digging here and there, every once in a while I would look up to see another old friend shocked to see me there. Most of them older guys that I met while building my model A. You know I would rather hangout with one of them, than a hundred guys my age. They have been seasoned by life, and have stored up knowledge from their mistakes, and wisdom from their experiences, but most of all they do not feel the need to have a pissing contest with you about who has the coolest this, or that. I think that is what i like most about them. Anyway I went on from one space to the next seeing things that I had never seen before, like a roadster with a plywood body, and things that I am sure where for sale six years ago when I would not have missed a single swap meet if it was within a few hundred miles, the same old vendors with the same old junk, but it was good to see some of those old faces again, it was real good. I found a Motor stand for my Shovel for 25 bucks and this light for 5, and I got to hang out with some old friends, so all in all it was a good day.

Seat came in today!!!!

My seat came in today, and I  had to go to the barn and put it on immediately. These bars will be narrowed soon, and have risers made into them, or I may build some altogether different bars for the bike, but the seat stays, for sure.

Trim them trees

Did some shaving today

No need to keep these tabs, so I slicked up the top tree tonight.

Father's Day

Thanks for the ride Dad

here is the seat I hope to run on the shovel

Shop time!

Well, I have my van back now, and I need to spend some time in the barn working on my bike. I stopped by Mike's on the way home and got to hear his pan run for the first time. Wow! As Daniel said the other day "I got a face full of loud!" That bike is so rad, and now I am on a mission....

Foot

Picked up a rotor from Foot yesterday, and will be going back out to his shop soon. He has an amazing little shop, full of vintage parts, and next time I go there will be pics. i got overwhelmed, and forgot to take any this time.

Okay, I figured it out, now to get a better camera, and start posting some stuff worth looking at. lol

Hummm

If I knew how to add pictures in the post, this would be much more fun

Broke down

My daily has been broke down, and for the last few days I have been trying to find the short in the wiring system. I gave up and called a Brother of mine in Fort Worth, he said "sure I'll send a tow truck to get it, and let you know when it is ready" "well, I am kinda tapped right now" I said. To which he replied "don't worry Brother, we will get it going and worry about that later"
Very cool having Brothers that look out for you, and take care of you when it seems that you are down and out.

The Fever

The Fever.

It all starts out so subtle, a ride as a child, or even a favorite toy, and for some, possibly more fortunate souls, it never comes. I have had the fever since shortly after birth, it will lay dormant for years, but when it comes out of remission, it comes with a vengeance. It always seems to consume me, and those that are infected know, that there is nothing to make it go away, the more you try, the stronger it becomes, it is useless to struggle against it. Okay, that may be a bit dramatic, but you get the point.

How it started: My Father's only transportation for sometime was a motorcycle, this doesn't seem too strange for most of us, but the fact that this was in Alaska, and he had a new born boy, that he would place inside of his coveralls, and ride around, is a bit out there by today's standards. Well, it was a bit out there for then too, but anyway, these where the first rides out of the womb, and they sealed the fever into my bones. As a young child I would pretend all my bikes were motorcycles, I loved two wheels, and never passed up the chance to ride with my Dad. After the birth of my Brother, and a bitter divorce we moved to Texas, with my Dad, and step mother. My Dad tried to fight the fever, but purchased another bike, as soon as he could, and would tell me stories about shaking the law, and how fast he could get to work from our house. This was of course only fueling the fire inside of me, and it wasn't long till I was in full fit, and I could think of nothing but riding. By now, My little Brother, and I, who has the same illness, began to talk neighborhood kids into letting us ride their dirt bikes, and this of course didn't relieve the pain of this dreaded fever. But the day came, when our stepfather purchased us an old Yamaha 80, it was an enduro, and though it was used, it was ours, and we had something to ease the pain, even if it was only for awhile, the problem was it was in Oklahoma, and we were in Texas, and though we had tasted of that which could make the symptoms seem as if they were gone, the fever still laid waiting. This Fever caused us to steal, and caused us many pains, as we grew up, but now, looking back, I realize it is part of who I am, and it will remain with me till the end. The only thing to do is to pacify it, and enjoy the ride.

East Bay

Going to east bay cycles today to pick up my
motor and trans. This is going to be out of order, but I will post some pictures of the build, and write about the first steps I took later, as I remember them.

New outlet

War machine