Sometimes life is a balancing act......................

Knuckleheads 4 Ever

Harley Davidson Knuckleheads get under your skin.  I have owned three or four and always thought I would have another...thank you very much !

It could be argued that even the present day (well not the 2019 Harleys..which are ugly as dirt ) Harley Davidson owe much to the original design.  The Knucklehead was the coolest thing the Factory turned out, it was and still is a rideable, dependable motorcycle if properly built and maintained.  Yes...you have to maintain them.  I prefer the 61" EL over the 74" FL.  They seem a little smoother and easier to live with.  Maybe I'm getting old ???

Have a Happy Holiday !!

Classic Beemers

1953 Honda Dream 3E

I know this is a Honda but it is very sweet.  You can still see the European influence as Honda got up and running.  The Japanese motorcycle companies were and still are masters of copying what works and sells and then making it better to out sell their competitors.

These bikes are becoming very collectible, this one is selling in the $10K range and looks to be completely original.  It predates the "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" slogan

EBay Moto of the Week...1928 Harley Davidson JDH

This is one one of the coolest motorcycles ever built, a 1928 Harley Davidson twin cam JDH.  In it's day it would do 100 mph off the showroom floor.... that was smoking in 1928 !  This one is on EBay with an opening bid of $60K with a reserve set higher than that.

 I will probably never own one but it's on my list.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Harley-Davidson-JDH/132878674641

The Moto-Cancer Project Moves Forward

I'm really stoked this morning.  Awhile back I met a guy named Graham Nystrom while doing a motorcycle deal, he bought my K Model chassis.  I asked him what he did for a living and he told me he was a graphic designer.  He was looking at an original Harley Davidson tail light that I had and I told him that we could trade the tail light for cleaning up my graphics for The Moto-Cancer Project.  I really like what he did with it. He kept enough of my original work but cleaned it up a bit.

All the elements are there...the wheel which represents moto-cycles, the bird which represents a new start with new wings and finally the sailors star to find your way back home... which is what this all about !

Rangoon Ricky...Only Skin Deep Tattoos

https://onlyskindeeptattoovallejo.com/

My good brother and long time friend Rick "Rangoon Ricky " Bordeau out of Vallejo California.  He runs Only Skin Deep at 622 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo.  He has been tattooing long before tattoos were cool with the main stream folks.

Back when I first got tattooed you were either a biker or a sailor.  Now every man, woman and child is getting inked.  I think it's a general requirement in Hollywood to have at least three !  I got my first tattoo from Lyle Tuttle Jr. when he had a shop on Tennessee Street, Vallejo.  Harley Davidson wings...they're a bit faded out now but I sure was proud.

When I was a young man of 27, I did a tattoo apprenticeship with Rick and had a small shop for a while.  The guy forgot more about the mechanics and art of tattooing than most people know.  And yes... he rides a motorcycle every day that the weather allows.  We made our own ink from raw pigment, built our own machines and needle clusters and in general learned everything that could be taught about the subject.  Some things can't be taught !

Indian 101 Scout Bitsa....A bit of this and a bit of that !

101 Scout Memories

This picture was taken the night we got home from Oregon.  

I had to unload it and see what I had

I got a call from a Canadian who stirred up memories of my 101 Scout dream....

This was my Indian 101 Scout that I planned on doing the Cannonball on.  I bought it out of Oregon and drove up and picked it up.  It all seems so long ago but it was only about 5 years ago.  All pre-cancer and pre a whole lot of things. Full of hope and expectations I took it all down to pieces and had John Bivens straighten and clean up the frame and front fork.  This thing was going to be done right. 

I ended up selling it to a cool guy from Texas who made his money drilling oil wells.  A hard working man who just wanted something cool.  As I said, I got a call from a guy in Canada today who now owns it !  I guess my buyer out of Texas has some health problems so he sold it.  This thing might be jinxed ?  I need to call him and see how he's doing....it's all about the people that the machines bring into our lives.

My old shop that I spent a lot of hard work putting together. 

To say it was clean is an understatement! 

Wells Bennett set many long distance records in the 1920's and 30's   Here he is on an Excelsior motorcycle

You Are a CEO...You Run the Business of You

About YOU ARE a CEO

Our goal is to inspire everyone to be successful and find joy in everday living

You Are a CEO is a movement that was born out of a simple idea.  We believe that everyone is the CEO of their life and can take charge of their personal success.

Michael E. Parker, founder of the movement, was born in Oakland and raised in the heart of Richmond, California in the midst of violence and struggles.  Many would say that he should have been a statistic.  But along his journey of hardships and challenges , he made decisions that changed the course of his life and opened doors he never thought possible. Now, an award winning entrepreneur, author and national speaker, Michael is passionate about giving back and inspiring positive change.

Come join the movement and inspire your own life and the lives of others around you 

https://www.youareaceo.com/

Michael E. Parker

He has been my friend and inspiration for over 20 years

Old BMW Motorcycles

I have been trying to narrow down my search for an antique motorcycle to use for The Moto-Cancer Project and really hadn't considered BMW.  I was thinking they were too new to get any kind of positive support.  However, a BMW R51 would be a least 64 years old if I found a 1954 R51/3.
The R51/3 has many advantages over the earlier models but especially a full size front brake.

I have always liked the plunger frame BMW's as they have an elegance that is right there with a skirted Indian Chief.  The design is clean and efficient.

I have owned several BMW's from the 1950's and 1960's and was amazed at how simple they are to maintain.  Even adjusting the valves is straight forward compared to vintage British and American motorcycles.   The other great advantage they have is the absence of a chain which requires constant oiling and adjustment.  I love older British and American motorcycles but I'm not exactly young myself.  As you get older reliability becomes a huge deal.  I have pushed many bikes over he years and it doesn't exactly thrill me any more.