What goes around...

Got a call from a guy, out of the blue.  He tells me he bought a bike I did several years ago.  The "Heavy Bobber".  He said he liked it the way it currently was, but liked it even better the way it was before, the way I did it.  He seemed to be a straight up guy, and shared the same passion for the Shovelhead that I did.  I was right thinking that.

So, we talked for a while about the bike, and all the changes that had been made through the previous 2 owners, and what it would take to get it back to it's "original" state.  And then, he said it.  "I'm thinking about shipping it back to you to have you put it back to original, or better".  Well, I kinda believed him, I mean, it was possible, but really, who would do that?  Send it all the way back to me.  Any competent shop with decent fab and mechanical skills could do the same thing, I mean, I have a plenty of pictures of the bike on our website...

But I had a feeling that this guy had the same thought I did.  That just wouldn't be right.  It wouldn't be the same.  The same hands that did it first time, should be the ones that do it now.

He did it.  It showed up a couple days ago.  It arrived at the shop like a warrior returning from years of hardened battle crusades, and being patched up and modified, and well, butchered.

I swear, if that bike could talk it would have said, "Good to see you again, Jason, you think you can take care of all this, and get me back in, I got plenty left in me!"

You bet we can.  This job has a little more meaning than I can really explain.  This job here is special.  I'm sorry this happened to you Heavy, but you're here now, and I got this.

What?  You don't talk to motorcycles?

The first picture is what it is now.  The second is what it was, and will be again.

"Bane" Floorboards & Pegs

One day in the shop, Ian made a statement when we were working and talking, about how most people don't give engineers credit for all the things we use in life.  Man, is that the truth.  Specifically now, I am talking about the parts that go on a motorcycle.

I mean, I have made parts before, like motor mounts, handlebars, ignition boxes, carb supports, exhausts, speedo mounts, etc.  All "one-off" things fabbed up for a specific job.  Never before have I designed, tested, and produced parts that will be sold to the public like this.

It takes a lot longer than you might think.  There is so much to consider.  And it is a ton of work.  Now, it is probably quicker and easier for big companies, that have the ability to cut something out of plastic in 3D in a matter of minutes, and then put it through computer simulated "stress" tests, etc.  And that is a good thing, it keeps the costs down for the end consumer.

But for a little shop like ours, it is a huge project.

We are happy with the end result.  And it is pretty damn gratifying to see your idea come to become a real part, that gets bolted on to a motorcycle.

There's more to come.  For now, the prototypes are getting put through the paces in Daytona.

Remembering Why You Do It.

It is easy, very easy, to get caught up in the day to day.  To get wrapped up in trying to keep the shop running, and making enough money to pay the bills and make payroll, and stressing because it's February, and no one was thinking about their motorcycles, let alone riding them.

And it's cold as the dickens outside.  The shop is 10 minutes from the house, so you jump in the truck instead of bundling up for a ride that will take less time to do it, than it does to get geared up for it.

Then, days come along like today.  Where you COULD jump in the truck to get where you are going, but instead, you and a small group of your close friends, take a ride...

It never got above 50 degrees.  My wife, is a trooper, to say the least.  No bagger with a fairing to block the wind for her, she rode all day on her NON-rubber mounted sportster.  Never complained one time, although I knew she was freezing.

My buddy Shifty, on his rigid Knucklehead, and it was just purring right along.  We had to put him in the left side of the lane because the right section was so tore up and bumpy, it was throwing the back end of his bike around.

And Scotty, taking it easy on his motor that we just punched out to 106" with new cams, still trying to break it in, and being very nice to it.  But you can just tell he is itching to get on it.

We rode for a couple hours there, and a couple hours back just to have lunch with some other friends.  Friends who we don't see nearly enough, so we value the time with them when we do.

And it's days like to day, that you remember why you do what you chose to do.

RIDE MUCH.  RIDE MORE.  RIDE OFTEN.