Now that you have gotten the opening page out of the way, here is some more information about me and my experiences with the bker lifestyle and the motorcycle industry in general.
I began riding motorcycles in 1969 at the tender age of 9. My agreement with my father who bought me my first bike was that if it broke, I had to fix it or pay to have it fixed. Well, notwithstanding allowances, 9 year old children don't make much money. You can imagine how long it took a 9 year old to burn his first piston....so there I was, broken motorcycle, workshop manual, and a few dollars to my name. I read as well as I could, then took the thing apart after discerning that I had no compression. What I found was the first in a long line of burned pistons. I knew from my reading that the cylinder would probably need to be "bored" so I took it, and the burned piston to the local Yamaha dealer and said, "it's broke, I gotta fix it"...they hooked me up with a new piston and bored my cylinder to fit the piston. I didn't know it at the time, but this is how things were supposed to be. After selling me the necessary gaskets, piston, ring, and miscellaneous stuff, I went back to my merry yamaha and re-assembled it. The feeling I got when it fired on the first kick is something I will never forget. The exhiliration of bringing a broken machine back to life was like nothing I had ever felt before.
Now, 30 years, 13 Harleys, untold Limey bikes and a buttload of others later, that rush is still with me. Having worked at motorcycles shops, dealerships, tote the note lots, and various self owned motorcycle oriented businesses, I can honestly say that the thrill is still there when I first start a project bike. Sure, like most people, I got burned out. The job of making other peoples scooters run got me down, but I still do enjoy an occasional project for friends. In Chopper Riders Online, you will witness some of my handiwork as well as the craftsmanship of many of my dearest bros. Together with their imaginations and my ability to make it happen, we have come up with some truly righteous rides and have several more in the works.
At this point, I want to let you people know that at this moment, I do not have a "running" bike. I believe that if you want something done your way, you DO IT YERSELF!. Along with this philosophy comes patience. I know what I want in my scooters, and will settle for nothing less than that. If this means waiting a year for the right tail light to come into my life, so be it. I believe that the motorcycle should reflect the personality of the owner. I am a slob, thus I have a Rat Bike, but in it's rattiness, there are subtle hints of beauty like the upsweep slash cut exhaust pipes, or the 1939 Pontiac bullet (not Billet) tail light. Or maybe the total disregard for convention with the use of Japanese wheels and a Jap front end to piss off purists. Whatever I put on or in my motorcycle reflects my personality and as such, makes the bike uniquely mine. My patience and for a long time, lack of a place to work have resulted in my motorcycle taking over three years to put together. It is nearly done, some simple wiring, and a few pieces of hose here and there, and it will be done. Now you would think that I could have it up in a matter of hours. This is true for most impatient people. For me, I am painstakingly meticulous and those few hours may turn into weeks once I have a place to work on it. See, I have to get some exhaust clamps, a new hi/lo switch, and other sundry items. That sounds like nothing, but in my anal retentive-ness, I must have exactly the "right" parts for the job. No half ass "settle for this since I can't find what I want" stuff for me. It is an all or nothing game for me.
I win when it is done MY WAY!!!
If you would like to see a little more about my motorcycle, click HERE.