Ripon Bike Show

 Yesterday morning was a warm one, about sixty degrees and it made for an enjoyable twenty mile ride to the bike show. Because I had to work I was early and the first one registered and just dropped the bike off. It wasn't until after work when I arrived at the show that I found out registration was a bit dismal. Its not the fault of the guys putting on the event. They don't have the help they once had and other events like the Tomahawk Fall Ride were going on the same day. I guess the blame should rest partially on regular attendees like myself for not spreading the word. This pic of the bacon section at wallyworld is about as interesting as the bike show was and that bothers me. Sure I checked out the few new bikes to the show but the others were all just the same cut of meat, including the Rat Turd.

  I guess the most interesting part of a show like this is to talk with the "builders". To me that term includes everyone that did their own work on their own bike. Everyone has a story that you can't read just from eyeballing the bike. You need to hear about the broken head bolts or use of Flex Seal from the guy that did the work. The factory customs that were just purchased and ridden don't do it for me.
 This bike was pretty nice.

 It was a lot nicer after I talked with the guy that built it. He deservedly beat me in our class. Hes an older gent with an eye for detail and the bike is no trailer queen. He found interest and creativity in the Rat Turd and tried out the cast iron seat. I think it took about 2 nanoseconds for him to decide that wasn't for him. So much for my offer to trade even-up.

 When it was time to leave I went to thumb the starter button on the rat but got bupkis. I'm not sure what happened to the cranking circuit but my handy dandy pocket knife easily jumped the solenoid and the little four banger came to life. I looked up and noticed there was a crowd watching me. I had forgotten how much interest there is in seeing that rain flapper bounce on top of my muffler so I gave em a few blips. Hey, its a show, might as well show off.
 I found an older video I once posted. Pre-barbed wire, the bike doesn't even look the same.

Later.

Crunch Time

 Yesterday I had heard the Chili Cook-Off was happening in Green Lake. I don't usually attend this event but it kinda kicks off a series of fall events, some of which I do attend. I woke up today thinking I had a free day to catch up on things around the house and maybe finally clean the garage but then it hit me. Two bike shows are coming up and I'm not prepared for them. The sportster was to have its new paint job, turn signals and headlight. It has none of that and is currently unrideable.

 The flyer basically says the bike show is next weekend and my dumb ass isn't ready. Because my reason for attending these shows is more about support and fun than winning something, I could just wash the Ultra and attend. That seems kinda lame. People want to see cool shit at these shows and the Rat Turd is about as stupid a bike as you'll see on the streets around here.

 That means I have to clean the garage so I have room to work on and store the Rat. The last time that bike ran was a year ago. It has a faulty charging system and I have just been putting a lawn mower battery in a saddlebag to run it. It also has a running issue possibly in the fuel delivery system and its in my living rook. Just getting it outside is an adventure. I better get started.

Later.

Can't Think Of A Good Title

 So I'm sitting here on Tuesday night trying to write this blog. Because I promised myself I would post every Wednesday and Sunday you'll see posts like this. I really don't have any good material and my motivation is kinda low. My wife brought me a souvenir from her vacation and I'm on my second glass. Its some kind butter pecan flavored moonshine. The stuff is delicious and drinking too much is easy to do.
 Last weekend I went to the bike show in Green Lake and got a first place in my class. Thats cool. I like to see the judges have good taste.

 The bike got a lot of attention and I'm thinking next year I might want to take it to a few more shows but I keep looking at it wondering what I can do next to up my game. I honestly feel its only about half done. I'm not saying I'm bored with it. It just needs more. To me it looks too conventional and there are many parts that could be re-engineered to be more rat-like. One of these days I'll quit dreaming about it and start posting progress reports.

 It looks like we may have broken out of that crazy heat wave of 90 degree temps. I won't miss the blistering hot rides home from work but I will miss the warm morning rides in. The temp for Wednesdays ride to work should be about 55. Yesterday it was in the seventies. If the sportster starts I'll ride that bike in. Its hauling capacity is limited to what I can get in a back pack and I have no shopping plans so I should be good. The headlight is a little weak so I may push off my departure time. It will be dark when I pull out of my drive but light enough to see clearly when I arrive.
 One more thing. A reminder that Sunday is the Slimey Crud Run. The forecast looks favorable and I think I'll try to make an appearance if I can coordinate it along with a visit with my daughter in Madison. I hope to see you there.

Later.

Green Lake Bike Show

 This morning I'm planning to ride to the bike show in Green Lake during their Harvestfest celebration. I'll be taking the back roads because right now the Rat Turd doesn't have enough gumption to handle sustained speed on the hiway. I'll figure that problem out someday but because the bike sees such limited duty lately it doesn't seem to be a big concern. Yesterday I had the idea of building my own carb for the bike. It already runs like crap, so there is nothing to lose. I'll let the idea fester for a while.

 I pulled the windshield off of the bike. It was on there for the trip to the Smokies many years ago and I just forgot how ugly it was and it certainly isn't needed for the few local rides that the bike gets. Yes, of all the crap on this bike, that was the ugly piece. Deal with it.

 This year on vacation I picked up a few stickers and decided this bike was as good a spot to adhere them as any.

 There used to be a few signs on the Blue Ridge Parkway that looked like this decal but I don't remember seeing one this year. I wonder if they were stolen much like the US129 signs that no longer appear along that road. We used to wave our hands in the air when we saw this sign and can't recall doing that this year. The truth is, there are no reducing radius curves on the lower end of the parkway except maybe the one or two that had these signs and I'm not sure if they tighten up or maybe they are just long arcs. 

 I gotta wrap this up and get rolling. To my wife, welcome home from your vacation, Honey. You were missed, I survived and the house is in one piece, there isn't a sink full of dishes, and the cats aren't dead. To the rest of you, see you at the show.

Later.

Damn Cats

 I don't think I mentioned in my last two posts that my wife is gone on vacation. She is in Gatlinburg enjoying some quiet time with friends and apparently some bears. It seems the bears are familiar with cabin visitors and have a few tricks for scavenging goodies. I'm told they even opened the door on one of the vehicles. My wife sent me a pic of one of the bears and it couldn't have been more than thirty feet from the porch she was standing on. No thanks.

 Instead of bears I'm dealing with some pain in the ass cats. I wish a bear would come knock on my door. I'd feed him two felines. The cats miss the one person in the house who gave a crap about their existence and are stuck with me. Their whining annoys me and their pleas for attention often earn them a lead role in a game I like to call "launch the kitty". You can imagine the rules. I don't abuse these creatures, I just redirect them when they strut their smelly ass near my face. I am curious to see how they react when my wife gets home. Will they be happy to see her or ticked off she left?

 My daily routine hasn't changed much except I do spend more time in the garage tinkering with projects. I've eaten all the food in the freezer that was worth consuming and decided to get chinese take out last night.

 Eating in the garage seemed like a good idea. No cats to pester and three bikes to think about. The leftovers will carry me through one more day.

 One stinkin fortune cookie and it was all wrong. After dinner I messed around with the Rat Turd a bit to see if there was anything wrong with the diaphragms in the cv carbs.

 Three of them seem kinda brittle and I wonder if that's what I'm feeling when the power drops off at hiway speed. The screws are stripped on the cover for the fourth one and further investigation is required. Maybe a pin hole? This whole thing makes me want to ditch these carbs and build an intake manifold more suited to a rat bike. I'm still tossing the idea around.

 Sunday is the bike and car show in Green Lake. Proceeds from the bike show support the local animal shelter. As you just read I'm not a big fan of cats but this shelter took my moms cat without any questions and I like to support them in any way I can. Go to the show, check out the bikes and help out the shelter. See you there.

Later.

Watson Street Cycle Show

 Yesterday there was a car and bike show in Ripon and I decided to enter the Rat Turd like I have for the last few years. If you follow this blog then you know that bike has some running issues and I'm here to tell you it still does. I left home at 630am with the intent of registering the bike at the show and then walking to work. That all happened but the 20 mile ride was extended a bit when I turned off the hiway and headed for back roads due to loss of power. If I keep it under 45 it seems I can ride all day but above that I'm screwed. I first thought my jetting was wonky, then thought my fuel delivery lines were restricted. I know its not a tank vent issue. Now I'm thinking maybe the diaphragm/slide/needle of one or more of the cv carbs is the culprit. Anyway, I made it there and back with no points for speed but a passing grade on style.
 It was a typical turnout for this show with some new blood in the mix. One of my (and many others) favorite bikes was this contraption:

Here are a few other random bikes from the show:

And of course my favorite:

 Next week is the show in Green Lake. I'll be there, will you?

Scott

Three Days Off

 A lot of you working stiffs out there are in the middle of a three day weekend right now. I get two and a half days and that's fine with me. In fact I started wondering what I would do with myself with the extra time off so Saturday after work I took care of some "around the house" crap that's been on the list for a while. I tweaked some rain gutter down spouts, fixed a leaky toilet, fixed a door knob and insulated a hole in my shop wall. Later I prepped the driveway for seal coating which I'll do today. I gotta remember to park the bike in the street before I start sealing the drive or I'll be grounded for the day.
 I have to check the dates but I think the bike show that I've been attending in Ripon is coming up in a couple weeks. If you've been following this blog then you know I set a goal to have the BSA running for this show. That ain't gonna happen. BTW, I set the same goal last year and the year before and the year before...
 I want to enter a bike in this show and have three choices.

 This pic is a first for this year. Three bikes in the garage. I rolled the Rat Turd out of the living room yesterday in hopes of getting it to run right so I can take it to the show. It almost didn't get me home from that show last year which is also the last time it ran. I must think it's a fuel related problem because yesterday I yanked the bank of four carbs off of it. I'll let you know what I find if and when I find it.
 The other two choices for the bike show include the Ultra (yawn). Who wants to look at a full size Harley touring bike? Just open your eyes next time you're blasting down the road and you'll see a few roll by in the other lane. The sportster would be the next logical choice but I don't think I'd take it with this current paint job. If I can't get the Rat Turd running decent by the end of the weekend, I may pull the tank on the sporty and squirt some different paint on it. I still have a good selection of rattle cans laying around.

Later.

Green Lake Bike Show Overview

 On Sunday I took my sportster to the show in Green Lake and had a pretty good time.
 On the way to the show the bike was making an odd noise coming from behind the primary cover and during a restart I got a sense that things weren't meshing as smooth as they should be. I'll investigate when I get a chance.
 Some of the bikes in the show included these three Hondas owned by some local young guys. After talking with them I got the impression I'd be seeing more cool custom work from them in the future.

 For me, the best bike in the show was this green flamed Honda. For whatever reason, he didn't place well in the show despite the obvious huge amount of time he'd spent working on this bike. Life ain't fair sometimes.

 I was approached by one of the show organizers and asked if I would fill in for a judge that couldn't make it there. Of course I said yes and grabbed the clip board and began scrutinizing the bikes in the European class.

 These were some of the older Triumphs in that class which also included newer Triumphs and BMW. How do you judge a near perfect 60's or 70's restoration against a few year old Rocket III? Well I did my best despite the fact that the only rain we got was while I was examining these rides. In the end, the right bike won (in my opinion).
 An how about my bike? Well first, I didn't realize the Rat Turd had such a big following because a lot of people asked why I didn't bring it. The bike I did bring got a second place award in its class but more importantly it got the peoples choice award!

  The next surprise I got was when they drew the 50/50 raffle. You guessed it, I won that too. Because this event was a fundraiser for the local animal shelter and because that shelter accepted a cat after my mom passed away, I donated my winnings back to the shelter. I know, what a guy.
 Sunday is the Slimey Crud Run. I gotta figure out what bike is capable of making the journey and whos going. Maybe I'll see you there.

Later.

Never Forget

 Wednesday I told you about my desire to paint the sporty and enter it in todays bike show. I know its not a show bike but so what. Run what ya brung.
 I was gonna just repaint the bike black but ran into a few issues. In fact I got quite frustrated in my efforts. When asked how the painting project was going, these are the words that came out of my mouth...
 Have you ever walked through the woods in the dark and have your flashlight puke out? A few steps further a tree branch slaps you in the face and then you fall into a deep hole. You struggle but can't get out of the hole. After many attempts you just accept the fact that you will play out your days in this hole. That is how my painting project was going.
 But then I heard a voice. It was my wife and she encouraged me. Of course by then I had already lost my cool and sprayed the entire tank in gold glitter as a protest. So now what? The show is days away and the bike I want to take is painted like a cheap piece of costume jewelry. I said screw it and decided to just free style the paint job. With the eagle sissy bar it was easy to come up with a patriotic theme and just start squirting paint. It's definitely a forty foot paint job. Any closer and it looks like ass but I had fun with it and it gave me some ideas for a paint job I would ultimately like to do on this bike...when I have more time.

 Ya, its more of a 3rd grade art project but its on there and its dry.

 Because I spent so much time dickin around with the tank paint, I didn't get a whole lot else done. The eagle is back on after cutting off the whole lower section of the old rack system. The rear fender was chopped flush and the front fender got a splash of color. I also relocated the plate and wrapped the pipes. I think the wrap looks good but the real reason for doing it can be seen by the holes in my riding pants and two pair of work pants.
 So if you are looking for something to do today, why not come to Green Lake and check out the bike show. I'll be there.

Later.

100 Grit

 I told you my plan is to take the sportster to the bike show this coming weekend and that's still the plan. The problem is that the sporty is in pretty rough shape. After removing the eagle sissy bar I wasn't able to haul a bacpac so I was using a magnetic tank bag. Well that bag wore through the paint on the tank so now the bike needs a fresh coat of Rustoleum. After removing all the tins I started sanding everything down. My wife caught the moment...

 As I was sanding off the layers of paint I found the old lightning bolt paint job. That's what the white lines are in this pic.

 As you can see, the world is my paint booth. I gotta say though, the city garbage cans are just the right height for this type of work. Ya, I don't take painting very seriously. By the time I got around to painting the tank, it was dark outside and I was trying to swat skeeters while painting. This morning it's obvious I'm gonna be a day behind because I need to sand the tank back down and squirt it again. I don't expect perfection but it was pretty bad.

Later.

Timeline Saloon

 If you follow this blog then you know I had a goal of getting my '67 BSA ready for the upcoming Watson Street Bike Show. Sometimes I see bikes online that kinda inspire me in this slow build and here is one that I think comes close to what I may end up with. This is as close as I got.

 Well ya can't say I didn't try but I suppose you could say I didn't try hard. There's always next year. Anyway, here's the flyer for the show. I'll take the Rat Turd and maybe I'll see you there.

 In other news, last night my wife and I went to the Timeline Saloon next to Docs Harley Davidson and had a nice visit and meal with a friend.

Click on the "timeline saloon" link above if you want to see a video of this machine in action.

 Football season starts today and unfortunately its gonna start during prime riding weather. I think after the game we'll sneak in a ride. Go Pack Go!

Later.

Three Random Drawers

 After I posted about "the sickness" of collecting junk, I started thinking about the size of that problem. It really creeps deep into every corner of my little work space. I was digging through my home toolbox and realized there was a pattern developing. More crap than tools. It is true that a bulk of my tools are at work and the box here at home never was organized after I pulled a bunch of stuff out to take to my new job five years ago. You'd think five years would be long enough to get my crap in order but I guess not.
 Top drawer. For me this drawer has always been a special place for sensitive or personal items. If it were a fedex package it would be labeled "fragile, glass" or "do not bend'. As I look at this pic I realize that's just a fantasy in my head cuz this drawer is full of junk. Yes, there are a few good tools in here but for the most part it's just a staging area for the garbage can.

 Then, the more I look at the contents of this drawer I realize it's a trip down memory lane. I'm reminded of a visit with Brandon at the "Mama Tried" bike show in Milwaukee. I see an "anti-dragon" sticker that was designed as a joke for my buddy Scott that traveled 900 miles to the Tail of the Dragon only to sit at the store front bullshitting and watching bikes go by rather than ride the 318 curves in 11 miles. I now get it. I see the drill bits and notes used to rejet the Rat Turd. Some stickers from Crazy Bob's. Iron Butt rides, a ride to New Mexico and pins and patches from other rides. All stuff that isn't needed but does trigger memories. Maybe I'll save cleaning this drawer for later.
 The next random drawer has a couple GoPro items in it. There was more but those treasures are scattered on my desk right now. I like to keep a drawer available for whatever is the latest project I have going on. I'll empty this drawer and use it for nuts and bolts taken off Brookes Honda that I'm currently working on. More on that in another post.

 The last drawer I'll let you peek into is the remnants of the Rat Turd fuel tank project.

 This stuff needs to get put away. It was staged here in this drawer as I was collecting bits for the build. There are plumbing fittings, hoses and tubing and even parts that seemed like possibilities but were never used. Then again, if I spring a leak and need a matching fitting it would be nice to find those parts in a single box. I think I'll label it "Rat Shit". I wonder if a stranger would be more or less inclined to investigate the contents of such a box.

 That's a good spot for now. Tucked away between other things I'm done with for the season like my soft saddlebags and foam Packers cheesehead.

 In other news...I've been dinking around with the layout of this blog and have made a few additions. Some of you only follow on your phone and won't notice any difference. In the right side column I've added a list of some of the blogs I follow. There is some good reading to be found there and I encourage you to check them out.
 I've also added a few tabs under the front page picture. It's a work in progress and I plan to add more as time allows.

Later.

Green Lake Bike Show

 If you follow this blog then you know I was at a bike show last weekend. You'd also know that I don't own a show bike, rather an unusual rat bike. While we were sitting at the show shooting the breeze, Mike, one of the show organizers, asked me to help him out of a jam. I said sure and asked what he needed. They needed another judge for the show. Sounded good to me. I was given a clipboard with the bikes I was to judge listed on a score sheet. No explanation needed. I asked Al if he wanted to help and we scrutinized the bikes in that class.
 I'm not a show bike kind of person even though I've had my bike at shows. I guess I'm at these few shows cuz they are local, support good causes and are a motorcycle activity I can participate in without having to ride in formation next to some stranger of unknown skill level that may or may not be drunk. But just because I don't own a show bike doesn't mean I don't know what it takes to build a bike or maintain and present something worth looking at. I enjoyed judging those bikes and thought a lot about the scoring system. I feel the right bikes won that day in the class I judged but I would do the scoring a bit different if ever asked to do it again. I'm not gonna go into detail but I did find the score sheet categories interesting. Paint, chrome, wheels and tires, accessories, something else and overall appearance. I could only imagine the frustration of the guy judging the class with bikes in it like my Rat Turd or the guy that wrote "rust" under "special features" on the registration card. Ya it was rusty but that was the point. It was a rat.

 There was a entrant in the show I was really impressed with. It was a 2015 Indian towing a 1915 Indian on a trailer. Both bikes were purchased new by the same family 100 years apart.

 That's it for pics. I didn't snap any pics of the shiny bikes. We all know what those look like.

 So after being exposed to the judging side of shows and having enjoyed participating a few times, I might just have to step up my game and produce something a bit more show worthy. I have no thoughts on what exactly that means but it seems like something I might like to do.

 This morning I'm gonna meet up with Dan in Ripon and we will ride down to the Slimey Crud run. It's about a two hour ride and the temperature is about 45 but should warm up to 60 and partly sunny. That means there could be a pretty good turn out. I'm hoping to see some unusual bikes and I'll snap some pics for you if I do.  Later.

Watson Street Classic Cycle Show

 I talked about this show in previous posts and yesterday was the event. My day started out with a wet twenty mile ride to where the show was to take place. I was way early but that was the plan. I had pre-registered a few days earlier and just dropped the bike on main street with the instructions to move it wherever needed. Our tent crew from work was setting up tables, chairs, stages and porta potties so I just bummed a ride back to the shop where I spent the morning fixing broke ass chain saws. At noon my wife showed up and we headed down town to the show. We met up with Al and Vicki and enjoyed a nice lunch together before checking out the cars and bikes.

 There were a lot of cool machines there and after walking around we decided to set up shop in front of our bikes. Als Buzz Lightyear bike is a big hit with the young crowd. A lot of kids had their pic taken in front of it.

 I planted myself just within ear shot of the Rat Turd. I like to hear the WTF comments people make when looking at the bike. 

 The weather really turned out nice and there was a pretty good turn out of spectators. It seems the new fuel tank and exhaust system really have changed the way people view the bike. A lot more people have less of a clue what the bike started out life as. Those two mods didn't go unnoticed by the judges either as the bike took first place in the "radical" class. Ya know this rat isn't a "show" bike. It's just unusual and shows off what a twisted mind is hiding behind these good looks. The goal was to have the tank and exhaust projects done by this date and I met that goal. If I didn't set some kind of due date then the thing would be a pile of parts in the corner like my BSA project.

 So whats next? Yesterday I got to thinking about the bikes I have sitting in the garage. I really want to get that BSA running soon so I can enjoy it while I might still be capable of kick starting the beast. I'm considering partially funding that project from the sale of my sportster. Ya I know. I do this all the time and I'll regret selling it just like when I sold the Aprilia and a whole list of other bikes. I have a few other thoughts on the subject of selling the sporty but I'll share those another time.
 Todays pics were all taken by my wife who has been enjoying clicking away trying to find that "just right" picture. She does all right. I have no complaints.

Bit By A Rat

 I was tinkering on the Rat Turd fuel tank after work on Monday. Because I used a gasless wire feed welder there is a lot of splatter that needs to be cleaned up. As I was turning the tank in different positions to sand on it the tank kinda slipped out of my hand. I reached quick to grab it and the little rat bit me.

 I hooked my hand deep into what would be the ear of the rat head design in the front of the tank mount. There's kinda some meat hangin out of it. It's not like a life threatening wound but it is in an annoying spot for a mechanic. At least it didn't cross my "heart line". That would really be annoying.

 So what does this all mean? Well, nothing really except that there is some slow progress on the Rat Turd. After buying the new Harley I was consumed with it. I had a lot to learn about the new bike and I guess I still do but I'm comfortable enough with it now that I can start thinking about my other projects. There is a deadline for the fuel tank project and that's coming up in September when I want to take the bike to the Watson Street Bike Show. I know it's not a show bike but it is fun to let others get a close look at the stupidity that is the Rat Turd. Maybe I'll see you there.

Random Pic Day

I was thumbing through my phone today and saw a theme for a few bike pics. Not sure why I take pics at this angle. I guess I just like to get a feel of the size of the beast.



Big beautiful bike

This is Dans Warrior in two-up touring mode.

My '67 BSA

I've seen this bike at a few shows. Doesn't matter what brand it is, it's just cool.

 All the kids were home for the holiday. It's kinda a tradition to sit around the dining room table and play board games including monopoly. Last nights game will go down as one of the most memorable. Lots of deal making, mini tantrums and rule checking went on. Because of a deal I made with Kenzo where she had free rent for life, I decided to tear down hotels and sell a monopoly for $1 to another player, then fund rebuilding of the hotels. The plan worked and the game ended with a huge shellacking as I rose to victory. Ya, we've got our own rules.