The Chopper Compendium

I havent gotten the parts shots yet, but heres the update........
After work yesterday with a few boxes of stuff, my kids came up to the shop and refused to leave until we could get the photos shot today. The pic was taken at 2am before we all went home and I glued the leather onto the grips and checked the last piece from the to-do list.
This morning we loaded up and met with Ariel and Peter, both of which I've worked with before, and both are awesome people.

And then pictures happened........And it was awesome. But I'm not posting much of them until I get the edits back from Peter........So for now theres just teasers.

Before the shoot I wrapped the grips in the same Moosehide that the seats are made from, gorilla glue is awesome stuff........
Bolted up the new rear rotor, polished the caliper and rear hub, and plumbed the brakes. Running Russel fittings with -3 male ends all stainless, and -3 stainless braided lines. Goes together nice and easy and its clean, been using them for years on trucks.
Got my new pressure guage for the oil on, never seen it done this way, but I dont see why it wont work.........Heres hoping, at the very least it looks fast.

Then today we started running wires in the frame, trying to have it wired mid week and riding on the weekend.
Ran fuel lines too, just need to find the clamps I want.

This pic, right here is what its all about for me. I love the models, and the shots of the bike.......But me and my girl, so awesome. It was a last minute pic, after the model left, and I'm so thankful he told me to pull it back into the studio.

I just posted over in Busted Rubber - The Unwanted Child- Build, I just wanted to say congratulations on an amazing piece of engineering! As in the build I just mentioned, Ive been following both you guys from your first post and I have to confess that I was here simply to look and see, I had no intention of doing anything like this myself, I restore/rebuild to stock (or close).

I finish a resto and then ride for a while and while I do the next one (I'm slooowww) and when the new one is almost ready Ill retire the previous beasty to be a display only... I have a few in the shed which I wipe over with a rag and occasionally start up ... a chopper has never featured in the scheme of things, partly because the laws here in Aus make it very difficult to actually register such a beast. But Im wondering now..... does it have to be a ridden thing, cant it by my work of art?

So Im reassessing, thanks to a few of you guys on here.....

Artie

Thats awesome.

I do plan to ride the hell out of this one. Just to be clear.

But you're right about the art of it. I couldnt leave any running bikes in storage, I'd ride them all, its just a personal thing. But I gather inspiration from all over, so if me posting inspires you to do something, then I'm pretty happy about that. Just remember. Theres no right or wrong, and its just metal.

Finishing up all the tedious crap that never seems like we get anywhere.....
Exhaust baffles are in. Brakes are bled. Motor is wired (just need to connect everything under the seat) Lights are wired. Nice wire loom on everything. Lots of zap straps...........
Brake light is nice and bright, and everything is coming together finally. Need to get a battery, and some oil, and after a few more wires I can fire it up.

Redid all the seat foam, and got the leather on the bitch pad done, almost done the front one.




Cut up the coils, and modified(fixed) them.

Fuck yes. Fuck yes. Fuck yes.

I've owned this bitch for 14 years. It has an insane amount of sentimental value. I took it for most major events since I've had it. I parked it to make a better life for my kids 8 damn years ago. I started to build it a year ago.

And it fucking fired. It runs, even if it does need some carb cleaning, but it fucking runs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QroFs2BAnw

Hell Ya Man!

So I got the coils mounted...........
Wired it up(still needs a little cleanup and some gauge wires.

And then after I fired it I discovered that it was only running on one cylinder...........Wonder why. Bone fucking dry too.

So we fixed that.
Videoooooooooooooooo............





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosTXmXEbfQ

Holy Shit...The one looks pretty much new inside.The other looks like it's been sitting upside down with the Bowl off the whole 8 Years.

Like the burnout video!

Still tuning........Apparently theres no recipe for the jets.......Go figure.

http://youtu.be/RQK4A3yJS9Y

Today was the day. And I have to say, that it was the most fun I've EVER had on 2 wheels.

We grabbed the battery, got it in, zap strapped some stuff up temporarily, and for the first time in 8 years, it moved under its own power.



VIDEO !!!

http://youtu.be/uDnvbnEu_RI

And then my day ended with a burnout it the shop that hooked up, and a bent toe peg. And yet still.............The most awesome evening in a very long time.