Just Because

Just because it was a never ending 12 hour day and it strikes me as funny. Don’t forget you can click on the picture and make it bigger; for those ocularily challenged people out there.

Rat Rod

Since this paint is only temporary it gives me the liberty of screwing around with it without fear. So keeping in the rat rod theme, here is Da Rat. Right now its just a permanent marker outline that won’t last a week in the sun.

The neat thing is its almost invisible except in direct light and even then you have to look at it at an angle to see it. So I can’t decide if I should just outline it in black paint and leave it or if I should color it in like I originally planned.

And one more

Latest Order

I placed my first parts order in a while. I got the hand controls, the switches, the throttle and idle cables and the clutch cable. Also the tail light and headlight and the oil pressure gauge and switch. Should be here in 5 to 7 working days. So on my 5 days off next week I will have some things to do to keep me busy!!!

The Cover Coverage Continues

Well the seat is covered, I went with school of thought number 1. Take a piece of material and just stretch it around. Worked out pretty well. The spray adhesive set up pretty fast so there is that one wrinkle but I can live with it. As easy at this turned out to be I may pull it all off before long and go to leather anyway.

She is surprisingly comfortable for being so thin. I am very pleased with the outcome for my first attempt.

In the bottom picture you can see the difference in the two sides of the seat pan. I will have to correct that also in the next go around. It’s not all that noticeable so I am not to worried.

Cover Coverage

Well I didn’t get anything done on the seat today. Tomorrow will be the day for that. Right now I am trying to decide how I want to do it. When it comes to covering something there are 2 schools of thought. The first is you take one big piece of fabric or leather or whatever you are using and lay it over the top and then begin pulling it tight around the side to the bottom and rivet or screw it or attach it by some means. The other is to cut out a piece of the material the same shape as the top only a little bigger for seam allowance and then you sew a strip around the outside whatever width you need to give it a 3d shape then pull it over the seat and attach it to the bottom.

The first method is much easier to get started but pulling the material down around the sides all the way around a complex shape without a whole lot of wrinkles is not easy. The second method requires a sewing machine, and mine is buried in storage somewhere. Also the chance of cutting the top shape just right so you don’t have any sports to small or any spots to large is a million to one especially having never done this before.

So I will be making that decision tonight and will get started tomorrow.

Hot Seat!

Well here is the seat pan all foamed up.

First  2 layers.

Then 4 layers.

And now shaped up and sitting in frame for a test fit.

And that’s all for tonight. Since none of you would do the decent thing and call out so I can get called in, I am going to watch The Unit! Tomorrow we shall cover it! Good Night!

Grab Your Seats

Well I got bored this afternoon so I started another project I have been putting off…the seat. As you can imagine there is no off the shelf seat that is going to fit this frame and there is no room in budget for a custom made seat. So, the only answer is make it myself.

Here is the template out of a soda case

And the seat pan out of 18 ga steel. I know that’s not very thick but remember this is all by hand .

And another.

Now I am off to find suitable padding and a old pair of jeans for the cover. Since this is my first seat I am not going to sacrifice a piece of expensive leather.

Overdue Update

My apologies to those of you who check in on me on a regular basis. The lapse in posting was unintentional. This New York trip is eating up all my attention and funds for the next couple checks so I haven’t been doing a lot. Just little odds and ends as I think of them. She is as far together as she can be right now. Everything is bolted in and adjusted as it will be when she is done.

By way of apology I wheeled her out into the daylight for the first time fully clothed.

Fatty fat fat, damn oil bag still not sitting level!

Pretty sprotor and my $100 dollar fender supports I managed to engineer to fit!

I will do my best not to lapse anymore but things will be slow for the next few weeks. I may attempt the seat in the near future, I am tired of looking at the obvious empty space. It really draws your eye and ruins the lines of the bike!

Back In Black!

Here she is almost all the way back together. The belt drive isn’t on because I have a minor transmission issue I need to attend to first.

And the oil tank position I was talking about.

And me filthy after my 3rd 12 hr day on the bike!

Almost there! Almost.

It’s Official…I Am Old!!!

Well after taking the dogs to the beach at 7 am yesterday morning and then putting in a good 12 hours on the exploding bike trick; I found it impossible to get out of bed when the alarm sounded at 8 this morning. After 12 hours of crawling around on the floor and lifting this and cutting that the old back just wouldn’t bend.

I did manage 10:30 though and as we speak the rear fender is outside drying. The gas tank is almost etched inside and ready for sealer and then I can paint that. The frame should also get done today so maybe there will be some fun pictures this evening.

I know you don’t care about any of this and just  want to see dog pictures…so here you go.

This is why we go to the beach early and alone. This look makes the old ladies snatch up their labradoodles and go running for the park ranger. It really just means “Throw the ball damn it!”

And of course Debo waiting for his turn with the ball!

The Queen and her toy!

But we don’t want to go home!!