I know by now you do and since I have no parts and no bike related info I am going to too. I can't figure out which one is really small or which one is really large. CLICK HERE
Either way it warms the cockles of my.........heart....yeah, yeah that's it my heart.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Be careful what you whish for...
In how many previous posts did I wish for a parts dealer in the are that could ship fast? Now that I ordered some stuff from Demons and it gets here the next day I have nothing to look forward to. Normally its order parts on payday, wait 5 days for parts, parts arrive spend a couple days putting them on wait 6 days and its payday again.
Now I ordered the forward controls on payday they showed up the next day I managed to hold off until Sunday to put them on and now I am on a 11 day wait for payday! So I guess the grass isn't always greener!
Now I ordered the forward controls on payday they showed up the next day I managed to hold off until Sunday to put them on and now I am on a 11 day wait for payday! So I guess the grass isn't always greener!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Very Little Going On
Not much happening lately. Waiting for next payday to get more parts.Specifically the oil tank so I can get that situated and start tearing her down for the welder. And I need some steel bar stock to finish up the tank mounts also for the welder. If I get lucky enough to also get the hand controls and switches at least assembling them will take up some free time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Great Lengths
Now that she is almost done it is impossible to get a full picture without having to open the window take out the screen and take a picture from the front yard like this one... 
The wheelbase is 6 feet 6 inches from axle to axle add another 20 inches and she is just over 8 feet from end to end. The Harley Fat Boy wheelbase is 5 ft 3 inches add another 18 inches and it is 6 feet 9 inches end to end.
The wheelbase is 6 feet 6 inches from axle to axle add another 20 inches and she is just over 8 feet from end to end. The Harley Fat Boy wheelbase is 5 ft 3 inches add another 18 inches and it is 6 feet 9 inches end to end.Todays Labors!
Well the bars went on without a hitch and they look good and more importantly I have full range of motion without hitting the tank,but its close.
And the starter was no problem with a little help from the folks at http://www.clubchopper.com/
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Rise of the House of Usher
Any Poe fans out there? If so I got that Fall of the House of Usher thing going on only in reverse. As the bike gets closer and closer to being finished I find my self, among other things, feeling younger and younger. Maybe younger isn't the right word but it's the right feeling. I am feeling more like I did back before I was married and had Tommy and had all the responsibility. Not that I am sorry any of it happened, Tommy is by far the greatest accomplishment I will ever have a part in. It's kind of hard to put into words. I feel stronger, happier, more aggressive and confident than I have in years. Maybe the bike is just a midlife crisis manifesting itself. Or it could be the other changes in my recent life and I am just projecting them onto the bike because it has become so all consuming as it nears completion.
I don't now how to explain it. I don't want to live forever anymore(anyone seen my smokes?). Or more to the point I am not going to let the fear of the inevitable intimidate me. I have no desire to spend the next twenty years doing what I have done for the last 10. Scurrying toward a pension I won't ever see like a daft rat on a endless treadmill of grief. The whole fucking world is out there! Once upon a time I wanted to see it all, and somewhere I traded it in for safety and security and a room with no windows.
Lately I have been remembering that the little shitty road right outside my door actually goes to The Bad Lands and The Smokey's and Key West, Laughlin and Reno and VEGAS BABY! And the only reason I am not there is fear. What if I can't pay my bills? What about child support? What about a place to live?
I remember a time back in the darkness when drugs ruled my life. I had nothing, literally the clothes on my back and that was it, but I regularly walked a neighborhood in Detroit that made South St. Pete look like Disney World yet somewhere along the way I became afraid. But lately the fear has been subsiding, at first I thought it was just apathy setting in for good but now that apathy seems to have a edge of angst to it, a little hot spot that won't go out.
Whatever it is I like it! I feel at times 10 ft tall and bulletproof again. I can't wait for it to be finished so I can ride away from the meaningless, pointless, frustrating, endless crap that clogs up most of my days. But until then I am going to enjoy this feeling and remember the old battle cry of when I was truly young, strong and alive...
I don't now how to explain it. I don't want to live forever anymore(anyone seen my smokes?). Or more to the point I am not going to let the fear of the inevitable intimidate me. I have no desire to spend the next twenty years doing what I have done for the last 10. Scurrying toward a pension I won't ever see like a daft rat on a endless treadmill of grief. The whole fucking world is out there! Once upon a time I wanted to see it all, and somewhere I traded it in for safety and security and a room with no windows.
Lately I have been remembering that the little shitty road right outside my door actually goes to The Bad Lands and The Smokey's and Key West, Laughlin and Reno and VEGAS BABY! And the only reason I am not there is fear. What if I can't pay my bills? What about child support? What about a place to live?
I remember a time back in the darkness when drugs ruled my life. I had nothing, literally the clothes on my back and that was it, but I regularly walked a neighborhood in Detroit that made South St. Pete look like Disney World yet somewhere along the way I became afraid. But lately the fear has been subsiding, at first I thought it was just apathy setting in for good but now that apathy seems to have a edge of angst to it, a little hot spot that won't go out.
Whatever it is I like it! I feel at times 10 ft tall and bulletproof again. I can't wait for it to be finished so I can ride away from the meaningless, pointless, frustrating, endless crap that clogs up most of my days. But until then I am going to enjoy this feeling and remember the old battle cry of when I was truly young, strong and alive...
Parts is Parts
Well the handlebars, grips and isolators arrived today along with the starter. I will get them on tomorrow for some quick pictures then dis assembly will begin for its trip to the welder. I still have to cut the fender struts down and get the front height of the tank measured in a way that I can get it to the same height at the welders. If it sits to low or to far back the mounts hit the engine. More tomorrow!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
OH JENKIES GANG!
I just spent the last few minutes of my evening before work mocking up my rear fender for its final position and discovered my beautiful $100 fender supports are about 2inches to tall! Now cutting them down could be a viable option as my axle blocks have a unusual notch cut out of them and if I cut them down the radius might be just right to fill the notch. But I would then have to weld them in which means they would get painted to match the frame or the bike but chrome would not be possible. Or I could just cut them down and bolt them on the way I originally planned but I can't imagine the cost for a private citizen to get them re chromed.
This is the first serious oops of the project to the tune of a 100 smackers. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
This is the first serious oops of the project to the tune of a 100 smackers. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
By The Numbers
This is a by the numbers special report. Having, through the course of the last 9months, only one person ask me how much I spent so far. And being more concerned with building than counting. Also, so as to not scare myself I never kept a running tab.
Sine the foot pegs are on and the gas tank mounts now all fabbed up and waiting for their date with the welder; and I am here all alone I took out my receipts and ran the numbers. Now keep in mind this is just the parts and shipping of the parts. Also wheel mounting is included. What is not included are tools I had to buy, such as a impact wrench, torque wrench, tap and die set, BMF socket set, one vernier caliper, laser level and other items. But all told that isn't even in the $200 dollar range as I bought most at Harbor Freight and it isn't fair to count them because I will use them again. What also isn't included is hardware. All the nuts and bolts I had to purchase were all stainless steel and good quality. Some hardware came with the parts they belonged to. So once again that total is small about 80 cents a bolt, less for the nuts. I won't get into my theory on nut prices vs bolts but I bet a woman had something to do with it.
Anyway, the current grand total is $6,088.03. Now one of my previous posts stated that including speedometer and oil gauge and exhaust I was about $1200.00 from being ready for welding and paint. That number with the exhaust is more likely going to be in the $1500 range.
So add that to the 6k and we are looking at $7588.03. On top of that if you throw in the welding, and I really have no idea what it will cost for about 30minutes of welding, we will call it $200 just to be sure we come in less. And I have been given a initial price on paint at $500 but it will probably be a little more, unless I do it myself in which case it will be less so lets keep that at $500 for now. That brings another $700 to the total so it is now $8288.03; which puts me 1700 and change under my initial guess of 10k.
However, there is still the great state of Florida to deal with. Upon passing the inspection you have to bring receipts for all "major components" of your build to the tax collectors office and pay sales tax on anything bought over the Internet or out of state. Now since this is Fucked up FLA I have heard of guys bringing in receipts for motor, tranny, frame, and wheels and paying tax on that and I have heard horror stories of guys having to bring receipts for everything down to the freaking spark plugs. There is no standardization on this it all about who is in what kind of mood behind the counter when you get there. So if I have to pay tax on everything I bought out of state it will be about $560 still giving me $1200 of wiggle room.
And if the economy wasn't so crappy and I found the right buyer I could get $11,500 for it giving me about 2k in profit. Now if the engine was new I could easily hit the 15k mark in a better economy.
So there you have it, by the number. Now I have a headache. I won't be doing this again until she is 100% done. Have a peach of a day!
Sine the foot pegs are on and the gas tank mounts now all fabbed up and waiting for their date with the welder; and I am here all alone I took out my receipts and ran the numbers. Now keep in mind this is just the parts and shipping of the parts. Also wheel mounting is included. What is not included are tools I had to buy, such as a impact wrench, torque wrench, tap and die set, BMF socket set, one vernier caliper, laser level and other items. But all told that isn't even in the $200 dollar range as I bought most at Harbor Freight and it isn't fair to count them because I will use them again. What also isn't included is hardware. All the nuts and bolts I had to purchase were all stainless steel and good quality. Some hardware came with the parts they belonged to. So once again that total is small about 80 cents a bolt, less for the nuts. I won't get into my theory on nut prices vs bolts but I bet a woman had something to do with it.
Anyway, the current grand total is $6,088.03. Now one of my previous posts stated that including speedometer and oil gauge and exhaust I was about $1200.00 from being ready for welding and paint. That number with the exhaust is more likely going to be in the $1500 range.
So add that to the 6k and we are looking at $7588.03. On top of that if you throw in the welding, and I really have no idea what it will cost for about 30minutes of welding, we will call it $200 just to be sure we come in less. And I have been given a initial price on paint at $500 but it will probably be a little more, unless I do it myself in which case it will be less so lets keep that at $500 for now. That brings another $700 to the total so it is now $8288.03; which puts me 1700 and change under my initial guess of 10k.
However, there is still the great state of Florida to deal with. Upon passing the inspection you have to bring receipts for all "major components" of your build to the tax collectors office and pay sales tax on anything bought over the Internet or out of state. Now since this is Fucked up FLA I have heard of guys bringing in receipts for motor, tranny, frame, and wheels and paying tax on that and I have heard horror stories of guys having to bring receipts for everything down to the freaking spark plugs. There is no standardization on this it all about who is in what kind of mood behind the counter when you get there. So if I have to pay tax on everything I bought out of state it will be about $560 still giving me $1200 of wiggle room.
And if the economy wasn't so crappy and I found the right buyer I could get $11,500 for it giving me about 2k in profit. Now if the engine was new I could easily hit the 15k mark in a better economy.
So there you have it, by the number. Now I have a headache. I won't be doing this again until she is 100% done. Have a peach of a day!
Been Mounted?
"The forward controls?" you ask. "Of course", I reply, "the bike is the only thing around here getting anything mounted lately."
And the shifter side.....
But they did go on smoothly and look great!
The rear brake side...
And the shifter side.....
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