Texas Jeff's Chop

Sweet chop owned by my friend Jeff down in the Dallas area. Really cool guy and one bad bike that he brought up for the Love Thy Chopper show here in Denver this past June. With bikes like this, and more, LTC is getting better and better each year.








This bike was in one of the recent issues of Dice Magazine as well - I think issue 34?
Check it out -

Wrenchin'

Pictures from the Cannonball Run stop this past September in Clovis, NM.






These guys were from Wisconsin Rapids, a city in Wisco next to my hometown. The guy on the right is Bill Rodencal, a Harley-Davidson Museum Motorcycle Restorer/Conservator - And who was sponsoring these guys?...


My hometown Brewery... I grew up about 8 blocks away from this Brewery, so I caused a lot of trouble tearing around this establishment/neighborhood on my bmx - not to mention how many Blue-Bullets(Point Special Lagers) I've put down throughout my lifetime.

Since their number was 33, Point Beer gave them 33 cases of Point Special for their trek across the USA.

Being so far from Wisconsin, it was good to see something from back home.

Jive Turkey -

Sit back, take a load off and relax - at least no one is gonna eat you today...

Chong

Show your neighbors how thankful you are this holiday weekend... for your motorcycle.

Mustang Tank Mounting -

Before my long trip down to Austin, TX and back, I ordered a new 3.5 gallon mustang gas tank to mount up on my chop. Before this, I would strap 3 MSR 33oz. gas canisters to my sissy bar - either waiting to run out or pulling over if I knew I wasn't going to make it on certain stretches. On most stretches with my 2.2 mustang tank, I could make it roughly 75-85 miles. On my way out to L.A. for the Born Free 2, I made it 62 miles before I ran out around Beaver, UT. The wind was hitting me at about 40 mph from the front and I was hauling ass, both which killed my mpg. I love smaller tanks, they look great, but aren't too handy if you take big trips.

I didn't have to do much to this tank to get it set on my backbone, but here's the story anyway...

Bareback


After cutting and smoothing off the original front mount, I made a set of mounting tabs to be welded into the tank's tunnel - cutting, drilling, and cleaning them.


Since the 3.5 has a similar back mount and the tank is the same length as my 2.2, to mount up the back I only had to open up the bolt-hole to fit a rubber grommet in it. After bolting up the back mount, I set the front up to the desired height - Rich and I usually use wooden pieces to space parts in situations like this.

I set the tank up a little higher on the backbone for both the look as well as to make the mounting tabs run flush with the bottom curve of the tank. It's more of the little details that I pick up from working with Rich.

I set the tabs up as needed and marked the inside of the tunnel.




After marking the placement of the tabs in the tunnel with the tank on the backbone, I took the tank off and placed the tabs up in the tunnel - using small magnets to hold them in place when I tacked them on.



I MIG welded the tabs on the inside of the tunnel, then Rich TIG welded the outside. After welding the tabs in place, I sanded the entire tank to rough it up before priming - using a scotch-brite pad on the inside of the tunnel.


Taped up the filler neck and bungs, then sprayed it down with primer a couple times - using a little too much in the process.


No muff too tough...



Placed some rubber padding in-between the mounts and backbone when I bolted it up. Hooked up the fuel lines and... done. Picture of the finished product before leaving for Texas.

Titty Twister

Great movie, unforgettable scene. Ahhhh, Salma...



Pretty sure I ran across a place or two like this coming home on one of my trips this past year...

I enjoy the run-down, shit-hole saloons you come across in the middle of nowhere. You know, the places that don't scream chain, or even neighborhood bar - scary, blue-collar joints that most stay away from. They're usually bad ass spots that go unnoticed. Sure, they smell bad, have graffiti all over the walls, and don't have doors to their toilets - but that's what makes em' so damn unique.

Ask for a fruity shot, they'll give you whiskey. Ask for a martini, they'll hand you an Old Style.

Adios Amigo

Well, I'm saying goodbye to P-Funk.

Tearing it down and putting things in place to rebuild it into a different mileage monster that its been for me the past couple years. I've cranked out a good 20,000+ on it, riding it for thousands of miles in every direction from the city of Denver and the Rocky Mountain Range.

That Evo is one hell of an engine - I don't care if some guys only take notice in Knucks, Pans, and Shovels - it's been pretty damn bulletproof and I'm not putting it to rest anytime soon. For two good seasons I've been tearing around on it, raising hell and riding the crap out of it - adjusting, fixing, and checking things on it as I went along.

But, it's time for a change and I need to get my hands dirty this winter without spending an ass-load of cash. So, the Chop is getting a makeover. Ideas are being spit out left and right, but when it's all said and done, I know I'll be proud of the finished product no matter what I finally decide on.

I've always been into art. With all of the riding/traveling I do 10 months out of the year, it's hard to get in and use my creative side. I've been drawing and coming up with ideas to keep me busy, but it's in the shop where I can put these ideas to work... It's been too long.

When the weather chills and the snow starts falling in the Rockies, it's shop time. Time to grind, cut, weld, put together-take apart-put together-take apart, so on and so on....

It's blood, cuts, grease and grime. It's idea overload and the creation of something new, something that's mine. It's the idea of what's to come and how much use I'll get out of it this coming spring, summer, and fall.



Saying goodbye can be a bitch sometimes...

Mojave Risin'

Risin' in the morning, rippin' all day, and ragin' through the night.

I did a lot of traveling on my chop this year, with a lot of filming as well. So many events/reasons to get out of town, if I ever really need one. Every year gets better and better - making new friends, learning more with Rich, and experiencing more and more of this Country on the bike. I already foresee next summer surpassing this one in every possible way - parties, events, and traveling the countryside to new destinations.

About to start stripping the Chop down and making some serious changes - mechanically and functionally(for long trips). Same bike, different look.
Stay tuned...


Travels from this past summer. Footage from the Born Free 2 trip in June.

Black Label Berzerkus Tour

T-minus 2 hours until I hit this at The Fillmore down in Denver tonight. I've always wanted to catch Clutch live, had chances, but never ended up getting tix.

Phoenix and L.A. are the next stops for this tour... Should be a blast.



Cracking a beer..... now.

Eight Weight Class Titles-Manny

Landing 411 out of 713 power punches, Manny Pacquiao destroyed Antonio Margarito last night, using his face as a fun-bag for 12 long rounds. Pacquiao's SPEED was too much, pounding Margarito until his face looked, according to experts, as though it had been beaten with a club. Margarito hasn't been allowed to fight in the USA since Jan of 2009 due to him cheating against Shane Mosley - he had illegal knuckle pads in his gloves. Pacquiao, being 17 pounds lighter come fight-time and a good 6 inches shorter, eased off in the 12th because he thought the ref should have stopped the fight. Margarito took everything Manny threw at him though and lasted the full 12 rounds.

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao has won titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147, and now 154 pounds - unbelievable. Filipino Rebels stop killing each other when this guy steps in the ring - that's how huge he is in his home Country.

Growing up, boxing is a sport I vividly remember watching with my dad. My older brother and I would go at it on a regular basis, having gloves and head-gear growing up. Before we got ahold of gloves and head-gear, we only had a small pair of boxing gloves to use. So, we'd throw on football helmets, my brother would wear hockey gloves, and I'd have to wear the padded boxing gloves - I cherish every beating I got from him.

MMA is great and all, but I still enjoy Boxing over all other fighting sports. It's a sport that has fallen backwards in the past decade or so, but, this guy is electrifying and a fight against Mayweather Jr. would be one for the ages. I'd pay top-dollar to see it live.


High-light and paste this link to see highlights... Watching it makes me wanna go out and let loose on the bag hanging in my garage.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-boxearly111310

Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day - honor those who have served this country.

Swedish Black Metal - Watain

Tonight in Denver - Watain, Goatwhore, and Black Anvil.

This is about as heavy as it gets for you metal fans out there. I mean, I like metal, but these guys take it to another level. I don't know if I'll be able to hang with fans of these guys - but, like most of the shows I've hit this year, tickets were free, so I'll try my best. It helps having friends in the music biz...

Next stop for these bands, the Whiskey in L.A. If you live in So Cal and enjoy music straight from hell, go see Watain.

I think Satan, the prince of darkness, is opening up for them - it's only fitting.

Trip Home -

Monday, October 18th, we got on the road around 11 a.m. and headed straight West for New Mexico... 90MPH.

I packed my camera away in Austin and didn't take it out until I got back to Denver, using my video cam most of the way home. Tore out of Austin on hwy 290, passing Luckenbach again on our way to Interstate 10. After replacing the intake manifold gaskets the day before, my bike was running and handling well - so once we got onto 10, I opened up on the throttle.

West Texas isn't as bad as people make it out to be, it wasn't until we got closer to New Mexico when the surroundings got flat. The wind was pounding us from the front at about 30 mph, so our gas mileage went to shit. Made it 106 miles to Fort Stockton/hwy 285 and the chop started sputtering on the off-ramp to get gas. Luckily, I made it to the gas station and that was our longest stretch of the day.

Once on hwy 285, things flattened out... a lot. Oil rigs, tumbleweed, and more torn up semi tires scattering the highway than any other stretch of road I've experienced. Caught a great sunset on our way into Carlsbad, gassed up, and rode back into the night, destination - Roswell.

We had crossed most of Texas that day and had roughly 70 miles left until Roswell. The rigid had taken its toll on my lower back by this point, but that only encouraged me to speed up. 20 miles left and lightning covered the sky in front of us. It was an amazing light show, I just didn't want to get caught in the middle of what it was throwing down from the sky. Fortunately, the storm was heading North of town and we only hit about 5 minutes of light rain pulling into Roswell - finding a Motel on the North end of town.

After a long day, with constant high speeds and vibrations, I've learned to check my bike over at almost every stop. I noticed what seemed to be a crack in my front pipe when I arrived in Arlington earlier in the week on my way to Austin. The fracture in my pipe hadn't gotten any worse up until this point... up until this point. With no support on my bird-shooter pipes from the axle-mount up, the high speeds, vibrations, and bumps in the road deliver a beating on the weld creases. With no warning, my rear pipe was torn nearly all of the way off and my front pipe wasn't too far behind it. So, I tore my rear pipe off at the crack, leaving my front pipe to continue cracking until it was easier to tear off as well.

Even though I felt like laying down in the parking lot, I hadn't eaten all day - so, we got some food and a couple beers across the street at some hot rod bar and grill and then I called it a night.

Tuesday, October 19th, we packed the bikes and headed to the nearest Auto Zone so I could top-off my oil tank.

We made it to our next gas stop - Vaughn, 90 miles down the road, which is where I tore off my front pipe. In honor of Texas, I strapped the two torn pipes on my headlight hood - like longhorns on a Caddy grill. From there, we crossed over to hwy 84 North on our way to Las Vegas, NM. If you're ever in Southeast New Mexico on a motorcycle, try and hit this stretch of highway. Highway 84, from Pastura to Las Vegas is a great road for riding.

We never really slowed down for the first part of the day, gassing up when needed, then ripping on to the next stop. Before we knew it, we had made it over 300 miles in less than 4 hours.

Our stretch up to Raton, NM at the New Mexico/Colorado border was 108 miles. Averaging around 95 mph that stretch, I ran out of gas about 1/2 mile away from the exit. Tipped my bike to the side to run any existing gasoline into my petcock, started it up and gunned it as fast as I could - holding in the clutch once the bike started sputtering again, coasting as far as possible. Repeated this again, getting me to the off-ramp where I saw a sign - gas station 1.6 miles. Fuck. So, I started pushing my bike. A trooper flew by me on the ramp, not even slowing down, fucking prick. Finally, a mexican guy and his kid pulled over, took some cash from me and went to get some gas. Once in town, I needed to get some food in me, so I split off from Charlie(who had to get home to his wife) and made it a solo trip from there on.

My gas stops and trips in general are more enjoyable when I get to take my time and not travel on someone else's schedule. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy riding with my boys, but at the ass-end of a long trip, sometimes I just need to ride back on my own. So, finishing the trip alone was something I needed mentally - no distractions.

My chopper is exactly that - a rigid riding, violently vibrating, shit loosening up or falling off chopper. It holds up great and handles even better, but most of the guys I ride with are on soft-tails - shit just aint the same, and explaining it to someone who's never ridden a hard-tail is like teaching a monkey how to read.

I made it back into Denver when the sun was setting and the traffic was jamming. At this point, I really didn't care about breaking the law, whether it was speeding or splitting lanes - I was almost home. Finally home, my dog Bo was waiting to greet me.

Trips like this are good for your soul and it makes friendships even stronger than before, especially if you share in the entire trip with someone who enjoys it just as much as you do.

You might bitch and argue with one another, but in the end, you learn a lot about not only good friends, but also yourself.

Leaving on these trips always brings out the kid in me - but getting back home always makes me feel like a beat-up old man...

#1 In The Nation - Sundown

It's official, we're #1 in the Nation in PBR sales. We kill it on a weekly basis and serve PBR like it's liquid gold. When I started working there it was said that we were #3, then we fell back to #6, and last year they said we were #2... Our PBR rep. came in last night and told us that we beat out a bar in Portland to take the top spot. I asked if there was any proof to what he was saying - he said that I'd have to take his word for it...



When the Downer first opened in April of 1982, there were three taps on the wall - PBR, Pabst, and Blue Ribbon.

PBR me asap...

- It's rewarding, knowing that I help make more people shit through screen doors every morning than any other bartender in America.

Cheers.

BornFreeShow - Event Video

Well, here it is, Born Free 2 footage...

This show was a huge deal for so many reasons - before, during, and after the event. The bikes, the atmosphere, the people(new and old faces), the trip out there, the experiences... pretty much everything. The Born Free 2 brought people out from all over the USA and beyond. Groups of people got together, packed their bikes and hit the road to attend what was building up to be one of the greatest shows in some time. Bikes were built - money, sweat, and hard work went into showing up with a new creation.

The Born Free 2 motivated people on so many levels - in terms of art, freedom, brotherhood, enjoying life, etc. It might sound funny, but there wasn't any other show this past summer that accomplished what this event did.

The people who put this on deserve a congratulations. Word is, planning for next year's show is already in full swing and the sponsors are pouring in. For some people, it may be a weekend event. For others, it'll be much more than that. Personally, it's gonna be a 2 week, 2 lane excursion out West and up the Coast for me and whoever may want to join. Irish Rich and I are already getting our hands dirty putting together ideas/parts for bikes that we're planning on bringing.

If you need a break from work/life, a roadtrip with the boys, or a reason to get out and enjoy your motorcycle - this is it. This event and the adventure out to L.A. is what it's all about. No trailers, no egos, no bullshit. Camping out, bikes, miles and miles of highway, endless PBR, and the time of your life.

I can't wait, my 2011 summer is already pretty much planned and it hasn't even snowed in Denver yet. My back still hurts from my last trip down to Austin, TX - but, this is the shit I live for.

Do yourself a favor - get to this event next summer. June 25th, 2011.

Hope to see you there and enjoy the video...