Three Words to Live By

... excess is best.







Have a safe new year, drink heavily, and for you cheap-asses out there - tip generously.

Waylon and Hank Jr.

Well just break out a bottle hoss. I'll tell you bout the driftin cowboy band.

Shop Shots

Chicks and Ink 4

Harry Xmas

from north-central Wisconsin...

Jimi's Dead, but Ted's Still Ted

Rock and Roll, Guns, and Motorcycles. Throw in some lawless partying and half naked women, everything pretty much goes hand in hand.

Gettin' The Hell Outta Town

Back to the land of Harley Davidson, beer, freeze your ass off weather, and fat chicks... Wisconsin.

POLE DANCING

Uhhhhhhh, yeaaaahhhh...



... 27 seconds of heaven.

Shop Shots

SnowBro

Have had it for three years now, can't bring myself to use it. It's more like a piece of artwork to me, and, some hipster would probably try and steal it.

Off The Press

So, I got a call from Pacman a few months back saying he was in the Paisano offices in L.A. and they had a picture of me laying out on the table. He told me that he mentioned that he was a friend of mine and they said, "no shit?". He went on to tell them that not only did he know me, but he pinstriped my bike at Born Free this past June.

Turns out, they got the photo from Michael Lichter. He shot it while we were in Sturgis tearing down Vanocker Canyon right after a huge storm that dropped golfball sized hail on us for a good ten minutes, not shitting you. Everyone in the group started pulling over and taking cover while my friend Kurt and I said fuck that and just kept riding through it.

Since they liked the shot so much, they wanted to use it as their cover shot, but they had no idea who I was. They all seemed a little dumbfounded cuz what are the odds of Pacman being there right before their deadline, seeing the photo, and having a history with both me and the bike....

Pacman was there because he was designing the artwork for the 25th anniversary cover of Biker, another Paisano mag. Just so happens he saw the photo of me and they asked him to hit me up. He did, and the rest is history, even though they spelled my last name wrong. Regardless, I could care less.

It's a cool shot and it's on the cover of a mag that is dedicated to riding, which is what matters most to me. I re-built this bike for Born Free, along with Rich. It came out of Shamrock/Irish Rich Custom Cycles, was ridden out to L.A., put in the invited builder's circle at BF3, then ridden all the way up the coast and back through montana and wyoming. That's only a fraction of the mileage I put on that bitch this past season. It was, and always will be a RIDER.

I've said it before, I don't care much for show bikes. Motorcycles aren't meant to be garaged, or looked at, or fired up once in every great while... they are meant to be ridden, stock or custom. I don't care if the bike looks like a space ship or has a $15,000 engine, if it can't run down the highway at 100mph mile after mile, it aint worth a damn to me(unless of course it's an antique, even so, look at the CannonBall Run). Talk all you want about so and so's bike that's been featured at every major show, if it came in on a trailer or isn't ridden on a regular basis, it might as well be a pile of parts. Now, I'm sorry if I'm rubbing a few people the wrong way, but then again, if you don't agree with me, tough shit. We'll never be "bro's" or ride cross-country together gathering memories, emptying beer bottles, chasing tail, or collecting stories about other illegal shit for the rest of our lives, simple as that. That's not to say that I haven't placed or had my bike in shows before, I have. It always occurs to me while doing so, I realize that having it sit there is a lot less exciting than me ripping down some road on it, which is what I'd much rather be doing with my time. That's what I'm in it for and it's what I've dreamt since I was able to walk. That's the reason I was happy to hear that it was going on the cover of In The Wind. I love Street Chopper, Dice, and a lot of the other mags out there, I do, but this mag is almost completely dedicated to shots of people riding their motorcycles.

Titties, riding shots, features, coverage of some of the bigger events, and Biker Magazine's last 25 years. If any of those interest you, go grab a copy of either mag out on newstands now.

A big thanks to Pacman, Kim Peterson, and Michael Lichter -

Friend and Craftsman

Why buy a knock-off when you can support a true biker and chopper innovator.

Fuck the imitators, they're just as bad as bandwagon bikers....

Buy American, buy a Goodson air-cleaner.


...time for some engraving. Stay tuned-

Get set.....

This photo rules -

The Lizard King's

...birthday is today. Jim Morrison would have been 68 years old, or, is 68 whether you believe rumors that he's still alive. Rumors of him living in Africa, working for the CIA, returning to the states as a suit and tie businessman, or wandering around the country like a gypsy - among so many other conspiracies. Stephen King claims that he picked up a hitch-hiker in Texas one night, swearing that it was Jim years after his death. One of the weirdest aspects about his death is the fact that no one was contacted regarding it for three days following it. Not the media, not the band, not his friends, not even his family.

So, what better way to celebrate his birthday than to celebrate his rap sheet -

September 28, 1963 in Tallahasee, Florida. Charges of petty larceny, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and public drunkenness at a football game


December 9, 1967 in New Haven, Connecticut. He was booked on charges of indecency, public obscenity, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. He was maced backstage by a cop, then started telling the story during the performance of Backdoor Man, until the cops stepped out on stage and stopped the show. Little blue suit, little blue hat, little blue pig...


January 28, 1968 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jim was arrested at the Pussycat a' Go Go for public drunkenness and vagrancy. On the ride to the station and while being booked, Jim was livid and incited the cops who threatened to beat him up after their shift ended.

March 1, 1969 in Miami, Florida. His felony charge was for lewd lascivious behavior, two misdemeanors for public profanity, two for public exposure and one for public drunkenness. Police said Jim exposed himself on stage.

- He was supposedly arrested two more times before his "death". Once in November of 1969 in Phoenix for drunk and disorderly conduct on a flight to see the Rolling Stones. And finally, in August of 1970 in Los Angeles for suspicion of drunkenness. He got piss-drunk and passed out on the front porch of a west hollywood home.

One thing's for sure, while all of the other bands of his time were singing about love and peace, Morrison brought darkness to rock n roll, not to mention revolt and an anti-authority feel to his followers and concerts. I've always been a fan for this very reason.

As drunk, out of control, drugged-up, and unusual as he was, he's one of my heroes...

Lukas Nelson

First saw him live in '07 and his guitar playing blew me away. Here's a little clip from a Farm Aid show in Milwaukee, 2010 -

This Weekend

Last year at this time, Rich and I were on our way west for a weekend of custom events. If you're in the area, have fun you spoiled sons a bitches! Good times, wish we were there...

Lee Hartung Collection: Video Intro

Pretty interesting, would've been cool to have seen it in person...

Chicks and Ink 3

Feel like playing billiards on a beach while you drink rice wine...?

Calm Before The...

There's snow coming from those mountains. Last nice day for a while to come, 60 degrees. Got out for a bit up in the hills today near the remnants of the fourmile canyon fire. With the sun setting, it was damn cold on my way home... it's snowing right now.

Super-

-Moto

Johnny's Shovel

Out of all of the bikes in the Born Free Lot this past summer, Johnny Surprise's Shovelhead caught my eye the most. Got this picture off of Dagos Speed Shop's blog. Up close and personal, this bike has a lot going on... kind of like Johnny.

Back Home

One of my best friends, Nate, is about as dedicated as it gets when it comes to Muskie fishing. He lives in NorthCentral Wisconsin and it seems as though every weekend he's entered into some fishing tourny in the state during the season. He lives for this shit and he's damn good at it. Here are some photos from the PRO-MAC(Muskie Angler Circuit) Invitational Championship at Pewaukee Lake, WI on October 1st and 2nd. He and his teammate Corey took it all, winning the guaranteed $40,000 first place money and the Championship crown. Huge accomplishment, couldn't be happier for him.

Nate on the left, Corey on the right

http://www.professionalmuskieanglercircuit.com/2011/results/pewaukeechamp.html

My brother Benny with the 11-point Buck he shot last weekend in Central Wisconsin. Remington 270 and the guts it destroyed in the background. Whether it's deer, elk, turkeys, you name it, my brother likes to kill shit...

Stats in Wisconsin, 2010:
Over 26,000 deer killed by vehicles
Over 336,000 killed by hunters
2010 population estimated at 1,160,100
No matter where you go, these fuckers are everywhere...

Trigger

Willie Nelson's Classic Martin N-20 guitar - Trigger. When asked why his guitar is named Trigger, Willie explains: "Roy Rogers had a horse named Trigger. I figured: "This is my horse!"

During his well publicized "discussions" with the Internal Revenue Service, Willie was so concerned that they might try to take Trigger away from him that he hid it at his manager's house for safe keeping.



..one of my all-time favorite photos. Out of all of the possessions he owned during his hassles with "the man", this is the one he cherished the most. It reminds me of an old pair of riding boots I have, put em to rest this past September. They were the most uncomfortable, holey, and mangled pieces of leather for the past three or four years, but I could never get rid of them. I had to super-glue the heel back on after Sturgis this past August, caved and bought a new pair for my sister's wedding that I rode back to Wisco for Labor Day Weekend... man are they comfortable, but it's just not the same.

Speed Merchant

Get covered -



Check out the Speed Merchant link in my blog list for more products and info...

Illusion Cycles

If you're in So Cal, get up, get on your bike, and get over there...

Poppin'

- a vehicle maneuver in which the front wheel(s) come off of the ground due to heavy torque being applied to the rear wheel(s).

Been sketching and transferring patterns the last few days to get started on some engraving pieces. Nothing too crazy, just practice, but I'm carving up metal either way....

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy (First Listen)

Anyone who says white people can't dance obviously hasn't seen this video. Single off of The Black Keys new album due out in early December, go get it...



Every album these guys release seems to be just as good as the last. Having seen these guys in concert many times, I'm more excited to see them after this album than any other before this. The Keys drummer, Patrick Carney, is worried about playing some of the new songs live, that's how fast they are. They kill it every time they step out on the stage.

"It's the fastest we've ever played," singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach says of the LP's new songs, which he says were inspired by the Clash, the Cramps, and old rock'n'roll, rockabilly, and garage rock records. "The new album doesn't sound like Brothers. It doesn't have that open soul feel to it. It's way more driving and the tempos are really fast."
- Black Keys interview with spin.com

Irish Welding

So Far From Your Weapon

Something about Alison Mosshart(The Kills, The Dead Weather) - she's talented, dark, and grungy. In my mind, one sexy mutha...



You dream of seeing fire in them hills
But you better wipe that smile from your lips
Which of us will be the one to go
(Which of us will be the one to go )
He who hits the roads the one who lives
(He who hits the roads the one who lives)

Veterans

In honor of the Marines 236th birthday today, as well as Veteran's Day tomorrow, here's an old video my good friend Leny forwarded to me:



Been watching Vietnam in HD on the History Channel these past couple days, shit is crazy. I can't imagine what it's like to go to war, I just know that those who serve deserve everyone's support and respect. In a country that gives so much to politicians who fuck up, load their pockets, and collect crazy benefits after serving from the safe confines of their offices - we should probably start rethinking our ways. Those that put their lives on the line for this country deserve much more...

Can You Dig It

Looks like Ness, but not sure?

Frank Kaisler. Can't remember where I got this photo, but, great picture. A true Chopper/Motorcycle Hero and friend...