Support Shamrock

Show support for Shamrock Fab/Irish Rich Custom Cycles - New Logo, New T-shirts...

Had a friend who is a tattoo artist draw up the new design and Andy at American Icon hooked us up with the printing.

Click the image on the right side of this page to get connected and order one for yourself... limited supply, get em while their hot -



Guaranteed to increase the size of your junk -

Side effects may include nausea, headache, fatigue, bloating, erections lasting more than four hours, and explosive diarrhea...but at least you'll look cool.

California Coast - First Stretch

Last one out of the O'Neil Campsite, I got to say my goodbyes to Rich, then Mike D and the guys from Dallas before taking off on my own. Strapped my gear down, warmed the bike up, and hit the road. 241 up to 91, 91 over to the 15, 15 up to the 210, 210 to the 134, 134 onto HWY 101 North.

Along my route up to Santa Barbara, I passed quite a few chops on the highway, most of them being on the back of trucks or on trailers. Southern California traffic was backed up like usual, but I love splitting lanes. So much that if I'm in another State and there aren't any cops around, I'm not waiting in traffic, legal or not.

Felt good to get out by myself and take my own time. I love riding with Rich, but after the last few months of what seemed to be non-stop shop time and set-backs from outsourced shit, I needed to get out on a solo trip. I wanted to push myself and the bike to the limits, making the last few months worth it. The bike was running like a champ and the weather was perfect, so I opened it up - no one passed me all day.

Once I got past Santa Barbara, it was a lot of great scenery with RV's, sharp curves, and slide areas as I made my way up the 1. You wanna stop around every curve to enjoy all of the views - this stretch up to Big Sur is something everyone with a bike should experience. I've done this stretch once before, about 4 years ago with Irish Rich, but it was foggy with hardly any visibility. This time, it was clear and in the high 70's. Perfect.

This area and stretch of highway is extraordinary. Something that can't be put into words, almost out of this world if only you could get the entire stretch all to yourself.






I made it up to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and to my campsite before the sun went down. This campground consists of massive trees and narrow, windy roads - pretty fucking cool. Unloaded my gear, bought and strapped a bundle of firewood to my sissy bar for later on, then went to a local bar and grill for some food. The place was called Fernwood. With a lot of fancy restaurants around the area, I asked the Park employees where I could get a local, laid back atmosphere and they sent me over to this place. Got some seafood, being on the coast, and drank some beers before heading back to my campsite for the night.

Made my way back to my site and lit a fire. It was the first moment this whole trip that I had time to stop and think straight, with no distractions. No t.v., no internet, no bike show, no traffic, no wind, no exhaust, no bike problems... nothing. I sat and stared at the fire for a long time, taking in the sound of the stream flowing behind my campsite. I needed this to start my journey North - no cares, timetable, or reservations for the days ahead of me.

Finally

Football...

Cowgirls n Bull Riding

With no work til friday, I'm riding up for the Championship Bull Riding going on in Cheyenne for Frontier Days tonight. Might take off up to the Black Hills for a day or two as well, get some pavement to myself before going up for the Rally in a week and a half...

we'll see what happens...

Cowgirls in boots and 8 out the shoots.

Born Free 3

The road to Cook's from the campground is a tunnel of trees, then from there to the show site it's a hilly, windy road. The entire time, you feel no where near the madness of Los Angeles. Very cool spot for the Born Free guys to have host this enormous event. With talk of this event happening or not next year, I hope it fuels this feeling for years to come, chances are I won't make it next year if it goes off the same weekend as this year's...but, depending on if they even have the event again, who knows.

Rich and I made our way over to the show and I pulled into the event, running into Grant as I pulled through the crowd. Since Rich's build wasn't ready in time, we put my chop in the builder's circle at the show.

The show was as big as expected with all of the sponsors on board, publicity the past 6 months, and success from last year's show. The Knuckle they raffled off was an amazing bike, to whoever won it - I hate you. But really, the guys who put this event on did a great job. It was a great reason to pack up the bike and head West for the weekend(or two weeks), which is what it's all about, riding.

Lots of good people coming together for a common interest. The more I go to these types of events, the more I get to see friends and make new ones - this industry(at least the custom side) is far different than most. It's what makes it such a great thing to be a part of. Competing businesses coming together, helping each other out, and enjoying time together. No cut-throat shit. Well, that's not to say you won't see it from time to time, but the people who pull that shit don't really matter much to those that take motorcycles seriously.

Didn't take to many pictures or shoot any video of the show. I felt I did a lot of that last year, which is why I tried enjoying it more this year. I made my rounds, shot the shit with a lot of people, relaxed, and had Pacman pin-stripe my bike... that's it. No crazy stories, just came to have a good time and get some work done on the chop to finish it off.

The Dice party that night was a hit, packing the crowd into Cook's for the after-party. The Dice guys always throw a good shin-dig, if you get a chance, hit one up.

Got back to the campsite and sparked up a fire for a few hours. Me, Rich, Mike D and the boys from Dallas, along with Stephen and his friends from the Denver area, drinking and doing our thing before passing out for the night.

The next day I was heading on a long trip up the Coast and through the NorthWest part of the country, didn't know what might lie ahead...


Builder's Circle Area

The Bike Show Area

I've never really been a huge fan of the stretched out, long chops, but Dave Polgreen's bike did it for me. This bike was wicked and is giving me the itch to build something with this style in the near future. From its stance, to the engraving, to the wheels, to the sissy bar, to the front end - this bike was one of my favorites.

Uhhhh, yeah...

Pulled my bike out of the Circle, into the shade for Pacman while he pin-striped it. He knocked it out.

Homeless style sign Rich made for my chop. With how dirty the bike was, it fit.


To the guys who put this event on, great job. I hope this event returns year after year...

P-Funk...RE-BORN

Turns out, some dude shot photos of my bike at Born Free for Barnett's online deal... Barnett called Rich and he filled them in on the details, except the name - it's all good Rich, I never really told you about the name change.

So, this bike was named after a good friend of mine, Peter Friedrich, who passed away back in '07 when I started the original build. He smoked P-Funks and with PF being his initials, I named the chop, adding the Re-Born since Born Free was a factor in deciding to rebuild it.

Other factors were pretty strong motivators in making some changes as well...

After riding the hell out of this bike for the past two years, there's a lot I've had to think about and wanted to alter on the bike. Don't know what you really want to add or subtract from your bike? Take it on a long excursion and you'll find out, fast.

Not like it needed it, but I felt it was time....

I wanted more power, even better handling, and to make it more of a traveling machine than it already was. So, I had the heads shaved 62 thousandths, put a new cam, push-rods, and lifters in it as well as cleaning the engine out completely. I put a new race tech suspension kit in the front end and also fabbed up the gas tank and fender for removable gear-racks(protecting my paint and giving me more room to carry gear other than my back fender/sissy bar).

The auxiliary gas tank is something I had thought about since I first took this chop on a long trip. Something that Dick Allan would hopefully be proud of, since he's the influence behind building it. I got sick of having extra gas canisters taking up the majority of the packing space on my bike, I had seen other guys build similar oil tanks between their frame rails, and the way I ride this bike - it just made sense.

I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I love this bike. There isn't a bike out there that I'd want on a long haul more than this chop. It's proven its durability, go ahead and dog on the Evo, this bike is bulletproof. I'm not trying to prove anything, I've dreamt of this lifestyle since I was four years old. Whether people take notice of the chop or not doesn't matter to me, this bike was built to be ridden. I am, on the other hand, making an indirect attempt at showing what you get as an end-product from Shamrock Fabrication. There's a lot to be said from the miles that this build has conquered.

I'd be lying if I said that people speaking highly of the bike didn't make me smile. It does, and most of the guys that have said it are guys I look up to. It's always nice getting compliments, but nothing is perfect, I'll take criticism as well.

For the article on Barnett's website, copy and paste:
http://www.barnettharley.com/component/k2/item/3349-point-p-funk-revisited-by-shamrock-fabrication

Born Free Trip - Day 3

The Hard Rock Suite beds are so damn comfortable, we got out of Vegas late. Traffic in town was horrible and it was hot. Felt like it took us longer to get to the I-15 on-ramp from the hotel parking lot than it did to get to Primm once we were on the highway.

Damn it was hot. We made more stops than usual on our way into L.A. that day, making a stop at our spot on Minneola Rd., exit 198. Not because we wanted to , more because we had to it was so hot on the highway. This spot has historical meaning to Rich and I. Just a shitty little gas station in-between Baker and Barstow, some palm trees, and a couple run-down buildings... On our first ride out to L.A. together, this stop nearly saved our lives.

Traffic ran smooth the entire day, passing beemers, benzs, and bentleys heading West. Traffic heading East was backed up more than 20 miles as we got closer to Los Angeles. We kept riding and the traffic on the other side of the highway stood still, mile after mile. I feel bad enough for those people rolling along in cars as it is, what fun is that? Shit is boring - you might have A/C, but I can split lanes...

We got closer to the show area by early evening, hitting Cook's before heading to the campsite. It was good to get there before the sun went down. The bar was filling up and we saw some good friends right off the bat. Set up camp and headed back to the bar for a few. Seeing your friends at these types of events never gets old. If I could, I'd do it every weekend...

Passed out that night, no problem, getting ready for the day to come and Born Free 3 -

Love Thy Chopper

This weekend was great, with people coming from all over to experience Denver's chopper/music scene - exactly what we need more of around here year-round.

Dice had a great party at the Rockbar on Friday night, LTC was in a perfect spot just minutes from downtown, and the ride yesterday was a good ending to the weekend.

For those of you who didn't make it, LTC was different than most events I've been to. The focus of the event was choppers, with some talented Art/Photgraphy as well, but the bands that played were also a big part of the day - making it a metal-fest once the sun went down.

It was hot as hell until the sun dipped behind the show building, giving the blocked-off street party some shade. Took a little while for people to start showing up, but had a good crowd when it was all said and done.

The stage area was pretty kick ass behind the show building, with beer stands, fire breathing trucks, and women everywhere. It blew my mind how many good-looking women were at LTC. More than usual for a chopper show, coming in groups - no guys with them, single women.

The bikes were out as well. Every year this event gets better, with different bikes each year, not the same rides every time. Talented shops came from all over, shipping/trailering bikes or riding in. Local talent made up a large part of the show bikes though, with Denver area builders giving people a taste of Rocky Mountain style.

One of the biggest pluses of the day's event, there were absolutely no cops. I didn't see one the whole time I was there, from 1p.m. until midnight. How many chopper events can you go to and say that. It was a very laid-back, enjoyable day, a big thanks to the Denver PD for not showing up.

Didn't shoot too many photos while I was there, but got the camera out for a little while, shooting these with my phone:

Black Irish Bombshell

The show building was tucked away in an industrial district, just a stones throw from Mile High Stadium and a few minutes from downtown Denver. The shop/show area was in an old warehouse with a shop up in the front of the building, a club-house bar/lounge in the backside of the building, and a large gravel lot out back. The building also served as a good burn out spot.

Fire-breathing Trucks turned into beer-stands

Rolling Thunder Semi stage



This event is worth your time, so stay tuned for event info for next year and plan a long weekend out to Denver for a party and some Mountain riding as well....

Mile Higher Meeting Point/Time

The meeting point for the Mile Higher Run is the Holiday Bar in Morrison, Colorado - 10 a.m. on Sunday. Taking off at 10:30 a.m. sharp... Leaning into curves, twisting the throttle, and tearing down the straight-aways...mile after mile.

I know what we're in for and I'm pretty amped to do this, whether it's me and one other person or a pack of 50 bikes - the route, camping spot, and stops are gonna be unforgettable.

I printed hand-outs with info and maps detailing the meeting point, where the campsite is, and the route we're gonna take for those of you who are interested. I'll have them on me at the Dice Party Friday night(I'll be the one wearing a Irish Rich Custom Cycles Shirt) as well as in the Irish Rich Custom Cycles/Shamrock Fabrication vendor booth at Love Thy Chopper all day Saturday. If you aren't gonna be at either of those events and are still interested in coming on the run, shoot me an email:
speedandglory@hotmail.com

If you're at LTC, stop by the booth and have a beer.

Go to milehigherrun.blogspot for more detailed info also...

The Holiday Bar -

Look who's coming to town...

This guy is on his way to Denver for the weekend. Introduce yourself and buy some of his gear. Great guy, with a wonderful wife and a natural with a camera...

Mark Kawakami -

Mile Higher Route Info

Just posted the map and route info on milehigherrun.blogspot.com

This is a view from above Rollinsville, Colorado. One of our stops...
Simply just a glimpse of what your rubber will be gripping along the way -

Pin-Striping --- Pacman

Beginning of June...

Got all of my sheetmetal done and ready for paint when I had to make a decision, get the pin-striping done with the tins off of the bike or on it?

Got a guy named Roadie here in Denver that has been striping for quite a while. So, I figured, what the hell, I'll have him do it.

Horrible decision on my part. This guy Roadie blows. If you know him, you can tell him I said it. He fucking sucks at pin-striping.

I was gonna wait until Born Free and have Pacman do it all, but I thought what the hell, how bad could this Roadie be? Well, I found out... really bad.

Got my sheetmetal back from my painter, who left this Roadie guy alone at his shop with detailed instructions of what I wanted done. This guy is either on way too many drugs, had his five year old nephew stripe it, or he's a horrible excuse for a pin-striper. Turns out, drugs would probably help this guy's striping ability, he striped it worse than a five year old, and no one should even consider him for a striping job.

Talk about completely fucking up something I had been working so hard at for months before that. The very last piece of the puzzle that needed to get done outside of Shamrock Fabrication and the guy completely screws my shit up. Worthless...

Fast forward to Born Free 3...

Got ahold of Pacman the week before heading out for L.A., filling him in on the story and sending him pics of the crap that was striped on my tins. We talked it over and Pacman said he would be happy to re-stripe it for me at the show. Pulled my bike out of the builder's circle, into the shade and out of the crowd for him to be more comfortable getting the job done.

Pacman knocked it out, no problem, exactly what I wanted. He's a talented guy and someone I'm happy to call a friend.

If you are in the Denver area and want some striping done, he'll be in town for Love Thy Chopper this weekend...

Thanks again Pacman, I'll see you this weekend in Denver...



Check him out at:
http://www.lineandletter.blogspot.com/

Mile Higher Camping

Took a ride out to the camping spot for the run next week. This place is perfect, back in the sticks and it's free. Got a bunch of info and photos for those that are interested.

For more photos and info:
Click the Mile Higher Run link or visit milehigherrun.blogspot.com

Ride Hard Rock - Day Two

Rich and I got on the road our second day in good fashion, heading East when we needed to go West. Somehow, being so exhausted the night before, we didn't remember which way we came into Richfield, Utah. So, we blew right past the sign that said I-70 West and got on the on-ramp headed East. Had to pull a u-turn through the median and what seemed to be loose gravel about a foot deep. Almost got stuck, but kept the wheels moving and made it through, barely.

What a way to start the day.

Our first stop was Beaver, Utah. Pulled onto the off-ramp to get some grub and gas and I had no clutch. So, I jammed down the gears and got to our usual restaurant stop there in town(use to be Paradise Grill, now it's MJ's). Rolled the bike into the shade and let the engine cool off while we went inside and ordered some food. Once we ordered, Rich and I went out and diagnosed the problem. My clutch adjuster lock-nut had backed off completely, rattling around in my clutch hub dome. When I re-built my chop, I was considering leaving the chrome dome off, but, Rich talked me into keeping it on there - good thing I did or that nut would've been long gone. Got me fixed up and back on the road.

We took our time getting to the Nevada state line. Had to pull over in St. George, Utah it was so hot. Sitting there in the parking lot, a mustang pulls up in front of us as we sat on the curb. This hot little blonde gets out and right off the bat starts talking our ears off. She steps out in this short little dress, flip flops and aviators and sits down behind me. We get to talking and she asks where we're headed, this whole time I'm thinking "this is too easy", but she was interested so we told her our plans. She hears Vegas and starts on a rant about how she wants to come and meet us for the night and crash in our room at the Hard Rock. Again, "this is too easy", but she was down for it and kept asking if we were sure it would be alright. Come on, this girl was 22 years old, bangin' hot, and ready to party. We looked like shit and she didn't know us at all, but it didn't seem to matter to her. So, she assured us she wasn't a thief(like we cared) and asked for me to take her number down, "this is too easy". Well, she was all about it, but in the end, she didn't come to Vegas for the night, figures. Next time I'm passing through St. George though, ohhhh boy, look out - she's getting a call.

By the time we rolled into Mesquite, the temp was at 106 degrees. Guys were pulling up on bikes with full leather gear and full-face helmets on, fucking crazy. It boggled my mind seeing them pull up while I slammed a 32 oz. Gatorade(I should own stock in Gatorade) and soaked my head with water.

From there, we got to Speedway Blvd on the north end of Vegas to gas up and take a break before heading in to the Hotel. Vegas was hot, like always, and the traffic there blows. We got to the Hard Rock and I pulled up to the front door, asking the valet guy where a secure spot would be to park the bikes. He directed me to the VIP parking and we unloaded our gear.

Walked in, lugging our gear past the suite check-in counters and on to the regular standard room check-in desk. Great thing about the Hard Rock Hotel, it doesn't have slot machines ringin' and dingin' non-stop, driving you nuts. They play rock and roll, loud, all throughout the casino and restaurants - 24 hours a day. I walk up and give the girl my name and i.d., tired from the road, I just wanted to drop my gear and get a drink. She looked up my info and said "sir, you have a suite tonight". I looked at her confused and said "you must be mistaken". Nope. I accidentally booked a suite for that night. These suites at the Hard Rock are pretty much brand new, have built-in jukeboxes in the walls, flat screens, a living room area, bar, huge bathroom, and beds that'll make you want to move in. 750 miles down and we were about to sleep like kings.

Hit up the 24 hour restaurant in the hotel, hung by the bar for a bit watching girls dance on poles, then hit the room for some shut-eye.

Mile Higher Run 2011

This is a Run being put on to end a Chop filled weekend here in Denver next week. An added bonus for those of you making your way to Denver for the events and feel like riding. It's something that I hope will be incorporated into the Love Thy Chopper weekend for years to come, as well as help bring more people to the area/show.

Short notice, but better late than never.

The Run will be mainly Sunday the 17th, 250-300 miles of Mountain riding with a camp out in the Rockies that night. Along the 250-300 mile route, we'll hit Rocky Mountain National Park and ride along both sides of the Continental Divide - hitting some of the best roads and scenery Colorado has to offer. Bar/pit stops along the way, then camping out at night. The camping spot is still to be determined, but we've got a few to choose from that are off the beaten path, away from anyone who might try and ruin the party.

There's also a full moon during this time, so a night ride is something we've considered doing sometime during the weekend as well.

This is a Chopper Run, but all bikes are welcome - Just leave the H.O.G. Patches at home

For more detailed info, click on the Mile Higher Run image on the side-bar ---

Will There Be Enough Water

The Dead Weather - Live At The Roxy

Getting Elevated - Day One

Up until the day we left for Born Free 3, I was constantly working on getting my chop finished, breaking it in as well as I could, and tweaking the bugs out of it. 9 p.m. the night before we left(Tuesday Night), that was when I finally had everything said and done. Spent that day running around, getting new rubber put on my wheels(Thanks to Randall down at Deluxe Motorcycles in Denver - you da man), changed my fluids, and checked everything over one last time.

Dave Polgreen, Gator, Zac, and Pete got into town from the Twin Cities earlier that day - Dave and Gator were busy most of the day and night at Rich's trying to get their bikes up and running. I stopped by for a bit, then called it a night so I could get home and pack my gear for the long trip.

Wednesday, the 22nd, Rich and I got on the road after Dave and the guys got squared away with a rental to tow their trailer. We got out of town later in the morning, but Rich and I are never in a hurry, making our trips a little more relaxing in the scorching summer heat. Plus, after getting my top end worked over(Again, thanks to Randall at Deluxe for doing the work on my engine, top notch guy), my engine still had some breaking in. We stopped at our regular stops along the highway, making our way West.

We got to Grand Junction, Colorado, and I got ahold of Mike Lichter. Mike had been keeping in contact with me for the months and days leading up to Born Free, trying to talk me into riding with the Ride To Born Free crew out of Denver. He was documenting the whole ride for Cycle Source. The thought was great, I just didn't know about riding with a bunch of guys I didn't know. Trusting the people I'm riding with is a huge deal for me... They had left early that morning and had only made it to Fruita, about 15 minutes ahead of Grand Junction. Mike asked us to meet up with them and shoot while the light was right and the sun setting. So, Rich and I took a long break, then headed over to Fruita where the Ride To Born Free crew were fixing a flat.

We found them pretty easily, though we didn't know where they were exactly, Fruita only has one exit - wasn't hard. We hung out with them for a bit, then got the itch to get back on the road. Mike asked the two of us to stick around a little longer, so he could shoot us on the next stretch of the trip. We caved and waited for them, letting Mike know we were only gonna stick with them for a little bit of the next stretch before we blasted ahead.

Mike had Rich and I up in front, directing us up, back, left, right, side-by-side, staggered, on and on. Not feeling it, Rich blasted ahead after a short while. I stuck with the crew for a little longer while Mike snapped away, he must've shot about 1,000 pictures in that short distance. By this time, my engine was broken in and I still hadn't opened up on the throttle yet. Mike gave me the thumbs up to bail and I ripped ahead to catch Rich. I gripped the throttle, twisted, and my engine came to life. It was time to let it do it's thing, opening up the addition power I had worked into it. I could feel it, the time was right, almost perfect, and it felt great.

Rich and I took off ahead of the pack, headed for Richfield, Utah. We got to the next stop, met the crew again, then said goodbye, not seeing them until we got to Born Free. We pulled into Green River while the sun was setting and the mosquitos were out in full force. This is where the Ride To Born Free crew were camping, Rich and I thought they were gonna get eaten alive. Like always, we pushed ahead into the night to get through the long 110 mile stretch between Green River and Salina, Utah. This is one hell of a stretch, going through during the day is well worth it. But, Rich and I get it over with at the end of our first day almost every time we ride out to L.A. - less traffic and cooler temps at night, that stretch can get really hot during the day.

We pulled into Richfield, Utah on fumes. I was also fuming cuz I thought I was gonna run out of gas about a mile before the exit, but I made it, just barely. With no restaurants open at that time of night, we got some food at the local truck stop and called it a night.

The next day was set for the desert and a night at the Hard Rock in Vegas, it was gonna get hot... with some pleasant surprises along the way.

Happy Fourth

BBQ's, Explosions in the sky, Beer, Concerts, Parties - I love the Fourth of July.

Back from my trip - stories, pics, and video to come. Here's some American ladies in the meantime.





Just remember, you're celebrating a bunch of rebels, revolutionaries, and/or radicals that stood up for what they believed and told the man what was up.

It isn't as crazy as it seems.

Well Hell

Wouldn't be much of a road trip without something going wrong. Blasted across the state of Washington the other day, Thursday, only to get 60 miles west of Spokane and notice that my tank was moving around. Got on the horn and speed dialed Rich and we talked it over. Had a really small crack appearing on the front tank mount. Turns out, the rubber isolator grommets used in the front mounts had torn apart and the mounting brackets were laying right on top of the mounting bolt going through the backbone. So, I pulled the front mounting bolt, stuffed a shop rag in-between the backbone and tunnel, then taped/bungeed that sucker down. Made it to Coeur D Alene that night, reinforced the padding in the morning yesterday, then made it to Helena yesterday afternoon. Have some really good Sturgis friends who live here, have a shop, and know cars and bikes like the back of their hands. Got fixed up yesterday, then hit an outdoor music fest here in Helena last night. These are great friends and Helena is a great town. Happy to be so fortunate when I'm still 800 miles from home. Off tomorrow to Wyoming before getting back into Colorado on Monday...

We(s)t Coast

Long rainy ride up the coast. Roughly 600 miles up from San Fran, 500 being rain. Shit was great. Cut over along the Oregon/Washington border to Coeur D Alene last night to find out I had problems with my gas tank. Got to Helena Montana tonight to visit friends, get me fixed up, and get wrecked at an outdoor mountain concert festival. Don't know when I'm gonna get home and I don't care. This trip has been a trip-