Knuck

New old '36 from Olsen land. Wow. Beautiful.

PhotoChop

Triumph Custom

Wiring

I've been trying to decide if I should cut up a stock wiring harness or build my own for the project I'm currently working on. Wiring sucks. It's pricey if you only need enough wire to build a simple custom harness. Especially if you choose to use cotton braided wire and period looking terminals. Last night I found CottonBraidedWire.com. From a price, selection and quantity perspective (10' increments rather than only full rolls) it looks promising. Anyone have any experience with them or any other source you'd recommend?

Tabletop

As my son Vaughn is rolling into the new BMX season we've just started working on his jumping a little. Naturally Vaughn has been asking a lot of questions about what I could and couldn't do when I was younger and less breakable. The sport has evolved enough over the years that I spend a fair of time saying stuff like "Back flips just didn't exist back then." I did however spend hours and hours working on the perfect "tabletop" when I was a kid. I wish I had some photos from that time but cell phone cameras didn't exist then either...

Just in case you need to work on that perfect 80's tabletop here's a "How To" from Bicycle Motocross Action magazine. I actually remember reading this article.

 Granted, BMX freestyle has evolved in unbelievable fashion since then but a tabletop (now a "whip" if you aren't prehistoric) still just exudes style in my book. If I was forced to choose I'd take being able to execute a textbook perfect tabletop/whip over a backflip any day. It's not a choice I'll make in my lifetime. It will be cool to see where Vaughn lands someday though.

1938 Norton Model 18

Here's a little research on getting the originality of my future Norton Model 20 just so. Ah, George... have I mentioned the Model 20 yet today?

Dreams

I've realized a dream. I have dreamed of owning Kenny Robert's Yamaha YZR500 since I was 11 years old. I finally have it. Unfortunately 1/12 scale and doesn't run... Still cool.

Ouches

Norvin

Triton's have become so common and to some degree formulaic that I've almost lost interest in them. This Norvin is neither. Obviously the scarcity of the Vincent powerplant is going to make any Norvin an "exotic" but I really love that this one looks like it might have been built in the early 60's. I bet it's a wonderful rider too. I love it.

Strut Fab

Sometimes the fabrication I (or Rob and I) do on bikes that I'm most proud of ends up being on pretty insignificant parts. We sometimes end up spending embarrassingly ridiculous amounts of time on them too.

For the Triumph T110 I'm currently working on I knew I wanted to run rear fender struts that could basically pass for stock. I also knew I wanted to run a loop under the fender for mounting, I simply just not a sissy bar guy.

I also knew I wanted to form the ends of the struts to match the style of factory struts. That ultimately meant forming dies. That posed a bit of a problem since I don't have access to a mill (the right tool for the job). Rob formed the following 1/2" steel with a hacksaw and a file! They are absolutely beautiful given they were complete made by hand.

 The shots above show how the tube end can be precisely "squished" in the desired form using a press or vise. The project I am working on was a lot of old chrome on it. The chrome is in pretty good shape but if you put a new freshly chromed part on the bike it stand out like a sore thumb. Rob suggested making the strut out of stainless and polishing it. I'm so glad I did.  The match is damn near perfect.

 I don't even want to think about the time he and I spent on it. If built bike of a living I'd be lucky to make $2 an hour. I wound up with a part I suspect no one will notice or think about it. Oh well, It will secretly be one of my favorite parts on the bike.

Thanks again Rob for all your help on this.

Tricor Instruments

I've never seen these before. A Tricor Circuit Tester and a Tricor Oil Pressure Tester. I was a little surprised to see the made in the USA labels.

Bobby Sirkegian - Pomona 1954