NYC 2011

I just got back from my annual trip up north.

A bit short this year, I was only able to sneak a day trip into NYC.

 So, I headed straight over to 6th Street Specials, checking

out the good old East Village as I went.

That's the 6th Street crew. Before my time.

6th Street Specials

Only  a quick visit this year, unfortunatly. Hugh and Fumi were of course

present, and a few of the old gang ended up showing up.

Also, there are always  great bikes to check out.

 Trackmaster Triumph! Hugh built this one to race, of course.

The frame was Gary Fisher's.

This is an old BSA Goldstar in a very cool, very rare factory rigid frame,

used for dirt track and at Daytona (when it was on the beach).

Last year I had the pleasure to bring both frames back to Florida to repair. I'll tell you all about it in a future blog.

Bonus, I found the liscense plate from the first Triumph I ever built!  

And of course, I couldn't leave empty handed...

Listen Up Everybody!

Fumi has taken it upon himself to raise money for a very noble cause.

A group of bikers in Japan decided to do what the government refuses to do,

they are bringing food and supplies to the many people who are still in areas affected

by radiation, and are in great need.

So please, buy a t-shirt, and support this cause.

http://2f2l.blog123.fc2.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Go-Save-Your-TOMODACHI-project/199183800122436?sk=wall

I  BETTER  SEE  ALL  OF  YOU  WEARING  THIS  SHIRT! 

A Day in the Life...

Just another day

 at Mean Machines

Here's a look at what's been goin' on.

I love working on Rich Silver's Rocket Gold Star Cafe' Racer.

He's had me do quite a bit of modification in the last couple of years.

This time around, I installed an air scoop on his rear brake plate. Cool stuff.

The cafe racer craze has gone crazy this past year.

The Cafe Racer TV Show is filming another season, with even more builds!

My friends Rich at Desmopro, and Hugh at 6th Street Specials are both building

bikes for the show. Hugh was on the first season (check out my post from last summer).

This year he's actually getting paid for the build! (1st and only for the show!)

I caught Rich before he left for his final filming up at Little Taladega.

Got some spy photo's for ya'all.

shh!

So, now it's my turn!

This Daytona was bought on e-bay, and beleive it or not,

it was not ready to ride as advertised!

Unless you sit while I push!

It was going to be a restoration, but, with my influence, the decision to build a cafe was made.

Stay tuned, it is currently 100% disassembled.

Here's another cool bike I've been working on.

Triumph Trackmasters rule! True American specials.

I just made this nifty repair of a very dismal situation. It is the

primary chain adjuster plug on a Triumph 650. It used to be a leaker... 

I even got Brando to get his hands greasy. He insisted. Something

about all the time he put me out lately...

Definatly working it out, he also got my lathe to work!

Yay!

Now I can waste  concentrate more on this computer thing.

Where do I put the grease?

This is way cool!

1917 Thor

My friend picked this up.

Want it? Call me, I'll hook it up.

954-213-2177

All I can say...

Snap-On Truck

You who know, understand.

Till next time

See ya

-JOSH

ashes to ashes

Gary Nixon

R.I.P.

I was very lucky to have met Gary Nixon,

and to have fielded racers competing with him.

God speed. 

Will he ever leave?!

Brando has shown his bike a bit of neglect the last couple of years.

So, before our ride to the Dime City Bike Show (read the earlier post), he

decided to come by Mean Machines to spend the day tightening things up.

Smart move Mr. Mitchell!

The ride over to St. Petes went well. Only one small glitch on the trip,

Brando had a burble as we were crossing  Alligator alley. I had an idea, but since

it didn't reoccur, we wrote it off as overheating from traffic, and carried on. 

The rest of the ride was great, show was great, but alas,

we had to go home.

It was a beautiful day. But that smile of  Brando's didn't last.

 This is where it all ended.

His Triumph just quit!

Nothing, nada, no more.

His ignition gave up. Thank God for cell phones!

And Henry.

So, to the shop we went.

And thats where Brando stayed for the night.

And the next night.

And almost a third night!

But he sorted out the problems, and finally went home.

And all was well, or so he thought!

So back to the shop. We had suspected a loose top end for a while,

so we decided to look into it.

(Brando was a little upset when I told him to step out of the picture.)

You see, back on Alligator Alley, I suspected that the Triumph

had suffered from a semi seizure. That is when the piston welds itself to the cylinder wall,

but immediatly breaks free, allowing the engine to recover. Some what.

And I was right!

A little piston repair, some new rings, and back together it goes.

(I thought he was supposed to be working on his own bike...)

I also had to fix his exhaust. Ugly, but it'll hold!

Brando must really like the hammock I got in the shop,

cause he stayed another night!

I started worrying about the guy.

Besides the piston damage I repaired, the top end was in very good shape.

 Lucky Brando.

But this was not yet the end!

(He at least waited a couple of weeks.)

Here we have a temporary repair of his stripped-out exhaust spigot.

(And his improvised inspection plug)

Yep, back apart!

Rich over at Desmopro (who happens to be around the corner) got

lured into welding a replacement spigot into the cylinder head.

Nice work.

 This is much better than the stock manifold, no threads to strip.

(Rich had nothing to do with the cork still in use. Neither did I.)

Brando does have a great bike. It's seen better days, but that's alright, it has been

at his service for the last 30 years! It even brought his ass down from Canada.

But Brando, please give your poor bike a little TLC!