Gunnar's CB350 送別会

Probably the last bike I will do for anyone.  I have too many ideas/bikes of my own to focus on.

Still need an oil change and tune up but I think Gunz and the Gramps are going to take care of that.

3 of the best younger dudes out there.

Thanks for being so patient with my horrible sense of humor and mood swings.  

冗談

Grant and Gunnar \/ Honda CB500 and CB350

The weather was amazing today...working on bikes is way more fun when it is warmer too.  

Got a lot done.  

Gunz should be taking his cb350 home tomorrow as long as CRC2 has what he needs.....then I can spend Sunday getting the garage ready to park my car in it for the real winter weather before it starts.

Grant and I rode back to my place and we took off his turn signals.

Before

After....sorry about the bad picture.

He also added Indiana to the front fender.  He made this plate in high school a while back.

Gunnar and Ben showed up a little later and I had his seat pan ready for some cushion.

Ben and Gunz put on the chain and we messed with the clutch for a minute but realized he needs a shifter lever and the clutch mechanism doesn't have the 3 steel balls it need to work properly.  

Off to CRC2 tomorrow.

When they left I came in to finish it up.

Cut the foam with my electric meat knife again.....so good.  Fabric is ready too.

I hate rivets.

If they make an automatic rivet gun, I want it.  

My baby hands always hurt so bad from this.

This is what the bike looks like done.  Bad picture again...I am too lazy to re-shoot.  

I will get some decent shots before he takes her home tomorrow.

I also wired the bike up this morning.   

I used the same rectifier that I have on my 350's.  

Everything runs like it should. 

(right now)

Checked the charging system and it was doing its job.

I had my workspace somewhat organized the other day.  

Maybe I can clean tomorrow.

January 6th: Ride to Skate

 Any day is a good day that you can ride to skate.  

Rode with one brother, building bikes with both.  More when I finish the seat.

The only thing that would have made it better would be a lady on the back but that isn't happening anytime soon.

Yuto, Masako! 有り難うございます！

Every year Yuto and Masako hook up toys, sweets, and articles from newspapers that I am interested in.  More than anything else all year long, I look forward to these packages.  Around the first of the year I usually get something amazing.......this year is no exception.  

I know when I see the word "toy" on the customs form I am in for a good surprise.

モジバケる４が出た！

I have been collecting these for a few years now.  These are kanji for animals and insects that transform into what they mean.  今回は豹、鹿、猪、鳳、蜂、鰐バケる！

One of the things I miss most about Japan are the traditional sweets.  Even though they are still candy, I think most are healthier than what we have here and rarely have milk or egg ingredients....

There are also two brochures in this picture for stores in Japan that sell...for lack of a better word "washcloths" in traditional Japanese patterns.  I love this kind of traditional Japanese design!

-->www.eirakuya.jp

It takes a while to load and there are English cues in the menu...check it out the designs are beautiful.

Masako sent me this article.  It looks like it is from a newspaper.....if you know anything about vintage Honda's then you will recognize the poster on the top left of the page.  I am excited to read this!  

Last but not least the new years card.  I feel like these are always picked with my likes in mind...  

The 12 animals and kanji they are a part of represent the 12 animals of the Japanese/Chinese Zodiac.

これもモジバケるみたいだな〜

This year is of course the year of the Dragon.  

My seniors this year are pretty excited about it!

1976 Honda XL250

Good things come to those who wait? 

I think I just got lucky. . . .

 I have been emailing and calling Charles over near Illinois for at least two maybe closer to three weeks and I could never get a clear reply or set up a time to see the bike.  

Today he called me up unexpectedly and I took off down 74.....

He lives in the middle of nowhere about 15 minutes north of 74.  Took this in on trade for a porsche or something like that a few years back and kind of tried to sell it on and off.  Started right up on choke and I rode down his gravel road a mile or so and back.  It sputters around 3000RPM's.....I am guessing its carb related...side covers are gone but I am going to swap engines anyway.

3,XXX miles....Speedo and tach are clean.  

It shows on the speedo not to push it above 60 unless you have road tires.(!)

Tank is perfect inside, headlight and tail/brake light work but not the signals.  This bike has a battery-less 6v system....one of the reasons I wanted it for the ariel build.

I love the chrome triangle panel just before the muffler.  .  I wish it still had the chrome piece on the header.

Overall a pretty good looking bike.

It still had a price tag from when it was in his shop a fews years back. 

I didn't pay that much......

         I feel kind of back tearing out this bikes heart.....if I can find another XL250 engine to swap back in, I might partially restore and sell it later........

Skateboarding. I want.

I want to skateboard everyday!

Tool picking

I don't re-blog videos but this one is sick.  

Picking tools.  

Recycling tools. 

Sustainable economy.  

Getting back to roots.

Jumpy New Year!

It's January 1st.  Yesterday I was doing this..so much fun...... 

 I need a helmet before I get myself in trouble.

Left ruts in the  yard and the trails in the woods. 

I can't imagine if this was a 250....or a 500.

Christmas 2011

Christmas this year got off to a late start.  This is everyone, except dad...

There he is!  Nice antlers!

New years eve we listened to dance music versions of christmas songs on youtube played with this huge box.  After it was a fortress and drum pad it became a slide.

 They also both wanted desperately to be in Moyou's crate.  

Hilarious?  

Yes.  

Check the video below.

Brother Ryan

Built a building and in it go his toys.

Lathe.  Want.  A small one will do though.

Mill.  Want?  Drill press is good for now.

Dyno.  Hugh?  Interesting.....