Billy has gone on the final ride

Mr Blue Velvet, cowboy hipster, rebel with a cause.

What does your brother do on a summers night?

Hot riding hothead

Mr Marvin and Mr Kerouac brought together for a unique gig.

My brother painted this Sensational Art and gave it to me one Christmas.

It also features that infamous pic of one of the 'wild ones' at hollister (not).

A treasured possession.

Love Devotion Surrender...

Passion Killer

Now thats a sissy...

too much is not enough

Loud fast rules

When Zep ruled

Gotta be the loudest band I ever saw. I remember being on the ground floor with my mates and not upstairs.

Ive just started listening seriously again and started with Zep ONE on my pod. Everybody used to play Zep TWO at the parties. I'm up to Physical Graffitti now. My mate Jimmy bought that when I first moved to the smoke, sweet 19.

Well not so sweet.

listen up woman. your time is gonna come...

Sissy time

Got something for you baby.

Its 26" higher than your mudguard.

Made of twisted bar with a six inch kickback.

Makes your eyes water just thinking about it.

Sometimes too much is not enough.

naughty naughty

Shit, I forgot your helmet, lets just ride, and we'll pick it up on the way. Nearly made it too.

Dragon Slayers

Freezing our nuts off in Wales '78

Not one of our Neal's brightest ideas. the Dragon Rally, Mount Snowdon in February?

One Guy didn't make it back to his tent, the brandy unfortunately doesn't stop hypothermia.

Exile on Main revisited...

When 'Keef' was the coolest dude on earth

Re-released this weekend 'Exile' is one of their dirty best, recorded on the Cote d'Azur when old harold wilson put the tax rate to 90%. I don't recall the earls court gig being that good. But me and the lads saw them at Knebworth and after a very long day, bonfires were lit. Just after ten pm the first chords of Midnight Rambler hit the air, as Mick in black catsuit with silver snakes up it stalked the big walkway.

Bloody Fucking Great.

I drove back, with my mates Neal and John asleep and my last two 'No6' for company.

By the way Ren tells me she met Charlie and Bill in the Restaurant Bar she waitressed at in Tourette sur Loup, in the hills above Nice in early eighties. Nice Chaps.

Oh dear what have I done

90's Recession Workhorse

Gone but not forgotten, carrying a little too much weight, a little like its owner. She cost me £4000 in '88 having just sold my 'yuppie 911' and I've spent a couple more upto this pic and another four again in the late nineties on my earlier 'non' build. Engine, gearbox, wheels, powdercoating, chrome etc.

Anyway as you've seen her 2010 incarnation is well and truly on its way.

From forgotten and deserted to admired and cherished.

I know that good times are coming.

The dinero is raising its ugly head and I think the old frame, fatbobs and whats left of the FXE are for evilbay. It will make a good project for a shovel bobber.

like a burst of dirty thunder...

A little light bedtime reading

Dusted off this little gem, looking for something I'd misplaced.

Written by Mr Hunter Thompson, the darling of the NME in the 7o's, 'GONZO' journalism.

I lent the best book he wrote,'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' to a friend, never to be seen again.

The first line went something like this - 'WE WERE SOMEWHERE OUT OF BARSTOW WHEN THE DRUGS TOOK HOLD'.

I was hooked.

Incidently I was looking for a bag of nuts and bolts, that came with a car trailer I bought. I sold the only fucking trailer on ebay without an axle, on tuesday!

(Ren had her pushbike nicked 2 years ago, we traded the Insurance Halfords Voucher for the trailer which came in two large boxs that I didn't unpack for over a year and GUESS what was missing.

The Guy that bought it turned out to be Mr G a Harley Man whose elder brother is in the London HA.

Coincidence???

Exhausting...

A liddle sketch for Joe

I'd like something like this but the dinero's rule. I'm leaving the tank as is and moving the petcock instead so's she can suck up the last of that measly tankful!

On the road '76

France, Spain and Blighty

My flat mate Neil wanted a bike to get to work, he asked me which bike I'd choose out of the feature in the magazine. I went for the 'Harley' Cagiva 250. He bought it, I liked it and decided I had to have one too. And that was the start, we went bloody everywhere, including a 3 weeker to northern Spain. There's absolutely nothing like being on the road and thats legal.

Gimmee gimmee gimmee...

And on the 23rd day of christmas...

Check out the date, life was good, everybody should buy themselves a Harley for Christmas

Age twenty three.

'Sand digger'

Daytona beach '78

I was given this book as a thank you by the studio we used to freelance at in Knightsbridge that christmas. Ten quid an hour on weekends, and a book too!

Yeah baby...

time waits for no one...

ooohh just look at the lines of this seventies icon

Shovel. black. stripped to the bone.

and checkout the graffiti!

SportyMontage

Black is Black, I want my baby back...

Ironhead Delight...

shoveldate

In which Mr Shovel meets his new partner

Checked fitment and alignment today and a few decisions are made on oil tank, oil filter, sissybar locations. By the way if this is not looking like a garage build, fuck it, someone with the skill has to fabricate the parts and weld the tabs.

STRESS STRESS STRESS, so just how high should the sissy bar be?

Twenty Four inches.

Definitely. Maybe.

After a sleepless night, I'm a wreck, I think its too tall! I put it on hold.

Twenty Four inches?

Ren has decided I was wrong, it should be bigger - women!!!

On Two Wheels...

Narrow Narrow Shiny Shiny

Well I'm kind of shellshocked, its all happening.

Good job I phoned Joe as he was busy building an oval oil tank for me, bit of mis-communication - and after all that chat the other friday. Anyway its just as well he reckoned it didn't look too good and wasn't happy with it.

Graceful.

Too many chunky bobbers around. I cropped the bars out as they really kill the look I wanted. Going up tomorrow with engine and to button down everything. Yet Another TANK of gas. I wonder whether the new ruling elite, LibCons or ConLibs can sought the bloody horrendous cost of fuel. Fatchance.

Riders on the Storm...

Early Biker Art?

Got my first job with this demonstration of early promise!

Well one of the 'commercial artists' as they were called back in the day thought I may be showing early signs of a disturbed psyche. Huh.

Goodtimes Survivor

33 year old Leather

Hey I can't even get my arm in this treasure.

How its survived the moves I honestly don't know.

Made to measure in Laurence Leathers?

of Great Portland Street £45? a lot of money then.

I worked very close to the shop in marylebone high street for

'Applied Creativity' Design Advertising

This jacket went everywhere.

Attacked moonbeams off the coast of venus,

-you get the picture.

The Holy One...

Bow down, Bow down...

We are not Worthy!

At last she's here. Joe emailed me last night, wow what a bloody lovely surprise.

He's done everything I asked,

'Gofaster' holes on the neck brace and the special head steady

No visual straight line on the backbone from neck to rear axle

( I didn't want the triangle look)

We raised the rear wheel by an inch for ground clearance

1 & 1/8" tube so not to look too beefy

And of course the Goose Neck

A combination that I hope gives her worship a graceful look and will turn a few heads -

When we HIT THE ROAD...

do the BLACKTOP BOOGIE...

and KISS THOSE FUCKING WHITE LINES

Faro Head...

What's that bloody sticker?

I found it on the wrapping, it made me laugh, thats about as close as I'm going to get to THE FARO RUN.

What would you look like after fifteen years stuck in a shed?

I guess I should be doing a little more than unwrapping her and taking pics as 'she' needs some TLC. The trouble is I don't have a workshop, GASP SHOCK HORROR, the big idea was to do the build in the kitchen diner, but after assembling the forks, which I did outside whilst the sun was shining, the smell of oil lubricant is not going down to well with the missus and made me realise I was being a little silly. Trouble is I don't want to have to build a shed as well or spend the denero on that as well. Catch 20/2. Fuck lets move again!

Maybe God may smile on us, lottolottolotto.

Yeah, I'm in a mood... fuck fuck fuck fuckinfuck. fuck

Anyway will be taking Miss Shovel up to 'Fenland' soon so Joe can build the 'zorst for me.

Funny, bumped into Will, a guy I haven't met for in a while, who saw this beauty in all her shiny glory on the day I brought her back from 'Matts' in Wales.

Complete Refurb, Polished, All Stainless fasteners.

She sat proudly on show in our lounge till I decided to extend the house and was the start of the end. See my first blog.

Somethings bothered me ever since I picked her up. I supplied Matt with a Cylinder Head bolt kit from Lightning Bolts at the time. The bolts had been fitted without washers so they'd fucked the powdercoat on the barrels. My fault for not supplying the washers! Not! Anyway a lot of water under the bridge since then and I guess I should check on the state of the liners, nice and rusty probably, so OFF WITH HER FUCKING HEAD(S). and fit washers as well.

With a purple umbrella and a fifty cent hat...

Born to boogie Texas style

Isn't life funny, here's me talking to Johnny me old mate about going to Austin, Texas - the real music capital and I discover this little Gem. My shovel was imported from the states, purchased from Bob Sharp's HD. Austin Texas. Mind you, I wouldn't buy anything from them. It must of 'slipped through the system', cos the guy I bought it off hadn't had it long, most bits were worn out - as I gradually realised to my cost.

Choppertime...

Fenland Chopper Engineering

Got a call from Joe on Thursday, he wants to start the build, fuckinyes!

Went up the next day, with my wheels and forks, got there at 10.45 left at 1.45.

Another chinwag marathon with Joe.

From my revised list heres where we're at:

1. Its now a 'Goose Neck' hard tail frame, 38˚rake for 8" over forks, and set 1" higher for ground clearance, 2" stretch at back for elec start battery

2. Drilled headsteady ('Gofaster' speed holes)

3. Oval Oil Tank with 'Gofaster Speed hole' straps

(Just like Malcoms bike in Ogri, he drilled too many and guess what happened...)

4. Remote Oil filter mount

5. 'Gofaster' style fork brace (I'm calling the forks FLEXYS - cos they'll flex!)

6. Axle plates (paint protectors)

7. Battery holder, drilled!

7. Sissy Bar made of twisted bar 70's style and memory of my sporty. Joe thinks it s wrong to put a wrought iron gate on a chop! Anyway fuckyou 'zero' bunnies.

Its been really good to talk through the project with someone who understands where you're at and can then fabricate it.

And that I'm on severe budget.

But some things have to be done!

Got to take the engine up next for the zorst, but haven't decided on the style yet, I like high level shot gun style but then you burn your leg... decisions, decisions.

But I have decided to dry build and ride this season and paint next winter cos of time and deneroes!

I CAN'T FFFFFFFFFUCKING WAIT....