More work for HD Copyright Lawyers...

Jake Logo circa 78'

Bit of a character Jake, one of the first to import Drag Specialities Custom Parts

I knocked this up for some adverts I did for him in Superbike Magazine

The bugger then used it on his shop sign -

Motique Claycorner Chertsey Surrey.

Where of course I bought my Sporty, little did I know I'd be living in Chertsey 20 years later.

I gave him the original artwork when he shut up shop in the late 90's and moved to turkish cyprus. This print I found still has my rapidograph pen ink marks on it.

In the days before the machines...

Paris 79'

Sunday by the Seine

We left blighty early saturday and stayed with Terry's old girlfriend in Neuilly and back on Sunday. Terry was my boss and art director in the studio where we both worked in London.

A very naughty boy. Met some guys from the states touring europe on the way back on the ferry and bought a leather tool bag and saddlebags off them. Gave them jakes number in chertsey who later bought a bike off them.

Rollin Rollin Rollin

This weeks project is to get the wheels dressed. A new rear chain sprocket 48 teeth. A trans sprocket 25 teeth, together that should raise the gearing so its a bit more comfortable cruising in top at 80. I have a stainless disc for the front, bought at Warr's jumble in the 90's for £25. It did have dual discs but money is tight and a new disc is about £80. So I'll run just a single, stripped chopper stylie! When I redid the wheels for the second time I had the hubs powdercoated a nice (MG) silver grey and plus some stainless bolts should set them off nicely and we are done.

The horrorrrrrr....

I choose life ...

Sanfran from the Golden Gate 78'

Three thousand miles in three weeks, flew into LA with my mate Blackie, stayed on the strip hired a car the next day and drove up highway one to San Fran, onto Yosemite, then Vegas, Pheonix, San Diego, Mexico (in and out in a day), Cardiff by the Sea, had to stay there! then finishing in LA at the Wednesday night cruise on Van Nuys Boulevard. Back to the strip for final night and we met the original owner of the 'Whisky a gogo' .

California a fucking Paradise in 1978.

Fuck the World...

Cardiff by the Sea, California 78'

Hey, colt 45's (cos the standard beer's shit), a little of the smoke o'naturale' and life is good man!

8 inch Extension...

Narrow Narrow Narrow

Guess who managed to scratch his new fork legs. What a tosser. Greased the trees but didn't open them up enough. Fuck.

Just when you think life's starting to smoothout...

Cos my wife Ren got the all clear on the big C yesterday!

I've managed to hit my target for this week - get the fucking forks built!

A new friend turns out to be a jewelery designer and has a workshop. 'Why don't I come round and use her polishing wheel'. You fucking bet! Got the top tree and lower legs polished up again after their sojourn in the shed, fuck, I'm covered head to toe in rouge bar used for polishing mop.

Ordered some stainless nuts and bolts to finish the forks and risers off. Got to watch that, before you know it you gone from a 0.93p nut to £30 with vat and postage.

Then I went in search of some round bar to make two 8" slugs to pack out the internals.

Went to the man who makes metal gates and such locally and came away with some bar we found under his bench. Paid him a fiver - didn't fucking fit, my fault, didn't measure them. Went to a tool and part maker he'd mentioned the next day and they cut them to size and gave them to me! -result.

For Fucks Sake... Brake!

Old School Banana Rear Caliper

Got this off Joe100@Fenland Choppers after a bit of a dance over the price and cos I wanted to call him Joe90!

Its in reasonable nick with new pads, new disc and he threw in a stainless adjustable anchor rod. I flipped the pic to show how its going to look when fitted upside down. A high tech setup would have been preferred but beggars can't be choosers. And its one more item off the 'to do' list.

This weeks target is to complete my forks.

New seals and dust covers 16.99

Dress up with Stainless fittings £5-£10

from Dave Middleton (who's still going after all this time!)

8" Slugs made from Round Bar for my extended tubes

And some bolts for the wheel discs and sprocket.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

My 77' Sporty - Rest in Peace

Heres she is, in all her glory.

Dressed to thrill seventies stylie.

Check out the drilled chainguard, twisted sissy bar, black Alf Hagon rear shocks, black wheel spokes, black air cleaner with moulded eagle, black fork legs, tiny speedo, tiny oil cooler and of course, those fucking gorgeous drag pipes. Photographed by my mate Pete in 78' and purchased on Christmas Eve 1977, see my earlier blog.

Beakies Jumble @ Dorking

Sunday Morning, lots of punters and lots of stalls.

The mission - get some forward controls.

First time I had enough cash on me

I saw one set, the trouble was some one had just fucking bought them!

The consolation was that they were bloody billet ally (loads a money). Can't have that on a budget low down an dirty mongrel!

Bumped into my new compadres from 'Flywheel' - Robb, Johno and Troy

Arranged to meet my very old friend Laurence, who congratulated me on putting on 4 stone!

Johno's hardcore generator shovel

Spotted a very nice Trumpet

Whooahh, makes your eyes water just looking at 'em!

Hey 8" Extension anyone? Well just another boring pic to some. But if you're the kind of chap (or chappess) that's building a 'mongrel' like me - You're going to get a fucking charge!

It's an 'Easyrider' moment, ...Fonda's watch has just been laid on the desert floor, ...the fucking highway awaits.

See... Get it... Yes?

Went to jolly old Eastbourne on the coast to pick these up from a guy called Ray - a 57 year old 'masonic' biker.

Had a chat and a cup of tea, turns out he's a pro airbrush artist, does tanks and fenders (sorry mudguards!) and such.

Need to get polishing machine and Kit. The old forks need a bit of TLC after 15 years storage and new seals.

WHOOPS, nearly forgot, I have to get 8" slugs made up to support the standard length springs.

OK, two more essential items required for the frame build so we can incorporate tabs.

1. Rear Brake Caliper

2. Forward controls

My old rear caliper is shit, the bracket heavy and bent, so something different and exciting calls. I like the upside down look, so lets see.

Its Beakies Car Boot this weekend (11th) and I may get lucky. Hope to meet up with Johno and Mr Fen Chop (Joe).

NB. The mongrel is a chopper/bobber style

or a Fucking ChopBob!

Abingdon Swap Meet Purchase

Not this 'Back in the Day Chop' - yours for only £3250.00!

My New Tank featuring 'Rocky' the Raccoon

Went to a chopper swap meet at Abingdon Town Football Club in Oxfordshire last Sunday and got this 3 gall Sporty tank for £70.

I decided not to piss about any longer.

I like the later curved shape and holds enough gas and its not too big. And I could see it in the flesh, everything else is in a catalogue, made in china of thin metal or loads of money. I didn't want some over designed big bucks look. Plus it came with a filler cap and petcock, doesn't need pressure testing or sealing.

I'm going to grind off the brackets at front and the welds at the back, get joe to make up new mounts underneath. The filler cap I'll modify and weld something to it to funk it up.

And finally take off the badges and ebay them, a mate of the guy on the stand I bought it off says he made £54 on ebay on similar badges.

All the work on it will push up the price but I will have made it my own!

Speaking of Evil bay, when I got back the auction had finished for the fork tubes. Guess fucking what, I got them for £50. Fucking Reezultttt...