settlement, win that case, get that payout, get that new job…it goes on and on. You know how they are. You get to the point where realize they’re either delusional or full of shit. Well, after 18 months of my chopper that should be ready “any day now,” I was starting to feel like that guy. And that was not cool. It was downright embarrassing. I eventually just shut my piehole.
In May, after Lord knows how many calls, texts, deadlines missed, and follow-ups, I finally got the call…the chopper was ready to be picked up from the shop. Woot!! So, I hauled ass up to the shop before a tidal wave or some other Force Majure destroyed my bike causing yet another delay, and I was able to see finished bike in person for the first time. She was sitting outside, and boy, I’ll tell ya, it was BAD. Just a sick, slick, flat black hotrod, begging to go screaming down the road. I gave her the once over, gave the gas a couple quick flicks, turned the key and she jumped to life. Great!!
Original electronic ignition
So as I went to leave the parking lot, she started stuttering. Hmmm. I rolled out onto the road, and as I was unsuccessfully trying to get the old girl over 15 mph, the sole mirror fell off and shattered on the ground. Huh. Pulled into a gas station, put fresh gas in, and…same shit. Disappointed, I limped it back to the shop with the simple instructions: “Please fix.”
What followed was weeks of cluster fuck, complete with uncertainty onwhere exactly said motorcycle was, and where it was supposed to be. After a particularly heated conversation and what seemed like forever, particularly, I’m sure, to the receiver of the message, the bike was placed on a trailer and delivered to my shop. It was in the same non-ridable condition, and considerably dirtier. But, bright side….it was in my possession.
Sitting in the shop, marking its territory
Now comes the fun and games of tracking down all the little gremlins of old bikes and custom builds. Went to roll it out, front brakes locked up. Sweet. Well, we’ll just go ahead and unhook those. Stock 1979 ignition system highly questionable…buh-bye. Carb smacked repeatedly until behaving proper-like…check. Front wheel trued to stop death wobble…check. Clutch ramp assembly re-attached after extremely interesting failure causing quite the dynamic entry to the iBikerBlog compound….check. Front brake master cylinder and calipers replaced/rebuilt….check.
The bike is, unquestionably, a death trap. As it should be. Old Skool Cool…