So it begins...

I guess I'm starting a blog.

I have blogged in the past about random shit, to no avail, and only when the mood truly strikes me.

This is more of a record, a time capsule for the passage of time.

I have wanted a motorcycle for as long as I can remember. But not the kind you can go into a store and buy. I have wanted a motorcycle I built myself. I have a long history of doing things the hard way, so why should this be any different? I had a deal set up when I was 16 to sell my car and get a raked out extended sportster. This was 1994, and then it was nary the popular thing to do. Since I was serious my parents laid down two ground rules for such a purchase: I had to be 18, and out of the house. Well since I wasn't 18, nor was I out of their house for another 10 years or so, I wasn't getting a motorcycle any time soon.

My Dad on the other hand had a sportster, he tricked it out with whatever he could do himself or get his hands on. Chrome, paint, a king sporty tank, etc. I came along to every trip to Arlen Ness in San Leandro, Bob Dron's HD in Oakland, or even Ron Simms in Hayward. After that was a brief Honda Dresser shitbag, then a Heritage Softail. He tricked the motor out on that one, and did subtle things to make it a looker. It was sold to get my Mom a new car, and the garage was empty for a while. He had a vintage Honda racerish affair and finally moved on to the current Softail Deluxe with plenty of chrome and custom to boot. I to this point have only been able to weld ape hangers and pegs on to bicycles in order to get made fun of throughout high school. No real motorcycle to speak of - the rules you see.

Moving on to a few months ago, I was laid off from a longtime job. It being one of those start from scratch moments in my life: I was 30. I had graduated from college. I had worked my way to around 60k a year. And I had nothing to show for it. I took the severance my work gave me, filed for unemployment, took the European vacation I had already planned with my soon-to-be fiance (she didn't know that - Europe man) and did plenty of thinking on what I really wanted. The severance paid off all of our outstanding bills. I got a year of medical in the deal, and a steady state check to cover the monthly expenses of cars, insurance, rent, etc. I put a little aside to start my fiance's Masters Program, and I did something for myself. I haven't done anything major for myself in a while, so it came new to me. I trolled craigslist for choppers. I wanted to get a roller and slowly put together what I really wanted, to make every part special and one-of-a-kind, to gather from the best in the industry. I found a roller that was too good to pass up. A Flyrite Choppers "Reach For The Sky" Frame, Their rear sprotor brake, A DNA shorty springer, A set of beat shovel wheels, and half a 36 Ford spare tire strip for a fender. And so it begins...

If you have read this far, thank you.
I will try to post with photos as things develop.
I will try to include photos of every piece, every step of the way.
I have never built a motorcycle, I don't know how to weld.
I will have to learn everything.
But it will be mine. So will the blame.

Thanks