My bike is slowly but surely coming together. I built this thing, every single nut, bolt, screw, drop of paint. There is not one single piece of this bike that I haven't had to re-do, replace or fabricate. I am very proud of it so far. I want to add more brass pieces and change the handlebars.

<a href="http://s699.photobucket.com/albums/vv352/Axil62/?action=view&current=shakey002.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

In pic 6 of 10, I think it is, is your brass cast piece going to fit over the hole in that steel piece? That sounds like such gibberish but I don't know what I'm looking at. Sounds like a ton of work.

I know just from watching my husband build a race car from the ground up that it is a lot of work ..good job your doing so far...and I hope you do well on what you have left to do...

Suntan: Yep, you got it right.
Blackmagic: Thank you, I will by gumball!
Did you guys see the double barrel shotgun barrels I fabricated on each side of the back fender? :)

Yeah I see them now..those are fabulous.....they show a lot better in this photo though.. http://s699.photobucket.com/albums/vv352/Axil62/?action=view&current=shakey003.jpg

I thought the double barrels were your exhaust at first glance, awesome build.

I don't fucking believe this! I get the whole damn bike nearly done, I go to set the timing only to discover that the timing inspection hole threads are stripped!!! SON OF A BITCH!! In order to fix it with a helicoil I would have to take the engine out of the bike again, completely disassemble it, including splitting the engine case. OK, so I'm out in the garage trying to decide if the rafters in the garage will hold my weight while I'm swinging from the neck after I kick the chair out from under my feet and then I decide to go look on line to see if anyone else has had this problem and if they had a simpler solution (not the rafter problem, the stripped timing inspection hole problem). Yay for old bikers, they did.

Here's a quick and easy fix that will last the life of the bike. Go to the local hardware store and buy a 3/8" IPS (iron pipe size) tap...this is a PLUMBING tap and it will be larger than 3/8" in diameter...plumbing fittings are measured different than standard threads...they also have "tapered" threads, so as you screw a fitting it, it gets tighter.

You'll have to grind off the first 4 or 5 threads on the end...you want to shorten it up a bit so it's more of a "bottoming tap". Not a big deal, just grind it flush.

Buy a nice 3/8" IPS male plug fitting to use as the new timing screw. If the hardware store doesn't sell one with a nice allen hex in it, go to the auto store...they'll have it.

Coat the tap flutes with grease (this will catch the small amount of shavings) and put it in the hole...twist it in and cut the new threads. You don't have to drill or anything, it'll fit just perfect in that stripped timing hole.

Put in the new plug and you're done. If ya' use the plug with the allen hex, it will look almost identical to stock.

Ahhhh...life is good. :)

Just shows you how much of a thin line there is between jubilation and catastrophe.There was a story in a newspaper the other month how somebody thought they had won the lottery, but they had checked their ticket from the previous week by mistake, you can just imagine the roller coaster of emotions they must of gone through.

Will grease be as good as duck butter if it is a plumbing fixture or is that only for true plumbing? I find this interesting. I love to sweat pipes. I learned it, like your cake class. Two good stories. :)

The grease's only purpose here is to trap the metal shavings so that they don't fall into the case, so yes, grease was the way to go. I did it today and it worked like a charm. Disaster averted.

How awesome that it was a success. That feels good. wtg.

One week ago, I went to Ohio on business and to see my father. On Tuesday, November the 17th, I returned home. If you read the papers the 18th you may have seen a blurb where a AirTran flight was cancelled from Atlanta to Houston due to a man who refused to get off of his cell phone before takeoff. It was on Fox.


This was NOT what happened.


I was in 1st class coming home. 11 Muslim men got on the plane in full attire. 2 sat in 1st class and the rest peppered themselves throughout the plane all the way to the back. As the plane taxied to the runway the stewardesses gave the safety spiel we are all so familiar with. At that time, one of the men got on his cell and called one of his companions in the back and proceeded to talk on the phone in Arabic very loudly and very aggressively. This took the 1st stewardess out of the picture for she repeatedly told the man that cell phones were not permitted at the time. He ignored her as if she was not there.


The 2nd man who answered the phone did the same and this took out the 2nd stewardess. In the back of the plane at this time, 2 younger Muslims, one in the back, isle, and one in front of him, window, began to show footage of a porno they had taped the night before, and were very loud about it. Now….they are only permitted to do this prior to Jihad. If a Muslim man goes into a strip club, he has to view the woman via mirror with his back to her. (don’t ask me….I don’t make the rules, but I’ve studied) The 3rd stewardess informed them that they were not to have electronic devices on at this time. To which one of the men said “shut up infidel dog!” She went to take the camcorder and he began to scream in her face in Arabic. At that exact moment, all 11 of them got up and started to walk the cabin. This is where I had had enough! I got up and started to the back where I heard a voice behind me from another Texan twice my size say “I got your back.” I grabbed the man who had been on the phone by the arm and said “you WILL go sit down or you Will be thrown from this plane!” As I “led” him around me to take his seat, the fellow Texan grabbed him by the back of his neck and his waist and headed out with him. I then grabbed the 2nd man and said, “You WILL do the same!” He protested but adrenaline was flowing now and he was going to go. As I escorted him forward the plane doors open and 3 TSA agents and 4 police officers entered. Me and my new Texan friend were told to cease and desist for they had this under control. I was happy to oblige actually. There was some commotion in the back, but within moments, all 11 were escorted off the plane. They then unloaded their luggage.


We talked about the occurrence and were in disbelief that it had happen, when suddenly, the door open again and on walked all 11!! Stone faced, eyes front and robotic (the only way I can describe it). The stewardess from the back had been in tears and when she saw this, she was having NONE of it! Being that I was up front, I heard and saw the whole ordeal. She told the TSA agent there was NO WAY she was staying on the plane with these men. The agent told her they had searched them and were going to go through their luggage with a fine tooth comb and that they were allowed to proceed to Houston. The captain and co-captain came out and told the agent “we and our crew will not fly this plane!” After a word or two, the entire crew, luggage in tow, left the plane. 5 minutes later, the cabin door opened again and a whole new crew walked on.


Again…..this is where I had had enough!!! I got up and asked “What the hell is going on!?!?” I was told to take my seat. They were sorry for the delay and I would be home shortly. I said “I’m getting off this plane”. The stewardess sternly told me that she could not allow me to get off. (now I’m mad!) I said “I am a grown man who bought this ticket, who’s time is mine with a family at home and I am going through that door, or I’m going through that door with you under my arm!! But I am going through that door!!” And I heard a voice behind me say “so am I”. Then everyone behind us started to get up and say the same. Within 2 minutes, I was walking off that plane where I was met with more agents who asked me to write a statement. I had 5 hours to kill at this point so why the hell not. Due to the amount of people who got off that flight, it was cancelled. I was supposed to be in Houston at 6pm. I got here at 12:30am.


Look up the date. Flight 297 Atlanta to Houston.


If this wasn’t a dry run, I don’t know what one is. The terrorists wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the crew would handle it, and how the passengers would handle it.


I’m telling this to you because I want you to know….

The threat is real. I saw it with my own eyes….


-Tedd Petruna

this is cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TptrDamj2_M&feature=related

VERY cool! And I love the chrome =p

:)