The Bloody Nose

The first version with borrowed 1952 6T engine, no charging system, single row primary, stock length forks, unfinished sissy bar and in need of some more paint. Just wanted to get it rolling and when I did, it helped me plan out where I really needed to go with it.

Second version, getting closer to what I wanted in a hardcore Triumph chopper club bike. 4" over forks and paint by back in the day Bay Area original "Joe the Painter". The drips on the top of the tank were one of his signature styles and it was the finished tank that gave me the idea for the name of the bike. The sissy bar was finished from the same bar used on the first version.

Racked up some good miles and good times.

This type of chopper style packs the gear nicely.

Dawn Nicole Rosa photo shoot at the 2008 Chopmeet

Click HERE to see the entire Horse feature.

Hardcore Chopper Feature

Last year I decided to go all the way and get some longer fork tubes from Franks and an old pair of Z bars that I gave to a friend years ago came back to me. They had the lines I was really wanting. Installed stock fork gaitors and narrowed the bars.

Taking off from the last Oakland Dice party on what turned out to be an insane hangover run.

A finished work for me. Runs strong, handles great, blows minds.

Most importantly, FEELS RIGHT.

Up FOR SALE today. Check it out HERE and

please help spread the WORD.

Bud Hare story

Neat email about Bud Hare I got recently:

Paul, I found your site searching for info on Bud Hare. My Uncle rode Triumph and Velocette back in '40's and early '50's. Dad always rode Harley's.

This pic is me around 1972. bike is a 1956 TR6. was bought in basket and had been a desert sled. I bobbed fender and had chrome done. I wanted to use the old style front hub and wheel but wouldn't fit the newer forks. My Uncle gave me Buds phone number and I called him and introduced myself. I went to his house and drove him to the shop which was closed up. He and I went in and after looking around pointed to a box under a work bench and I pulled it out. He said in there is a axle and it fit just right. Bud had machined it for doing just the same thing I wanted to do.

I wish to this day I hadn't sold that sled. It also had TT cams ground by Kenny Harman.

Just my little piece of history.

Have fun with your projects.

David

Dave Kirkland's 1952 T-Bird Showbike

In Cycle Connections online magazine. Check it out HERE.

Dick Rios Spare Parts Collection

I don't get as many parts offers as you might think from this blog, but there have been a few that have made all the effort worthwhile. I received an email recently from Rick Rios, son of Dick Rios of "Two Timer" fame and after some back and forth questions I worked out a deal with Dick to buy all the spare parts he had been holding onto since the early 1960's. I got to talk to Dick for a short time after getting the parts and he told me that after he started running nitro things tended to let go so he started buying up pre-unit basket cases when he could find them for dragbike parts. I'm hoping to get to talk to him again soon. Besides what's pictured here there were some timing covers and gearbox covers that were a little crusty like the rocker covers pictured, and it is all 1950's-60's era Triumph pre-unit stuff. I am going to be letting go of some of my parts stash in the next few weeks on ebay including a few pieces from this collection. Keep Track of the Sales HERE.

Thee actual timing disc used on the One and Two Timer.

My favorite pieces are this race kit tachometer drive and special blue lens tach.

Contrary to some opinions the gear on these drives is not the same as a generator gear. The correct gears are actually the hardest part to find and a drive without the gear is simply spare parts.

I love the custom blue glass and hand painted lines above 8 thou.

No maker markings or part numbers on the face, but obviously a Smiths Chronometric. If anyone has any info please comment. I'm hoping to get a chance to ask Dick about it in the future.

On the inside we see that it was built for Dick in 1965. Keeper.

Another keeper for my dragbike project. A slip on kicker to start engine and then remove, with original black cloth tape.

Tyler's Pre-unit Dragbike Restoration

Tyler from LOWBROW got his hands on this cool old dragbike not long ago and is on the fast track to making a killer strip and land speed weapon out of it. He's been sending me updates and I'm really liking the work and the direction he's taking with it. Keep track of the progress HERE.

Bitchin' Choppers

Hello, I'm sending these pics for you to post (or not)- they're a little grainy. They are a couple of bikes from my brother Jon's past. The Triumph, if I remember right, was a '57 T-bird engine in a '53 frame. He bought as a dirt bike in about '66 and sold it after getting out of the Army in '70. He did the paint- gold metal flake, made the sissy bar, added the tall bars, a squeeze bulb horn and all the other street necessities. Jon was 17 when he bought it, I was 10. I can't remember the year of the Royal Enfield, but I do remember it had the Indian logo cast into the timing side cover. This picture was taken in '73 and that is his brand new GMC van across the street. The motor seized a day or two after this picture, supposedly due to an incorrect bore. The shop he bought it from repaired it and he sold it as soon as he could. We thought those were a couple of bitchin' choppers back in the day. I still like the Triumph and today is the first time in at least 35 years I've seen either picture - Kevin Haggard





Totally bitchin'. Thanks Kevin!

Nicely Done

Perfect Balance.

And one of the best ways to set up the rear half of your Triumph.

Check it out HERE.

2010 Garage pics

As 2010 draws to a close I thought I would post up some random pics of the recent goings on in my garage. I slowed down big time on the blog the later half of this year because of my regular day job becoming more time consuming, my scanner taking a dump and getting this cycle shop to a point where I have everything where I can actually work on things properly. I have plenty of old printed material to bring the blog content back to its original format. Maybe someday I will, until then...

The 1961 TR6C disassembled in preparation to get the frame ready for restoration. All in a days work with the help of a six pack of Coors.

A fresh batch of four Triumph Traveler tubes made by Frank's from an original I sent them. Still need to have new bushings made and come up with some 30" long internal springs. The springs are proving really difficult to source. If anyone can help please let me know. Yes that's rain water creeping in across the floor during a heavy storm.

The top of the project list frames putting their heads together.

One burner propane tank heater lit up.

Been test fitting parts on the bike table for the last couple weeks for a true show & go project.

I did manage to rack up some good miles and make some killer runs on the Bloody Nose this past Summer. The bike is broken in to perfection at this point. I would love to keep it forever and wish I could. I have a lot of history and great memories with this machine, but I just can't afford to keep it if I want to continue building bikes so it is going to go up on the auction block in a couple months when the time is right.