39 EL Bit by Bit

Back to Therapy

Today - Installed the handle bars on the 39 EL. They are complete with cables switches the works! They even have red grips. I got them about 20 years ago with my Blue "Dirty Nine" EL as spares...nice! Then I grabbed a nice complete steering damper and installed that. Next I put together an appropriately crusty ride control. This fork is really taking shape! I started gathering the correct front brake parts. I need to install the front fender (Maybe), put grease fittings in the rockers and tighten them up, mount the front brake, drum and wheel, brake cable, headlight bracket, headlight, horn (if I have one) and then the front end will be pretty complete.

I was thinkin' about doing this one stripped down...not sure.

Back to the 39 EL for a minute...

The other day I was workin' on the 41 TT Knuck . I was installing the oil lines (always fun) bending, pushing etc. well the fitting in the pump cover for the return line had thread issues. I pulled another fitting out of a pan pump cleaned it up and started screwing it in. Now I know it's tapered pipe thread and all... but I gave it that extra turn that we all know too well and heard the slightest "tink". Cracked the the pump cover! Screwed again...

I decided to turn to my "therapy bike" to take my mind off my stupidity. I put together a nice crusty front end for the 39 EL along with some other parts that were begging to go on now that the frame is good to go.

In the mean time I dropped the pump cover off to Mark at Twisted Customs (painter of the 41 TT) to weld for me. I got it back last night and you can't even tell that I fucked it up! It is back on and the oil lines are done! Back in 41 business!

Southern Culture on the Skids

Mary Huff - Sportin' a Blue Doo

Must be a North Carolina theme month. First Denton and now ... Southern Culture on the Skids came to town last night. I jumped on the "Dirty Nine" EL and headed to the Theater. Pulled up and parked right out front in a cloud of smoke and oil. Great show, a lot of fun! The opening band was the Ultra Kings.

Denton Part III - Back to the Bikes

I spotted an old junk yard on the way down, and it was For Sale!

Joe Oz having a little "Brand X" problem...no starty

Nice TT style Knuckle...damn!
This one has the raised trans and cut down oil tank...very cool!

More nice old original paint bikes

Drag bike

The Flying Cloud! Original Paint 36 EL!

Owned by Rick Allen

I screwed up again and used my phone for most of the bike pictures! The memory gets smaller the more pictures you take, along with the size of the photos of course...oh well.

I saw a junk yard full of old cars on Rt 49 when I was heading into Denton so I grabbed Joe Oz and we took a ride out there. We found three people locked in the place...no shit... they were trying to get out with a key that they had already bent to shit. I offered my assistance and after about 10 minutes or so I asked if they were sure they had the right key. They assured me that they did, so I used one of the other keys on the ring and "pop" out they came! They thanked me and I made fun of them ...a little... after all I was in a junk yard in the middle of North Carolina with a PA plate on my bike! One of the trio was the owner's daughter. Of course I inquired about sickle parts but there were none...

I won't mention the fact that Joe couldn't get his Indian fired up and I had to start it for him...OOPS... I guess I just did...sorry Joe...get a Knucklehead.

Denton NC Part II - Snakes Alive!!!

Honey...what's that poking me in the seat?

Aliens landed in NC

Adjustable Snake Wrench!


Don't be deceived those are huge nuts...
This snake was about 7 feet long

There were huge black snakes all over the fair grounds. I had a great time fucking with the timid using a long black rubber bungee cord...couldn't resist. My friends wife spent the entire weekend three feet above the ground at all times...not that that would have helped, these things climbed up that 50 foot cotton crusher (alien space ship) and were hanging off it!

Denton NC 2010 - Got back yesterday

Great Place!

" Hit and Miss" turned cycle

Drag bike

We in the South now!

Real nice original 40EL

I threw the "Dirty Nine" EL into the van and drove the 550 miles down to Denton North Carolina for the Premier Southern Chapter National Meet at the Denton Farm Park. The theme was original paint bikes and there was a bunch! I always loved "The Flying Cloud" Rick Allen's 36 Knuckle. I actually got a chance to help Rick's son Ramsey get it running after sitting about 8 years. It was a great atmosphere and a great location. The 7 foot black snakes were also an attraction to some... others not so much! They had good food a live band and I didn't get yelled at by the authorities...not even once! There were about 200 vendors I think. Real good turnout.

The tons of cheap knuckle parts that we all thought would come out of the hills were nowhere to be found. There were plenty of parts (minus the "cheap"). This damn Internet has pretty much killed the great deals that used to be out there when you would go to a different part of the country. Enough whining...I had a great time!! I will definitely go back.

I have more pictures to post, but I gotta get out of the basement and go for a ride!

39 EL II

Let the games begin...

PING PONG (or the 39 EL is back in play)

I was really hoping to kick ass and get the 41 TT done within the next week or two, but I got a call that the frame for my next 39 EL was ready to pickup...DAMN.

OK, OK it's a late 1938 frame but my "Dirty Nine" EL has the exact same frame, so this one is going together the same way. I'll call it a factory left over but who cares? This frame was uncut and crusty when I picked it up, but it was making a left turn (or was it right?) and the cradle tubes were flattened. I had it repaired by my buddy Marty... I had him leave the globs of braze on the seat post tube for character. I tell him "as long as it goes straight down the road and I can fit a motor in it I am fine." He had to work a little magic to get the rake back to where it should be. It is exactly the way I like it. I will have to spray some "low" gloss black on the cradle tubes though.
Now this is the kind of build I really enjoy. No waiting for paint or parkerizing or buying NOS hardware. Just matching the crusty shit and bolting it all up! (not always easy). Not sure if I'm going "Cut Down" or full fenders on this one...

Ray Tanner - TT Riverside

The photo of Ray Tanner's Knuckle in 1947 at Riverside has been a huge influence on me since I was a teenager. I happened across a pile of old American Motorcycling magazines at a flea market. This picture jumped right out at me.
Check him out. Flanders, scallops, the works! Hell, he won the TT with his kickstand still attached!

41 Knuck TT Pinstripe

I picked up the paint work from Mark last night and immediately began assembly. The Pin Stripping looks great! I was not sure how it was gonna come out but it is exactly what I was looking for... just enough to know it's there. The shinny black is already driving me nuts with the smudges and shit but I'll get over it...just not used to shinny stuff.

I almost hate to put the emblems and strips back on the tanks. I have a few choices you can see them lined up on the bottom of the "side view" picture. There are two different period aftermarket ones from the 40's and an original. I am thinking the blank one (far left).

Time to get back at it.

41 TT Knuck Paint

Stopped up to see Mark at Twisted Customs last night. He got the task of body work and paint on the 41 TT Knuckle. What a nice job! I spent about two hours with him taping out the scallops a week or so ago. The rear fender was a real challenge the thing was rough...it looks great now. It is getting gold pinstripes on the scallops as we speak.

Funny...there are only two bikes I ever had someone paint and I used the same old picture of Ray Tanner's (won the TT in 47) TT knuckle as a guide. The colors of this one are black and Ivory and like I said gold pin stripe.

Mark did a great job on this stuff, he even carried the scallop into the inside of the tanks! I'm gonna pick it all up tonight and start assembling. This one has been a long time coming!