RRRRRROLLER #05 has Arrived...

RRRRRROLLER...

Surprise package from Tokyo...

Under the tree where they belong...

Wow...hope I live up to that billing...

Hey...is that Mike's old 36 EL on the left????

Yes it is...hhhmmmm...I guess it didn't go to the Midwest...

And it's featured in the same issue...

Shots Ken took in September...

WLDR Racer

The "Dirty Nine"

 '41 Hydra-Bob...

 '46 FL

Brian's Love Machine...

Pages of Brooklyn shots

Why wouldn't he be smilin'?

Just got a package of Roller Mag #05's that I'd been waiting to see from Tokyo. Thanks Roller!

Here's how this happened:
Ken Nagahara approached me through Brian at the Brooklyn Invitational in September about doing an interview and photo shoot for Roller Magazine in Japan. I had met Ken briefly in Arizona last February at the Love Party, but the crazy bastard jumped on his BSA in the middle of the night and headed back to Oakland before we got a chance to talk much.
So anyway, Brian and Ken came up the week after Brooklyn and spent the day taking photos and drinking my beer...we did a bunch of riding shots, bullshitted, looked at junk and went to a few cool locations in the area. Ended up stuffing ourselves at a local tavern and they went on their way...Good time!
Ken and I kept in touch and worked out the details over the next month or so. Man I'll tell you they don't fuck around when it comes to getting this thing out on time. Pictures taken in late September (and later) make it in for the November issue...
This issue of Roller is packed full of great stuff and nice machines. Oh and you get a free pair of Carhartt work gloves in each issue! But they don't do subscriptions overseas from what I'm told...

Hey Ken, Great Job!...you're gonna have to translate this for me because I have no idea, what the fuck, any of it says...

"Frosty Balls" Ride 2012

Gathering at Mike's Shop...

Arrived at the Wagon Wheel...

Out front of Big Daddy's Wagon Wheel...

Back home again...

A salty dog...

Every year, the Sunday after Christmas, there's a ride from my buddy Mike's shop up to the Wagon Wheel Tavern to celebrate Mike's birthday. Since "The Incident", two years ago it has purposely become more low key... you can read about that one here:

http://knucklebuster1939.blogspot.com/2010/12/frosty-balls-ride-2010-went-horribly.html

Anyway, this year the weather was a bit frightful. There were 40 MPH winds and blowing snow from yesterday's storm. I took my old '52 Servi-Car out for breakfast and checked on the the accessibility of the roads for two wheeler's. There were many roads in our normal route that were completely covered by wind blown snow and ice...no way for most. 

I went home, jumped on the "Dirty Nine", bald tire and all, and headed to Mike's. There were only about 5 bikes there and folks were milling around the shop BSing and having a good time. I proposed an alternate route and we (six or so) headed out. We arrived safely (this time) at our destination with a total of nine bikes. There was much talk of yesteryear and the fun we'd had. At one time this ride boasted more then 150 bikes on a warm winter day...I think after 2010 Mike was happy to see it settle down to a few hardy individuals and a bunch in cars and trucks...liability you know...

It was a great time...until next year!

Mo Sno...

A spin into town...

The ultimate foul weather machine!

Came home to find the kids shoveling unsolicited...WTF? 

Maybe the world did end on 12/21/12...

A Wintery Mix...

A Christmas Story...Christmases Past

Merry Christmas Eve....

Summer Flashback...6/10/12

June 10, 2012 at the Hillclimbs in Freemansburg PA. It was 91 degrees that day...The '46 Knuckle swimming in a sea of rubber mounted late model garbage wagons...

A Tankless Task...

NO!!! Don't do it!!!...I did it...

On and off 1000 times...

Finally Got these fitted!

Looking good!

It seems like it took forever to get these tanks fitted and squared away...it kinda did. That's what you get when you deal with tank mounts that were removed and re-installed 20 years ago, not to mention changing from pan tanks back to knuckle tanks, different dash cover, cables wiring harness, etc, etc. Sure I stuck the tanks on the frame prior to paint and they seemed fine...sure I had tanks on the frame for years and they worked out fine, sure I ...fuck it...it's done now!

Waiting on the End of the World...

Day Break 12/21/12 - Looking a bit ominous but we're still here...

so far

We were waiting for the end of the world,

waiting for the end of the world,

waiting for the end of the world.

Dear Lord I sincerely hope you're coming

'cause you really started something.

Elvis Costello

1937 UMG Bob Job

Aggressive!

Santa Oz Cheering up the Hood...

From Joe Oz down the Jersey Shore...always the Showman...

ROLLER MAG (Japan)...Issue 4

Roller rolled in today from Ken Nagahara....

Where else do you see stuff like this in a mag?

Beautiful 37...

Sweet Knuckle...

Max and "The Black Panther"...

Flander's Bandana inside the Magazine!

How did they know?

Ken Nagahara was nice enough to send me a copy of Roller magazine issue 4. Issue 5 is out but I haven't got a copy yet.
I have never seen this magazine before and I have to tell you... it is a quality publication! The content is great, the paper quality is top-notch, the look and photography are stunning, not to mention it's 160 friggin' pages! I can't understand a word of it because it's all in Japanese but, what the fuck, I only look at the pictures anyway...
As a bonus, tucked between the pages was a bandana featuring various types of Flander's risers and clamps...pretty cool...
Thanks Ken...

Get Better Steve!

I attended a great surprise party last night over in Jersey...
My friend Steve, who I've known for close to 30 years through the Colonial Chapter AMCA, was hit head on back on Sept 1st of this year. The doctors rebuilt him with titanium and spare parts. He spent a good deal of time in the hospital and is recovering. I know he's gonna see this and I hope he's not pissed that I posted it...

Steve, It was great to see you hobbling around and even though the first thing you said when you "walkered" into the bar was "You All Suck!", I wouldn't have missed it!
Get better buddy...

Oh and thank Ron for supplying the great food and picking up the bar tab for all of us! (I'll bet he's having buyer's remorse about now...)

Gear Reduction...

Picked this up at a swap meet years ago. No idea what it was used for but it's made out of a Harley 45 rear brake drum and other motorcycle looking gears...interesting...

HAZMAT...When Microwave Parkerizing Goes Bad

Junior ran out gasping...

All I heard was a pop...

Airing out the kitchen as we speak...the kids ran out covering their air intakes...

I guess I misjudged the heating duration...