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!