Travis' Pan- new fender struts and oil tank mounted

I got the new fender struts fabbed up and mounted. Turned out pretty nice. I wouldn't normally mount the oil tank before it was finished. Since the battery box and fill cap would affect the mounting or the position, I decided to mount it anyway.

Travis and I talked about not changing the frame too much, hence the hinged clamps on the bracket that holds the fender and oil tank in place. I may still add lightening holes to the main bracket. It's a little on the heavy side. I will be starting on the templates for the seat pan. Check out the trump for an idea of what I am going for on the seat. Basic idea, but Travis' fit to the frame and seat better. Definitely wider. Later.

Heroes- real people with real lives

I tend to be a day behind everything that goes on in the world. So when I do get a chance to catch up on what's going on. I am sometimes floored by what I find. Case in point, Steve Sellers.















My heroes or the people that have had a positive influence on my life, are varied and probably strangers to most. One of those "heroes" is Steve Sellers. Steve is a west coast car builder that has inspired me more than a few times. I could break down his resume or I could simply say that he is a "real" person. I say that without ever having the opportunity to meet Steve or seeing him on the latest reality show. What I know of Steve comes from the skills that he displays in his work and the passion in which defends that work. I would tell you to check out his website or his Myspace page, but you would find what I found today. Steve has shut down both and claims that he is getting out of the business. He states that he is ready for a life change. I am truly bummed by the news.

Whenever I would get frustrated or hitting my head against the wall on a project, I would check out Steve's cars and parts. Usually that was all it would take and I was back on track. The word "hero" is a funny word nowadays. Doesn't seem to mean what it used to. Steve was one of the few that I consider to be my "hero". Thanks Steve. I hope you change your mind.

Bros and friends- one in the same.

It is unusual that I post twice in the same day, but today I had something on my mind that I wanted to share. I believe in karma, the golden rule or whatever you might call it. I try to do right with my family and friends. Through all that, you hope that it might come back around. Well today, karma paid a visit.

Recently I gave away a set of '51 chevy truck doors to a friend from work. My wife wasn't too keen on the idea of me giving something away. Especially nowadays. But this friend has always done right by me and I wanted to do the same for him. To make a long story short, when he picked the doors up we got to talking about old junk yards and how they were disappearing. He said that he still knew a old timer that still had some old tin lying around. I asked him to check with the guy to see if he might have some old '40's Ford rims lying around. Two of the rims on my truck are bent and barely balanced. I needed 16" X 5", hard to come by.

This afternoon my friend calls to tell me he has three 16" X 5" rims for me. Awesome. I am truly grateful for all things that my brother and my friends have done for me. Without them I wouldn't be doing any of this. Thanks, you know who you are.

Travis' Pan Progress- oil tank

I know I said that I would post drawings of the oil tank, in an effort to commit to a design. But when the sparks fly, sometimes you just have to go with it. After a crappy start to the weekend, that resulted in me only getting a few hours of shop time. I am more than stoked with the outcome.

I thought that the old horseshoe tank was what the bike needed, but it just was never meant to be a stand alone piece. What I mean is, a lot of OEM parts work with the total package, but when you use them alone, you see all the ugly brackets and welds. So I thought I would just use that basic design with a little more detail and simplicity. Still need to finish the battery box, inlets/outlets and mounting brackets. Hope you dig it.