less is more

finally got back to practicing with the band last night after 6 or 8 months of looking for a new drummer...sore fingers, sweat, sound matrix, and feel good rock and roll...
one of the songs we do always reminds me of the simplicity and fullness of another 3 piece band (well some of the time)...spacemen 3....

Long and Winding Road

A few weeks back i bought a 1993 FXR super glide in Wisconsin. My good friend Dave Polgreen drove over from St Paul and checked it out and picked it up for me. I flew into St Paul and got to spend the day with the amazing Pete Mason, the next day Pete Dave and I loaded our bikes up and headed west to check out Sturgis. We stopped at Karls Cycle supply, Karls son Matt Olsen took us on a grand tour and let us ride some of their bikes it was a dream come true. There place is vintage Harley heaven,

"me and 5 freshly built Knucklehead motors"

"Two people i feel lucky to call my friends, Matt Olsen and Pete Mason posing on an amazing 1938 knucklehead bob job"

After Karls we headed straight to Sturgis, within a few hours Pete and I looked at each other and said we were ready to leave. It just wasnt our kind of place. But we met up with some friends and the day got better.

"Kevin Bass let me ride all 3 of his amazing knuckleheads"

The high light of my our time in Sturgis was the dinner that Jeff Holt and Chris from Street Chopper took us to in Deadwood. Great friends and good food make for the best of times

"The Gentlemen Perverts, Jeff Holt, Pete Mason, Me, Dave Polgreen, Jason Craze, and Chris."

The next morning i loaded up early and got on the road to head back to California.

The Black Hills were beautiful to ride through, and i stopped at Mount Rushmore, i had never seen it and glad i went

"The dudes and I, it was alot smaller looking in person then i thought it would be"

I was making good time and had covered 550 miles when all of a sudden the bike just stopped running i got over to the side of the highway and couldn't get it to start again, i called for a tow.

"Waiting on the side of the road"

About 30 mins into my wait a guy on a bike pulls over to see if i need help. His name was Bob and he was also on a FXR, i tell him its my electrical system and its not something i can fix on the side of the road, so we just talk for a few mins. It turns out he bought his FXR brand new from the dealer in 87 and 30 minutes before he saw me his odometer had turned over for the 2nd time. He has personally logged over 200,000 miles on his bike. 25 round trips from Riverside Ca. to Sturgis, 4 round trips to Daytona bike week, and 4 rounds trips to Laconia bike week, are just sme of the miles he has done. He has had the motor built twice, but hasnt changed much. He turned in the 7 spoke mags when the factory recalled them and installed the 9 spoke and made some hard bags, but the bike is still original paint and everything else. It was great talking to Bob and i hope to run into him again some day

Bob and his machine

I was on the side of the road for almost 5 hours, almost got into a fight with a Tow Truck driver, and then pushed the bike close to 2 miles back to a truck stop called little America on I 80 in Wyoming. I had to stay the night there. The next morning a different tow truck came and took me into Utah. Andy from Pangea Speed came to my rescue. I had met Andy is Japan last december, and then in Mexico on the EL Diablo Run in May, but we barely knew each other. He picked me took me to his shop, and let me use his tools. All because we have some mutual friends. I cant thank him enough. The rotor had thrown a magnet and destroyed the stator.

Andy took me to the harley dealer where i picked up the parts and replaced them, with some help on the phone from my good friend Frank Kaisler. I got back on the road at 7:30 pm saturday night. I had lost a full 24 hrs. I did 200 miles that night and slept in Beaver Utah. On sunday morning i got back on the road and killed the last 530 miles through the desert and back to the SFV. What an adventure. Breaking down totally sucked, but thinking back im glad it happened. It just adds to the adventure. I love motorcycle now more then ever before, but what i really hold dear to my heart in the amazing group of people that i get to call my friends, that i wouldn't have met if it wasn't for bikes. That is the truly great part of this world that we are all involved in

The rose spreader

Here is the latest paintings from my continuingly evolving style. I'm really happy with these gypsy girls involving minimalist portraiture and 1800's style scrollworking through Vegas glasses.

Cycle swap meet

The long beach cycle swap meet is a great place to find plastic jaguar heads and NOS Japanese babies







Look for the elusive Mark Drews spy photograph
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More Twin Cities!

 Our good friend Dave Polgreen has his killer sporty for sale! Check it out, bike is in St. Paul, MN.

 Bike is a 1962 XLH.  Motor is completely rebuilt from top to bottom, with good condition stock parts or the best of the aftermarket.  Has Andrews "Y" cams, S&S e-carb and a mallory electronic ignition.  Band new rebuilt generator with cycle electric end regulator.  It has maybe 1000 miles on it now, so it is just broken in.  Starts up within two kicks and runs super strong.  Frame is stock but modified to fit the XR750-style tail section, with a tray underneath there to hide the battery and mount the license plate.  Shock mounts were moved back to give it a taller, more dirt-bike like stance.  Exhaust is custom made with a supertrapp can on the end.  Wheels are invaders, front is a dual disc 21" with sporty hydro brakes, rear wheel is a 19" invader with a stock sporty drum brake, which works awesome.  Tires are Dunlop K-180's.  Front end is a harley 35mm with a custom made fork brace.  Headlight is a modified aris triangle light tucked under the eyebrow.  Oil tank is a K-model tank with custom mounts.  Paint work is beautiful, done by Michael Geltz at Flying Weasel Garage.  This thing is in cherry shape, runs like a top, and has a clean harley title.  Was just shot by Josh Kurpius a few weeks ago and will get run in one of the good magazines out there soon.  Will ship anywhere at buyer's expense.  Not cheap, but considering the cost of getting an early ironhead motor rebuilt, plus the custom work and fit and finish, my price is very reasonable.  Contact DAVE at djp210@hotmail.com.

more heavy

Ahh, remember this? out HEAVY FMA colab from a couple years ago? EZ knocked it out of the park with the art, i think we still have a few shirts left, no larges, maybe no mediums...anyway, GOODTIMES!

Heavy Shovel for sale!

Our pal Zac the man behind HEAVY is selling his sweet, freshly redone shovelhead! hit him up at zachonky@yahoo.com 

Help support today's real bike brands, but some HEAVY gear

Happy Bithday

Mr. Harpoon has a Birthday today, happy birthday buddy!

Born-Free 4?

got a little bit of news over on the Born-Free blog, CLICK HERE

safe and sound

My '72 C-10 made it safe and sound to it's new home with Mike in Boston...who runs Kelly Harley Davidson on Chelmsford! Have fun with her Mike!

The Heathens

The Band that is and the brain behind it and the Asphalt Gods book about the Heathens MF, Gabe Griffin just put up seven, count em, seven Heathens songs on youtube! we just got more books in, CLICK HERE to buy your very own signed and numbered copy.

Far Out Man

Our buddy Gen from LOVE EAR ART sent me a few pics of his new personal sporty he painted, pretty Far Out MAN! CLICK HERE to see more of the funniest guys in Japan! he's got one of our FMA dragon slayer stickers on his oil tank.

Arlen ness chopper for sale

This bike is awesome.

Arlen Ness Molded frame, rear fender, springer front end and tank.

John Prince oil tank

Danny gray leather seat

Cycle Shak pipes

Ryan Noons paint

Fires up with one kick.

wow weee

Contact Tim Trezise 1-562-661-7173

or Timsyndicate@gmail.com

York, PA

Our best customer Jeremy in York, PA is having an art/chopper show! All you east coasters put it on your calendar! I do believe Harpoon is sending some art out for it.

FMA public service announcements

 please save and spread around if you still like them too...stick to your guns kids!

Sign painting summer

Amongst teaching summer school, painting choppers, cycle lodge shenanigans and FMA, I managed to get some sign painting done



First I start with a template I draw up, usually from a small sketch that I blow up. I try to tailor each sign to the shop if artwork is not provided, and if it is I do my best to embellish the flavor.



Whenever I leaf a sign I've found that the best results come from painting inside the window(this won't work well with a tint) plus then I can tape up my template from outside and use it as a guide for painting my reverse design.



After i paint my black outline i will apply the leaf. The results are smooth on the outside and are protected from the elements. In this sign I utilized 4 types of leaf to add a dramatic olde tyme style.



-more often than not I will just blackout the background, sometimes the reverse of the leafing is none too pretty and/or is delicate and full of cracks. A gold paint will work very well to fill in these cracks. However this was not the case with Sid's sign as I was able to paint a reverse outline over the leaf to form another complete sign.

Sid and all the guys at the shop are a complete group of characters and I always enjoy the time I spend at the shop.

Sid's Tattoo Parlor 7146648804


And this is where I learned how to tattoo! 7th street tattoo is directly off the main vein of the pulsating heart that is St. Paul Minnesota. Pete Mason has been running this shop about as long as I've been teaching school except I don't have the fifty dollar $30 name days.




Pete is a great friend and recipient of my first tattoo so are all the guys out there and our friendship is all thanks to Born-Free as you may have seen in some posts below. Back when Jeff and I (yo Layton) were out there Pete and I discussed that if I was ever out here again his vinyl would have to go.



The inside got some serious scrollwork too



The original vinyl lettering had a really cool "boogie" type face so I used that as my template.



Even without the leaf the white outline with black drop shadow looked 3kabillion times better. Vinyl signs have there place sure and have spawned an entire industry while making anyone with a plotter and the ability to type a signmaker, but the proof is in the pudding true believers.



Spencer took a few action shots. Thanks spence!





The leaf comes in square sheets as you can see and only sticks to where the size is painted on. The excess gets cleaned up an what you see below is the finished sign



Check them out
Here





just down the street from the cycle lodge you find torch tattoo. Justin and Kyle just celebrated their one year anniversary with a big party/art show and a sweet door commission to yours truly.

Check out Justin and Kyle
Here






Earlier this year our pal Jon Tubbs from Alabama opened up a shop for men who like clothes that fit in long beach. We'd been talking about a window sign forever and talk is talk without action so here it is in gold and silver leafed glory





www.dixielongbeach.blogspot.com

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i've been to...

the Cycle Lodge shirts can only be had on a visit to...the Cycle Lodge in beautiful Orange, California.
HEre's a pic of Watermelon Pete wearing his Cycle Lodge shirt alongside Dave Polgreen somewhere in the midwest on a couple of bikes from Matt Olsen (i stole the pic from Matt's blog...)

CLICK HERE for post of the year. Keep it up Josh.

Goodbye old friend

Man, i am a little sad right now...just loaded my '72 Chevy C-10 onto a transport headed to Mike in Boston. I really get attached to things and this truck has a lotta of my blood sweat and tears in it. I spent about 4 years turning it from unsafe and roachy at any speed to one of the best driving C-10s i've had the please to be in. did everything except body and paint which was kind fun because underneath it all is a KILLER truck. Did a 5.3L swap, new 4L65 trans, all CPP suspension and brakes, stuffed 13" discs behind 15" Cragars, etc, etc, etc. Of course it was my job for the 5 years i worked with Rob Fortier on CLASSIC TRUCKS magazine, but...miss you buddy...Enjoy Mike! Careful, it's low!