Success Story

Its been a little while since anything has happened with the PanShovel, but here is a little update. Its been featured on the Dupli-Color web site.
Check it out here:
http://www.duplicolor.com/success/stories/uetLftxnXZ

New Project

Two reasons I haven't been updating the blog much. First its winter and not much is going on in the motorcycle world here in the midwest. The second is that I've been working on a new project. You can check it out here: SeventyThree2002 Blog

1/2 Century Ago

Roughly a half century ago some people in Milwaukee put my motorcycle together. I doubt that they would have know it would end up looking the way it does now, or that a 33 year old would love it and care for it like one of his children.

Tonight she sleeps wrapped up in a warm blanket but I promise you she will be out being loud again this summer. I will take her back to the factory to celebrate her 50 years and countless miles making riders smile when they kick her to life. I am only a keeper of this fine machine, she will live on longer than I.

60's Cool

Check out these old biker pictures from the 60's. Link to Flickr Photo Set

Photo Work

Playing around with a couple of new tools I have for photography. HDR Efex Pro and Photoshop CS5.

 

I like the way this came out! Shot with my trusty Canon G11

Enough with the apes!

Enough with the apes hangers already. I'm sorry to tell you Mr. Streetglide rider your bike looks terrible with those apehanger handlebars that you paid the Harley dealer way to much to install.  Sorry Mr. stock Sportster rider you look like a dork with your hands up in the air. I'm sorry but if you do not have a period correct wicked looking 70's chop ape hanger handlebars make you stupid. I mean seriously are you being held up at gunpoint? You know what bars look good? Z's I love z bars those make your bike look good, they rise you up a little and are not out of place on a close to stock bike. So this is my PSA. If your bike has an electric starter, fairing or both. ENOUGH WITH THE APES!



Last little thing, if this bike belongs to you, enough with the apes!

Unless your 6'10 and built like a tank. Then I'm sorry.Ha

Risers

Thanks to Gary I got a new (read old) riser for my bike. No more billet chrome monsters on the front end. Time for some real deal vintage cool. Here is a picture of the riser for 2 piece bars:

I cut my new (read swap meet) handlebars up last night and installed them after I let the paint dry on the riser. Pictures will come as soon as I can get the bike out in some sunlight for decent photos.

Bars

Decided to finally take a picture of the handlebars I picked up and put on a week back.  At first I hated them,  but they are definitely growing on me.

Not bad for $10 bucks and 15 minutes of work.

Board Track and the coolest racer of them all!

Craftsman Prize

PRE_2010-09-17-180548, originally uploaded by PanShovelGeo.

I won the Craftsman "Trust in your hands" Photo contest this summer. Today I came home to a big box. Opened it up and there was my prize. I'm really excited to have won such an awesome set of cordless power tools. They are Craftsmans new C3 tools. They even included a sweet charger and Lithium Ion batteries. Favorite new tools are the two electric impact guns and the reciprocating saw. I rarely use the sawsall I have now but just knowing I have a cordless one is awesome. Thanks Sears!

Was...., Now Is.....

Conversion of the Microphone is done.  It now wired and ready to use as a tailight.
Check it out.

It is for sale.  $100 obo + Shipping

Flea Find

Found this wicked Astatic Model JT-40 Harmonica Microphone at the Kane County Flea Market today. Looks like the one on the Pan/Shovel right now only cooler and older.  This one dates before 1946 when the company moved out of Youngstown Chicago.  Looks like I'm gonna have to start building a bike around this Mic / eventually to be tail light.  :)

Barn Find

Well I did find it at a barn. These two old guys were selling a bunch of junk not far from my house out of their barn. This locker caught my eye immediately and seeing the price of $10 and the company sticker showing Chicago IL guaranteed I was bringing it home. Love it.

Vintage Helmet

VintageHelmet, originally uploaded by PanShovelGeo.

I never got around to posting this picture. It is a helmet that was sitting on a flathead. This was at the HD Museum for the Knucklehead Reunion.

No Show

Lake in the Hills Car Show was rained out yesterday.  Well at least it was for me.  I wasn't parking my bike in the rain on a grass field.  No thank you.  Next year.

Featured Ride

My Harley is a featured ride on the Lake in the Hills Car Show web page. You can see it on their web page http://lithcarshow.com/featured-ride/rides/4/index.html
You can see the bike in person there on August 8th!

Getting Ready

A few days after the Knuckle Reunion our family took a vacation to Niagra falls. Since then I have re-painted my gas tank and the latest project was making a display stand for a mural my father put together for me. All this to get her ready for the Lake in the Hills Car show on August 8th. For details: http://lithcarshow.com/index.htm

Picture of my display stand:

KnuckleHead Reunion 2010

Wow all I can say is that next year you need to check out this show. Perfect way to kick off my vacation.

2010 Knucklehead Company's Knucklehead Reunion

Ed and I  rode up to the HD Museum in Milwaukee today.

This event is the worlds largest gathering of Knuckles.

Ride up was uneventful, ride back was solo, I got soaked not by rain but by wet pavement and my bike having no fenders. I gotta admit it is a little intense riding a jockey shift suicide clutch motorcycle when the ground is soaked and you can't see. I also spilled gas on my tank, and messed the paint up.  I've got a little project to fix it now.  Doh!

Anyway this kinda sums things up:

 

Best Knuckle I saw there:

 

Check out the slideshow for more pics. 

Picture

Clutch Again?

Well not as major as before. I just wanted to change the clutch pivot point to provide more throw so I wouldn't have such an on off clutch.