A True Garage Bobber: May 2009

OK, So as long as we are learning a bit about me and catching up, I thought I would fill the readers in on my unique writing style. We (the wife and I) tend to use a vocabulary all our own and it often involves made up or miss-spelled words, such a intra-web, Geerage, and blorb. So if if sounds weird or is misspelled, it is probably a Leonardism. Think of it as calculated fo-net-ic spelling.

I feel that this form of speak stems from the fact that we are currently residing in the Ge-toe, that is ghetto for those not accustomed yet. It often has us saying and spellin' words in our own way.

A quote for my wife,

"What's a matta Tommy, aint yo house got no inside?"

Have fun reading, and when in doubt, sound it out!

Well here is where it is sitting as of last night. Ironically that is the very first time it has been up on the stand that I built to build it on, weird. In stead, I have been working off my $35,000, 300 horse power AWD work bench..

I wasn't able to work on it at all tonight, the slowness of the inter-web caused me to take all night just to create this blog post.

But, where did it begin? you ask, or maybe you didn't ask...

So this blog was started well into my project, so it is time for me to give the readers some back ground and get everyone up to speed, 'cause the real fun stuff is yet to come, the build up!

So here is a little background:

Well it started about 3 1/2 years ago, when I had to sell my Honda VTX 1300 to afford to go back to school.

sorry for the bad picture, it was a picture taken of my computer monitor with an old camera phone.

So, I have been off 2 wheels and only on 4 for a while. I got the itch to ride again when gas was approaching 4.50 /gal. I thought, "Hey I will just buy a scooter", and then I realized I didn't want to look like a tool, (Sorry dad, I know how you do love your scooter, and it is nice!) so I began to scour the inter web for a 'cooler' alternative.

The Kikker 5150 Hardknock bobber came across my computer screen.

It is a 3/4 size build at home kit that sells for about 1200 for a 110cc (pictured) and about 2200 for a 200cc version. The bike comes in a variety of colors, wheel options and various ways to make it your own, well kinda. I asked my future bike donor, Gary Charpentier, what he thought about this. He tried to persuade me to buy his old project (1979 Yamaha xs650) I declined, I did not like the looks of this bike, any many older Japanese bikes, so my obsession continued on with the Kikker. After spending most of my free time researching this kit, I found many people building the same style bikes out of the old Yamaha's. So my interest started to sway back towards Gary's old bike just sitting in his Garage.

I asked Gary how much he wanted for it, he said $200, and I said done!!

This is how it had been sitting in his garage for the last... well, for a while.

I had figured that I could build a bike, the way I wanted, not according to some plans probably translated from Chinese, and it would end up being about the same cost or just a little less $ in the end. The big negative for the Kikker is that they are extremely hard to get on the road 'legally' title and license and the such. But this bike has a title and registration and everything I would need.

So about a month ago, I borrowed our church trailer and went to St. Paul with $200 (my Christmas present this year, thank you Wife !) in hand and picked it up. Spent the first 2 hours tearing all the unnecessary parts off the bike, and parked it in the garage. I built the assembly stand the next weekend and the real work began...

The arrival.

Out in the drive way. Yeah, it HAD a bullet style fairing...

went to work right away tearing all the plastic off. rear and front fenders, and the fairing (refer to first post.)

I Did a little engine tear down and fitted the new tank, unfortunately it was way too big, so it has to go.

So the next to go was the electrical and all cables and controls. It spent a while just rolling around the garage floor, and sitting next to the really nice bike stand I had built the week before.

and now the bike could start having pieces whacked off of it. I had to take the front end off and then start with the rear. But how? Well a tow strap slung over the rafters in the garage of our 118 years old house, and a 2000 lbs come-a-long should do.

Ok, so I started with the cut off wheel before I took off the front end... oops.

Taking off the front end..

off.

and the rear...

I got excited and put the hardtail on, with out cutting the big bracket off the back bone.... more on that to come..

yeah, that is masking tape holding it together.

Much more to come. I have lots more to tell you about just to get to where is is today. Lots more pictures as well. I think I am going to set up a link to an online album and have all the pictures of the build and the bikes that have inspired this build....