One of the last larger purchases that I wanted to get done for the CB was a custom seat. Sure it was a modification that didn't need done in order to get it back running, but it was definitely something I wanted to do for several reasons. The main reason of course is looks. I've gradually developed the look of this vintage Honda over time, somewhat going at it blindly. Mods have been determined a lot on functionality, cost and then looks. Therefore, this seat was all about looks just because it could be. I've looked at a ton of cafe builds and determined I like the flat brat style the best. I really like the look of leather upholstery, but I've been undecided on the color. With my tank being a turquoise, I was leaning towards a brown leather, however, the more the bike developed overtime more and more parts were transforming to black. I determined I didn't really want to go brown leather on the handle grips so I figured just the seat being brown would look a little odd. Color determined: black. Stitch color determined: black. While the main emphasis is on style, I did consider some functionality in the design. Overall I fit pretty well on the bike but would be more comfortable with slightly lower seat. The goal would be to shave down some of the foam to reduce the height. The type of material was critical too in that I don't want to be slipping all over the place while riding, but still wanted some mobility. The upholstery suggested a vinyl, which gives it the look and feel I was going for. In addition to all of that, I really liked how the stock seat mounts on the bike and has this nifty little compartment underneath for my registration and any other paperwork. Luckily I was able to keep all of that to get exactly what I wanted. A few weeks ago the seat shipped off to Michigan to a friend I met last summer, Chris Carr. Chris builds some pretty gnarly bikes from start to finish. I already posted some of the progress shots Chris had sent me of him shaving the foam and repairing the seat pan (view original post). He then took it to his upholstery place for the finished product. Last week I received it back, and it was as good as I could have imagined, if not better. Visit ChrisCarrDesign.com to see a few of his awesome builds.
For starters, Supercross is awesome. I'm surprised it took me so long to get into it, but I'm grateful I got into it when I did. Daytona was my first sx event, and now Saturday I added East Rutherford, NJ to the list too. I think attending Red Bud had to have ignited the initial interest, and it's only grown from there. It's funny how some of the best times are created from last minute planning. I had been wanting to go to the NJ sx since it's been on the schedule this year, but wasn't sure how it would play out logistically. One day a friend offered to buy the tickets if I drove. Less than ten minutes later tickets were purchased. Saturday came and we made a full day out of it, departing at 8:30am. One of the wisest things I did this past Saturday was taking my Polaroid camera to the race. I managed to capture some pretty awesome shots on film. Below are a few digital and print snapshots of the event. In case it's not apparent, I am also equally obsessed with panoramas as I am with Polaroids. Below are some shots from the event.
Take my advice and don't ram your bike into a car. Not only does it not end well for the rider, but it also causes many hidden cracks and bends that need to be repaired. We've uncovered another necessary repair as I am getting my seat remade. Initially I went into this thinking it would be a cosmetic change; however, two cracks in the base have been found as well as a bend that needs straightened out. A ton of progress is being made, and I am looking forward to seeing it all come together. Below are some progress shots of my seat I sent to Chris Carr of Caro, Michigan. Check out his killer builds on Instagram.
I've had Milwaukee, WI on my travel bucket list for a few years now, and an opportunity came up to hitch a ride this past weekend that I could not resist. Riders Dan Bromley & Jeremy Orr were heading in a race van to the Flat Out Friday race happening during the Mama Tried Motorcycle Show, and they picked me up on the way last Thursday morning. We drove all day, making it to Wisconsin that night after making some stops along the way.
We stayed with Dan's legendary tuner Bill Werner in Wisconsin and headed to the track Friday morning. We started to pit outside, the sun was shining and it was 50+ degrees in Milwaukee in February, who would have thought.
Eventually we moved inside and were set up for the day. Eventually more and more riders and people showed up to the event. Racing had begun and the crowd started filing in.
While there was big money tossed in for the Charlotte Kainz Memorial Race that the pro's would compete in, the main event was the show put on by the Hooligans. I have to say my favorite Hooligan rider was Carey Hart, hands down. I had to have a fan girl moment and get my photo with him in the pits, too, of course.
The pro race shook out to be a good one with Jared Mees dominating the field. Jake Mataya road the #35L bike and surely did it justice. Bronson Bauman and Dan Bromley were scored 3rd and 4th. As usual it was great to see familiar faces of the race family from around the country. It's been a long off-season, but Daytona is right around the corner, and this trip to Milwaukee helped break up the racing drought.
The road home was as long as the trip out there, but I was so stoked to have been able to make the trip. It was a short one, and I'll have to go back sometime to explore the city a bit more and check out the Harley Museum. Until next time!
Last Tuesday Throttle Down Speed Co. launched the second video in the new Tear Off Talk series (view original blog post). This video features Emma of TDSC interviewing Charlotte Kainz at Rolling Wheels Raceway flat track national on August 20, 2016. Emma crafted her own fun questions and asked them to a bunch of riders that day during open pits. Not only was it Emma's first interview experience, but it was also her first motorcycle race she attended. Emma was one of Charlotte's biggest little fans, and we are grateful to have this footage and share it with everyone.
It's been one of Throttle Down Speed Co.'s missions to create more videos and generate more content. Some of our first footage taken has finally taken form and was released on the blog today under the name of "Tear Off Talk". Define: Tear Off A tear off is a key product that nearly every racer needs to bring with them in their gear bag to the race track. A tear off is a thin piece of plastic that is attached to a motorcycle racer's helmet visor or goggles. Based on the surface of the track and the weather conditions, the amount of tear off's added to the racer's helmet or goggles varies. The bigger the roost, the more tear off's a rider will need for each time they are out on the track. While racing a rider will reach up, pull the tear off tab across their line of vision and release the single tear off and continue on racing, restoring crystal clear vision. A tear off is essential for every dirt tracker and motocross racer. The name Tear Off Talk originated after a brief brainstorm session between Brian and I. We tossed names back and forth several times until one caught our attention. From there I designed a logo, which also took a few versions to get it to a solid point.
I believe down the line this logo could evolve into something more, however, it does the job well and works well for video intros. Brian got down to editing our footage of his 8 year old daughter Emma interviewing various flat track motorcycle racers. On race day, Emma came prepared with a list of questions and when it came to time for the open pits, the Throttle Down Speed Co. got behind the scenes to get Emma's questions answered. The entire process was a blast, and seeing the interviews pieced together takes on a whole new form. Throttle Down Speed Co.'s Tear Off Talk: What Do Professional Racers Eat On Race Day has now been released. Check it out on the Throttle Down Speed Co. Blog! Stay tuned to see the second Tear Off Talk video next week.
Ice racing has always been a fascination of mine, and going to a race has been on my bucket list for a few years now. Friday I finally got to cross it off the list as I attended Round 1 of the 41st World Championship ICE Racing event in Reading, PA. Lucky for me, I got to play a bigger role than just a spectator that night.
About a month ago I got in contact with the McGrane family to help with the design of the trophy plates. Fallen flat tracker Kyle McGrane called this race track home, and his brother Tommy wanted to make these plates extra special for this round. I was more than happy to help, and I got into Illustrator to put Tommy's vision to life. The whole process went really smooth, and the final printed product turned out really rad. Below are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place plates for the bikes main event.
All three plates are very similar in their design, but the placement of the transparent picture of Kyle in the background is unique on each. I designed the 1st place plate first and made sure the 99A was large and centered. When I began to work with the 2nd and 3rd plates, the shape of those numbers were significantly different, so the placement of the 99A had to shift. I made the image a bit smaller so that when I placed it, you could see the 99A number plate clearly on each plate, while it still being fairly centered. In my opinion, this also made the 1st place plate stand out a bit more. I also did a second version of the plates for the quad class that just swapped out some copy. Tommy was really happy with the designs and printed them. On race day I ran an Aid to Injured Riders booth at the arena and had a great set up right inside the doors. AIR had stickers for Kyle, Charlotte, Morgan and Dominic for sale, Kyle bracelets and our flat track trading card sets.
I ended up having some really good conversations with the fans. Some knew flat trackers, others didn't. Even those who didn't know much about flat track, still donated money, and it was yet another humbling experience. Below is an action shot of the AIR set up with Throttle Down Speed Co.'s Em front and center!
At the end of the night I got my very own copies of the number 1 plates that Logan McGrane got signed for me! I've already found a sweet spot for them in my apartment to show them off. Congratulations to Jake Mataya for making a last lap pass for the lead to put the #99A bike on top of the box.
The racing off season is a drag, let's face it. In an attempt to keep it interesting the TDSC co-founders (Brian & myself) filled out interviews for everyone to get to know us a little better. Check out Brian's here, and stay tuned for mine tomorrow!
My CB360 rear fender was next on the restoration list. The exterior wasn't too rusty, however, underneath was pretty ugly looking. Per usual I resorted to steel wool, Mothers Polish and some quality elbow grease to remove the rust. The end goal was to paint it black to match the springs I recently done (see previous progress post.)
The exterior cleaned up beautifully and quickly, where the underside took a lot more elbow grease. I had then painted it black with some "rattle can", as my Caro friends like to refer to it as, and it was looking really good. I removed the tape I used to protect the rubber and screw holes and quickly nicked part of the paint off. I figured I'd touch it up and use some clear coat. I had 1shot enamel laying around and figured that wouldn't hurt to use as touch up paint. Tonight I got some clear coat to top it all off. To my surprise a reaction occurred either between the clear and the enamel or purely the cold temperatures. It's days like these I wish I paid more attention in science class.
The bubbles spread in various areas and removed all of the paint when wiped with a towel. Looks like I will be stripping it down, digging out my steel wool again to smooth it out. Then I'll repaint it and clear it in appropriate temperatures, sans enamel. Looks like I'll keep on learning! Stay tuned...
With 2016 coming to an end, I reflect on the past year and look forward to 2017. This month I've spent a lot of time traveling and working on larger projects that I hope to share next month. This year started off with the hope of traveling to a lot of different places, and I made sure to to do just that. Most of my travel revolved around the flat track motorcycle racing circuit where I would travel and meet my race family in various cities. I kicked off the year with a road trip to Daytona Beach, Florida with my dad. Looking back, the highlight of that trip was meeting new Throttle Down Team members Tristan Avery and Charlotte Kainz.
In April I set my sights on Austin, Texas, a state I've never been to before. I flied solo and spent the first few hours wandering around the city until familiar faces arrived later. I visited several museums and walked along the Colorado River. The highlight was kayaking down that river, taking in the Austin city skyline and hearing live music in a distance. What an awesome trip.
In May I finally got my hands on the parts bike I had found back in February. I hope that adventure never fades from my memory. Who knew that with getting the parts bike in May, I still would have a non-running CB in December. All good things take time.
In June I flied solo out to Oklahoma City to meet and stay with my friend Nicalee. She showed me around her town and we ran an awesome AIR fundraiser at Pole Position. What an awesome night with race day following. The highlight of that trip may have been standing down in front of the front straight cheering for Dan Bromley who almost made it onto the podium in the GNC1 class. Tristan Avery took the GNC2 win. Following that, I hope to never forget running and laughing in the pouring rain on to get drenched. What a great night.
In mid July Colleen, Nicole and I road tripped north to Boston, Massachusetts. It was a gorgeous summer weekend, and we made sure to venture up to New Hampshire just to say we did. I hope to one day forget how awful the long drive home was, but I hope to never forget to avoid the George Washington bridge!
At the end of July my dad and I road tripped down to Charlotte, NC to the flat track race. The sunshine was on point and the racing was good. At the end of the night my dad had a case of the hangry's and I had planned to go to the pits to end the night. We bickered for a bit and ended at Charlotte Kainz's pit to see why she hadn't raced that day. She hadn't been feeling well and she told us her dad wouldn't let her race, to which Jack chimed in joking, "yeah, yeah I'm the worst dad ever." Eventually my dad started talking to her, asking her about school and such. When we left the track, we got food that revived my dad. He then confessed how it's good we got to go to the pits and talk to Charlotte. Looking back now, that will remain my favorite memory.
In August I headed to a beach house to celebrate my friend's upcoming wedding. Sunshine in Rehoboth Beach, DE was absolutely perfect. The bride has a killer group of friends and the best bridal party to date.
Also in August my dad and I drove up to Elbridge, NY for a flat track race where my friend Brian and his daughter Emma met us there. The highlight was surely that it was Emma's first flat track event and she had survived the whole day! Watching her interview the riders was too fun, and I look forward to spending more races with her.
On Labor Day weekend I flew out to Michigan to go to a wedding, and then also attended the Baja Brawl. I wish I could pick out a highlight but the entire trip was fun as we were constantly on the go. I met a lot of wonderful people on that trip and am forever grateful of those memories. I hope to never forget being outside by Lake Walden alone in the dark, trying to find answers to questions I'll never get, only to look up at the sky and see a blanket of stars. I've never seen so many stars in a sky.
In the middle of October I watched one of my best friends get married. It was an honor to stand up there with her on her big day.
Also in October I went to the local Piston Poppers motorcycle race where they put on a memorial for Kyle McGrane and Charlotte Kainz. It was beautiful. My favorite memory was walking up to the track that day to see a little guy on a PW wearing a long sleeve in memory of those two riders.
The beginning of December I spontaneously planned a road trip that revolved around a benefit for injured rider Morgan Monroe. My friend Nicole and I hopped in the car and traveled just shy of 1600 miles, stopping in Kalamazoo, MI; Grand Rapids, MI; Caro, MI; Lapeer, MI; and Flint, MI. We were on the move the entire time, and it was such a blast. I loved Grand Rapids, loved seeing my race friends in Caro, Morgan's benefit was awesome, and it was great to see everyone who attended. I met a lot of wonderful people at that event as well. The trip in itself was important to me, mainly because I got to go to all of the places I had been wanting to go but never had the chance while I was out in Michigan.
The following weekend in December my friend and I road tripped to Timonium, MD for the indoor race. We got pit passes which made for a nice new experience. The highlight was selling AIR stickers to the generous flat track family.
Also in December my friend and I ventured to Scranton, PA to see The Menzingers at their annual holiday show. Other local bands including Tigers Jaw and Captain We're Sinking and Petal were amazing. The autographed event poster would have been the highlight, except standing right up front, being able to see the spit as Greg sang took the cake.
This weekend I will be spending the first day of the New Year at the Eagles Cowboys game in Philadelphia. I think that'll be an awesome start to the year as I try to figure out the other adventures I don't want to miss out on in 2017. There should be a bunch more art and design projects to share and hopefully plenty of road trips and adventures in between. Stay tuned to see what we create for Throttle Down Speed Co. as well. Cheers!
Find me tomorrow at the Timonium Indoor Flat Track Motorcycle Races at the Maryland State Fairgrounds to purchase these stickers I will be selling on behalf of the Aid to Injured Riders. Need event info? Practice 4:30, Racing 7, more details here. Not able to attend and still want stickers? Send AIR a message on Facebook and we will get an order sent out to you. Hope to see you tomorrow night!
About a month ago I dropped to OG CB360 motorcycle tank off at Powder'd Remedies to finally get it stripped down and coated the color I've been looking for (see original post). After a few weeks of progress photos and videos, last evening I was finally able to pick up the final piece.
I am absolutely amazed at the Navajo Nugget powder color and how it changes from turquoise, to teal, to blue in different lighting. The tank looks pretty awesome on the bike as it stands right now as well. I got lucky with how well the Robin Egg Blue 1shot paint I used on the side air filter covers.
Now the question is if I'll carry on with my original idea to paint over top of the powder. For now, I think I'll just admire it as is until I find the perfect solution. Woohoo!
