Where are YOU??

If you ride a handmade, homemade, home-built chopper, I want to hear from you. I’m calling on all the chopper riders, bobber riders, rat bike riders. I want to hear from the one’s who ride and wrench on the same ol’ iron they built themselves. If you are in Texas, (or can be in Texas) I want your story. I want to hear about what you did, how you did it, and who helped you do it. I want to know how you did it, and most of all, why you did it! Hit me up with an email at: caveman.robinson@yahoo.com, or find me on Facebook by searching CavemanDan.

This heat is relentless, and you know you’re looking for a reason to ride anyway. It doesn’t look like we’re going to get a break in the heat so maybe I can get you a break. Hit me up, gotta figure the best thing that can happen is, you could end up with your bike on here (or better), and the worst that could happen is, you waste a perfectly good email! Can’t wait to hear from you……….. we’ll see you “out there”.

Shovelheads

Been pretty busy lately. Trying to drum up some cash so I can finish my bike. I have maintainance to do to it, but it has gotten costly. This is what happens when you put many more miles on something than it was intended to do! Either way, I’m also building a new tank for it, painting the bike, and hopefully getting some well deserved upkeep done to it all at the same time. I’ll be out in the shop this week and I’ll get some pictures. Not a whole lot of progress can be shown at the moment, but once it’s done, it will be nice!

Keeping it on the road

It is important to check your bike often. The big things we find out all to easily, but it’s the little things that will get you killed.

I rode to Waco last weekend to meet up with some friends and checked the bike out before the trip. I always check my bike out especially if the trip is over 100 miles. When I got back, this clicking sound was driving me nuts! I looked and looked and couldn’t find anything. The next day, the same thing, click, click, click. I looked it over to no avail. I figured it was nothing. That evening, I looked it over again and found that two broken spokes were hitting the rear brake caliper. Not good. Broken spokes can be a big problem, but eating a hole in the caliper is an even bigger problem!

Sorry for the picture quality, or lack thereof. I guess I'm getting shaky in my old age!

So, I now have to get my rear wheel re-laced, trued and balanced, and fix a couple of other things in the process.

Been pretty busy here lately. I know I’ve neglected my duties here, but sometimes you have to prioritize. I’ve got a couple of rides I’m trying to get to culminate, but between time and money, some things just have to sit on the back burner and steep. We’ll see what happens.

Here I sit, all broken hearted

Ok, that may be a bit dramatic. But it is the absolute middle of summer and we are all feeling it. 100+ degrees does a number on a guy not to mention, an old motorcycle.

This whole not having a camera thing is a bit tough. Not too many people are entertained enough with just words and a few more, just like looking at the pictures. Thus ensues my problem. I will get that taken care of, it just takes time. Everything just takes time, or just takes money. Something few of us have enough of independently much less together at the same time.

Not too much has gone on here lately. With birthday parties, and me losing things, there hasn’t been much to talk about. I’ve said before that I want to keep this from being a really long Twitter post but if there’s nothing at all to read, that doesn’t make for anything that’s better. With the Fall approaching not fast enough, there should be something coming up that I can make due with. But until then, this is what you get! I’m on a path now to fix what’s broken, mend what’s torn, and replace what was lost. Like everything else in this world…….. It’ll just take time!!!!

Tickle your fancy

Not much is going on this week. I’ve been working on a few things, but nothing has culminated yet. So, here I sit, bored and thinking. Never a good mix.

I think one of the biggest differences I noticed between riding and driving, is that all of your senses are used, all the time. The sense of touch is beaten to death by the wind, bugs, rocks, sand, road grime, etc. The sense of sight is heightened as you scan along for the next obstacle trying to get your rubber side up. Your sense of hearing is dulled a bit by the rush of the wind yet, somehow when a car sneaks up next to you, you  hear something a bit different. Your sense of taste experiences many new and some undesirable tastes of gnats and june bugs, with the occasional fly or whatever else may fly in there. And then there’s the sense of smell.

I remember a few years ago, I was riding some old back road in the spring, and the smell of cedars would just about knock you off your bike! It was like riding into the biggest hamster tank in the world. I still get a sensation out of the different smells there are out there, but one the other day really got to me. I was headed out to the shop, and saw someone watering their lawn. Being 90+ degrees that day, I was expecting a nice cool blast of mist or a misguided spray even and I welcomed it. Well, I got my misguided spray, just as I figured out that it was an aerobic septic system. Took me all day to get that smell off me, and I think I just got used to it more than getting it off. So, for those of you out there who are thinking of going for a ride, remember that not all sprinklers are what they seem to be. And those of you with septic systems, PLEASE, keep them in good order. Or at least make sure it smells ok!!!!

A Caveman Goes to Austin

One specific Marine was saying on The Horse’s forum “Back Talk” that since he was in Afghanistan, he couldn’t ride and wanted vicariously to ride through photos of all of our rides. On this same forum, there are a pair of guys, Bill and Pappy who live in Austin. I haven’t been to Austin since I was almost killed on a construction site on Sabine off of 6th street in 2006, so I wanted to try and drum up some better memories of this place than nightmares of a piece of 4×6 galvanized angle iron flying through the air at me. I discussed this with Bill and Pappy and heard about a place there called Buds. Now Bud seems to be a resourceful kind of person, the kind of guy who doesn’t throw anything away, and this is a good thing! Stories of parts stacked upon parts, bikes stacked in front of bikes, frames piled high, abounded and I needed to  see this place!

When I plan a trip, it usually goes something like this, pick a place then pick a time, and leave. I like letting the chips fall as they may and allowing the ride to take care of itself. (That’s why I had planned on going last weekend not figuring in the fact that Memorial Day should probably be spent at home!) So, I picked another day, and the same place, warmed up the bike and split. I’m not one to try to over-think anything. I travel light, cheap, and efficiently. This is something my wife has come accustomed to. It’s a learned behavior to not try to take everything in the closet or house with you, but it’s very effective. Less stuff means less stuff to lose. It means your bike is lighter, and saves on fuel as well as wear and tear. It means that whenever I get where I’m going, I’m not lugging around six tons of crap that I didn’t need in the first place, and I like it that way. It’s been said that your saddlebags won’t carry everything you want, but it will carry everything you need. Generally, I would place the pics of this ride in the article to see as you read along, but this time I’m just going to try to get as many in here as possible. I’ll narrate a bit and explain some of them, but here it is for your enjoyment. And ZiganMarine, whenever you do get “back home” whatever that may be for you, make sure let us know. Either you can come here to Texas, or I may just make a special ride out to where ever the Marines tell you home is! This I hope, is what you were requesting……………….

Our fine Courthouse in Johnson County

Heh, yeah right!

Sunflowers dancing in the sun

Someone else going for a ride!

I wouldn't mind that billboard in my yard!

Moving right along

 

Now, onto part 2 and what we saw at Buds!

A Caveman Goes to Austin part 2

Once we got to Austin, we were to meet Bill at a little park. We arrived at the park before Bill did and decided to stretch our legs a bit. This is where the fun began………

You know this is a fun place when you find CANABIS growing in a CITY PARK! HA HA HA!

Here’s where the real fun begins. You must understand that these pictures only depict the very tip of a Titanic iceberg. If I thought he’d let me, I would try to move in!

Bill and I "discussing"

Cool Knuckle being built

Couple of the frames he has laying around

Sales, service, engines, build or re-builds, Buds seems to have it all! Even a “Go find it yourself” in the back full of “well-loved” parts! If ever you find yourself in Austin, this place is a must see. It’s worth making a special trip to Austin just to see it like I did! There is definitely too much stuff to put in here. You’re just going to have to go find out for yourself.