Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride 2014 Richmond, VA

We headed to Richmond for the DGR, had a great time and we will definitely be attending next year!!  Pics on the FB page and thanks to a fellow rider for this video.  Great rides and people!!

Budget Goldwing Seat build

Phil docked the rear fender on the Goldwing and started a new seat to replace the god awful stock "couch".

Keeping to a budget, Phil layered 1/2 inch carpet padding and started shaping it with a knife and the sander.

The shop is blessed to have an expert seamstress just a couple steps away, she is also the person that feeds us and keeps us out of jail!!  Thanks Jenny!!

Made a template out of parchment paper and created 3 pieces to sew together.  Sewed batting under the pleats to give them a little shape in the middle.

Phil has about 30 bucks in this seat to include the fiberglass, pad and vinyl.  Looks pretty good for his first time.

Weekend chopper spottings

Christian stopped by with a friend who was riding a chopped yami 650. The bike has great lines but could use a day on the lift to sort out a few quirks. We grafted a section into he rear brake linkage and cleaned up a little wiring. Cool dude, cool chop. Hope to see them again.

The bike has a great rear profile with the narrowed tank.

Hard to believe this is a 2012!. Christian has done all mods himself. Young guy with a good eye for style.

Foot clutch /Jockey shift.

Scott's bike is now into roller mode. It is exciting to have such a blank canvas in the shop to start from. Next decision is oil tank.

Christians paint job was one of those beautiful mistakes. He had preciously scuffed and painted the bike. When he decided to strip it again durring sanding the original HD started to show through the layers of paint. I dig how it turned out.

Weekend update

Scott got his frame fitted back together. This was pre-weld, but it is encouraging to see it moving along, fairly, trouble free.

This happened last month but I do not think it made it to the blog. Chris's newest yami chop was jumping out of gear. He flipped it over and worked on it like a kid would put a chain back on. He upened the guts of the trany and pulled out the gears then filed them back into shape.

Jens threw some new pipes on chop-nasty prior to making a run to Chicago. He departed on Friday. Hopefully he will be back next week.

This was the last spotting prior to his run

I am very happy to say, all bikes are up and running....knock on wood

FXR got some new bars, thanks to a bucket of pull offs Jens donated to the shop.

Triumph bratt is coming along as well. we are still in swing arm building mode, but decision have been made and progess is being seen.

Tubing End Caps

Needed the right fuel for the design process to start!!

Chris continues to chop on the XS and wanted an ultra clean area where the fender mounts and the frame ends.  Phil turned out a couple end caps on the lathe out of aluminum.

One down, one to go.

We cut them tight enough, tapped them in and they aren't going anywhere.

Scott hard tails the ironhead

I met my neighbor Scott a few months back. Turns out he has an old ironhead project laid up in his garage for year. After a night of two of introductions and beer drinking the decision was made to chop it. Scott went ahead and picked up a weld in hard tail from Led Sled. It took a month plus to arrive and it was a bit pricey but the qulity looks good and will cut down on hours of bending grinding and missed measurements.

Unfortuatly we junped right in and started cutting. This is moments before I cut the bottom tubes about 3/4" too short.

Scott mocking in the motor to install the tail.



Jens stopped in on chop nasty. Check out that ugly red wire loom. We gave him a a hard time until he fianlly removed it. Unfortuanalty this was a fatal step which later that night when he went to leave resulted in the wireing harness completely melting down.



The top tub on the iron head had been recessed above the motor mount, possibly for wiring. This bump in the frame made it impossible to install the plug so an attempt was made to head and straighten the tube from the inside. It was not a complete sucess but did close out the night.

Triumph flat seat

Work continues on the Triumph cafe, our shop does not have a tool to radius a piece of pipe so we came up with this idea.  Deuce clamped the pipe to an old wheel and off we went.

And the strut welded in, the radius follows the wheel and will support the flat seat.

Triumph Cafe Racer Work

Deuce made a decision regarding the direction the Triumph build is going.  We lengthened the swingarm 3 inches to start.

Plated the hooped the bottom tubes for a nice clean look.

This will be about the ride height of the finished product, we still have a long way to go but progress is being made.

The 1st Annual Gentlemen of Lagniappe Ride (Reprint)

So unbeknown to us, there is already a wordwide ride called the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride to raise awareness for prostate cancer.  I was informed of this today and therefore we have decided to change the name out of respect.  So please disregard our last blog post and refer to this one.

It's time for the 1st Annual Gentlemen of Lagniappe Ride brought to you by the Lagniappe Shop!!  So get off your ass, hit up the thrift shop and find the best 5 dollar suit you can get your hands on.  Extra points given for the full corduroy or Canadian tux!!  

Meeting at 2:30 PM on August 2, 2014 at 20 Myers Drive, Fredericksburg, VA, kickstands up at 3:00 PM for an hour ride out to One Life Cycles in Spotsylvania, VA.  One Life Cycles will have live music and food!!  Return from One Life and head back to the shop for burgers, dogs and of course whatever adult beverage you want to bring.  Join us after the ride to celebrate Deuce's birthday!! BYOB

New bike: Kawasaki Z1000P

Deuce and Scott tearing apart the carbs

Deuce handed Phil the top of the air box without realizing that this black widow was just chilling inside.

Apparently something was living inside the air box....

Scott and his boy reassembling the Ironhead.

Phil picked up this 94 Z1000 Police Bike and it needed the usual TLC.  Drain the fuel, clean the carbs and check the plugs.