Pipe Dreams

What's in our nature that drives us to collect? To purchase endless amounts of items that you may or may not use, but just can't pass them by. From time to time we pick up projects with dreams and hopes that some day they'll be staring right back at you fully restored, gleaming and whispering to you "I look sooo goood"! "You did a great job"! For some of us this never happens. You inherit a project, go into it so involved and excited then half way into it your bummed.. You run out of money, inspiration, and worse hope. Well, this next post is something like that. It involves a 1969 BSA Lighting. We won't say who it belongs to but hope and inspiration is not what this project is lacking. If luck is on your side then half of what finishing a project requires is free!....Labor. So to inspire those in this similar situation I introduce Tech Article #001. Fabricating a Headlight Bracket.

                                                                Step 1

First you'll have to decide what look and most important what era you're building your bike to resemble.  You can the hit swapmeets, Craigslist and the ever expensive Ebay.  Once you have purchased your headlight, mock it up by hand and make sure you like it. If you don't like it DON'T USE IT!

Step 2

Take some measurements of the existing mounting holes. These play a key role in the centering of your new headlight. Make sure to take a measurement vertically to determine your desired height.

Step 3

 Selecting the right material to use in mounting your headlight is also important. In this case we're using 1/8" cold roll plate. This should be strong enough to support the weight of the headlight and withstand the bikes vibrations.  By this point you can begin transferring your previously written down measurements and layout your design.  Our design is laid out to be sleek and un-bulky. You want the headlight to attract most of the attention.  Dig?  

                                                                Step 4

After your layout is complete cut your bracket as close as your scribe line allows. This will minimize your grinding and filling time.  Drill out all your holes and use a counter sinking bit to add depth to your bracket.

Step 5

Now you can take your bracket and add some angles to it.  This will tuck your bracket tighter into your forks and add some rigidity.  We've first broke it into a 45 degree then back to 90 degree.  Now you can clean off all your layout fluid and hit it with a scotch brite pad.  Don't bother with removing heavy scratches now.  You'll do that before sending it out to chrome.

  

Step 6

Now that you have cleaned up your bracket its time to bolt it up!  Use mock up hardware. This will buy some time on deciding what you will be running and allow you to unbolt your headlight without damaging your newly polished hardware!  Now... just stand back and enjoy! 

  

Theodore Andrew Dunn

       There are many things that inspire us from time to time. Literature, film, photography, culinary arts, drinking, power chords! We cherish and hold these things close, because for most of us they make the daily grind bearible. I'm lucky enough to have a group of talented peers that inspire me to keep moving and create. One of these guys is Mr. Theodore Anthony Dunn. A true vanner. Putting down your van can be a total bummer. Unfortunately Tad has had to put down two. His 83' econoline was like our second home. So when I heard that he had got a new one it was time to give my old pal and his new van a "Salute".

           

Cult Phenom

My love for all things mechanical doesn't end with vans and choppers. I have a deep love and respect for bicycles and the Craftsmen who build them. There are bicycles that are on the very edge of being a master piece. For myself and others that bicycle is a 3Rensho. I recently had the opportunity to photograph and ride my buddies newly finished 3Rensho Katana. So I leave you with some stunning pictures and a brief history about the 3rensho bicycle company and the master builder Yoshi Konno.

Master Builder

Mr Yoshi Konno began his building career by unbrazing Cinellis acquired after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His accomplished collegiate cycling career
brought him initial notice in the cycling community. He remained a formidable cyclist through middle age, completing a quick double century on his 40th birthday. His bicycles where ridden and won many Olympic Cycling competitions. Riders included;
Koichi Nakano (most of whose
frames were Nagasawas),
Dave Grylls (Pan Am gold medal),
Gibby Hatton, Dave Harrington, Bob Mionske (4th at Seoul Olympics,
12th at Barcelona Olympics, US National Road Champion), Dan
Casebeer (US Hour record) and Greg Meeker. Unfortunately Yoshi Konno career was cut short when he was paralyzed in a automobile accident. Sadly the 3Rensho bicycle company shortly after stopped producing frames.

Road Trip to Love.

Some of us do it straight out of high school. Others on their twenty first birthday to Vegas. Whenever it may be we pack our bags and embark on a good ol' American tradition. "The Road Trip!" Last weekend my girlfriend and I decided we would take our own little journey. This time it would be to Phoenix, Arizona for Love Cycle's third year Anniversary party and bike show. Having never been to Phoenix, needless to say I was a bit nervous. We hit the road around eight pm and all I could think about was the unexpected. "Will our room still be waiting for us?", "I wonder if Tom Fugle is bringing any of his Van belts?" these and so many other thoughts raced through my head! At that point I hit eighty mph and set the ipod to Bob Dylan, selected the shuffle mode and off we went! We arrived to the hotel just in time to see my buddy James and his crew making their way back from the bar. They were all bundled up and packed like sardines in the back of a Ford F-150! At first I thought "Man those poor Mexicans had a long day of work". Then I heard "What's Up!" Holy shit! Soon after I got three hours of sleep and began what was our "ROAD TRIP TO LOvE"!