Thursday, February 28, 2013

My own shit...on my own day.

Got these complaints...that I never post pics of my own stuff...well today's my b-day so wtf...here we go! Some seriously ol' stuff from my own vault!

 Must've been like 7 or 8. With one of my long fork bicycles. Learned to weld doing those bikes. Z-bars and jeansjacket with cut-off-arms. All part of the deal.

14 and I just finished my moped chop. Spent soo much time on that thing. The first real build I did from scratch. Calles Chopperparts did the fork for me. I saved all my money to pay for that fork. Set me back 150 bucks back in the day. A fortune! Soo cool that he trusted me and my order. No down payment. That fuckin' rules! Calle still remembers welding it up! That fork still looks awesome!
Eventually I won my class at the Hot Rod Show in Stockholm in -86. I was sooo stoked!


 When I turned 18 my brother Daf borrowed me 1000 euros so I could buy this chopped Triumph. Today it looks grand. But back then it was ugly as sin. My brother dug it tho, he's older then me and for him it represented a real chopper! I couldn't wait to cut it all up.

 So the first winter after I bought the Tri,  I chopped it all up. My brother was shocked and thought I lost it all. But I had a plan. Here I'm wrapping up the frame fixture.
That orange welder, the Boxer, was my first welding machine. I got it from my dad when I was like 6 or 7 'cause it was busted and only ran on full power. I cherished that thing like my holiest possession. It finally gave up sometime in the mid -90's. Damn I miss that Boxer!
Today I deal with other Boxers...kinda weird actually.


 Built a new frame around the original motormounts. Did my own fork, wheels, oiltank, etc, etc


 Rode that thing 3 summers. First year it was orange, second year green and third yellow...
It ended up in a bunch of magazines. And on the Norrtälje Custom Bike Show podium. Love this pic with my friend Thomas and his Norton, shot for Wheels Magazine in -91.

 Never bothered with TUV or numberplates and stuff like that...bike ran good anyway!


 That fat car tire in the back did for great burnouts. Remember that this particular event made our neighbors wanting to call the fire brigade since they thought we had set our clubhouse on fire...

 When I was 19 I bough my first Harley basketcase from Michael Fors: a 80" Flathead. Half a year before I had met legendary Mats Hedenstrand and was absolutely floored by his orange badass flattie. And he indulged me into the secrets of the big sidevalve H-D motor. After that I just had to have my own!

 2005, 4 in the morning,  sitting on the floor of Plebs Choppers clubhouse and trying to work on the Monster Garage Copper Cojones bike with Gordon, Ronny and Benny of UCC fame.

2010, knees in the breeze, gettin' rid of the fleas...on the Forsaken Shovel. Now owned by Jonas in Stockholm. Thanks Jonas for letting me ride it once in awhile=)!


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Child of the Seventies. Part 3.

This is the 3rd and last part (for now) of Don Cammorata growing up "motorcycle mad" in NorCal during the seventies. These shots gimme the goosebumps! They are from the 'grid of Laguna Seca. Check the names on the leathers: Craaazy! Real Shotcallers!
"I'm guessing this is 1971 -72. Remember this is just me and Dad hanging out on the starting grid at a Laguna Seca Grand Prix.... No big deal at the time! Maybe he had some special pass, he did own a Kawasaki shop at the time, but I don't think so.. It's just the way it was back then!"


And last but not least, the Man himself in the seventies: DON!
 Good Year hat: check...Hang Ten shirt: check...long hair and shredded jeans: check!
24/7 two wheel rascal punk: CHECK!
Thanks again for sharing all these truly Glorious photos!!!!

Jeepers fellas... doesn't that sound swank!?

Hayseed Dixie!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

More priceless stuff!

Sand Surfers

In 2006 Wolf, Lemmy and Eddi hit the dunes of Erg Chebbi in Morocco to indulge in Sand Surfing at its finest!






Thanks to Wolf for sharing these sweet pics!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Darrin Caddes Sketchbook


Darrin Caddes is one of the most talented artist I ever known! He was my teacher at ACCD and Boss at Indian motorcycles. He is one of the most gifted and humble person I've ever met and I count him as one of my dearest friends. His drawings, Spirit and Take-on-Life continues to inspire me every day!
Darrin: your stuff fuckin' Rules!
 




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Erik's sweet Fix

 Just hooked up with ol' time bud Fix-it-Erik who just had his killer bobber featured in MCM!



Erik always rode the shit outta the stuff he built! If it has two wheels it gotta be whipped! That's just how he rolls.


Dig this: it ain't no ol' Milwaukee tractor! This scoot has KTM 18/21 wheel combo, carbed 1670cc Wildstar motor cradled in parts of a -40's flathead frame, all chopped, bobbed, bent and soldered to perfection!




   





All the pics were shot by Stefan Boman! Big up's!

Attaboy! This is how we do it back home!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

Child of the Seventies. Part 2.


More photografic Glory from Don Cammorata! Don grew up on two wheels, making the streets unsafe around Oakland, NorCal. Such a trip! Epic pics Don!
"My first chopper - laid down ape hangers and a sissy bar, looking at it now I quite like the white seat with the knobby rear tire! First bike no training wheels I think."

"My first motorbike - Notice the missing rear tailight lens, I remember I used to pop it into first gear with the throttle slightly cracked to try and get it to do a wheelie... I always looped-it hanging on with my hands and chasing it down the street for a while... We never bothered replacing the rear light, lucky it had the grab handle crash-bar on the back to keep the seat from getting too thrashed!"


"The first and last snow ever seen in Danville - My Yamaha Moto-Bike... I loved that thing! ultimately I ended up braking the frame at the steerer tube from jumping it too much =( I held the record in the court for jumping over the most kids (13) They would line up in their backs, brother was the last one. Crazy stupid shit when you think about it, no helmet, nothing protective at all, huge consequences for all of us doing it if we fucked up. Too many Evel Knievel movies!"


"BMX days in the hills above Oakland... thinking this was a Chrome Molly Mongoose? Man I wish I had a head of hair like that now!"