Mike Chan----New Guy! Bigger Staff Get some

Mike came up a few months back when my hand was busted and got his bike fixed up. A few month later, I post an ad for a part time guy on http://www.jockeyjournal.com/ in the classified section and Mike responds. He is my first interview. I am impressed and voila! Mike is hired. Welcome Mike, you are doing great!!

The CHOP-OFF Bike Progresses. . . .

Well we have the transmission all figured out. After a bumpy start we figured out because of chain clearance we would have to lower the trans as much as possible. So we cut and lowered, lowered and cut. Then we slugged the frame and made adjuster plates much like the ones seen on triumph rigid framed bike of the 1938 to 1954 era. they look like scaled up plates. Next all we have to do is continue boxing up the frame to make up for all the meat we took out of it. Jeff is doing most of the work, I am mostly supervising. We started lining up sprokets too, and it looks like we are off to Mike Parti's place for some custom spacers. The tank mounts are done, too and we are starting to eyeball the rear fender and sissy bar. Ever onwards. . . . .oh yea, and we figured out the pipes too. Often times, a bike will tell you what it wants for different pieces while you are building it. The bike told us we needed to use cocktail shakers. Unfortunately, I had run out of the smaller sized ones and my regular supplier of shakers was ALL OUT. Panic city until good friend of the shop Kit saw fit to return a pair he bought from me a few months back. Talk about a SACRIFICE!! Thanks Kit, you rock!!

A FEW BILTWELL HELMETS ADVANCE SALE

That is RIGHT! I got a FEW Biltwell helmets in an advanced shipment. I have sold several already but here is what is left:

The rest of these ultra cool helmets will be coming in around the first of August.

(0) Black Helmets $75 plus S and H SOLD!!

(1) Blue Flake helmets $114 each plus S and H ONE LEFT

(2) Red Flake helmets $114 each plus S and H TWO LEFT

that is it for now.

refer to the Biltwell website for the helmets general guidelines on sizing, etc.

http://www.biltwellinc.com/Oiltanks.html

Remember these are novelty NON-DOT helmets that should not be worn unless you are protecting your noggin from a drunken stupor in a padded room. And Flippin'-eh proud of it.

We Call Him UNCLE FRANK !!

Lately we have been absolutely awed by the presence here at the shop of none other than Frank Kaisler. He came wandering in with our friend Sporty Steve one day and has made us a regular stop on his rounds. The name may ring a bell and it may not, but if you have been around motorcycles for a while and read some of the fine and not so fine print in Easyriders, Hot Bike, the Horse backstreet Choppers, Street Chopper as well as Motorcycle Electrics Without Pain and other technical publications, you have no doubt seen Uncle Frank's name.

Frank has been lending his HUGE expertise to a couple of projects here in the shop including the 45 Ha-Rumph Chop Off bike as well as a rigid Shovelhead that we have been putting together. Frank is like having your own personal shop teacher around, and his knowledge of Harley Davidsons, both new and old is just out of this world. And of course his stories of 22 inch over front ends and 1974 Halloween parties is providing lots of laughs. Frank is sharpening his pencil up on several technical articles stemming from his "research" here at Four Aces. He plans to submit to Street Chopper and other tastely publications. WATCH FOR THEM!!

A big shout out and a big thanks to UNCLE FRANK.

THE HD 45 Project. The Smoke Out Chop Off Bike

Well we have been thrashing away at the "Ha-Rumph." I did not get a harumph out of you!! I call it that, Jeff is not the biggest fan of that moniker, though. But we have been slamming away at it, trying to get some tank mounts done, trying to figure out the rear fender and generally putting metal to metal and welding it up.

We found some nicer heads than what we had from my old buddy Doug "the Dragon" out in my old stomping ground of Tallahassee, Florida. THANKS DOUG, what do I owe you??!! We also have been making bungs, and motor and tank mounts today. Or hell, I should just be honest and say JEFF has been making all this stuff. I have just been "supervising" so far.

Crazy Days, Long Nights, New Stuff. . . .

YIKES!! What a crazy bunch of summer days this has been. Four Aces has been chosen to do the Horse backstreet Choppers "Chop Off" for the Cottonwood, AZ, Smoke Out West this year and we are super busy hauling ass on the bike. Jeff and I decided to kick out the jams on his Harley Davidson 45 Cubic inch flathead project. It is gonna be way cool with a pre-unit Triumph Transmission, Amal Carburettor and a bunch of Triumph parts thrown at it. Chrome stuff, metal flake stuff, Webco stuff, Oh MY!!!
Yep, Exciting times.

Japanese Invasion

Just kidding, but around here lately we have had several Japanese bike builders come in for a visit. We were absolutely honored and humbled by the presence of none other than Go Takimine from the world famous Bratstyle in Japan. Check out is inspirational and innovative work at http://www.bratstyle.com/. Go visited once before a couple years back. Go is one of the most influential bike builders on the planet right now. He stuff is nothing sort of awe-inspiring.

Go came along with his friend Yone from Bull-Original in Yokahama. Yone's Big Twin flathead was recently seen in DICE! magazine, http://www.dicemagazine.com/. Yone is a talented bike builder and exceptional seat maker. Check him out at http://www.mc-bull.com/. You will not be disappointed.

We also had Natsuki Sakurai of Swallowtail Motorcycles. His shop is more of a catch all repair shop for Japanese bikes, British bikes and Harleys too. But he is a big fan of all things CUSTOM British and Harley. We could not really communicate, but we speak the same language, knowwhatimean?

Thanks for coming by guys!! Japan ROCKS!!! BANZAI !!!!