The last photo of the goat pan makes me sad. I didn't think it would but it does. That bike has spent the better part of the past couple of years in my shop.
The day it rolled into my shop was the beginning of my friendship with it's prior owner. We were going to fit a rear fender on the bike. It turned into a pretty major overhaul. Many late nights, stupid fuck up and laughs. I learned a lot about chopper history from the owner and learned a lot of fab skills of my own working on it. I was glad when it was done.
My buddy road it around for a bit but wanted to make some more changes. Now when I say a bit I mean a month or so. Are you fucking kidding me? says I. No kidding.
He brought over the Vard front end to replace a lovely springer. I had never heard of Vard before my buddy and I started hanging out. We fitted the front end on and it looked great but it didn't fit the rest of the bike. We took that tank off my wall (no goat at that point) and some other little bits from hear and there.
Many months later and tons of more work and we were done. The bike looked really perfect in every way. I was proud to have had a hand in it's construction.
Turns out that shit happens and my homey needed to sell the bike. I knew why and it made sense. A deal was made and off to Tokyo it went. No problem and not another thought about it.
We are working on another bike (I stayed up too late last night bullshitting instead of working on the new bike). Tonight I see this image on this fine bolg and it hurt. It hurts in my tummy. All that work and all that love and all that time and all those good times and there it sits in someone elses garage. It feels like a girlfriend that you really loved is with some other dude. You understand but it still is not right, dig?
I don't build bikes for a living; far from it. I have never sold a bike I loved because I have not owned many bikes that I love. I am not sure I ever will....if I can help it. I will be 70 years old and I will have 19 motorcyles and at least one will almost run.
I hope that the new owner loves the bike. I hope the new panhead my buddy and I are working on turns out with as much soul as the Goat. I hope it is as much fun to build as the Goat.
I feel better after typing this. I guess it's not about the possession as it is the journey.
3 comments:
haha!
thought i saw a huge headlight in the first pic..
The last photo of the goat pan makes me sad. I didn't think it would but it does. That bike has spent the better part of the past couple of years in my shop.
The day it rolled into my shop was the beginning of my friendship with it's prior owner. We were going to fit a rear fender on the bike. It turned into a pretty major overhaul. Many late nights, stupid fuck up and laughs. I learned a lot about chopper history from the owner and learned a lot of fab skills of my own working on it. I was glad when it was done.
My buddy road it around for a bit but wanted to make some more changes. Now when I say a bit I mean a month or so. Are you fucking kidding me? says I. No kidding.
He brought over the Vard front end to replace a lovely springer. I had never heard of Vard before my buddy and I started hanging out. We fitted the front end on and it looked great but it didn't fit the rest of the bike. We took that tank off my wall (no goat at that point) and some other little bits from hear and there.
Many months later and tons of more work and we were done. The bike looked really perfect in every way. I was proud to have had a hand in it's construction.
Turns out that shit happens and my homey needed to sell the bike. I knew why and it made sense. A deal was made and off to Tokyo it went. No problem and not another thought about it.
We are working on another bike (I stayed up too late last night bullshitting instead of working on the new bike). Tonight I see this image on this fine bolg and it hurt. It hurts in my tummy. All that work and all that love and all that time and all those good times and there it sits in someone elses garage. It feels like a girlfriend that you really loved is with some other dude. You understand but it still is not right, dig?
I don't build bikes for a living; far from it. I have never sold a bike I loved because I have not owned many bikes that I love. I am not sure I ever will....if I can help it. I will be 70 years old and I will have 19 motorcyles and at least one will almost run.
I hope that the new owner loves the bike. I hope the new panhead my buddy and I are working on turns out with as much soul as the Goat. I hope it is as much fun to build as the Goat.
I feel better after typing this. I guess it's not about the possession as it is the journey.
Jakemon
If it makes you feel any better the guy that bought it, Gak, is a super dude.
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