Come check out the progress on the Strange Days 3 giveaway bike, "The Voodoo Child."
Friday, February 22, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The Strange Days 3 Giveaway Chopper!
Here it is gang! I've been wanting to post this sooner but wanted to get
a little further along on the build to post some good pictures. Last
October Ken, Chris, Ben, my ol'man, and I decided we will rebuild
the Voodoo Child, a 1972 Yamaha XS650 survivor bike, and give it away at
Strange Days 3!!
Some of you may say wait a minute, its not a survivor if you're rebuilding it! You're killing it's original soul!! In reality, you couldn't ride the bike the way it was. Between the top end needing work, flathead screwdriver punctures in the gas tank etc, this ol' chop needed some serious TLC to be able to hit the highway again.
Some background on the Voodoo Child...
Man, if cracked bondo and varnished gas could talk!! The Voodoo Child must have been someone's home built chopper. (Or may
even by a small shop, it's origin is a mystery) The swing arm was
extended 4 inches, the tank, frisco mounted and brazed directly to the
frame, tons of molding through out, and a wild candy tangerine color,
but the paneling looks like it was free handed and then wet sanded to appear faded.
I picked up this old bike off of the Jockey Journal some time ago just for parts. Once I brought it home I realized there was no way I could part it out! Its an untouched '70s chopper! It ran good and I made a few of my own changes and rode the bike for a number of years as is, but I knew at some point it would need a rebuild. The aftermarket frisco tank began to leak so bad it could hardly hold gas and the bondo was starting to peel away. At that point I stuffed the bike in the corner of the garage until the right opportunity came to restore her.
How did the name come about? The night I brought it home my ol'man and I were sitting on the ground in the dark just staring at his funky '70s machine under the single outdoor spotlight of the garage. Voodoo Child Slight Return started playing from the stereo deep inside the garage and it all sorta fell into place...
The Plan:
We decided as a group to not only restore this funky original East Coast chopper, but to rebuild with the mindset that what if the original owner had the opportunity to take it one step further, to make it a real show bike.
First thing we had to do was locate a new springer. The square tube S.I.E. springer is long gone after it cracked from pulling too many wheelies. Hence, the bike has had a glide front end.
Some of you may say wait a minute, its not a survivor if you're rebuilding it! You're killing it's original soul!! In reality, you couldn't ride the bike the way it was. Between the top end needing work, flathead screwdriver punctures in the gas tank etc, this ol' chop needed some serious TLC to be able to hit the highway again.
Some background on the Voodoo Child...
I picked up this old bike off of the Jockey Journal some time ago just for parts. Once I brought it home I realized there was no way I could part it out! Its an untouched '70s chopper! It ran good and I made a few of my own changes and rode the bike for a number of years as is, but I knew at some point it would need a rebuild. The aftermarket frisco tank began to leak so bad it could hardly hold gas and the bondo was starting to peel away. At that point I stuffed the bike in the corner of the garage until the right opportunity came to restore her.
How did the name come about? The night I brought it home my ol'man and I were sitting on the ground in the dark just staring at his funky '70s machine under the single outdoor spotlight of the garage. Voodoo Child Slight Return started playing from the stereo deep inside the garage and it all sorta fell into place...
Original '70s madness! Look at that rear suspension set up!
Some changes over the years...
The Plan:
We decided as a group to not only restore this funky original East Coast chopper, but to rebuild with the mindset that what if the original owner had the opportunity to take it one step further, to make it a real show bike.
First thing we had to do was locate a new springer. The square tube S.I.E. springer is long gone after it cracked from pulling too many wheelies. Hence, the bike has had a glide front end.
It took 6 hours of chipping away bondo to get the tank off!
Once
the tank was brazed on, they must have flipped the frame over and
dumped a gallon of bondo under the tank. There was bondo up inside the
tunnel of the tank! The braze job was so bad the only thing holding this
tank on was the bondo.
We made our own twisted struts to match the front legs on the springer.
The sissybar....
Stay tuned for more stories and updates on this build and Strange Days 3. This bike could be yours!!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Strange Days 3!!!
Anyone interested in Vending, sponsorship, or questions contact us at: strangedaysevent@gmail.com
Mission Statement:
Strange Days is a motorcycle get together for like minded chopper enthusiasts. It also takes place at a man's private property who is being kind enough to have us; so respect for his land is important. This is purely about the love of bikes, good tunes, and just having a fun time. We would love for everyone to join us, and just keep it peaceful! So please no fireworks, attitudes, or fights. We're encouraging a No Colors policy to help ensure this. No offense or disrespect to anyone, we just want to keep it low key, safe, and to be able to to do it again! Much thanks!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Swap Meet Tomorrow
Neportville Fire Company Heritage Hall (In lower Bucks County) 2425 New Falls Road Newportville, Pa 19056 8AM to 3PM Donation $5.00 Tables $20.00 Bring your own table. For more information call Leo 215 741 1826
Friday, January 11, 2013
Three-Wheeled Fun
I should probably be working on other things, but my old '84 Honda Big Red is just too fun to let it sit any longer. After cleaning the carb and reassembling it, it's apparent it needs to be rebuilt. That and a new battery, and she should be ready to rock n' roll.
I bought it for $300 back in 1999.
A lot to get done before spring in this joint...
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Special Announcement Coming Soon!
We've got some big news regarding Strange Days 3 coming your way just after the new year! Stay tuned!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Strange Days in Show Class
There's a cool 2-page spread of Strange Days 2 coverage in the latest issue of Show Class (#10). http://www.showclassmag.com/
They also hooked it up with the Strange Days 3 date in the 2013 calendar...go grab yours here: http://www.showclassstore.bigcartel.com/
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
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