Dr. Bob's Bike World

Norton Chopper Goes to Buddha Garden

2010-09-01T11:05:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I shipped my Norton chopper up to Arlee, MT in the Bitteroot Valley as a donation to Ewam's Garden of 1,000 Buddhas. They're gonna sell raffle tickets for it over the next year in order to raise funds to help complete the garden for the Dalai Lama's visit and consecration (hopefully) in 2011. I sure hope this bike does well by them. This is a project near and dear to my heart. To find out more about this project, go to: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Garden-of-1000-Buddhas-and-Dalai-Lama-in-Montana-2011/110506465644118

Bike to Work Day

2007-07-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today is national Bike to Work Day. I rode and I hope anyone reading this blog also rode to work today. Here in Colorado, the weather is hot and sunny -- a good day to ride.

Be safe out there.

Must be my month

2007-07-17T08:42:00.001-07:00

As if The Horse article was not enough, Chopper Build published a small article and picture of my Norton chop in their August issue. It shows a picture of my son Ian on the bike from a year ago spring. I submitted this info via their website so time ago. So it was a surprise when I turned the page and saw Ian and the bike in front of me.

Article Published in August The Horse

2007-07-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, I submitted an article to The Horse on our bike trip to Rajasthan. Never heard a word back from them. No acknowledgment, zip, nada, nothing. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I opened the August issue and saw my article printed "in living color." Over the years, I've subscribed to several different bike mags, but hands down, The Horse is my favorite. So it's great that they published my article. You can check out The Horse at www.ironcross.net.

First Day of Spring Update

2007-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today is March 21, the first day of spring. Unfortunately, I didn't ride to work today since rain is predicted this afternoon. However, I have been riding every day for the past week or so. This Saturday, Gary Bolduc (Fast Frog) came up to visit and go for a ride on our Norton chops. The ride started out great. My chop started right up on one or two kicks every time and the engine runs good (except the right cylinder smokes; I need a ring job). However, just when things were going great and I was having a ball, the drive chain broke. It seems I did not engineer my chain tensioner well. In any case, the skateboard wheel support that kept my chain from running along the underedge of my oil bag broke and then that broke the chain or vice versa. So now I'm re-engineering the chain tensioner and will have to get a new chain. Gary also had an idea on why my rear brake does not work. So I'll be redoing that at the same time. Since I'm working on that part of the bike, I've already redone the battery box so it is easier to get the battery out. I've also been working on the bobber project. I've got the oil tank mounted, the seat mounted, the oil coooler and rectifier mounted, and the horn mounted. Plus I've got the front end complete. I strengthened the rear end of the frame and created a surface for the battery box to sit on. I will be welding on tabs for the steering damper. I also will be welding in new axle blocks.
So things are moving forward. And finally, my Indian is running strong and I'm enjoying riding to work every day.

Coliseum Bike Show

2007-01-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Jan. 29, 2007

This weekend I went to the big annual bike show at the Coliseum in Denver. I met up with Will Edwards, President of the Colorado tribe of the IIRA. We walked around the show for a couple of hours, talking about this and that. Then at 12 PM, we met up with some of the southern tribe's members. Had lunch and talked about what we might do during the next year in terms of rides and what not. It was nice to meet some of these folks. In any case, here's also some pics I took on Saturday. There's aHenderson Exselsior, a Velocette, a nice old Harley, and a couple of customs.

Not much happening; that time of year

2006-12-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Not much happening in my life in terms of bike riding and building. I'm riding as much as I can, weather permitting. In addition, the garage has been too cold to work much in and I've been on the road alot with work. 'Bout all I've been doing is buying all the parts and pieces of my current build. I have pretty much everything, at least all the major components. I hope to get back to building regularly each day after work once the New Year has arrived.

Norton Chop Starting Reliably

2006-10-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Norton chopper has been starting reliably lately -- usually on the second good kick. That's pretty encouraging. I think I've got the hang of it now. I've redone the rear brake pedal to make more room for my foot on the peg. I've also opened up the outer primary cover. So a few minor changes here and there. Still haven't got the rear brake working, but that's a whole other story. If the weather cooperates, I'm hoping to drive it to work tomoorw morning so I can take it to Colorado Powersports to see if they can figure the brake thing out.

A couple of weekends ago, Honora and I were on business in LA a block away from Yoshi's Garage Company. Stopped in and had a chat with Yoshi about my various bikes and projects. Yoshi is an extremely approachable guy with a wicked eye for classic Americana. I urge anyone who has not been there to check him out. He's in Culver City not far from Venice Beach and Washington Ave. If you like Kustom Kulture, Ed Roth, Von Dutch, and old school shit, you'll love Yoshi's.

I've been moving forward with my next build. My engine and tranny rebuilds came back from Matt Rambow at Colorado Nortonworks. They look like new. Just gorgeous! I've got my frame welded back together. If I can get the girder front end together, I've got myself a roller. I'm replacing the spring with a pneumatic shock absorber sort of like Jesse Rooks. I'll start posting pics on that project once I get that far. I've got a lot of the parts and pieces. So once I've got a roller, the rest should go together much quicker than the first project.

There's been some false rumors about why I resigned from the IIRA TC/presidency. I hope I've laid those to rest on the Indian Community BB. That reminds me, the weekend before last, Honora and I were in Racine, WI. Honora was teaching her class and I had a few hours to myself. So after visiting the local H-D dealership, I went looking for an independent store we had passed the night before. When I found it, I realized it was the Racine Indian dealership. What a surprise! They were still in business, keeping the dream alive. We had a nice visit, talking about things Indian past and future. Of course, they didn't have any Indians for sale, but they did have five Indians they were working on in the the back, three Chiefs, a Scout, and Spirit. Hugely nice folks. However, I was surprised to hear that David Wright of Stellican had moved on. I hope that doesn't bode ill for their resurrection. In any case, anyone in the Racine area interested in an H-D alternative should stop into Racine Indian. They've got some interesting Indian memorabilia on their walls. Bought another black t-shirt just to support their cause.

Got the Norton chop titled & registered

2006-09-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a struggle with the DMV, I got my Norton chop titled and registered. It came down to problems like my using the name Bob Flaws and my signing documents Robert S. Flaws. The DMV were sticklers for dotting every "i" and crossing every "t." In any case, the puppy is titled, insured, and registered. Now I have to get the rear brakes working (I think I know what the problem is) and the carb rejetted for this altitude. I'm a little nervous to take the bike out and about until I can kick-start reliably on only a few kicks (one would be nice). Otherwise, life is good.

2006-07-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here's picture of my son Ian on the Norton chop just before he left for Costa Rica. This is nominally his bike.

Titling hassles

2006-07-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today I took the Norton chop to the Colorado State VIN inspection place to begin the titling process. Silly me, I thought I was going to walk out of there with a title. Boy, was I naive! It looks like it'll be another 6-8 weeks before I actually get to ride the bike on the open streets, at least legally. Since the bike only has a VIN on the motor and not on the frame, it is a special construction or kit bike. Therefore, it has to go through a VIN research process and then be bonded with a non-refundable surety bond. The good news is that Bones, one of the service department guys at the local Boulder H-D dealership, is a Norton fan and fellow club member. So he's doing the appraisal for me gratis and, hopefully, for a reasonable (personally suggested) amount. The surety bond is a percentage of the appraisal value. The downside of this is that will also be the bike's maximum insurable value. In any case, another learning curve with this project -- but one I was hoping to avoid.

Vulcan sold

2006-06-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Glad I took pics of our Vulcan yesterday 'cause last night it sold. On another note, I have an appointment with the Colorado State Patrol for my VIN inspection next Thurday, July 6. Depending on how that goes, I'll be able to register the sucker.

My Son's Vulcan

2006-06-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here're some pics of my son's 1993 Kawasaki 750cc Vulcan which we chopped and repainted 2-3 summers ago. It has Jardine forward controls, Rhizoma mirrors, billet grips, and a vertical license plate bracket I made myself. The engine is spotless and the bike runs great. However, Ian is in the process of trying to sell it since he's leaving this coming weekend for a year in Costa Rica.

Weekend in Durango

2006-06-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my wife and I drove down to Durango to meet up with her sister and my brother-in-law and their grandkids. I didn't think I was going to have any free time away from family, so I didn't mark down the info for Norton Colorado's Four Corners Rally. However, when I told my wife about it, she said we should drive over to Dolores (since knew that's where Matt Rambow's Colorado Norton Works is). When we got to Matt's, there was no one home. Obviously, rally happenings were somewhere else. However, I did get to check out Matt's Norton Commando powered chopper. Cool. Still, in terms of Colorado Norton choppers, I think mine is the bomb.

It's Alive!

2006-06-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last night, I trailered the Norton chop to Gary Bolduc's in Thornton and he helped me get it started for the first time. We reset the valves, adjusted the carb, made sure the fuel line was open and flowing, and set the timing. This latter took the most time, since the bike is set up more like an Atlas than a Commando. However, we got it static timed, kicked the sucker over, and then timed it again with a strobe light. Then I took it out and around the neighborhood. Leaks oil like a son of a gun, and I need to attach the one muffler better. A couple of other adjustments and changes, but it's alive!

Norton Chopper Update

2006-06-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, I got the stator/rotor spaced correctly so the primary is not bound. Then, by late last week I got the static timing done (I believe) correctly. Since I'm working with a 1969 Commando engine with the points mounted behind the cylinder similar to the Atlas, it took me a bit to figure this out for myself. I also tested my battery to make sure that, even loaded, it was at least 12V. It was 12.2V after two minutes with the headliight on. Not great, but I think adequate for the Boyer. So last Friday, I sprayed some ether into the carb and tried to kick it over. It popped the very first time with the kicker arm kicking back at me. I did this several times and it popped most every time. However, it did not catch. Unfortunately, all my kicking broke the welds on the kicker arm. That meant that over the weekend, I had to machine and weld a stronger kicker arm.

This afternoon, I'm going to try again. We'll see what happens.

More pictures of Rajasthan trip

2006-05-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

If anyone would like to see more pics of our Rajasthan bike trip, go to:

http://www.bluepoppy.com/travel/index.htm

Norton Chop still having problems

2006-05-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

After I figured out the clutch rod problem, I thought I was good to go. So I tried to time the engine, but the kicker pedal wouldn't depress when it was in neutral. Something was bound. This morning, Jim Dallarosa of Vintage Motors, the guy who rebuilt the engine and tranny was finally able to take a look. I hadn't spaced the rotor in the primary correctly. So the primary is bound. The kicker only depresses when the clutch is in. That means I have to take the primary apart one more time, make spacers, and put it back together again. Then I try once again to static time the thing. The last little bits are really being a bear.

A Day at the Ricky Orlando MotorCycle Training School

2006-05-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

by Honora Lee Wolfe

Whether you are a total beginner or have been on motorcycles since you were a kid, having a real professional critique your riding skills once in a while is never a bad idea. Let's face it, it's dangerous out there and we all need to be the most skillful riders we can be. Somewhere between an advanced beginner and an intermediate rider myself, when I sold my little Honda Rebel this year and stepped up to a new Triumph Bonneville I thought it seemed like a good time for a lesson. My new bike handles like a dream, but it is way heavier than my "learner" bike and feels completely different in the turns. So I called Ricky Orlando to sign up for a private Road Skills class.

Mr. Orlando, a professional MC racer, lives in Erie, CO has been riding since he was seven years old and has taught hundreds of people from beginners to racers. My class took place on a private track a few miles east of Erie. With only one short straightaway, this little track is designed for go-cart racers and is full of turns, little hills, and various angles to negotiate. During the five hour lesson we both discussed and practiced turning lines, motorcycle physics, breaking skills, parking lot maneuvering, up and down shifting, SLPR (slow, look, press, roll), traffic hazards, and how to make oneself a little more visible in and amongst the larger vehicles with which we share the road.

While most of the information was not new, I must admit I'd forgotten a lot from my initial ABATE beginner's class, and it felt good to refresh my knowledge as well as have supervised practice of several important, if basic skills. Mr. Orlando was on time, courteous, respectful, and observant. I must say that, in the few days since my lesson, I do feel a more confident and much more aware of the hazards around me. If you're confidence level is not what it should be, or if you just stepped up to larger ride, I'd recommend contacting him about the various classes he has available. His website it www.rickyorlando.com

Good riding this Summer!

Up-dated pics of the Norton Chop

2006-04-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some (not very good) pics of my Norton chopper taken yesterday afternoon. These are my most current pictures of this bike. I need to take better ones outside in the sunlight. I also notice I need to wash off the blue on the rear whitewalls. In any case, these pics show the LaPera seat. Once I change out the in-line fule filter, I'm pretty much good to fire the beast up.

2006-04-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Right side view from front.

2006-04-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

Left side view from side. The stain on the garage floor is not current. It's a left-over drom my brake bleeding.

2006-04-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Left side view from front

Spring Tech Day, Norton Colorado

2006-04-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

April 16 was Norton Colorado's annual spring tech day. It was held at Gary Bolduc's house in Thornton. About 20 Norton Colorado members showed up, maybe more. Some rode Nortons, some rode Triumphs, and some rode BMWs. I don't think I saw anything else. Gary has a collection of bikes, including several Nortons in various stages of repair/running, a Trump, and a Harley. One of Gary's bikes is a Norton Commando chopper. His chopper is much more basic than mine and is not currently street legal. He's got a very long and kicked-out girder front end, no font brake, straight pipes, and sheet metal seat. Like mine, it's a work in progress. We hope to go riding some time soon. I did get lots of complements on my bike. People thought I did a pretty good job. Gary also has a mechanically very well equipped garage. Plenty of Norton parts, seats, gas tanks, pipes. You name it, it seemed like Gary had it. Doesn't look like this garage sees much storage of cars.

It looked like there were four or five different projects being worked on by various members, including one bike that had been caught in a fire and completely destroyed. Looked like the owner was going to try and rebuild. If so, he's got a long row to hoe. Gary helped me finally figure out what was wrong with my clutch. I had figured out my problems stemmed from the fact that I was trying to mate an Atlas tranny to a Commando primary. However, I had not taken into account that an Atlas clutch rod may be a different length than an Atlas one. Turns out that was what I was missing. The Atlas rod I had was a quarter inch too short. Happily, Gary had a spare that I could use. Given that and some kibbitzing from other members, we got the thing working just fine. I would'a tried starting the puppy up, but my gas line leaked -- wrong size in-line filter (or wrong size line). So I still have that little fix.

Gary has a dedicated keg fridge in his garage with O'Dell's 90 Shillings on tap and chilled glasses in the freezer. A nice treat. Gary's wife served a great lunch of barbacued pork sandwichs with all the fixins, and there was a club meeting after lunch. People talked about a club project bike to a raffled off as well as the next meeting, a club ride on May 7th starting from Lafayette. All in all, a very enjoyable, communitarian, and profitable (for me at least) way to spend Easter morning.

2006-04-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Gary Bolduc's Norton Commando chopper. Very cool, very basic.

2006-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

One crispy critter. A member's bike that was destroyed in a fire. Looks like he intends to rebuild. Good on him. I don't know I'd have the heart.

2006-04-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Members at work inside Gary Bolduc's garage.

2006-04-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

Some of the bike's outside Gary Bolduc's garage.

2006-04-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Older member showing a younger member something. Maybe the other way 'round. Who knows?

Bitchn Stitchn Review

2006-04-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Honora and I rode up to Bitchn Stitchn in Loveland, CO this morning. Honora wanted an inch or so shaved from the seat of her new Bonneville so she could flat-foot the bike. We were given Bitchn Sttichn's name from Erico Motorsports down in Denver where Honora bought the bike. The guys at Bitchn Stitchn took off Honora's seat and shaved it down in no time. They kept fitting the seat to Honora sitting on the bike until it was just the way she wanted it. Then they recovered the seat with the OEM cover stretched to fit the new profile. Looks good and feels good too. They accomplished this in one hour while we waited. Even better, it cost only $80. The guys were real pleasant to talk to and obviously know what they are doing. I heartily recommend them to anyone on the Front Range who has motorcycle seat needs. While we were there, they were also building a new steel pan for a custom bike. They had a shit-load of various types of leather, including exotic snake and reptile skins, and they do fancy stitching, embossing, tooling, and metal repousse inserts. They also do memory foam, gel inserts, studs, fringe, and hand lacing. Give e'm a try. You won't be disappointed.

Daniel Ballard, Prop.
970-203-0164
www.bitchnstitchninc.com

2006-04-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Other side of Honora's new Bonnie.

2006-04-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Honora's new Triumph Bonneville 2006.

Ol’ Skool Norton Commando-powered Chopper Tech Sheet

2006-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Power train

Engine: 1969 Norton 750cc Commando; rebuilt by Jim Dallarosa, Vintage Motorcycles
ID # 20MB/131181
Transmission: Matchless/AJS/Norton (probably a Norton Atlas); rebuilt by Jim Dallarosa, Vintage Motorcycles
Primary: Lytedrive; 30mm belt; 32-tooth alloy drive pulley, 68-tooth alloy clutch sprocket

Frame

Year: 2004
Builder: Randy Horton, Horton Customs
Type: Rigid
Rake: 38°
Neck gusset: Fab Kevin
Neck: Twisted Metal Machining

Accessories

Bars: 7/8" drag
Risers: 6.5" pullback, forged aluminum
Levers: Pazzo Racing
Forward controls: ‘57-74 H-D Sportster
Fenders:
Front: N/a
Rear: Chica, ribbed
Headlight: 6.5" diameter, repo ‘36-54 H-D Knucklehead Springer
Taillight: ‘59 Cadillac repo
Electrics: Boyar-Bransden MKIII electronic ignition
Wiring: Len @ Frontline Cycles
Battery: Yausa MF YTR9-BS, sealed, 12 volt
Gas tank: Peanut, 2.5 gallons
Oil tank: 4 quart, round, Orange Brothers Choppers
Oil system: Side-mount external filter á la Indian Larry, stainless steel lines
Seat: Le Pera, solo metal-flake vinyl, red with white piping
Rear struts: Bob Flaws
License plate mount: Bob Flaws
Exhausts: Fishtail
Header wrap: Oz Customs

Forks

Type: Springer
Extension: +4"
Fork brace: Bob Flaws

Wheels & tires

Front: 21", 40-spoke, laced by Frontline Cycles; Avon Venom-X tire
Rear: 16", 40-spoke, laced by Frontline Cycles; Avon Venom-X tire

Brakes

Front: ‘87-90 ZX7-R dual disk calipers on 10" rotors
Rear: 2003 ZX1-200BS caliper on 10" rotor
Caliper mounts: Fab Kevin

Paint

Frame: Bob Flaws, rattle can
Rims: Bob Flaws, rattle can
Tins: Bob Flaws, rattle can
Norton tank logo: Josh Bourassa, TrueKustom.com, gold foil

Honora's New Bike

2006-04-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Honora and I went down to Erico Motorsports in LoDo in Denver to test ride some Trumps. Honora immediately fell in love with the Bonnevilles. Perhaps needless to say, she drove a brand new 2006 865cc black Bonnie home that afternoon. I will try to get pics posted of it ASAP. It's definitely sweet. Good pick-up and great handling. I think she made an excellent choice.

2006-03-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Enthusiastic locals. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Our mechanics, left to right, Ramesh, Alsma, and Monton. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Honora and Rita. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tanja on a different kind of ride.

2006-03-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Our guides, Bernie & Ellen. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Markus in front of the Taj Mahal

2006-03-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Post-ride libations in Bambora. Photo: Markus Maier

2006-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

A proverbial holy cow. Photo: Markus Maier

More Rajasthan ride pictures

2006-03-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

The morning gas-up ritual. Photo: Markus Maier

Up-date on Norton Chopper

2006-03-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't said anything about my Norton Chopper project in some time. That's because it is still not fired up. A few weeks ago, I took the project to Frontline Cycles in Longmont to get their help with the last few items I was having trouble with. They completely started over on the wiring, and that is now a done deal. However, Len found a number of other things that he said were just not right. Mostly these had to do with the rubber mounting of the engine. It seems I had hard-mounted the exhaust and some other parts which were then attached to either the engine or the tranny. So I had to redo those. I had also not understood how the rear brake master cylinder swtich worked, so I had to re-engineer that completely. Then the kick start shaft I had bought on e-bay was not correctly machined to accept the pedal mount. I had to take that apart and re-machine it so it would work correctly. Now I am just waiting on receiving the correct front brake couplings and the right spacers for the clutch within the primary. Once those things have been correctly installed, I should be good to go. To me that means within the next couple of weeks. However, we'll see what the real deal is.

Honora's version of our India trip

2006-03-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

It seemed a whirlwind of preparation that last week, and then we were off on Dec. 19th.

Bob and I used United 'miles' to get as far as Frankfurt, via Toronto and London. We did have a nice day in London, where we took in a theatre production and tried to get a good nights' sleep before meeting up with Ian and Allison in Frankfurt the next afternoon (they flew direct from Denver to Frankfurt). We had a nice meal together and walked around the Frankfurt outdoor Christmas market in the old city, had a cup of mulled wine, listened to some music and got in one more good sleep before the long trip to Delhi the next day.

How can I begin to describe India? Despite its growth as a recipient of US technology outsourcing, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world, with extremely uneven infrastructure. While Bob had been to India three times prior to this visit, it was the first time for Ian and I, and I will admit to some culture shock those first couple of days. One example that stuck in my mind was when we were, on the first day, driving out from the Delhi airport along one of the major highways to the south. There was major construction along part of this road to lay in a new water/sewer system. There were many large, round, cement culvert pieces sitting along the road and in the median of the road, awaiting the construction crews to get to that section of the road to lay them into the ground. Meanwhile, some people had moved into to these sections of culvert, and were using them as housing.

That first day, we drove south and west into Rajasthan on an all day journey that took us to a small village called Mandawa, where we arrived well into the evening, cold and tired, to a lovely hotel, improbably located out in the middle of the desert. Now here's where I must admit to the major part of this journey that we did not tell you in advance. It was at this hotel that we picked up our motorcycles. The entire rest of the journey was done on two wheels... up until the last day. We knew you would worry more than you already did about our well-being, so we decided to wait until after the fact, to give you "the rest of the story."

This trip was a true and exciting adventure for us, and not for the faint of heart, to be sure. India by itself challenges most Westerners emotionally, unless they have no social or political conscience at all. This is the more true when you do a lot of interacting directly with everyday Indian people in cities and villages, which we did, often thanks to Bob's ability to speak Hindi. Then there was the learning curve of the motorcycles themselves and the Indian traffic and roads, but more on all that in a moment. On top of that, we were with a very international group (mostly Germans, two Swedish, one British), six women and ten men, with interesting dynamics. The four of us were the only Americans and everyone else on this trip had questions and concerns about US politics and motivations. While we did our best personally to be gracious, participatory, open, and very much NOT "me first," I must honestly tell you that our national image abroad is extremely poor and Europeans (as well as educated Indians, Turks on airplanes, etc.) are not shy in letting us know it. I tried to speak as much German as possible (and managed to get some good German language lessons from a couple of the people on the trip) to avoid the impression that Americans are too insulated or too arrogant to learn any other languages and I hope that helped in some small way. All but one of the others spoke some-to-quite-fluent English and were interesting, well educated people. We ranged in age from Allison at 19 to Gunnar Soderstrom (Swedish) at 60, a retired, wealthy, mechanical engineer whose hobby is motocross cycle racing.

The tour guides were a 40-something couple from Germany who live part of the year in the Indian state of Goa, southwest of Bombay. They were good, if not great tour guides, lively people, and considerate of all of us. They did speak good English, which of course they would have to do in order to be tour guides in India. They also were excellent riders, with a lot of motorcycle experience, and their riding confidence rubbed off on me personally a great deal, and was a huge help throughout the trip.

So we started our trip with short riding session to try to get used to the bikes, Royal Enfield "Bullets." These were 500cc, one cylinder, four stroke little bikes... very durable, but with their own learning curve. They are no longer made by Enfield in England [same as the small arms company in England], but come in three sizes in India. Ours were the largest motor they make and, for their size, they had great low end torque which came in handy going around trucks and buses on the roads. The initial difficulty with these bikes is that the gear shift is on the right instead of the left as we are used to on American and Japanese motorcycles, they have a kick start ignition instead of a push-button, and there is no little green light to tell you when you are in neutral, which of course you must be before kick-starting. It took me several days to get the hang of finding neutral and successfully managing the kickstart, which was a kinesthetic skill not related to strength or size, but did have it's own trick. I had to have Ramesh, our head mechanic, start my bike for me inumerable times, and he and Aslam, the other mechanic, were very proud of me when I finally was able to reliably start it on my own. Ian and Bob had fewer problems, but they were able to do the kick while straddling the bike and standing on one leg, whereas I was too short and had to start it with the kickstand down, not sitting on the bike. Also, the seat was a couple inches too high for me to "flatfoot" the bike, but I learned after a few days how to deal with that in most situations. By the end, the right foot shifting became very natural and I have a great respect for the durability of these tough little motorcycles.

Motorbike is a great way to see a country (although I also like walking tours for similar reasons). Much more up close and personal than from the window of a tour bus, especially as we stopped for tea and lunch breaks in the same places that regular Indian people eat. Indian villagers were friendly and curious, and very open to speaking with us. Bob's ability with Hindi allowed us to find out a little more about their lives than otherwise, and often we would have a crowd of the unemployed, the retired, or the very young surrounding us all talking at once. They wanted to shake our hands, find out "From which country do you come?" "How do you like India?", touch our motorcycles, have us take their photo, etc. (By the way, if you go to India, take a box or two of cheap pens. All the children asked us for them and we had unfortunately not brought any. I could easily have given away a few hundred pens!)

The total trip was close to 2000 Km or 1300 miles. We averaged 100-150 miles per day with several planned stops per day, and often a few unplanned ones. Our luggage came in the company chase bus with our mechanics, spare parts and tools. They went everywhere with us and I have to tell you that these guys were incredible mechanics. They could, and did, fix a fuel line, change a tire, take apart a motor and put it back together, or whatever else had to be done, in record time and with a smile and good heart. They were our back up support team and made us all feel safer and more confident.

We visited all the most interesting cities and villages and sights in Rajasthan as well as little villages barely on anyone's map. It is largely a dry plateau, but has dunes, mountains, lakes, and the long and interesting history of the Rajput and Mougul Empires. In fact, most of the hotels we stayed in were converted palaces of Maharajas who were stripped of privileges during the administration of Indira Ghandi and had to find another way to support themselves than on the backs of the peasants. These buildings were beautiful and often amazingly restored. I felt like a princess to be staying such hotels, surrounded by villagers living one-room huts. India's contrasts are startling. We visited such cities as Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Pushkar, visiting fortresses and temples and other sites. But my favorite hotel was a restored fort on a high plateau in the mountains in the village of Bambora, surrounded by rice paddies and water wheels, and adjacent to a small and very friendly village where we managed a guided tour by a couple who were the hotel musicians. They spoke no English, but were gracious and happy to show us their little town. The woman helped me to purchase some lovely sari fabric and made sure I got a good price! We watched to sun go down that day over the hills from the rooftop terrace of the hotel, while sipping Indian spiced tea. Our room there was so beautiful it made me feel like a Maharani.

Indian roads. We rode on every possible type of surface from four lane highways to sand and gravel lanes and trails, rutted and potholed dirt, through streams, and on tiny mountain roads with endless switchbacks. Needless to say, I feel that I am a much better and safer rider than when we started. I think Bob and Ian would say the same. I was scared some days 100 times but I believe new learning curves keep you young and new experiences keep you alive and aware. I would not have missed this trip for all the tea in India!

Then there was the Indian traffic. We almost always came to whatever town or village where our next hotel would be at rush hour, but we also passed through villages and towns and large cities every day. The traffic in an Indian city defies explanation if you have never experienced it. The roads are crowded with every type of vehicle from bicycles to 3-wheeled taxis, to carts and wagons, large trucks and buses. As if that were not challenge enough, there are just as many pedestrians as there are vehicles, as well as dogs, pigs, goats and sheep wandering the roads, water buffaloes and camels pulling imbrably huge loads, and, of course, the ubiquitous cows, which are everywhere and usually not tethered. All of these are moving at their own speeds, weaving and flowing in an unfathomable dance that defied logic much less traffic rules. There were rarely traffic lights and the driver or rider with the loudest horn wins. This was, for me, the greatest challenge because you were going slowly, up and down shifting every few seconds, and needed 360 degree vision. It was a sort of moving meditation or tai chi and I think most of us felt a certain small sense of triumph when we all arrived at the next destination without having run over anyone or gotten lost from each other!

Ian deserves special kudos on this trip, because he did all of thr above with a passenger on the back of his bike and he rode very, very safely and well. [BTW] He called us today from Istanbul (Jan 16), where he and Allison are having a wonderful time visiting a college buddy of Ian's and are slowly en route to school in Barcelona, which runs from Feb 6th to March 4th.

After 14 days on two wheels we arrived at the city of Bharatpur, where we bid farewell to the bikes and our back-up crew and met the bus that would take us to Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. Hopelessly touristic, but undeniably one of the worlds most visually stunning structures, it is the story of the Taj that, perhaps, impresses most. Built by an emperor in memorium of a beloved queen who gave him 14 children, he watched the completion of the building from a prison cell after being deposed by his son. Today, he and his queen rest in the crypt below the main floor. We spent a couple of hours just wandering the gardens around the building and enjoying its visual harmony, which for me had the impact of both calming the mind and touching the heart.

That night we returned to Delhi and said goodbye to the companions who had accompanied us on this intense and fascinating experience. We are definitely still internally processing this trip and we will be for many weeks and months, I think. It was unlike any adventure of my life.

2006-03-01T16:37:00.001-07:00

The whole wonderful group on the last day at lunch, making our way towards Bharatpur.

2006-03-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Strung out like ducks in a row.

2006-03-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

2006-03-01T16:35:00.002-07:00

Ian and Allison

2006-03-01T16:35:00.001-07:00

Honora driving through a small village. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

Honora heading to Bambora. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

Bernie and Tanja with two locals.

2006-03-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

The intrepid and incomparable Phil. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Typical light in-town traffic. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the hotel in Jaisalmer. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

Beers after a long day in the saddle. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Sharing the road.

2006-03-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Winfrid and Dominic trying to get started again after a pee break. Photo: Tanja Kisker

2006-03-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Our morning gassing up ritual.

2006-03-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Typical Indian kid staring at us staring at him.

2006-03-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

The type of traffic we had to negotiate around a hundred times per day.

2006-03-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bernie and Ellen, our two guides. Totally great people!

2006-03-01T16:21:00.001-07:00

Yet another tea stop by the side of the road.

2006-03-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Honora on her bike at a rest stop near a reservoir.

2006-03-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

My son Ian sitting on his Bullet at another tea house. Our chase bus is in the back.

2006-03-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Morning tea stop in the Thar desert

2006-03-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Bernie, our Classic Bike India guide, introducing us to our bikes and how to kick-start them.

Royal Rajasthan pics

2006-03-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Meeting our Enfield Bullets in Mandawa.

Classic Biking In India: Royal Rajasthan by Enfield Bullet

2006-03-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Motorcycling in India where all roads are one way – whichever way you happen to be going – with no speed limits other than the fastest you can go in any and every situation, no rules of the road except he who honks loudest and flinches last goes, and every conceivable user: cars, trucks, busses, motor rickshaws, peda-rickshaws, bicycles, skooters, motorcycles, herds of sheep and goats, dogs, pigs, camels, horses, water buffaloes, and cows, even the occasional elephant and dancing bear, and people, people, people. Forget that you’re driving on the opposite side of the road – that’s the least of your worries. Now throw in an Indian-made Enfield Bullet which shifts on the right, one up and three down, and brakes on the left. Did I mention the suckers are kick-start only? Sound like your kind of fun? It was for my wife and I and my son and his girlfriend.

For 15 days at the end of 2005, the four of us joined 10 other intrepid souls and two guides from Classic Bike India on a motorcycle tour of Rajasthan. For those geographically challenged, Rajasthan is in the northwest of India next to Pakistan and is mostly desert, the Thar desert to be specific. Sort of looks like southern Arizona or New Mexico. Running roughly north-south through the middle of the state are the Aravali Mountains. Rajasthan is the home of the fearsome Rajputs, kick-ass horse and camel warriors with bright yellow, red, and orange turbans and truly monumental handlebar mustaches. The women look like a flock of birds in their bright saris and jangling gold and silver jewelry. On the top of most major mountains are medieval walled fortresses and palaces. Think Arabian Nights and Sheherazad. Rajasthan is classical India at its most romantic. Having lived in India for some time 30 years ago, it was always my favorite part of that subcontinent.

I found this trip by Googling “motorcycle tour + Rajasthan.” There are a number of companies that run similar trips, but I chose Classic Bike India because they had a trip at the time my family and I had open to go. The company is owned by an expatriate German in Goa who runs motorcycle trips all over India and Nepal. (The one in Ladakh really sounded scary.) Each trip is guided by one or two English-speaking Germans who have lived in India for years, and the whole group is followed by a chase bus with three crackerjack mechanics and trunks full of tools and spare parts. The chase bus also carried all our luggage. All you had to worry about each morning was being ready to ride between 8-9 A.M. Everything else was taken care of by our guides and mechanics.

Because this is a “German” company, most of the other riders were Germans, with two Swedes and a Brit thrown in for good measure. Lest you think we were roughing it, each night we stayed in a Maharaja’s palace or fort which had been converted into a 4-star “heritage” hotel. Breakfast and dinner were included at the hotels as were song, dance, and puppet shows most nights. We pooled our resources for lunch and ate wherever we happened to stop. That meant mostly rice, dal (lentils), vegetable curry, and nan, a flat bread baked in front of your eyes. In addition, we stopped for chai, spiced Indian tea, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We typically road 150 miles per day, with some days less and others more, for a total of around 1,500 miles. Except for one late afternoon, we were always at our hotel before sunset.

India has only three seasons – winter, summer, and monsoon. December-January in India is winter, but that meant the temperature was in the 60-70s every day with sunshine and not a drop of rain the whole two weeks. The mornings could be chilly; so layers were in order. And being in the desert, the temperature went down rapidly once the sun went down. That meant putting on a sweater or jacket and for me with no hair, a beanie as well.

The Bullets were single cyclinder, 4-stroke, 500cc verticals which looked straight out of the 1960s. When Royal Enfield went belly-up in Britain, the Indian factory bought the rights to continue domestic production, and not a whole lot has changed since in the way of design. This is where the company gets the “classic” in its name. It took most of us a few days to learn to reliably start the beasts, but once going, they were relatively indestructible. Although the roads were mostly paved, there were a couple of days that made one think “motocross.” On the odd occasion when they did break down after hitting a water buffalo, stripping a cam gear, or popping a tire, Aslam, Ramesh, and Monton, our three mechanics, had us back on our way, typically in minutes. Ok, the engine rebuild did take over night, but my son was back on his bike the next morning.

The places we stayed at night are the stuff of legends – Rudyard Kipling, Gunga Din, and all that. Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur were all Rajput capitals dominated by sandstone and marble forts. Luni and Bambora were typical mud-hut Rajasthani villages where are hotels were restored forts. Pushkar was once a sleepy little pilgrimage town sacred to Lord Brahma, dreamer of the universe, but now a trendy hangout for Israeli hippies. At Kusa, we rode camels in the desert with dunes like out of Lawrence of Arabia, while at Ranthambore, we took a jeep safari in the national park and saw two tigers, one only yards away. As for libidinous supplies, beer flowed freely at dinner and most lunches and, in Jaisalmer, we found a state-licensed store which sold bhang, a form of marijuana. The enterprising third-generation owner, the affable Dr. Bhang, offered bhang cookies and chocolate, several sorts of bhang milkshakes, and smokable bhang as well, all in mild, medium, strong, and super strong strengths. In Jodhpur, a guard in the Maharaja’s winter palace offered black-tar opium out of the pocket of his kurta to the more intrepid. Interesting, but I have to say we passed on that. Shopping was yet another diversion, what with the cotton and silk sarees, Rajasthani miniature paintings, silver and gold jewelry, and other fabric goods.

However, the thing that I enjoyed the best, besides the constantly varying riding, was the people. English is an official language in India. So it was always easy to find someone who we could speak to. In addition, I still speak a little Hindi from my salad days. Indians are incredibly friendly, and you can’t stop without gathering a crowd. While some tourists find this annoying, my wife and I got into it with the result that we got taken into locals’ homes, saw temples off the beaten track, tasted things other members of our tour did not, and met some really great, down-home people. No matter where we went, our caravan was greeted by huge, white-toothed smiles and waves. What a great feeling!

While this trip was not for the faint-hearted, I recommend it whole-heartedly. It’s the kind of once-in-a-life-time, wild-hair trip every biker with a taste for the exotic should do. Although the riding was sometimes challenging, my family and I all came back better riders for it. Hopefully, we also came back better people too. For more information about Classic Bike India, go to www.classic-bike-india.com.

2005-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

The frame in the basement with the springer front end attached.

2005-10-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

The frame in the basement workshop with the painted wheel rims in the background.

2005-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a side view of the frame just after it was brought home from the Greyhound depot in Denver.

2005-10-27T10:04:00.001-07:00

Here's a view of the frame from the back.

2005-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of my frame just after it arrived from Randy Horton's in Tennessee. This picture shows the steering head that was purchased from a machinist in Canada.

2005-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of me sitting on my Indian Scout outside the Blue Poppy Offices.

2005-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

My 2001 Indian Mohave Scout. Only 85 were made in this color.

2004-2005 Norton chopper

2005-10-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

The following pictures are of the 1969 Norton Commando drive-train I am turning into a rigid chopper. I began this project in June 2004. I hope to have the sucker running by Dec. 31, 2005. At the moment, I've got some electrical issues need fixing and I'm waiting on a new seat from Le Pera. I expect I'll be posting pics of that seat in a few days. It's red metal-flake vinyl with white piping.

2005-10-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

April 2005

2005-10-18T09:07:00.001-07:00

September 2005.16

2005-10-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

September 2005.15

2005-10-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

September 2005.14

2005-10-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

September 2005.13

2005-10-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

September 2005.12

2005-10-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

September 2005.10

2005-10-18T09:03:00.002-07:00

September 2005.9

2005-10-18T09:03:00.001-07:00

September 2005.8

2005-10-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

September 2005.7

2005-10-18T09:02:00.001-07:00

September 2005.6

2005-10-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

September 2005.5

2005-10-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

September 2005.4

2005-10-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

September 2005.3

2005-10-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

September 2005.2

2005-10-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

September 2005.1

2005-10-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

October 2005.11

2005-10-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

October 2005.10

2005-10-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

October 2005.9

2005-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

October 2005.8

2005-10-18T08:57:00.002-07:00

October 2005.7

2005-10-18T08:57:00.001-07:00

October 2005.6

2005-10-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

October 2005.5