I’ve got some stuff to sell from my garage. Nothing earth-shattering, but you might be interested all the same:

1. A mini-fridge (dorm-sized, with the freezer) $25
Good shape – was used for about a month, then put aside for two years. Also, it has a couple dings in the face due to a motorcycle leaning on it. Otherwise, perfect shape (even has the original manual still in the plastic).

2. A TV – Best Offer
I’ll measure it, but I think it’s about 32″ – nothing wrong with it, just don’t need it. Comes with a remote.

3. A dresser – $25
Five drawers. Nothing wrong with it – might have a couple scratches on the top (from the TV sitting on it). Sorry, the Abraham Lincoln bust does not come with the dresser.

4. 1971-1973 CB500 Carb Kits (4x) – $30 total
I’m selling these carb rebuild kits for $30 – I paid more for them, but Z-1 Enterprises sent me the wrong damn thing, so I don’t have use for them.

Here’s the deal:

After a really enjoyable (and uneventful) ride on Saturday with members of The Cretins MC and Los Gordos Gatos clubs, I ended my night with a trip to The Cretins MC’s clubhouse (under the W. Seattle bridge, on Spokane).

The party at the clubhouse was fun: lots of familiar faces, a surprise visit by my wife, and lots of silly movies and activities.

Around midnight, the wife, my friends, and I decided to call it a night and started to head home.

One block from the clubhouse, I hit a detour that was covered in gravel and I went down. Hard.

Here’s the injury list:

1. The bike lost the front left turn signal (I hated the amber turn signals anyway)
2. The bike’s left mirror is in rough shape (it operates, but I think I stripped the threading)
3. My left knee took a banging, which resulted in a dislodged patella, a good sized hematoma (I’m under medication to shrink/dissolve it), and a fair amount of blood.
4. I’m barely walking right now, mostly due to the pressure on the patella and the swelling.
5. I’ll be seeing an orthopedic surgeon in the next week to discuss whether or not I need further attention (read: surgery).

– Image below is a little gory –

From the illustration I’ve horribly hacked together below, you can see how the patella is really ejected, with the hematoma developing below the kneecap. Excuse my :30 photoshop job, please.

At this point, I just need rest, crutches, and some compassion. I wasn’t the only rider to dump at that detour on Saturday, so while my pride is hurt, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve been told by plenty of much more seasoned riders that this “is just part of the bike world; it happens to everyone.”

Thank you to everyone that’s shown interest in my bashup; I’m sorry if early notes were vague or worrisome – that wasn’t mine (nor my wife’s) intentions. I’ll be fine, the bike will be fine (rode it home actually), and all will be well in a few weeks.

In the meantime, if you wanna meet up or hang out, just know I’ll be slower than normal :)

The Los Angeles Latebirds – Flock Yeah II from Brian Sowell on Vimeo.

Good lord this is just rad as shit, my friends.

3 cop cars, ambulance and firetruck - 45th st exit from I-5

So last night, as I was exiting I-5 at the 45th street exit, I was hit by a car. The douchebag clipped me on the left-hand side, knocking me into the brambles on the side of the road and threw me from the bike.

The bike landed on my left ankle, and with my weak-assed arms, I was unable to lift the bike off me (it hurt like a motherfucker*). Trapped under the bike, I was beat up but not broken. The bike has some damage, but is operational.

A kind citizen stopped and helped get the bike off me. However, he was on the phone with 911 (anyone that knows my bike knows how bad that could be for me – the bike isn’t registered, it’s not titled or plated, the plates are from a different bike, and I don’t have my endorsement).

Before I could regain my strength and stand up, the EMT’s, a firetruck, and 3 cop cars were on me. The police officer that took my information was super-duper kind – she could have arrested me and impounded the bike. Instead, she gave me a little bit of a hard time about the illegal bike and no endorsement, and made sure I got off the exit by pushing the bike up the hill to where my wife was waiting for me. That walk, pushing the bike on my bashed up legs, hurt like hell!

Bruises, lots of cuts and shit, but otherwise OK. The cops, firemen and EMT’s that showed up (via a 911 call from a citizen) were awesome – even more so because the police let me leave with my untitled, unregistered (no endorsement, either) bike. Today, I consider myself VERY LUCKY.

The bike will be off the road for a little while – I need to go over every nut and bolt and cable, and this gives me the chance to do the work I’ve long needed to on the bike. I hope I can get some assistance as I will need it for sure!

* I don’t swear much on my blog (as the “about me” blurb will tell), but this time it’s a necessary evil.

Damn nice to see a real bike in a video, and even nicer to see the C-Skull in the video!

Better quality copy at Vimeo:

Micah and the Chopper Bunch from chadedge on Vimeo.

This time, it’s a little MotoGP video that I toyed with. Watch and you’ll understand how I wasted five minutes but made others laugh. No hard feelings, right?

Riding Jolene on a Sunday.

I thought I’d show you what the bike looks like from the start to the finish (the very shorthand version).

Amazing job, Patrick!

The starting out – notice the high bars, the “Sean-target” taillight, and the fuzzy seat. Oh, also notice the battery box is in the default location.

And the finished product. Notice the bars are now MUCH lower, the “Sean-target” is gone, and the battery box and taillight are housed comfortably under a custom bump.
Also, look at that badass front fender! I want one of those!

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today published an article (great photos, by the way!) on cafe bikes (like my 1975 CB400 four).

Totally worth a read – in print, folks!

Check out the above link for free PDF’s of motorcycle diagrams – I just found two great ones for my 1975 CB400 four.

I’ve been working on my 1975 Honda C 400 four since August of 2007 and have hit a few roadblocks (front brakes, broken wiring, clutch, etc) and have finally solved one of my biggest issues: no working front brakes.

I’ve had 3 broken, old calipers that were in various forms of disrepair. Finally, I got one set working this past weekend. Take a look at the photos below to see just how bad the one I got working looked (these photos don’t do it justice; I had already started cleaning out the caliper and therefore you don’t get a good idea of the internal rust and junk a 33 year old caliper contained).

Now that the brakes have been refreshed (new pads; new fluid; good compression), I need to get a new braided brake line (my current one is too short for my front fork). That said, I’m super-stoked that I can mark one more problem off my list and am so much closer to being on the street!

PS: The new brakes are having a little issue sticking. I’m thinking that the old caliper needs to sit in some brake cleaner for a few days. The pod inside the caliper may be sticking too far out (I still get good compression, but now the front brake has locked up – so I think it’s just not releasing). Still, a milestone passed in my opinion. And yes, those photos were taken with my iPhone.