Antwerp or bust

From Matt's place to Eat Dust HQ... Our two Pan/one Chevy convoy made it. More miles tomorrow and I need to solve my bike's lumpy running. Belgian beer and frites are reviving us...















- Posted on the move in Belgium

Great Britons

I like Elvis Costello well enough but here are a couple of songs of his I much prefer by other people.

Nick Lowe produced the Costello original of 'Alison', but his own pared back acoustic version really had an impact on me when I heard him sing it live on the radio a few months back. And I remember Robert Wyatt's version of 'Shipbuilding' came out before Costello's in the early '80s... and is still the best. I always loved the double bass on the record, played by another Great Briton... Bedders from Madness!

Weird reflective mood today: all this Jubilee malarkey and a chat with Matt earlier about the UK has got me thinking about what I love... and don't... about this country.

Back to bikes soon, I promise.

Arise, Sir Guy

Her Majesty took a bit of time out from her busy schedule to take a ride out in a village near us and was kind enough to knight me for my services to the crown, and of course, publishing.

As a result, I would like to publicly retract any anti-Royal feeling I may have appeared to have expressed, and would like to reiterate my support for all the Windsor family; so nice to have so many European nations represented in our beloved and beautifully British Royal family.

You will probably never get the chance to get as close as we did to our monarch; I can reveal that though a lady of few words, she sat on her horse for close to a week without complaint (or any movement) and her Corgis are the best behaved I have ever seen. She does look a tiny bit grumpy though; perhaps it was the weather, or my kids throwing pebbles at her. Thank you Ma'am, I shall be moving onto my estate just as soon as the present occupants have been beheaded.

Next weekend, Bottrop!

Next test for the refreshed Panhead is a ride through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands to Germany (sounds further than it is!) next weekend for the Bottrop kustom kulture festival.

I'm riding with Conrad, accompanying Matt in the DicE van, and we're stopping off with the Eat Dust boys Rob and Keith on the way. Should be fun!

I don't have a stand at the show, but will have mags and tees with me, so give me a nudge if you need anything!

Stuff the jubilee

You'd expect nothing less from me, right?

I said it in 1977, and I say it now.

After living in a progressive republic for ten years, I am even more repulsed by the women in pearls and men in windsor knots who live off our hard-earned taxes, values still immersed in the nineteenth century, struggling to even relate to the 21st... or any sort of reality that we'd recognise.

If you're a subscriber, your magazine will arrive late because we have two spurious public holidays in a row to encourage us to forget the woeful state of the economy for a weekend and hang out the bunting.

Me? I'll be watching Punk Britannia tonight and spinning the Pistols for old time's sake.

God save Jamie Reid.

Issue 27... order now... CRO Customs on the cover!

 It'll be here this week... with Caleb's stunning '56 Panhead on the cover (WWNWW!)

 Plus...

Welcome to Dr Sprocket's first column in GK: Ruined in 1960s L.A.
Jeff Baer’s ‘Dirty Nine’ Knucklehead
Ito’s ‘53 Panhead... cursed or what?
Lucky Zip: S&S Knuck & an Ironhead!
Michael Barragans’s ‘30 coupe: truly evil spirited
Lars’ ‘52 Pan: pure Swedish gold
Kevin’s ‘73 XLCH. But is it art?
Take’s ‘65 Panhead... with teeth.
Lucas Joyner’s stunning ‘68 BSA
Inside Hawg Holic, one of Tokyo’s best known chopper shops

68 pages, digest size, full colour... no filler!

Because we're travelling to Bottrop, subs will go out this Friday and next Wednesday (because of the public holidays in the UK), then next shipment will be a week later. So be quick!

BUY IT HERE.
SUBSCRIBE HERE.

The Gee in the Gee-Kay

My wife doesn't call me a fat old Ted for nothing. I've been leaving grease stains on pillows for over 30 years now and can safely describe myself as a hair dressing saddo.

Rob from Hepcat gave me a tin of this pomade to try at The Castle Run, because, yeah... I'm a hepcat, right? I like it; although it's described as a medium to firm hold, I would describe it as a light grease, with a very pleasant, subtle aroma.

It's made from beeswax, olive oil, vitamin E, petrolatum and scent. You ain't a gearhead until you're slapping petrolatum through your locks. It's produced in Sweden by the interestingly-named Soul Crap Syndicate.

Best believe I'm in love... LUV

This is my new favourite pedal.

If you want anything Chicago Motorcycle Supply-related, you need to go to Faber Cycle.

Very interesting company, they bought up the entire Chicago MS stock over a decade ago (including the original moulds/tooling); they are also re-fabbing Flanders and Stelling & Hellings.

Check 'em out.

Clubhouse

Summer's here

And you can tell because you can't feel your feet after one minute in the water. Beautiful.

BF4!

These guys inspire me! BF4 is just over a month away...

Today, green bikes were lucky

Hello, goodbye

The Dodge Panel truck I bought off Dan Collins is now sitting at Adrian's shop Buckland Automotive waiting for some pre-MOT work.

Can't wait to be driving it... but it looks like it will be later rather than sooner at the moment.

Story of my life!

Emil

Emil rode his big inch flathead to Krenkerup Castle from Copenhagen city centre.

This bike is so nice... how about that front fender? Sectioned and trimmed to fit the eighteen inch front wheel, complete with a handmade and cast trim piece.

Details!

Coming soon in GKM.

Peter Longhair's dual Amal Knucklehead

Peter's chopper won my pick at the Castle Run recently. Look for a feature soon.

Interesting to see the contrast in styles between the Swedish (like this one) and Danish bikes; the Danes are so restricted by ridiculous laws in what they can build that old bikes have to stay stock-ish or risk huge fines and confiscation.

Weird for such a laid back, supposedly liberal country.

Bikie Wars

My mate Rene in Australia sent me a link to a series running on TV over there at the moment based on the war between the Comancheros and Bandidos motorcycle clubs in the 1980s, culminating in the infamous Milperra Massacre in 1984: the biggest event in Aussie 'bikie' history.

It's based on a good book called Brothers in Arms, and you can check out some photos from the show here. Looks like they got the period feel down pretty well.

Unfortunately I can't get the first episode to play... looks like it's restricted outside Oz. Anyone know how to get round it?

Tea Time

A bigger bash than last year, but the same friendly vibe and great bikes.

I did a 24 hour dash, 220 miles each way, and the Panhead ran well with only a bit of tinkering with the Linkert required en route. That's my first 500 miles out of the way on the fresh engine.

Thanks Leighton, Eddie and the Stockers for all your hard work. Had a blast.

Lots of loveliness happening this weekend

100 miles in

Richard dropped the bike off yesterday. I took it out for a 30 mile spin, seeing what was what.

The plugs kept fouling (black soot) and the primary case was pissing oil onto the road everywhere I stopped.

So this morning I changed the plugs, leaned out the Linkert, removed and polished the grooves on the check valve ball-ends in the oil pump and adjusted the primary oiler screw which was fully open. Now done 100 miles and the bike is running better: the rebulilt engine feels fresh and strong.

I feel confident enough for the 550-mile round trip to the Tea Party tomorrow... except my wife fell over this morning, twisted an ankle and now can't walk.

She is cursed. I am cursed. And it looks like I might be childminding this weekend instead of riding.

It can only get better?

First fuel stop in ten months

Yes...........

It's back.

More fun with the Danes