What a beautiful bike! I ran across this on a Triumph Bobber website I hadn’t come across before. In my humble opinion, this is one of the most elegant, and beautiful Triumph Bobbers I’ve seen. Good job guys!

Here’s a link to the Falcon Motorcycles gallery for The Kestrel:

http://www.falconmotorcycles.com/gallery/2-The%20Kestrel%20.html#0

I ride my bike to work nearly every weekday. I say this with the confidence that comes from learning to live with a single car and a motorcycle to share between my wife and myself. The car is hers, she can have it. My Buell is mine, and she can ride on the back whenever she wants to.

Since we moved to Dallas, TX back in April of 2010, I’ve only had the bike to commute on, so when it rains, or ices (contrary to what Texans say, it does not snow, it rains ice that sort of, but not completely resembles snow), I either work from home, borrow the car (which she rarely allows… yeah, so I’m whipped), or her and the boy will drop me at work, and pick me up in the evening.

That said, we’ve reviewed the number of days I’ve not ridden, and we’re quite certain it’s less than 20 days in the past year and a half. To say it again, in roughly 380 possible days of riding (figuring in vacations, etc.) I’ve ridden 360 of them. To me, that says a ton about how good the weather is down here! It also says that anyone who really wants to ride can’t use weather as an excuse down here… there’s only been one day when I really got soaked, and I simply planned ahead for it.

Having ridden nearly every day for the past year and a half, I’ve seen the good side of it (haven’t spent more than $11/week on gas!) and the bad (is it bad when your legs burn because you’re riding 15 miles at 26 degrees, with just jeans on?). The only things that I now think are mandatory for doing this, are:

1. a jacket for the summer… a mesh jacket that has plenty of vents
2. a winter jacket that has a liner, and is windproof (and hopefully waterproof as well).
3. a wind-proof neck gaiter, or a full-head balaclava
4. wind-proof riding pants (for the winter), or maybe chaps, but I think your nether-regions would still get cold
5. some really warm gloves
6. warm boots, or light boots, and warm socks
7. a backpack/messenger bag/saddle bags/tank bag for your lunch/computer/tools/books/etc.
8. the wherewithal to withstand 110 degree heat while stopped on the pavement in traffic for five minutes at a shot, and dealing with sub-freezing weather at 80 mph on the tollway in the winter!

A few more items that I suspect would make the riding much more pleasant:

1. a big windshield – this is one near-requirement for my next motorcycle!
2. a full fairing – see above; I’m not a big fairing guy, but if that’s up your alley, I think that would be even better than just a windshield!
3. saddlebags – I have a messenger bag for my laptop, and a big expandable tank bag for once in a while when needed… I think saddlebags would be great though, they are more likely to be weather proof, and can store more crap gear.

And there you have it… my list of what I’ve found to be essential to make riding everyday possible, and even enjoyable.

What would you add to the list? Any specific gear suggestions?

I’ve dropped the ball on updating this site, and after Brian Turner’s guest post, I figured I’d best stop slacking, and start writing. Problem is I have writers block!

So, tell me: what is the thing you want to know?

Do you want to know how to build a Triumph Bobber on a budget, or a howto article on shortening forks? Do you want more information on putting a Volare front clip in an F-100?

What’s the question that brought you to Henry’s Rod Shop to begin with? What haven’t you gotten an answer to, that I might be able to help with?

Email me: bcarlson@henrysrodshop.com or post a comment… I’m happy to help!

-Ben

A guest post by Brian Turner:

The nostalgia and romance of a vintage car are like nothing else. They speak of times that were simpler and more family oriented. They remind us of the Big Band era, highways that were not so crowded, and cleaner air.They take a person back to all that was good about living in a certain time and place.

Finding and restoring those treasured old cars can make a great hobby, or even a respectable income. But caution is advised. Much has been learned about the safety of substances since these old beauties were designed and produced. Some of the materials found hidden in their workings can prove deadly if not handled with sufficient care.

Chief among the hazardous materials is asbestos, which is known to cause mesothelioma, a highly aggressive form of cancer. The brake pads, drums and clutch plates of old cars were lined with this heat-resistant material. Normal use causes the asbestos to flake off and form dust found in the wheels and brake pads. Other parts that could contain asbestos include hood liners, gaskets, valve rings, and valve stem packing. Wear an appropriate filtration mask and handle any dust with care.

Another potentially lethal substance commonly found in older cars is lead. This was used on electrical connections and batteries, in soldered joints, and in bodywork repairs. Lead is associated with brain and kidney damage, nervous system problems, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and reproductive problems. Lead is released as dust when restorers sand the car body.

Older paints used on cars contained lead chromate and a variety of other toxic materials. Cadmium, which was used to produce yellow paint, can quickly prove fatal to a person who unsuspectingly inhales the substance when working on restoration projects.

Vintage cars with high mileage have also accumulated a highly toxic coating of grease, oil and dirt around the axles, drive shafts, engines and transmissions. Among the deadly substances to be found there are phenol residues, which are readily absorbed through the skin. For this reason, it is extremely important to wear latex gloves when working around old automobiles.

When restoring an old car, it is imperative to wear proper filters to protect the lungs from inhalation of asbestos and several other chemicals. A simple dust mask is not sufficient protection. Vinyl gloves will also help to prevent health consequences.

A classic vehicle is a grand old lady. Treat her with respect and care, and know how to protect your health while working with her. She’s well worth the trouble, and so are you.

Brian Turner is a staff contributor to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog where he posts about the cancer risks that toxins such as asbestos pose. He is a hot rod, and muscle car enthusiast, and researches and writes about the inherent toxic hazards in automobiles. You can read more from him here.

Merry Christmas! I’m enjoying the evening, doing some coding, and wanted to announce, formally, a new project site I’m launching.

Delicious, the social bookmarking website? sunset-ed by Yahoo!, who purchased it back in 2005. I’ve been using it for storing by bookmarks across computers (i.e. my home, and work computers) since early 2006, and think it was an outstanding service. However, with this announcement, and the uncertainty that follows, I decided I could build a simple, and better bookmarking tool. Thus, I’m announcing liink.it, a better bookmarking site.

To get an account, go to the site, and post your first link, or grab the firefox, or chrome extension (chrome extension donated by Dan Johnson, a great guy!), and add a link there. Read more on the about page.

Question:

“Ben,

Great Youtube videos on the Volare installation.

I have a 58 Ford and have a 72 Volare for it.

I have read the dimensions from the 53 and the 58 wheel base and they are both 110 inches.

I am making an assumption in that the Install of the Volare will be close to the same.

However I have read and heard that the Volare has to be moved forward 1 inch.

What do you think? Move forward an inch or leave it as the same as the original front end?

Thanks

Clive”

Answer:

-Ben

If you have a question about your project, email it to me at: bcarlson@henrysrodshop.com, and I’ll answer it (usually) the same day.