12/31/2004
More variants on the Rebel custom design... Ran the bike today.. Started on the first time I hit the switch... The carb may need to be sprayed with something to remove gummy deposits... all part of servicing the bike when I start putting it all together.. Also, the small rust spots on the fork are just on the surface, I was able to wipe them off easily.

Silver color that I've been toying with.

But Black, Black with the bobbed fender.. Looks wicked.

12/25/2004

Color variants... Silver (original) with Ammo Can Panniers... Red, and Camo.

12/24/2004
Well yesterday I stayed home because my office was closed due to the snow storm that hit Arkansas and alot of other states on Wednesday. Wednesday around noon (I guess it was then, may have started sooner as I'm now in office space without windows) sleet started falling. The ground outside was wet and cold already from the previous days rain so it didn't take long for it to stick. My boss was gone to lunch, so another manager in the office told me to go home as everyone else had already been released for the day. I left then, but it took me 2 hours to get home because people don't know how to drive... They don't keep a constant speed, and going up hills they stop and then accelerate too fast. If there hadn't been so many idiots on the road I could have been home in 30 minutes. My wife took 3 hours to get home, and I walked up to meet her and then we took some back streets and shortcuts which cut out alot of the traffic. The Little Rock Police had set the lights on Markham and Fair Park to be a four way stop, which made things ALOT worse overall.

Today we're supposed to have family over for Christmas, Pizza and Gifts.. but somehow I think it might not happen.. The main roads are starting to clear, but the side streets all still have a 1/2" to an 1" of ice on them. I'm going to have to get some dog and cat repellant, they make it for yards... as with the snow I've noticed how many of my neighbors seem to think it's okay to let their dog mark their territory in my yard. Some people are just so uncouth.

We're going to have Christmas tomorrow, Marie and I picked up 4 pizzas and stuck them in the fridge and will heat them up on our Pizza Stones tomorrow when everyone comes over.

Anyway, work on the Rebel is progressing... Though slowly with the snow. Today I did some rust removal on the nuts and bolts I took off the bike when I did some disassembly. I also ordered a battery box cover (Chrome not so good I'm told) and air box cover from Arkansas Wings Cycle Center in Romance Arkansas. Shipping was cheaper than driving up there thanks to the high gas prices, and the owner is a pretty nice guy. It's a family owned business, and a really neat place to visit as I've never seen so many old bikes in my life as I've seen in their bone yard.

I think the Honda is going to get called the Honda DavidSun as before it's all over it's likely going to have Honda, Suzuki, and HD parts on it. I'll have to get some custom stickers printed for the gas tank and sidecovers by Nutron Nameplate when I'm finished. I redid the mockup with the Sportster tank that the bike has currently.. It doesn't look too bad.. Actually looks different than a Rebel. If the forks were raked that'd probably finish the chopper look on it.. But raking the forks isn't cheap.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the Rebel...

The night the Rebel came home.	Honda Davidson? A 66 Sportster Tank on a CMX250.	Beauty Shot.	You meet the nicest people on a Honda.	Engine Guard.
Front Wheel (After I had a new tire put on).	Check out that crazy headlight, it's gotta go!	Yuck, gonna need a rear engine case guard.. and to clean that up.	Not too bad looking here.	Again, you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
and again...	Me wrenching on the bike.	Continued wrenching.	Rusty battery mount.	Again, that rusty battery mount.
Another shot of the rusty battery mount... It's rusty, did a mention that?	Degreasing and washing the bike.	Looks alot better after a bath.

12/20/2004
For my birthday a buddy of mine and I drove down to Nashville, Arkansas and picked up a 1987 Honda Rebel 250. The bike looked and still looks rough... but the engine hums... I spent part of this last weekend (along with help from my wife), charging up the battery and pulling off parts (pillion pad, seat, footpegs for the passenger, and more) that I am either replacing, or eliminating from the bike.

I've got plans, plans are subject to change... But we'll see.. So far I've refurbed the passenger footpegs, they just need a few layers of clearcoat. I removed the rubber, treated and restored it... and primed and painted the pegs with rocker panel paint, then primed and painted it again with two coats of gloss black. They look good. I've used JB Qwik on some plastic parts, and restored some of the plastic parts. The rear fender needs ALOT of work.. As I'll have to weld, and grind it down and polish it before I can paint it, and build a new wiring harness.

Anyway, my goal is to get the bike down to a rolling chassis.. paint the wheels, and paint the fork guards and chassis and suspension, and then start reassembling it. I'm hoping to get a headlight from a friend, to replace the small Rebel one. I need a headlight assembly that takes a 5 3/4" or 7" sealed beam headlamp. I'm hoping to put the Buell Blast flyscreen on the bike. I also need a battery box cover (which was missing) and air box cover (the airbox is intact and sealed.. just needs the cosmetic cover). I am hoping to use tractor turn signals ($5.00 each) from Tractor Supply Company and a Tractor Brake/Taillight.. and add some reflectors. The bike will either be white, or a light grey... or maybe silver as I'm going to paint the fenders, tank, flyscreen, side covers... paint the engine fins black, and the engine a metallic... cut off the old pipes and put slip ons onto the headers, and wrap the headers in header tape.

Not sure about the gas tank, it's got a Sportster tank.. Which I like.. but it needs to be modified to fit the bike, and cleaned up. Anyway, the image above is a mockup of how it might look.

12/05/2004
"There's a new genetically engineered fruit especially made for politicians who are real bad apples, it's called the M-Peach."

I made it up, just now.. at 9:15 pm CST, 12/05/2004. It was originally posted it to Fark as a comment on El Presidente Dubya's plan to eliminate the tax deduction for paying State Income taxes...

The original post was: "There's a new fruit especially made for politicians who are bad apples, it's called the M-Peach."

I thought the addition of 'genetically engineered' and 'real' though was another great play on words. :-) Yeah, I'm a real witty guy.. Hah.

12/05/2004
My boss at work has been saying it for a while, that there are few people who can do what I do (program and do graphics) for a while... I just haven't been listening to him, recently though him saying it has gotten me to start thinking about what he's saying. I've been working with Cold Fusion and SQL writing applications now for over 5 years, and doing Graphic Design work for 9 years.

I started looking at Cold Fusion jobs online today, since at work I'm being migrated away from Cold Fusion apps to another development platform. While that seems daunting, it is a learning opportunity... If they will provide me with the training that would help alot and add to my confidence level as the new platform seems very powerful. From a job search it appears that Cold Fusion developers are in short supply, and that the average pay for someone with my extensive experience with it is between $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 whereas the average pay for someone beginning in the development platform I am now assigned to earns alot less. I also really enjoy working with Cold Fusion and Intranet/Extranet applications, and it worries me I may not be able to maintain my existing level or learn new skills related to that. Despite my extensive experience and knowledge base, there is so much yet to learn and I feel as if I have only scratched the surface at times on how powerful it is.

So maybe it's time to start looking, and to keep my eyes open... but I have to be picky, I want to stay where we are now... My wife has a good career going, and I have family here. It's a nice place to live as well.. I just wish there were opportunities within the company where I work now to continue doing Cold Fusion work as I love the company I work for. I will also give the new development platform a chance. I hate to waste the experience, skills, and training the company has invested in me in all the years I have worked there when I know this kind of development is currently in demand in other places internally. It's not about the money, it's about being valuable and having the satisfaction of knowing I am valued by my clients, and my management.

The leaves have gone and winter is here. The air is crisp, and the Holidays are near. 2004 is almost gone, and 2005 soon will dawn.

We remember those who we shared these times with before who are not here, and hold those memories to us that are dear.

So here's a wish for you and all you love, may the next year come and go like a dove.

Happy Holidays!

- Stephen & Marie

12/04/2004
Well, December hit earlier this week and I had no idea it was even here until I got a reminder in Outlook at work. The winter weather has been rolling in, and twice this week I rode to work in temperatures of 30 degrees Fahrenheit. One day was on my Buell, and I took the highway and had on my full gear (Joe Rocket Winter Jacket with Liner, Wrap Chaps, Fleece Neck Protector, Knit Cap, and my winter riding gloves). I took along my extra liners for the gloves, but didn't use them. A full face helmet really helps, but I've got to treat my faceshield so it won't fog for this coming week. The second day I rode to work on Marie's bike, I skipped the wrap chaps since I was riding above 40 on the streets to her work. Each day it warmed up nicely later in the day, to 60 degrees.. And I had a nice sunny ride home which left me with a smile on my face.

We took the bikes out today, for an hour long ride. We stopped in at the Triumph Dealership in Little Rock, and looked at the Thruxton 900 (NICE!). Turns out they also sell LiFan motorcycles (Chinese), and had a variety of Honda 50 clones (like the late 70's) which were VERY nice, a 250cc cruiser which looked similar to a Rebel, but only similar... This one made the Rebel look tame, it was much more aggressively styled. The Thruxton 900 though, they had two.. One in Black and one in Blue.. And both were GORGEOUS... I know if I buy another bike it may be one of these now... Beautiful and retro looking. Anyway, they had designated motorcycle parking in front, which was cool, except only two spaces were open because someone had parked their caddy in the other spaces. The only other space was taken by a Triumph America which looked well ridden.

The Triumph Dealership in LR is nice, small place, but a nice dealership.

Anyway, I may not be posting for a while.. Busy at work, Busy at home with regular housekeeping and yard work, Busy riding, and Busy working on my new business... What business is this you may wonder? Well, check out www.kickstandcritters.com for more info... :-)