01/27/2005
Well, the Red Gun in my CRT monitor is dying, or nearly there... Today it's been showing true whites... but I expect it's on it's last legs. I did a system backup of my pertinent files... It's been quite a while since I did that, and was an excuse to use the DVD burner I've had for almost a year (and with which I've burned 1 DVD previously.. that a data backup as this time). Took three DVD's to backup my files... 3D modeling, illustrations, etc... But it's done.

I updated the Honda DavidSun mockup (see it?), to include the Suzuki Headlight assembly I'll be using, with the tractor turn signals mounted to it. The mockup/design sketch also has the bars that my Rebel actually has, versus the one's on the original illustration which were based on a 1998 Rebel. Honda updated the bars when they brought the Rebel back to something more conventional, the 87 Rebel though has bars which are much more like a chopper.. Like little ape-hangers.

I'll be glad when we get some warmer weather. I'm looking forward to getting some major work done on the project, other than just the small pull of parts and cleanup of them that I have been doing. The major tasks include draining the gas tank, cleaning it and putting a new petcock on it... then priming and painting it (it needs a new gasket for the gas cap as well). Draining the engine oil, fogging the cylinders, and pulling the engine, carb, and air box out of the frame.. Cleaning the carb.. Removing the rear wheel and front wheel and painting the rims. Cleaning the front forks, and painting the lower fork guards, and triple trees... Painting the frame, and reassembling into a rolling frame, painting the uppers on the engine with high heat flat black, and the lower case with high heat engine silver, putting the engine and carb back in, cutting the tool box off the air box assembly (no cover, and it's plastic so I don't need it).

Putting the air box back in, mounting the seat springs to the rear fender (still need to find some springs) putting the fender on the back (after it's chopped and has the taillights, and turnsignals on). Putting the odometer and gauge with switches back in place, wiring in the headlight and front turn signals, adjusting the foot controls, and hand controls, hand control cleanup and repair, replace the turn signal switch on the hand controls and paint the hand control housings, put the battery box back on, mount the battery and put the sidecovers back on, paint the pipes, wrap them in header tape and put custom made heatshields on them, put the reflectors on, build a mount for the license plate and mount it.. Etc.. Got a few months worth of weekend work ahead of me at the least.. Engine disassembly, and stripping down should take a day, and a day to paint the frame.. The majority of the major work I can do in a week if I take a week off.. It'll just be LOTS of little things to do.

I think it's going to be a sweet little bike when I'm done...

01/26/2005
Well, the Red Gun in my CRT monitor is dead, or nearly there... I'm now looking at my webpage which is devoid of red... and all the whites are a nasty cyan color. Looks like my plan to last to this summer before getting a new monitor are shot. Argh. I guess I should just be glad it still works (sorta.. the red gun just kicked in, so everything looks fine... but... well, here it goes.. Hello Cyan whites...).

01/23/2005
This was a weekend of work on the Rebel (thanks to alot of good weather on Saturday). We disassembled the Rebel's gauge (odometer and speedometer) assembly and removed it. I replaced the ignition switch, and due to how complicated it was (the old one which was busted) versus the new one (being basic) we had to supplement it with a toggle switch... We refurbed the whole thing, it looks completely new except for a ding in the chrome ring around the gauge that was there when I bought the bike. Oh well, it'll be fine. To start the bike you have to turn the key, and flip the toggle on... This makes the connection between the right wires for when the bike is on, and when the toggle is switched to off two wires which are connected when the bike is off are connected properly.

I also mocked up the headlight, which came off the Suzuki GS550 we salvaged from a friends woods (where he had pushed it off into years ago). I spent alot of time killing the rust in the headlamp assembly, building up some areas with bondo, and getting it ready again. It used to attach at the sides of the light with some brackets on the forks, I'm planning to attach it with the Rebel's headlamp bracket.. and if all goes well I'm going to attach the turn signals where the old bracket used to tie in (which will be VERY cool..)

Anyway, it's been a weekend of priming, painting, derusting, etc... but it's been alot of fun. We hooked up the electronics to the rebel (gauge and switches) and ran it for 15 minutes on Sunday... so we are glad to know it works with our new switching system. I've got to get a new gasket to go inside the gas cap of the bike, but I figure I'll hit Rodney's for that next weekend... and maybe a new petcock for it. I cleaned, sanded, primed and painted the front fender, and the battery box cover I got from Arkansas Wings is now flat black as well... I also finished getting the Honda Rebel Airbox Sidecover cleaned, and was able to prime and paint it flat black. We test fitted the Airbox Sidecover.. I got a good deal on it because a motorcycle parts guy on E-Bay had it listed incorrectly as a Rebel 450 sidecover and I recognized it as a Rebel 250 sidecover... Otherwise I would have ended up paying $50.00 or more for one!

Anyway, this is coming along. Hopefully it'll be ready by this summer to ride. :-)

Rebel front wiring harness box with wiring harness, and everything labeled for future reference (the labels came in handy on Sunday!)	The Rebel, with it's fenders stripped. The front fender is now a beautiful flat black, along with the sidecovers I bought for it on the cheap.	Front view of the even more stripped Rebel.
Headlamp and turnsignal mockup, it's a bit crooked, but then again I was holding it.	Sideview of the headlamp and turnsignal mockup... Yeah, it's a big headlight. :-)	My wife looking like a character from Doctor Who with one of our little pals. We were goofing around with the headlamp assembly which I had rust treated on Friday evening.

01/21/2005
It's been an interesting work. Today I heard something really stupid for the first time... Wireframes... A wireframe is a 3D CGI term, related to 3D modeling. I've long been familiar with it, it's not a new term.. it's actually pretty damned old... However today I heard someone refer to it used for webpage layout, and site structure. After some research, I found that this is a term that is 'trendy' among web designers, and consultants... Let me say this, I hate trendy terms, and the cutesy jargon and business stuff that seems to emerge yearly and then die out quick. For example, years ago I heard professional trainers going nuts about E-Learning. What was E-Learning? Well, it was a term alot of consulting firms were using to sell their services.. and it was becoming popular among the training industry. Well, guess what... 6 months later all of the trainers I knew had dropped the term. I wish wireframes would do the same, because it's just a term for designing a site with 'panels' which can be moved around as site design dictates changes. Anyway, enough of that tirade.

I rode to work the today, and the last couple of days. The cold weather had me down last week, and I missed three beautiful riding days because it looked gloomy in the morning... I should have checked the weather. I've got a pair of Ski-Bib pants I'm wearing now when riding, much better than wrap chaps.. but I'll combine the two when it gets really cold. I need an air dam for my helmet at some point. Today was beautiful, so was yesterday and the day before. I saw no motorcycles the last two days (and yesterday was PERFECT) and only three today (one parked, one going the opposite direction, and one a police motorman heading the same direction as myself this morning). I rode the Buell two days, and it reaffirms how much I love the Buell... It's small, agile, and perfect for commuting. I rode the Kawi one day, and it rode fine, it's a good little bike. Hopefully this weekend I'll get some quality time in working on the Rebel if the weather holds.

01/12/2005
I don't normally comment on technology... but Apple's new Mac mini is interesting. Robert Cringley predicted Apple would/could release a headless Mac for less than $500.00, and speculated it would be $249.00. Think Secret's founder on the other hand has been sued for predicting the same thing, and providing evidence less than a week before the release thanks to leaks inside Apple Computer. Every time Apple has made an announcement since Steve Jobs got back on board it has been leaked. Why has it been leaked? Because Apple enthusiasts want to know, and eagerly anticipate the release of each new Apple product. They do so because Apple puts out good quality products, with a friendly OS.

The new Mac mini though is $499.00, not $249.00. At $249.00 I was actually salivating, because I would buy one at that price... even if it means dropping an extra $100.00 on 256 meg of RAM to bring it up to an acceptable 512 meg, and a keyboard and mouse (as the Mac mini isn't just headless, it's missing arms and legs too. Configuring a Mac mini with extra memory, keyboard and mouse, and some other extras though brings this 'Bargain' Macintosh up to almost $900.00. At that price you'd be better off buying a faster powered iMac, which has more storage space, and a flat-screen monitor. So the little bargain Mac isn't really a bargain.

Apple is really missing the boat on this too, if they had gotten some game manufacturers to create 10 or 20 games for the release of the Mac mini, offered a wireless keyboard and mouse, game controllers, a game, and a TV adapter then this tiny little marvel would fit into the entertainment center and be an awesome console killer that would put Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo on alert... but not for $499.00.

At $499.00, and anticipating an OS change that requires abandoning my current applications and to 'Think Different' from a Microsoft user perspective many users would do well to switch to Linspire as they can get an extremely capable machine for that price, with alot of extras, and which isn't headless, armless and legless like the Mac mini.

Don't get me wrong, the Mac mini is a beautiful thing... and I know it's going to sell well and be loved... I just wish it was at a better price point or at least included 512 meg of RAM, and a keyboard and mouse. I also know there are going to be alot of quotes like: "Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of these!" on Slashdot or somewhere else. I myself think a stack of Mac minis would be cool, and I'm looking forward to seeing the case mod where someone puts one of these into a portable DVD player case, or hooks a small LCD monitor up to this to make it reminiscent of the original Macintosh or the Mac Color Classic.

01/11/2005
Did this image a week or so ago.. inspired by all the rain we're having... and to try and simulate rain with Ray Dream Studio. Turned out pretty well.

01/10/2005
A close friend of mine once said she appreciated me most because I don't hide behind a mask, or project a false image of who I am. The world is full of people who are pretending to be something or someone they are not. I cannot understand this I guess, because I have always worked and tried to be an open minded person. I have always tried to appreciate others for who they are, not who or how I would like them to be. Why people choose to falsely represent themselves, and hide behind masks is beyond me and it has taken me a long time to be comfortable with who I am and to know myself.

I have been accused at times of being a whiner and a complainer and I'll admit that at times I do whine and complain about things which are petty in the great scheme of things. I realize that not everyone appreciates my eccentric personality, my artwork and creative outlets, or my interests or hobbies. I have never had a consistent hobby in my life until recently, and motorcycling has filled that niche just as others fill that niche with their interests in sports, music, movies, books, or other things. I can imagine and empathize with the sports fan who gains a sense of adventure at watching his or her favorite team win a crucial game in a series or season, the enjoyment and outlet a musician experiences when playing or an audiophile experiences when listening to music.

I enjoy a great sense of adventure, the feeling of freedom that being on two wheels gives me. My hobby is an investment in experiences, riding a scenic highway, having a rare bird fly in tandem with me as I head down a rural road, cresting over the top of a hill to see rolling hills and forest. My custom bike project is a way of combining my artistic side with my motorcycling hobby, and I do not expect everyone and anyone to be able to empathize or understand. I hope that when I am done, I'll have something unique (that much I'm sure of) and a sense of accomplishment because I built something for myself, for my own enjoyment, my own fulfillment.

An art professor of mine once told me that the doing of the thing was greater at times than the final product. Experience, the doing of a thing is very important to me. I have always enjoyed drawing, watercolor, painting, metal sculpture, and clay work. 3D modeling, and digital illustration are just as enjoyable. The process is more intuitive than anything, and that intuitive experience is what gives me so much enjoyment and fulfillment. My artwork, and artistic abilities are an inherent part of who I am, and I cannot call them a hobby. I draw when I need to think, I draw when I need to listen and absorb things. Art is not a hobby to me, Motorcycling is. It has become my passion, which at times makes others weary in the same manner that a sportsfan constantly talking about sports, or a musician constantly talking about music to others who do not share the same hobby make can make even me weary at times.

So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to try and stop whining or complaining. I'm going to keep my passion to myself more, and only share it with those who I know appreciate it. This site though is my personal space, it represents my personality, my artwork and creative outlets, and my interests. It is here for my friends to keep up with how I have been and what I've been up to. This site is my canvas, and within it's confines I paint it with whatever palette I choose. I hope you enjoy it, and continue to come back if you do.

01/09/2005
We went riding today, and took a journey to Petit Jean State Park. The wind was pretty wild near Lake Maumelle as there isn't anything to prevent it from whipping over Highway 10. We stopped in Perryville and I topped my gas tank off. We rode on up to the overlook and had a snack, and something to drink and took a few pictures. Then we headed further into the park. We stopped at the Petit Jean park sign, and Maru had an issue with her kickstand sinking in, and asked me to move the bike for her.. Somehow both bikes ended up on their side... No damage to either other than a cracked turn signal bracket (the signal is perfect, no damage) on the Kawasaki as the soil was soft. Anyway, we got the photo and had a good laugh about it.

We saw alot of bikes on the road today. The Kawi is almost to it's second engine break in period of 1000 miles, at 899 miles. Maru seems to be using her Clip Clock from Aerostitch/Ridewarehouse that I bought her, I found it really useful on the trip to be able to know the time. We left at 11:00 am and got home at 4:00, and though the day was overcast, we got some sunlight on the ride home. At one point on the ride back we came over a little ridge, and some cattle were near a fence, they hadn't heard us coming and I guess the Buell's engine thump scared them because they took off running from the fenceline at full speed, it was pretty cool.

We then kept riding, made a loop and went on home with a stop in Perryville again to top my tank off. When we got home I washed both bikes, removed the cracked turn signal bracket from the Kawasaki so I can go to the dealership and get a new one. I topped the tanks off on both of the bikes, and put them away. Maru made us some hot chocolate and we had soup for dinner (or lunch, we pretty much missed lunch). We had a great ride, the temperature when we left was 45 degrees, and it was around 65 when we came home (which was awesome).

Me and Maru at the overlook with our bikes.	A vulture on a tree at Petit Jean.	Me and Maru at the Petit Jean park sign.

01/07/2005
Yesterday I got home and took the Kawasaki out and over to O'Reilly Autoparts and bought a big bottle of Sta-bil. I rode the bike around a bit, went home and put 2 oz. of it into the gas tank, and topped the tank off. I put the bike up, and got the Buell out and took it for a ride. On the way back the roads were sandy I guess, and I the tail end on the Buell felt a bit loose.

I took it home, and added Sta-bil to the tank, and topped it off. The Kawi's pipes were cold, and the Buell's pipes and engine are pretty low so I covered the machines up for the night. I treated the rest of the gas in my gas cans with Sta-bil and mixed it up pretty good.

I've been thinking of seating solutions for the Rebel, since when the weather warms up and I can begin major work I need to have my final design worked out. It's shaping up pretty good so far. The most recent mockup has tractor/antique auto turn signals, with red lenses facing to the back, and amber facing forward. There is a pedestal tractor taillight/brakelight on the back. The seat is the latest change. I was looking for old tractor seats, but I've got a curved piece of laminated plywood that was made as a shield blank for use in SCA fighting (Society of Creative Anachronisms). I think it's going to be better suited for a motorcycle seat base. I'm planning to cut it to a solo seat shape, bevel the edges, and coat it with a truck bed liner.

Then I'll mount the seat springs to it, a leaf spring in the front which will anchor to the frame (will have to build a bracket for this) and seat springs in the back. If I end up doing it this way I'll get some extremely firm foam padding, and cut it to the shape of the seat base, and cover it with vinyl or leather, and then glue or rivet it to the seat base. The rear springs will mount to the rear fender where the old seat bracket was (no holes to fill). Marie says it looks uncomfortable... but, it's supposed to look cool, not comfortable.

I need to get over to my friend Greg's (wish the rain would stop and let things dry out a bit) and salvage an old bike over there that I want to get some parts from, and that he wants to get off his hands.

Today I got in a Rebel 250 Chain Case Cover (goes on the engine). Mine wasn't on the bike. Got it off E-Bay, and at a really great price. It needed to be degreased and cleaned up, and it looks pretty good (not perfect, but I'll paint it). I've pretty much decided that the bike is going to be flat black, or satin black. I'm waiting on the Battery Side Cover (from Arkansas Wings) and a Air Box Side Cover from off of E-Bay to arrive. The Air Box Side Cover I ended up getting is a 250 Air Box side cover, but was misidentified on the auction as a 450 Air Box side cover. I'd tried to get that same side cover in 2 auctions, and got outbid twice. One ended up selling for $50.00. The other went for $35.00. This one was listed for $14.99, and shipping brought it up to $22.00, so the price was excellent. Both will end up being sanded, primed and painted.

01/01/2005
Today was a rainy day. It was a good thing I finished up working on our bikes yesterday. The Kawi had the chain tension checked, and chain lubed. Marie took the bike around the block a couple of times after I checked the pressure in the tires. The Buell had the tire pressure checked, and the Rebel of course got to warm up, and got the pressure checked in the tires. I'm currently bidding on a couple of items on E-Bay for the Rebel... Couple of parts I need, and have one part on order from Arkansas Wings. I've sold a few of the Rebel parts on E-Bay (one's I won't be using, and which someone else can make use of), in addition to some other things. Currently I'm waiting on UPS and Pay Pal to get back to me as UPS charged me twice for shipping on two items, and I need to get refunded for a couple. All of the buyers I've had are VERY prompt on payment. :-) And E-Bay and Pay Pal make shipping easy, with being able to pay and print the shipping labels online which allows me to just drop the packages off at a UPS location. Due to the rain I did some modeling and rendering today, I call this Mesa Fields.. I've got 10 shots of it, different angles and composition... This is the only one with the chrome orbs. The Mesas, Mushrooms, and Evergreens are all Wings3D objects I created, with an infinite plane and tree object I built in Ray Dream Studio. All of it was composited in Ray Dream Studio and rendered with the Raytrace Renderer. For a 1024x768 desktop version click the thumbnail. Happy New Year!