Close Cycles

  Jon at Close Cycles did me a solid and made one hell of a taillight and bitchin seat spring bungs on his lathe and it turned out so bitchin he is now the only source for machined parts I will use. If you want him to make you some one off parts you can contact Jon directly at close_cycles@yahoo.com

Tool Definitions

 

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat
metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest
and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted part
which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.


WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere
under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints
and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you
to say, ''What the...F#(K?''


ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their
holes until you die of old age.


SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.


PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation
of blood-blisters.


BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert
minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.


HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija
board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked,
unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its
course, the more dismal your future becomes.


VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off
bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to
transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.


WELDING GLOVES: Heavy duty leather gloves used to prolong the
conduction of intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.


OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various
flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the
grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.


TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch
wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.


HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the
ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the
jack handle firmly under the bumper.


EIGHT-FOOT LONG YELLOW PINE 2X4: Used for levering an automobile
upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.


E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool ten times harder than
any known drill bit that snaps neatly off in bolt holes thereby ending
any possible future use.

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most
shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily
fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead
of the outside edge.


TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile
strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.


CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 24-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A very large pry bar that
inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end
opposite the handle.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.


PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals
under lids and for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and
splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name
implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.


STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes
used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.


PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip
or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.


HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.


HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer
nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most
expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.


MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of
cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly
well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic
bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic
parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while
wearing them.


DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the
garage while yelling ''DAMMIT'' at the top of your lungs. It is
also, most often, the next tool that you will need to use.

We Don't Take No Shit

 New lilne up of Customer bikes, from left to right we have a Built up A65 BSA with a big bore and steep steep cam, a flat tracker XS 650 built for the street, and My buddy Jon's Turbo Honda CB550

 I can't wait to go flying down the road with this XS

Moving day

 

 That's right Speed Devices has a new location in San Marcos CA and is accepting new challenges.

 Drop me an e-mail if you need any kind of help on your project or if you "need" me to build you some cool shit.



Full Plate

Updates are on thier way from Land, Sea and Air.  Between catching up on customer projects and being sick as a dog the features that are in the works will be coming a little slower then I'd like.

Giant Acetylene Tank 4-Sale

Huge tank I'm trying to find a good home for. SOLD SOLD SOLD

Speed Dreamin

Spent the day at the Antique Gas & Steam museum and came across a really cool old lawn mower that was begging for the biggest Briggs motor I can get my hands on.

Bird Watching

I know I'm not the only one waiting with baited breath for Ian Berry to roll out the latest bike out of Falcon Motorcycles. If you were at Born Free 3 you had a great opportunity to see all three of the concept creations lined up, but the "Black Falcon" is thick with detail so here are some close up shots.

Bright Idea

Old glass lens + fence post top = taillight

Another satisfied customer

 It doesn't look fast but I built a nasty 383 small block Chevy, backed it with a TCI th400 and move it all under the seat for that mid engine performance edge. First time I took it out to test drive I sawed off a Mustang GT, WRX and a Vette all before the engine was even broken in.

Before

After

(Damn my phone takes crappy pictures)





Shocking

Time= 3hr
Cost= $30
Feeling like a softtail= Priceless

Fumigated Rod

I just finished this 29 sedan for a customer who won't stop driving the wheels off of it. He purchased this on eGay while deployed in Afghanistan and it turned out to be insanely dangerous, the entire underside of the frame was NOT welded I tossed a new set of doors on it and fixed the chop. In short I throw away everything except the body, engine, trans and front and rear axles. I did this car for way too cheap and took my sweet ass time, ALWAYS RESPECT AND HELP OUR ARMED FORCES.

Honda CM400 A

My new bike project, put together a down and dirty "jig" to stretch it 6" and drop 5".



TR6C Chopper 4 Sale

I'm taking offers, so if you "need" a good project send me your offers.  low_lid@hotmail.com

Taking a Break

Updates to come very soon, just blown out after Born Free 3.

The Show

If you havn't heard about Born Free 3 then follow the link and get your ass there.

Born Free 3

The One That Got Away

I've sold lots of cars and bikes but none I regret more then my 29 Model A roadster pick-up.  Anyway it's up for sale again, so if you like what you see, contact me and I can get you in touch with the current owner. it is located in Vista CA 92084

T-100R

One week and then I can finally start on my T-100R

Cafe Turbo

Here's some work I did for John before he decided to become a great fabricator.  This is what we came up with for his Turbo Honda Cafe racer.  There is full feature to come when he finishes it.

Little Tracker

Here's a bit of shameless self promotion.  This one really hurt to sell but anything to get my Triumph on the road.  Started with a early post war Huffman welding frame, Monark springer front end. I built the tank and front shock. the Motor is a cheap ass China 66cc smoker but it has a custom billet head, coated piston, aluminum rod, larger lower bearing, expansion chamber and a heavily ported case and intake.  So this would push my 210lbs ass to 61mph (GPS confirmed) granted it took about 2 miles, but it has no gears, just pop the clutch and go like hell.

120 day XS

Working out of my home shop has it's benefits not the least of which is a 10 yard commute, but a new benefit is a neighbor who knows how to build one hell of a bike.  Johnathan Reiland built this beauty for his Good friend while he was deployed in Afghanistan in 4 months time.  John tries to give me more credit then I deserve when it comes to the build, truth be told all I did was assist in the repairing of the frame and the occasional guidance when it came to the trickier fabrication, oh and I came up with the idea for the taillight (inside joke).  If you live in San Diego county and you see this bike at a show make sure you take a close look at the seemingly endless detail.  For a full detailed feature go to http://www.xs650chopper.com/2011/06/rootbeer-and-brass/