Blue Ridge Turn and Burn (Part 3)

Here we are, the finale. On the way to the airport John and I swung through to see Josh McDowell. I hadn’t seen Josh in years. The first time I met Josh was probably 10 years ago, when we got together to ride with his buddy Tyler. Just before we left his friend realized his clutch cable was fraying at the lever. Well, we decided to hit the highway and try to make it back to my place. If you’ve ever been in this situation, you know you can’t pull the clutch many times before its game over. 

After a few miles on the highway traffic started to pile up and there was no choice. It was either split lanes or start using that clutch. So I started splitting lanes. I finally made it down to the exit we needed and hit the off ramp. At that point I finally looked in the mirror and realized I was alone. After a few minutes Josh and Tyler came into view and we limped it to my place. They left the bike and I replaced the cable. 

Josh is a tattoo artist who’s work feels like a natural continuation of traditional tattooing. Not at all stale in content, but very traditional in execution. He also works on the side as a sign painter and has been further pursuing pin striping. He put the finishing touch of pin stripes on a set of 36 knucklehead tanks that John had worked his paint and restoration magic on. Remember that “36 only fans” joke? 

If you are in WNC and need some new weirdo chopper skin or sign art give Josh a holler! And I don’t need to tell you who to talk to about restoration paint and body work, you should know by now!

Low Life Lowdown 2024

I gotta hand it to Dad for hanging with me and ripping to Epping to catch the end of the Low life Lowdown chopper show. I had a full morning and got caught in a bunch of showers running errands in the cage before we took off, so I figured we'd get wet...

Dad's response was something to the degree of, "it's just showers and I've already been wet on the bike this week so yeah why not."

I had decided I would go even if I wound up missing the show. We got there as they were finishing up the raffle and a lot of bikes had left out already. We caught up with a few homies, snapped a handful of shots, had dinner and turned around to jam the hour and a half back home. We only hit a little of the wet stuff and it turned out to be quite a nice ride although it was all high paced highway.

If your on the fence about going for that ride for whatever reason you should probably just go put it in the wind...

Polished and Brushed Axle Adjuster Collars!

Polished Brass Axle Adjusters! We make them to replace OEM Part #47577-86 & 47577-00 (matching wheel spacers available)

Rippled Stainless Neck Stem Nuts for 1"-24

Rippled Stainless Neck Stem Nuts for 1"-24 stems have dropped! These match our 41mm & 35mm fork caps too! Pick yours up at DeepSixCycles.com

51st Annual Rod Run!

Had a great time at the 51st annual Rod Run put on by The Down East Street Rod club! Lots of interesting builds and a few classics that I didn’t capture.

Jed's Titty Twister.

It’s always rad to catch a glimpse of our stuff in a magazine! The first time I saw this bike was at Back Road BBQ. Jed came up to me and struck up a conversation. Turns out he was running our Shorty Riser Spacers on his build! It was great to see them used in such an unique and imaginative way on such a cool lil scooter. Something about the name of the bike painted on the frame gives it a gritty vibe and reminds me of some bikes seen in early 2000’s Horse Back Steet Chopper mag when Punk and Hardcore skate rats started entering the scene.

t just so happens the photographer, Panhead Jim has 2 articles in this issue of Easy Riders magazine with some badass photos of Jed’s bike and coverage of Back Road BBQ. This banger of an issue has some great bikes. Go grab a copy and drop Jed a line in the clink if you happen to have a minute.

Blue Ridge Turn and Burn 2023 (Part 2 Dills Paint Works)

If you read part one, you know that John Dills, owner of Dills Paintworks, picked me up at the airport and let me tag along with him while I was in town. Not only is John a great friend, but he also paints some of the rarest bikes on earth. One that comes to mind is the beautiful blue and white  Crocker that can be seen on display at the Wheels Through Time Museum. It is not uncommon to find him working on 1st year 1936 knucklehead tins, and it has become an inside joke that he’s going to repaint them all. John often works from paint chips and samples to make sure his paint is a 100% factory match. 

If you are a motorcycle lover, there is a good chance you have seen his work and not known it. John’s work has been featured in numerous publications and media including magazines such as American Iron, Cycle Source, Street Chopper and even on the Sons Of Anarchy television show. Bikes sporting his paint have been the subject of fine art by the incredibly talented Dave Uhl. I’ve seen his work on drag strips, on vintage bikes competing in the Cannonball, Sons of Speed, The Race of Gentlemen,  Born Free Show Bikes and more. 

One of the biggest secrets about John is he bangs out a badass flame job, and some of his old chopper paint is out right iconic. Though it is far more common to see him working on rare vintage restorations, and it seems to be much of the work that finds its way into his shop. But don’t be fooled, he lays down flake, candies and pearls with the best of them. 

Blue Ridge Turn and Burn 2023 (Part 1, Wheels Through Time)

This year when I had to run to Western North Carolina I wound up with a few days to kick it with my Brother John Dills. It had been maybe 4 yrs or so since we had hung out. Long over due. Especially being a homie I talk to almost daily.

There was big talk about hitting his favorite rot dog joint in Maggie Valley. But when we got close we turned into Wheels Through Time. Now if you don’t know John you may be just learning that he is a painter and happens to be the man that paints all of the museums restorations. We spent most of our time in the workshop tinkering and catching up with Matt, Steve and the crew.

If you have never been to the Museum I encourage you to make a trip. If you can’t visit they do have an amazing YouTube channel as well as DVDs for sale on their website. This place is full of amazing bikes. Many of which are period modified for racing. There are a few non two wheeled displays, many of which are Harley Powered. A few are production line automobiles. A good deal of the bikes in the museum run and if you go on a guided tour you will usually get to see a bike start. If your really luck you will be able to see one leave some vintage rubber on the ground down the aisle where the chopper grave yard is located.

I had an old 50mm prime film lens on the camera. On a crop sensor DSLR camera that equals 75mm on a full frame camera. In the back this worked out pretty well. Not wanting to run back out to the car and swap lenses I committed to shooting with this long focal length 100% manual lens. This meant no auto focus, or fancy modes. Aperture, shutter speed, iso and focus all had to be adjusted manually. The long fixed focal length was tough at times. But committing to one lens in a fluctuating environment will usually be a mix of absolute glory and compromise.

I didn’t want to be swapping lenses around as we didn’t have a lot of time and I also wanted to visit and catch up. You really learn a lens if you are forced to shoot with it. I had been shooting quite a bit with a 35mm prime and it was fun to get back to the 50mm prime for a bit. The quick pace of the shots and the focal length had me backing up often. I found it hard to go from being immersed in a conversation to capturing a moment with those I was speaking with. And when we wound up front I was wishing I had the 35mm. But that’s exactly what makes this such a great learning exercise. And since I was capturing what was going on at the moment you either make it work, miss it or scrap the shot. I wound up deciding to shoot the rest of the trip with this lens. I enjoy a good 50mm prime lens on a crop sensor. And since this is the only one I have, full manual is the only option with it. It’s a fun experience to pair a DSLR and old glass together!

Dills Paint Works in the flesh.

Matt Walksler

Matt and John plotting radness.

John the thinker. If you weren’t here you missed the wealth of wisdom that was shared moments after this.

After we pushed bikes in and the museum was closed for the day Matt treated me and John to dinner. It had been many years since I had been to dinner with Matt. But he always has the best spots to eat and this time was no exception! We followed him on his 38 Knucklehead. Man that bike moves. He had absolutely no problem keeping pace with the fast moving traffic and left us scrambling to keep up a few times in the car when we didn’t expect a well paced but spirited ride.

The clouds were wild and we barley beat the rain to the restaurant. Sitting on the covered patio the wind picked up. The wind was coming in from two different directions and you could see it in the clouds. Rain began to fall and was driven from the two different directions. Vertical wind blown sheets of water were visible as you looked out towards the mountains. As the tops of the trees in the parking lot began to whip back and forth from the barrage of wind from opposing directions we decided to move inside.

As fast as the storm had rolled in it moved out. We were happy to find Matt’s 36 still up right parked under a tree in the parking lot. By the time we were done with our meal the roads were beginning to partially dry from the busy traffic. Leaving dry strips along the wheel paths. With just a couple prime kicks and a bit of choke that old knuckle fired right up and we split directions.

Sadly I didn’t have much time on the museum floor this visit. I find it easy to spend 4-5 hour in the museum and still feel like I missed stuff. The collection has grown so much since I have been there last so there’s even more to see! I can’t wait to go back and just take time and roam the museum. It’s always a treat and legitimately one of my favorite places on earth. Thanks to Matt, John and the WTT team for their hospitality. Stay tuned for Part 2!

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Blog

Corners of the mind

Deep 6 Equipped.

Miles

Up and down the east coast on 2 wheels. Just looking at these boots tells a story…

Instagram is a sinking ship.

What social media are you using other than Meta products or Tictok? The conversation about Instagram alternatives has finally changed as many photographers are searching for a more viable platform.

Shifty (AKA Grab Em, Don't Grind Em)

We offer our USA-made shift knobs in aluminum and brass with a variety of finishes. Check out this “diamond in the rough”! That brass sure does make an impact when it’s polished up!

It's a strange web...

Today we have a short story that spans roughly 17 years. Back in the day, we got our start playing with bikes and metalwork in an old garage previously occupied by a family business. Now, this garage was more of a large structure most referred to as a barn. Although many race cars were built inside. It was constructed for commercial fleet maintenance , to house tools, and inventory for the business.

Back in those days, I had a friend doing photo restoration at a local photo shop. He would often tell me how many amazing photos of bikes and cars he would see during his workday. Of course, we agreed that it would be unethical to share photos customers wanted fixed or developed. However, one day months later he presented me with an incredible photo of a dirtbike riden on a frozen lake or pond. Well, this photo was soon hung in my workspace.

After a while, another friend Mike swung by to see what I was up to. I showed him around the shop. As we talked he began to ask me where I had gotten the photo. I told him the story and how rad I thought the shot was. Now suddenly a little agitated he told me something to the effect that he knew it was a good shot. He had taken the photo of his father and had it developed a short time before. And my print was larger than the one he had of it. This photo has a ton of weight with me. Not just because of how it came to me. But because his absolute character of a Dad was no longer able to ride shortly after the photo was taken.

Flash forward a bunch of years when we were at our 1st shop in the Biltmore in Asheville, NC. This same friend stopped into visit while he and his wife were on vacation. The photo he had taken all those winters before was hung on the office wall. Now in this era Smartphones were not prevalent. I believe blackberries were still the go-to. Decent photo equipment was a little more difficult to come by. As luck would have it Mike had quite a rad little point and shoot from one of the big brands. He shot a bunch of stuff around the shop for me and below is one of my all time favorites that he captured during his visit.

Now, I can’t claim to understand what’s behind the weird cycle of things that led to that 1st black and white hitting my hands. But I can’t help but feel like the cycle has come a little further around when we got together with the kids to do some dumb bicycle stuff the other weekend and I snapped this shot of Mike and his boys.

Maybe it’s time to revisit a few of the other shots Mike took on his visit. I’ll have to look around… Thanks again dude!

Grime By Deep Six Cycles

Here are a few shots playing around with a 35mm lens. I find myself shooting most of the time with an old full manual 50mm lens. This is the result of changing it up and trying some new things. I couldn’t help but notice this interesting scene on my kitchen table and Gini’s XS in the morning light were fun to play with. Always a ton to learn! But it sure is a fun journey! Hat by Choppahead Grime by Deep Six Cycles…

Strut Stuff

Solid Struts like one one else! Hit the website or follow the link for more details about this affordable and classy way to lower your bike! Available Powder Coated or Raw at DeepSixCycles.com.

Suspension & Chassis

Snow Go (Aka Riding it out)

There's no feeling like riding choppers when there's snow on the side of the road or flurries in the air. It's a feeling I just can't explain especially in the mountains. On this day I found where they stopped maintaining the road when it snows in WNC.

Good Looking Motor Scooter!

Check out this rad scoot running our Brass grips, Footpegs, Shift/Brake Pegs and Kicker! Thanks @banksfleet for running our parts on this project built built by Good Looking Customs.

Shorty pegs for you Lane Splitting White Lining Chopper Freaks!

These Shorty Pegs Measure in at 2.5” long (not including mount). These pegs work well on narrow lane splitters, show bikes, just your weirdo chopper. They are also great pegs for bikes that only have a passenger occasionally. They have our signature features including dished ends and a high attention to detail. Our pegs are available with a variety of mounting options for most Harley’s and other custom applications. Ever had a broken brass mount? Our specialty folding steel/stainless mounts are bomb-proof. You will be hard pressed to find another set of pegs on the market like these!

Brushed Brass Rippled Shorty Pegs with male Harley mounts.

Brushed Brass Rippled Shorty Pegs with male Harley mounts.

Antiqued Brass Rippled Shorty Pegs with male Harley mounts.

Antiqued Brass Rippled Shorty Pegs with male Harley mounts.

Ride to Castle Car Show

We had a great ride out to the Castle Car Show at Castle In The Clouds. We started the day in Portland at 45 Degrees in the morning on a Yamaha aircooled 650. After running some errands on the yammy Gini and I jumped on the turnpike and jammed North to meet up with Dad. I ride down to 24 degrees but I didn’t mind that when it was time to jump on Dad’s fatboy it had significantly warmed up. It hadn’t changed much but some times a few degrees warmer and sunshine makes a noticeable difference. I didn’t take many photos on the way there or back other than this one. I did get a handful at the show. Gini also captured some great photos especially at the car show. She has shared some on her Instagram account @gin_city_.

I felt a handful processed in Black and white were the best composition. Especially engines with forced induction it seems…

I really dug this 34 with a Nailhead…

Yenko or Yenko valve covers?

Dad noticed the shifter on this Nash. I thought it was pretty interesting along with the rest of the dash.

If this was an art or photo blog I would only share my best shots. But there are some good documentary photos of cars as well. Here are some of those.

Yellow may not be a top favorite for me. But how can you say no to a 426 hemi elephant with a shaker hood?

There were no shortages of Blowers!

Long Bed Step Side!!! This truck also had a twin stick transfer case!

I think the only Pantera I’ve seen before this in person was the one Asheville Lane has. And I’ve never been up close and personal with it.

There are some Great youtube videos on these now! Including the one Donut Media did on the one Elvis owned and shot with a pistol.

Pantera Powered by Ford I was thinking they put big block FE’s in these but it seems the biggest they did were 351c and even 351w motors. With such a wide intake I’m guessing this must be a Cleveland?

Can you believe it? 2 shaker hood cars in this one show! Name the paint style if you know! Mopar had the most interesting factory paint back in the day (in my opinion).

Towering Square body!

What would you pick if you had the chance to get a classic wing car? Super bird or Daytona??? This is another car I don’t think I’ve seen in person till now!

We arrived a little late and there were still a ton of cars. Many I didn’t get a chance to capture. A few left before we could get up to them. Over all it was a great car show and a great ride!

Robbers Bobbers (Mile Munching in Class)

My Dude Robbers Bobbers sent in these bad ass pics of his new scooter! Check out the twisted look on that control! He said he shaped the aluminum to get the twisted look to match his other work! I’m stoked to have our toe shift/brake pegs on this talented and down to earth dudes brand new bike! If you’re looking for some hand made twisted parts look this homie up!