The Horse Backstreet Choppers Magazine

It's Coming...

2012-03-02T11:30:00.000-06:00

The best chopper show in Daytona is at Willies, but you already knew that, right?!

Red Light Stop Light

2012-03-01T14:41:00.003-06:00

more junk...

2012-02-28T13:40:00.001-06:00

Who buys this crap?! Gahhhh...

Autorama pt. 2

2012-02-28T11:01:00.000-06:00

I love the bubble tops.

This bike is the baddest thing around...

Autorama pt. 1

2012-02-27T11:01:00.000-06:00

Had a great time at Autorama this past weekend. Got to meet some cool cats from the west side of the state, looking forward to riding out there in the summer and shooting some features...

The Early Bird Gets The Worm, a.k.a. The Hustlin' Cro Gets The Full Feature

2012-02-24T12:24:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited, our next issue #118 will feature some amazing bikes photographed by some amazing photographers!

The first one i'd like to preview here is a scoot from Caleb Owens at Cro Customs. He built a real beauty of a scoot, just the right amount of rake and stretch and shiny and not shiny, the thing just oozes style without screaming "look at me!", which is quite frankly the only classy way to ooze your style.

Caleb, along with the very talented Michael Schmidt, busted out a photo shoot in historic downtown Culver City, CA, last weekend and got the photos over to me with the quickness.... Let me just say, you readers are in for a real treat! If you aren't familiar with Michael's work, check up on it here, the man works wonders with film and has a style that is completely his own. And if you haven't seen a Cro bike before, then prepare to start ogling. Caleb did a way better job than I could describing the whole process of how the feature and photo shoot came to be, so read up on it here!

Here's a nice little video Michael did on the Pan Caleb built for last year's Born-Free...

Cro Customs for Born Free 3 from Michael Schmidt on Vimeo.

The full feature is slotted for issue #118, due out in about two weeks or so. You won't want to miss this one, thanks Caleb and Michael!

engrave till the grave

2012-02-22T12:27:00.000-06:00

Snapped this at Smoke Out last year, very well may be a re-post, but too cool not to share.

coming soon to issue 118...

2012-02-18T12:40:00.001-06:00

Damn this photo is sexy.... Feature coming soon to issue #118!

2012-02-16T17:06:00.001-06:00

God bless the retro can! Why they would ever chance such a classic/classy design is beyond me.

The sauk Trail, 2009 (revisited)

2012-02-14T13:06:00.000-06:00

Thats what I was trying to say!

Mike has good lookin' neck structure

2012-02-14T12:03:00.000-06:00

Not to mention great lines from behind...

I stayed at the offices late last week Friday to shoot some detail shots of Mike's Evo powered monster for our next cover. Put the headphones on, cranked the tunes to 11, and started moving the studio lights where ever I felt they needed to go... Gotta say, I was diggin' on what was coming into my camera lens!

Much more to come inside issue #118

It's coming...

2012-02-10T14:30:00.000-06:00

Saw this artwork on the Born-Free blog, and boy oh boy is it sharp. Wish they'd put it on a T-shirt, i'd buy one!

June, please come soon.

Backtalk Revisited

2012-02-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

Let me just say, i've really enjoyed editing backtalk for the past few months. I get to come in each morning and pour over emails from people all around the world showing me photos of their bikes. The spectrum of rides I get to see each and every day is a real treat, and I get a kick out of being able to pick out my favorite ones and share them with all of you.

The best is when bikes get picked out of backtalk for full features in the mag. Just recently, I asked a few guys who sent their stuff in for backtalk, to send in more photos for a full feature. Its that kind of stuff that gets me through the winter blues, getting so stoked on other peoples builds and then sharing it with the world.

But every once in a while, you get some real outlier e-mails... I almost felt back about this, but then I thumbed through some of the early Horse mags back when we would print "coon-tail" bikes, outright ridiculing some of the atrocities that could be found en mass during the height of the OCC styled turd era, and then I didn't feel so bad. Shit, all I'm doing here is showing how this guy set himself up! Couldn't help myself, cracked me right up!

Pretty Purple

2012-02-06T14:46:00.002-06:00

Mexi-seat and an axed-tank

2012-02-04T10:36:00.001-06:00

mmmmmm I can dig it! One of my favorite "Bike Show Winners" from the Smoke Out West last year. High and tight, slim and squirly.

Velodrome Action!

2012-02-03T08:01:00.005-06:00

Wow, I made this giff from the cover shoot with brandon at the Velodrome back in issue #114. Seems like ages ago, and thought it was forever lost in the innerwebs because I made it and thought it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to so I never posted it and yadadada... but alas, I found it! Thanks Detroit!

facelift

2012-02-02T14:08:00.000-06:00

Took some time today and gave the ole' blog a little bit of a face lift. Main thing is, I reorganized the tags on a lot of posts so now you can scroll to the bottom of the page and see some tabs that will jump you to those tagged posts... if that makes any sense... Hope you guys enjoy!

cuttin' loose

2012-02-02T10:30:00.003-06:00

JT sends these in from Alabama... Thanks JT!

new header

2012-02-02T10:30:00.002-06:00

New header with Mark Drew's Panhead! Still one of my favorite photo shoots of all time, and such a rad bike to boot! The full feature came out in issue #103 i believe? Ahh good times.

Bastard

2012-02-01T14:58:00.003-06:00

found this in the Backtalk inbox this morning.... awesome!

backtalk revisited

2012-01-31T13:30:00.001-06:00

coming soon to issue #118's backtalk section, these two tasty Honda 600's of the same year built by the same guy. I thought it was pretty cool to see such a dramatic difference between the two builds coming from the same builder. Sweet!

Pedal Power

2012-01-26T12:02:00.000-06:00

Too cold to ride motorcycles, but never too cold to ride bicycles.

Gotta keep moving, this winter is making me stir crazy. Hopped on the ole' 10 speed the other day for a spin down Hamilton road in Highland park. I've ridden down it many times on a motorcycle, but seeing it up and close on man power was something else.

My favorite mural in all of Detroit (well, Highland park, technically, but it's all one and the same...) Boys Blouses, Shirts & Playsuits for REAL BOYS, from Morn' till Night! Of all the blown out buildings in Detroit, this has to be the only one not covered in some way shape or form with graffiti. This mural is older than old, and it makes me happy to know that people out there at least has the decency to leave this piece of history alone. I will shoot a motorcycle in front of this building someday, mark my words!

Made it out to Belle Isle even with Evan doing some extreme nature climbing. I left with the muddiest shoes ever, it was a mess.

Gotta keep sane somehow!

Back to your regularly scheduled motorcycling programing starting tomorrow...

The Sauk Trail, 2009

2012-01-25T15:27:00.001-06:00

M-12 stretches from Downtown Detroit all the way through to Chicago. It was an old Native American foot path that quickly became the first established road between the two big cities. Today, I-94 is the main freeway connecting Detroit and Chicago, leaving the two lane road a ghost of it's former self.

I've heard old timers call it "the Route 66 of Michigan," and for good reason too. It travels past broken down tourist traps and old motels calling out to travelers from a by-gone era, and the whole road seems like a bit of a time warp. It had always been a goal of mine to reach Chicago from Detroit via the old "Sauk Trail," and a lazy summer day back in 2009 proved to be the perfect time to do so.

I left my house some time around 10 a.m., expecting to arrive at my friends place before dark. On the free way it takes about 4 1/2 hours to travel between the two big cities, but on M-12, it felt like eternity. By the time I got there, it was pitch black, I was soaked to the bone, and on top of all that, was horribly lost in the south side Chicago with no phone and a soggy map. The feeling of cracking that first beer once I finally landed on my friends stoop still brings a smile to my face.

Old abandoned farm houses littered the side of the road.

Nature's own "do not enter" sign.

Now where am I supposed to go for my Dragon and Ghost supplies?

The retired Detroit Police parade bike treated me well, I must say. A few months after this trip, I was hit by a car while riding to work in the rain, totaling the bike completely. Miraculously, I walked away without a scratch on my body. The barn in the background, on the other hand, did not escape disaster so easily.

A star spangled import greets you at the Michigan Indiana state boarder.

This is where the road starts to follow the crest of the bluffs as it winds along the southern rim of Lake Michigan. It felt like I was riding through a sand box--the road was covered in sand and I could hardly see the dividing line down the center of the road.

Took a stop at one of the bluff over looks, thinking i'd grab myself a view before it got dark. This hill looks easy enough to climb, but after 8 hours of sitting in the saddle, I swore my heart was going to explode right out of my chest once I got to the top.

Despite the 10 minutes of thinking I was actually experiencing a heart attack, the view was quite impressive. Lake Michigan is utterly magnificent, and seeing it from any angle brings me great joy.

Roads like M-12 give me the most compelling reason to get on my motorcycle and ride. As far as I can tell, a motorcycle is still the best way to explore and travel this country. The highways have their time and place, but the two lane roads take the cake in my book.

P.S. If you are reading this from somewhere where it is warm enough to ride, please, go do so. Now. Thank you. And don't forget to take pictures and send them in to Backtalk@ironcross.net, i'd love to share them right here with everyone.

Aug 22nd, 2009

2012-01-24T14:20:00.001-06:00

The window reflection makes everyone look just a little weird... and I kind of dig it. This is from our 2009 calendar. Feels like so long ago!

Two Thousand & Eleven in Two Minutes & Eleven Seconds

2012-01-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

Two Thousand & Eleven in Two Minutes & Eleven Seconds... Enjoy the sights, forgive the shakiness...

from this to this...

2012-01-17T15:07:00.001-06:00

one of my favorite parts about editing Backtalk is seeing the before and after shots. The more drastic, the better. Got this one coming to issue #117's backtalk section...

From this

To this!

Nice job Romeo!

Winter ain't all that bad.

2012-01-13T11:02:00.000-06:00

There are few things in this world that I enjoy with the same passion and intensity as I do motorcycles. Hockey happens to be the other one. In particular, Detroit Redwings hockey. This goal from last night's shoot-out with Phoenix is too good not to share...

Angry Monkey is at it again...

2012-01-13T10:51:00.001-06:00

Issue #117 will feature another Dan Patterson build. Doesn't she look great? Oh, and the bike's not half bad either...

Black & Yellow

2012-01-12T14:57:00.004-06:00

This tank rules.

Cover Shootin'

2012-01-10T14:56:00.002-06:00

From the cover shoot of issue #95... The lighting in that building was amazing, broken sky lights and busted out walls provided some real interesting shadows and light sources. I love shooting motorcycles in Detroit, love it.

Full of Fire

2012-01-09T14:10:00.001-06:00

This past Saturday, I finally got around to attending the annual Detroit X-mas Tree Burning. Its been going on for over 50 years and takes place the first weekend after New Years in an old park on the edge of Detroit. Over 400 old trees were sacrificed, some with ornaments and tinsel still on them. Trucks were pulling up with trailers full of old trees, and everyone was encouraged to give a tree a toss.

After a few Busch Beers, I was chucking em' in full force with super power strength-- those fuckers are NOT light! The real trick was to get the tip light on fire first, hold it up "Statue of Liberty" style, then give it a good chuck to the middle of the pile (as seen in the second half of my video clip.)

If you messed up and didn't light the tree properly, or if it rolled down the pile off to the side, the crowd might give a hardy "booo!", but if you succeded in your skillfull lighting of the tree and tossing, the place erupted. It was amazing.

Oh, and not a single cop car or fire truck showed up.... Only in Detroit! Here's a shaky video I took--Enjoy!

More choppers in the snow...

2012-01-09T10:57:00.001-06:00

from the ever potent, ever powerfull Acid Sweat Lodge

More Asain Dan

2012-01-07T14:05:00.000-06:00

Dan sends in a few more flicks of his tasty Evo chop, now sporting new pipes!

Doug

2012-01-07T10:36:00.001-06:00

Doug's presentation is at 2:30, be there!!!

It's Round the World Doug!

2012-01-06T14:41:00.001-06:00

So it looks like "Round the World Doug" is going to be in Michigan this weekend! He will be at the International Motorcycle Show at the Novi Expo Center in Novi Michigan this weekend, and he'll be giving a short presentation on his last trip around the world. I do believe he'll be going on sometime in the early afternoon? Not positive on the exact time, but I heard somewhere between 1 and 3?

I know I'll be there, and you should to. I'm just hoping Doug will dish out his secret as to how he does it... build a bad ass bike, then sit down on it, twist the throttle, and don't stop till you hit the ocean... at which point you turn around and do it all over again. This man is a legend!

Here's a little something I found on the innerwebs about his last trip and the bike he built for it... enjoy.

Road of Bones on a Harley

One of the holy grails of adventure riding is the Siberian journey known as the "Road of Bones". Commenced in the Stalin era of the USSR in 1932, the road got its name from the shocking practice of burying the dead workers in the road base as it was constructed in the harsh Eastern Russian conditions.
The isolated 2000 odd kilometre stretch of broken bridges and random hazards is no place for the weak of heart.

You may remember Doug Wothke from a story we ran a while ago, in which he took his chopped rigid frame Harley for a jaunt around Europe, and Eastern Europe, including a spin around Iraq. If not, take a look here .

Well Doug's at it again, this time he's decided the most suitable adventure bike for the harsh Siberian trip wasn't available commercially, so he's made his own, out of a Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster.

The Dirtster

Nicknamed the "Dirtster", the 2003 model Sportster has suspension and wheels more suitable for the conditions, along with the usual long distance modifications. While the Road of Bones is a few thousand kilometres long, Doug is going to ride across Europe, and subject to visas, make a run across Iran, and probably several other countries a sane man wouldn't go.

Not content with reaching Magadan at the end of the Road of Bones, the bike will be then put on a ship for a small southern journey to Vladivostok, and from there Doug will ride clear across Russia back to Europe. This would probably around 30,000 kilometres all up.

Red line is approximate route to Madagan on the East coast, dotted green is ship, followed by the run home.

If you haven't already, take a look at Doug's site motosapiens.org. The Eastern Europe trip on the Shovel is really something to see. This next adventure should take things to a whole new level, and we look forward to the stories and pictures to come.

About the Road of Bones:

Constructed in the Stalin era of the USSR, the Highway was constructed using forced labour by inmates of the gulag camps, commencing in 1932. By the time it was completed in 1952, tens of thousands of workers had died on the project.

The road runs for 2000 kilometres through the harshest terrain of the Asian continent, connecting Magadan and Yakutsk, looping through the Siberian mountains in order to reach the gold mines that once operated there. Two towns on the highway, Tomtor and Oymyakon, both claim to be the coldest inhabited place on earth outside of Antarctica. The average temperature in Oymyakon in January is -46°C.

The expo's info can be found here

and the source I cited here

and Doug's page here

and you are here

Its 50 degrees in Michigan in January... do you know where your girlfriend is?

2012-01-06T14:21:00.001-06:00

Mine is out riding... Riding her motorcycle because it is the most enjoyable mode of transport known to man (and woman!), and she's also out riding the second most enjoyable mode of transport around-- a skateboard. I painted up the board for her for X-mas, and she finally got around to putting it all together and is now currently shredding a concrete bowl while I type away behind a computer.... blasts! Scope the fish board, a.k.a. Laurence Fishboard. It features all four of our pet goldfish. Yes we have goldfish and yes she's out riding motorcycles and skateboards in the middle of January. Could this get any wilder?! I think not. Needless to say, I'm ripe with jealously.

Talkin' bout choppers in the snow

2012-01-05T15:03:00.000-06:00

This isn't my photo, nor do I know who took it or who is in it. But I do know that I picked it up from the Acid Sweat Lodge, a fantastic collection of old photos ranging from old choppers to stunts to skateboards to head banging to lairs to looks to guitar solos to vans to..... you get the idea. Multiple updates daily make it a worth while stop on your inner-net cruize sesh. Enjoy!

wowzers!

2012-01-05T14:55:00.001-06:00

Found this in the Backtalk inbox after I came back from X-mas... man o man o man o man is this thing nutty or what!? The guys who designed the 1983 Goldwing would be rolling over in their graves. This thing feels dangerous just to look at. Here's what he had to say...

"This is a 1983 GL1100 Goldwing Chopper. I stretched the front 6" and a 2 1/4 rise with a 3% angle on front and added 12 1/2" to the rear. My sublime green chopper also has a suicide shifter (as well as manual) with a 1 quart pot for air breather. The chopper is 10' long and all of the fabrication is done by me, Andy Davis of Buna Texas"

I know motorcycles are dangerous, and even more so choppers, but Andy, please don't kill yourself on this thing. It looks like a wrong plop down on the seat would send you to the emergency room in need of stitches. Of all the crazy shit I see come through the backtalk door, this has to be one of the craziest. Good work, Andy!

Tall pipes scare snowmen

2012-01-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

I met Asian Dan in Sturgis last year and we talked about his high pipes for a bit. Great guy with a real sharp little Evo Sporty to his name. He lives in Colorado, but it looks like the snow isn't keeping him down. There is just something just so awesome about motorcycles parked next to snow drifts... keep on crushin' it in Colorado!

2011-12-19T05:03:00.001-06:00

The Horse blog will return after the holidays. If you are the crazy type that rides their motorcycle on new years day in the snow and the cold, send me a picture to backtalk@ironcross.net and I'll put it up here. Happy holidays everyone!

Did somebody say Roadside?!

2011-12-14T15:05:00.001-06:00

Someone told me it was Roadside's birthday yesterday... Happy Birthday my good friend! He came up to the world headquarters last week with his freshly built knucklehead in tow... so many cool details! The full feature is still some time away, but here is a little teaser.

Did I mention this bike will be on the cover!?!?! I can't wait!!!!

wouldn't ya know it....

2011-12-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

In the past two years when I rode out to Born-Free, I was lucky enough to know somebody in the L.A. area that I could stay with. That city is huge, busy, expensive, confusing, and quite overwhelming to navigate on foot or two wheels. I can't imagine enjoying that place half as much as I did without somebody showing me all the fun parts. Lucky for me, my friend out there is Tommy O'Rourke.

Other than being the older brother of one of my good friends, the only tie that binds us is that he bought my first motorcycle off me almost 8 years ago. I don't ever get to really see him that much, other than the 3 days of the year that I'm in L.A., but when I do visit, he treats me like family.

Tommy's been busting his tail in Hollywood, preforming in an improv group, working for Universal Studios, and appearing in random commercials here and there. He may not be 'famous' (yet!), but he's making a living doing what he loves to do, and thats what its all about.

Well just the other day, someone posted this video on our BackTalk forum, and what do you know... the first guy you see riding the motorcycle is Tommy! Couldn't help but to think he is a perfect fit for this commercial... He's funny, he can ride, AND he drives a Jetta in real life! Anyways, enjoy the clip (can't get enough of him riding into that lake...bwhahaha!)

road master

2011-12-09T14:56:00.002-06:00

Have a great weekend everybody!

the Court House Custom's Tribute Triumph

2011-12-08T14:23:00.001-06:00

We're getting close to the deadline here, so things have been crazy busy in the office, no time to flog the blog. But here's a snap shot of what I was workin' on today.... Love this bike! Coming soon to issue 117...

Strong Arm

2011-12-05T14:48:00.001-06:00

Fab Kevin's kicker arms are oh so sexy!

check em out!

slow down wind down...

2011-12-01T13:44:00.000-06:00

Its been hard lately to scrounge up anything motorcycle related worth posting on here, mainly because i'm so bummed realizing im in the beginning phases of my yearly motorcycle hibernation. Driving my truck 50 miles a day for an hour at a time really really blows. I think next year I will invest in a dirt bike type ride that has studs in the tires or something, because traveling on four wheels is just a huge waste of time. Okay, enough for now. Back to motorcycle stuff tomorrow, I promise.

Trike Trike Trike

2011-11-29T13:55:00.002-06:00

From a couple years back at the Willies show in Daytona... the Mobtown Trike!

Motown

2011-11-22T14:49:00.000-06:00

I went to the Motown museum over the weekend... wow... what a treasure trove of amazing stuff. Whole lot of history went down in that tiny little house. There was no photography inside, but I did manage to find my favorite photo from the whole tour online. Dig it, Marvin on two wheels.

Barry Gordy bought this house in 1959 because it was the only one on the block that had an attached garage. He later turned that garage into a recording studio, named it "studio A", and proceeded to churn out hit after fuckin' hit. So bad ass in so many ways. If you're ever in the area, do yourself a favor and stop by.

Headers, past and present

2011-11-19T14:42:00.001-06:00

i'm really starting to enjoy making new headers for this here little blog... Here are some from the past that i've put up.

I know i'm missing a few in there, but that just gives me motivation to keep on crankin' em out. Gonna try and put up a fresh one every monday (I said try) so for those of you who get your horse blog updates on the Chopcult feed, make sure to stop by every now and then to get a little extra taste of Horse goodness. Now have a nice day!

its getting cold out there...

2011-11-16T14:40:00.000-06:00

Hence forth your beers are staying cold and your hands are getting colder. Looks like you'll need a koozie to keep those mittens warm. Well good news, i've got a few of these bad boys still in stock, waiting to be shipped out to a garage/shed/back pocket near you. For the price of a shitty draft beer in a dodgy bar, you could have one of these little numbers stashed away in your tool roll. Please enjoy irresponsibly.

fiber-glass

2011-11-16T14:29:00.000-06:00

spied this little number at last years Smoke Out... groovy!

Does anybody know who made these things, or have any pictures of one of these on a bike? If so, send it over to Backtalk@ironcross.net

Wooden Pucks

2011-11-15T14:15:00.002-06:00

A while back I posted a picture that I took on the Revenge Run of a most interesting looking tank.

Well just last week, I got an e-mail from the fellow who owns this bike. I always dig it when people recognize their bikes on this blog, just goes to show how small this community really is. Here are a few more I took of this sled.

This thing has a great stance, love the massive square headlamp and the turned down bars, not your every day raked and flaked custom mo-sheen. I'll look out for you on next years run Joel, thanks for providing the cool bike!

Back again!

2011-11-14T14:45:00.000-06:00

We're back on board with the Born-Free guys as a Top Sponsor again this year. Now if winter could just hurry up and be over real quick, we could all get back to the cross-country riding again... Till June!

Vets day

2011-11-11T17:46:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all vets everywhere, have a great veterans day. Kelly sends me this one from the road in the south west somewhere. God bless the USA

open pool pan

2011-11-10T10:11:00.004-06:00

backtalk revisited

2011-11-08T11:49:00.002-06:00

coming soon to issue #116, these two CB750 beauties!

Ironhead

2011-11-07T13:16:00.002-06:00

Lookin' Good!

7:54 a.m., Wednesday morning

2011-11-02T10:57:00.000-05:00

Just before sunrise, 43 degrees, and a 100 mile ride into work. Best way to start a Wednesday.

Cold, but still worth it. These days wont' last long... get on your bike and ride while you still can.

already?!

2011-11-01T14:40:00.002-05:00

I put on the radio yesterday (Halloween) and there was already X-mas music playing. What the fuck. Too soon man, too soon.

Got this in the Backtalk inbox today, but somehow it doesn't make me nearly as mad. In fact, I feel sort of jolly about it. Just as long as there is none of that terrible music playing...

Lunch Time Fun Time

2011-10-28T12:27:00.002-05:00

Wha'd you do on your lunch break?

I went out riding motorcycles.

New and Improved!

2011-10-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, i stopped by Fab Kevin's shop to shoot the breeze and see what he was up to. I knew he had a new logo made up a while ago, but his new T-shirts are really where this logo shines. To be perfectly honest, if i'm ever at a bike event and see a guy milling around in a Fab Kevin shirt, chances are that guy knows what's up. Sign of a smart man. Like carrying around a dictionary, or wearing sophisticated looking glasses. Kevin does some of the best work around, and for that reason i'm proud to rep his logo any day. Do yourself a favor and scope em out today, they are oh so nice!

Wide Glidin'

2011-10-26T15:42:00.001-05:00

It seems the majority of people enjoy riding their motorcycles in 80 degree weather with a cut off t-shirt on. Not me. I thrive in the fall chill. Long johns and gauntlet gloves are more my scene. Bundling up at this time of the year can be a real art form, strategically placing each layer to maximize retaining body heat, all the while seeing just how far you can push back old man winter from ruining your good time. Its days like these when I enjoy getting lost in the corn fields just north of our offices, passing farmers stands selling pumpkins and generally avoiding the headache that is metro Detroit traffic.

I love riding in Detroit, and I go there often to get lost in its wide open and empty streets, but the buffer zone between the city limits and where the cornfields rule the land is pure hell. Hardly anybody lives in the city, thats why its so fun to ride in. Most folks live in the burbs, and riding thru them is no fun at all. So every so often on a brisk sunny fall day, I get off of work and head in the opposite direction of home, pointing my wheels north and away from the mess of it all.

Leaving the office, its pretty much like this the whole ride home. Traffic Jam. Stop light. Go stop go stop go stop. However, if I turn my wheels north and head about 3 miles up, the urban sprawl seemingly disappears, letting the farm land open up and giving the two lane roads room to breathe.

I made a stop at my Uncle D's party store in Adair Michigan, and spotted my favorite Halloween decoration yet. I love Halloween, best holiday of em' all. When else can you hang a fake body from a tree in your front yard and not have the whole neighborhood up in arms? Long live the scary houses...

Just what exactly is the Mothership Connection? If you must know... go dig it.

This is the extent of my Uncle's Halloween decoration in his store. One oversized spider placed on the meat counter, thats it. Brilliant.

Jumped on the E-way and buzzed into Detroit, getting off just before Bell Isle. Arrived in time to catch this most spectacular sunset over Detroit. It was a good day.

God Bless this mess.

Wheelie Mania!

2011-10-24T12:19:00.001-05:00

In issue #114, I got to run a feature from a fellow I met in Iowa. I sent him an advanced copy once the issue came to print, and this is what he had to say:

"Thanks a lot man! Turned out rad! Super stoked you ended up using that wheelie pic, I thought the front end was gonna explode when it came down! Glad everything worked out. Thanks, Andy Knutson."

You're welcome Andy! And on a side note, i'd like to invite you, the readers, to send in your best wheelie pictures. I'll post all of them up here on the blog, and the best of the best i'll publish in Backtalk in the next issue of the magazine. The only rule is that either you had to have taken the picture yourself, or it has to be of you. No old wheelie pix grabbed from the innerwebs... send your submissions to backtalk@ironcross.net, subject line "WHEELIE MANIA!" now GO!

Here's Andy's best!

what's up Marcel?!

2011-10-21T14:38:00.004-05:00

Marcel still has one of the coolest cafe sportsters i've ever seen

not like there's a ton of them around to begin with, but still, this machine rules.

Some extra shots from the feature I shot a couple issues back.... Enjoy the weekend everyone!

take me back there, a.k.a campsite shakedown, a.k.a. the best things in life are free

2011-10-20T13:20:00.000-05:00

Back in June, I made it from Detroit to L.A. in two weeks without spending a single dime on a place to sleep. Here's a shakedown of my favorite spots...

Lake side abode in Nebraska. Had no idea this kind of place even existed there. The firewood was plentiful and the sand was soft for sleeping, and it marked my first night truly alone on that trip. The night before I spent sleeping on a pretty gnarly beer-and-piss-soaked incline behind Jeff Wright's "Kung Fu Tap n' Taco" Bar after the DicE party. Don't think I slept more than 3 hours that night, but it was worth it. Great party. This spot, on the other hand, was quite the change in scenery.

Two feelings I battled while camping alone in the woods all those nights were boredom and paranoia, the latter of which I wouldn't fully experience until I got farther west and deeper into the wilderness, where the threat of a bear entering your site is real. The problem of boredom was solved just inside the border of Nevada when I picked up a little classical guitar at a pawn shop for 50 bucks. Still can't believe it fit on my bike, and that it made it home in one piece. God bless that little guitar, i've never played so frequently or with such passion before or since then. I had blisters on my fingers that whole trip.

Colorado is one of my favorite states to ride motorcycles in, with a close second being tied between Utah and California. I got to cross over independence pass that day and look at 6 foot tall snow drifts on the side of the road. Fucking awesome. By the time I got to my campsite I didn't have enough sunlight or energy to start my own fire, so i crashed a fire of a Lithuanian family that was camping just down the river from me. We had a great fireside talk about how massive the United States are and how each state has it's own flavor and how road trips here are unlike road trips anywhere else on the planet. The whole time I was sitting around their fire, I kept wondering where they hell they were all going to sleep. Turns out, at the end of the night all 8 of them crammed into a tent not much bigger than mine. Brilliant. Oh, and it was their first time camping, too. On a side note, I stacked up some rocks in the river to make a makeshift icebox for my beers, worked like a charm.

This might have been my favorite night camping. I had planned on staying at a campground on Big Sur off of California's coast, but failed to factor in the impact of the "tourists season" and how badly those campgrounds price gouged. All "legit" spots were full, but a quick look at the map showed me some national forest land just up a dirt road that would be my home for the night. It was just about to get dark, and the road was by far the twistiest road i traveled on that trip, and to make matters worse (or more fun!) it was just wide enough for one vehicle, half of it was made out of dirt, and it was positioned at a dizzying grade of something like 11%! The spot you see was the best looking clearing I saw after about 9 miles of traveling on that nerve wrecking road. Absolute solitude for miles around, the stars were mind blowing, and I played my guitar at full blast, singing away the wild creatures that made their presence known with hoots and grunts and foot steps in the night.

Utah at it's best. Route 95 runs right across the northern part of Lake Powell, crossing wide open desert and sun scorched rock formations. I camped right on the lake front in the middle of no where, about 50 miles east of Bullfrog, and 80 miles west of Blanding-- litterally, not a soul in sight. What i thought was going to be a fireless night (not exactly an abundance of trees in the middle of the dessert) turned out to be my best blaze yet. Years and years of drift wood had piled up about 100 feet from my tent, and a few trips with my arms loaded up provided for some very hot, very fast burning wood. The six pack i bought back in Bullfrog had nearly boiled inside of its cans on the hour ride it took me to arrive there, but never before had i been so appreciative for warm budlight (it was all the gas station in bullfrog had!) The night feel quickly and the stars were again awe-inspiring. I'm almost certain i saw aliens approaching my site that night too, swear to God. Two lights slowly moving towards me, not responding to my calls, and then disappearing suddenly, only to re-appear about an hour later. Spooky stuff for sure. I found myself repeating some Dr. John lyrics in my head that seemed especially pertinent that night; "Refried confusion is making itself clear, Wonder which way do I go to get on out of here. I been in the right place, But it must have been the wrong time.."

In my three weeks spent on the road, I camped about 75% of the time, and spent the other 25% either staying with old friends along the way, or couchsurfing with newly met friends (On a side note: anybody who does any amount of traveling and has a sense of adventure, this is an invaluable resource-- look into it!) There were other campsites I stayed at on that trip, but the ones highlighted here were my favorites.

If there was one thing I learned from that trip, it would be that the adventure doesn't have to stop once you're done riding for the day. I would have never experienced these places so fully if I would've just checked into a motel 6 and plopped down with a remote in my hand for the night. Getting outdoors and exposing yourself to the elements just further amplifies the whole motorcycling experience. This land is full of surprises and hidden gems that you can't discover from behind a keyboard or on a TV screen. They're gems because they take a little more effort to find, and that effort is what makes them worth it. If given enough time on your next trip, take the two lane roads this country has to offer and bring your bed roll with you-- I don't think you'll find a better America any other way.

Hello Wes!

2011-10-18T13:06:00.001-05:00

I met Wes on the revenge run, more specifically on the roof of the two hour ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke. He was doing the run on a old little stock Triumph number that he re-built just before the run. I forget what it was exactly, but I do remember being quite impressed by the amount of miles he was piling up on such a modest mill.

Kelly and I talked with him for almost the entire ferry ride, about photography and surfing and motorcycles and how we thought life should be lived. Wes is one of those guys who digs all different kinds of motorcycles, from old to new and big to small. I always enjoy talking to folks with that mindset, for they seem to have the best grip on what this motorcycle thing is really about. I haven't talked to Wes since that roof top meeting, but he sent me this e-mail earlier this week.

"Hey Jordan, its wes from the revenge run! I just got back 6 rolls of film so Ive been updating my photo blog and scanning photos and negatives. I realized this one was of you and your girl so I wanted to send it along, go here - www.zootrails.blogspot.com to see some of the others, Im going to be putting up more and more as the week goes by. There are quite a bit more of motorcycle photos coming from the run - all film. Thought you might be interested. Hope all is well and that its not getting too cold up there yet. Also your tigers might make it to the world series! that would be awesome!

take care

WES"

Unfortunately, the tigers world series run has been cut short, but Wes's film photos from the run are top notch. Its rare to see many guys shooting in film these days (and doing it well) but Wes is one of them. Crazy surfing photos too, go check it out!

Atom Bomb

2011-10-13T13:42:00.002-05:00

Clay and his steed, from a feature i shot 2 winters ago...

I dig the dirt bike front end!

more sneak peaks of the 2012 calendar

2011-10-11T14:28:00.002-05:00

We're really turning on the heat this week to get this thing wrapped up. I'll throw up a few more previews later on in the week... enjoy!

Coming soon to our 2012 Calendar!

2011-10-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

some amazing shots by the very talented Jack Criswell...

and three bikes by Garage company customs! Yess!!!

More canoe side cars

2011-10-07T14:10:00.001-05:00

another boat bike! Crazy!

"“This 82 Honda cb650 was transformed into a pirate ship by my wife and I. The boat is the front of a crashed canoe and the rest is one off and yes that’s some serious metal flake paint. Do you want to go for a boat ride?"

Coming not-that-soon to Backtalk of issue #115...

"1993's most exciting motorcycle news!"

2011-10-06T12:36:00.001-05:00

I'm in love, cheezy 90's goodness and all.

http://youtu.be/ZXsIc_xB1Ms?t=2m32s

from 2:32 to 5:10

"Nice set of tits!!??"

2011-10-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

Ha!

a dog named Dog

2011-10-03T08:12:00.001-05:00

Everything in this video is amazing. Top to bottom, start to finish. Enjoy.

The Anti-Forward Control

2011-09-30T10:14:00.001-05:00

These rear sets look crazy on this sporty! Look for the full feature in issue #114, coming out soon...

Sweet n' Skinny

2011-09-29T13:36:00.002-05:00

This is a repost from our Backtalk boards, but I thought it was cool enough to warrant a double dip. Nick is a good ol American boy living in the land of the rising son. He most recently wrote a piece for our up coming issue (#114) about getting a stock American Harley Dyna "legal" in Japan. You think it sucks standing in line at the DMV waiting to transfer titles on your new bike? HA! the stuff he had to go through makes our DMVs look like a hoppin' night club party. Really, they don't fuck around over there when it comes to emissions, noise, stopping power, even making sure the direction of your headlamp is dead center! Yipes! Anyways, here's a really neat little sled he found over there. Enjoy!

"Dan W will remember this one from the Psycho rally. The dude who built it had lived in Chicago and spoke english really well, also a really nice guy. Here are a few of the things he pointed out on it that were very impressive that you just can't really get by glancing at it:

- While it is a swing arm frame, the rear was actually narrowed something like 1 inch on either side
- Not a single lever on the bars, yet there is still a hydraulic front brake that works really well by twisting forward on the left grip.
- L Carb/magneto/mid peg combination.....which is just chopper cool-ness no matter how you slice it
- The stock oil tank had been modified so the lines run through the middle...which blew me away that someone could take such a bland, what I consider ugly part, and make it awesome.
- Finned tranny cover
- The seat was rock fucking hard but anyone who sat on the bike was smiling....because its just cool as hell

I bet the guy himself could point out 800 more things that make it cooler than just about anything else rolling but that is what I can remember off hand. Enjoy."

Nick

http://freenosgarage.blogspot.com/

camping necessities

2011-09-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

Not one, but two types of hot sauce. And busch camo... tis the season!

The cold weather is approaching quickly, time to pack in all the camping you can stomach. Did a little 300 mile jaunt this past weekend with my girl up to the thumb of Michigan. Motorcycles and beach side bonfires and best friends and blue skies and hot sauce and camo cans. All the good stuff in life. Get it while you can!

:::Detroit Shred Sesh:::

2011-09-26T14:58:00.001-05:00

Went around Detroit last weekend with my buddy Brandon. I'm saving the good stuff for the magazine, but here's a few i'd like to share now. Gave my camera to Brandon's bud Ivan, and he captured some good stuff-- Thanks man!

"Ya see, we're gonna make that illegal left turn there, then hop up over that curb and on to the side walk there, but watch out for that giant pot hole and all the broken glass. Cut across the open field and over the hill, and then we'll be at the Velodrome"

No visit to Detroit would be complete with a lap or three around this sacred two wheeled race track. Again, Ivan on the camera. Keep your eyes peeled for issue 114, this cover feature is gonna be so good!

Only in Detroit... Good seeing you guys! Till next time!

2011-09-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Man, things have been crazy busy around here the past few days, but I will take time to share with you a bike that was sent into backtalk... Quite a tasty Pan! More details to be found in Backtalk of issue #114 (not coming out for a while, so hold tight!)

Holy Shit!

2011-09-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

I'll bet most of you have seen this amazing video by now...

Open up the Backtalk inbox this morning, and what do I see? Read on...

"Brando is an avid reader of the horse..and is recovering from a fiery crash in Logan Utah ..where bystanders lifted a burning bemer up and pulled him out ..saving his life. And if any of u heroes read this I would like to thank them for saving my son's life"

Get better soon Brando, your care package is in the mail. Man o man....

Mini Bike, Maximum De-rake

2011-09-15T14:42:00.001-05:00

av(on speed)master

2011-09-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

Too much fun

2011-09-13T15:28:00.001-05:00

I got sick of staring at this blank white helmet that i've had laying around forever, so i painted it. Think its gonna freak some people out. Didn't exactly have this in mind when I started, but somehow it came out this way. I can dig it!

ass backwards

2011-09-08T14:49:00.001-05:00

Of course the backwards tank has a GTP sticker on it...

start em' young

2011-09-07T15:01:00.001-05:00

And the winner is...

2011-09-02T13:12:00.001-05:00

What a stand up guy! Tyler over at Lowbrow really bumped this thing to the next level, offering to send out a brand new P-nut tank to all three contestants, regardless of the vote count... so fucking cool!

I can't say enough nice things about these guys-- from the services they provide to our tight knit community, to the events they sponsor and put on, to the cheddar they raise for charity, they are some of the realest dudes around. Oh, and did I mention both brothers are Salt Flat Record Setters as of last August?! like I said, real deal.

Thanks again to everyone for all of your votes in the past two days, it sure was exciting to see traffic ramp up on the blog and see the communal push on various boards and forums for all three contestants. It was tough to even narrow the field down to just three, let alone one, so i'm pretty pumped LowBrow came up big and is hookin' all three dudes up.

If you're bummin' out you didn't win, please remind yourself that these new tanks are probably cheaper than any old original you'll find, and are free of all that sweet old school bondo and rust and dents. Check em out...

Thanks again everyone, have a fantastic labor day weekend. Now go out and ride!

The P-nut tank give away... you decide!

2011-08-31T10:16:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank everybody who sent me photos of their bikes as entries for the LowBrow P-nut tank give away contest. I gotta say, it sort of breaks my heart to see so many cool scoots in need of a new petrol container, and knowing that I can only satisfy one person... If it were up to me, i've give a tank to every one who entered! However, that is not the case. E-man and I narrowed the field down to 3 top players. They go as follows (in no particular order:)

"My son bought this bike in Iraq, tore it down and shipped it home.

I think your little tank would look sweet on this little 500 Enfield. The good part would be you’ll see it again at the next smoke out mounted on this little Brit. I’ve posted this on the board before, work has slowed as this summer’s tornado ripped the roof off the shop it was sitting in. All is good he’s just been busy drying everything back in. And Yes, the bike is strapped to a door J A♠"

Regards,

Brett

Contestant number 2:

"About 20 miles of riding around Ann Arbor, I found that the tank I was running wasnt going to cut it. clogged up a carb real quick. tried to clean it again with more muratic acid, only to find that this time the old kreem job done years ago is now flaking in tiny pieces. this build has taken me 1 year 8 months and 28 days. mostly due to financial constraints. my bikes a runner and basically ready to go besides the tank, and who knows when that will happen. the bike is sitting in the garage and im going through and re-doing and cleaning up the electrical and other little tid bits just to keep the juices going and keep me from going stir crazy. if I were to win this tank i would most likely just put some primer on and run it till winter, then try to mimic the paint job thats on the old tank a little cause it means alot to me. thanks for the opportunity." -Crosby

And finally, contestant number 3:

"What's up guys! I need this tank like a whore needs birth control! I have attached a pic of my newest whip...84 Ironhead. I have a stock 3.5 gallon on there now, but it's way too big, and definitely not my style. However, when you're not shitting $20 dollar bills you work with what ya got! I would normally just buy what I needed for my builds, but after the Revenge Run, my wife and I had twins, so funds are tighter than a duck's asshole. This tank would be sick on my bike, and my buddy Fulton Fred would do it justice with a sick paintjob to match! Thanks for your consideration, and keep up the good work!"

-Matt

So what do you guys think? Voting closes in 48 hours.... now GO!

THE MIND MELTER

2011-08-30T14:42:00.001-05:00

Tyler's MIND MELTER coming soon to issue #113!

As shot by the very talented Jason Lang, who shoots all sorts of interesting things, choppers included. Oh, and this image is the new header too, incase that wasn't obvious enough...

Backtalk revisited

2011-08-30T10:35:00.001-05:00

Sorry this old blog's been a little slow as of late, all of us here at the magazine have had our noses to the grind stone since we got back from Sturgis to get the magazine done in time. Pesky deadlines...

A few issues back I was given Backtalk duty, reviewing all the emails we get to our backtalk account and picking out what sleds go in the front of the mag each issue. Sometimes there is just not enough room for everyone in the mag, so from time to time i'll be sharing some overflow right here on the blog.

These fine folks did actually make it into backtalk this issue, but I dug it so much I just have to share it with all yall before it hits print. I think they're some of my favorite yet, and not because its a knock out show bike that I want parked in my garage, but because its just so fucking hill billy and they know it, and they love it! Read on...

"This is a 1977 Honda Goldwing 1000, my husband and i acquired it 5-16-11 and have been working on it since. we got an aluminum canoe and cut it down to 7 foot for the sidecar body, we added fog lights, he built the frame for the hack (we built our own or got parts from the junkyard that he works at) the only thing that was bought were the fog lights. The hack wheel came from a 1979 Yamaha 650, the fender is from a 70's era FX, turn signals from a CBR and the air cleaner from a 1983 sportster. we have had a lot of help with this bike from friends this bike was built in the stones you see in the pictures being as we have no garage and we live in a camper that sits at the bottom of a campground so we don’t have the room to build it in the kitchen like we would if we lived in a house trailer. This bike is not finished yet and probably never will be."

CONTRIBUTERS INCLUDE:

Pam (mom)

Chris (dad)

Madison (daughter)

Amos (son)

Bubba (friend)

Holly (friend)

Scotty (friend)

Lester (friend

Big Scott (friend)

Coming soon to #113's backtalk section....

Sissy Bar Study, v3.0

2011-08-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

correction...

2011-08-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

I made a mistake in saying that this contest ends in september. It doesn't. I meant to say it ends next week, August 29th! My bad! So if you want this tank for your very own, follow these simple instructions... so far there are very few entries, so i'd wager to say you, yes YOU, have a very good chance of winning a brand new tank for free... Now GO!

Sissy Bar Study, v2.0

2011-08-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

Sissy Bar Study

2011-08-23T14:54:00.001-05:00

words of wisdom

Announcing the "Win me, then rock me" contest

2011-08-22T13:10:00.001-05:00

So a while back, Tyler over at LowBrow Customs sent me an e-mail asking if I wanted to be a part of their P-nut tank give away. I said yes of course, and within a few days, a shiny new tank was sitting on my desk. However, it didn't occur to me I had to devise some contest scheme and give this tank away, but after much thought and procrastination, I came upon these rules:

Do you like this tank? If you win it, will you run it on your bike? Will it deliver tank full upon tank full of precious 93 ultra premium fuel to your fire breathing beast in the endless pursuit of two wheeled freedom? If you answered yes to all three of these questions, read on.

To win this tank, all you have to do is send us a photo of the bike you plan to run it on, and include a little write up of why the tank should be yours. Easy as that. It could be one photo and one sentence, or a couple of photos and a bunch of sentences. Whatever you need to do to convince us that this tank is going to the most deserving guy and that it will look the best it possibly can. Dig it?

Send your photos and words to Backtalk@ironcross.net with the subject title reading "P-nut give away!"

The contest is open from now until next Monday (Sept. 29th), and we'll announce the winner some time that week.

and....GO!

Say Cheese GTP!

2011-08-19T13:04:00.001-05:00

George in Sturgis. I'm pretty sure its next to impossible to get a photo of the guy without his middle finger saluting you and the camera... Look at the reach on the guy! It's like he really means it!

Last I saw GTP was in the middle of a brutal Michigan winter, and I gave him one of my favorite books, Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. A classic!

Copies of this book come a dime a dozen, but the particular copy I owned had this really great water color type illustration on the cover that I think is quite rare actually. Haven't seen one like it anywhere since, and it even took a while digging on the innerwebs to find an image of it.

Well when I saw GTP in Sturgis this past time around, I pretty much forgot I even gave him the book until he mentioned it. I believe he said something along the lines of "Hey, remember that book you gave me? It sucked! Nothing happened!" and in a sense he's right. Steinbecks a master of character description, not gun slingin' action, and if you're expecting car chases and shoot outs, you're in the wrong spot. But if rich descriptions of weirdo's and drunkards thriving in the underbelly of a 1930's fishing town is your jam, this book hits the sweet spot.

I gave it to GTP way back when because when I read it, I could see parts of George in each one of the characters... Even the writing at times mirrored some of the stuff i've seen George write in our rag. These guys may not ride motorcycles, but they do raise hell and have a good time, all the while living on the fringes and loving it to the utmost degree.

George, if you're reading this, may I suggest Sweet Thursday? More of the same stuff where nothing happens but everything's going down all at once... go on, you know you want to... then next time I see you, you can tell me how crappy this one was too!

Or in a completely different vein, Travel's with Charlie? grab a copy, you'll love it. Promise.

"The Mighty Mac" a.k.a "Big Mac" a.k.a. "The Mackinac Bridge"

2011-08-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

On our way back home from Sturgis, Kelly and I took the northern route. We left South Dakota on a Thursday and passed through Minnesota and Wisconsin, eventually entering into Michigan via the Upper Peninsula on that following sunday. If you travel west along the coast of the U.P. on highway 2 long enough, you'll come upon the sacred spot where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet and the two peninsula's nearly touch, a spot known as the "Straits of Mackinac."

I've ridden my motorcycle over many roads and treacherous terrains, but nothing compares to the feeling you get when you look below you and see a straight drop of 200 feet to the waters surface. The steel grates grab your front tire and determine when and where you'll go, leaving little choice to you the rider. Compound that with the crazy strong winds blowing up and around you, and it provides for one hell of a crossing.

Five men died during it's construction between 1954 and 57', and in the last 20 years, two cars have blown up and over the side from high winds and bad luck. It is the world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages, out spanning the Golden Gate and the Oakland Bay Bridge, and i'm proud to say it is in my own back yard. If you live in or near Michigan and you've never crossed this Grand daddy, get on your bike and go. Summer's fading fast...

The King of Beer Helmets

2011-08-17T14:56:00.001-05:00

Tall Pipes Scare Wives

2011-08-16T13:43:00.001-05:00

Back from Sturgis with tons of photos to share.... Stay tuned...

2011-08-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

A few of my favs from jeff decker's collection on display at the chip...

Detroit represent!

Super freak!

Westward Ho!

2011-08-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

Heading out to Sturgis today, so the Horse blog will be a little light for the next week or so. As usual, my RoadCouchMotherShip blog will be in full effect while i'm on the road, so take a gander at it if you so desire. See you down the road!

:::Blur:::

2011-08-02T12:24:00.001-05:00

This summer has been one huge blur. A breathtaking blur. The best kind of blurs. Kind of like this blur, from the Revenge Run this spring:

Rolling out to Sturgis tomorrow after work with Kelly by my side. Gonna blast on the e-way into Chicago for the night, then it's all two lane black tops winding us nice n' easy into the Black Hills.

resume the blur... maintain the blur... embrace the blur...