Friday, July 29, 2011

The Salt Ghost DVDs are Here!


The Salt Ghost DVDs arrived this morning and all pre-orders shipped out. They are now in stock and ship out immediately, get yours now! We fly out to Los Angeles in about 9 hours (myself, Larissa, Kyle & his girlfriend Ava and Katy are all going) to head down to Orange and The District Lounge for the Salt Ghost West-Coast Premiere! Bound to be a good time, make it out if you can. If you can't make this one, perhaps you can be at the one in Brooklyn at The Gutter on Friday night, September 16th for the joint East-Coast Premiere / DiCE Magazine release party, the night before The Brooklyn Invitational!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Final Countdown!

No I am not talking about the power ballad/metal (?) classic, I mean 12 days until we hit the road to Bonneville Speed Week! Tyler and I have both been scrambling between shows, work, prepping the bikes, and the other 1000 things going on but today I am feeling pretty good.
My friend Tom from TNT Custom Paint dropped by with his big ol' paint chest and laid out some racing numbers on my fairing. How can hand painted race numbers with double pinstriped borders not look great on a vintage race bike!?!
This weekend we have the Salt Ghost World Premier out in Orange Ca, which I sure will really get us worked up into what one woman described to us a few years ago as a "Salt-Gasm"! Come out, have a drink and watch with us if you are in the area! Check out the event page on Facebook HERE

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Steel City Mods Vs Rocker August 13!!

Check out the 2nd annual Steel City Mods Vs Rockers event August 13th if you are in the Pittsburgh area and help support a good cause. Here's some more information:

This year, we rally in the streets!

On August 13th the 2nd Annual Steel City Mods vs Rockers vintage motorcycle and scooter rally takes over Bloomfield with the Atomic Drops, Highway 13, DJ Llamo, pin up girl contests and more!

We partnered up with the Scootin' Yinzers City Ride, so expect lots of amazing vintage scooters competing with bikes for trophies.

Tickets are on sale now! Just $10 gets you all the good stuff & a portion of the procedes are being donated to the Children's Hospital Hard Head Patrol. A good time and a good cause!

Stick around for the after party at Howlers with DJ Junior, Neighbours and the Pressure.

The Salt Ghost: Return of the Nitro Express DVD Pre-Order

The Salt Ghost: Return of the Nitro Express DVDs are en route and should be here in a few days. We have a pre order going right now, so order yours today and be the first on your block to revel in the vintage motorcycle racing excitement! The Salt Ghost West Coast premiere is in Orange, California this Saturday so if you can, make it out, it is guaranteed too be a good time or your money back. (it's a free event!)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Greasebag Jamboree July 29th - 31st, 2011 Laconia, NH


Grail is throwing the Greasebag Jamboree in Laconia, NH this year, and as usual it is at the Acme Choppers lot. There is also a DiCE Magazine party that Friday night in Boston, so if you are in the area you know what you should be doing this weekend!

Corpses From Hell Motorcycle Gang BSA B33



Maxwell Paternoster's BSA B33 is shown getting some testing. We are sending Maxwell a seat and pillion in trade for some of his art, you can see it needs one! Check out Corpses From Hell for more art and such. Some words on the bike from Maxwell:

"Yea the BSA is a B33 500cc engine in a M20 frame. I made it from parts sourced at jumbles etc.

The bottom end on these is the same as the bsa goldstar, and this bike has all the goldstar bits in the engine. Cams, polished con rod, lightened flywheels, larger inlet valve, 8.5:1 cr It has that carb I got from You. It has tons of tourque and tore the valve off the innertube when I accelerated!"

Monday, July 25, 2011

Doug Wothke, World-Traveller


We met Doug several places over the years, first I think was at the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum show in Birmingham, Alabama a few years back, and then we ran into him again at V-Twin Expo and also The Horse Smokeout, I think. You may recognize Doug from The Horse Backstreet Choppers in his series of articles of riding all over the world on H-D choppers. He is currently in Siberia, and has recently gone through Croatia, Austria, Bosnia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. And I mean recently as in the last couple of months.


Below is a map showing Doug's route, and here is a bit about his trip in his own words:

"So I wanna go to Magadan. Why? well why not? No Harley has attempted this road before. The last 2500 miles or so is unpaved, not really 'chopper friendly' with many missing bridges, water crossings, sand, swamp, mug, gravel, & all kinds of fun terrain. Its known as the 'Road of Bones' because of all the prisoners that died when sent here to make the road back during the Stalin/Gulag era. They just put the bodies in the roadbed, & kept up with the progress.
As I've ridden across Russia already, I'm gonna take a more southern route. A lot of these places I haven't been to before, & am really looking forward to it. The big variation of the route as of now, is whether I can get a visa to cross Iran, or if I will have to go around it. I hope to get one, but not so easy for an American. From Magadan, I'll head south by boat to Vladivostok, then ride back to europe, so this will be about equal to 2 RTW trips in one summer. Should be fun!"


Look closely for the Lowbrow Weirdo sticker on Doug's bike. Thanks for representing, Doug! Check out more of his world travels and up to date photos and writeups (look under the forum section) of his crazy travels at his website motosapiens.org.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Mid Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days.. 2 days down, 1 to go


Mid Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days is going well, Kyle and Ava are still camped out there, I rode my bike back late afternoon to spend some time with my little girl. Great show, many friends from all over are there. Hot as hell, humid, but I guess that is how it is about everywhere right now. We have been lucky so far with missing the big storms, caught some small rain showers but nothing bad. I was headed north the 6o or so miles back to my place and made great time until I rode into a wall of water and lightning about 5 miles from home. Couldn't see despite wearing dirt bike goggles and was riding with one hand over my velocity stacks to keep the bike going and pulled under an overpass; after a nice half hour break made it home. Tomorrow is the final day, if you are going to be there and haven't stopped by our booth, come by and say hi and grab a water or a beer. Spots P3 & P4. I think this is the best year I have had at Mid Ohio so far, by which I mean I bought the most oddball parts and stuff I didn't need! More photos to follow of all the good stuff...

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Mid Ohio Swap Meet Parts Haul no. 1


We pulled into the Mid Ohio Vintage M/C Days swap meet and parked our box truck in our spot and promptly avoided doing any work, making beelines for parts and bikes. After doing a hot lap and checking out as much as possible before getting to work setting up our canopy and all that, we ended up with a decent stash. Kyle grabbed a unit Triumph bottom end and set of cases, as well as a good head. I got myself two sets of big bearing, generator pre unit Triumph cases (one a complete bottom end, though crusty).


I also grabbed a rear hub, not needed at the moment, but when you need one you never find it for $20. I also got this really cool factory rigid Triumph (pre-1955) primary cover. It may have been modified for racing, or the clutch basket just really tore into the cover (common problem); somewhere at some time there was an angry wife or mother wondering where her good aluminum cooking pan went. It is now part of this primary cover, which will end up on my drag bike Triumph, which needed an outer primary still. A good start, and the show hasn't even started yet!

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days This Weekend!

ama-vintage-motorcycle-days
Come and see us set up at this years AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in Lexington Ohio at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. We will be set up this Friday through Sunday in the Swap Meet right near the main entrance in spots P3 and P4. If you need more information on the even or directions check out the show website HERE

lowbrow_customs_smokeout_2011_109

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Show 'N' Go......

That sums it up. I made it pretty but it's built for a purpose....to go fast! I know chrome don't get ya home, but I never heard anything about polished aluminum! Seriously though, everything on this bike is there (or not there) for a purpose but there is nothing wrong with making it look good!
I finished 90% of the assembly today and mounted the polished aluminum fairing with the windscreen for the first time and I am pretty happy with the results.
Still some final adjustments to make but it is custom made to displace the wind so it moves around me. I am not a huge fan of fairings honestly, but I needed one for the class I am running and it can make a big difference aerodynamically. My goal was make a fairing cool enough that I would like it, and a polished aluminum fairing works for me. This should be a huge improvement over last year!
Gonzo.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Todd's Blue Bomber Triumph


Todd works here at Lowbrow Customs and is our in-house tech. He answers the phone so if you called, it is him you talked to! Todd leaves work every day and goes home and starts working on one of the numerous bikes he is building at any time, an assortment of vintage Triumph, BSA, Suzuki, Honda, Sportster, etc, both street bikes and dirt bikes, two stroke or four. This is one of his recently completed unit Triumphs, 'The Blue Bomber'. We thought you would enjoy checking it out!




Monday, July 18, 2011

Slab City Riot 3! November 4th & 5th, 2011 Slab City, Niland, California


A bunch of really cool shops stepped up to sponsor the Slab City Riot 3. Friday movie night, camping in the desert, food, booze, a couple of bands and plenty of choppers.. This is a must-do event if you can make it out!

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Salt Ghost: Return of the Nitro Express Video Trailer



Just got the trailer online. I hope you like it, let us know what you think! Available by 7/30/2011.

Win A Copy of the TIG Welding Fundamentals with David Bird DVD!

We have a new contest going on Facebook, enter now for a chance to win a TIG Welding Fundamentals with David Bird DVD! It is quite simple, log in to your Facebook account and check out our Lowbrow Facebook page, view the photo, click on 'Tag This Photo' (see image above!) and enter your name. You are now entered for a chance to win, one person will be chosen at random at noon on Monday, July 18th, 2011!

NOTE:We quickly hit 50 tags on the photo, which apparently is the limit. SO being a beautiful Friday evening and in a good mood, I figured we could throw two more copies of the DVD into the mix. We will pick (1) winner from the tagged photo, and (2) additional winners randomly out of everyone who 'Likes' that photo on Facebook! We will randomly choose winners and message them on Monday!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

30 Days until Speed Week....

All my major fabrication work is done and I am starting reassembly! I finished rebuilding my rocker boxes and torquing down my top end today, and started putting it all back together. I bolted up my new David Bird hardtail section with a couple additional inches of stretch which should really help my riding position.
I also started bolting up all the shiny bits: rebuilt hand polished Amal carbs and port matched carb spacers as well as my oil tank. I welded an additional bung to the top of the tank to help with side to side vibration issues I ran into last year, as well as had it fully polished. I can't wait to get the rest of this together and see how it turns out! And yes I know it looks pretty, but it is built for one thing....Speed!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Customer Bike Spotlight: Chris's Trump


Chris A. from Australia sent us these pictures of his Triumph, and it is a looker! I bet it is fun to keep clean as well!


"Hi. Here are some shots of my bike that I built, with the help of Dave Helrich and the parts I got from you guys, it turned out great.Thanks for your great service to me over here in Australia.

All the best , Chris."

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The P-Nut Gas Tank Giveaway Ends This Saturday!

The contest in which there are chances to win one of two P-Nut Gas Tanks is over at noon this Saturday! For details on how to enter, check out the original contest blog post. The odds are pretty good, so take 3o seconds to enter now!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Run 4 Your Life 3! Chopper Run Ohio / Kentucky / Indiana August 5th - 7th 2011



Ohio represent! From Joel at Image One:

Back for the third year, and bigger and better than ever, Run For Your Life 3.0, the first weekend of August. 3 days, 3 states. Bring your chopper, bobber, bagger, stocker, whatever, just get here. We've got a bunch of fun stuff lined up this year, and as always a big pile of stuff from our sponsors to giveaway! Excuse week is just around the corner, don't be that guy!

Ride. Drink. Camp. Repeat.

Thursday August 4th > All are welcome @ my shop for some pre-run festivities. Plenty of camping space, shop full of tools and parts if you need to duct tape some pieces back on your scooter. We'll cook up some grub and have some beers on ice. 3729 Twp Rd 85 Dola OH (my shop)

Friday August 5th> Roll out mid morning en route to Hillsboro, OH. Friday night we will have live entertainment featuring Ben Prestage, a one man band from Florida, that you don't wanna miss!! Camping is again free Friday night. We'll cook up some food, have a fire, drink some beers, and i'm sure some other shenanigans will ensue.

Saturday August 6th > We will cook up some breakfast, and hand out route maps/directions and hit the road. It will be about a 200 mile ride, down through Kentucky and west toward Louisville, our destination will be Floyds Knobs, IN. Saturday night will feature the Rock Paper Scissors swag giveaway, as well as the usual food, beer and shenanigans. Camping is again free.

Sunday > go home.

For more info check out the blog, http://r4yl.blogspot.com/, or contact me directly overdriveplus@hotmail.com / 419.308.8397

Friday, July 8, 2011

Customer Bike Spotlight: Scott's Yamaha XS650 Chopper


Scott up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada sent us some pics of his home-built Yamaha XS650 chopper and we thought we would share. I dig the mag wheel / tire combo, nice beefy look on an otherwise slender bike, nice work!


Thursday, July 7, 2011

Slab City Riot 3! November 4th & 5th, 2011 Slab City, Niland, California

The Event: Slab City Riot 3
The Time: Friday November 4 & Saturday September 5, 2011
The Place: The Range at Slab City, Niland, CA (near the shores of the beautiful Salton Sea)
The Cause: 'Cause it's fun!
The Perks:
• Free camping
• Affordable, hot food
• Whiskey bar and free beer while supplies last (You motherscratchers can drink!)
• The Cocktagon
• The Fire Pit
• Saturday night rock 'n roll with three bands TBD
• Friday Night chopper movies under the stars
The price: Free for everyone!

Check out the event page on ChopCult or check out the Slab City Riot 3 microsite for updates!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

We Just Doubled Down On The P-Nut Gas Tank Giveaway!


That's right. Due to the popularity of our P-Nut Tank giveaway contest we decided to throw a second tank in the mix to keep it interesting. We all use our Lowbrow Facebook page to let people know what is happening at the shop, photos of customer bikes, announce specials, as well as exciting product and party updates. By 'Liking' our Facebook page you help us out and keep in the know. Click here to enter for your chance to win!

Customer Bike Spotlight: Dave's Lean & Mean Triumph Chopper


Dave Wilt sent us some pics of his recently completed Triumph. We were stoked on it and wanted to share!

"Hey there Tyler just wanted to send you a couple pictures of my bike. I owe alot of thanks to you guys at Lowbrow. You guys were the best company I dealt with on this project and look forward to dealing with you on my next project. These pictures were taken down at Beatersville in Louisville, KY by John Jackson. Thanks again for yalls support. By the way my last order I got your new race support shirt and love the color. First ride i get off bike and the back left side of the shirt is covered with circles of oil from chain. Kinda adds character."



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Win a P-Nut Tank from Lowbrow Customs!


People are really digging the new P-Nut Gas Tank, and we want to get you to help spread the word for a chance to win one of your very own! Here is how it works:

Entering the giveaway is simple and takes only 30 seconds. Register by connecting to the giveaway widget below using Facebook. For each step you complete, you’ll earn a giveaway entry
:

1. Like this blog post by clicking on the Facebook Like button (+1 entry).
2. Become a fan of Lowbrow Customs on Facebook (+1 entry).
3. Leave a comment telling us what type of motorcycle you would put the P-Nut tank on. Click on the 'Comments' link at the top by the blog title to leave your answer (+1 entry).
4. Tweet about the giveaway (+1 entry).
5. Unlimited bonus entries by pasting your invite link everywhere you can. For example:

- For every friend who clicks the invite link you Tweeted in step 4, you’ll earn +1 entries.
- For every friend who then joins the giveaway, you’ll earn +5 entries.


The contest ends at Noon on Saturday, July 16th, 2011, and is open to customers world-wide. Start helping us now for your chance(s) to win!

Monday, July 4, 2011

2nd Annual Tire Disposal Day- Next Weekend

Jesse asked us to throw this flyer up again, the 2nd Annual Old Tire Disposal Day Show is coming up next weekend July 9! If you are in Indiana, check it out, Here is what you can expect:

*motorcycles *beers *burnouts *tits *fire *fast cars *free camping *live music *fireworks *beach volleyball *fishing pond *food *death defying acts on 2 wheels

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Moto Art Spotlight: Geared-Up Designs

Check out these unique, hand-made products made by Ava Larkin! She crafts a variety of products for your home, office or garage all made from re-purposed motorcycle parts!
Each item is created by disassembling engines and bikes, cleaning the parts, then arranging and TIG welding them into a functional work of art that's perfect for moto aficionados. Check them out at Geared-Up Designs!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Sneak Peek of my Fairing!

Tyler is not the only one who has Salt on the brain, I have been laboring away for weeks rebuilding my bike to be ready for Speed Week 2011. I haven't shown any progress on my all aluminum fairing as I wanted to make sure it would work first!
Today I finished the fairing supports and got it mocked up for the first time. I have more time on the English wheel ahead and a bunch of timing but this fairing will do its job and direct the wind around my upper body and arms and hopefully give me the streamlining I need to get my record this year! (And how cool will a fully polished aluminum fairing look?)