Tough week

 Hello everyone,

It’s been a very tough week and not over yet. My mother is 92 years old and in an assisted living facility. She is coming to the end of her life and so we have spent as much time as possible with her this last week or so. 

So, projects have been put on hold for now. I had a nice visit with “ Shop Teacher Bob” this week and discussed several things about my old Harley. Years ago the Harley dealer that was in our area had an old Knuckle side car rig. He told me a story that a friend of his had modified the gas tank and made the capacity 6 gallons instead of the standard 3 1/2 gallons. I fell in love with the look of the wide tank because it was so pleasing to the eye and fitting of the “wide” look of the old  Harleys. 

My cousin’s son expressed the idea of the worth of the tanks and that the modification of them would cut into the value of them, after discussing with “Bob” about the widening of the tanks. I understand the history, and the fact that original tanks, like the ones I have, are rare. I’ve tossed this over in my head thousands of times over the last 40 years, and have weighed my options at least that many times. I’ve had a vision of what I’ve wanted this bike to look like and become for that many years also. This bike will never be a 100 point bike. My vision was always function first. As I’ve gotten older and tossed around the idea’s about this bike I decided I wanted some form as well. There are many things that will be my idea of that vision, if, I indeed get to finished product. One of the reasons I’ve never approached “Bob” with the idea of widening them was that they were rare and if I decided at some point to pack up this project and step away, they would not have been altered yet. 

The truest thought on the whole vision thing was, I wanted the bike to look, by the average passerby, as an original stock bike. Plus, I wanted it to be truly mine. There are some pieces that won’t be on other bikes like this. No one but me will probably ever notice or understand why I liked it that way. I don’t think any of these will be an improvement in design or performance, but instead a pleasurable thing for me.

So, because I haven’t moved forward yet with any of said modifications, all or most all of the pieces I have collected over all these years are, stock, original parts with very few reproduction parts.

Again, if I make it to finished product, the modified tanks would top off my vision of this bike, and if not..... they’ll be completely uncut and for sale.

I think that’s all for now. 

Talk to you soon,

TVI