Indian givers

Papa Kurpius sent out a stack of machining goods and accessories, don't worry chuck I've hidden them from Petey. Your a gracious soul, if only you could have passed it on to your Kid.


Grant and Harpoon over at The Shame of it all send all kinds of love from the lower California coast. David Mann, voodoo and The Cult. Welcome home champs.
Kyle from Oklahoma City graced us with his mug and his felines fine coat.
The Hated of the World do it right in the ways of gift giving and Texas thunder. Now if I can just get Mitch to stay within the lines.
Chris Webb of jolly old England sent this fantastic drawing. Real nice Chris, real nice.
Mr. Jeremy Menuey of Summer Iowa was kind enough to give up this classic magazine cover which we all love. Real neat stuff Jeremy and quite the generous gift.

There still coming in and I have more to post but want you all to know how much we appreciate it. Bravetown already looks like its been there for years not weeks and it feels like home thanks to all of you wonderful folks in the bloggerdome. keep on keeping on.

Silent woman in the night, you came, Took my seed from my shaking frame.
Same old fire, another flame,
And the wheel rolls on.

Silent woman through the flames, you come, From the deep behind the sun
Seems my nightmares, have just begun
Left me barely holding on.

With blazing eyes you see my trembling hand. When we know the time has come
Lose my senses, lose command
Feel your healing rivers run

Is it every time I fall, That I think this is the one
In the darkness can you hear me call
Another day has just begun.

Silent woman, my face is changed Some know in ways to come.
Feel my fire needs a brand new flame
And the wheels rolls on.... rolls on.

The Wanton Song
Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti

The Emerald City

Spent a couple of days with my Sis' in Seattle this past weekend. Had a kickass time. I had some fresh boiled shrimp and Dungeness crab waiting for me. I had never eaten dungeness before. Once I realized they were like oversized Louisiana Blue Gulf Crabs, it was on!

Detroit ghost town

Harlan, myself and a fifth of Blackberry Brandy hopped on an Amtrak train on Friday afternoon to Detroit to hang out with some old friends. Our buddy Eric Lange has spent the last 3 years as a camera man on the television show deadliest catch up in Alaska, prior to that he was an editor for The Monster Garage in LA. He was offered the job as Producer for the new Monster Garage hosted by the Detroit Brothers and has called Detroit home for the last 6 months. Eric hired another one of our pals Matt Powers to help out with production, these are the guys that I travel to far off places with to do stupid shit whether it be surfing, dirtbiking or just getting out of the country for a while. They were having their wrap party for the show and we needed to nail down our next adventure destination so we headed out for some good times.

Wrapping the last day of shooting in the coldest warehouse in Detroit.
















I truly believe that Detroit will be the first ghost town in our modern world. Downtown is completely empty and abandoned minus the ball stadiums and a few clinging businesses and restaurants. It's so empty that it's not even scary, just sad and unbelievably depressing. We decided to take advantage of the destruction and went over to the abandoned train depot which was once full of life. We broke in through an underground tunnel that wasn't covered with barbed wire and entered the underbelly of erieness. The bums in the dark aren't even intimidating, everything in this city is just broken, from concrete to human spirit. Once we made it in we found an empty playground for graffitti artists and anybody curious enough to find their way inside. The busted staircases were a bit sketchy but we finally wound our way to the roof top for the best view of the dying city. If I didn't have roots in this town I would've been stoked to have found the funhouse but it left my childhood memories of ballgames and coney dogs with my pops cloudy and burnt. I wish Detroit the best but I know it'll never be the same, so if you want to see the true state of the nation get on a plane, train or automobile and spend a weekend in Detroit City. Buy american while you still can, and keep the machines on this side of the pond.

Dave Mann

I'm headed for the Dave Mann Show. Be back in two weeks!

Brohams

On the Country Mile 2008

Stay High.... Ride it out

Mitch going for a test ride.

REO Flying Cloud

I had to get my camera cleaned so I took a trip into the suburbs today. While I was waiting I stopped over at my friend Bobby's place. He just picked up this 1932 REO which is a rare car. They made fewer than 3900 cars in all body styles that year. It was a car for the higher class. In 1932 You could buy a new Ford in for about 400 dollars or you could buy a REO of a similar body style for around 1200 dollars. It's a very original car. It's was repainted in the 70's but still looks great. The interior is the original mohair and the odometer reads 2900 miles. Bobby drinks his beer with his pinky finger extended now. It's a really clean car but Bobby says he feels too high class driving it.... so he is selling it. He'd rather have an REO Speedwagon

Call him at 847.338.0998 or Click here for more info.

Night Prowler

Too scared to turn your light out

'Cos there's something on your mind

Was that a noise outside your window?

What's that shadow on the blind?

.

.

As you lie there naked

Like a body in a tomb

Suspended animation

As I slip into your room.

.

.

I'm your Night Prowler

I sleep in the day

I'm your Night Prowler

get out of my way

Look out for the Night Prowler

watch you tonight

I'm the Night Prowler

when you turn out the light

--

Night Prowler

AC/DC

Ruby meets her match

Travis Auclair.....

.... Shot this panoramic earlier this summer when he and the Vice crew came out to the styx to do some filming.

Ms Metal Belt Buckles

I shot these a few years ago. Some sweet Buckles made by Ms Metal.

GIT YOU SOME!

Dec. 1st 1975

It was amazing how nice it was today. I still haven't fixed my throttle cable because I figured my riding season was over. So I jumped on my Dad's 75 FLH and went for a ride.







The harvest is still on.....

Searching?

Robert Louis Stevenson quoted "The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life."

Why then do we ever grasp at the stars if the sweetest things are there? Then why and for what do we always search? What drives us?

You can't be content if you are searching.

In the wind

Our pal J.J. Prowl gave us this classic banner that he got from his uncle long ago. It led me and Mitch to talk about where we would like to hang our hats someday and we both agreed that a helmet law state was out of the question. I understand the safety argument but the bobblehead feeling and obstructed vision feels far more unsafe to me. I once watched a friend die at a bullriding event because he wasn't wearing a helmet but I still rode without one and I've seen more than my share of bad wrecks where a helmet could've made a difference, that being said I also have a friend in a wheelchair because the weight of his helmet broke his neck as he slid into a car. Lots of different arguments but in the end it just feels right to be in the wind. I guess it's just a matter of opinion. In Illinois they want to give us legal lane splitting in exchange for a helmet law. Luckily ABATE is doing a good job upholding riders rights.

Rowdy

It doesn't get anymore real than this guy right here. Rowdy is a guy that has lived fast and has taken more chances at death then you could ever imagine. He's got a never ending list of heavy stories from the early club days. He worked for Alen Ness when he built the frame that surrounds this Ironhead. He has chris crossed the country from coast to coast on this bike so many times he lost count. He has had his hand cut off and sewed back on....... seen his days in prison and just as he was written off to cancer he hops on his bike and rides right through it all. One of the toughest guys I know.

I took these pictures early last year at his house outside of Vancouver Washington.






Rowdy is good friends with Taber Nash at Nash Motorcycle Co. Taber sells a frame exact to the dimensions of the original frame Rowdy made so many years ago. Check out Nash's ROWDY FRAME It's made of 160 wall 7/8's tubing.