Farewell HKS USA, Hot Version and Best Motoring

Well, I've wondered when it would happen.  Actually, could it happen.  Well, after Apex-i closed up shop a few years ago, I started wondering if the other big two would be financially stable enough to weather the economic crisis.  HKS USA just dropped a bomb on its vendors and distributors saying that they will be closing down due to a, "slow economic recovery, shrinking aftermarket, The US dollar and the crisis in Japan."  Thats just a damn shame.  I grew up spending every penny I had on parts from these guys in my early twenties.  To see them go is like seeing a part of my youth die off.  So the last bastion of Japanese Domestic Hi-Po parts is GReddy.  I hope this isn't a trend to close US operations in the aftermarket import scene.

In other dire news, Hot Version and Best Motoring are also shuttering operations.  I don't know how many times I've watched their videos, but they were always so well put together, funny and informative.  Its going to be harder to get Japan car porn videos now that they're gone.  Today is a sad day for Japanese car tuners the world over.

Via, 7Tune and Jalopnik

Homemade Velocity Stacks

So I hit up my old man to see if he could make me a velocity stack out of some stainless steel piping (he doesn't have easy access to aluminum).  The result is what you see here.  Probably won't use the bottom piece since it'd look like a fucking dildo hanging off the carburetor.

Poking around the interwebs, the cheapest I could find for a velocity stack was $60 bucks.  Come on.. for a piece of aluminium?  For those that are wondering, the single carb OD for the Honda Shadow VLX 600 is 54mm.  At least on the 2003.  Other years may vary.  Wait a minute.. Is that the first bit of useful information on this blog?  My goodness I think it is.

Just gotta work on a clamp for it and on the bike it goes.

Updated 4/29: Here's an image of the velocity stack on the bike.  Its almost ready for showtime, just need to make a spacer to get the screen to sit flush with the carb.  Never mind the breather filter, thats getting tucked up under the tank.

Another shot to show how far it sticks out.

Honda and Yamaha Cafe Racer's

I've had mixed feelings about Cafe Racers.  Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't.  I've watched a couple episodes of Cafe Racer on HD Theater and think they look pretty cool.  I guess its just the  difference in styles.  When I seriously started looking at bikes to buy, I fell in love with the old school bobber look. The craftsmanship though, the work that goes into them are amazing, but its just not my style.

With that said, there are a few that I think look good, really good especially when they're mixed with some bobber flair.  Like this one and the CB450 pictured here.  Those retro double white walls are so nice and the paint job on the tank--flawless.  I forgot where I found this picture and I wish I did because I'd love to see the specs on this thing.
UPDATE:  Found it! Here too.

 I don't know if this Yamaha is considered a cafe, but I lumped it in because of that flat seat.

If you can't tell, I really like white walls.  This looks like a nice little bike to putt around town.

Happy 420 to You Weed Smokers.

I don't smoke that shit, just give me a bottle of Johnny Black and I'm good.  But do your thing Stoners!

RIP Nate Dogg.

Naked Broads and a Yamaha

There's really no other way to explain it.  Via bikermetric. Somewhere.. I don't remember where..  just go look for it yourself and leave me alone.

日本語ブログ - Design Vintage Halogre

Been link diving through Japanese blog sites and came across this Honda Steed.  Looking pretty cool.  Looks like these guys love running Harley peanut tanks.  Looking at all these slammed Honda's makes me want to go hard-tail mine.  I'll probably get around to doing the conversion sooner or later.. its not like there's a lot you can do to a bike, so might as well do what I can right?

You can check out Design Vintage Halogre here.  There's some cool vintage Harley's there too.

1993 240SX Fastback Flashback

Digging through my Google photos, I came across pictures of my old 240SX and realized I've never posted them up here.  Letting it go was pretty hard, I had gotten a great deal on it and what topped it off was that it only had 40k miles..or 60k!  Whatever the exactly mileage it was tons lower than anything that I had seen for such an old car.  The elderly owner apparently suffered from dementia and never drove it.  This particular car was the longest I ever kept.  I typically sell cars after 2 years but this one went for a good four to five.  I think my favorite memory of this thing was changing the clutch in my garage during record breaking heat.  I was wearing latex gloves and remember the sweat pooling up in the gloves to the joint closest to my palm.  Nasty.  That day I had two friends help me too.  One came in the morning and left after about eight hours and another came right after.  Like a job or something.. haha..

Sad thing was, everything that was wrong with this car was my fault.

Moderate fitment, even in its day.  It was my daily driver after all.  That didn't stop it from chewing up rear tires though.

Just to give a visual from the back.

Farewell my friend, hopefully your new owner is treating you well.

My favorite part since its what I saw the most.

Throwback Tuesday - Sublime

Pirata Motorcycle of Japan

So I was digging through some YouTube videos of Honda Shadows and came across this guys blog.  I don't know what Pirata Motorcycles is, but I think its the name of this guys crew.  If I'm wrong, sorry Pirata Guys.  This Honda Steed (VLX over here I think?) is pretty bad ass though.  Just like what I was gonna do with mine.  Kinda sucks when the ideas you have, have already been manifested in someone else's bike, but also kinda cool cause there's someone on the other side of the globe with the same ideas.

You can check out his blog HERE.  His bike has gone through a few phases which you can follow there.  I've also included his videos for easy viewing.  Oh, and he also listens to Rage Against the Machine, so whats not to like about this??  If you're the owner of this and you're reading this, good job man.. now tell me where you got that rear wheel!  Haha!

Quick Snap

Tee's 2010 BMW 335i x Work Brombacher

So I got this buddy that owns a crazy BMW 335i.  The one you're looking at.  I have the luxury of working with him and being his friend for the last oh.. 15 years or so.  He's always been a very soft spoken fellow.  One that doesn't say much but when he does, you pay attention.. rather unlike me.  He's also been a tinkerer, always likes to know how things work.  Things like computers and more relevant, automobiles. So when he got his new set of wheels I asked if I could shoot it to work on my lowly photography skills.  Below are the results of when some Work Brombachers meet a 2010 BMW 335i.

Do yer' research youngin'

Like I mentioned before, Tee was always a tinkerer.  When he first saw the flush movement sweep through the scene, he laughed at it.  He teased me for my wide wheels popping out of the fenders and brushed it off.  Well, the bug finally bit him and he's been stancing his cars for a few years now.  Now this is where I got the idea for the title.  One day we were talking about offsets and widths that would fit this and that car and he said that most people just jump on a forum, score some offset configurations and copy...copy.. copy.  That wasn't good enough for him.  It never has been.  He succintly says, "Just do your homework," and a title was borne.  Once the teacher, now the student, Tee absolutely schools me now and its amazing how much this guy has learned in such a short amount of time.  I'm talking doing measurements to the last millimeter for clearance.  Of course his stance isn't something everyones going to like, but the research and hardwork that went into getting this to fit correctly and having the balls to drive this thing daily is something to be recognized.

I'd give you a mod list, but I have a feeling most of you didn't click on this to see whats under the hood as much as to see whats under the fenders.  As for rims specs, you can hit up e90post.com to find him there.

Some call this, "Mexi-Flush"

The take away from this would be, "Don't go out and just copy someone's hard work.  If you truly love your car, put in the time and the energy into making it truly your own."  I'd have to agree.  Isn't that why we mod our cars?  To drive something unique?

Posing with some Fedex trucks

..... yeah, enter your own caption here.

"Know where I can score some Pho around here??"

So pretty.

 

Well, thats all folks, thanks for stopping by.