Strange Days 4: Tingler Updates! It Takes a Village To Build a Chopper!

Time to dust the cob webs off this site for a Strange Days 4 "Tingler" mega update post!!! The past month or so has be insanely busy getting this old ironhead back on it's wheels again I havent had time to post regularly like usual. I know, excuses escuses... but hey! This bike is going to some lucky winner at Strange Days! The real challenge has been trying to use as much stock Sportster parts as possible. A Sportster chopper that still looks like a Sportster!

Ben nailed it with the custom oil tank with trick battery compartment that will house a small 4 cell ballistics battery, 2 breakers, and switches.

 We bent up a new seat pan that needed some special fab to fit the frame nice. Carl Miller will be doing the seat again this year. He has done the seats for the two previous bikes and does outstanding work!

 Good to go Carl! Start stitchin' up some hide! 

We have the stock rises with an extra 2" of rise added. Just need some welding and some paint and they are good to go.

 Ken and Chris put the wheels together. 18" Firestone ANS for the rear and 21" Avon with stock drum for the front. Thanks to Eddie from Unique for the front tire and other goodies!

Man what a stance!

Matt Rush of Rush Cycles came by with our motor! It doesn't even look like the same motor we gave him a few months ago. Plane and simple, Matt knows his shit. We'll be doin burnouts for sure.

Fitting up some XLR pipes cause they just look so damn good!

Woof!

We brought the Tingler outside for some fresh air.

The ol'man approves! Don't forget this bike could be yours!

Strange Days July 11th-13th. 

(and yes we know the clock is ticking!)
strangedaysevent.blogspot.com

Strange Days 4 Give Away Chopper - The Tingler!

The crickets have been too loud around here but thats mostly due to all grinding, hammering, welding and polishing going on in the RetroFit world headquarters. Some major progress is happening on "The Tingler" and I'll be posting photo soon!

Not to let the cat out of the bag but this is a concept rendering I made some time back. Stay tuned!

Milwaukee Monday #2

"Product Photography - The Days Before Photoshop"

Busy Busy Busy!

There has been lots of stuff happening at the RetroFit Headquarters lately its been hard to keep up with posting. Two xs650s and the Mary Jane were revived from the dead. The shop has been slowly but surely growing and progress is being made on the Strange Days give away ironhead. Check out the videos below.

 New storage.

Rachael's XS rebuild.

Special Delivery!

Matty of Rush Cycle got Mary up on her two wheels again.

Gave the Yamahopper a long over due tune up.

More riding less blogging....

The XS650 for Rachael being fired up for the first time. My ol'man made the handy engine mount. Just a side of caution when starting something that is mounted to the main column of the building you are in...

The upstairs....

XS650 #2, the ol' yamahopper is running again after a major tune-up.

Stay tuned! More Strange Days progress on its way!

Milwaukee Monday #1

In the age of vintage choppers as the mainstream, it's time to change things up a bit. I was just handed down an amazing collection of photos that the factory probably doesn't know exists outside their own walls. A number of them may not pass as "PC" today. It's a complicated story of how they were acquired however, I'm honored to now be the caretaker of these photos. All of the photos were printed from original glass plate negatives. I know the internet is risky business of posting stuff, especially the things that are rare. They get saved, overly re-posted, with no sources given, and before you know it's on every other blog and lost into internet oblivion. So take the time to look these over, give credit where credit is due, and just enjoy these old pics. More to come.

So here is Milwaukee Monday #1. My best guess is this photo is from 1912-1913?

Old Foto Friday

RetroFit will be back to it's regular posting again. I've been on hiatus for awhile due to my job and curve balls life throws at you. Anyway, I know many of you probably see the blogs being paved over by insta-everything. Yes RetroFit now has an instagram too, but the content on both will be different. I'm going to keep RetroFit going as long as possible or until I run out of Old Fotos. I'm also starting a new segment called "Milwaukee Mondays" (Let's hope the MoCo isn't following me, you'll see why) Enough computer, it's spring, get out and pull some wheelies!!

Dave Bader pulling a wheelie on his Super-Glide down and ally way in San Diego, CA

1 Year Ago Today

I can't believe it's been a year already since my beloved (and hated) Slum Goddess went to that junk yard in the sky.