Flatironmike Customworks

border to border

2012-01-07T14:52:00.001-05:00

hope you're also still celebratin' the New Year.

H P N Y

2011-12-31T14:52:00.000-05:00

be careful out on the road tonight - the mother of all amateur nights. see you in the Atlantic tomorrow...

have yourself a very ...

2011-12-23T15:10:00.000-05:00

... mooey christmas

namesake

2011-12-19T12:16:00.001-05:00

i'll let you figure these out

2011-12-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

GWB

2011-12-12T14:54:00.001-05:00

hurry up and wait

2011-12-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

good times.

yeah, okay, it's a Brit

2011-12-09T16:37:00.001-05:00

here's an oldie but goodie. my father-in-law on his '56 BSA Rocket. pic taken back in '57. enjoy.

randomness

2011-12-08T11:13:00.001-05:00

Boardwalk Empire

2011-12-06T08:20:00.001-05:00

spied these handsome pooches strollin' the boardwalk during my weekly Polar plunge. style and grace.

randomness

2011-11-29T09:01:00.001-05:00

we're gettin' the band back together !!

2011-11-27T14:01:00.001-05:00

no, no we're not. taken in the studio from around '89. yes, still have the bass and the amps.

pre-Thanksgiving ritual

2011-11-25T12:03:00.002-05:00

stopped in at the Owl Shop for some holiday cheer. sadly, my old haunt Richter's is now only a memory.

Wonder Wheel vs. Kinger's Wheels

2011-11-20T20:11:00.001-05:00

it's getting damned addictive...

Fall ridin'

2011-11-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

a couple weeks back, Matt, Joshua and I did a little 'hopping' along the gold coast of CT. we rolled in for lunch at Bodega Taco Bar in Fairfield - great food and Sean at the controls is the best. good times.

splish splash

2011-11-13T16:45:00.001-05:00

good day!

sunday, sunday, sunday

2011-11-11T12:24:00.001-05:00

i feel Winter creepin' in and you know what that means....

(hey Rob, i'll be searchin' the ocean floor for more Sporto parts!)

H is for ...

2011-11-09T13:18:00.000-05:00

just ducky...

2011-03-07T17:07:00.003-05:00

more later.

in perfect harmony

2011-02-26T08:05:00.009-05:00

after a little stroll up from GCT, i stopped in De La Concha, 6th ave near 57th st on the isle of Manhattan to visit George and have a cigar. these places are gettin' few and far between - so get out and support your local smoke shop. smuggled in a Cohiba and made a fine time of it before moving on to my 2:30 appointment uptown. thanks, Rowan!

february is the cruelest month

2011-02-18T08:05:00.003-05:00

60 degrees today. snow and ice on sunday. get that ride in soon.

stronger than cola

2011-02-15T15:09:00.002-05:00

greaser mike adaptation '09

now accepting orders

2011-02-13T16:17:00.008-05:00

limited space available
from mild to wild (well, sort of)
get the custom machine you've always wanted
order now - just in time for the Spring riding season
easy payment plan
worldwide shipping available
email for details and a free brochure
no salesman will visit your home

as seen in American Iron, Iron Horse, Iron Works, and DicE

flatironmike@gmail.com

hey, somebody's gonna build it, so why not get it done right

rock AND roll

2011-02-13T16:05:00.002-05:00

steveb.biz photo '09

randomness

2011-02-03T08:33:00.002-05:00

just about the only benefit to the ice storm

2011-02-02T19:25:00.001-05:00

randomness

2011-02-01T15:56:00.013-05:00

greaser mike photo '08

a new friend has been visiting lately

2011-01-31T13:26:00.002-05:00

'winter shovel project'

2011-01-29T09:22:00.004-05:00

not exactly what i was thinking of, either.

snow day (again)

2011-01-27T10:49:00.001-05:00

gettin' redundant, no?

randomness

2011-01-26T08:52:00.003-05:00

luis macias photo '08

weekend follies

2011-01-24T16:51:00.006-05:00

mosied into Midtown last Friday for a 'custom' mc event and bumped into the usual suspects. all of 'em were looking to cram the cash bar and share some laughs at someone else's expense. nice array of flannel, no? good times.

tool box porn

2011-01-20T12:26:00.002-05:00

pit crew - mexico style

2011-01-16T13:30:00.002-05:00

EDR06

chillin'

2011-01-15T12:17:00.001-05:00

snow bunny

2011-01-12T20:27:00.002-05:00

oh man....

2011-01-11T20:00:00.005-05:00

-go- HERE

here we go again...

2011-01-11T08:04:00.003-05:00

swing low, sweet chariot(s)

2011-01-08T12:38:00.002-05:00

simple is best

2011-01-07T10:06:00.002-05:00

out with the new(er) and in with the old

2011-01-06T15:43:00.004-05:00

rolled out No.3 for some saddle time. been havin' mucho fun on Hot Rats, but i've been neglecting my others - and they're none too happy about it.

randomness

2011-01-06T08:40:00.003-05:00

marc alt photo '05

topping off a pretty good nyd

2011-01-01T21:33:00.002-05:00

isle of man(hattan)

2011-01-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

for years i've been aiming to do this new year's day run around the island, but never got to do it until now. good peeps and a good time. balmy temps in the 40s created a very wet and slushy ride. it'll take weeks of hosing down to get all the salt and crap off the bike and outta my jacket. but hey, it's a great start to 2011. h p n y

H P N Y

2010-12-31T15:03:00.004-05:00

reach for the stars.

best wishes to you and yours in the new year.

randomness

2010-12-29T10:07:00.002-05:00

post-holiday blues

2010-12-26T19:08:00.007-05:00

and a blizzard?! ugh. i'm ready to....

happy holidaze, all. hope to be out on two wheels soon. we'll see!

easy wider

2010-12-23T15:43:00.003-05:00

a few frozen, bloodied and busted knuckles later, we now have a 130/90/18 Spitfire on the rear. almost too beefy (to my eye), but fills out the rear deck nicely.

that'll do, pig.

fat tire craze - again?!

2010-12-22T16:57:00.007-05:00

the rear tire on Hot Rats seems a bit narrow compared to the rear deck. i originally wanted matching tires when i went with 110/90's front and rear. i'm gonna try a 130/90 on the rear if it'll fit. we'll see!

randomness

2010-12-18T08:19:00.002-05:00

need some temps above 32 really soon

'nother kz trimming

2010-12-14T11:57:00.005-05:00

my brother Jason has cajoled me into 'trimming' his kz650 for next season. nothin' extreme or funky. new (old) seat (on the way), gtank (on the way) and hbars. new hbars (from Hot Rats) look good. removed the gauges and assorted stuff to get a cleaner look.

oh yeah, feels a bit better at 22 degrees - up from 19 when i started this a.m.

randomness

2010-12-10T11:55:00.003-05:00

randomness

2010-12-02T17:38:00.003-05:00

perfect ridin' weather

2010-11-28T16:06:00.003-05:00

despite the 33 degree mark when i rolled outta the garage this a.m. Paul stopped by on his T-3 and a neat V7 was also in attendance at Marcus Dairy. good day.

...

2010-11-27T14:48:00.002-05:00

randomness

2010-11-24T08:52:00.001-05:00

rollin' 'n smokin'

2010-11-21T07:25:00.007-05:00

chris and i took a ride out to oyster bay on the island of long for some century cycles style vintage and promptly turned around and made a beeline to florios in manhattan for some lunch followed by fine cigars and cocktails upstairs in the member lounge. good day.

[note to bj: bikes and velvet ropes don't mix - just sayin']

...in the mist

2010-11-17T18:16:00.002-05:00

rich pitoniak photo '10

randomness

2010-11-16T07:12:00.003-05:00

separated at KHI

2010-11-10T15:53:00.001-05:00

fall back marcus dairy randomness

2010-11-07T15:19:00.006-05:00

randomness

2010-11-05T10:44:00.001-04:00

gluttony has no end

2010-11-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

or is it bravado? my youngest brother Jason's '78 kz650 is in for a carb cleaning and general look over. he picked it up for a couple hundred bucks last year. we put new Spitfires, brakes, battery, fresh oil and air and oil filters and he was good to go. but, man the carbs were tres dirtay. oofa

'shoe

2010-10-27T08:15:00.002-04:00

despite a leaky petcock (more on that later), rolled up to the Horseshoe Cafe on Hot Rats on an eerily balmy Tuesday.

montauk-a-go-go

2010-10-25T17:02:00.006-04:00

the end - 2010 edition

sunday, sunday, sunday

2010-10-24T17:47:00.006-04:00

took Hot Rats on a maiden voyage to Marcus Dairy this a.m. parked in the high-dollar, european, full race leather, geezer area. garnered more than a few 'donkey faces' - ha!

great ride and a fun ride - 'cause nuthin' fell off and nuthin' broke. hey!

Kawtober!

2010-10-23T07:57:00.009-04:00

fresh off the success of dialing in the Mikunis on Hot Rats, i decided to give the Eliminator's Keihns a good, well deserved and long over due cleaning. wow, what a difference. this is a bone-stock, year-one (1985), shaft driven, water-cooled, 900cc Ninja motored, 'black missile of death.' this bike has served me well for nearly two and half decades since i purchased it off the showroom floor in New Haven, CT way back in '86. H-Ds are neat and fun to assemble, but Kaws are the real thing. you can keep your Vmaxs, FXRs and Dynas thank you very much.

what's done is done (almost)

2010-10-21T07:13:00.007-04:00

been a while since posting - or posting updates on the KZ project. finished up the bike a couple weeks back. pleased with the outcome. ergonomics are surprisingly good for a big galoot like myself. still having issues with the carbs, but confident my endeavor to persevere will suss out in time. glad to have this in the fold and (finally) on the road. hot rats!

enjoy, or don't

randomness

2010-10-02T17:55:00.001-04:00

found!

2010-09-25T07:21:00.003-04:00

Shawn's bike was retrieved late yesterday. good karma travels fast, no?

hooray!

stolen bike alert - Calgary, Canada

2010-09-24T11:25:00.008-04:00

FoFIM Shawn's iconic Honda chop was stolen last night from the greater Calgary area. if you have any info, please email me: flatironmike@gmail.com and i'll forward to the proper authorities.

thanks in advance

randomness

2010-09-24T08:25:00.003-04:00

fresh as a daisy

2010-09-22T08:26:00.006-04:00

had a bit of an issue with No.3 while returning from Brit Jam last month. seems the oil pump wasn't up to the task, resulting in a bit of scratch 'n sniff. we're back in business now, and looking better than ever.

NYC weekend rollin'

2010-09-20T08:38:00.003-04:00

randomness

2010-09-16T10:49:00.004-04:00

the mule

marc alt photo '05

The End -again soon

2010-09-13T19:55:00.004-04:00

has it really been almost a year since?

GR4 photo follies

2010-09-10T08:29:00.003-04:00

roll the DicE

2010-09-04T08:28:00.002-04:00

Brit Jam randomness

2010-08-19T17:34:00.003-04:00

well....

2010-08-08T07:55:00.004-04:00

check it, HERE

'right turn, Clyde'

2010-08-04T17:56:00.005-04:00

FoFIM Gabe and the AHC folks get it. unfortunately, it's on the other coast and i send my regrets. looks like a great time, especially without the annoying laugh. read the itinerary, HERE

randomness

2010-07-24T08:35:00.003-04:00

mule v2.0

NYC 'Holeshot' Vin Moto Show Aug. 22

2010-07-23T09:33:00.003-04:00

always a great time.

CT Brit Jam August 15th

2010-07-23T09:30:00.003-04:00

a nice ride to the countryside to view some Vincents, BSAs, Triumphs and the like.

back in black

2010-07-19T11:41:00.003-04:00

rattlecan satin, that is. now, it's on to the side covers.

seat be fini

2010-07-13T19:38:00.004-04:00

stoked with the outcome. with the seat height set, it's on to the footpeg mounts. here's the rough cut outs using 1/4" flatstock and good ol' H-D pegs. the extra meat on the right side is for the muffler mount.

weekend randoms

2010-07-12T08:03:00.003-04:00

American, Brit and Italian (plus a couple of tasty Cubans) out for a lark, Smilin' Jack roadside repair service and a favorite watering hole. all in a weekend's work.

KZ seat update

2010-07-08T08:21:00.005-04:00

been off the grid, so to speak, as well as lagging on posting updates on the KZ. here's some progress on my version of the 'burnt croissant' leather seat cover. ouch! my fingers hurt.

Next Saturday, July 10th

2010-07-03T09:38:00.005-04:00

NEW LOCATION! Four Town Fairgrounds, 56 Egypt Road, Somers, CT

...

2010-06-26T09:04:00.002-04:00

new month, new task.

2010-06-01T17:33:00.007-04:00

big ups to Jon Volk for the aluminum welding on the rear deck - great stuff. sorry the Blue Moons weren't cold! now it's on to the steel seat pan and leather work. i'm really lookin' forward to this task. 'paging steveb, paging steveb - please dust off the sewing machine'

fly screen - not so much

2010-05-29T09:18:00.003-04:00

the Buell fly screen from Joel arrived yesterday and i'm thinkin' it's not quite the right fit. gonna take a minute to chew it over. we'll see. off to visit Jon on Tuesday for some welding and Blue Moon bottle cap poppin'

and a little bit more

2010-05-28T10:35:00.006-04:00

you gettin' weary of this yet? i'm not. very pleased with the progress so far. paging Jon Volk, paging Jon Volk. once we're welded, it's onto the seat cover - oh joy. after the seat is mounted, i can begin the peg mounts fab.

just a bit more progress.

2010-05-25T20:22:00.003-04:00

slowly, but don't call me Shirley!

lookin' a bit more mc-ish

KZ rear deck - first attempt

2010-05-24T10:12:00.004-04:00

took a stab at some low tech forming to shape the rear deck from a piece of 1/8" thick aluminium. trying to keep the essence of the 80s style and somewhat match the (ugly) gas tank. needs a bit more 'tweaking' (and chopping) or even another piece with a different style. we'll see.

FoFIM

2010-05-22T08:18:00.005-04:00

friend of FIM, Rowan, sends these from his adopted home in Espana. thanks! check out Rowan's blog here

cheers, mate!

hangin' with the Chief

2010-05-21T18:21:00.003-04:00

rolled out on Kinger to the country to visit my father-in-law, Tip, who's been on the mend of late. did a little maintenance on the '46 and shot the breeze for a while. hmmmmm, 98, huh? not bad.

a good day.

much, much, better...

2010-05-20T15:47:00.006-04:00

...than new. a little tweakin' goes a long way. now i remember why i chose these over the standard cleeep-ons.

just waitin' on the mini flyscreen from Joel and its a go.

quickie mock up

2010-05-19T12:48:00.004-04:00

looks and feels comfy. just need to adjust 'em a bit more to get 'skinny'. looking for a mini style fairing to complete the front end. onward and upward!

sexy italiano

2010-05-16T15:41:00.003-04:00

okay, been waaay too long with the KZ project. hemming and hawing about these and just bit the bullet. pricey, yes, but oh so sexy. ciao bella!