GOLD MEMBER

Hi Guys!
We FIRED🔥🔥🔥 up the Snake Shaker! It was such an experience and to hear those fishtails roar... my heart was racing. Hearing that motor turn over was intense. It was a really cool moment in the garage. Twisting that throttle while up on the lift felt surreal.

Cal dedicated two days to rewire the bike. He trimmed quite a bit out that I really didn't need or find necessary. Kickstand sensor, clutch sensor etc. Kept the wiring as simple as possible.

When I took her out for the first time, my heart was thumping in my chest. I was nervous not to fumble. I have this intense fear of messing up in front of people and looking like a fool. I was a little bit of a baby deer, especially with the new buckhorn handlebars that I wasn’t yet used to. (Hefner has much lower handlebars)

After a bit of the initial “shock” wore off, things started to feel comfortable and really good. This moment I can’t explain, things were just incredibly smooth. I felt like I was sitting in a sofa chair. I was IN the bike, not ON it. Suddenly, every fleetwood mac song played in my brain and I remembered the very reason of building the bike. To feel free and be one with the road. A feeling I never felt before on any bike ever or even as a passenger. I felt so connected to the road. 

This is me.. crying a million tears of happiness, connecting to mom in heaven, adoring nature of NJ and being with the people that I love so damn much. My heart is happy and I welded my soul into this machine that is my horse. thank you @bengottheinsta59fl for capturing this moment of pure bliss. thank you @retrofitcycleworks for encouraging me to be me and free.

Ben snapped this picture and I feel like it sums up my soul. After the first ride was over, we sat in lawn chairs and talked about how far we all have come in this process. I'm really happy with the progress of the bike.

So happy, I almost didn't have the heart to tear it apart for paint. We are on the home stretch with @babesrideout approaching.

NOW IT'S PAINT TIME.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I decided on the whole bike being painted gold because it is what I see every time I close my eyes and envision my fire breathing horse. I also see gold as my soul color. It’s such a magical color. It reminds me a lot of Stevie Nicks, maybe even a little “Gold Dust Woman”. A lot of early Easyrider magazines I saw had bright painted colors, so vivid and vibrant. I also feel it’s important for safety to be SEEN (bright colors) and HEARD (pipes). I feel really great about my bike.

With Babes coming up next week, I have butterflies in my stomach, but I'm super stoked. I'm holding a prebabes party at my house, sage, Fleetwood Mac and my favorite ladies. 

COMING TOGETHER

APRIL HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY MONTH.

Since May is here, it is CRUNCH time.
BABES RIDE OUT IS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS😰😰😰😰😰

The bike is definitely coming together. I know it's been a while since my last blog entry but it's been a pretty steady schedule of coming home from work then heading straight to the garage. The boys and I have been working pretty hard on #thesnakeshaker. There are some things that I would have ABSOLUTELY no a clue on how to do, so I'm so happy for them leading me into the right direction. If there is a situation I don't understand, I make sure I listen to try and absorb any information.

It has been a really wild ride so far, but things are really coming together. we have the sissy bar tacked into place.

Greg and I will be working on the snake king and queen seat soon. Below is the picture of the vinyl seat fabric. Did you guess it was snake skin?

The head pipes, fishtails, and brackets are mounted. This process is pretty spectacular and its to the point where its become an obsession. It's all I think about every time I close my eyes. We also did a huge parts order from JP Cycles and Dime City Cycles so it felt like Christmas when everything came in.

Pulled the bike out quick for a few photos and see the stance.

Cal made this AMAZING oil tank set up. I told him I wanted him to carve his initials in it because it came out so good.

Its really an overflow tank for the coolant, but also the battery box. It hides all the electronics! How cool is that? I think it's genius.

So this ends another blog post and I wanted to re-cap whats been going on. It's been a process for sure, and now it's amazing to see everything coming together.


MUNDY BUILDS A CHOPPER

Hi moto heads :)

I know it's been sometime since my last post but I've been very busy with working on the bike. We have made huge progress with the frame and I'm thinking it will be a roller by the end of THIS week. I've been posting on my instagram of the recent photos of my time tack welding. Tack welding has grown into the actual welding. It's so tricky. Though I can't say some of the welds are too pretty but they are structural and they are MINE.

THEY ARE MY WELDS. How cool is that? Of course the BEST weld I did lies underneath the seat post. 👀

This was a tack weld I did on the lower extended part of the frame. Tack welds are my favorite and I was taught that both sides need to have equal penetration for strength.

Now I would really like to make it clear that I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without the help of Cal, Ben, Greg or Joe. I've been absorbing as much information as I can. Without them I wouldn't be able to do this build whatsoever. It's been long nights in the garage, and I have my eye on the chopper prize.

The frame will definitely be a head scratcher to people. I mean, how many Hondas do you see chopped to this extent? There's almost nothing left of the original frame.


This was probably the most difficult section to modify. For whatever reason the stock Honda frame rails are two different heights. Cal and Ben figured out how to extend the front down tubes so the lower frame rails are even and the rear frame rails to rear axle are all on the same plane and angle. This was also tricky because we needed to make new motor mounts and foot peg mounts on that side.

Before with everything tacked in place.

After. All welded up and smoothed out.

Like it never happened!

Also got some some help from Phil @instajam11 He bent up a section that we needed for chain clearance. It worked perfectly. Thanks Phil!!

#mundybuildsachopper

3D Model Renderings!

Calvin Piorkowski is a man of many talents. Not just the knowledge of building bikes but also for graphic design work. He put together a couple of renderings for me based on what I told him I want. He was able to take the measurements from the TC Bros hardtail kit and apply it to the 3d model to see how we'll be able to modify this already complex frame. The only thing that will be original will be the front half of the engine cradle. Below is what I'm dreaming the Snake Shaker will look like.

Sportster buckhorns, slight rake, 4" over tubes, fake horseshoe oil tank for battery and other electrical stuff. The rear wheel location will be moved forwards 3-4." Lastly, the stock steam roller rear wheel will be replaced with a CB750 hub laced to a Harley 16" rim.

Pretty cool, right? Cal also helped develop a simplified wiring diagram. I pretty much have everything I need to really get started. Can't wait!

For Judy

I MADE MY FIRST OFFICIAL CUT INTO THE BIKE.

It was like carving a cake... but with a sawzall.

From day one of getting the bike I wanted to cut that bulky butt-brace off. There is so much excess hoses and tubing on the bike too. Staying true to chopper dreaming, the simpler the better, it's all going in the trash. The 90's were such a weird time. So much plastic and so much bulk. Unnecessary plastic pieces filled the garbage pile.

CUTTING OFF FROG LEGS

Joe was so excited about cutting the frame. We are planning to get rid of the whole rear end of the bike and installing the TC Bros hardtail kit. I can see where the bike is really headed now. I'm so stoked. The bike is going to look so good and I feel like my soul NEEDS this work.

We mocked up some parts hanging around and my heart skipped a couple of beats. 

Alas, Cal directed and I worked on removing nuts and bolts. I even saw the bike bleed green blood everywhere (coolant). We removed the radiator and the rest of the wiring. I held the carburetor in my hands. It's a pretty cool feeling, opening the guts up and see how the system works. I held the wiring like a central nervous system. I believe to truly understand something, I like to see each part and what it does. 

As the day ended, we received some sad news about Ben's mom, Judy. She had been fighting pancreatic cancer for awhile and passed. A stillness kind of overcame us. Some of you may know, I lost my mom to cancer last May, so my heart bled for Ben. It's in times like these, you can't help but feel compassion. When my mom died I wasn't even sure if I could imagine myself enjoying things that I loved. I made myself ride to Babes Ride Out and it was a decision that helped me heal. When people we love so dearly pass, it's hard to picture a life without them. 

However, I found that it's never really "without". It's within. We carry these people within us. The people who pass live through us and we share moments of their memories while we make new ones. I talk to my mom all the time when I'm riding. I'm pretty sure she makes sweet traffic breaks for me and tells me to slow down around curves. 

We can't control pain or grief but we can control how we handle it. we offer comfort to those who have just lost. Ben, I can't say its easy but I can say, I will carry the weight with you. 

Cal and I were at the bar when we got the news. Only made sense to have a shot for Judy

So, as I leave this blog post on a bit of a somber detail, remember that when we ride, we feel life. Life is the most fragile thing. Build the bikes you want to build. Ride until you feel content, and tell the ones you love dearly, that you would move mountains for them (Calvin).

Joe and Judy at the Fuel Cleveland show last summer. She made the very long trek from Delaware to Ohio with her daughters, Amy and Tracy, just to see Ben's bike in the show. She was so incredibly proud of him.

Here is to you, Judy.

Another One for the Books!

Cheap Thrills was FANTASTIC!

I had a great time seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones. I love the motorcycle community. It's so refreshing to be around especially during the winter blues. I wish I brought my camera and captured the bikes on display. There was a Honda chopper in the show which lead me to a new goal......

ENTER THE SNAKE SHAKER IN NEXT YEAR'S CHEAP THRILLS SHOW!

I couldn't imagine seeing my name as a builder. I'm trying not to get too ahead of myself, but could you imagine? I would love to enter...

Asbury Park holds a lot of memories dear to me.  My family vacationed there for years, so I feel as though every wave has a memory tied to it. Every grain of sand has love etched into the texture. It's cool to see it when the season is down, although I love the summer, seeing it in winter makes you appreciate the stillness more.

A picture I took on the beach last summer

We were vendors again this year and our booth was neighboring Sarah (@wild__belle) towards the stage. For those who don't know Sarah, She is a really cool chick who works leather pieces and sells some vintage attire.

She is extremely bad ass and super friendly to talk to. She worked her booth alone and it was pretty inspiring to watch her in action. Many people don't know how hard it is to sell or market your wares. You also have to have the energy and the ability to multi-task. Not only was she selling, but she was also working on more items and sewing leather. Major kudos to this girl. It's very easy to start talking to her, and she has an incredible back story to an accident that happen and changed her life. Later on, I saw her Instagram story and she was cleaning up the beach and throwing away garbage.

Vending the Retrofit booth is always a blast. Meeting new people, watching deals being made is a pretty cool experience. This year, I have to brag about Cal's tank mounts he made. They are pretty neat looking. They are a weld-on tank front mount for '74-'81 sportsters that give your sportster that "Frisco" look. They look cast but are actually 4 pieces welded together and finished to look it's cast one piece. If interested in purchasing contact Cal (@retrofitcycleworks)

Well here is to another great event with great people!

Thanks to Walter and Dusty for an event that helps kick the "Winter Blues":) 

 UNTIL NEXT YEAR........

CHEAP THRILLS

This weekend is Cheap Thrills in Asbury park!

I've been thinking of selling a few items that have been following me around for far too long. I also watch a few episodes of hoarders and I want to clear out clutter.. It's so easy for me to hoard gear. 

Along with a few other knickknacks.

I'm excited to see familiar faces, especially since I have a large amount of friends who are vending the event. I've been looking forward to this for weeks, just to hang out on a Saturday ( I usually work) relax, see old faces, meet Instagram gal friends, talk shop... To say I'm excited is an understatement. 

Speaking of motorcycles, don't you miss the summer?

I figured my next post will be about what to bring for camping trips.

A side note,  WORK THE SNAKE SHAKER STARTS NEXT WEEK!!!


on ward and upward!

MUNDY BUILDS A CHOPPER