Posted by Witch Doctor on March 09, 2001 at 01:43:10:
Courtesy of several e-mails over the past month, here is some more semi-useful bike related info.
1a- Repainting: stealth mode bikes are painted as you please, but have ALL, and I do mean ALL, identifying emblems removed. If you want to make people question what it is, you need to go so far as to grind the brand and displacement castings off of the cylinder or cases.
1b- Repainting: gloss black is not a user friendly color, road grime will show up almost as well as on a white paint job. The most common colors for daily riders happen to be the three most readily available spray can colors- flat black, primer red and primer grey (any shade thereof).
2- Less is more. Going overboard on the chrome, leather and graphics will make your bike too visually busy. If you want to really be noticed, understated elegance is the way to do it.
3- Ancient paint colors: If you really want to be different, check the back of the various antique vehicle restoration guides, they carry Ditzler paint codes back into the early 1900s. Dare to be different, paint your bike a 1940's or earlier Dodge truck shade. I've got those codes if you want them.
4- Shade Tree is having a close out on the Clymer manual for the Savage. E-mail me if you want their contact information.
5- Chrome care: get yourself some Renaissance wax or Simichrome. They won't scratch metric bike chrome. Look in Blade magazine for the wax, any coin dealer or most bike shops for simichrome.
6- Pipe blueing: live with it. No matter how many times you polish it away, it will just keep coming back.
7- Easy hardtail struts: no such thing. Even the type I make from flat r square bar stock need to be custom fit to your bike. If you want to know how to make them, e-mail me and I'll send you the specs.
8- Reupholstery- pay a pro. It is money well spent to avoid seat cover wrinkles and get exactly the fit ou desire. Find a local shop that does boat or hot rod seats and you are all set.
9- Custom gas tanks: you need to have them made by a Coast Guard or FAA certified welding shop. They can get them to seal correctly.
10- Good tires: The following companies make real tires for the Savage- Avon, Dunlop, Metzeler, Bridgestone. Cheap but decent- Cheng Shin. Garbage-IRC.
11- Customizing: yes, it is worth it, but don't expect to be able to sell your bike easily if you get tired of it. Every rider out there has a different taste than every other rider out there. What works for you may not work for someone else.
Closing thoughts and parting shots...
Ride it til the wheels fall off. Keep it in the wind. Watch for my website "Witch Doctor's Plantation" (I live on an antebellum pecan farm) to hopefully be up by the end of the weekend. Later y'all,
-WD