For the Haters...

gettin close.

Things r startin' to come to a head on Rj's pura vida hi-way chopper... finally. She is all wired up and bolted together, we just waiting on paint (as usual) but Justin assures me he will be done on the first...of August that is. My pin-striper /sign painter buddy Brady from Earn yer stripes.com is coming down from San pedro to do the color seperation striping and the lettering on the gas tank. The gold powder coated rims and the gold on the tins is gonna look great! The body guys at Justins did an amazing job finishing and preping all the metalwork for a steller paint job. This thing is gonna be outtasight! Stay tuned for a n update soon...Pura Vida! Lil C

Finally...

Things r rollin along... wheels r gettin' laced with Landmark stainless smooth spokes...cool! Body werk is gettin' sanded and smoothed for paint at Justin's in Vista. Still searchin' for a seat and a few odds and ends...Gonna' start wiring and puttin' on hand controls this week. Got black turn signals and cool new black switch housing for handle bars. Got some gloss black stuff at powder coat at North county powdercoating in Vista. New black rear view mirrors and new black cables....this things gonna be classy!

Favor at L.B.C.S.!

Great success at Long Beach Cycle Swap this weekend! I'm so stoked cause i prayed for all the right parts to be there for us and for favor when dealin with the vendors! and guess what...we got some amazing deals and it seemed like the vendors didnt even know why they were giving me awesome parts for such a great price...Praise God, He loves Harley Davidsons!!!
First off i found a killer unknown aftermarket Sportster swingarm frame that needs a little work cosmetically but is gonna be an awesome skeleton for the Pura Vida. I love the "A" shaped front downtubes, definately not a stock H.D. frame. Think there might be a couple of degrees in the neck but can't tell yet. The dude that sold it to me said "sure u can buy it for yer price...only if you take that HUGE box of extra parts with it"!...."no problem" i said. The box had a ton of treasures in it....new chain, front pegs, passenger pegs, fender struts, front and rear fenders that i actually dig for this bike. Got the rear 16" XL with drum for a song! Found a cool sissy bar to for "R".
Gonna cut the spokes out today and get it all to powder coat as soon as i get the front hub for the 21" front wheel. Lookin for the right tires too, i think i know the size i want to use but need to find the best deal on 'em. still some parts to find, oil bag, fairing, gonna make a killer two-up seat and have the guy at redtail leather make it look beautiful!
Pura Vida! C

Motors Done!

Oh Man! The motors all buttoned up with a buncha new inside stuff and a lot of chrome hardware.The chrome head bolts and chrome rocker top bolts look great!I love that all the hardware on the entire engine is matching and brand new...no stripped out 30 year old bolts on this thing.
Painted the metal high temp wrinkle black that really holds up to heat and gas. Sandblasted all the rocker tops and jugs etc and then painted em with high temp gloss black, they look sick! We made some neat polished oil return lines and some brass pushrod tube covers. Waitin to get the electronic ignition from Crane to see if i can find a new one at the cycle swap for a few bucks cheaper...new of course.
Pura Vida mi amigos!
Hasta que hablar otra vez

Decision time

These are the three best choices for the powdercoated rims. keep in mind that we will color match the paint to this color on the tank and fender so pick the one you want the paint to look like. The one on the left is obviously very orange and looks crazy in the sun! It "flops" from dark to light and is real dramatic. The center one is a little more traditional yellowish gold and has a lot of sparkle in the sunlight, a real eye pleasing color. The one on the right has more of a champagne look to it. Its's classy and would look fantastic opposite gloss black tins. I think the center color is best and would look great with the new chrome spokes and black hub of the wheels. I think it will also "pop" off the semi gloss black paint with cream pinstripe and lettering. We should put a small panel of color on the front fairing too! Im planning on painting Pura Vida similar to the black and orange bike being black (semi or gloss) black on gold tank panels and a paneled rear fender.
LBC cycle swap this weekend! Pray for the perfect frame!

Pura Vida parts!

Got a box of stuff from J&P Cycles today, Chrome pushrod covers, James complete engine gasket set, chrome axle adjusters, cam shims, and chrome tach plug. Yesterday we got chrome engine hardware kit and a sick pair of cheap grips from Biltwell. Havin a Gas! hanks R.J ! PURA VIDA!

Pura Vida update #4

Motor is lookin hot! media blasted , de-greased, polished and painted! Gaskets will be in this week and it goes back together with new cam shims and all stainless steel oil lines and polished copper return hard lines.

pura vida update!

Exciting!
Got the heads and cylinders back today and they look amazing! We replaced a few things in there but overall it just needed a go through. The heads and rocker tops as well as cylinders were all sandblasted and painted high temp gloss black. I decided to go through the clutch and make sure everything was tight and as other than a new chain tensioner everything was great! Looks like the front sprocket is relatively new as is the chain....cool. The cam side of the motor is always tricky but i ventured into it and took the cam cover off to trick it out and lighten it up a bit. Noticed that the lifter end play was a bit excessive so I'm ordering new tappet blocks and probly lifters. The cams look perfecto as do the shims so after replacing some black stock hoses with stainless steel ones we are goin to re-time the motor and replace all the gaskets and put her back together using all new chrome engine hardware...badass!

Pura Vida update...

Got the top end of the motor off and aside from some rust from sitting awhile the jugs and pistons n such looked pretty good. Gonna replace the pistons and rings and basically redo the rocker valve assymbly but it tells me that the motor was runnin pretty good! I took the heads and cylinders and rocker tops to my good buddy Randy who does an amazing head job and the stuff always comes back lookin brand freakin new! With some new H.D. gaskets and some chrome hardware the top end of the motor will look tight! Ordered new chrome rocker tops too, they will really offset the black wrinkle finish on the engine with just the right amount of shine.
Thinkin of doin somethin funky with the clutch cover and cam cover...dunno yet, maybe sandblast the chrome off and keep em raw or machine finish ..or just polish the shit out of them n pinstripe 'em.
Got an amazing bargain on a brand new S&S Super E carb from a friend with intake minifold. Deal! and its polished!
Should be a week or so before the heads come back..till then we find the frame!

'58 Xl900 Dirt track

new project! PURA VIDA!

Yeah! new iron!
Gonna build a 1977 XLCH 1000cc powered swingarm framed gold rimmed flat and shiney painted powder coated badass! Good friend R.J. owner artist at Good Life Tattoo Santa Teresa, Costa Rica ( hi) is havin a good time smooth riden' two-up ironhead put together for summers in the Unidos Americanos. Still contemplating what frame to use and am activly searching a hot,chopper style swingarm frame for a '77 Sportster. Might use a stock one and trick it out, chrome swingarm, little rake and smoothed out. Motor will get fresh top end while we check clearences etc on bottom end, i heard this motor run well bout 5 yrs ago, since then...install crane hi-4 electronic ignition and new S&S Super E carb. Handmade bars on maybe a wide glide front end. R.J is set on whitewalls front and rear so we'll get some cool Firestone vintage type tires and mount them on Gold metallic powder coated rims with new stainless spokes and black hubs. 21" and 16" wheels. Brakes are super important and want to use disks front and rear. Dual in the front on polished lowers and nice sprotor in the rear. Plan on using some kool brass pieces on the motor and some spun brass pegs for rider and passenger (Rachelle). A sissy bar is a must as well as two comfy leather seats, found this dude at L.B. swap meet that makes super sano leather springer seats and P pads. gonna put one on my dirt tracker and R.J's. called Redtail Leather. My buddy Steve at Steve's precision Fabrication is gonna make a killer long exhaust pipe...dont know what that will look like yet; but it will be amazing!
Pura Vida will have a traditional "Friscoed' peanut tank with a relocated petcock. Paint will be a semi gloss met. with Gloss Met gold panels and Pura Vida in gold leaf on the backbone....maybe a wild seperating color like red..or just cream white. Frame will have some mild pinstrip details too. Rear fender will be an old stock one trimmed up a little bit but gonna use a fender mounted tailight and add some additional bullet running light on either side for visibilty.Gonna post every coule days or when i get new parts or do something fun on it. keep Rollin'! Lil C

Some old Iron

My '58 Sporty and &74 FLH Shovel..."Priscilla" R.I.P

Iron Sporty black n orange

1972 Xl 1000, electronic ignition, S&S Super E carb, Santee rigid frame, 5 degree rake, no stretch, Wide glide trees, shortened front legs,springer headlight, 16" rear and 21" front wheels, polished rocker tops, Drag bars, white rubber grips, lotsa handmade stuff, exhaust, liscence plate holder and light, linkage, pegs etc... Powder coated rims Met Orange, black hubs w new stainless spokes, Paint met. orange w gold flake.and deep gloss black. Mooneyes oilbag, handmade seat and leather covering,pinstriping and paint detail by Cisneros.

werkin shots....

Evo Sportster

Evolution Sportster

100 anniversary Sportster in Santee rigid frame, shortened stock front end 1 1/2" Chain drive rear sprocket, round oilbag, powder coated off white metallic rims, powder coated black hubs, stainless spokes,springer solo seat, dirt track handlebars, yamaha front fender on rear, VW buggy headlight, dust covers, Met. brown n black paint by Jeff Hart.

Ironhead Sportsters

1982 Xl 1100 with Dyna Hi 4 electronic ignition, S&S Super "E" carb, Coffinwerks Wide tire rigid frame, Harley Springer front end, (shortened 4 inches) Akront rims( 17 " x 8" rear, 21" front), Metzeler tires, Calle' sprotor rear brake, buncha handbuilt stuff...bars, linkage, foot controls etc...VW buggy headlight and vintage taillight. handmade exhaust, polished round oilbag.Paint by Jeff Hart.