The puzzle

It takes time to create the perfect "I´m just riding to the corner shop" look. It´s not easy when the Swedish motorcycleshops seem to think that all bikers wear black Gore Tex together with their v-twins. Here is my recipe for a good Yamaha sr suit:

Davida brittish racing green helmet - keeps all the exhaust noice on the outside of your head. Harolds Gear gloves from Japan will show all the beautifull oil stains from the roadside tinkering. 


Boots form Vitesse. It took me a long time to find a "not black" racing boot. Realy good craftmanship, and the size chart on their web is good and accurate. Vitesse knows how to care for their customers. If you order from them you will get a unik level och packaging, textil wrappings and personal wellcome letters. A total joy.


Vintage leather in funny colors rather than hi-viz vest. A friend of mine has grown in a way that is not compatible with his jacket. Fortunately he asked me if I wanted to buy his vintage Manx leather, hand made on Isle of Man in 1980´s? Don´t mail me, I´m not selling..:)

Oh - and of course Dragin Jeans.

Top box

Some times you need to transport more than your custom design can carry. And who wants a plastic top box chasing you behind your back, when you spent 1/2 year cutting things of your bike? I found out that deckbags for sea kayaks got all the detales you need. They are water proof, slim and got a lot of fitting options. The company www.chillcheater.com got a deckbag of super quality for a good prize. Comes in many colors, and with a textile surface.

Wires you don´t need

My friend Mats got his sr 500 road legal just two days after this picture was taken. A lot of wire cutting in order to make everything blink in the right way. A temporary seat - and then of to inspection by the authority. Two days later he brought the bike to the thursday custom meet on Öland. Always on schedule.

The workshop

The workshop is located in an old powerstation at the local glasfactory. Perfect for summer - to cold for the swedish winter. But it has a perfect atmosphere for wrenchturning and spotify surfing. If the rain stops you from riding I equiped the workshop with a small screen for motorcycle movies. The cinema takes 20 riders on wooden benches.

In order to make my bike riding even more holistic the workshop share room with an urban farm. Read more about the farm att www.groform.se.

Evil road spirits bell

Getting superstitious for real. Got a "evil road spirit bell" from a friend. A nice little tool to keep all kind of bad spirits away from your riding tour. I forgot to put it on, and on the next ride i ran over a...squirrel. The poor guy changed his mind in the middle of the road. No bell - bad things happen. Got the bell into place, and I hope that I wont run into my small friends again:(

Yamaha sr400 ratatoskr / messenger

Model 1984 bought and rebuilt in winter 2010, by Lars Gustavsson.

Custom made:

Seat

Back light

Handlebar

Tank cap

2" front drop

Rebuilt back frame

Removed battery

KN air filter

Raask 2" exhaust

Triumph foot pegs

Triumph grips and throttle

Triumph back fender

Mini speedo

Bates front light

Dytona turn signals

Firestone 4.5 back 4.0 front

New electrical system

Standard carburettor with:

Main jet 320

Pilot jet 32,5

Needle att full open level

Ratatoskr / messenger, is named after a creature in the nordic mytology. A squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry messages between the un named eagle in the top, and the angry dragon Nidhögg under the root. Ratatoskr has a never ending task to travle the world tree from root to top and back... he needs a motor.