Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover

[Kiwi Canuck]

Gregor, love the progress you have made on the house and nice to see the old versus new images of the living room.

I have this image (page 37) pop up every time I check out your MCMMM link, as that's where I was up to when I saved it as a favourite.

There is so much going on in these two photos, and I see something new every time I look at it for more than a minute or so.

Remember this?

 

[GeddyT]

...My turntable stand isn't that different to yours, so for the test I just used some scrap timber to span the frame and added a couple of concrete blocks...
[snip]
Of course then I had to make it look pretty...

If we're bashing exposed scrap timber and concrete blocks, I'm out...

 

[Choirboy]

If we're bashing exposed scrap timber and concrete blocks, I'm out...

Heck, exposed scrap timber and concrete blocks is my whole design aesthetic at my house!! LOL!!
Every year it gets a bit better, though... just takes time, work, and money.

 

[sakurama]

Gregor, love the progress you have made on the house and nice to see the old versus new images of the living room.

I have this image (page 37) pop up every time I check out your MCMMM link, as that's where I was up to when I saved it as a favourite.

There is so much going on in these two photos, and I see something new every time I look at it for more than a minute or so.

Remember this?

It’s crazy to look at those photos and see how far I went. I did not imagine it would go so far and yet, at the same time, it’s pretty inspiring when I can take a step back and see where I’m at. Before and after photos to me are something I’ve always loved. When I was growing up in Colorado there were many historical photos of our town and I loved to figure out where they were taken and then find that spot and see the differences. I didn’t think of it as a “thing” but much later John Fielder, a Colorado landscape photographer my father admired, published a book; Colorado 1870-2000 and he went to great lengths to find the exact spots and use the same lenses to recapture an identical view 130 years later.

I want to do that with the house and, despite how many photos I took, I feel like I didn’t take enough to really capture where it was in the beginning. Ben told me to take more photos - that you’d forget - and I thought I took enough but now, with the walls covered, it’s hard to know where the electrical is or where the plumbing vents are. I see now that the bathroom downstairs is just below the first sink upstairs but it doesn’t feel like it.

So thanks for the reminder. I’m going to go back and do another round of photos matching the ones I have and, if I can ever find original photos of the house, I’ll absolutely do another round of images to match the historical ones. I think at that point I could have enough to create a book and it would make an interesting story.

The next project is going to be the stairs - it’s something I’ve been gearing up to do for a long time and it‘s the probably the biggest eyesore of the house at the moment. I have all the lumber stained and the design has been in my head forever. I need a solid week or two (which probably means 3-4) but it should be the next thing.

Gregor

 

[bdking]

Ben told me to take more photos - that you’d forget - and I thought I took enough but now, with the walls covered, it’s hard to know where the electrical is or where the plumbing vents are.

It really is important to take overlapping photos of every mundane square inch of walls, crawlspace, and roof joists just before they’re covered (before insulation, obvs.) When I worked with a design/build outfit I would actually print all the photos in a 3 ring binder with a half-size plan set bound in and suggest some out-of-the-way niche where it would easily be found for future reference.

Imagine how great it would be to find such a book that Zaik had stashed in the back of a closet in this house!

 

[nicholam77]

I’m going to go back and do another round of photos matching the ones I have and, if I can ever find original photos of the house, I’ll absolutely do another round of images to match the historical ones. I think at that point I could have enough to create a book and it would make an interesting story.

If you are able to make that happen someday, I don't know if you'd be open to making it available to others — but I for one would be interested in purchasing such a book, especially if it was coffee-table-sized and chock full of glorious Gregor photos. Just sayin'!

 

[gearhead1960]

If you are able to make that happen someday, I don't know if you'd be open to making it available to others — but I for one would be interested in purchasing such a book, especially if it was coffee-table-sized and chock full of glorious Gregor photos. Just sayin'!

Yeah, I would go for the GJ signature/signed edition. Available only if you subscribe to Gregors thread.....

 

[slodat]

If you are able to make that happen someday, I don't know if you'd be open to making it available to others — but I for one would be interested in purchasing such a book, especially if it was coffee-table-sized and chock full of glorious Gregor photos. Just sayin'!

Add me to the list!

Actually.. I'd like one of your house transformation, one of your amazing shop drawings and photos, and one of your motorcycles and their construction.

Sincerely!

 

[Trapps]

Gregor, if you put out a book, I'd like to purchase 2 please. One would be a gift for a friend who has remarkably similar interests and skills to yours. The other will live in my very modest shop library adjacent to my hardcover copy of Motorcycle Dream Garages.

 

[chykal]

Going down the audiophile rabbit hole myself I found the AVSForum which I've used quite extensively in setting up my own multi-purpose home theater room which is also my 2-channel listening room. While reading their recommended guide "Getting Started with REW" (Room Equalization Wizard) I found the white paper "Acoustical Measurement Standards for Stereo Listening Rooms" written by Nyal Mellor of Acoustic Frontiers and Jeff Hedback of HdAcoustics. It provides excellent guidelines for people seeking improvements in the audio in their listening rooms. A search for "acoustic_measurement_standards.pdf" will find this guide. I think you will find it interesting.

 

[manbike26]

Gregor, thanks for sharing the story! If you find yourself over in Boise, give a shout. 1st round is on me.

 

[Kiwi Canuck]

Hey Gregor, I was in Portland yesterday for a quick job, long drive for a 30 minute service call.

The job was at Washington Square and when we left we headed toward Voo Doo Donuts as one of my staff begged me to pick up some on the way home.

Waze took us through a residential area that looked like it was probably near your home, I slowed down and checked out all the corner properties as I remembered you mentioned you are on a corner, I have no clue if we were close but it sure felt like it for some reason.

I just checked the map and we went north on SW Greenburg and then through a bunch of residential streets toward the I5 and then into the city for the Donuts.

Was I close or does most of Portland look similar to your area.

BTW the weather was awesome in Portland yesterday, not so good in Seattle or at home in B.C.

 

[fartymarty]

 

[bdbecker]

Just a friendly reminder fellas...

Members privacy, please respect it

While adding a location is quite helpful in giving advice in a multitude instances, please respect your fellow members by not posting "your version" of their address or pictures of it.This includes Google Earth screenshots and the like. If you use some of your Google Fu and find another...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Choirboy]

Just a friendly reminder fellas...

Members privacy, please respect it

While adding a location is quite helpful in giving advice in a multitude instances, please respect your fellow members by not posting "your version" of their address or pictures of it.This includes Google Earth screenshots and the like. If you use some of your Google Fu and find another...

www.garagejournal.com

Thank you; I was getting a little uncomfortable for Gregor's privacy and I'm 1000 miles away... We are lucky he shares the snapshots of his life that he chooses, let's not drive him away by stealing his privacy.

 

[sakurama]

If you're local I'm fine with catching up with people and I've been threatening a GJ party for years and now that the house is mine I'll certainly make that happen this summer - but yes, I do want to be a bit private here. Having the van stolen was a bit of a wake up.

Also, just a heads up about music. I went to see The Smile - a side project from some members of Radiohead - this week in Seattle and for the first time in my life the sound of the live show rivaled anything I've ever heard. If you have the chance to see them you should.

Gregor

 

[neduro]

To me this is where it gets interesting. Something Rick taught me was that listening to a system you can judge how good it is not really by how deep the bass is or how clear the treble is but by how engaging it is.

Rick was fond of saying that if a system didn't make you tap your foot to the song it wasn't any good.

Does anyone else "save" this thread up so they can binge from time to time? Gregor- always a pleasure to see what you've been up to. Thank you for investing the time to share.

On Hi-Fi, a salesman I've grown to appreciate over decades of buying stuff at Listen Up (Front Range in CO, great shop!) told me years ago to listen to "where" a sound is coming from, not just "what" you're hearing. I feel like the difference between bad and good is that good reproduces all the sounds, the difference between good and great is feeling "in" the sound, without a clear point it is coming from, a broad and involving soundstage rather than a point source of accurate but uninvolving noise. There's a lot to speaker placement and more... for me, there's a threshold of involvement that means I suddenly stop listening critically and just enjoy the experience.

Of course you have songs that have details you can listen for which make a good test but that's only part of the story. The other problem with great hi-fi gear is that some songs you like are recorded so badly you can't listen to them.

 

[sakurama]

I feel like the difference between bad and good is that good reproduces all the sounds, the difference between good and great is feeling "in" the sound, without a clear point it is coming from, a broad and involving soundstage rather than a point source of accurate but uninvolving noise. There's a lot to speaker placement and more... for me, there's a threshold of involvement that means I suddenly stop listening critically and just enjoy the experience.

Ned! Merry Christmas friend! I am hoping I can bring the kids back to Colorado this summer with their bikes and we can get some riding in and then, when they're tired, you and I can get some riding in.

So the last round of improvements on the system, to the bearing and subframe, have increased exactly what you're talking about. And something that I can't understand - an inky blackness of silence.

But you're exactly right. Right now the system is so transparent, so utterly invisible, that even with the lights on looking at the speakers you don't sense they have anything to do with the sound. The music hangs in the air, perfectly suspended and three dimensional.

Christmas was nice here. Judiaann came over and spent the day with us and we had dinner together. I am very happy that we're getting along now - far better than when we lived together and certainly better than my parents ever did after their divorce. The kids seem to enjoy having their two homes and I think, all in all, we're doing very well.

G

 

[555]

I started following your 150 build thread on ADVRider this afternoon.

 

[kyrbz]

It's certainly been done - check out this link: https://motocrossactionmag.com/mxas-history-of-reverse-cylinder-engine-designs/

And Yamaha have an MX bike that does it. You trade compromises but as was mentioned mostly it's been that way to keep the exhaust side of air-cooled motors in the wind.

Gregor

Interesting article. I used to live for Motocross Action Magazine in the late 70's early 80's when I was a teenage motocross addict. Looking at their website, I was pleasantly surprised there are a lot of good articles regarding vintage bikes and obscure motorcycle technology. For some reason I didn't picture MXAction having this kind of content

BZ

 

[SilverJimmy]

Gregor, I just finished reading all this, took me a couple weeks. I’m kinda upset, like when I finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy back in my school days. Great read but sad that it was over. Unlike Tolkien though, you’ll keep telling us about your magical world as it unfolds for you! Between your‘s and Mike @zmotorsports threads I really don’t know which is my favorite. Thanks to both of you I’ve gone down many rabbit holes. Now I need to get my rear into gear and get my Ex-Cell-O mill running and start making chips, plus about 100 other projects…..
Thanks F’n Gregor!

 

[sakurama]

Gregor, I just finished reading all this, took me a couple weeks. I’m kinda upset, like when I finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy back in my school days. Great read but sad that it was over.
Thanks F’n Gregor!

Oh, it's not over. In some ways it's just starting again. But thanks!

So the whole separation thing really threw a wrench into my ability to get another trip happening. Spring was the house closing, fall was filled with some big jobs. But my friend Andrew, who took the first trip with us, put the idea in my mind when I was doing the shoot last year in Yuma, AZ when he asked if I was scouting for a winter Saku-Moto trip. Hmm, I hadn't thought of that but it was a great idea.

So Yes!

One of the problems with getting this off the ground is a similar problem I have with a lot of things I tackle. I want it to be perfect but the first time you do something never is. So I'm going to relax about that and do the thing I need to do which is do it anyway.

And I'm also going to get the word out soon enough that people can actually make plans and it will force me to follow through.

The next trip is going to take place in Southern California/Palm Springs/Yuma, AZ area. I have absolutely zero idea of the route right now or where we'll stay or how we'll get bikes down there. But I have faith that I'll figure this out. I always do. And you guys have seen me figure things out over and over and the one person who has the most doubts is me.

So I've already had a few people reach out to say they are interested - there's a lot of desire to get out of the winter weather. The trip will be March 26-April 1 give or take a few days. And to give you an idea of landscape here's some shots from Yuma last year.



The desert southwest is really beautiful. I've done a bit of travel there but pulling together a detailed trip that maintains the certain je ne sais quoi that is what I'm striving for is going to take some work.



But the good news is that right now most of the people who are finding me realize that this is a new venture and we're working it out as we go. In some respects people actually enjoy watching me struggle and figure it out as I go so I think I'm going to accept that. It's pretty much how my whole life has gone so why stop now?



Next week I'm going to go to the Parts & Labor show in Del Mar and then spend some time riding my 890 to the east and checking out some of the roads, trails, restaurants and hotels that might be of interest. My goal is always to alternate camping and staying in a hotel or lodge, dining at a nice place and then eating food cooked over a fire while sitting around a camp fire. Ying and Yang. High brow and rustic. I feel like that balance actually accentuates the experience.



So I've put it out there. I'm going to now work my **** off to make it happen.

Stay tuned!

Gregor

 

[burger]

Awesome photos!

 

[sakurama]

So I finally got back from California. I had vaguely heard they were getting some rain but did not expect the deluge that met me last Saturday. I was supposed to ride with a friend east of LA that Sunday but there was no break in sight. I decided to just see where the rain ended and head there - Yuma, AZ.

I got in late - around 3pm and decided to take a quick ride out to test some of the video gear I brought - a GoPro and the Skydio drone. I headed to a ridge road we'd shot at with REV'IT! a year ago and knew that it would look good at the end of the day but not be hard. Long story short I dropped the bike off the edge of a hill. I was watching the screen and the road went off camber and the rear wheel slid off the trail and I stepped off. Not a fall but a very slow, controlled low side.

When I attempted to pick the bike up it slid 20' farther down the hill of loose, deep gravel. Eventually it slid about 40' to a single track and then went right off that. With the sun setting and the rest of the slope being rockier and at least another 100' I decided to dig in literally and try to pull the bike back up to the single track.

Which I did. After an hour. I strained a muscle in my shoulder from all the dead lifting. I know better too, that's the worst part. Anyway, I was a bit flustered so didn't take photos when it happened but I'll try to see if the video is interesting.

The next day, I took the bike out to a place less likely to leave me stranded - the area north of Yuma with Saguaro cactus. Truly a magical place to be able to ride a bike and the weather, while not sunny, was dry for a change.



Damage to the bike is limited to the points of protection: the hand guards and the tank guards and a few scuffs on the exhaust. My titanium exhaust bracket held up fine so thanks Sean! It looks like I did a decent job on that.



Honestly it's a bit of a relief to have dropped it. Now I can get on with riding it and not worrying about it. For this trip I put on the dirt wheels and the new floating wave rotors so the bike is TALL! I'm about 4-5" away from being able to touch so I'm side saddle with each stop. I'm good with that though as that travel just soaks up the terrain. I've ridden this road on the BMW and while that has some decent travel it's nothing like the pro level suspenders this bike wears.



I was going to swap those for the stock ones that are plastic but... too late now! Nothing a little clear coat can't fix.



I still have one good side for now.

But overall I could not have been more happy riding this bike. By far the best motorcycle I've ever ridden. The power, the sound and the handling and suspension are just all perfect. I was able to ride the double track there at 70-80mph whereas the BMW was only comfortable at 40-50.



I was able to find a few good trails and tracks that would work for a spring trip but I'll probably need to do another trip to flush it out more.



I forgot my ipad so I was forced to use the Tripletek tablet for the trip and so I'm now a bit more comfortable on the Android OS - not as comfortable as an iOS but not bad.

Overall though, a great trip.

Gregor

 

[squeezer]

Gregor,

Congrats on dropping the 890! Not many people would have the guts to take that work of art into its natural habitat. Hats (Helmets) off to you.

 

[elvee]

So I finally got back from California. I had vaguely heard they were getting some rain but did not expect the deluge that met me last Saturday. I was supposed to ride with a friend east of LA that Sunday but there was no break in sight. I decided to just see where the rain ended and head there - Yuma, AZ.

I got in late - around 3pm and decided to take a quick ride out to test some of the video gear I brought - a GoPro and the Skydio drone. I headed to a ridge road we'd shot at with REV'IT! a year ago and knew that it would look good at the end of the day but not be hard. Long story short I dropped the bike off the edge of a hill. I was watching the screen and the road went off camber and the rear wheel slid off the trail and I stepped off. Not a fall but a very slow, controlled low side.

When I attempted to pick the bike up it slid 20' farther down the hill of loose, deep gravel. Eventually it slid about 40' to a single track and then went right off that. With the sun setting and the rest of the slope being rockier and at least another 100' I decided to dig in literally and try to pull the bike back up to the single track.

Which I did. After an hour. I strained a muscle in my shoulder from all the dead lifting. I know better too, that's the worst part. Anyway, I was a bit flustered so didn't take photos when it happened but I'll try to see if the video is interesting.

The next day, I took the bike out to a place less likely to leave me stranded - the area north of Yuma with Saguaro cactus. Truly a magical place to be able to ride a bike and the weather, while not sunny, was dry for a change.



Damage to the bike is limited to the points of protection: the hand guards and the tank guards and a few scuffs on the exhaust. My titanium exhaust bracket held up fine so thanks Sean! It looks like I did a decent job on that.



Honestly it's a bit of a relief to have dropped it. Now I can get on with riding it and not worrying about it. For this trip I put on the dirt wheels and the new floating wave rotors so the bike is TALL! I'm about 4-5" away from being able to touch so I'm side saddle with each stop. I'm good with that though as that travel just soaks up the terrain. I've ridden this road on the BMW and while that has some decent travel it's nothing like the pro level suspenders this bike wears.



I was going to swap those for the stock ones that are plastic but... too late now! Nothing a little clear coat can't fix.



I still have one good side for now.


Overall though, a great trip.

Gregor

Just like a race bike...when you put it together it looks good, but it is only temporary. It is a tool, and tools eventually show the work they have done. I like to think of it as demonstrating competence.

And glad to hear you didn't get flung off the hill in the process.

 

[burger]

Honestly it's a bit of a relief to have dropped it. Now I can get on with riding it and not worrying about it.

Yup.

For many years my daily was an old 73 C10. Clean enough that it was thumbs up everywhere I went, but beat up enough that I was never shy about using it as a truck. Just the right amount of ******.

 

[Choirboy]

Yup.

For many years my daily was an old 73 C10. Clean enough that it was thumbs up everywhere I went, but beat up enough that I was never shy about using it as a truck. Just the right amount of ******.

This perfectly describes my ideal aesthetic. When I bring home a new to me 100 year old hand plane I always stare at it and say "I could strip the japanning off, file, sand, and polish the casting, repaint, etc and have it look all pretty like those youtube guys do..." and then I just derust, flatten, tune, sharpen, wax, add a coat of shellac to the totes and happily use it. Just the right amount of ******.

 

[Trapps]

Yup.

... Just the right amount of ******.

... Just the right amount of ******.

In fifteen years, this could easily become a cliché phrase. Right now, it is perfect. Even more perfecter when used here on Garage Journal.

 

[cycle61]

Jay Leno had a quote in the latest Hagerty about restoring his cars and bikes to 100, and then driving them down to 15 before restoring again. Obviously his budget is a little higher than most of ours so he can afford to both get to 100 and not be scared to use it, but the philosophy applies across the board. I buy and build things that I want to own and use, and if I have to worry about resale value, I probably couldn't afford it in the first place.

 

[burger]

A lot of things are like that old C10.. even the tools that I own. I try my best to keep them nice, but at the end of the day there’s a job to be done and I use tools, not collect them. I respect the tool and maintain it, but I don’t want to worry about keeping it pristine.

So to Gregor’s point. He scratched the bike and has a badass story to tell about it. The bike still looks amazing, but now it’s not perfect so he doesn’t have to sweat about keeping it perfect. He’s still going to keep it nice.

 

[mcgeedesign]

Have you been to Ship John in Portland? They make a pretty cool waxed jacket that‘s currently backordered until November 2025!

The Wills Jacket V2 - Books Currently Closed

Due to current production demands, pre-orders are temporarily closed ~ thank you for understanding, be back soon! Pricing: $598 ($200 non-refundable deposit, $398 final payment + shipping due upon completion). The Wills Jacket always has been and always will be a beast. Throughout the years...

shipjohn.us

 

[Vertigo Cycles]

Have you been to Ship John in Portland? They make a pretty cool waxed jacket that‘s currently backordered until November 2025!

The Wills Jacket V2 - Books Currently Closed

Due to current production demands, pre-orders are temporarily closed ~ thank you for understanding, be back soon! Pricing: $598 ($200 non-refundable deposit, $398 final payment + shipping due upon completion). The Wills Jacket always has been and always will be a beast. Throughout the years...

shipjohn.us

Mike's stuff is a bargain considering what they're making. IMO, he could double his prices but part of his ethos is to make it here and keep it affordable. He's a genuinely talented, genuinely decent human being. I met him in Austin at a bike show when he was working at Vanilla and our kids have been going to school together since preschool.

 

[mcgeedesign]

Completely agree, Sean! The way that waxed jacket breaks in is pretty incredible. That's awesome to hear you guys know each other! Really considering getting on the 3+ year long waiting list for one, but recently blew my jacket budget for at least the next few years on a different Portland made jacket...the Dehen N1: https://dehen1920.com/collections/jackets/products/n-1-deck-jacket-black-kodiak It's built like a tank and the lining is unreal!


I'm headed on a family vacation to Manhattan here soon and would love to hear of any pizza/pen/tool nerd places to visit! My brother lived in Manhattan for 10 years so we've been a few times, but this will be our first visit without having a free place to stay....we've booked a hotel in Chelsea and plan on a full week of exploring with our kiddos!

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Choirboy]

... but recently blew my jacket budget for at least the next few years on a different Portland made jacket...the Dehen N1: https://dehen1920.com/collections/jackets/products/n-1-deck-jacket-black-kodiak It's built like a tank and the lining is unreal!


Cheers,
Matt

My school is always freezing cold. Wanting a nice wool sweater to keep me warm and also wanting to show school spirit (as all teachers should) I bought a Dehen wool sweater (this one) and turned it into a 1940s style letterman sweater. I'm not a rich man and I swallowed hard before buying any piece of clothing that expensive, but I was so sick and tired of buying cheap **** that wore out and looked terrible in just a few months. After 4 years of wearing the sweater 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week 9 months a year, it still looks brand new and has surpassed my expectations. I figure it wasn't that expensive if I can wear it for the 20 years before I retire...

 

[mcgeedesign]

.

 

[sakurama]

Hey guys,

I got back from California and immediately into two jobs for the last two weeks and then got slammed with vehicle troubles. The van had a stalling issue and the shop I took it to had it for a month, fixed a lot of small things including a turbo exhaust leak but didn't actually fix the issue - ran way better but wasn't fixed. So it's back at the shop.

The pickup I decided to keep a few months ago with the idea that I might sell the van and purchase a car. So with that in mind I decided to buy it a brand new set of tires, fix the stereo and a few other issues and basically invest in keeping it around for the next few years. It seemed like $3000 wasn't bad for a truck I'd keep.

On the way home from California it started running rough and the check engine light started flickering. By the time I got close to Portland it was pretty bad and after taking it to the shop I got the news that the motor was shot and it would be $11000 for a new one.





RIP only new car/truck I've ever purchased...

I have to figure out how to get what I can out of the truck as I'm deeply upside down now. I really hate that all that money I put into it just disappeared. It's worth about $500-1000 as scrap. The tires were $1500! Ugh...

So I'm in the market for a new (used) car. I've narrowed it down to a Volvo V60 wagon and I'm trying to decide on which one to get. I love the look of the car and I have had nothing but good experiences with Volvos and I love wagons. I considered an XC70 or maybe a V70R but the V60 T5 (4 cylinder) gets pretty great milage 26/37 and seems to make sense.

Then I discovered they make a T6 Polestar. The only thing cooler than a wagon is a wagon with 350hp. Talk me out of it if it's a bad idea but... 350hp wagon.

I was hoping to stay around the $15-18k range (for average T5 wagons) but I've found a few T6 wagons for closer to $20k.

Who knows about these and the V60's in general? Or the T6's in particular. I'm trying to be practical but I'd stretch for a fun wagon. In fact, there's one in Illinois and I could fly there and pick up the Avion panels on the way home...

Gregor

 

[Kirmet]

Scrapyard engine for the truck, you have the skills for an engine swap.

 

[Mavawreck]

Assuming you have the Triton and not the 4.6, I haven’t heard much good about Volvos in recent years in terms of reliability or holding their value but admittedly haven’t followed too close. Coyote swap the F150 or find a newer one gets my vote. I got into a few year old 5.0 4x4 for less than I anticipated.

 

[civhatch90]

$11k for an engine replacement? That's insane. Those engines are a dime a dozen should be able to get a used one and swapped in for much less than half what you have been quoted.