empty promise...

finally. fi-na-llyyyy!! i put up all the pictures on our website. please go check if you feel like it. www.chabottengineering.com

at least we can see what shinya has done in last 4 years or so through those blurry small photos...i know...the pictures are so small and mostly out of focus because i took them. sorry!

チャボのサイトのフォトギャラリーみたいなのが一応完成しました。見にくいとか小さいとか言っても聞こえませんのであしからず。気が向いたら直します。あと新作が増えればアップしますのでたまに確認してみてくださいませ。

hello?

the heat got to him...it's been super hot out here...

up in smoke...

went for a ride.

very smokey out there.

something was strange...

red

green

and yellow.
all were rushing down from the mountain.

!!! the wildfire sweeping down
from the angeles national forest !!!

gotta get out of here!

hope　it will die down soon.
in the meantime, we need to find somewhere else to ride...

the end of the beginning...

'65 panhead & him before

'65 panhead & him after

they belong to each other...

if you are happy, we are happy.

keep on riding, iz!

i know. it was a cool bike the way it was and our friend iz looked great on it. he has had this bike for a loooooong time. no matter what. this change was shinya's way to celebrate iz's brand-new start. oh well, variety is the spice of life...and don't worry we can put it back the way it was anytime. always respect the original.

ずっとバイク乗り続けてる不良のおっさんが、こういうのサラッと乗るのってカッコイイんじゃない？昨日今日バイクに乗り出した若造には出せないもんを醸し出してるというか。え？加齢臭とかじゃあないよ？あと、オリジナル派の人心配しないで、ちゃんとすぐに元に戻せるから。たまにはこういうのも楽しまなきゃ。

belated apology...

dear those people who have been looking forward to check out the photo gallery on our website,

i'm sorry to have kept you waiting for such a long time.

no excuse.

call me lazy.

will finish up putting up all the photos by the end of this week.

sincerely,
ayu

happenso

went to natural history museum on sunday.

mineral
arsenopyrite with boulangerite

airplane engine

playing with another airplane engine

we love ammonite!

no way!! b-movies and bad science?
they were gonna play mothra vs. godzilla there!!
we thought we were at natural history museum...

the highlight of the day.
they had the wrong poster,
there was no "ebira" the shrimp monster
in this movie but we'll forgive you...
had free popcorn and drinks there,too. wow

we love both natural science and bad science. we enjoy both good movies and b-movies!! well, godzilla is not a b-movie or is it? had a great sunday afternoon.

ｂecause it is there...

1965 panhead. being mechanically neglected by the owner. it's not customer's bike nor shinya's bike. a total volunteer work.

it has a weired disease, he says.
but doctor kimura will never
give up on his patient...

oh, i remember　now!
this symptom is one of the chronic
diseases of pan's, dr. kimura said.

the healer

re-can-sprayed.
done!

the next day...no, it's not done yet.
shinya wanted to make the sissy bar
1/2 inch shorter
"because it looks better that way,"
he said,"i know that no one cares about
this 1/2 inch but i do
and i can't pass it up."

done!

although building motorcycles and make them running are part of shinya's profession, it was obvious that it was not the money that motivate him and i knew it. but to see it with my own eyes gave me goose bumps... it's no exaggeration to believe that shinya is dedicated his life to make things look cool and running... shinya was trying to laugh it off and said "i guess it just the curse of mechanics to challenge to make it running and is curse of artists to make a thing 1/2 inch shorter." ah!

a thank you note with love.

we got a package form n and t in seattle!
shinya got this rad headlight from t!
oh-oh, is there something going on between them?

looks like it was there from the beginning

thank you n and t!!

see you guys soon :)

now I have more incentive to get up early.

but this mexican swap meet is a slow starter...don't get there before 9am.

スワップミートって言うと、朝早く行かなきゃいいもの無くなっちゃう的な焦りを感じて、パーキングから入り口までちょっと小走りになっちゃう時ない？あ、でもこのメッヒコ人のスワップミートは早く行っても誰もやってないよ。9時くらいからノロノロ仕度始めてる人とかばかり。

carefully examining

ここで売られてるものは数十セントから数ダラのガラクタばかり
でもさすがは目利き、厳しく点検。

shinya wanted this old kennedy tool box.
was 5 bucks but he asked for 3.

お目当てのトゥールボックスは5ドル、
3ドルにまけてけろ、と駄々をこねる木村氏。
意地でもまけぬメッヒコ人のおじいさん・・・

the old guy refused the offer
but gave him the other tool box for free.

でもかわいそうになったのか、ねずみ色のトゥールボックスくれたよ。

the cartful of boxes.

こんなに箱買ってどーすんのかしらね？

the freedom of expression should be absolute.

coffee table?

no...it's an ordinary table cart.
well, not anymore, though.

shinya just didn't like to keep it
as the way it is.

that's how it all began...maybe.

alter with time...the hair!

shinya on mv agusta(customer's)

at age 23
glitzy 1985

almost 1/4 century later...

shinya on mv agusta(project bike for the customer)
age 40-something

future 2009

the only differences are...his hair and beards!!

and i feel bohemian

the piles of purifying salt called "mori shio" near the entrance is a japanese traditional habit especially for businesses for　good luck. probably is from shinto or feng shui or whatever. for us, nothing religious but more like one of the deeply-ingrained habits and have been piling up some bonneville salt took out from our van since 2007. a lucky charm!!

piles of bonneville salt
@ the entrance

sunday excavation activity at pomona swap meet.

i got these old motocross boots
and shinya got another tool box
and some more small stuff.

back to normal...

your trip won't end until you acturally arrive back at home!!

so shinya had given it his best shot on the salt flats and got his personal record of 109 mph, we decided to head back. we were exhausted...

instead of return back from bonneville by way of salt lake city to stop by at k's place, we just took highway 93 to vegas. (sorry k, we'll be back soon!) after a 9-hour drive, we got in vegas and made a pit stop at the huge truck stop.

just then, it happened...a tremendous aomount of green liquid was erupted from the bottom of the van...didn't look like a hose anymore. shinya found out that it was the radiator, we collapsed in relief. what if it stops on the country lane 93? we had to stay over night in the darkness with rabbits and deers for sure but this is vegas, baby!!

yes, it was the radiator!
it was old. that's all well and good.
thank our van to hold out til vegas!!

it was already late so we decided to stay overnight. our plan was to AAA the van to auto parts store in the morning, get a new or better radiator, and shinya will replace it himself. he got all the tools. not a big deal, shinya said.

tow-guy somehow didn't wanna take us to the parts store but drop us and the van at the repair shop, ment no harm because the outside was hot, the vegas hot! the pro took 6 hours for 2-hour job and we could not go a single step out from the f-king-cold-white-squere-waiting-lounge because the outside was stinking hot and all we could see from there were an adult mega store and a seven-eleven. aarrgghh

ok, at least we got a brand new copper radiator. let's go home...

no, no, it won't be...but looks like the van
is not moving with its hood up again
on 15 freeway a way before baker...

de ja vu?

why not use it? we've got 100 miles AAA free ride,
moving forward to barstow with no hands!!

our destinaiton? autozone in barstow.
DIY rules!!

how could we get overheat with the brand new radiator? it was working properly. shinya had already figured it out. the pro used the old cap for the new radiator!! that's all. what we've learned? there are no pros, do it yourself!

we got a new cap.
of course, shinya had to repair
the heater hose again...
another de ja vu moment.

as it happenes, this autozone was located on route 66 that means it will lead to our workshop. the workshop is, too, on route 66 /foothill blvd. so...we took route 66 instead of interstate 15!! much more fun and mellow. had a great time!

はい、恒例のお家に帰るまでが遠足～
ボンネビルからベガスまで何もない真っ暗な田舎道をひたすら9時間走ってベガスについた途端に、バンのラジエターが死んだ。ガスステでよかった・・・とんでもない量のクーラントぶちまけてしまったの。夜遅かったから朝まで待ってパーツ屋までバンをトーイングしてラジエター買って自分で直すという木村さんって男らしいじゃない。翌朝、朝からとてつもなく暑いベガスの熱風にやや気持ちがしぼむ木村さんは、呼んだトーイングトラックの運ちゃんに散々こんな暑いのに炎天下で自分で直すより修理屋に直行したほうが早いとそそのかされて、即座に予定変更、いきなり乙女じゃない。2時間で終わると言うプロの修理工は平気で6時間かけた挙句に終わる前にルンチタイムとってんの、ざけんなよ、こっちは腹ペコだけど周りにあるのはアダルト・メガストアとセブンイレブンいい気分だぜ。でやっとラジエターの交換が終わって帰るわけだけど、心なしか水温計が高め。でもここは砂漠のベガスだもの、そんなもんよね。高速乗って第一関門の登りで匂ってきたものね、あの甘い香り。その後は水温計の針がスピードメーター並のアゲアゲアップ。でもね、工事中でね、路肩が見当たらないの、1列しかないのよ、この登りは！止まる訳にはいかずに何とか路肩が見えた頃には水温計の針は一周回って振り切り100を差していたっつーの。原因？新品ラジエターにスカスカの古いキャップ閉めちゃったのね。圧が掛かる訳ないじゃないね。もう一回トーイング呼んで次の次の町のパーツ屋に行って下ろしてもらった。新しいキャップゲットしてまたまた破れたヒーターホースを修理する木村さん。行きも帰りもヒーターホース。帰りは偶然見つけたルート66途中下車の旅でゆっくりと帰ってきたのです、無事に。

rocky V

ok,the first run...

91.983 mph!! d'oh

what happened? this is what happened.↓

ok, broken oil line is nothing.

let's get it done and go for the second run, shinya!

the best position

this is what we were missing,
an umbrella girl!!
a beutiful lady and the bike.
thank you so much for your support, n!!

the great supporters.

and...
the second run result--


109.830 mph!!!


happy happy happy

special thanks to chico moto n & t

thank you back drop!

thank you shinya for showing the spirit!!

see you all next year on the salt flats!

yay!