FILLER IN DA HOUSE!

Please excuse the gratuitous gasser shot. Whatever, today's word is FILLER 'cos the man who's such a gearhead he's even named after an automotive product is FINALLY ON THE BASTARDOS EDITORIAL TEAM! So stay tuned for hot rod tall stories, chopper mayhem and general colourful language from 'the man'. Welcome Darren, and get posting mate.

CAR TIME

It's been a while since there's been much in the way of rods on los bastardos, which was never the idea. 50/50 cars 'n' bikes,as brother dazzer said, and that's how it should be. Ideally, I'd prefer to be posting some of the stuff from our guys, but in the meantime have a butchers at 'Galaxian', best of show at Mooneyes Yokohama 2008. Somewhere some kid's seen this car and it'll change him forever.

One for Trawler

brudda...noticed this tasty shovel whilst wasting time on chopcult...no details, but it's certainly got the look. There's definitely something about about pre-evo swingarm frames, especially when hooked up with a tyre-hugging rear 'guard. Quit dreamin' of mince pies and light ale fella, and get that SOB built, not long til battastinis now.

Gotta love flames, right?

Yes you do...here's another from the bastardos archives. What to say on this one? It's got the look of a Tommy Summers piece about it, and if you've heard of him, you may proceed to the top of the 'klass'. We won't talk about the fact he built Prince's bike in Purple Rain (NOOOO!), but he is one of the world's leading customisers of 70s-style Jap chops, which essentially means cb750s. Check out his site at www.lowridersbysummers.com.
Want ghetto lace jobs with heatwrap zorsts and worn out bates seats? ooz axing? All the other sites have got them...only LOS BASTARDOS brings you the cutting edge of late 80s styling. We will shortly be bringing the 'fat tyre and beach bars' look back into vogue. South Coast massive, peace out me bredren.

More British steel

More new Bonneville class from the bastardos files. I found this beauty on an Italian site, and if memory serves, it belongs to the chairman of the Italian branch of the (legendary) 59 club. Did you even know there was such a thing? Do you care? This information could be breaking into the 'complete cobblers' zone- surely not!- apologies if so.
So, what of the bike? As you might have tumbled, I'm a sucker for a pillar-box red-over-black squirt job, and this one came out long before Hinckley had it as a factory option. The stance on this caff racer totally nails it, and the combination of killer Ace bars, ally rearsets and repro peashooter-style pipes is all well in keeping with the righteous greaser style. Liking very much indeed also the seat unit, with requisite 'hump', of course. Front fender, fork gaiters, and drilled-out chaincase get the nod, too. Admittedly, not the hardest project to achieve, but that's one of the best things about it; and it's still hard to do it THIS right. All in all, ideal for a sunday blast to the seaside for chips, and that's what it's all about, right?
Roll on summer, brothers.

Something old, something new

Couple of quick ones for you...crossply goodness from Mr T's sporty choppa, and a nice new Bonneville from god-know-where. I definitely have a soft spot for the Hinckley Bonnevilles, of course they're not the real thing, but they're still kool. I love the mild bobber-influenced look on this one, just the right measure of scallops and kustom touches to add class. Sometimes less is most definitely more.

ERDITURDI

you'd have to be a right nutty geezer with a name like that, wouldn't you? and peoples, I can guarantee that Andy aka erditurdi is indeed one of them. Andy's an expat brit now livin' it up in the Oz sunshine, lucky so and so, and when he's not telling filthy jokes turns a mean spanner or two. I know him from hondachopper.com, though I gather his own project is currently awaiting major surgery of the engne rebuild type. Let's have some pics, old mate, and to paraphrase Sonny Barger/Queen Victoria, the sun never sets on the bastardos world system.

I candy (eye, geddit)

Dig...the rising sun brothers give us an object lesson once again. It's only a bloody evo sporty- supposedly the lamest bike you can swing a leg over- but how kool is this thing?

2010 Resolution- stop apologising for sportsters. They rock. The eejits that write for the mainstream bike press don't know an adaptable, affordable package of pure biker heaven when they see it.

I have an inkling this shot is froma previous Yokohama show- Mooneyes, perhaps? The ever-excellent Asphalt Squadron has a load of fantastic shots from this year's expo, check 'em out, the link should be at the bottom of this page.

Keep on keepin' on

That, peoples, is the level of class you can expect from los bastardos clubhouse. The defence rests.

So, another year drags to a timely end, and as Lennon said, 'it's getting better, it can't get no worse' (life or the blog, I hear you say). I've had to re-evaluate the daily status of the bastardos blog. The 'mission statement' of regular mini-project features, blow-by-blow how-tos and pictorial accounts of our ongoing projects may have to take a back seat, because quite frankly, the projects are on the back burner. That's just how it is, those of you with kids, aspirations and mortgages can all appreciate this, I'm sure. Cop out? I guess..but sell out, no freakin' way. Dazzer's merc hopefully will be bagged, my sporty given further tokyo-treatment, the triumph generally rebuilt, the plans are all well afoot, and personally I can't wait to get turning spanners, and henceforth takin' a few snaps too, and sharing 'em with you lot out there.

Pause for breath...and a new paragraph...I'm going to keep the site going with some of my favourite bike shots and stuff I like. So, check in from time to time...I'll be keeping on trying to raise the blog profile (social networking, ya see...) Hopefully Dazzer too is going to start contributing too, watch out world! The winter will be spent catching up with some of the other guys, stocking up with material, and keeping it real for 2010.

Keep on keepin' on.

Sneak peak at the clubhouse

You've seen the fridge- now check out another view of Bastardos central, aka the clubhouse, aka Dazzer's ubergarage. He's a chippy by trade and a pretty good one at that, and he's built this from the ground up. I did help with the foundations, and have painted almost 2 whole square metres...Whatever, I reckon Daz wasn't allowed any toys as a kid 'cos he's just got far too much kool stuff now he's an old bastard.
This definitely isn't the best pic, but like the title says, it's only a glimpse. Check the old school bar in the corner, and the hand-made workbench, and Summer the dog.

Story of the blues pt1

Well, I did say I'd put up some details, so for those of you with a little time on your hands...witness my '89 Sportster, all 883cc of it, after it received the treatment earlier this year. For now, let me share a few details about how she WAS; probably the cheapest running sporty in the UK, 7 previous owners and lovingly driven into by what Yanks call a 'soccer mom in a MPV' in a pub car park. On the plus side, it was kinda kool for a sporty...chain drive with a four-speed, tasty avon ditchmaster up front, and a few decent chrome bits, like Zodiac forwards, and some stainless cables. The rest was falling fast out the ugly plant... Halfords finest met red spraybomb, and deluxe rear carrier, saddlebag supports, with just about everything on the money side dinged by 'mom'. Oh yeah, and RIDICULOUS 'fatboy' type bars, you know the type that make riding a motorcycle not unlike pushing a wheelbarrow up a wet path. Add rusty stock rubbish in the areas of pipes, shocks, indicators, and a lifetime of neglect to all the ally, and you should be getting the picture. Turning that POS into what you see before took a couple of weeks, plenty of ebaying, and full abuse of bastardos privileges. Stay tuned...

signed up to CHOP CULT

No pictures...but just 'putting it out there', I've signed up as 'los bastardos' to this most excellent new forum. I'm kinda short on time- and really should be reading my law books now rather than writing this- but can see I'll be spending a bit of time over there. Definitely a lot of like-minded folk, and sportster is most definitely spoken there.
I was hoping to get 'los bastardos' on their featured blog list, of course (as usual) I've jumped the gun and generally got excited too quick (no sniggering at the back). They've wisely said let's see how thing go for a few months...so I REALLY need plenty of project, road and feature shots to keep it going. Because 'los bastardos' WILL remain true to the ideal of featuring predominantly OUR bikes, cars, tats, stuff and whatever else.
Rant over! Now where's that law book...I need to sleep...

and most important, massive shout to 'one speed' who's signed up to the blog. Sir, I salute your clearly-impeccable taste.