#25: Early mock-ups. I changed a lot on the Sportster last winter. This was an early mock up with the new tank and I think it looks awesome. Keeping the tank raw steel would have looked badass but I am quite happy with the paint job I later added.
#24: Ignition relocation. It's one of those totally unnecessary mods that's cool for no good reason. I was already doing a tank lift and wire tuck so why not, right?
#23: Jason Britton stunting at the 2011 Progressive International Motorcycle Show. I'm not a big sportbike guy but I can appreciate the skill it takes to so masterfully control such powerful machines. I saw Jason many times on TV but it was cool to see him live.
#22: First ride of the season. Winter held on for a long time in early 2011 and I didn't get my first ride in until late in March. You can still see plenty of snow but the roads were good.
#21: The 2011 Donnie Smith Bike Show. So many amazing bikes, it took 8 posts just to cover my favorites.
#20: Spring Flood Run. The Spring Flood Run was so freakin' cold this year! Snow actually fell that morning and the turnout was the worst I've seen. I still attended but had to be seriously layered up as I don't own any heated gear.
#19: Rattlecan paintjob. This was the first and only tank I have ever painted. It's all done with rattlecan paint. I love the way the lace panels and pinstripes turned out. While it's certainly not perfect, I'm really, really proud of it.
#18: Sportster Complete. It took a lot longer than expected and I did more mods than I originally planned to, but in mid-May, the Sporty was back on the road and looking better than ever.
#17: Sportster at night. I love taking photos of my bikes in front of graffiti-style murals. This was one my favorites, taken in Uptown.
#16: Lucas Square 8 Headlight. I got this light cheap, fixed it up, and (after a few failed attempts) made a bracket for it. It's not as big or bright as the stock headlight and it lacks a high-beam, but it rocks. It dramatically changed the whole look of the bike.
#15: Riding to the DicE / Church of Choppers party in Iowa. This was my first big ride after all the changes I made to the Sporty. The seat was far from broken in and it hurt... a lot. The camping situation was far from ideal and was basically in a parking lot (also quite uncomfortable). It didn't matter. It was totally worth it. What an awesome trip. I used 14 posts to upload nearly 150 pics from it.
#14: Tom Fugle's panhead. A mindblowing ride, as seen at the DicE / Church of Choppers party in Iowa. It made my Sporty seem a lot more comfortable by comparison. Look ma, no footpegs! A true chopper in every sense of the word.
#13: Show Class Magazine Issue One. I only subscribe to this magazine and DicE.
#12: Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Stopped by while in Ohio. Nice displays. Quite a few Sporties (mostly XR750s).
#11: Bearded Lady Motorcycle Freakshow. This photo is just too perfect. Complete brain meltdown at the sight of the awesomeness that lay before this kid.
#10: Full Tilt Chopper Show. Wish I could have stayed longer but was just happy to stop by for a little bit. Heard nothing but good things. Hope they do it again in 2012.
#9: I-35 Bridge. The blue lights under the new bridge look amazing. You may remember the tragedy that happened when the old bridge collapsed in 2007.
#8: SCVR Chili Feed. Such a good time. Beer, chili, music, camping. Highly recommend.
#7: Fall Flood Run. With a babysitter taking care of business at home, my wife and I got to actually enjoy the Fall Flood Run together on the Road King. The weather was so much better than the Spring run. It was a really great day on the bike.
#6: Gunflint Trail. My dad rode my Road King and I rode my Sporty up to the Gunflint Trail for a few days of riding, fishing, and just hanging out. It was a fantastic trip. Here's a shot of me following my dad through one of the many curves on the trail.
#5: First Place!!! I took the first place trophy in the "H-D Mild" class at Rad's Extra Sharp Extra Sharp Motorcycle Show. How fitting that my first-ever motorcycle trophy is shaped like cheese.
#4: iPhone Apps. This shot is one of many I have taken and manipulated to give a slightly retro feel using my iPhone. In which decade was this shot taken?
#3: More Graffiti Art. I got so many amazing shots of the Sportster this day.
#2: Five years and 40,000 miles. I hit a big milestone in November... my fifth year of riding. I posted this shot of my Sportster taken just after I bought it, used but practically stock with only 8,000 miles on it. It looks a lot different now. Between my two bikes, I've ridden over 40K miles and counting.
#1: Thanksgiving Ride. The winter has been unseasonably warm so far. My last of ride of the season was on Thanksgiving Day but I probably could have ridden a few times in December if I wanted to. We'll see how long this winter sticks around but I certainly hope it's not as long as last winter.
Here's to even better times in 2012! To see my top 25 of 2010, click here.