Chris Callen

I’m thinking by this time nearly everyone who pre-ordered Kustom Painting Secrets, and Custom Bike Building Basics, has their books. Anyone who is still waiting should have them very soon – sometimes Media Mail can take a few extra days. Thanks to everyone who ordered these books, and the crew at Cycle Source magazine who helped to promote Custom Bike Building Basics.

One other title is coming off press as we speak: Ultimate Triumph Collection. As I’ve said, this one will not be available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and the alternative marketing plan is still a little up in the air – by next week I should have a web address for all the Triumph nuts out there.

Ultimate Triumph Collection is one book that will not be available from the conventional and discounted book outlets. Stay tuned for a web address and ordering information.

Our other pending Triumph book, Big Book of Triumph by Lindsay Brooke, is running a bit late. What was supposed to be a summer book will more likely turn into a fall title.

The definitive Triumph bible; Big Book of Triumph, may not be ready to ship until this fall.

The Really Important Newz
Enough about books. Saturday was the Flood Run, our first really big bike run of the year, and of course the weather went in the crapper – cold with rain in the afternoon. So some bikers chose to work on the hot rod instead. I ran the old Mopar alternator up to Interstate Electrics in Centuria, Wisconsin to have the front pulley pulled off, so Bruce and Kelly at Wizard Custom Studios and St. Croix Airbrushing , could paint the pulley and part of the case. The rest of the alternator case will be polished, as soon as I find time to run it up to Deters’ in Forest Lake.

In the meantime I have to decide exactly how to fab a brake pedal, and once that is done, it will be easy to do the final bleeding of the brakes. Oh yes, and I ordered a wiring harness today from Painless Wiring.

The To Do list is long. Fabrication of the actual brake pedal is near the top.

It’s snowing outside as I write this, which makes me want to head back to Florida. That would be the bad news. The good news includes the fact that the Jon Kosmoski and Chris Callen books are in a UPS truck headed to our office so we can ship them to you and you and you. We’ve been offering these 2 books at a special pre-order price, and that special price (note the nearby notice) will expire this Friday, 4/20/12.

New Books
The fact that we have two new books shipping means it’s time to get working on the fall range of books from Wolfgang. First on the list would be Composite Materials book three. Written by John Wanberg, a college professor from Colorado, these two books have been well received by all the folks out there who want to fabricate parts with materials that are both lighter and stronger than steel. This latest edition will introduce you to methods and materials used by professions, and rounds out this great series of books.

The Composite Materials books have been among our most popular titles. Look for the last book in this 3 book series this fall.

Next on the list is Bean’re, Motorcycle Nomad, the life story of one very interesting and very well known character. Not your standard Wolfgang title, this one is more biography and less how-to book. Though in a sense it could be a how to book: How to chuck the mortgage and credit card statements and live free.
Speaking of living free, I don’t, which means it’s time to deal with a lot of little Monday morning surprises... so this discussion of New Books will continue next week.

Want to know what it’s really like to live on your motorcycle, just read this first person account from Bean’re, the man who’s been doing it for years and years (available this fall).

Jon Kosmoski’s NEW Kustom Painting Secrets, and Custom Bike Building Basics by Chris Callen are scheduled to ship to us later this week, which means we will be getting them out to our loyal readers next week. I’m pleased to say that we have individual back orders for both books. Krista in our office has all the envelopes labeled and ready to go – all we need now is the books themselves.

I’m writing this blog from Florida, where I’ve been busy attending a wedding for an old friend, and taking photos that will surely end up in a new Wolfgang book scheduled for the fall of this year: How To: Airbrush, Pinstripe & Goldleaf. Today I’m lucky enough to be in Plant City, north of Tampa, where the talented Mr. Dave Knoderer, owner of Letterfly Pinstriping, puts stripes and airbrush designs on everything from Ford trucks to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Shown nearby is the Air Force emblem being placed on an Ultra, and both our Facebook pages have a shot of the more traditional pinstripe design he created on a F150 yesterday.

Though Dave from Letterfly is very capable with an airbrush, he creates a lot of his images the old-skool way, by hand with One-Shot paint and a lettering quill.

At the Wolfgang Circus, we are busy adding items to our juggling act. Last week we officially added one more ball to the two or three already in the air: Custom Bike Building Basics by Chris Callen of Cycle Source magazine fame. Chris approaches the subject of building bikes from scratch a little differently than I do, and that’s probably a good thing.

Chris’ outline includes things like: Setting up a Shop, Working with Steel, Love thy Welder, Getting Ready, Tearing it Down, Sheet Metal Fab, and Saddle Work, along with three start-to-finish assembly chapters. The assembly chapters document the construction of three bikes – none of these are pro street bullets or expensive over-chromed choppers. No, these bikes are way more down-home than that.

Look for a new spin on building bikes from scratch – done with a lot of help from Chris Callen from Cycle Source Magazine.

Chris’ juggling act promises to be ready for viewing this spring, so be sure to buy your tickets now before they’re all gone.

Hobo Stew is just one example of the art, compliments of Darren McKeag, we are using to open each of Chris’ chapters.

At the Wolfgang Circus, we are busy adding items to our juggling act. Last week we officially added one more ball to the two or three already in the air: Custom Bike Building Basics by Chris Callen of Cycle Source magazine fame. Chris approaches the subject of building bikes from scratch a little differently than I do, and that’s probably a good thing.

Chris’ outline includes things like: Setting up a Shop, Working with Steel, Love thy Welder, Getting Ready, Tearing it Down, Sheet Metal Fab, and Saddle Work, along with three start-to-finish assembly chapters. The assembly chapters document the construction of three bikes – none of these are pro street bullets or expensive over-chromed choppers. No, these bikes are way more down-home than that.

Custom Bike Building Basics. Caption: Look for a new spin on building bikes from scratch – done with a lot of help from Chris Callen from Cycle Source Magazine.

Chris’ juggling act promises to be ready for viewing this spring, so be sure to buy your tickets now before they’re all gone.

Hobo Stew is just one example of the art, compliments of Darren McKeag, we are using to open each of Chris’ chapters.

It all started in Sturgis last year. Working on the Sturgis 70th Anniversary book put me in the midst of the mayhem and wherever I looked there were these back-to-basics motorcycles. Some looked like pre-choppers from 1968, and others were obviously one person’s very unique vision of a custom motorcycle. To their credit, a number of these young builders seem to be coloring way outside the box. Leading this new group of riders is Chris Callen of Cycle Source fame, and the guys and gals from the Limpnickie Lot.

The new designs, the fresh faces, and their enthusiasm made me think that maybe there’s room in the market for a new generation of how to books, designed for a new generation of builders and customizers. What if I could help design and publish one or more books, designed to help people build basic motorcycles in their own garages and spare bedrooms. Given the fact that it’s almost impossible to get a motorhead book on the shelf at any of the retail book stores now, I would need an alliance with a known entity, maybe a magazine that could help me to reach this new, younger audience.

I am pleased to say that my Sturgis-born fantasy is turning to reality, almost as we speak. Chris Callen publisher of Cycle Source, has agreed to author a new book titled: Custom Bike Building Basics. Chris suggested we focus the book on helping readers with basic skills: like welding, fabricating sheet metal and creating mounts of all kinds.

Wolfgang Publications is pleased to announce an alliance with Cycle Source and editor Chris Callen to produce a new back-to-basics bike building manual.

In order to keep the price reasonable, and ensure we can print it in the US of A, the book will be mostly black and white, with a simple, easy to follow layout. Other than that, I’m a little light on specifics right now. I do know the book is a done deal, that we will have finished copies early in 2013, and that I’m a very happy camper to have Chris Callen working with Wolfgang Publications as the author of a new how-to book aimed at a whole new group of builders.

The new book will carry the Cycle Source name on the cover.

Among the many people who helped me shoot and assemble the Sturgis 70th Anniversary book, is Colleen Swartz from Milwaukee. A serious motorcycle nut and talented photographer, Colleen is also involved in the Chicago Swap Meet and Bike Show, scheduled for February 5th of this year.

When Colleen called a few months back and asked if I would be willing to attend the show as a judge, I was only too happy to say yes. Her offer of a lavish hotel suite with a fridge filled with expensive champagne, and a sizable cash stipend, was really only the icing on the cake – I woulda done it anyway.

If you live anywhere near Chicago, consider attending the one-day Swap Meet and Bike Show scheduled for February 5th.

Billed as the world’s biggest one-day swap meet and bike show, the Chicago extravaganza is somewhat similar to our local Donnie Smith show, at least in the sense that a huge swap meet combined with a high quality bike show is guaranteed to provide something for everyone. The show itself is sponsored by Cycle Source magazine, what owner Chris Callen calls a “grass roots motorcycle magazine.”

Now, I’ve photographed a lot of bikes, and I’ve certainly admired even more, but I admit I’m a judging virgin. When I told Colleen this, she said not to worry, “all you have to do is follow the check list for each bike, it’s pretty straightforward.” We shall see.

Show organizer and fellow judge, Colleen Swartz is the one who convinced me to give up my virginity.

It’s amazing what people can accomplish when they don’t know they can’t do it. With nothing more than enthusiasm for all things two-wheeled, Chris Callen built Cycle Source from a tiny little biker rag to one of the most successful motorcycle magazines out there. All at a time when even the biggest magazines are dying on the vine at an alarming rate.

So the afternoon of February 4th will find me behind the wheel of the mighty Ford Ranger, bound east from Stillwater down the super-slab highway 94. Chicago is a great city. It’s just about far enough that I feel like I’ve traveled someplace. Far enough away to make the trip a real trip and maybe a small adventure as well. The other good thing about Chicago is the large number of incredible music venues. Halsted Avenue is reminiscent of Beale Street in Memphis, with a blues joint on almost every corner. How can a guy not love Chicago.

Anyone within driving range of Chicago should take a look at the web site (http://www.chicagomotorcycleswap.com/BikeShow.php) and think about attending the WORLD’S BIGGEST ONE-DAY SWAP MEET AND BIKE SHOW. Follow my example and arrive the night before so you have time to carouse through downtown and check out a few of those famous waterin’ holes.

http://cyclesource.com/home.htm