And so it begins.....

Before this ridiculous chopper thing took hold of me, I was into old  BMWs. They're cheap, robust, and plentiful, so they're perfect for loser builders like me. Ah Germany, just saying the name elicits visions of beautiful women, weird porn, delicious beer, and amazing engineering.

I bought the subject of this build about 10 years ago from the uncle of a good friend of mine. Uncle C is a Mercedes mechanic so all his shit runs beautifully. I scored "Helga" for $2 grand and have never had a lick of trouble from her. She has been a daily driver, weekend tourer, and accompanied me on the 2007 El Diablo Run. So what do you do with a bike that runs flawlessly and asks for nothing in return? Yep! Chop her!

The inspiration for this build is a combination of the bike on the previous post and the amazing machines shown on the HPN website. I need a long distance work horse that will start every time, carry a ton, and NOT make me push her across the border (remember the 2011 EDR?).

I plan on posting the "progress" here so all my friends can laugh at my shoddy mechanical acumen and foolish bravado.

Helga before the rape.

Look at amazing fabrication skill! See the almost factory seat support?

Leave it to the Germans to put the brake master cylinder and mechanism under the tank.

As I deflower Helga, I am again amazed by the quality of the parts. And the attention to detail the engineers in Berlin have is unrivaled.