BEFORE

Thoroughly Super-Stripped and squeaky-clean, the bare rough steel is smoothed and scrubbed into a vintage-bomber look.  The method: hours and hours spent with an old variable-speed drill and a wire brush wheel, breathing steel dust and obscenities with the peaceful accompaniment of Sigur Ros....

It turned out better than I expected, even with the disorganized rows of swirls.

Now I am rattle-canning it with matte urethane.  Hopefully the finish will stand the test of time and moisture.  In a week or so, after I'm done with the three or four coats the can has in it, the Suzuki emblems go on and of course, our newly minted logo "Imperfect'd".

Oh, and I bought a tire for the 'Strom on Saturday.  I took one look at the wheel sinking onto the pavement and decided that two more days were two days too many.  Two hours of travail at CalCoast, on an insanely busy Saturday morning, set me up with a Dunlop D607 Trail.  It was a cheap solution; but such are the needs of the moment.  I'm curious to see how long a "cheap" tire lasts.

It sure is nice to have a squawk-free machine again.