Lovingly restoring the worst bike I've ever ridden.

[Canuman]

The Christless thing got him through four countries with an ovaled steering head and a piece of soda can for a shim. It's not a frikkin' race bike. It's a piece of antiquated, indifferently constructed technology that was crude in the extreme when it was spankin' new. It's a pig. A cow. If it was a 1909 Pope, and he managed to do the same thing on it, you'd be singing his praises. HOW MUCH HARM CAN HE DO TO IT?

It's not how the bear dances. It's that the bear dances at all. Anyone can make it on the latest tech with a support crew. This is real adventure.

Now can we quit the sh!t and get back to this wonderful thread, which has restored my faith in the sublime?

[Mullet5]

I have made actual progress on the Minsk! But first, apparently, I have to do some housecleaning.


Derek and I are friends, and he is merely helping me with this retarded happy-fun-time idiotic project that I got myself into. He is not doing it the way he wants to. His original recommendation was to replace the head tube, but after much bitching, whining, kvetching, and whimpering by me about how "that is going to be so much wooooork and I don't have the moooooooney" he finally agreed to forget everything that he knew was right and safe and worthy of his shop, and just sort of mash the thing back together. So, make no mistake, THIS IS MY DOING. Derek still to this day complains about not doing it to his standard, and I am constantly telling him "fuck it, its good enough as is! Can I take it home an assemble it now??" I have never pointed this out in the thread, because I never had to defend myself or my friend who is helping me from forum trolling dipshits. This has, up until now, been the single most enjoyable forum activity I have ever taken part in. Love doing the ridiculous work, love making people laugh, and I love the people who are following my escapades.

I am, first and foremost, a car guy. I have a small collection of cars and trucks that I am incredibly enthusiastic about, I love them to death, I do all of my own work, I off road my trucks, I track my sports cars (and not so sporty cars), and I go on road trips with all of them. However, because of the overwhelming number of asswipes on forums, I don't participate in anything. No meets, no shows, no group drives, no posts about my cars, trips, or repairs/upgrades. It simply is not worth the aggravation. For instance, I already could have written the Minsk update, but instead I find myself doing this shit.

I drove my rickety old British vehicle through Baja last year, and I didn't write a post about it because I didn't want to defend myself against a mob a Monster Energy - Fox Racing - Rockstar flat bill hat wearing, shirtless morons who would hijack my thread to inform me that it would have been "hella more sicker if you had, like, unpainted fiberglass flares on, like, the sides of your truck bro. And also you should have done it in a Ford Ranger"

So in conclusion, thank you Mr TwinShocker for stopping by my admittedly idiotic post, and lousing it all up. I appreciate your concern for my financial well being, or whatever the fuck you think you are doing, but please refrain from providing further assistance. Seriously, this is stupid. Not kidding, leave it alone. You can come peruse the updates any time you like, but don't post. We are having fun here, and NOTHING is being done properly.

Wait, I thought I was done, but I have one more point. Did this dude seriously not read ANY part of this thread? I mean, it starts out with a cracked swing arm, pivots made out of stripped out 3/4" nuts, cable guides made by welding fender washers to the frame, you name it, it is fucked, scary, and flat out WRONG on this bike, which is why this is so much fun to work on and write about!

I do not want an argument, I do not want a debate, I do not want to discuss this with TwinShocker at all any more AT ALL ever. Get it, TwinShocker? Don't Respond, don't post here, please. Also, please note that I never insulted you, your intelligence, your social status, your friends, your family, your pets, your vehicles, or engineering/fabricating prowess. I even managed to keep swear words to what I consider to be the bare minimum! I just want this to go away.

ok done.

[Hughlysses]

Woohoo! The Mullet Man is back- let the restoration resume!

[Mullet5]

A couple more items

Husqzilla, your post about the fantasy Trabant situation was absolutely hilarious, I loved that! I was just down in Monterey for the whole car week, and I saw a Trabant! I wanted to chase the guy down and discuss a collaborative effort, but he got away from me... Don't ask how a Trabant got away from me, I don't want to talk about it.

Jdgretz, I want a huge poster of the second Trabant picture you put up. Stellar.

Treadless, DaverCoe, Canuman, OaklandStrom, Garp, Hughlysses, Mercury264, dilandau, and many many others... you guys Get It. Thanks.

[Mullet5]

This is sort of lame progress, but progress none the less!


The antique tires


Look at that front tire. It isn't wet, its shiny because its that old and hard.


New tires, tubes, and rim strips




Uh, which style?




Slightly terrible






Then I got to this point and pinched the tube. Douche.


Yep


YAY!


I had a great time doing this, I can't wait until I have more time to do the other one.

[OaklandStrom]

Originally Posted by Mullet5

Uh, which style?

That's one of the best parts of the bike.

If you ever feel like meeting people from ADV face to face (and I understand if you don't) I'll bring beer. I'd love to see this thing at some point.

[Canuman]

That is purely beautiful. No soft capitalist tires. I will mount the tires of a real revolutionary.

Shame you didn't have to stand in line for three days for them.

[Kubla]

I need a minsk to sit next to my Go-4

[Marco Moto]

Originally Posted by Mullet5

YAY!

damn sexy!

[istandalone]

Thank you Mullet5. keep it up. I hear you about being involved in other forums, especially the off-road type (a**-hats galore). Still would like to hear more about your 4-runner.

[Kevan Garrett]

Dude!

You know what would really clean up these wheels? Soda blasting! Bwahahahahah......

Seriously, glad you are back, glad the DS didn't push you away. Love the build. Hope to raise a glass with you and the lovely L one of these days (maybe we can drag Deniz along).

Keep up the great work.

Kevan

Originally Posted by Mullet5

This is sort of lame progress, but progress none the less!

Slightly terrible

[GHO100]

Yes yes.. uh, more soda blasting. Um yes, I think that'll do it.

Also, lets put the troll in a blasting cabinet

[Lesharoturbo]

Well, I have to admit I have been a lurker on this thread from the beginning. I really like what you are doing here Mullet, I am glad you are carrying on.

I must add that I almost stopped dropping by due to the BS that was being carried on. Let Mullet do his work. It is his thread after all. We do not need the drama.

That is all.

Turbo

[dbarale]

We are having fun here, and NOTHING is being done properly.

This pretty much defines this site...

[Canuman]

Now, to REALLY get into the spirit of this resto, I recommend you watch a film from Russia called The Peculiarities of the National Fishing. (Особенности национальной рыбалки.) It will get you into the spirit -- where nothing is done correctly, but everything works out in the end. It's a pisser. (And thankfully subtitled.)



If you don't want to buy a copy, pm me and I'll send you mine. Consider it a donation to the Worker's Struggle.