steveb leatherworks: the blather

Just scanned some shots from attending the Toys for Tots Queen NYC run,…back in I believe, 1991 or 1993. I remember this particular ride, whatever year it was..lol.. as being brutally cold..no fairing, no windshield, no full face helmet -and an hour on the slab to get to where i needed to go…ah yes – the good old days. Funny to think i just gave the leather coat i was wearing in these pics to my 16 year old nephew, it doesn’t fit me anymore and still has a bunch of years left in it…cant seem to sell it on ebay to someone who hasnt earned the right to wear it.

My FXR was still pretty stock in these pics, thats how long ago this was. I think i had changed the bars – the stock buckhorns were just too lame – and stopped there, not knowing what i wanted to do with it. Marko had hair…ha, talk about dating the era!

Also importantly featured in these pics is steveN’s metallic blue Superglide – a really traditional Queens NYC styled ride for its year (next to it was freddy’s triumph). He had literally gotten this bike (a pile of junk really) in a few milk crates and created what you see here in a few short months – amazing, and his first build (and bike) to boot – and he painted it!  Steve was a legendary hot rod builder in my ‘hood, but didn’t like being left out when we got on the bikes, so he decided to “make his own”, due in part to the financial demands of having 5 boys and the sole breadwinner. he was a Service Tech at big dealerships. He was a great guy – well loved, a family man and a talented mechanic, and i really do mean talented. He just figured stuff out and made it look good too. He died about 4 years ago, and is missed and talked about whenever we make this ride… as it was an important milestone and maiden voyage of this bike and of his short-lived riding career.

Good memories, good times, good friends, good rides – glad i had my camera.