Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Hello from near Seattle, USA

Hello liked minded people!
My name is Noah, im 31 years old...and Ive got the travel bug.

My parents were missionaries and Ive been traveling since I could walk!
Done quite a few road trips around east africa and through eastern europe and asia, but always in cagers.

Been planing a bike trip for the past year now to do the pan-american top to bottom. Hopefully it all comes together!
I have a mortgage and am currently remodeling the house, putting an apt above the garage to move my gear into and hopefully rent out the house to help pay the mortgage! (im a carpenter by trade)

Target date for kicking off the trip is summer 2012 if the $ is there.

And now, since I know you guys love pics, I'll post some of me bike!
I am currently enduroless, but have built my own machine which is a crotch rocket..my first one..lots of fun while you have to be in one place, but im missing the dual sport bikes i must admit...onto the photos!

I started with this..a 1987 Yamaha FZ700..behold her majesty!
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...F_Skully/1.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...F_Skully/5.jpg

Started tearing her down after I had a massive accident...(i put her down at just over 100mph)
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/2B.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/56.jpg

And started designing something unique for very little cash.

I found a single sided swingarm for cheap
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/36.jpg

Need to change the shock mount
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/64.jpg

Little bit of lathe work and the swingarm fit in the frame and was bolted up
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/73.jpg

I went with a 17inch car wheel in the back
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y..._Skully/78.jpg

And was able to fit a newer set of forks up front
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y.../april8004.jpg

Here she is on her own two wheels again
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y.../april8008.jpg

Bought a newer tank
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y.../april8006.jpg

And was able to get her to fit..took a bit of work!
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...Skully/pup.jpg

Then I started looking for a seat.
Have you guys ever seen those little bikes..i think they call them pocket bikes? they are so small with weedeater engines?
Well I saw one of those one day and thought...i like that seat!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/...decb6ae632.jpg

I was able to pick one up for $10
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...ly/bike007.jpg

She looked a bit ugly and needed some trimming and paint
But a little elbow grease and she was coming together
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...ly/april10.jpg

I traded a fella in Seattle a bit of work on his apt for a KTM Duke Headlight
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april15006.jpg

The lines flowed pretty good
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april15007.jpg

I read about building a lightweight battery from A123 cells and had to give it a go.
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28002.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28004.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28005.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28006.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28007.jpg
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...april28008.jpg

She worked the trick and was very small and lightweight. You guys should build some of these! Very easy and dont cost too much. I started my little car with it. works great!

I took the bike to a show at the local fair grounds just for fun, I knew it would mostly be Harleys and other cruisers.
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...Skully/167.jpg

A bit out of place
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...Skully/168.jpg

I ended up being given a plaque! Matching the theme of the event which was "Magic in the Air" I was very surprised because my bike was so out of place!
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...Skully/169.jpg

I still need to finish a bit of wiring for the signals and horn and I need to finish the brake system. The plan is to ride this bike the first half of the 2011 season and then sell her to buy the bike for the trip on the pan-american.
Hopefully someone will be interested...custom bikes have appeal to only a few folks!

Anyway thats a bit about me and what im about.
Looking forward to a bit of fun here on the board..Ive been lurking for quite some time now! Thought I had better start posting :)

Warm Regards to You All!
Noah M