During the next 3 weeks I am going to pre-announce some new products to be introduced for the 1st time to the Custom Motorcycle Industry during the Cincinnati V-Twin Expo. New from Baker Drivetrain will be a 5-speed reverse following a popular launch of a 6-speed reverse 2 years ago. The percentage of touring bikes [...]
Archive for January, 2010
Baker Drivetrain To The Rescue Of Baby Boomers. Ready To Launch A 5-Speed Reverse.
Published by January 9th, 2010 in Customs, Driveline and Editorial.Lee Chapin Leaves Mikuni American Corp.
Published by January 8th, 2010 in Editorial, Engines and Events.After 24 years with the company, Lee Chapin, lately Vice President of the carburetors division of Mikuni American Corp, has accepted an early retirement package and left the company. Lee is interested in securing another position within the motorsports industry. Mikuni provides aftermarket carburetors, related parts and tuning components to manufacturers and distributors in the motorcycle, ATV, watercraft [...]
A Little Chopper In Black & Brass Called Re-Cycle.
Published by January 8th, 2010 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.From Santiago Chopper, this new custom bike just shot after leaving the lift to join the street for its first spins. Not a “green” bike but kind of a re-cycled one. A 1994 stock Harley-Davidson engine fitted with Edelbrock Heads and a stock 5-speed tranny of the same year are cradled in a Red Neck Engineering [...]
Cris Sommer-Simmons To Ride Coast To Coast The Cannonball On A 1915 Harley-Davidson
Published by January 8th, 2010 in Editorial and Events.Cris wants to be the 1st woman to ride the Motorcycle Cannonball. If you don’t know, this event is a 3200 miles run on vintage motorcycles, the name after Erwin “Cannonball” Baker who set many riding records in the early 1900′s. At the time Erwin made the US coast west coast in just 11 days [...]
Tricky Air & Billet Front Air Suspension Kit For Harley-Davidson FLH
Published by January 8th, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Suspension.Tricky Air & Billet Inc. has always been on the forefront of new shock technology with its radical front air suspension systems. Not only for Harley but also for Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha models and of course custom applications. New for 2010 is a combo 5-degree raked triple tree with front air suspension forks [...]
Honda. Master Of Mechanical Complications.
Published by January 7th, 2010 in Builders, Editorial and Videos.Everything that you see happened in real time exactly as you see it. The recording required 606 takes and in the first 605 takes there always was something, usually of minor importance, that didn’t work. It was necessary for the recording team to install the set-up time after time and it took several weeks working [...]
New Pandemonium Gas Tank
Published by January 7th, 2010 in Builders, Chassis, Customs and Editorial.Evidently for custom applications, this new steel gas tank is setup for the petcock to be installed in the bottom rear to let you run till’ the last drop of gas. A clear fuel hose is used as a gauge and the 2 line fittings are in brass. Capacity is 2.2 gallon and it will [...]
Ridley Motorcycle Company Bankruptcy (Suite)
Published by January 7th, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.Got a little bit confused this morning when I read new court papers filed in Bankruptcy Court of the Western District Of Oklahoma showing that on December 29, 09 Ridley Motorcycle Company filed not only under Chapter 11 but also under Chapter 7 with a meeting of creditors scheduled February 2, 2010. I am not [...]
Ready To Pay $100 For The Freedom Of Riding Without A Helmet?
Published by January 7th, 2010 in Editorial and Events.This post forwarded by Rogue (Sturgis Freedom Fighters, Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005). “To Pay for freedom? No way! This is what happens when motorcycle rights organizations make compromise deals with state legislative bodies. Motorcycle Rights Organizations need to go back to Protests and Civil Disobedience. That worked before and will again, you just [...]
A Letter From Sheldon Coleman CEO Of Big Dog Motorcycles
Published by January 6th, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.Below the email I received from Sheldon Coleman. “Happy New Year to all!! 2010 is here at last. Personally, I am glad to have 2009 behind us, and am looking forward to all the prospects of a fresh year, with hopefully an improving economy and a more robust industry! As a reminder, we have decided to [...]
Breaking News. Ridley Motorcycles In Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Reorganization.
Published by January 6th, 2010 in Builders and Events.Financially exhausted by poor sales and by defending during 6 years a very costly lawsuit filed by Harley-Davidson (I remember President Clay Ridley telling me last September that more than 1/2 million dollars were spent in defense lawyer fees) and settled in 2009 (with Ridley losing the right to use the Auto-Glide name), Ridley Motorcycle [...]
Jay Leno Introduces You To His 1933 Indian Four
Published by January 6th, 2010 in Builders and Editorial.From Jay Leno’s Garage. You know the story. In 1901, bicycle racer and builder George Hendee teamed up with engineer Carl Oscar Hedstrom to build a 1.75 hp single cylinder motorcycle prototype with a revolutionary chain drive. The Indian Motocycle Company was soon formed in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jay introduces you to his 1933 Indian Four.
Wilwood GP-Series 4-Piston Billet Brake Calipers
Published by January 6th, 2010 in Brakes, Builders, Customs and Editorial.Wilwood is a high performance brake calipers and rotors company whose products were originally designed for race and off-road use and now successfully transitioned its braking equipment to street use. All Wilwood products work great, look very good, both reasons why you see them more and more on many custom bikes.
Mystery Of The Jeff Decker Bronze Statue Disappearance Is Solved. Almost!
Published by January 5th, 2010 in Customs, Editorial and Events.When managers of Harley-Davidson of Lindon called police last Saturday morning and reported that friend of the industry Jeff Decker 4-ton metal statue called “Land Speed” was missing (see my original post), quite a few people were smiling, including myself. Not because of the audacity of the theft but because many knew that this piece [...]
Harley-Davidson Sportster XR-1200 In The Globe Of Death
Published by January 5th, 2010 in Editorial, Events and Videos.The story behind the video. Gavin Walker owner of Harley-Davidson Victoria, Australia and a friend called Steve Butler (an Aussie stunt guy) decide to repair a Globe Of Death and to put a Sportster XR-1200 in it. Round one, the Globe wins against Steve. Round two…
Now Is The Best Time To Buy A Motorcycle. Not In One Year.
Published by January 5th, 2010 in Builders and Editorial.Here my 2010 prognostic. It’s going to be the best year to buy a motorcycle, and it will not be in 2011 or later. I have some good reasons to think this way. You know that prices are much lower than in recent years for negotiated new models and used bikes. Dealers are offering huge incentives [...]
New Tattoo Wheels By Xtreme Machine.
Published by January 5th, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Wheels.As you can imagine, due to the overwhelming choice of designs (choosing a wheel is probably the most difficult decision for most bikers), wheel designers and manufacturers are looking for more ways to differentiate their models and let you express your personality. A good example of this approach is a new 2010 series of wheels by XTreme [...]
If you live up north, current extremely cold temperatures are hazardous to you, you car and your bike. Tip: if you see a polar bear slip, you will too.
Keino Cycles “Peace & Quiet” Little Chopper
Published by January 4th, 2010 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.If you have the talent any bike can look extremely good with the proper custom treatment. Like this 1973 Harley FX using a Keino Cycles frame (34-degree rake, 3-up), hand fabricated custom gas and oil tanks with the power plant being the original Milwaukee engine boosted to 93″ (Andrews B Cam & S&S E Carb) [...]
4-Ton Jeff Decker Bronze Sculpture Stolen From A Harley-Davidson Dealer
Published by January 3rd, 2010 in Editorial and Events.We all know that motorcycles are very vulnerable to thieves. Apparently 4-ton bronze motorcycles can evaporate as easily. During the night from Friday to Saturday the Jeff Decker bronze “Land Speed” was stolen front of the Timpanagos Harley-Davidson store in Utah. The sculpture was mounted on a giant rock slab and the thieves, probably with [...]
Billy Lane Using His Skills And Helping Others While In Prison
Published by January 3rd, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.As expected by those who, like me, know him personally, Billy Lane has turned his prison time into a positive by helping other inmates learn how to weld and working on fixing the vehicles of the Avon Park Work Camp where he is serving a 6-year sentence after pleading no contest to one count of [...]
Custom Motorcycle Trends Via Web Keyword Searches.
Published by January 3rd, 2010 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.It’s no secret that the number of keywords queries made in search engines gives you an accurate idea of the interest of web surfers for a certain topic. Many companies, like Google Trends, keep track of all daily keyword searches made around the world with a breakdown going precisely to the number of these searches [...]
Baker Drivetrain Softail Synchronous Belt Drive System
Published by January 3rd, 2010 in Builders, Customs, Driveline and Editorial.From its experience with transmission pulleys, Baker Drivetrain realized that steel is the material of choice. (Aluminum pulley teeth never hold up with miles, get deformed creating saggy belts). Same with the clutch basket where steel is the choice material to avoid rattle noise created by aluminum deformed flanks as it can be experienced with [...]
His name is Neek. He is a Designer/Photographer and Metro X Harley-Davidson of Las Vegas asked him to shoot over a hundred metro Vegas bike cops for a magazine cover. There was no gunpoint robbery attempt inside the dealership during the shooting (pun intended).
Heart Shaped Motorcycle Horn Covers For Breast Cancer Awareness.
Published by January 2nd, 2010 in Customs, Editorial and Electrical.Show chrome, powder coated, pinstriped, red, pink with Breast Cancer awareness ribbons etc, these heart shaped horn covers in high grade 356 AA aluminum will do what they are supposed to do to protect your horn and with a portion of your purchase will help your local Breast Cancer Foundation. Any custom order accepted if [...]
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