Marc Frantz wanted to surprise me. He bought a lot of parts from my catalog (big money), went to work during very long months (so many hours) and secretly built this bike that he dedicates to me (I am speechless). I am extremely flattered. And of course he deserves this post while I am still […]
Archive for January, 2007
A Cyril Huze Tribute Bike. And I Am Still Alive.
Published by January 31st, 2007 in Customs and Editorial.I never liked bulky parts and always thought that small is beautiful. The “Little Breather” conceived by friend Dennis Goodson is, to my knowledge, the smallest air cleaner available on the market. It’s only 6 1/2" x 3.5". It features retro style lines, high polishing, and is available for all new and most old style carburetor models. For S&S […]
Here a site that I like very much. And you will too if you like Vincent motorcycles. It’s called Harris Vincent Gallery (HVG). The company is owned and operated by Herb Harris who is CEO of an attorney law firm. He has collected Vincent motorcycles for many years and his collection includes most of the […]
I am obsessed with details. Some parts need to be revealed and some need to disappear to not hurt a line. Let’s take the example of front ends. Stock ones are not very sexy but can be improved by with a new axle without protuberating nuts. After-markets ones are beautiful but not always sold with […]
Erik Buell. Chairman Of Buell. Rock Singer. Guitar Designer
Published by January 28th, 2007 in Builders and Editorial.People working with passion work all the time. And passionate people still find the time to pursue other passions. In the case of Erik Buell it’s singing, playing in a rock and roll band & designing guitars. Yes, the 70s AMA superbike racer, the 80’s Harley-Davidson engineer and Buell Motorcycles founder is coming to play […]
The concept motorcycle you are looking at is one of three hybrid motorcycles designed by eCycle and Machineart. Much like hybrid cars that are all the rage, hybrid motorcycles use a combination gas engines and electric power. The electric motor is used for torque demands such as acceleration and passing and the gas or diesel […]
It must be 12 years that I know internationally renowned painter David Uhl. And when I saw his art for the first time in Sturgis, it was love at first glance. Of course, I immediately became a client. Several spaces of my home are filled with his paintings and I never regretted one second to […]
This is a very important announcement for the v-twin industry, including every builder and shop in the US. S&S Cycle, Inc. has successfully procured EPA Certification on all 3 of its V-Series engine families, becoming the first motorcycle engine manufacturer to produce pre-certified EPA compliant engines. Individuals and builders can now build EPA compliant […]
As the opposite of what most people think, Jockey shift and Suicide Clutch were never stock equipment on any Harley-Davidson motorcycles. At the time of the first choppers they were installed by those chopping off everything they could. Gear changing was a jockey shift and foot clutch. The jockey shifter worked off of the transmission […]
I am telling you right away. I like Mike Tomas from Kiwi Indian Motorcycles. For many reasons: one of the best motorcycle craftsmen alive, a true biker and a gentleman. I never bought anything from him (sometimes I should have had) even his famous Classic Leaf Spring Front End when I needed one. I made […]
It was 3 years ago and the story of Bill Janklow, at that time Governor of South Dakota, was a very hot topic in the motorcycle industry. In 2003 Janklow sped through a stop sign and the Cadillac he was driving hit a Harley-Davidson ridden by Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minnesota. The accident killed the […]
It’s written in my philosophy of building custom bikes: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Practically it means that I like symmetry and parallelism. And among things I dislike, I have a total aversion for pipes looking like spaghettis. After the excess of bends found on a lot of mass produced and one-off exhaust systems it seems […]
Mayor of New York Declares January 19/21 New York International Motorcycle Show Days.
Published by January 23rd, 2007 in Editorial.Last weekend, John Smolinski from American Iron Magazine was visiting the New York International Motorcycle Show. He just called me with this interesting info. Below is highlighted the official press release from NYC mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. I am glad to see the mayor of such a big city promote our sport. “Last Year’s New York […]
2008 Victory Vision: What’s The Heck Is That?
Published by January 22nd, 2007 in Builders and Editorial.Touring bikes are not my passion and highly futuristic designs not my cup of tea. So, when I had several pictures of the new Victory Vision stare at me, I became speechless (translate by what am I going to write about this one). Victory Motorcycles presents the new Vision model as the most progressive American […]
Golden Gate Bobber. Dripping With Nostalgia
Published by January 21st, 2007 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.Here a little Bobber as Harley original as it can be except sheet metal, mid controls, generator and battery. Of course, there is a lot of fabrication work that only a pro can detect. It’s an original VL frame modified to accept a 1974 EL drive train. The amazing part is that this bike is […]
It’s my Blog, and I write what I want about motorcycles or anything else. The presidential election campaign just got started and political crap is already everywhere. Right leaning bikers go to Fox (Faux) News to listen to Bill O’Reilly propaganda. Like this network commercial telling you that you can’t trust a candidate who is […]
Harley-Davidson announced that strong international sales of its motorcycles helped drive its fourth-quarter profit up 9.7 percent. Just above Wall Street expected . But U.S. sales were flat. Worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew 6.4 percent for the quarter. Over the past few years, Harley has improved overseas dealer networks and marketing programs, which in […]
I am not going to explain again the techniques of powder coating & its advantages. I am sure you already know. Instead I will focus on the company I use for many fancy projects. Since 1987, date at which Sumax founder Kirk Van Scoten bought his first powder gun, the company is not only still […]
The new Viper-brand motorcycles that will start rolling out to dealers later this month are going to be very fast. The company is reasoning that in the crowded custom cruiser market people want more power. Four years after its discreet launch in 2002, Viper’s production lines started up at the Big Lake plant in Minnesota. The models […]
After publication of the Bobber “Bombshell” in the January issue of American Iron magazine, I received a lot of emails and calls about where was the battery installed, and from those who guessed right, how was it done?. The desire to hide what is not of visual interest or at the opposite to show what […]
Harley-Davidson Manufacturing Tours Win Best Tours Award
Published by January 16th, 2007 in Editorial.The Harley-Davidson Factory Tours of the Kansas City, Capitol Drive and York manufacturing plants were honored with the 2006 Best in Class Public Tours award for a mid-size tour program at the Guest Relations Association annual conference in Illinois. The Guest Relations Association consists of companies across all industries who host customers and visitors through […]
There are about 100 Harley-Davidson motorcycles still running on the communist island of Cuba. Mainly Knuckelheads & Panheads, the most recent being a 1962 Duo Glide. Since the 1962 embargo (el bloqueo) on Cuba it is impossible for Cubans to import American products. Without American spare part, but with sweat, improvisation and imagination, they give us lessons of […]
Throw Away Your Disc Lock To Secure Your Bike
Published by January 15th, 2007 in Brakes and Editorial.If you secure your bike using a disc lock (or pad lock), I bet it’s going to happen to you. And if it didn’t happened to you, it happened to one of your friends, or at least you heard this story. Because a disc lock is clamped to the motorcycle’s brake rotor, this allows the […]
I didn’t know. Nor you According to the Organic Trade Association, roughly one third of a pound of environmentally harmful chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers are typically used to grow enough cotton to produce one of your t-shirts. Wow! Cotton is one of the most chemically treated crops on the planet! Instead, Bamboo holds the promise […]
Harley-Davidson Launches New Mobile Store
Published by January 13th, 2007 in Accessories and Editorial.Harley-Davidson is entering the digital world and is now offering six types of wallpaper and two different ringtones for your mobile phone. The ringtones feature the sounds of Harley-Davidson engines revving up or accelerating down the road (personally I think it’s ridiculous and there are 1000’s of more appealing sounds). Various types of wallpaper allow […]
Rats Hole Custom Show 35th Anniversary
Published by January 12th, 2007 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.I started my professional career in 1992 by showing my 1st custom in the Rats Hole Custom Bike Show, the only one I knew at this time. Guess what? At 1st appearance, I won my class. As a matter of fact several times in a row, both in Daytona & Sturgis. It’s the way I […]
