I know you are building something new. Maybe a Chopper or Bobber. So, here is a shameless plug on my Z-Bars. I know there a lot of different sets and designs available to you. But these ones are cool, not only because they are mine, but because they are […]
Archive for April, 2007
Imagine riding your bike with one hand (usually the right one) and holding a cell phone with your other hand while talking to your girlfriend who just called to say that she is back to her mother. Yep, it’s what I saw the other day in my hometown of Boca Raton, FL. The guy was […]
Individuals and garage builders heard about it or saw it on TV being used by pro-builders. An English Wheel is the basic tool we absolutely need to form and shape flat sheets of metal such as mild steel or aluminum to create our own gas tanks and fenders. When I meet semi-professionals on the show […]
Lehman Trikes is cutting more than half its Westlock staff and losing its CEO as it moves the metal fabrication and engineering department to the Spearfish, South Dakota facility. "Since opening our assembly plant in Spearfish the expense and logistics of shipping our metal fabrication have risen to the point that we no longer can […]
They are called high definition motion mats. They not only look cool in your garage or showroom (in 12 different styles and 3 colors, black, grey orange) but are supposed to make both your bike and your wife very happy (no oil on the floor). Standard size is 48 (W) […]
In this business we all scratch our heads to imagine new custom parts fitting a variety of different bikes from different years – a complex task- hoping to make just enough money to continue to do the job we love. Then, somebody comes with a very simple and low tech idea and makes millions in […]
Zeel Design 300 MM Tire Left Side Drive Kit
Published by April 26th, 2007 in Customs, Driveline, Editorial, Frames and Wheels.Us, custom builders, we try all kind of new things, and each time we do it we create a new trend generating a new style of bikes. Remember the start of the fat tire kits craze with the 180 mm Avon tire? It’s not so long ago. Now, […]
Harley-Davidson Sued for Patent Infringement
Published by April 25th, 2007 in Builders and Editorial.A lawsuit has been filed in Federal Court in Los Angeles against Harley-Davidson for infringement of a patent for providing multi-colored lighting for speedometers and tachometers. The suit was filed by inventor and patent attorney Frank Weyer, who successfully sued Ford under the same patent for using a multi-colored instrument lighting system in the 2005 […]
Roger Goldammer ExperiMental Bike.
Published by April 24th, 2007 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.All reputable custom motorcycle designers and builders will tell you the same thing. Even when they build a bike commissioned by a client, they build the bike that they dream of. Simply because they are the designers and builders, not the client. Too much restrictions and control from a client and the bike will never […]
Rikki Battistini is an Englishman with an Italian name who was building bikes in England, and became the main Arlen Ness distributor in Europe. Then he crossed the big pond moving to the San Francisco bay to become the # 3 at Arlen Ness Enterprises where he created a fine line of parts wearing his name. […]
For those who don’t know, to be a Color Designer in the automotive industry is a real job with lots of responsibilities. Which colors people would like for their next factory car or motorcycle? Color Designers are supposed to know, or at least guess. Right now, orange is increasing in popularity and should last. Copper-tinged oranges can […]
Bush Appoints Harley CEO Jim Ziemer To International Trade Advisory Board
Published by April 21st, 2007 in Editorial.Jim Ziemer, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc., has been appointed to a two-year term on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN) by President George W. Bush. "I’m deeply honored to be appointed by President Bush to this Committee," and I look forward to the opportunities to share our Company’s […]
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Taliban Favors Chinese-Built Honda Motorcycles.
Published by April 20th, 2007 in Builders and Editorial.As you can imagine, Taliban insurgents are not my favorite class of bikers. Since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001 their motorcycles have become an emblem of swift and effective attacks. In 2003 their army was remobilizing in Pakistan and they bought 1,150 motorcycles. Their ride of choice? Chinese-built Honda 125cc motorcycles. They have […]
Italy has produced some of the best designs in the world. And it’s still happening because Italians are born with an extra designer gene. I love to go there and always keep an eye on everything new on their motorcycle scene and beyond. Alessandro Pacelli (ex OMP) from Kustom Tech based […]
A Giant Production Motorcycle. Only In Germany.
Published by April 18th, 2007 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.It’s not a joke, and I guess it’s what happens when your ideas are growing and growing and growing inside your mind. In Germany there is a guy called Clemens Leonhardt with crazy ideas about what a motorcycle should be and how it should look. And I don’t say one-off motorcycle because he intends to […]
I guess you know that China & India are the 2 fastest growing economies in the world and that the US cannot prosper without these 2 countries as trading partners. But fair trade is the rule of the game. Logically, Harley Davidson wants to enter the Indian market , one the world’s largest for motorbikes. […]
The new Indian Motorcycle Company wants you to reserve the new 2008 Indian Chief. It will cost you only $1,000 to get on the waiting list. But as of today no information is officially released about how the bike will look, its features, performance and of course price. But don’t worry. I read for you […]
I already gave you a couple of good addresses to have your seat hand tooled. Here is another one. As always, the roster of clients says a lot about the quality of work you can expect. Duane Ballard custom makes seats for some of the best motorcycle builders of the industry: Dave Perewitz, Hank Young, […]
The Ripple Effect Of Housing On Motorcycle Sales.
Published by April 15th, 2007 in Builders and Editorial.The biggest topic of conversation, in & out of the industry, is the slow down of motorcycle sales. We all know that the housing boom from 2000 to 2005 has created a wealth effect with the mortgage equity withdrawals (MEW) being a cash cow providing home owners 100’s of billions of dollars going into consumer […]
Deco Drive On Miami South Beach
Published by April 15th, 2007 in Accessories, Builders, Customs and Editorial.I already had the opportunity to introduce to you Doc’s custom chopper & lowrider bicycles. But you never saw them being ridden by pretty girls on Ocean Avenue a.k.a. Deco Drive (the trendiest place in South Beach Miami). Here a TV clip to make you regret not owning yet one of Doc’s cool rides.
I didn’t know. Probably because I live in a State (Florida) where there is no helmet law. So, do you know how often should a helmet be replaced and how snug should it really fit? These are two key questions to which few are able to correctly answer. Of course, Harley-Davidson would like you to […]
Team America. Free Trade Or Fair Trade?
Published by April 13th, 2007 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.I wrote this article at the request of Chris Callen, Editor In Chief of Cycle Source Magazine. It is published in the current issue. "We all know that after quite a few years of exuberance, our V-Twin after-market industry has slowed down and that at the same time, coincidence or not, Asia produced motorcycle parts […]
New “Old School Choppers” Book
Published by April 13th, 2007 in Books, Builders, Customs and Editorial.Don’t confuse the new old school and the original old school bikes. Alan Mayes is the managing editor of The Horse Backstreet Choppers magazine, and few could explain as well as he does the attitude (both innovative & rebellious) behind the original choppers & bobbers. It’s what he does with his new book called “Old […]
I don’t like all the promotional junk that companies use to advertise their business. With a few exceptions, like the Zippo lighter, but only if it’s an authentic one (so many copies). Zippo lighters continue to be among collectors’ favorites and it may be the reason why you could be interested by owning a genuine […]
You probably noticed. Flush mount pop-up gas caps are getting out-dated because seen on so many radical high tech bikes. With the old school trend in full swing, gas caps & shift knobs are getting a new life with fancy shapes like stars, crowns, spinners, etc (check these ones). Here the the most simple design you […]
