Never thought that in the United Arab Emirates they were guys building old school choppers. And you must admit that he looks very good and… very American. One of the most crowd pleasing custom bikes during the “Custom Chrome Europe Dealer Show”. And it had nothing to do with the model standing by (pictures by […]
Archive for April, 2009
Old School Chopper Built In The United Arab Emirates!
Published by April 8th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.Seen on the floor of Indian motorcycle Charlotte this 1947 Indian Chief Sidecar. A rare 74”, with all matching numbers, correct 3-speed transmission and completely rust-free. As you see, the sidecar is primed, ready for a matching paint job in coral red/cream. And I hear that it is for sale for under appraised value…Indian Motorcycle […]
Billy Lane Plea Delayed One More Week
Published by April 8th, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Events.The plea hearing of this Wednesday morning at 8.45 am ended up with the Judge giving Billy Lane’s attorneys and the State prosecutor at least 1 more week to iron out the details of the written version of the verbal agreement. Attorneys will notify the court of their progress during a docket hearing set for […]
Harley-Davidson Inc. named Keith Wandell of Johnson Controls Inc. as new President and CEO. Wandell, 59, replaces retiring CEO James Ziemer, also 59, on May 1, Milwaukee-based Harley said in a statement yesterday. Wandell represented the auto supply industry in U.S. Senate testimony last year, as chief operating officer and president of Johnson Controls, North […]
When You Ride, Put On Your Second Best Face.
Published by April 7th, 2009 in Accessories, Editorial and Merchandise.The press release I received states that there is nothing like it. And I believe it. After 3 years of continuous lab and road testing, the people of “Second Face On” have perfected a protective mask for motorcycle riders that prefer not to wear the full helmet. Of course, the idea is to offer protection […]
Billy Lane Plea Deal Postponed 24 Hours
Published by April 7th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Events.During the last days a plea deal has been verbally negotiated and agreed by the defense and the State prosecutor. This morning at a 9 am hearing front of the judge in Viera Court, the prosecution and defense realized that they had different interpretations of what their verbal negotiations meant. Billy’s attorney Greg Eisenmenger stated […]
More New Old School Chopper Parts
Published by April 7th, 2009 in Controls, Customs, Editorial and Suspension.After working in his father’s motorcycle shop, Warren Heir Jr. just started his own company in Milwaukee, and is already offering a few cool retro parts. First, super narrow triple trees available in 35, 39, or 41mm. Sold with hardware and 1” steering stem. Then this Kicker pedal with a […]
3rd Annual Arlen Ness Bike Show Is April 18/19Th
Published by April 7th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Events.This year the 3rd annual show will be held at a new location and on a new date. This exciting event is Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Sunday April 19th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo California. This Arlen Ness […]
Crane Cams. 1953-2009? As I told you last week, there is a lot of confusion regarding Crane Cams and its future. I continue to receive conflicting reports and press releases and below I reproduce the last one I just received. It comes from Katherine Walls, Vice President of Liquitec.
It used to be impossible to test ride a new model at your favorite local Harley-Davidson dealer. You had to go to big rallies like Daytona or Sturgis to get a chance to demo ride one of the new bikes. Well, as a new strategy to create more traffic into their dealerships, Harley-Davidson is launching […]
Dakota Digital is proud to announce the launch the next generation of their already comprehensive website. The new website was designed to cater to the user by providing all generations of current and discontinued product manuals, dealer locators, in addition to features such as demo vehicles and career opportunities. Dakota Digital was founded in 1986 […]
During Daytona Bike Week I observed the return of the very radical custom bikes. And last weekend Custom Chrome Europe Dealer Show in Germany also featured a large number of very high tech bikes. No, it’s not the end of the chopper/bobber/vintage trend, but more a fusion of many styles. For example, it’s not rare to […]
Don’t bitch. If you ride you, from time to time you have to look back and a mirror can be a better and safer alternative than turning your head every time. So, you want it small? Lick’s Cycles is now offering these bare bones mini mirrors that can do the job without cluttering your bars. […]
Today I need to make an exception and talk about this car already considered the most desirable car on our Greener Planet. The recession will end, and I hope it will be before 2010, date at which the Tesla Model S is going to be released. Is it the reinvention of the automobile? Tesla says that 520 all-electric […]
Thanks to the multiple reports and amazing photography I receive from Horst Rosler, in the next few days I am going to introduce you to the wildest (and to my preferred) custom bikes of last week “European Custom Chrome Dealer Show”. And to start, let’s look at the beautiful racing lines and amazing details of this custom bike […]
Chopper Couture “CC Rider” New 2009 Collection
Published by April 4th, 2009 in Editorial and Merchandise.Chopper Couture is edgy sophistication inspired by a mix of influences and experiences from an art-driven Chopper Culture. All pieces of clothing are manufactured using only eco- friendly fabrications such as luxuriously soft bamboo and certified organic cotton. Sounds good, and looking quite sophisticated when each piece is embellished with studs and when the artisan […]
One day Arlen told me “Hard work is as good as talent”. And of course he is right. So if you add his 30+ years of hard work in the motorcycle industry to his natural talent, it’s no surprise that Arlen Ness received from the hands of Holger Mohr, CEO of Custom Chrome, a “Lifetime […]
This new piece by David Uhl was created to be a window into the past and hang next to the actual plane residing in a museum in Chandler, Arizona. In David’s words: “Ever since I painted “Ruth”, I have a special place in my heart for P-51s. This plane is no exception. It is in […]
LA County Chop Rods New Parts
Published by April 3rd, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Electrical and Engines.This “Side Mount” battery box is designed to allow a standard Softail size battery to be mounted on the right side above the transmission. The box mounts in three places and uses rubber isolated mounts for vibration resistant installation and includes mounting provisions to accommodate the Mooneyes 3 quart. “Chopper” oil tank and mounting brackets. […]
I didn’t know it exists. One appeared on eBay, and I learn, like you, that there are only 3 available, that they were used by the French army (for doing what?), sport a Jap 350 cm3 sport engine and a 3-speed gearbox from Soyer. For the price of $22,100.00 you can impress all the worldwide moto press […]
Following your comments, Jennifer Mercaldi Ramella, Marketing Director Of The Broken Spoke Saloon, brings you a complement of information regarding New Orleans Bike Week (May 6 to 10th). “Hi – Jen here with Broken Spoke and Bike Week New Orleans. I wanted to chime in and say that this is a very unique event, in […]
Arlen Ness Big Bags And Rear Fender Kits
Published by April 2nd, 2009 in Builders, Chassis, Customs, Editorial and Electrical.Not really new (I was one of the first to use this Kit on 2 “Road King” in the mid 90’s) but improved and more than ever an easyKit to improve the rear and side look of a lot of baggers. The Arlen Big Bags are high strength fiberglass and accept OEM lids and mounting hardware. You […]
If you are in the greater New York area on Saturday April 18th, don’t miss the grand opening of this new store which will exclusively focus on American Brands made in the USA and US artists. Founded by Elisa Seeger, partner in Indian Larry Motorcycles, this unique motorcycle merchandise store with an artistic side. The […]
Big Dog Motorcycles Adjusting Its Production. Not Stopping It
Published by April 1st, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.Unfortunately, it is in human nature to gossip and launch rumors. Relying on the economic context that we all know, some even try to use the popularity of my Blog (and the freedom I give to comment in it), as an amplifier to give some legitimacy to their “first hand” news. So below is a statement […]
Down Under they are also working very hard to build the custom bike eligible to represent Australia in the AMD World Championship. The winning bike was built by Dylan Robb from Kings Of Kustom and is based on a 1969 XLCH Sportster.
