First, these Super Torque Stealth Spyke starters have beautiful minimalist lines and all bolts are concealed. The outer cover can even be custom engraved with the name of your bike, logo or whatever. They are are offered in 11 colors with a 1.4 kw configuration. Equipped with an optional Syke Krypto-9 Starter Drive they offer […]
Archive for September, 2009
Spyke New Super Torque Stealth Starters For Big Twins
Published by September 16th, 2009 in Customs, Electrical and Engines.For a change, a little bit of cultural news. The David statue is returned to Italy. After a 2-year loan to the United States, Michelangelo’s David is being returned to Italy. His proud sponsors were:
The World Of Motorcycles And Moped The Way You Never Saw It Before
Published by September 16th, 2009 in Builders and Editorial.Reader Mike Greenwald sent me this very interesting map where the size of each country has been resized proportionally to the concentration of motorcycles and moped in each of them. So, the map takes in account ALL powered 2-wheelers. The latest available statistics estimate that, in average, there are 33 moped or motorcycles in the […]
New BDL Competitor Clutch For Harley-Davidson 98-09
Published by September 15th, 2009 in Customs, Driveline and Editorial.The BDL “Competitor Clutch Assembly” (Ref: CC-130-BB) is specifically designed for installation in all stock Harley-Davidson clutch baskets from 1998 to 2009. The kit includes 7 Kevlar fiber clutch discs providing 60% more surface area than those in the stock factory pack. In addition BDL includes 7 application specific steel plates, their patented “Ball Bearing […]
Exclusive. New Timeless Dream Motorcycle
Published by September 15th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.Several times I have featured the Classic Antique Vintage and Boardtracking replicas imagined, engineered and built by Mike Hanlon at Timeless Motor Company. In exclusivity, just out of his manufacturing facility, I introduce you now to his new masterpiece (no it’s not a scale model but a full size motorcycle) simply called “Timeless Dream”. Mike is […]
S&S Cycle Presents Today’s Top Custom Motorcycle Builders
Published by September 15th, 2009 in Books, Builders, Customs and Editorial.Yesterday I received an advance copy of this new gorgeous book and of course could not resist spending my all evening reading about the 50 Builders featured and look at the superb photography of their custom bikes. As you remember, one year ago S&S Cycle was celebrating its 50th Anniversary, commissioned 50 builders (for reason […]
New Springer Front End For Harley-Davidson Sportster And Dyna Models
Published by September 14th, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Suspension.New from Paughco these Springer front ends designed specifically for 2004 and later Sportster and Dyna models. These new Wide Glide Springers are a direct bolt-on install and come in stock lengths for Sportsters that came lowered from the factory and 3” over for standard height models. Top clamps can be ordered with ears for […]
Hotrod Ripped Exhaust System For Evo & Twin Cam Engines
Published by September 14th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Exhaust.Frank Serrano will tell you that “this exhaust system roars like the devil himself is coming to you…” So, I let you decide if you want to rip the streets with these high decibels pipes. For Evo or Twin Cam engines, it’s a 4-step design starting of course at 1.75″ at the cylinder heads, then […]
Gel Seat. Thank You From The Bottom Of My Ass…
Published by September 14th, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Seats.Joe Bonnello is a friend of the crew at Saddlemen. With 4 other friends he did a ride that I would really like to do, up to the highest roads in the world in the northwestern Himalaya mountains. The bikes used were India-made Royal Enfields Motorcycles and when Joe and group reached the highest road […]
Triumph Recalls 2008-2009 Triumph Thruxton Motorcycles
Published by September 14th, 2009 in Builders and Editorial.The installed front brake caliper bracket bolts may be too short, reducing thread engagement of the bolts into the caliper bracket. The brake caliper could become loose or separating, resulting in reduced brake effectiveness, loss of control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of crash. Triumph will replace these bolts. Owners may contact Triumph at […]
A Custom Bike With A Heavy English Accent
Published by September 13th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.This custom illustrates the trend of building a retro bike from the ground up using major parts from different legendary manufacturers. In this case starting from a 1973 Triumph (modified with 32-degree of rake and fuel in frame with fuel pump), using a restored 1967 BSA A65T (fitted with a Mikuni side draft carburetor and a Joe […]
You are looking at a Bad Boy Baby-Boomer Chair. Much more appealing than the traditional La-Z-Boy and making you feel much younger. It features headlights to help you look for the TV remote you lost again, mirrors to check on your wife in the kitchen, a footrest that you can kick to make vroom room via […]
Introducing The New Re-Designed 2010 Buell Blast Motorcycle
Published by September 12th, 2009 in Builders and Events.Erik Buell, Founder and CTO of Buell Motorcycles says it himself in his website. His Blast model was initially conceived as a first bike for somebody who has never been on a motorcycle. Something cute, light, low and easy to handle. But he admits that it has never been an innovative, breakthrough sport bike and […]
Kirk Van Scoten created his American dream- Sumax– just over 25 years ago.. Worked quite a bit with him and was always satisfied. The success of Sumax has allowed Kirk to retire and take on a new passion for himself and his grandchildren by writing a series of children’s books about motorcycling adventures. Because he […]
New Art Of The Chopper Exhibition At Appleton Museum Of Art
Published by September 12th, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.“Art Of The Chopper” books and exhibitions have always strived to present motorcycles as both sculptural art and artifacts of American culture. The definition of a chopper is any conceptualized, one-of-a kind, and hand made motorcycle of exceptional design and originality, and that perfectly describes the 30 ostentatious yet beautiful custom bikes that will be presented in “Art of the […]
Motorcycle Engine. Start It Up Every Time.
Published by September 12th, 2009 in Customs, Editorial and Engines.Start any engine regardless of displacement or compression ratio with a stock starter. The new Easy Start Cams from S&S® Cycle make hard starting obsolete for 1999-up big twins. Available in chain drive and gear drive versions. Don’t get caught dead without them! Watch this 4-minute video.
18 Year Old Ryan Mackey Wins A WLA Harley For Writing An Essay. A Must Read.
Published by September 11th, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Events.Last weekend during the Super Swap Meet in Davenport, Iowa the AMCA (Antique Motorcycle Club of America) Ryan Mackey was picked by 30 judges as the winner of the “Free Harley Give Away Contest”. He was one of the ninety 18 to 25 year olds that wrote an essay for the contest which ran for […]
Many of you are customizing a stock Harley-Davidson model and when working on your hand controls want to be able to keep your factory switch housings to preserve all electrical functions originally on your bike. A good “clean looking” choice are these STK controls from JayBrake. They have several interesting features such as the 2-piece […]
Brass Balls Bobbers 69 Custom Production Chopper
Published by September 11th, 2009 in Builders, Customs and Editorial.From the 1969 Easy Rider movie, this line: “They are not scared of you. They are scared of what you represent to them”. Although too young to have seen the movie the year of its release, Custom Builder Dar Holdsworth pays homage to this important era of our counter culture with its own chopper design. […]
When after midnight, with a muted sound TV front of me (at this time she is usually sleeping…), I find myself typing on my laptop the words you are going to read when you wake up, I am amazed by the number of running commercials about male enhancement of, like they say, this certain part of […]
LA County Choprods Honey Pot Oil Filter
Published by September 10th, 2009 in Accessories, Customs, Editorial and Engines.“Hildebrand” oil filters were extremely popular in the 50’s & 60’s and widely used on Trucks and Hot Rods. Several companies in the motorcycle industry re-designed them for use on motorcycles. LA County Choppers is the last one to offer a new version that they named “Honey Pot Oil Filter”. This model is cast aluminum, […]
Leslie Porterfield. Fastest Woman On 2 Wheels. Again And Again…
Published by September 10th, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.Fast summary for those who still don’t know her (shame on you). Since her teenage years (she started to ride at 16) she is hooked on motorcycles because of the bikes, of course, but also because she likes the people she meets in our industry. She is now 32, lives and work in Dallas where […]
I introduced you before to the Can-Am Spyder Roadster, this on-street 3-wheeler like nothing else, manufactured by a Canadian company called BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products). The new 2010 RT model will be available with saddlebags and is probably going to change the way you think of touring motorcycles. Look remains controversial (for many a snowmobile […]
I should begin this post by the fine print: “Biltwell helmets are designed for display and novelty purposes only, and should never be worn to operate an actual motorcycle. Simply put, Biltwell helmets do not meet any DOT or other safety standards”. This being said, Biltwell continue to sell a lot of their open face […]
New Paughco Chopper Or Pro-Street 300 MM Drop Seat Frame.
Published by September 9th, 2009 in Builders, Chassis, Customs and Editorial.On a bike built with this Paughco frame you will sit low at 23” 1/2 and you will be able to slide a 300 mm rear tire. The bike will be balanced because it’s a Right Side Drive driveline setup. This Softail type frame has a 1 ¾ backbone stretch, 2” diameter single front leg […]
The Story Of A French Rookie In Bonneville
Published by September 9th, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.He lives in France and prepared a custom bike for show & race that I featured in this Blog. Told me at the time that he had Bonneville big dreams. Excited, emailed to me one week before the Bub Speed Trials, to tell me that his bike was already waiting for him in a warehouse […]
