Author Archive for cyrilhuze



Fast Motorcycle Industry News

Harley-Davidson Motor Co. said Tuesday that it plans to introduce 12 models to the Indian market in 2010. The models, which include Harley’s Sportster, Nightster and Fat Boy lines, will be available for order starting in April with delivery expected in June. They will be priced from 695,000 rupees ($15,046) to 3,495,000 rupees ($75,666)– Roehr […]

Viper Motorcycle Company Signs Joint Venture With Ilmor Engineering

Viper Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Viper Powersports Inc. (OTCBB: VPWI) and Ilmor Engineering, Inc., announced today that they have executed the manufacturing agreement outlined in the letter of intent dated October 6, 2009. Viper Motorcycle Company and Ilmor will partner on the manufacture of an Ilmor designed and developed Viper Motorcycle 152 cubic inch […]

Steve McQueen Limited Edition Helmet Line

The Steve McQueen estate is ready to intensify the marketing of the name and image of the late actor/biker and just signed yesterday a three-year licensing partnership with Troy Lee Designs to  produce a limited edition helmet line. The Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda Racing Team, which includes Wil Hahn and Cole Seely, […]

Baker Drivetrain To The Rescue Of Baby Boomers. Ready To Launch A 5-Speed Reverse.

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 […]

Lee Chapin Leaves Mikuni American Corp.

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.

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 […]

Motorcycle Parts Website

Cris Sommer-Simmons To Ride Coast To Coast The Cannonball On A 1915 Harley-Davidson

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

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.

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

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)

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?

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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 […]

Winter Picture Of The Week

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

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

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

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.

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

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 […]



Cyril Huze