Harley-Davidson just posted on its media website that because the new labor agreements were ratified yesterday by its union members, and as promised at negotiation time, the Powertrain operations and the Tomahawk manufacturing will remain in Wisconsin.
The official press release states that 1- Combined full-time, hourly workforce size in Milwaukee and Tomahawk locations will be reduced by approximately 325. 2- Approximately $85 million additional restructuring charges expected (of which 65% or $55 million will be cash charges) through 2012. 3- Approximately $50 million in annual savings expected beginning in 2013. 4- No additional capital expenditures required.” Year-to-date, Harley-Davidson stock (HOG) is up 8.41%.
The Baker Direct Drive 7-Speed was developed as a direct replacement of the Cruise Drive Harley-Davidson factory 6-speed to improve it in many ways besides just adding another gear. The DD7 is all about gear ratio management. The gear ratios leave you the rider, with the experience of smooth, crisp, continuously pulling acceleration from 1st all the way through 4th gear. Then you are able to start getting into the cruising portion of the program in gears 5th to-7th. No big drops in RPM from one gear to the next or lugging the motorcycle off of a stop light, just smooth, uninhibited acceleration. Continue reading ‘Baker DD7 Transmission. Way More to It Than An Extra Gear.’
See Hall of Famer “Shrimp” Burns racing in 1921 at a board track event in Beverly Hills, California. 12,000 spectators. Indian Powerplus triumphs. (“Courtesy of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum”)
Many don’t want or can’t afford a full paint job on their motorcycles. What about some very simple graphics just to show it’s yours and recognize it in a sea of bikes on the parking lot. Hell’s Foundry® offers complete do-it-yourself striping packages for Road Glide® and now Street Glide® owners. The seven-piece kit (Saddlebags, Side-Covers, Fuel Tank, and Fairing) will transform the look of your bike in minutes and is provided with special applicator and easy to use installation instructions. $149.00. Many color sets are available. See them at Hell’s Foundry then call Derik at 866.999.HELL(4355)
This Monday morning September 13th, Milwaukee area Harley-Davidson union members approved by a small margin the new seven-year labor contracts proposed to them by the direction, with for consequence that Harley will probably not move production to another state but for sure will get rid of more than 200 employees replaced by seasonal workers.
Few builders would take a brand new 2010 Harley Road Glide to start a full custom project. Even less would touch the “old” 96″ stock engine with only 40 miles on it to transform it in a monster 131″ Screaming Eagle/Jim’s motor. Wait, there is more. Sean Belitsos of Empire Engineering has a very simple philosophy: “F…k Plastic and F…k Fiberglass”. So with partners Robert and Marcus he began an aggressive surgery job. Not just a little tummy tuck or liposuction, or lip injection, but a full blown super DD boob job and complete body lift. Continue reading ‘Frisco Glide. A Murdered Out Harley Bagger.’
Loving throwbacks and retro lids? Me too. But vintage helmets, as beautiful as they can be, will not offer the protective technology of the new ones.
These 2 models (Stunt on left, Speed Soul on right) were created by Bell to pay homage to Bell’s founder Roy Richter who created his first helmet back in 1954. Light weight and narrow, both combine fiberglass layup with a specialty designed EPS form layer. They feature a quilted liner, padded chin strap with D-ring closure and strap keeper.DOT compliant. Limited edition. On sale $139.95 at Outback Leathers
Friday September 10th. With few miles of testing on most motorcycles, tension was great during the first miles of the 162 miles of stage 1 in direction of Greenville, NC. Matt Olsen was the 1st one to smoke his Sears’ clutch and a few riders had to load their bikes onto support vehicles (Pete Young, Bill Nugent, Eric Dunk, Jeff Decker, Sean Brayton,). Many had to make some adjustments on their bikes, others unexpectedly ran out of gas at the wrong location, and others were helped by other participants make the necessary repairs and went back on the road, like Eric Dunk and Pete Young. Damages are assessed at arrival and many had to work during the night while others were resting.
Saturday September 11th. Jeff Decker and Bill Rodencal decided not to take the start of this second leg towards Concord, NC. Riders got wet for the 1st time. Bill Nugent is back on the road. Some bruised egos for those who broke down so soon, but all riders are in good spirit continuing to help each other. Only 20 riders covered all the 387 miles since the start. Continue reading ‘Motorcycle Cannonball Update. (Part 2)’
Probably one of the best looking after-market oil tanks with a quite reasonable price. Made with love in New Hampshire by the crew at Acme Choppers out 6061 T-6 aluminum, tig welded with a polished mirror finish. Will hold 3 quarts of oil and is provided with threaded cap with o-ring, a pair of 1″ wide billet CNC’ed alloy mounting brackets and 4 rubber isolation grommets. One-piece 3/8” NPT Feed, Vent and Return bung assembly. Will work with most frames and clear more starters if you use one. OD is 5″ with 0.125″ wall. MSRP $280.00. Online at Acme Choppers.
It’s called Black-Ops, a RSD two-tone proprietary black finish claimed to result in mil-spec strength & hardness. Result, a much tougher black billet aluminum look for most of your motorcycle parts. Watch the commercial. Info at Roland Sands Design.
Yes chilly and cold days are going to come very fast. Having a weakness for Bomber Jackets, I looked at what is available.
A vintage one is very cool, but not necessarily as practical as this one. The reason being that this model keeps the classic look but has nice snapped deep pockets to avoid having your wallet, cel. phone, kets, etc fly out of them, a frequent and costly occurrence that we all experienced. Brown with cream trim. For sale and on sale at Outback Leathers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). has released the 2009 yearly traffic fatality numbers, reports the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). Overall (all motor vehicles), the report shows that traffic fatalities are at the lowest in this country since 1950. Motorcycle-related deaths were down 16 percent, the first drop in the past 11 years, from 5,312 in 2008 to 4,462 in 2009. Continue reading ‘Motorcycle Related Deaths Down 16%’
Great feeling and good traction when you throttle, when you clutch, when you brake,, when you shift. These are premium Soft Touch hand grips, matching foot pegs, shifter and brake pegs are made from Kraton rubber material, with a choice of billet aluminum end caps and collars (Engraved, Scalloped and Smooth) In chrome or black anodize. For the throttle grip, the sleeve is included for cable or fly by wire applications. In chrome or black anodize finish. Made in USA. At Arlen Ness Online Store.
Be ready for an avalanche of proposals and concepts motorcycles claiming to resolve what some are claiming is the number one priority on our planet ! Here is one of them with explanations by it’s “inventor” that I let you debate.
He explains that “The rear wheel has permanent magnets embedded in it. The wheel is then attached to a large ball bearing ring similar to that of a skateboard but much larger and much stronger. The outer part of the ring is attached to the swing arm. The other side of the swing arm supports the wires that the direct current passes through. That causes the wheel with the magnets to spin in the direction of the current. In theory this propulsion method should be very efficient if you can control the amount of current going through the wires and assuming you have a great battery pack.” There is also a mini gas generator that charges the batteries but only turns itself on at low speeds.
All year, they have been preparing for this amazing -probably to become historical, 16-day and 3300 mile ride on motorcycles made before 1916. All participants are a little bit anxious, and tomorrow Friday September 10th they will leave Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on the first leg of their cross country trip to end September 26 in Santa Monica, California. The Motorcycle Cannonball is named after the famed Erwin “Cannonball” Baker who established 143 driving records from 1910 through the 1930s, His first record was in 1914 riding an Indian motorcycle, Cannonball made the coast-to-coast ride in 11 days. Continue reading ‘Cannonball Run. Ladies And Gentlemen, Fasten Your Kidney Belts. It’s Going To Be A Very Long Bumpy Ride’
With Jesse James I start a new weekly series where I ask personalities and friends of my industry – only the best at what they do – to answer my questions. You know, the ones you would have never had the opportunity or even dared to ask. (Jesse picked the right picture, telling me it’s his best one. Agree)
Cyril. In High School, what your teachers said about you?Jesse. They always said I didn’t know when to stop.
Cyril. Who were your childhood heroes?Jesse.Jack Lambert, Ray Nitschke, Lester Hayes.
Cyril. What was your 1st vehicle?Jesse. 959 American Rambler.
Cyril.If you were not working in the motorcycle industry, what would you do?Jesse. Open a Giant water bed factory!!!
To complicate or facilitate your task of choosing the way to sit comfortably and beautifully (and your passenger) on your Bagger, C&C Seats offer a new line of embroidered seats available either in solo saddle or as a fitted double saddle with pillion with or without passenger backrest.
The optional Driver’s Backrest is easily removable to easily store away, adjusts forward & aft, and tilts forward for easy access.
Each part is (Solo Saddle, Pillion and Back Rest) are available in two different sizes and in a variety of fabric colors and stitch patterns with your choice of thread color to accent your paint or graphics. Options also include seats with exotic hides including alligator and ostrich, or special designed embroidery. Solo saddle/backrest/pillion package in vinyl with flames embroidery at $615 MSRP. C&C Custom Seats.
All riders of the Cannonball Run have arrived in Kitty Hawk, NC. In just 48 hours they will be on the road to Santa Monica, CA. Entrant Shinya Kimura does a final check on his 1915 Indian Motorcycle.
It’s now 30 years that Harley-Davidson supports MDA with a cumulative total of more than $76 million. The Harley-Davidson family of customers, dealers, employees and suppliers presented a contribution of $3.3 million to the Muscular Dystrophy Association during the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. Harley-Davidson fundraising activities for the Muscular Dystrophy Association included pledge rides, dealer fundraisers, motorcycle raffles, Black and Blue Ball fundraising dinners and commemorative pin sales. Funds raised support MDA summer camps, life-saving research and comprehensive medical care for children and adults with neuromuscular disease. These efforts have again placed the company among the top corporate donors to MDA this year.
If you don’t know this Gold Yamaha, you are not a baby boomer, and good for you. Or maybe you know it because you know your custom motorcycle history and the man behind it, John Reed, who built it in 1982!… Am I supposed to give you the latest news? Yes. But also to show you some great examples of customization done several decades ago. And I would not have thought of featuring it in my Blog if John didn’t bug me (nicely) during my Labor Day weekend asking me over and over if I knew a good and reliable gold plater able to give this precious Digger motorcycle a new fresh coat of gold plating. Continue reading ‘Past Present Wild Custom Gold Yamaha.’
Well you know the drill. 3 days of fun, Sin City style, of multiple vendors showing and selling their ware, of many bands performing (Branscombe Richmond and his Posse will be there), of wet tee-shirt contests, a bike show on Fremont Street, etc and of course the famous Artistry In Iron where 20 builders, on invitation only, exhibit their more recent creations and compete for the Las Vegas Championship. Because this year is this event’s 10th anniversary, there will be a special Thursday evening party starting at 7:00pm with Mayor Oscar Goodman and other celebrities helping cut the Las Vegas BikeFest birthday cake. There are two registration packages to choose from depending on the activities you would like to participate in. Both passes are for the entire weekend but limit which activities you are eligible to participate in. Info & registration at: Las Vegas BikeFest.
Unions representing Harley-Davidson workers unanimously recommended approval of a new labor contract that would save hundreds of jobs in Wisconsin at the Milwaukee and Tomahawk plants. The contract content was disclosed to all concerned Harley workers two hours ago at 10 am this Tuesday September 7, 2010.Click here to read the full 65-page proposed contract.
To Summarize. Under the new 7-year proposed labor contract agreement, there would be 2 types of workers. 1- Regular employees with no general salary increase in the second, third and fourth years of the contract. In the sixth and seventh years of the contract, base wage rates may be increased subject to what are the prevailing area wages. 2-Lower Paid Casual Employees for seasonal and other volume-related reasons. Harley fixes no limit on the number of casual employees the company may hire at any time, but no more than 30% of the total regular bargaining-unit hours worked in a calendar year. These casual employees would not be receive any benefits of any kind including, but not limited to, medical insurance or retirement benefits. They can be terminated without cause.
This is one of the questions I get all the time. Where can I get good looking covers for my wiring? Well there is a source called Namz Custom Cycle Products whose owner, Jeff Zielinski, offers a complete line of stainless steel & copper wiring harnesses for handlebar controls, headlights, tachometers, turn signals, regulators, oil sending switches, ignitions, spark plug wires, brake switches and any other custom application to suit your needs. You know that on true customs little details make a big difference. So, check out. Namz Custom Cycle Products.
Spectro Performance Oils and PowerSport Institute have joined to provide future technicians with hands-on experience using their Spectro Oil products spanning the complete range of full synthetic and petroleum lubricants for all classes of “powersports” engines and transmission applications. PowerSport Institute (PSI) offers complete motorcycle technician training and powersport technician training in a program that includes all major motorcycle brands including Harley-Davidson, Victory, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, as well as other manufacturers like S&S Cycle, Polaris, and more. The Spectro line includes a wide range of suspension fluids, fork oils, brake fluids, coolants, chain lubes/waxes, filter cleaners and oils, and protection/appearance products. Continue reading ‘Spectro Oils and PowerSport Institute Partner for Education’
Since discovering during his teenage years an old decrepit Indian 741 in a farmer’s barn in his native New Zealand, Mike Tomas didn’t stop forging, hammering, wrenching, restoring, making parts to keep the Indians alive. From his new home of Riverside, CA Mike now offers the Kiwi Indian rebuilding services to recreate almost any part on your Indian Motorcycle with a comprehensive experience in rebuilding Flathead engines and transmissions, a full line of parts including the Kiwi 42-degree, 84″ V-Twin (that you can choose to hook to an Evo transmission), the Kiwi Leaf Spring Forks, Kiwi CV Carburetor, Kiwi oil filter, etc. And of course Mike Tomas is building limited edition models like the Replica, the Bobber, the Chieftain and the Board Tracker featured here. Continue reading ‘2010 Kiwi Indian Tracker’
Harley-Davidson just posted on its media website that because the new labor agreements were ratified yesterday by its union members, and as promised at negotiation time, the Powertrain operations and the Tomahawk manufacturing will remain in Wisconsin.
Spectro Performance Oils 
