Horry County Council decided Tuesday in favor of new Bike Rally plans including capping the number of vendor permits and raising fees. The county’s effort to regulate the rallies comes after the city of Myrtle Beach passed a set of laws to eliminate the events. You know too well the reasons advanced to justify all this: residents complaining about too much noise, congestion and unruly behavior of some bikers. Continue reading ‘Myrtle Beach Rallies. Horry County Proposes New Restrictive Rules.’
Archive Page 366
Myrtle Beach Rallies. Horry County Proposes New Restrictive Rules.
Published by January 22nd, 2009 in Editorial and Events.
If you like Janis Joplin, Rick Fairless and his work, head to the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, Texas where a special exhibit is honoring their hometown girl Janis Joplin. Rock music icon Janis Joplin would have been 66th year old this month and his honored with temporary displays, film screenings and a tribute custom motorcycle built by Rick Fairless from Strokers Dallas. The bike features several images of Joplin and of course a psychedelic tie-dye paint job. Continue reading ‘Rick Fairless Pays Tribute To Janis Joplin’
Gard Hollinger and the crew at LA County Choprods pimp bikes and would like you to do same on your bike by using their new “Pinche“ gas tank. This gas tank features an inset panel detail on each side and is designed to mount “Frisco” style (high on the backbone of the frame). The one-piece bottom minimizes the chance of leakage and features sunken (retro-fitted) mounts. You can choose one of their gas caps, it’s location as well as the style and location of the petcock bung. Comes complete with necessary mounting hardware. Price: $840.00 (Killer paint by Buck Wild not included). Call 310-353-2467 on my behalf or visit LA County ChopRods
Frank Esposito New President Of Kendon Industries
Published by January 21st, 2009 in Editorial and Events.
Frank Esposito just informed me that Ken Thurm, CEO of Kendon Industries, has appointed him as the new President of Kendon & KT Components. Kendon Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells a full line of Stand-Up™ Motorcycle Trailers, Utility Trailers, Folding Car Trailers, and Stand-Up™ Motorcycle Maintenance Lifts. As you probably know if you are a professional of the industry, Frank was the President of Custom Chrome until March 2008 and has over 25 years of experience in Wholesale Distribution. Continue reading ‘Frank Esposito New President Of Kendon Industries’
His name is Seth Enslow. He is a stunt riding nut and will attempt a world long jump record on a modified Harley-Davidson XR-1200.
The bike features special reinforced and extended front & rear suspension systems able to absorb a 600 pounds landing from 40 feet in the air. He is training in north western Victoria, Australia.
My post about Royal Enfield motorcycles sold as Indians incited Nicker to write the following:
” There never was anything wrong with an Enfield, but the price. The rebadging/branding of a product is as old as the Industrial Revolution. The auto industry is still doing it today. Floyd Clymer could have done a lot worse than rebadging an Enfield as an Indian. This venerable Enfield firm fielded a very capable V-twin in 1911 and settled in to building big V-twins for sidecar use. Responding to a market for agile, smaller performance motorcycles Enfield produced a 350 Prestwich powered racer for competition in 1924. Continue reading ‘A Few Thoughts About Royal Enfield’
Since the introduction of their first inner primary in 1968, Paughco has continually extended their selection of custom and replacement primary covers to address just about any application from 1936 through 1988. Additionally they now offer chrome inner and outer replacements for ’89-’03 Softails. Featured here is a small collection of Paughco primary covers finished in black power coat.
Perfect as direct replacement pieces for your restoration project or unique custom they are manufactured in the USA. And with starting prices of under $100.00 you’d be hard pressed to do better for a used part at the local swap meet. For info, call 775-246-5738 on my behalf or visit Paughco
Being read all over the world and the Kustom Kulture not knowing any language barriers, I receive tons of foreign info like this one from an Illustrator based in Barcelona, Spain publishing online a very cool magazine. If I talk about it it’s because the mag is packaged in a very nice website.
Worth the jump, especially if you appreciate design layouts, great fonts, cool illustrations and rockabilly music both in English & Spanish! by a band of Mallorca (a beautiful place that I visited a long time ago). El Diablo Magazine.
In the custom motorcycle industry Wilwood is less known than other brands. The reason may be that during 30 years Wilwood focused its efforts on high performance brakes for competition. On any given weekend, you can find Wilwood proprietary parts competing at events around the world. Today Wilwood Engineering develops a line of brake products for all classic, custom, and one-off motorcycles. So, you had to know before you choose your next brakes. Here is a link to their PDF catalog. Wilwood Brakes.
It’s official. Harley-Davidson has applied to have Harley-Davidson Credit Corp. and Eaglemark Savings Bank declared eligible for TLGP (Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program). TLGP guarantees a corporation unsecured debt against default. It means that the government FDIC would pay the bills of Harley-Davidson financial entities if Harley were unable to pay its bills. Harley-Davidson fourth-quarter earnings report is due on Friday, and as I told you last Sunday, analysts expect Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales to be down 20 to 30% for the 4th quarter.
“Despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead, I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure, that it will prevail, that the dream of our founders will live on in our time,” President Barack Obama.
“I think it’s fair to say that it’s going to take not months but years to really turn this around” Cyril.
Magnetic Hybrid Motorcycle Unveiled In Japan
Published by January 20th, 2009 in Builders and Editorial.First there was Sumo, the Japanese sport of heavyweight wrestling. Now, a much lighter and faster motorcycle called SUMO has entered the ring. The Sumo scooter version to be sold $2100!
Royal Enfield Sold As Indian Motorcycles. Did You Know?
Published by January 19th, 2009 in Builders and Editorial.
In 1953 the Brockhouse Corporation acquired the rights to the Indian Motorcycle name after it went bankrupt. From 1955 to 1960 British Royal Enfield motorcycles were painted red, and marketed in the USA as Indian Motorcycles. Badge engineering (a term that describes the re-badging of one product as another to avoid the cost associated with designing and engineering a totally new model) didn’t impress the Americans and it was a fiasco. The largest Enfield “Indian” was a 700 cc. The marketing agreement expired in 1960. Since 1955 Royal Enfield motorcycles are built in India and now available in the US under their own brand name.
Custom Shovelhead-style engines are now offered in a variety of bores, many much larger than the original design displacements (OEM was 1200 cc from 1966 to 1978, then 1340 cc to last year in 1984). This one from Ultima is 96 cubic inch and of course includes upgrades to the original design to improve the performance and reliability while still providing the original styling and overall engine structure. It carries a 6 month, 6,000 mile limited warranty
from original date of purchase. Not EPA approved if you care. Ultima Engines.
Women Like To Ride To Women Events. But Where?
Published by January 19th, 2009 in Editorial and Events.
Women Riders Now (WRN) launched in 2006, has positioned itself as the leading source of motorcycling news, reviews and information focused on women . It’s the web place to learn about updates on upcoming women riders rallies sponsored by Harley-Davidson and Buell. On August 19-22, 2009, in Keystone, Colorado, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) International Women & Motorcycling Conference will be held and WRN’s founder Genevieve Schmitt being on the advisory council for the conference has access to exclusive information helpful to prospective and current attendees: registration, lodging, seminars, etc. Continue reading ‘Women Like To Ride To Women Events. But Where?’
The mother factory and its competitors in the heavy weight motorcycle market are preparing themselves for a big drop in 09 sales. In addition to the biggest contraction in US consumer spending since the 70’s, it is probable that Harley-Davidson international sales, which had grown by double digits in recent years, will no more be enough to compensate for the decline in the U.S. Continue reading ‘A Bailout For Harley-Davidson?’
When Riding Your Motorcycle Did You Ever Entered The Zone?
Published by January 17th, 2009 in Books and Editorial.
The book cover is far from being appealing to me. But the content is. Author Ken Condon maintains that there is a state of being beyond the simple pleasure of rolling down the road. His book was written to help other riders find that state of being. It’s the experience of being physically and mentally present in the moment, where every sense is sharply attuned to the ride. Your mind becomes silent to the chatter of daily life and everyday problems seem to dissolve, you feel a deeper appreciation for life. Your body responds to this state of being with precise, fluid movements, you feel in balance, your muscles are relaxed, and it seems as though every input you make is an expression of mastery. Continue reading ‘When Riding Your Motorcycle Did You Ever Entered The Zone?’
If the Internet consisted of real brick and mortar buildings there would be a construction boom going on right now like the world has never seen. The Internet is not in a recession or on the road to a depression, rather it is experiencing an economic and social explosion of activity. Celebrating 12 years cruising the airwaves Open Road Radio invited me to talk about this phenomenon and the reasons why my Blog was so successful. Joined me on the air was Keith Ball, Christen Clayton and Amanda Richardson. You can listen to this discussion by going to “Motorcycles Most Popular Websites”. (as you will find out I have an accent for radio…). You can tune into Open Road Radio each week from 11a-12p on 9 FM: 92.5, 92.7 & 99.9 or streamed live at Open Road Radio.
Falling In Love With The Victory Core Concept Motorcycle
Published by January 16th, 2009 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.
When I fall in love, it’s always at first glance. And it’s true even for motorcycles. This Friday morning the Victory Core Concept Motorcycle is unveiled at the International New-York Motorcycle Show. Images immediately pop up on my laptop screen. Good vibrations. Instant desire to know more about it, to inspect it, to touch it, to ride it, to love it…It’s all in the design. It’s all in the details. Other bikes are going to hate it. Yes, it can be confused with a new custom motorcycle just completed by your preferred custom builder (pick one name). Continue reading ‘Falling In Love With The Victory Core Concept Motorcycle’
Your Kick Start To Harley-Davidson Maintenance & Performance
Published by January 16th, 2009 in Editorial and Videos.
All bikers should be able to work on their bikes. And it’s probably easier than what you think to do yourself a lot of maintenance chores and even some performance tricks. Who doesn’t need to know? Start wrenching and start saving. Fix My Hog is a reputable website offering very well produced and very comprehensive how-to Harley-Davidson DVD guides for both beginners and those who just need a refresher course. Continue reading ‘Your Kick Start To Harley-Davidson Maintenance & Performance’
Unveiling Of The Honda Fury Chopper
Published by January 16th, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Events.
In the 1st half of my professional life I worked for international blue chip companies, and I know too well how slow they are to take decisions, assimilate trends and produce their manufacturing products. But once again I am puzzled by the decision of Honda to launch their first chopper model a decade after the new chopper-style wave was started. Continue reading ‘Unveiling Of The Honda Fury Chopper’
Best (beer) shot of the week.
How to hold a beer while riding.
All ladies, try this. It works.
Of course it comes from the UK where a team of Englishmen have decided that the Jaguar leaper cat logo could be a good base for a custom motorcycle…or sculpture on 2 wheels. I don’t don’t know if it runs properly, hope that it’s more reliable than a Jaguar on 4 wheels (ask anyone who owns or owned one), but the merit is at least the steel fabrication. Personally, I would not venture hammering this one. This beast is the work of Barend Massow at Massow Concept Cycles in collaboration with Polar Cycles. This Jaguar motorcycle sports a £290,000 (about $441,000) price tag, about the price of 9 Jaguar cars. God Save The Queen & Jaguar.
What a boss (undisclosed) wrote to its employees.
To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.
Saddlemen New Universal Teardrop Smooth Saddlebags
Published by January 14th, 2009 in Customs, Editorial and Seats.
Today’s cruisers are streamlined and need bags with a matching feel. For a modern look, a teardrop shape is the name of the game. Besides looking great, the streamlined shape allows stock turn signal locations to be used, eliminating some of the hassle of mounting other saddlebags. These bags include solid adjustable mounting brackets and hardware needed to fit most popular cruisers, including those with hard to fit forward mounted turn signals. Unique forward opening lid stays open for easy access to the bag’s interior space and freeing up both hands for loading your gear. Rigid bag construction holds its shape even when empty. Lockable twist lock closures and padlocks included Chrome saddlebag supports and mounting hardware are included, so you don’t have to buy anything else. Saddlemen.(V-Twin Expo Booth 357)
