REVOLUTION MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE - English - Issue 39 Winter 2016

CTC # 39

EVENTS & SHOWS 13th Indian Larry “Grease

Monkey” Block Party

LoserPalooza

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44

FEATURED BIKES

8

Pan 61

Tangerine Dreams

Trinity

Hold Fast

50

24

74

ON THE ROAD

INTERVIEW

Hot-Dock Cycles, Japan

INTERNATIONAL

64

Avenue of the Volcanoes

Franz & Grubb Engine

30 80

Web Site : Charlie Lessard

COLUMNS

14 Old School 56

Technical

44 86 / 90

New Generation Our Readers Her Say

36

Editorial

6

Coming Soon

www.

Chief Editor : Pascal Richard Editor : Geneviève Fréchette Writers : Pascal Richard, Charlie Lessard, André Bobinas, Geneviève Frechette, Liz Leggett Translation : Charlie Lessard, Kathy Blais Special Collaborators : Manon Rousseau, Jeff Huet Michel Alati, Keiji Kawakita, Lanakila MacNaughton, Yan Julien, Michel Langlois, Éric Rivière, Todd Caissie, Alain Laliberté, Johanne Blouin Photographers : Pascal Richard, Liz Leggett, Mélanie Vachon Models : Pan 61 : Andreane Chamberland Trinity : Virginie R. Project Casino : Lisa Parent Graphic Design : Suzie Gauthier, Revolution Motorcycle Magazine Proofreader : Nicole Duchesne, Ingrid Dion Prepress : Photographique MF Inc. Printing : Imprimeries Transcontinental Distribution : Messageries Dynamiques (french) Coast to Coast (english) ISSN 1913-0082 Copyright 2007 Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec Bibliothèque Nationale du Canada Registration number Post Publication : 41471522 Advertising Consultant : Pascal Richard : 514 726-5742 Revolution Motorcycle Magazine is published 4 times a year.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in total or in part of any article, photo or advertisement is forbidden without prior written permission from the Publisher of Revolution Motorcycle Magazine.

Our office is located at 1302 Garden Ave. Mascouche (Quebec) J7L 0A4 Tel. : 514 726-5742 Fax : 450 477-9814 email :

revolutioncustom@hotmail.com Printed in Canada

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Editorial by pascal richard

Summer of 2016 was without a doubt one of the most

when this new motor will be integrated into the rest of the

beautiful of the last decade ! The wonderful weather was

Harley-Davidson line.

ideal for motorcycle riding ! It was also perfect for outdoor event organizers, as this season Mother Nature was quite

For the next year, RMM will take you on a trip and lead you

charitable and bikers were very supportive. I can say that

in the discovery of events across the planet, from Canada

this summer, huge crowds attended the events and they

to the United State, through Europe and Asia… The RMM

had nothing but great times !

team will recount their travels and it will be up to you to

There was not only beautiful weather this year, some good news that we have been waiting 18 years for has finally arrived ! Oh yes ! Harley-Davidson created a new motor, the Milwaukee Eight, in 107 and 114 cubic inch designs.

For the moment, it is only the Touring models that have received this motor. This redesigned motor with 4-valves per head is either water-cooled or oil cooled depending on

discover them in the upcoming editions of our magazine !

For those who are lacking space to store their motorcycle, take a look at our advertisers. Several of them offer space to store your motorcycle for the off-season. Why not take advantage of the time to have them perform a complete check-up of your motorcycle ? Many bikers do not think to

the model; it won’t run as hot and is less noisy. The valve

have their motorcycle repaired in the winter and wait until

covers have been reworked and they have new front and

spring when the shops are very busy. Plan ahead and have

rear suspension systems with manual adjustment. Having

your repairs done while your motorcycle is stored in the

tried it out, I can say that this motorcycle is a real jewel,

fall, there will be no waiting and you’ll be ready to hit the

both for its power and its comfort. I can’t wait for the time

road as soon as the nice, warm weather returns !

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EDITORIAL

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FEATURED BIKE

featured bike For some time, the idea of returning to the heart of the HarleyDavidson had been running through my mind. Having already owned a Shovel, an Evo and a Twin Cam, why not a Panhead ? I think that the 1948 to 1965 Pan is one of the best built motors Harley-Davidson ever made. One day when I was exploring the Andes in Ecuador with my friend Éric Rivière, the Panhead subject came up in a conversation. Éric said, “I have a 1961 Pan/Shovel for sale. It’s in the back of my garage, at home in Québec.” A 1961 Pan/Shovel ! Humm… ? Weren’t the Pan/ Shovels built from 1966 to 1969 ?

FEATURED BIKE

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In those days, when rebuilding the top end of an H-D Panhead motor, it was common to use the top end of a ShovelHead - this simply to make the motor a little more modern. Therefore, Eric’s 1961 Pan/Shovel would have to be returned to its beginning ! Upon returning to Montreal, no sooner did I step off the plane that I wanted to visit Eric’s garage in Laval. I moved the boxes that covered the bike and there it was, a slightly modified 1961 Pan/Shovel FLH. Most importantly, the motor, the transmission and the frame were original. OK, I’ll take it !

I had decided to build a Bobber-style motorcycle that was simple, refined and slim. My garage was full and I didn’t have a lot of time to work on the project. The first builder I could think of was Phil from Roquechop Design. Phil is a young builder with great ideas; he makes signature parts and is an excellent welder. So I loaded the bike in the truck and head to Brownsburg, where Philippe lives. With the ‘61 on his shop floor, we both sat in front of it and as we were examining the bike, the ideas started pouring in. What do we want to keep ? The genuine Panhead motor that I want to return to its original state, the 4-speed transmission, the frame… Yes, we will keep it, but we will modify it to make it a rigid. Yes I know you might think I’m crazy considering the state of our roads here in Quebec ! Ok ! Ok ! A spring seat will act as the suspension ! So as for the leftover parts, I traded them for a complete Sportster front end, two spoke-wheels with Avon tires and genuine Panhead rocker covers.

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For my front brakes I called on my friends at Beringer in France, for both the quality and the beauty of their parts. I wanted the motorcycle to be as slim as possible. It took a lot of work, but Philippe from RCD designed the exhaust pipes so that they could be installed within the motorcycle - inside the frame and the sissy bar. As for the carburetor, I chose the Harley-Davidson CV for its ease of operation and fit. Even the kickstart arm was modified to make it straight and remove the original curve.

We placed the motorcycle on its stand, positioned the frame, the fork, the gas tank, the front 21-inch wheel and the rear 18-inch wheel and installed the seat, but there was one final thing that we absolutely could not forget. We needed to ensure that the handlebars were adjusted for my height. A small forward angle was necessary. We then tested everything and the position was perfect ! Phil welded two small joints and over the next few days he would construct the handlebars and all the other parts he would design, such as the oil tank, the sissy bar, the clutch and brake levers, the motor mount, the oil filter support, and more. I wanted an A-1 bike so I chose Phil’s father, Jim Roquebrune, to rebuild the motor and the transmission.

Being a 1961 model, several parts needed to be replaced ! My friends at J-Precision worked on the motor heads. We took this opportunity to have them completely redone ! To complete the assembly of the motorcycle, Phil only had the electrical work left to do and also to pass the wires inside the handlebars and the frame for an impeccable finished product.

FEATURED BIKE

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Owner City General

Pascal Richard Mascouche, QC

Manufacturing Year / Make Model Assembly Time

Harley-Davidson 1961 FLH Roquechop Design 3 months

Accessories

Engine 1961 PanHead Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson 74 ci Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Wiseco Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson CV HD Roquechop Design

Year Model Builder Ignition Displacement Lower end Balancing Pistons Heads Cam Lifters Carb Pipes

Transmission Harley-Davidson Pied 4 vitesses

Type Shifting

Painting Painter Molding Color / type Special

Powder coating LL Powder Coating Grey Pinstriping par Martin Cloutier

Frame Year Builder Type Rake Stretch Shocks

Most of the motorcycle was then painted industrial grey except for a few parts that were painted gloss black. The highly resistant powder coat paint work was done by LL Powdercoating.

We found that one of the most difficult steps to complete was the finish since I wanted to keep the “Old School” style of this motorcycle. I went to my good friend, Martin Cloutier, an excellent pinstripe artist; he had worked on my 1933 Ford in the past. We finally decided on flames for the gas tank, with a few small designs done on the frame and other parts. We also painted a “61” on the oil tank, since the first question people have when they see the bike is “What year is it ?” In the end, this bike was created with the help of good friends and the result is what you see !

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Specifications

Photographer

1961 Harley-Davidson Roquechop Design - FLH Stock Stock None Liz Leggett

Bars Zombie Performance Handlebar Controls Kustom Tech Headlight Vintage Tail light Fab Kev Speedo SpeedHut Dash Nope Pegs Suicidal Cycles Electrics Some Gas Tank Suicidal Cycles Oil Tank Suicidal Cycles Oil System Suicidal Cycles Primary 1-1/2” Open Belt Harley-Davidson Seat Custom Front Fender Nope Rear Fender Copper Smith Mirrors Pangea Speed Grips Cole Foster

Forks Type Size Builder

Harley-Davidson 39MM Some Dude

Wheels front Size Wheel Tire Brake

21” Custom Firestone Wilwood

Rear Size Wheel Tire Brake

Other

16” Custom Firestone Exile Cycles Sysybar : Roquechop Design Air filter cover : Roquechop Design Kick start arm : Roquechop Design Oil filter support : Roquechop Design Motor support : Roquechop Design Model : Andreane Chamberland

TECHNICAL COLUMN

BY ANDRÉ BOBINAS FROM ATELIER AD

There’s a lot of whispering heard around town, and it’s getting louder and louder. Everyone is talking and moreover trying to figure out what causes such a commotion. It’s stronger, it’s faster and smoother, and no, it’s not a guy in blue tights flying through the sky. Everybody is talking about the “eight.” The “eight” is the new Milwaukee Eight engine from our friends at the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

To make sure there’s no confusion : it’s not the 8th Harley

bearings and increases the rotating inertia by 20 % without

motor, it’s the 9th. “Eight” stands for 8 valves, 4 per cylin-

increasing the weight of the overall assembly. In plain

der head (1). It is an all new motor, completely redesigned

language, it increases torque. And big Harley motors are

from the ground up. First, having four-valve heads on a

all about torque ! Although it looks like the Twin-Cam motor,

Harley is not new. The idea has been kicking around for over

this engine has a single chain driven cam (2). Harley uses

twenty-five years. Two companies introduced four-valve

chain-driven cams to quiet down the valve train, and the

heads that fit the Evo motor. One was called Feuling (from

new “Eight” is the quietest motor yet. Plus, upgrading from

California), and the other was Mega-Four (from Quebec).

the old spring chain tensioner to the new hydraulic unit is

I was lucky enough to try a bike fitted with four-valve heads.

a great improvement in durability. To top things off, with its

Believe me, it’s the way to go ! Bikes equipped with four-

four-valve heads, the cam lobes do not need to be so high,

valve heads pull strong and never stop pulling. Many racers

which means the valves open less, and you don’t need as

found them to be very beneficial on the track. Jim McClure

much valve spring pressure. It also increases the life of the

had them on his nitro-burning bike, and Feuling had

valve guides, the roller lifters, and the chain and tensioner.

four-valve heads on their Bonneville salt flat racer.

2

1

The new heads have anti-knock sensors to retard timing

OK. Let’s start with the bore, stroke, and cubic inches.

if the motor starts to ping. There are two spark plugs per

The Milwaukee Eight is a 107 cubic-inch power plant with

head – it’s about time ! (3) The one on the right side might

3.937 inches of bore and 4.375 inches of stroke. The 114

be a bitch to replace. The heads are cooled by passages

CVO has a 4.015-inch bore and 4.500-inch stroke. The fly-

around the exhaust valves. The engine of the TCU models

wheel assembly has a bigger crank pin which gives bigger

will be water cooled (4). The throttle body is bored out to

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TECHNICAL COLUMN

3

5

4

6

55 mm, and the injectors have dual spray (5). Harley has

opportunity to try one were impressed by the new motor’s

installed a beefy 1.6 kW starter, enough power to start this

acceleration. Even our one and only RMM editor Pascal

big boy. The company also went to a 50-amp alternator (6) for all the accessories on the bagger models. This is a big improvement. You will now have extra amps to recharge your battery so you won’t have to keep it on a battery tender constantly. Also, Harley seems to have solved its

Richard was so impressed that he went out and bought one. Harley-Davidson has already put out a kit to punch the 107 out to an 114. I can see the high-performance potential of this new motor. I have a funny feeling that a bunch

compensator problem. Oh, and by the way, the Milwaukee

of high-performance upgrades are brewing in the dark

Eight will only be offered on the touring line for now.

corners of shops around the world, and from H-D itself

Harley decided to keep the rubber mounts but have added

through the Screaming Eagle line. Will this new generation

a balancer on the primary to stabilize the motor while at

engine outperform its predecessor while using less fuel ?

idle, which reduces the vibration of 75 %. The gasket

Well, that’s what Harley hopes, and I think they might be

surfaces are wider in certain areas to increase sealing.

right. If you want to know who let the dogs out, well Harley

Good job ! As for performance, this motor has 8 more

did, and the other cruiser companies will have to burn the

horsepower than the Twin-Cam 103. Harley talks about being two to three bike lengths faster between posts.

That’s not many numbers but most riders that had the

midnight oil to catch up.

Ok… back to work !

TECHNICAL COLUMN

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Text : Jean-Frédérik Huet Photos : Liz Leggett

The 13th annual “Block Party” was held at Indian Larry’s, in the heart of Brooklyn, on September 17. Although this edition was marked by some particularities, the classic Northeastern American event was very well attended. Like every year, the entire area was closed to traffic and both sides of the street were packed with motorcycles. People set up booths to sell products, display motorcycles and, most of all, show support and enjoy the crowd. As usual, it was a real party and the festive atmosphere was helped along by the “Coney Island Brewing Company” which offered three beers with each entrance ticket.

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EVENT

Although the event’s main venue was inside the shop, which was open for business and being used as a tattoo studio for the occasion, the main attraction was in the neighbouring streets. It is always impressive to see so many bikes in the same place, especially in the trendiest neighbourhood in the world. Motorcycles were lined up over several blocks, their owners beside them, discussing their modifications or where they came from. This is what really gives the annual “Block Party” its charm and notoriety. Fans from all over America come here to be among their own. Some of the bikes were just as impressive as those within the walls of Indian Larry’s, some of them had travelled hundreds,

EVENT

even thousands, of kilometres to attend the event. After making the rounds and talking with several Americans, who never fail to be impressed that Canadians arrive by motorcycle, it was time for the show. For the first year, the “Brooklyn Invitational” was not held on the same date as the “Block Party.” However, following the popularity of the West Coast movement, a “stunt show” was held in the street. The “East Coastin’ Crew” took over Whyte Avenue on their Harley-Davidson Dynas. The three daredevils had a great time burning rubber on the street as the amazed crowd looked on. Coming from a background where popping wheelies and pulling other stunts on a motocross in the streets is the extreme activity of choice, they had no problem transposing their talents to American road bikes. In view of the success on the West Coast of “Unknown Industries,” the pioneers of the movement, they wanted to put on the same type of show on the East Coast. It is absolutely amazing to watch them perform in the street devoid of safety barriers between the riders and the spectators, a distinctive aspect that underscores their reckless “street” aspect and total lack of restriction. However, this entertainment filled the void left by the “Brooklyn Invitational” which showcases the creations of “bike builders” from across the country. It was held the following Saturday, September 24. Following the show, as tradition dictates, everyone goes to “The Gutter” for one last beer. This legendary bar in located on the corner of Indian Larry’s street.

EVENT

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Getting back to the motorcycles, especially those exhibited at the “Grease Monkey” Block Party, the quality was lower than in previous years. This was because many of the old Harleys decided to come for the Invitational weekend rather than the Block Party. Even so, several bikes from the Eastern American clubs stood out with their unbelievable paint jobs. The creations by the host shop were by far the most impressive. Among these was “Wild Child,” a Pan-Shovel (rear Panhead/front Shovelhead engine). It was one of the late Larry’s classics : with a twisted frame, exceptional and high-performance mechanics, the apehangers giving it a chopper look, a tiny rear fender and minimalistic parts to make it run. It was Larry’s last creation during the Discovery Channel’s famous “Biker Build-Off,” which he finally won against Billy Lane in 2003. Every detail of the motorcycle was awe-inspiring, from the open-belt painted with the bike’s name, a dual carb and root beer colour paint incorporating Indian Larry’s logo and its place of creation that is, and will always remain : New York City.

Another motorcycle on site was “Sweet Marissa,” another chopper-style bobber with the same inspirations but integrating an S&S 113 cubic inch engine with an inverted front fork to accommodate the machine’s power. This creation was assembled in 2011 by Bobby Seeger and his team in the same Indian Larry style. The line-up of motorcycles from the Brooklyn shop did not stop there. There was “Moving On,” originally a 2008 Harley-Davidson Nightster, gleefully modified in the image of the most recent creation; the “Metzeler” which follows with a different style and lines while remaining just as impressive in industrial grey giving it a very industrial and streamlined look. Last but not least, the “Chain of Mystery” was exhibited in front of the forged metal doors at the raised entrance. Although I have seen, analyzed and observed this motorcycle for many years, it still retains its mystical aspect. This work of art never goes out of style and remains undefeated in the world of custom motorcycles. I may be biased about the machine that made me fall in love and pulled me into the obsession of this world, but I have never seen anything so detailed - made with such good taste and creativity.

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EVENT

Wild child

Chain of Mystery

Moving on

Metzler

Sweet Marissa

EVENT

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Great weather, streets full of motorcycles and crowds of interesting people made it one of the best events of the summer. But despite this, the “Brooklyn Invitational” left a void. All in all, this 13th edition of the “Grease Monkey Block Party” was a great success. And once again I strongly recommend it to all East Coast custom motorcycle enthusiasts.

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EVENT

Text : Michel Alati – Photos : Pascal Richard

I must tell you that I have a love for cars, in fact, anything that has a motor, and it has inspired me to undertake this project.

Looking back, even when I was very young, I had a passion for customizing anything with a motor that I could get my hands on, from mopeds to snowmobiles and later on, cars !

I have had all kinds, but mostly GMs like Chevelles, Camaros and Corvettes. Of course, they didn’t remain untouched for long, so one thing led to another and I started working at a body shop. This was a dream job for a car-lover like me !

I worked as an apprentice until the day when I got an offer to work for a body shop that specialized in customizing

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FEATURED BIKE

Corvettes and that is when my true passion saw the light !

I had the chance to modify my own 1974 Corvette and attended a few car shows. I even won first prize during a show at Place Bonaventure in Montreal ! I was so happy !

I was only 18 or 19 years old at the time.

Two years later, I opened my own shop. It was a modest place to start as it consisted of two rental spaces within another shop. A short time later, I moved into my own space.

In order to get my company off to a good start I had to put my passion for cars aside. Of course, I would sometimes treat myself and work on a race car now and then, but I had to work tirelessly to make ends meet and lacked time for myself.

featured bike

Then life happened, kids, a house… A few years went by and once the kids grew up I started to have a little spare time.

Now, this was my chance to reconnect with my passion for motors. I wanted a small project so I got the idea to buy a motorcycle !

Since I love speed but not reasonable enough to ride a sport motorcycle, I decided that my first bike would be a Harley-Davidson. It was a 1978 FXE that I of course customized. I extended the tank, changed the fenders, added some chrome, changed the wheels for a chrome set, extended the fork, added emblems, installed bags and repainted the entire motorcycle. A complete customization indeed !

I always received such great comments about my bike.

Occasionally I would work on modifying bikes for others, mostly friends, because it was difficult to work on motorcycles with the type of shop I had. It was better structured to repair accidented cars than to customize motorcycles. But I always told myself, “Someday I will do just that !”

I then sold my FXE and bought a chopper. I was ecstatic !

The large back wheel, the long forks, the raised handlebars, all attracted a lot of people. They stopped to see my bike, asked questions about how it handled on the road, took pictures – it’s amazing how you can meet so many people.

FEATURED BIKE

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A few more years went by but I could not shake the idea of working only on motorcycles and one day, I sold my shop !

I put my project in motion and this is when I came across the people at SpeedTrix. I already knew them since I bought my motorcycle parts from them. I proposed my services for painting and modifying parts for the motorcycles that they built and modified. We had a mutual interest for detail. They put their trust in me and we worked on a few projects together. This is when I decided to customize my motorcycle,

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FEATURED BIKE

a 2013 FLHX. I wanted to build a bagger and to promote “Top Coat” paint !

In the beginning, this was not supposed to be such a radical project, but as they say : “while you’re at it !” Ha ! So much time and love was invested in achieving this result. Everything was changed, from front to back, to create this totally balanced bike. The choice of “orange pearl” paint that changes colour with the position of the sun provides a great look. This

motorcycle was entered in several bike shows and always ranked among the first, even in Daytona ! I could not believe it ! This motorcycle never fails to impress. When I ride, it is such a pleasure to see how people love it as much I do.

I hope we cross paths on the road one day !

FEATURED BIKE

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Owner City General

Michel Alati St-Joseph-du-Lac, QC

Manufacturing Year / Make Model Assembly Time

Speed Trix 2013 FLHX Speed Trix —

Accessories

Engine Year Model Builder Ignition Displacement Lower end Balancing Pistons Heads Cam Lifters Carb Pipes

2013 Stock Stock 103 Black out Stock Stock Stock Stock Stock Stock Stock Arlen Ness Big Radius

Transmission Type Shifting

6 Speed —

Painting Painter Molding Color / type Special

Top Coat Paint Top Coat Paint Orange pearl Tri coat cameleon

Frame Year Builder Type Rake Stretch Shocks

Photographer

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FEATURED BIKE

Specifications

— — — Table 11 degrees — Air front & rear Pascal Richard

Bars Handlebar Controls Headlight Tail light Speedo Dash Pegs Electrics Gas Tank Oil Tank Oil System Primary Seat Front Fender Rear Fender Mirrors Grips

Arlen Ness — LED LED Moulded Digital Moulded Brou Hard — Modified elongated 3D — — — Triple K Molding 3D Elongated 14” Arlen Ness Arlen Ness

Forks Type Size Builder

— — —

Wheels front Size Wheel Tire Brake

23” — — —

Rear Size Wheel Tire Brake

Other

18” — — — —

Text : Liz Leggett — Photos : Liz Leggett & Courtesy of Hot-Dock Cycles

On my first trip to Japan for the Yokohama Mooneyes Custom Show last December, I knew there was one builder that I had to visit : Keiji Kawakita, well renowned in the custom bike world for over a decade thanks to his creations that are considered among some of the most innovative motorcycles in the industry. His style has garnered attention from many builders around the world, and his experience and passion when it comes to creating and racing are apparent, even through his more stylized creations. His reputation as a Harley-Davidson builder precedes him with many race bikes. Keiji Kawakita has impressive custom projects under his belt and his shop “Hot-Dock Cycles” is renowned worldwide.

A fan of building realistic models of war ships, tanks and planes, Keiji Kawakita is using his office as a museum. His attention to detail and fine craftsmanship are apparent in every project. Distressed paint and weathering techniques used in fine detail in these tiny works of art hint at the care and time put into everything he touches. The custom-made parts he designs, including locking hinged gas caps similar to hatch doors, and the addition of pressure and gas gages onto fuel tanks give every bike an almost whimsical theme – that is usually hinted in its name. His bike “Black Widow” was inspired by the Northrop P-61 Black Widow war planes, taking styling cues from every aspect of the machine, from the hundreds of rivets covering the metalwork to the shape of the bike in general.

In 2008, the S&S Cycle Company celebrated its 50th anniversary with a bike show and build-off with 50 builders from around the globe that had to use the engines provided. Keiji built the bike from the engine up, making every part of the bike his own. Named “The SGT. Nautilus”, the bike featured many custom handmade parts, including detailed gas cap based off of the design of a submarine hatch, and had a look that would have been perfectly at home in Jules Vern’s famous novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. This prestigious event took place in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and the bike he created took the show and the custom motorcycle world by storm, the master builder rightfully gaining even more international recognition.

The SGT. Nautilus

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INTERVIEW

Guzzler 2

The “Guzzler 2�, one of the first bikes Kawatika built is still an ongoing project, having been modified many times over the course of 15 years. The bike has changed hands several times, and with each new owner, he is repeatedly asked for more radical changes and updates from his imagination.

Its polished metal body is completely out of this world with more details than most bikes while remaining balanced. A truly moving piece of art featuring clasps, gauges, moulded body panels and so much more, the bike is an ever changing entity that has taken on its own life, growing almost like an organism.

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

Some of his latest work was to customize the 2015 BMW K1600GTL bike known as “Juggernaut” (Jagannate). It displays his signature body styling, almost reminiscent of an H.G. Geiger painting. The flairing on most bikes is hammered out and formed on an English wheel, and then attached to the bike frame. Whereas with this bike and several of Keiji’s newer creations, the handformed tube framework was cut and welded on the inner edges, fitting it into place to create an exoskeleton. This forms a cage to which the sheet metal is attached and shaped to fit, thus providing an organic feel. The inspiration for this bike came from the “Tiger 1” Tank used by the Germans. Conjuring visions of the future well at the same time nodding towards World War I and II vehicles, Keiji has created a balance between new and old, giving these impressive machines an almost timeless charm.

Juggernaut

Building race bikes comes naturally to him, taking a place racing in many events around Japan and building bikes for customers to use in competitions. One of the bikes in the shop, a 1948 Harley, featured original drum brakes and springer front end, standard regulation to compete in the “Classics” category at the local track.

A large variety of vintage motorcycles are meticulously lined up close to one another in the “Hot-Dock Cycles” shop in Narima.

Besides his own and those of his customers is his brother’s drag racing motorcycle with its huge rear tire that makes the bike’s proportions almost cartoon like. Keiji has raced for many years. At one point, he was involved in a very serious accident that put him in a very large leg cast for quite some time. This memento still hangs on the wall of the shop alongside many mementos and articles from magazines and newspapers as well as trophies from his many racing victories.

INTERVIEW

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As many of us remember, the entire country of Japan was tragically rocked by an enormous 8.9 magnitude eart quake in 2011 that damaged many buildings and roads. This event also caused destruction. The tarmac of many race tracks was cracked. Several tracks had to close which affected everyone in the racing community with devastating consequences. The size and economy of the country already limited the number of tracks where events like drag racing occurred, and over the past few years, many of the tracks have closed. Recently new tracks have begun opening, lending hope that the bike race scene in Japan is far from dwindling.

From left side : Koji Igarashi - Keiji Kawakita - Nobusuke Kawakita - Yuto Komatsu

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INTERVIEW

While visiting the shop, several bikes were up on the stands, being hammered, welded and tuned. Despite his many successes, Keiji Kawakita shows no sign of slowing down.

During my visit, Winston Yeh from “Rough Crafts”, a custom shop based in Taiwan, dropped by to say hello to the master builder.

Continually building and dreaming up new and innovative designs, Keiji holds everyone’s attention with his imagination and raises the bar with every new creation.

Text : Geneviève Fréchette Photos : Lanakila MacNaughton

Who is Lanakila MacNaughton, or Lana ? She is a 27-year old young woman who describes herself as an artist, a creator, an event producer and most of all, a photographer and a motorcyclist.

I recently discovered her beautiful photos, and I had to share them with you because they have totally made me dream. Lana presents women riders from different cities and walks of life, on different kind of bikes, but all are real women bikers with style and attitude.

Lanakila was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, by her mother who was a florist and her father, a builder. She was immersed in the arts early on. After developing a passion for motorcycles in her early twenties, she started documenting many facets of the motorcycle culture through her lens. She likes to focus on the new wave of modern female motorcyclists.

“Once I started riding, I was eager to meet other women in my community who rode, but I didn’t find a lot of them that were riding on their own. However, the women that I met blew me away. They were and are independent, strong, courageous women. I am inspired by the women I meet, the struggles they have gone through and the obstacles they have conquered.

I aim at inspiring other women around the world as much as I am inspired when I see those women, read their stories and learn how they find the power within themselves. Motorcycles are merely the vehicles that allow me to express the energy I see in the women I meet,” says Lana. “I was inspired to create The Women’s Motorcycle Exhibition to represent these fearless women who have been unacknowledged in our culture and media.”

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HER SAY

HER SAY

BY GENEVIÈVE FRÉCHETTE

Lanakila MacNaughton

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The Women’s Moto Exhibit was originally a photo exhibition of Lana’s photos which traveled around her country, the United States. The exhibition was also presented in other countries in various galleries and museums. “I just started taking photos of different women that inspired me, and the whole thing morphed into something I would have never imagined,” says Lana.

The show is a vehicle to promote women motorcyclists as liberated, passionate and sometimes real badass riders. There are hundreds of sexy, strong fashion-conscious women with attitude and drive that are hidden in every city. Lana’s goal is to find them. The show is a traveling exhibition because she wants to draw out and connect women from different cities and countries to create a stronger sense of community amongst women riders. “The women riders I have met through the show all have the same passion for life, enthusiasm for motorcycles and a desire to create memories with like-minded women. They’re business owners, they’re independent moms, they have style, they have something to say, and they have this new kind of sexy,” says Lanakila.

Now the project has evolved into a social movement. The women’s market has exploded in the last years. More and more women are finding camaraderie and a new sense of independence by joining this movement on two wheels. “My goal is to portray women as the natural born leaders they are : fearless, free and wild. Recently we have branched off making motorcycle trips across foreign countries. During those trips, we experienced different cultures and united women from far and wide.”

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The Wild Ones Tour was a motorcycle journey through the European Alps with The Women’s Moto Exhibit. On July 6th, 2016, Lanakila and her friends, including Canadian Becky Goebel from Vancouver, rode on motorcycles through the Alps, starting in Austria, moving through Switzerland and ending in Italy. Not only did the ladies visit historical landmarks and events, but they also met and connected with communities of women motorcyclists along the way.

Lana tells me : “My goal was to experience an insane motorcycle journey with my friends, document it and share it in real time. I want to inspire others to push themselves beyond what they think is possible. I was very nervous before the trip and had a lot of anxiety about riding self-supported on a motorcycle for a month through five countries. But it was hands down one of the greatest experiences of my life. It showed me that I am strong and can do just about anything I put my mind to.

I also wanted to show different cultural perspectives. This journey was a wonderful opportunity to meet other women from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, etc.”

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When Lanakila described herself as an event producer, it’s because she has created The Dream Roll. “The Dream Roll is a women’s only motorcycle camp trip on Mt. Adams, in the State of Washington. This event takes place every month of August (August 12-15 this year). We ride out, camp, party, drink beer, eat, dance naked, and swim in swimming holes. I leave all judgments and bullshit at home. It is one of the best times of the year for me,” she explains.

The images from Lanakila’s project aren’t simply beauty shots. They represent freedom, independence, excitement, and the various personalities of “the born-to-be-free” women motorcyclists. The Women’s Moto Exhibit has evolved over the years, from a collection of photos into women’s only motorcycle camping trips. Recently, it has burgeoned into a clothing line. “I just launched Feva, a boutique clothing line inspired by 1940-50’s work-wear. That means a lot of denim and leather. The style falls in line with the motorcycle lifestyle, but the clothes are not motorcycle gear,” proudly explains Lana.

Shortly, the next project for Lanakila is to produce another event. “I’m excited to announce we are planning a Hot Rod, Classic Car Motorcycle Show at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs called Paradise Road. Adri Law, Chase Stopnik and I were inspired by the nostalgia of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s American life, and we wanted to create a family event that would celebrate those simpler times. We’re going to have pie eating contests, pool parties, barber cuts and motorcycle and cars galore. We will be closing down a street to showcase the ‘crème de la crème’ of classic cars and muscle cars,” Lana explains enthusiastically. “We’re excited to see where year one takes us.” Guess it will be very interesting…

You can find out more about Lanakila, her photos, and plans by visiting her website at www.womensmotoexhibit.com Thank you, Lana, for your inspiring images !

All the best !

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rd

 : Pascal Richa

Text and photos

It is a known fact that the new generation of bikers loves these small gatherings. They take place all year round and are based on different precise themes, attracting a few dozen motorcycles over a single day or evening. Loserpalooza is part of this type of gathering and last September I covered the event in Western Canada’s beautiful city of Vancouver. Loserpalooza is an indoor event that includes the exhibition of about thirty motorcycles of all ages, from Flatheads to Shovelheads. Pure rebuilt and totally simplistic old motorcycles are evidently the new craze with the younger riders.

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NEW GENERATION

new generation

Becky Goebel & Lanakila MacNaughton

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The event was held in the heart of Vancouver in a former foundry that is currently being rented for all types of events. Over the three stories of the building were motorcycles, vendors, a flea market and an amazing photo and art exhibit. Tattoo artists were also on site ready to offer their talents, a DJ played great music and there was a bar, of course. Entry was free for the public.

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NEW GENERATION

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This type of gathering is becoming more and more popular across the country however this particular event was extremely well organized. So for the people of Western Canada, Loserpalooza should be marked on your 2017 calendar.

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FEATURED BIKE

FEATURED BIKE Text : Le grand — Photos : Mélanie Vachon

“Trinity” wa s the code n ame of the fir arms test e st nuclear xecuted by th e American July 16, 194 Army on 5 as part of the Manhatt The test wa an project. s carried ou t at the Ala Bombing an mogordo d Gunnery Range loca fifty kilometr te d about es from the city of Soco Mexico and rr o in New revealed the viability of th weapon use e type of d for the bo mbing of Na August 9, 1 gasaki on 945. The gu ys at Obsessio gave this n n Moto ame to their creation sin a “bomb” e ce it has ffect at all motorcycle and never g exhibitions oes unnotic ed thanks to custom desi it extreme gn.

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The Obsession Moto team had the idea of creating this motorcycle especially for the 18th edition of the Bike & Tattoo Show (April, 2016). In a short time, they accomplished an exceptional task that took many at the event by surprise and that was quite an attraction for photographers.

Here is a little history about the design of this great bike.

Firstly, Yan from Obsession Moto retrieved a full drivetrain system from a Softail no longer in use. Then, he used a rigid frame that he modified to include a dual-backbone. Once the motor was placed within the frame, he designed the dual exhaust system from end to end, including the muffler, and the two fuel tanks and the oil tank made piece by piece from sheet metal. The Obsession Moto team also designed the “girder” type suspension system. David, another member of the team, accomplished the machining on their digital milling machine as well as the creation of different cosmetic parts such as the dash and muffler shield. “Since we were not interested in a stock primary cover or an open belt drive system that anybody can order from a catalogue, we decided to modify the existing primary cover to function as an open system.

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Once the assembly was complete, I personally applied the powder-coating and prepared the frame for paint before Pierre L’archange applied the metallic white finish”, explained Yan. One of the last touches added to the motorcycle was the leather seat mounted on air shocks that Yan built entirely by hand. The list of parts purchased was short. According to the guys at Obsession Moto, a real custom motorcycle is built from raw materials and not purchased parts. New creations will soon roll out of the shop and I can’t wait to see what the Obsession Moto team has in store for us !

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Owner City General

Yan Julien Varennes, QC

Manufacturing Year / Make Model Assembly Time

Obsession Moto 2016 Hard Tail Obsession Moto 5 Months

Accessories

Engine 1999 Softail Harley-Davidson Crane Cams 1340 Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Wiseco J-Precision Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Mikuni Obsession Moto

Year Model Builder Ignition Displacement Lower end Balancing Pistons Heads Cam Lifters Carb Pipes

Transmission Type Shifting

5 Speed Foot Shift

Painting Painter Molding Color / type Special

Archange Obsession Moto Pearl White Pinstriping Obsession Moto

Frame Year Builder Type Rake Stretch Shocks

Photographer

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Specifications

1999 Ultima/Obsession Moto Hardtail Dual Backbone 34 Degrees 4” — Mélanie Vachon

Bars Handlebar Controls Headlight Tail light Speedo Dash Pegs Electrics Gas Tank Oil Tank Oil System Primary Seat Front Fender Rear Fender Mirrors Grips

Obsession Moto Obsession Moto LED Obsession Moto Count the white lines Obsession Moto Obsession Moto Obsession Moto Obsession Moto Obsession Moto Harley-Davidson Open Chain Drive Obsession Moto — Obsession Moto Obsession Moto Biltwell

Forks Type Size Builder

Girder 32” Obsession Moto Billet

Wheels front Size Wheel Tire Brake

21” x 3,5” Ultima Manhattan Metzeler 120/70-21 —

Rear Size Wheel Tire Brake

Other

18” x 5,5” Ultima Manhattan Metzeler 200/55-18 Brembo Shift Link : Obsession Moto Licence Plate : Obsession Moto Model : Virginie R.

Text : Charlie Lessard Photos : Michel Langlois Collection

Welcome to part-2 of my exclusive interview with Michel “Sky” Langlois.

If you’ve missed the first part, I highly recommend you get you hands on the Autumn Issue of RMM (# 38), turn to the Old School column and embark on a journey that very few have had the opportunity to discover.

In 1978 Sky bought what would become his first big-twin Harley-Davidson. It came in the form of a 1975 FX Shovelhead that was resurrected from a basket case. Friend and long-time master technician Roger O’Grady (also an experienced pilot), who was part of Leo Harley-Davidson on the South Shore of Montreal, built the 84 cubic inch stroker motor that powered Sky’s bad-ass black machine. “I put 30 000 miles on that bike and it never burnt a drop of oil,” said Sky. After this black beauty Sky purchased his sleek custom built red Shovel. A one-of-a-kind bike as it sported a stretched frame, a high compression motor with dual Mikuni carburetors, reverse shift transmission and a custom paint job delivered by Yovan Dodge. Performance Harleys have always captivated Sky and when speaking to him about this topic it is evident that this man knows his business – from cylinder head squish bands to gear box rations – he is a true “motorhead !” Sky went on to own many more Harley’s in his extensive motorcycle riding life – from Shovels to TwinCams, street, strip and show.

A big change for the Popeye Motorcycle Club came about on December 5, 1977. Sponsored by the Lowell, Massachusetts Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, of which the Popeye’s had prospected for during the previous year, a vote was taken in order to determine if the band of wild ones from Quebec would become the first ever 81 charter in Canada. This event took place during the eighth anniversary celebrations of the New York City charter. The vote was a unanimous “yes !” As you can imagine the boys from Montreal were ecstatic and the beer flowed well into the morning light. Truly

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a historical moment in Canadian biker history. Although the vote passed that night at the clubhouse of the 3rd Street Crew what had not passed was the order form for the actual H-A patches. Once the celebrations had ended in New York, Sky found himself bound for Los Angeles. He would spend three weeks in California meeting with club members, much of whom had been in the club for decades, while he waited for the Quebec “colors” to be delivered. Sky returned to Montreal on December 24 - Christmas eve. The Quebec members met at a downtown restaurant that evening and waited impatiently for Sky’s arrival and of course the gifts from the west coast. “I felt like I was Santa Clause delivering presents,” Sky said. It was a celebrated Christmas for all.

Sky rode across Canada for the first time in 1979. “That was a great ride,” said Sky. It was a fun-filled memorable run for the members that participated, although not without incident.

Because they had made the papers as the first Hells Angels Motorcycle Club charter in Canada many people, including a lot of kids, asked them to sign autographs whenever they stopped at gas stations, truck stops or for coffee. This was a daily occurrence throughout the trip out west. One funny recollection that is vivid to Sky is the time when the club rode into Winnipeg Manitoba. The group got pulled over by the Police for a “routine check” and one of them came over and asked Sky : “Why are your boots so shiny ?” Sky replied with “What’s wrong with my boots ? You are a Policeman and my boots are shinier that yours”. “Yeah,” said the officer, “bikers around here don’t shine their boots like that,” he continued.

All Sky could do was shake his head, laugh and think; I’m

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BY CHARLIE LESSARD

Popeye MC — Sky on the right

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Hells Angels M

otorcycle Club

in Drummondv

ille circa 1978 Canisse,

getting pulled over for having shiny boots ! “I can’t get over how he was impressed by that,” said Sky with a laugh.

Another experience that left the guys laughing and scratching their heads was the time when member René “Canisse” Hébert’s bike got a flat tire. There they were, stuck on the Trans-Canada Highway between zero and zilch, as the Canadian prairies can leave you quite lonely at times. With no tools to remove the rear wheel and since all they could see was farmland all around them, Sky thought it would be best to search the ditches on both sides of the highway to see if they could find a decent size rock or a piece of old fence post so that they could lift the bike and jack the rear wheel off the ground. The guys checked the right side of the highway while Sky crossed the median to check on the left. After walking for a while Sky saw what looked like the top of a cement block sticking out of the dirt. Sure enough, after digging around it with his hands, it was ! Luckily the full size block was perfect for sliding under the bike frame. Because Sky had walked quite a distance from the other guys it took a few minutes to get back, but while doing so he came upon a shiny object that caught his eye. He approached it and then ran the heel of his boot across it. Much to his surprise it turned out to be a mechanic’s wrench, but what was really astonishing was the fact that it happened to be the perfect size to remove the rear wheel’s axle nut : 1-1/8 inch. He couldn’t believe his eyes and neither did the boys when they saw him walking back to the bike ! Stunned, all they could do was holler, “What the fuck ?” After jacking the rear wheel and loosening the axle nut

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Cyri

nd

ouver Isla

g to Vanc

headin l and Sky

a ½ -inch wrench was needed to loosen the axle adjusters.

That’s when Sky shouted, “wait I’ll cross over again and go find one !” The guys roared with laughter. “If I had been a prospect, I would have scored big points that day,” said Sky. After removing the wheel Sky brought Canisse and his flat tire to the closest gas station for repairs.

Welcome to Edmonton; well for some but not for others !

As the club pulled into Edmonton Alberta, René “Canisse” Hébert’s bike got yet another flat tire. It wasn’t long after they had pulled over to the side of the road that the Police showed up and asked what they were doing in town. After replying that they were touring Western Canada one Police officer said, “You guys aren’t welcome here. We don’t want you here !” Sky then spoke up and said, “Hey look at that sign over there, it say’s welcome to Edmonton,” at which the cops then replied, “That’s not for you guys !”

After Edmonton came Grand Prairie where the ex-wife of one of the members lived. Seeing that Cyril Lapointe was in town with his club brothers, he wanted to take the opportunity to spend a few days with his son, an idea the other guys agreed to. But just before the boys could reach the town limits of Grand Prairie – yes, you guessed it – Canisse’s bad luck struck again. One more flat tire ! Three in a row – not the greatest of hat tricks, that’s for sure ! The group decide to stop for the night at the first motel they could find, which was just a few clicks of the odometer up the road. As the guys were getting off their bikes and unpacking their gear at the motel entrance, here came Canisse limping along on

Laconia R

un — Sky

lling West

ubs while trave

second fro

m left

his flat tire bike quickly followed by the sound of a wailing siren, flashing lights and flying sand and gravel as a Police car came to a grinding halt in the parking lot. Out came the 12-gauge shot gun and a heated cop who proceeded to let the guys know that if they were not out of town by 10 A.M. the following morning he would make damn sure they were !

But what the agitated Police officer didn’t know was that Cyril’s ex-wife just happened to be now married to the best lawyer in town, and as fate would have it, the town’s Baptist Minister. That same night Cyril went over to visit his son and while doing so mentioned the parking lot activity. Seeing that there was no animosity between Cyril and his ex-wife’s new husband, the “best lawyer in town” quickly assured Cyril not to worry and that he would look into it. As 10 A.M. came and went the club realized that a “thank you” would be in order.

As the story goes, the town Mayor and Chief of Police were called, topics were discussed and the situation was diffused.

The next four fun-filled days were spent riding around town, having friendly games of pool at the bars with the locals and enjoying the agricultural fair where more kids asked for autographs. “We would blast through town and all the cops did was watch. It was comical,” said Sky with a laugh.

After reaching the west coast and spending some time in Vancouver, British-Columbia Sky and the other members decided to visit the Satan’s Angels M/C club house. A club “applicant” answered the door that day and Sky asked to speak to the President but was told he wasn’t there. Sky then went on to say that he, Canisse and Cyril would be next door

motorcycle cl Meeting other

at a restaurant and if the president did show up to please come over and let them know. A half hour later Sky and the guys were shaking hands with Ricky Ciarniello of the Satan’s Angels Motorcycle Club. “What is the purpose of your visit ?”

Ricky “C” asked. “We are passing through town and we just wanted to stop in and say hello,” Sky replied. “Ok then, welcome !” said Ricky. This was the start of a long friendship between the two motorcycle clubs.

As for René “Canisse” Hébert’s luck on this long road trip to Vancouver, it failed to change. His luck was predestined to be “bad !” One day while in the west coast city Canisse decide he would visit his sister and young niece. Once he arrived his niece, who was only about thirteen years old at the time, pestered him to take her for a ride on his Harley. Like a good uncle he helped her strap on a helmet and then slowly shifted gears down the posh neighborhood streets where she lived. It wasn’t more than ten minutes later when Canisse found himself surrounded by four Police cars. Canisse was abruptly cut off, grabbed and thrown to the ground. He didn’t have time to put down his bike’s kick stand before he was face-planted to the asphalt and cuffed. The cops had also pulled off his vest and club colors. There he lay on the street with his bike toppled over and his young panic stricken niece crying frantically. Once the “take-down” was over and the cops finally figured out that Canisse was only taking his niece out for a ride around the neighborhood, he was let go without being charged or given a ticket for anything. Once Canisse got back to his sister’s house he called Sky at the Satan’s

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g at th

Gatherin

ouse

l clubh e old Sore

From the very beginning motorcycle drag racing has been the ultimate thrill for Sky. Dating back to the early years Sky often found himself a winner after blasting down the improvised

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winner !

e races

A day at th

Angels club house to tell him what had just happened. Sky was pissed off and after telling Ricky “C” what went down the pair decided to drive over to the Police station in question to find out why this happened. Once inside Ricky went into a tirade on how the officers had no right to treat anybody this way. Canisse hadn’t committed a crime, he wasn’t being chased, he hadn’t made any dangerous driving infractions - the measures were totally uncalled for. The Policemen replied by saying, “We don’t want Hells Angels around, we want them out of here !” Sky listened attentively to the dispute going back and forth between Ricky and the cops. Once Ricky was finished and gestured to Sky that they were leaving, Sky looked at the cops and said, “You better get used to it !” “What do you mean”, one of the cops asked. “You’ll see,” is all Sky replied. Three years after that incident there were close to one-hundred and fifty Hells Angels Motorcycle Club members in British-Columbia. “I wonder what that cop must of thought ? He must of thought, ‘who the fuck was that guy’,” Sky said with a chuckle. The Satan’s Angels M/C became the first Hells Angels Motorcycle Club charter in British-Columbia, Canada. This run was the first of many more to the West Coast for Sky but it was the most memorable and without a doubt the most historic. “We experienced a lot of things, had a lot of fun and visited a bunch of other clubs we knew along the way,” he said.

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drag strip on the country road in front of the old clubhouse in Sorel, Quebec. With the help of his hopped-up 1969 Sportster, equipped with an S&S stroked big bore motor, Sky spent many evenings (and nights) competing with the other club members. “Back then there wasn’t much traffic so we could do that on the road. If we saw somebody coming up the road we’d yell ‘car’,” Sky said with a laugh. The Napierville Dragstrip was another place Sky laid down a lot of rubber. Sky’s first “let’s get down to business” drag bike came about in 1992. Sky purchased a frame, and transmission from famed Top Fuel drag racer Chicago Joe out of Richmond, California. The frame itself was originally built by Buzz McCoy. His built 126 cubic inch Pro-Stock monster ran 8.84 seconds in the quarter mile. Quite creditable for Sky’s first crack at Pro-Stock motorcycle drag racing. This particular bike made its way to many drag strips throughout Canada and the United States and competed against some of the world’s best including the team from Zippers Performance.

The 2017 season will see this bike equipped with a new fuel injection downdraft intake system. Another modification that will surely keep drag racing fans thrilled. Sky’s newest addition to his motorcycle line-up is the rear engine, ear-splitting, 150 cubic inch, nitromethane Top Fuel drag bike. This mechanically injected, direct drive beast with 12-inch slick delivers 200 mph in the quarter mile. That’s 6.83 seconds for you race fans. The ground shakes when this thing is fired up. Let’s go racing !

Mega-Fo

ur Heads

Always one possessed with the need for speed, Sky embarked on a project in the late 1980’s that would today signify that he was a man well ahead of his time. As one of the owners of Bob Chopper, a high end custom motorcycle shop on the South Shore of Montreal where anything you could dream of could be built, the wheels were set in motion.

His idea stemmed from an interesting article he once had read about a car built in collaboration between Chevrolet and the British company Cosworth Engineering. The Chevrolet Cosworth Vega was a subcompact four-passenger car produced for the 1975 and 1976 model years. What made this car very different from the rest of the Vega line-up was it’s 4-cylinder, 16-valve aluminum engine built by Cosworth.

Definitely a gem in any car collectors garage, what really intrigued Sky about this vehicle was in fact the 4-valve per cylinder heads which proved to produce more horsepower and torque. Sky thought that if he could combine this 4-valve engineering to the then newer, mechanically advanced Harley-Davidson 1340 cc Evolution engine he would create a power-plant that would produce a significant amount more boost without having the engine’s RPM (revolutions per minute) constantly kept near the red line. More flow of the air and fuel mixture into the engines combustion chamber via 4-valve heads would equal more power. A great improvement over the stock 2-valve heads. You can see this proven equation on many high performance engines such as the ones found on the Suzuki Hayabusa and the Porsche 911 and if you look back in history many of the World War II fighter aircraft. Seeing that Harley-Davidson engines are developed

Victoriaville stree

t drags — 1989

in the US

A

to be low revving, many bike builders at the time would modify the Evo engines by adding a bigger cam, porting the stock heads, and increasing the engine’s bore and stroke. This in turn would create big engines that could rev higher at a faster rate but the downfall to that was the effect on long term durability and dependability. By the early 1990’s Sky’s idea combined with countless hours of research and development as well as the expert knowledge and renown engineering of his friend Francesco Romanelli (Romanelli Technologies - no stranger to performance engine development), produced the Mega-Four 4-valve heads. Sky is proud to say that his high performance components for Harley-Davidson’s made their way across Canada, Europe and the United States. Engines equipped with Mega-Four heads deliver comparatively the same amount of horsepower and torque as the highly modified engines bike builders were creating at the time but the 4-valve heads meant that engine speed could be kept at a relatively conservative 5000 RPM range when it was time to put the hammer down. The beauty of this assembly was the fact that it was virtually an all-inclusive bolt-on kit. From the supplied pushrods to the gaskets and exhaust flanges the Mega-Four system had complete fit, form and function. Now when I say that Sky was way ahead of his time you don’t have to look to far for proof. Unless you have been hiding under a rock I’m sure you have heard by now about Harleys new engine for 2017; the Milwaukee Eight. Yes folks 4-valves per cylinder ! And this, twenty-five years after the debut of MegaFour heads. Needless to say Mega-Four heads sit atop of Sky’s fire-breathing drag bike. Proven performance indeed !

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When I asked Sky what he thought the best bike he ever owned was, he quickly explained that his 1988 FXRT was a fun bike that always took him wherever he wanted to go and brought him back without any questions, setbacks or headaches. Although due to the extensive roads it had traveled Sky’s FXRT was not one of the best-looking bikes around.

The proof came forth one night at an Outaouais, Quebec region event called the Pirate’s Run. This event had many of his old friends from the Popeye Motorcycle Club years attending. Many of them had returned to this rural region from Montreal to start families. During the evening the wife of one of his buddy’s came up to him and said, “I hope you don’t mind me saying this and promise me you won’t get mad but, my son and his friends were looking at your bike and concluded that you have the ugliest bike here.” “Well tabarnak, make my day,” said Sky. So with a laugh he responded, “Well look around you, you see all these beautiful bikes ? Some of them are worth one-hundred thousand dollars and haven’t won anything here tonight. But my bike wins the ugliest bike award… so there, I win !” Everyone had a good laugh.

Chrome don’t get you home !

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Now if you think this man, who turned seventy this year, has any plans of slowing down you would be thinking wrong.

After fifty-two years on two wheels there is still more runs to do on his Twin-Cam bagger, more weekends at the drag strips, more flying of his pristine Cessna 172 Skyhawk, (he learned to fly from his friend Roger O’Grady), and more bike building on the agenda ! Personally I can’t wait to see his famed ’69 Sportster brought back to life – it’s in the plans ! Few people know this but Sky is actually a long time producer of fine Canadian maple syrup. A profession that keeps him as well as his gracious and ageless life-partner Micheline Blanchard very busy on their beautiful wooded property in the picturesque Outaouais region.

Thank you Michel “Sky” Langlois for taking the time to share some of your exceptional history with us. The sky is the limit !

Respect.

Charlie

Text and photos : Pascal Richard

Well here it is, the second part of our adventure in Ecuador ! As many of you already know, I love this country and its people, the rich culture and the breathtaking landscapes. I had heard about the Avenue of the Volcanoes that extends 300 kilometres from Riobamba to Quito along which some twenty majestic volcanoes are aligned. No other place on earth has so many volcanoes and is as high as the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Of the twenty volcanoes that accentuate this route, nine are more than 5,000 metres high and eight are still active. I needed nothing more than to grab my friend Éric and his wife Cindy and head to the higher altitudes of Ecuador. We started from the south and headed north. We left the city of Salinas, bordering the ocean, and headed in the direction of the city of Guayaquil. This is not the Capital City but, with its 2,291 million inhabitants, it is indeed the economic cradle of Ecuador. We loaded our motorcycles and left on our adventure !

Quilotoa volcano

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ON THE ROAD

ON THE ROAD

Salinas-Guayaquil

The roads in Ecuador are beautiful and traffic outside the large cities is almost nonexistent, so even the new riders can easily undertake this type of trip. In our case, this was one of Cindy’s first rides and her first motorcycle trip - everything went smoothly.

Day 1 : Salinas – Cuenca I admit that it is not easy to cross the city of Guayaquil but this was the only step of our trip where we encountered traffic. Guayaquil may not have all the splendour and beauty of the Capital City of Quito, nestled in the heart of the Andes Mountains, but it still remains a place that must be visited. Downtown you will find “Iguana Parka”, a small park that is overrun with iguanas. It is also fun to walk along the Oceanside on Malecón 2000.

Along this 2.5 kilometre boardwalk, there are several museums, restaurants and bars, among other things.

After visiting this metropolis, we headed toward the very beautiful city of Cuenca located on the high plains at an altitude of more than 2,500 metres. With more than half a million inhabitants, this city ranks third

“Iguana Parka”

“Malecón 2000”

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Volcan Quilotoa

Cuenca

Cuenca

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Cuenca

Cuenca

in size after Guayaquil and Quito. Since 1999, it has been classified by UNESCO as being a World Heritage historical site. On the road to Cuenca, we crossed the “Parque National Caja”. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and since it was foggy and cool, we were so happy to arrive in Cuenca; this park must be spectacular when the weather conditions are favourable.

You must know that when you make this trip, you are often at high altitudes where the temperatures are cooler. So make sure to bring the necessary equipment to stay warm. Reserve a day of your adventure to visit this beautiful, architecturally-rich city. While we were there, we took the time to have our motorcycles checked at the Royal Enfield dealer and went fishing on the amazing rivers close by. Nothing like the fresh air of the Andes to regain our energy and relax !

Cuenca

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Chimborazo volcano

Day 2 : Cuenca – Banos We spent the next two days in the Andes Mountains.

We took Route 35 toward the city of Banos. On our way, we came across the Chimborazo, an extinct volcano that peaks at more than 6,310 metres, the highest summit of the country. Banos is a mustsee city in Ecuador. It is located in the province of Tungurahua, right at the foot of the volcano of the same name. This volcano is one of the most active in Ecuador and it is still smoking. With a height of more than 5,023 metres, it is quite spectacular. It looks like something right out of a picture book. The city of Banos has 20,000 inhabitants. It is a popular tourist city with its thermal spa that gets its water directly from Tungurahua. Everyone should visit here and experience a moment of relaxation in this hot water.

Early in the morning is best ! Banos offers a wide variety of activities : visits to the volcano, 4x4 rentals, rafting, horseback riding, and of course the great Pailon del Diablo falls. At night, there are several restaurants and bars to choose from.

Banos — Thermal spa

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On the road to Banos

Banos

Banos — Tungurahua volcano

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Day 3 : Banos – Quilotoa A short day’s ride brought us to Latacunga. This is the main city for visiting volcanoes. From here, we decided to explore the area. Route 30 from Latacunga to Quevedo was fantastic. We still took a small detour, well worth the time, on Route 35 to the north to observe the Cotopaxi, the largest active volcano in this country. It is a perfect cone, an emblem of Ecuador and last erupted on August 14, 2015.

Returning to winding Route 30, we continued our ascent as we admired some breathtaking panoramas. To start, the vegetation was various shades of green but as we gained altitude, it became almost inexistent. During this trek, we had a chance to talk to the inhabitants of the higher planes, to see their herds of sheep and lamas and to visit with a few craftsmen. The Quilotoa volcano and its superb green-coloured lagoon were on our route. So we took the time for a delicious lunch and a cold beer at the base of the lagoon. It is also possible to go on a horseback excursion along the small trails all leading

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back down. And why not spend the night here ?

There are a few hotels near the volcano that offer a magnificent view of the crater.

Day 4 : Quilotoa – Manta This was the last day of riding. We left the longest chain of mountains in the world. As we descended, we could feel the rising heat and it soon became sweltering. From the Ecuadorian plains and jungle, the temperature rose from 10 to 30 degrees in only a few hours. What a contrast !

Generally, if keeping a decent speed, it would take eight days to cover the entire country by motorcycle. You will encounter high mountains with snowcovered summits, several of which are volcanoes.

Then you will reach the intensely hot jungles. You will be charmed by the beautiful small villages of this country as well as the Pacific coast beaches, all along magnificent winding roads. For a surprising change of scenery and inexpensive trip, why not experience Ecuador ?

Route 30

Ecuadorian jungle

Cotopaxie volcano

Quilotoa volcano

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featured bike Text : Todd Caissie — Photos : Pascal Richard

So I found myself with a lot of unplanned time on my hands and in need of a new project to occupy my thoughts and time. With no wife to tell me not to do stupid shit anymore, I started thinking I should build that 70’s style Harley that I’ve had in my mind for years. My last project was a 1970 Porsche 911. I’ve also built a few vintage VW Bugs and I’m heavy into the vintage speed cars and bikes from the 50’s to the 70’s. I remember as a kid I was going to the local drag strip and bike shows, which definitely left a mark on me. It was going to be my first street bike, and I have been riding dirt since I was 8. So what is the worst thing that could happen ?

I woke up on Saturday morning and said to myself “I’m going to build that bike I’ve been thinking about all these years.” I grabbed my IPad and hit Craig’s list. I knew I wanted a Shovelhead motor. It would have to be skinny tired, with a hard tail and 4-speed kick only. So if I had to start collecting parts, so be it. I found an ad for a 77 rebuilt Shovelhead roller with no transmission, a wide glide front end, a sporty tank and a frame from unknown origin. I called the guy. He still had it, so I set up a time to go see it. I struck up a deal on the roller and by 2 o’clock I owned the Harley I’ve been thinking about all those years in the garage. After sitting on it for a few hours, with all these thoughts on what it was going to look like, I realized that I would need a shit load of parts.

I spent hours and hours looking at bikes from old magazines and on the Web, and reminiscing the bikes l had been around most of my life. My step dad had a 1980 Harley Low Rider and a lot of his friends that would come over at the house also had bikes. One of the bikes that really stuck with me was a ‘66 Shovel Chopper with Root Beer paint and a huge Webber carb hanging off the side of it. So I made a list of parts I would need to get this project started and placed my first order with Lowbrow Customs. I chose this company because it used a lot of suppliers that are the small one-man shops making unique quality parts you don’t see on every other bike. It was important to me. I didn’t want a bike that you could just go to a dealership and buy. With the parts in hand, I made my way to see Jay at Suicidal Cycles to talk to him

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about building my bike and see if he was up to it. He had built a bike for one of my closest friends (Jason G) and I knew his work was top notch. Jay had it mocked up within a few weeks, and I couldn’t have been happier with the direction he was giving to the bike. Lots of the fab work still had to be done. Jay and I worked together very well to get what I saw in my head to come to life. I’m sure I drove him crazy at times with what I wanted, but he was always open to what I was trying to accomplish.

Jay was now into the heavy fab work so I guess I should do some more research into the motor and frame; all I had was a bill of sale. With some digging on how to read Harley VIN numbers, I discovered the motor is a 79, not a 77, and the

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frame is a vintage D&D. I was cool with that, but I needed to transfer the paperwork into my name. I soon discovered that it was going to be a bit of a pain in the ass. After a few months of back and forth, I got everything done and registered, and I was good to go. The bike is coming along with a few changes along the way as it seems to be building itself and telling me what it wants.

I knew from the start that the paint was going to be blue with a hand painted logo and stripes. Very clean looking, not too over the top to let the whole bike speak for itself. When it came to picking the colour for Myk Roc to spray, I spent hours looking at vintage hot rods and show bikes. My daughter Isabella asked me one day why I was always looking at old

the internals were missing. Zero compression. So with some quick thinking, Jay figured out I had a clearance issue with the front rocker box. The engine was pulled out again, and with the issue resolved it was time for fluids and to kick it over again.

The bike had been sitting for eight years, so I didn’t know what to expect. Would it kick over right away ? Or was it going to give us a fight ? After about a dozen kicks, it roared to life and sounded killer !

After a few test runs, the crew all had a shit eating grin ! It was unreal to see what I had envisioned in my head. It was now a reality.

I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and couldn’t believe that I owned such an amazing bike.

pictures. I told her that I was choosing a colour for Daddy’s bike. She turned to me and said it should be white with rainbows and a unicorn with flames coming out of its mouth ! I said that would be interesting but maybe on the next one. So I found this old paint sample of a ‘50’s Ford Blue that was just the tone I was looking for and went for that instead.

With the frame and tins back from paint it was time to assemble. Since Jay was working quite fast, it was coming together. Seeing it off the lift and ready to kick over was very exciting.

With the first kick, nothing. WTF ! It was as

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Owner City General

Todd Caissie Surrey, BC

Manufacturing Year / Make Model Assembly Time

Suicidal Cycles Harley-Davidson what part ?

Chopper Suicidal Cycles Year and a bit

Accessories

Engine 1979 Year Shovel Head Model Suicidal Cycles Builder Single Fire Ignition 1341 Displacement Stock Lower end Yup Balancing Wiseco Pistons Twin Pluged Polished and Flowed Heads Andrews B Grind Cam Not Stock Lifters S&S E Carb Suicidal Cycles Pipes

Transmission Harley-Davidson 4 Speed

Type Shifting

Painting Myk Roc Painter None Molding Blue Color / type Hand painted logo and pin stripes Special

Frame Vintage D&D Hardtail Some None See above

Year Builder Type Rake Stretch Shocks

Photographer

Specifications Bars Zombie Performance Handlebar Controls Kustom Tech Headlight Vintage Tail light Fab Kev Speedo SpeedHut Dash Nope Pegs Suicidal Cycles Electrics Some Gas Tank Suicidal Cycles Oil Tank Suicidal Cycles Oil System Suicidal Cycles Primary 1-1/2” Open Belt Harley-Davidson Seat Custom Front Fender Nope Rear Fender Copper Smith Mirrors Pangea Speed Grips Cole Foster

Forks Type Size Builder

Harley-Davidson 39MM Some Dude

Wheels front Size Wheel Tire Brake

21” Custom Firestone Wilwood

Rear Size Wheel Tire Brake

16” Custom Firestone Exile Cycles

Other

Pascal Richard

I would like to thank the following people for helping with the build and all the new friendships made along the way.

Jay and Amanda at Suicidal Cycles for the build Myk Roc for the amazing paint and striping Curtis for the killer seat Dave for the polishing of the bling Lowbrow Customs for many of the parts Michael at Evil Spirt Engineering for the insane wheels Fab Kev for the kicker and tail light Ken at Napier’s Country Antiques for the shot location

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international

Text

otos : and ph

ggett

Liz Le

When dreams of going fast and attaining records is paired with a love of traditional engine building, you get an undeniably incredible creation. However, building a land speed-racing bike is no easy task on its own. The stresses that the bike and rider undertake while trying to reach and break a speed record makes becoming the fastest no easy feat. But if at first you don’t succeed, you head back to the shop, fix the problems and take another crack at your goals.

Franz and Grubb that has built traditional Triumph engines is a Californian shop fully stocked with new and old parts. It’s a perfect mix of collecting and organizing; no clutter. Dan Druff, the soul owner and operator of that shop, has always concentrated his efforts on rebuilding and transforming relics into performance racers by doing custom engine work. Dan was previously a guitar tech for the band “Guns and Roses” and travelled quite a bit. Most of the people in the music industry also have a love for fast cars. Dan owns a 1967 Dart that he built with a 340-engine which he used to drag race, but he had always wanted a bike. He decided that he would build his own bike, so he bought a 1950 Triumph 650 from Northern California. It sat for years but eventually he took the bike out, stripped it down and started to rebuild it. By doing that, he learned and figured out how the bike worked and how he would like it to be.

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“I always viewed owning a motorcycle kind of like owning a handgun. If you are responsible enough to own a handgun and you’re not gonna go shoot someone because he looked at your girlfriend, then you’re fine. It’s the same with motorcycles. You don’t give an 18-year-old kid a motorcycle that does 200 because he ‘will’ end up killing himself,” Dan said.

Racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats is a dream that many wish to attain. Dan was contacted about working on a bike built

by Matt at Wrecked Metals, a custom shop in Boise, Idaho.

The 1955 Triumph 650 was originally built for a client who had dreams of owning a land speed racer. Since the work on the bike was first carried out at a shop that specializes in the building of custom choppers and automobiles, it was in need of some tuning to turn it into a true race bike. As the bike sits now, it has a .060-inch overbore (676.7cc), forged steel connecting rods, 12:1 Robbins pistons with no head gasket, 6-mm stem Kibblewhite Black Diamond valves, Harman &

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Collins racing cams, Amal Monobloc chopped float carbs, two Amal remote matchbox floats, a Morris Magneto, Morgo oil pump, Avon Roadrider Tires, a Factory Metal Works frame, and Ceriani 30-mm forks supporting the front end.

Once Dan received the bike, he worked at putting the engine together and getting it in shape for the salt under the SCTA regulations. When the bike was being built, the frame was supposed to be 6 inches longer, but that would have made the chain really long. This would not be optimal for the speeds they wanted to attain.

It was going to be up to him to go out and race it, putting this custom built machine to the test and making the necessary changes to attain the goal. With speed in mind, this machine was modified to allow the engine to be further towards the back of the bike allowing for better weight distribution, thus adding traction and stability.

Another small problem… Dan had never raced a motorcycle !

At tech inspection the guy asks him “what motorcycle experience do you have ?” To which Dan replied : None. But that was a non-issue for Dan.

the salt flats or the dry lake surface. Looking as though the

“I don’t think you necessarily need to have experience; you just have to have the instinct. It’s like drag racing a car. If the car starts going towards the wall, you let off the gas and let it realign.”

the interesting details is the way Dan affixed the carbs, which

The bike was to throw hurdles at Dan over and over. While riding the bike, Dan had even encountered racing with a single wheel, passing through the speed traps at a whopping 113. At one point during one of the runs, the foot peg came off and the safety wires broke on one side, which made the bike lose its own axle bolt and sent it flying along the dirt.

That made for a single wheel secured to the bike. Needless to say once all of the little hiccups are fixed, the bike will actually run with both wheels on the ground, and the strong engine would most probably break records, and beyond.

Rolling the bike outside in the beautiful California weather, out into the alleyway amongst the palm trees and the telephone lines, and with the sun glistening off of it, you could only imagine this streamlined machine speeding across

bike is going a hundred miles an hour parked right there on the asphalt, it’s undeniably cool. It is a beautiful thing when technology and style come together so effortlessly. One of are on mounts that he had researched through vibration specialists. He came up with a system that allows the bike to move without aerating the fuel. The bracket that Dan had selected is the exact same one that the US military uses to hold its computer hard drives in their helicopters, allowing for the carbs to move and vibrate without much stress being put on the fuel lines.

Originally named the “Hellcat,” the bike would be misnamed by the SCTA Association, as “The Wild Cat”. The current owner liked it so he had her registered with the new name.

Last year’s Bonneville Speed Week was sadly rained out, and the bike was not able to make its run. Yet with every change Dan makes, the bike undeniably improves in speed.

With every run, Dan is proving the old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.”

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Text : Alain “Goone” Laliberté — Photos : Pascal Richard

It all started when Hugh, one of my long-time customers, came to see me at my shop, Goone Cycles in Alfred Ontario, during the winter of 2015. Hugh told me that he missed his old Pan that he used to ride in the 1970s. Hugh and I talked and he asked me to convert an FXR that I built for him in the

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1990s. I replied that I thought it would be better to start a new project using a rolling chassis that I had. It was a Rolling Thunder Softail frame that could accommodate a 240 mm rear tire. The frame had a single radius down tube, for a more refined look. With a 12 over fork, Hugh’s new motorcycle

our readers

would resemble his Panhead, in addition to having all the technology of a new Twin-Cam motor.

fork are original creations of Goone Cycles. George Design

In order to create a customized motorcycle different from those we normally see, one that could be distinguished from all others in the world of custom motorcycles, we needed to manufacture our own parts. Therefore, that is what we did for this bike : the pipes, the handlebars, the gas tank, the front and rear fender, the aluminum covers and the bottom of the

children on the gas tank. The seat was created by Stéphane

handled the paint and added the faces of Hugh’s four grandJean.

The first thing Hugh said to me after his initial ride was : “I’m happily surprised at how my new chopper holds the road, much better than my old Panhead !”

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our readers Text : Johanne Blouin — Photos : Pascal Richard

I would like to introduce this Bobber-style chopper and its unique story !

During our summer vacation in 2014, Frank and I headed out on a road trip through Western Canada. As we crossed this great country, we made stops at the casinos of several cities, visited a million restaurants and terraces, admired the majestic landscapes, met some marvellous people, visited some magnificent vineyards and of course came across people broken down by the side of the road !

Throughout the trip, Frank hinted at a motorcycle that he could ride through these great mountains, one that could easily handle the terrain ! No troubles, only happiness… At that moment, a project started to take shape in his mind, of building a motorcycle adapted to travelling the roads of these majestic summits. He already started explaining to me how he imagined it; the shape, the fork, the motor, the handlebars, the carburetor, the transmission, etc. You can only imagine what is going on in an artist’s mind, such as Frank !

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After 11 years together, I can easily get a clear picture of the visions he shares ! In the beginning when Frank spoke of a motorcycle he had in mind, I could not picture it ! However, today, I can see it just as clear as he does. When Frank has a vision and he tries to make you understand his idea, he will explain it with all types of unimaginable gestures and all the passion that flows through his veins ! He is very impressive to see ! Whether it is a result of something he has seen on TV or in a movie, while he is at a restaurant or during a fishing trip, or relating to a known personality, a race car driver, or a sport’s team, Frank is inspired by all that he sees and everything around him. A new project can be born as a result of any of the little things in life !

Finally, upon return from our 2-week vacation of nearly nonstop travelling and with about a million images in mind, it was time to get back to work. As Frank’s creativity continued to run its course, he started the project that was sparked during the trip ! He was back with his grand ideas ! Since he wanted to pay tribute to the casinos visited, he decided to call his project “CASINO”. He modified some of the parts that he earlier conceived in his imagination such as installing a larger gas tank. However, to achieve the look he wanted, he decided to install a smaller Indian Larry tank. The look of the motorcycle was a success in every way. Once again “Bravo” to Frank and his team !

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DATE

Coming Soon EVENT

CITY

STATE COUNTRY TX USA

Nov 3 to 6 2016

Lone Star 2016 Motorcycle Rally

Galveston

Dec 9 to 11 2016

New York International Motorcycle Show

New York

NY

Dec 11 2016

Chopper Fest

Ventura

CA USA

Jan 6 to 8 2017

Calgary Motorcycle Show

Calgary

AB CAN ON CAN

USA

Jan 7 to 8 2017

Toronto Motorcycle Super Show

Toronto

Jan 13 to 15 2017

Edmonton Motorcycle Show

Edmonton

AB CAN

Jan 20 to 22 2017

Vancouver Motorcycle Show

Vancouver

BC CAN

Feb 3 to 5 2017

Québec Motorcycle Show

Québec

QC CAN

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