American-V Issue 38 Preview by American-V

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PIMP YOUR HARLEY!

So you want to dress your Sportster?

Zodiac has loads of accessories for Sportsters. Not only for the 2004 thru 2010 type as shown here, but also for older models. Also not only what’s shown here, but much, much more. More at your Zodiac dealer or in the Zodiac Biker’s Book. 012805

301015

Chrome oil tank cover

£ 101.20 also available as left frame cover (301016) Starts at £ 107.00

Unpainted Stock style gas tank

Chrome brake master cylinder

Detonator mirrors feature built-in LED turn signals Sold in pairs £ 229.50

levers has anti-rattle device Starts at £ 256.40

302180

723315

Turn signal lenses

with chrome flames are available in amber, red, smoke or clear Sold in pairs £ 57.60

Chrome rocker box cover set

741390

Hydraulic Clutch conversion kit for a super lite clutch Starts at £ 361.90

032547

Chrome finish choke lever bracket

sets are sold for 1 cylinder £ 185.60

£ 42.00

090407

Rear fender with supports

056206

comes raw. Starts at £ 127.60 105053

15, 1 and 17 Janua6ry 2010

053263

270607

looks all the same as OEM, except for the price! Starts at £ 294.00

VERONA, IT ALY

Chrome engine isolators are sold each Starts at £ 42.00

Chrome upper belt guard £ 53.20

733041

SuperTrapp’s Paul Yaffe X-pipes availabe in black or chrome £ 963.20

056135

302215

Chrome plated rear pulley cover £ 61.50

302190

Die-Cast and Chrome plated engine sprocket cover

Chrome forward control kit also available in 2” extended for long legged riders Starts at £ 495.50

056206

Chrome engine isolators are sold each Starts at £ 39.00

£ 71.50

173047

Chrome horn bracket £ 21.20

THE 2009 ZODIAC BIKERS BOOK Now available at your Zodiac dealer or order at sales@zodiac.nl Price £ 9.00 excl. postage.

The new Zodiac catalog is available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Over 1.400 full colour pages with thousands of new and exciting parts and accessories from all over the world.

YOUR GUARANTEE FOR:

Perfect Fitment • Wide Product Range • Fast Delivery Quality & Excellence • No Nonsense Warranty

ZODIAC INTERNATIONAL UK, P.O. BOX 21, STROUD GL5 4YD. PHONE 01453 758 451, FAX 01453 752 939. ZODIAC INTERNATIONAL B.V., INDUSTRIEWEG 44, 3641 RM MIJDRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS. PHONE +31 297 288 621, FAX +31 297 288 226. SALES OFFICES IN: THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, HUNGARY.

For all Harley’s and American V-Twins we recommend

Internet: www.zodiac.nl E-mail: zodiac-uk@zodiac.nl Original Zodiac parts and accessories are only available through a Zodiac retailer (not directly from Zodiac by mail-order). Check out http://www.zodiac.nl/en/locator/index.html for your nearest Zodiac dealer. Suggested retail prices include VAT. Prices can be subject to change without notice.

9905-917 ZODIAC UK AMERICAN V 210x297.indd 1

10-11-09 12:39

American-V: Issue 38

Editorial Farewell, Buell World ... or is it? The bad news from East Troy is so old now that it’s hardly worth mentioning it in the news section, but there's a huge benefit of having that thinking space between then and now: it’s easier to get the real information now the emotions have calmed down and the dust has settled. We've also got the news, of course, that Erik Buell Racing is starting up in East Troy, specialising in building and preparing race-only 1125 Helicon bikes under licence from HarleyDavidson, which caused me to interrupt my musings for a moment, but no longer than that because it actually slots nicely into an emerging picture that could well be fanciful, but which would make a lot of sense. Harley-Davidson have closed Buell. Not sold it, note, because they say the two companies are too inextricably linked, which is patently not true: where there is a will, there is a way. There is no will. They share a dealer network, but not one that really knows how to sell Buells outside the core Harley market, which is where it should be selling. Most dealers wouldn't mourn their passing: the margins weren't brilliant. Harley build the engines, and they could continue to do that as a precondition of the sale if they wanted to, or an independent Buell could source XB-Series engines off S&S if they didn't. The future of Buell, though, is in the Helicon engine, whether we like it or not. That will lose any last vestige of common spares and technology between Buell and Harley further separating them. No, Harley-Davidson killed it. Completely, clinically, and very expensively – $125m, of which $115m would be in this financial year – and this at a time when net income was down by 84.1% Credible sources suggest that a sizeable proportion of that sum was buying themselves out of the BRP/Rotax deal relating to the Helicon engine, which ended up with Harley retaining the tooling for the new engine: maybe they got wind of Erik wanting to set up a race team and got him a leaving present? There is a future for the Helicon, but somehow I can't see it being in a Harley-branded product: have you seen the reaction that putting an 'Austrian' engine into a Buell caused? That's a can of worms that Harley can't afford to open. Buell was a distraction at a time when the new CEO needed to focus on protecting the core business, but I think there is more to it than that. It is more likely that Harley-Davidson closed Buell and killed the brand off quickly and completely because by doing so they could create a myth: another legend. By the time the Buell Motor Company closes its doors, there will be no new bikes or merchandise at Harley dealerships or in the supply chain, and what there has been since the news broke has been sold off at a fraction of its list price ... but then who's going to pay full price for a discontinued brand? Actually, lots of people. Last chance and all that, but they wanted the floors cleared. All the better for creating a legend quickly. It wouldn’t be the first time that a brand has been elevated to classic status after closing their doors for good – Indian and Vincent to name but two – but those two didn’t have a parent like Harley-Davidson who would have the ability to resurrect it ‘by popular demand’ when the time is right. Whether the right time will be when the global economy has recovered, or when the market is ready for Buell is unknown, but with Erik Buell Racing keeping the 1125R on the track, he's got a nice little R&D operation going on, and the resurrection of the brand could hang on the success or failure of that enterprise. And in the meantime, of course, Harley will honour all warranties on even those Buells sold so cheaply at the death – protecting the reputation of a dead brand, and doing a nice bit of R&D at the same time.

I only hope that Erik will have some time on his hands to put into place the other part of the jigsaw that was emerging. And what could that be? A range of entry-level motorcycles wearing a bar and shield but under a sub-brand: XR. A range of motorcycles to engage a younger generation, and with the best will in the world, that's not going to be the iron – or at least not over here, it won't be. It's to big, too heavy, too expensive ... and too old. An XR, however, would be a very different thing, because it would be an XR440, XR500 and XR600 single using the Blast's crankcases but with an exciting body style rather than the userfriendly but ultimately unsexy Blast. It would get yet another lease of life out of XL engineering investment and there's shedloads of tuning potential from big bores and strokers to a supercharger where the rear pot would ordinarily live. It could tap into the Japanese big singles market, where the likes of SR500s are highly prized: light, manageable and fun; and the sooner that spreads beyond Japan's borders the better. They're doing what we were with our old Brit twins when technology left them behind, just with different hardware. And then, the icing on the cake, an XR academy. Scout MotoX and BMX tracks looking for promising riders, and stick them onto XR singles at short-track and speedway circuits. Involve them, Involve their friends. Erik is the man to pull it off. Erik Buell Racing could be the ideal vehicle. Harley is the brand to use for the dirt, and XR would be the hook – XRated fun – and, if it takes off, a Blast road racer? Something like this needs to happen because unless someone bites the bullet and does something to draw a younger generation into motorcycling, we’re all going to grow old together, which was a recurring theme of the financial pundits reacting to the Buell and MV news, linking Harley's fortunes with the baby boomers, and asserting that it's all downhill from here. And that's possibly true, but it's not fair to point that finger solely at Harley-Davidson: every manufacturer should be building bikes that make teenagers want to taste the freedom of two wheels: the current stuff is dull dull dull! We need 250 and 500cc versions of the Sachs Mad Ass, and have some fun with it. It's still about getting people young and enthusiastic, but they are out there, and they've got a taste for freedom, running round in moped gangs on knackered Peugeot scooters. When you're that age, something like an Iron is unattainable, but a knackered 250 or 500 single or twin is brilliant: cheap and horrible but affordable, modifiable, tunable and repairable for very little money. Better still, it makes a statement. It gave us an identity and set us up for the life we're living. Want to be radical? Sell Blast cases to privateers, give them to schools and youth clubs to build a bike as part of the academy: to campaign in grass roots racing, learning engineering skills on a simple engine. And I don't think I'd be alone is wanting a set of Blast cases as the foundation of a simple street scrambler out of: there must be thousands of used Sportster top ends kicking around, and it's a quick and easy way of Harley XR singles into the food chain to replace Jap singles as the spares dry up. All we'd need is a lightweight frame: Hey Erik! You busy? It could produce a new generation of builders, building, breaking, riding and repairing them, they wouldn't necessarily be pretty, but they'd be cool, and it wouldn't be the first time that Harley had been given a helping hand from a subculture it disapproved of. Potentially the next generation of Harley fundamentalists, ready for the move up to a twin Might even provide a market for a resurrected Buell Andy

American-V.co.uk

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American-V: Contents 38

www.american-v.co.uk

Issue Thirty Eight

6: NEWS & NEW PRODUCTS 10: REVIEWS

Weise Waterproof Harness Boots. S&S Present The Worlds Top Custom Bike Builders; Custom Motorcycles: Choppers Bobbers Baggers; Panhead Restoration; Leanings

2010 Harley-Davidson Preview 16: FXDWG WIDE GLIDE

A rejuventated Wide Glide establishes the Dyna range as Harley’s home for their FXs.

50: QUICKSPIN: ZERO HOUR

Actually, an hour on the Zero Samurai Type 5... well, very close; but then who’s to know? Ah.

56: REBECCA’S MODEL-G

Have you guessed what that is yet. It’s that stunning undressed Servicar that has won everywhere this year.

62: STURGIS 2009 PART 2

Steve Kelly concludes his pilgrimage to the Badlands

20: FLHTK ULTRA LIMITED

66: XR1200 TROPHY RACER

24: FLSTFB FAT BOY SPECIAL

72: BOB’S PANHEAD CHOP

28: XR1200X

78: NEC BIKE SHOW

Limited in name only, the 103-inch motor adds new grunt to Harley’s flagship tourer. The world’s favourite heavyweight custom dons a dark, sharp suit, but is it dark custom or retro-chic? New suspension, modified brakes and new paint: will it be enough to get the attention it deserves?

32: SATYA KRAUS’ HYBRID DYNA Major master builder tries his hand at modifying a stocker, and surprises his friends, and himself ... and then the guys at Bonneville

38: RIDE TO THE WALL 2009 Lest we forget.

43: STUDDY’S KNUCKLE

The custom motorcycle in its purest form, and the mechanical equivalent of a 62 year old bloke in jeans

Editor: andy.hornsby@american-v.co.uk Features Editor: rich.king@american-v.co.uk Contributors this issue: Steve Kelly, Amanda Wright, Graham Gabriel, Hazel Jackson, Horst Roesler. Proofing: Dyslexics demanding an easier spelt condition. Design: Mini Ha-Ha and Erika McAston All editorial enquiries to: editorial@american-v.co.uk Advertising Manager: Emma Howl EmmaHowl@warnersgroup.co.uk 01778 392443 Advertising Sales: Andy Fraser 01778 392054

Oxford Harley-Davidson take the covers off their race bike, but why do Harley want to go racing? There’s often a hell of a lot that goes into a simple bike, and Bob’s electric Pan is good example of that. Wonder if he’s got a mate called Chop who rides a bobber? Harley might not have been there, but Victory more than made up for it, choosing 2009 to really come of age.

82: STREET BOB OF THE ISSUE

This time it’s the bike that CCE built, to show how broad their range of bits for the Dyna now is.

84: ROADTEST: BUELL 1125R

Last chance to see ... for the time being, at least. White elphant or an evolved sportbike now? Too little? Too late?

98: RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

There goes any chance of making friends within the dealer network ... the bros go parts shopping

Trade Sales: Natalie Cole: 01778 392404 nataliec@warnersgroup.co.uk Subscriptions: 01778 392484 Annual Subscriptions UK: £24.75 EU: £36.75 RoW Zone 1: £38.55 RoW Zone 2: £42.75 (all include postage) Published by American-V, PO Box 336, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 7WY. Tel: 0207 993 8002 Printed in the UK by Warners (Midlands) PLC, Bourne. Distribution by: Warners Group Publications Plc West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH Tel: 01778 391135

Advertising Production: Natalie Reynolds: 01778 391130 Copyright 2009 American-V. natalier@warnersgroup.co.uk This issue was brought to you with Left Lane Cruiser blasting away ... sorry, what did you say? I can’t hear you ...

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American-V American-V # ONE

News & Products

Buell: Pegasus STURGIS 2010 VIP or Phoenix? STYLE? A hell of a lot happens in two months. It’s hardly worth referencing Harley’s decision to close Buell, because it was so long ago, and because it is referenced many times elsewhere, but we were still reeling from the shock of Buell production being ‘ceased’ when we heard from The Buell Motor Company again. Erik is leaving the Harley group and is setting up as an independent race team as Erik Buell Racing, with a view to supporting the teams out there who are campaigning the Helicon-engined bikes. He will be building race-use-only Helicon engines under license from Harley-Davidson, as well as supporting existing teams using any Buell engine, at all levels with spares and technical support, which only begs the question ‘what racing?’ It’s a fair question because we don’t see any of it over here, but starting with the Daytona 200, that takes place during bike week, six Buell 1125Rs lined up on the grid in the AMA Pro Racing Daytona Sportbike class. And guess what? Danny Eslick (right, leading), riding for Richie Morris Racing, sponsored by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing, won the series! Obviously some in the racing world have decided that it was only because of dispensations made for Buell that allowed them to compete, and it is worth looking at the field before getting too excited. The other eligible bikes are: CBR600RR, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Yamaha R6, Suzuki GSX-R600, Aprilia RSVR1000R, Ducati 848 and Triumph’s 675 Daytona. It’s AMA’s most diverse field, pitching the quick-handling 600s against big bore twins, with a weight handicap system based on engine size and number of cylinders meaning that the Buell needs a minimum post-race weight of 385lbs, while others can be as light as 365lbs. There is no doubt that it has got a definite power advantage – 130hp compared to a 106hp average for the Supersport 600s – but the handicap system is there to hopefully average out the advantages of each type of bike, but in any event, that is saying that an 1125R outhandles an R6 and a CBR600RR, so they must be doing something right! Well, obviously they are, because people are wingeing, It will be more interesting to see how he fares in the American Superbike, up against R1s and CBR1000RRs, with the 1125RR (below) launched in July. We wish Erik the very best of luck in continuing his covert R&D on the Helicon engine, and look forward to him proving its capabilities to a cynical sportbike market. It will stand Buell in good stead for when Harley restart production on Buell consumer models using all that expensive Helicon tooling they’ve just spent a fortune on: you surely can’t think it was only to churn out racebikes in the interim?

www.erikbuellracing.com

Celebrate Sturgis’ 70th birthday with unique VIP privileges, laid on by an award-winning motorcycle adventure company. Through their highly respected status as a tour organiser, and extensive industry contacts, UK-based Global Enduro are able to offer a unique ‘back stage pass’ to Sturgis’ 70th birthday extravaganza. I apologise if this sounds like an advert, but it is something rather special, and if you read Part 1 of Steve Kelly’s excellent, inspiring Sturgis report in AmV37, you’ll know what a difference it can make to be in the right place at the right time, and will appreciate the opportunity to join Global on this prestige road trip, and enjoy a private insider’s view of the greatest motorcycle event in the world. And no other tour operator is able to offer a trip like this. The package includes a VIP tour of Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, before riding from Harley-Davidson’s home in Milwaukee on a late model Heritage or Electra Glide motorcycle – a round trip of over 2,500 miles to the mother of all bike rallies in Sturgis South Dakota. You will join just 250 special people on the annual ‘Legends Ride’, rubbing shoulders with infamous bike builders and celebrities as you ride from Deadwood to the legendary Buffalo Chip Campground for a private supper and concert. There are exclusive invites to the launch party of the 7th AMD World Championship Custom bike show, and an invitation to the Sturgis Hall of Fame induction breakfast in Rapid City. There are VIP invites to the annual Jack Pine Gypsies hill climb, started in 1938, and a VIP tour of Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Want more time in the saddle? There are special organised ride-out’s to Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial , Custer state park, The Needles highway, Badlands National Park and The Devils Tower: this some of the most beautiful and stunning riding to be had in the US. You don’t need to be an expert to know that this package is very special: coupled with the 70th Anniversary, you hear it said a lot, but this is a genuine ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’. If I can work my ticket, we’ll be there, featuring it as the ultimate road trip. For full details, contact Richie Finney at Global Enduro on 01225 333300

American-V.co.uk

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30/11/09 23:46:26

Rocket Bob’s Bobbed Rocker

VICTORY KEEP ENTRY-LEVEL 8-BALL VEGAS BELOW £9K

Victory have announced their 2010 prices at the recent NEC Bike show, and while the impact of standardising the model range round the 106-inch, 6-speed gearbox has been felt in the pricing of the 8-Ball Kingpin, under advice from their dealer network, they have held the price of the massively uprated black-on-black Vegas at a credit-crunching £8,995. In reality, it’s hardly a base model in the normal scheme of things but something had to be the cheapest: ‘least expensive’ is probably more accurate. Assuming the differences in trim between the Vegas and Kingpin 8-Ball models are the same as last year, it should be closer to £9,995, so it’s a major bargain. The full price list at the time of going to press are, by category: 8-Ball

Vegas Kingpin Hammer NEW Vision NEW

£8,995 £10,495 £11,495 £13,995

Muscle

Hammer Hammer S

£12,495 £13,695

* limited edition model

Custom Vegas Vegas Jackpot Cory Ness Jackpot*

£10,695 £13,995 £15,995

Touring

£11,995 £17,495 TBC

Kingpin Vision Tour (ABS) Cross Roads/Country

You know that feeling you get, when someone stops doing something just when you understand what it’s there for? There’s probably a scientific term for it, or a clever acronym, but ‘bugger!’ usually covers it. We didn’t like the Rocker with its textured grey in all the wrong places. It was ... well, dull, frankly, and left us wondering what on earth were Harley thinking of? And then we got some pictures through the email that looked interesting, and then I almost tripped over the bike at Oxford Harley-Davidson when I went to shoot their XR racer for this issue, and WOW! Commissioned by Oxford H-D and built by Pete Pearson at Rocket Bob, it is everything the Rocker should have been: in fact, everything the Night Train should have been ... actually, judging by what Harley have managed to do with the Wide Glide, anyone for a 2011 Night Train? Pete has binned the silly mudguard and sillier seat, replacing them with a Rocket Bobs mini bolt-on fender, colour-matched to the original paint and fitted with his own mini indicators, and a hand-stitched leather seat; he’s triple coated the stock cast aluminium oil tank to build up the paint before machining the fins back and polishing them; he’s dropped the back end by an inch which works wonders for the line of the tank, and painted the swing-arm because it always should have been, and it looks stunning with those raked-out forks. Thankfully he has lost most of the textured black where it was in the wrong places, replacing it with a satin black that completely transforms the bike. Just about everything black has been powder-coated except the Big Radius exhausts, but including the barrels to create an older look, but then they are a powder-coating company too. A remarkably quick fix to a skin deep problem that made me mourn the passing of the Rocker, if only as a donor bike. Food for thought if you snapped up a plain Rocker at a bargain price.

www.rocketbobs.biz

www.victorymotorcycles.co.uk

American-V.co.uk

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American-V

QUICK SWITCH

Tired of reaching down to the steering head when you want to switch on your Street Bob? Or maybe just want to recreate a classic look – maybe switched from a Fat Boy and can’t spare the time for the factory-backed retraining programme? Help is here: everything you need to relocate your switch from Street Bob to Fat Boy – except the switch itself – so you can get back into the habit of switching off and walking away, trusting in the alarm’s proximity sensor to protect your bike while you’re queuing to pay for fuel. W&W 04-012 Ignition Switch relocation kit

www.wwag.com

ALUMINIUM NEW BDL BELT FOR FL GRILLS FOR VR-MODELS Baggers are the new Softail, or so it would seem: whether that’s because there’s much more custom stuff available for the big Tourers these days, or a sign we’re heading for Geezer Glide heaven. This is a prime example of the first case: it’s a semi-open 2-inch belt for popular FLHT models and comes in two forms – 1990-2006 and 2007-on – and is a complete kit which includes BDL’s ball-bearing lock-up clutch and a modified primary gearing to ‘improve overall RPM management’. All importantly, they allow replacement of the footboards without interference. Belt Drives Ltd: 001 714 685 3333 www.beltdrives.com

Twin City Motorcycles: 0191 430 0060

www.twincitymotorcycles.com

PAUGHCO PUMP PIPES We’re never short of news of pipes and these are Paughco’s latest in their designer series. I could wax on about performance and stuff, but let’s face it, you’ll either like them or you won’t. Heatshields are available and they come with or without O2 sensors for Softail and RSD bikes. Paughco: 001 775 246 5738

www.paughco.com

Original Bagger Style If you like you luggage old school, there’s not a lot that will suit you better than these ... except perhaps an original pair, saggy with age and beaten up by endless road miles. A reproduction of the bags fitted to Army WLA models, they mount via a permanently attached pin-strip, and will fit without modification to an original or replica rack dress in your browser and are made from heavy, top quality brown leather. Size: W: 36cm, H: 33cm, D: 13cm

W&W 95-028 Brown leather saddlebags for WL/WLA/WLC (oem 11786-43)

FRENCH

LESSONS*

Have you ever wanted to speak a different language? No, not French: Tech. Le Rock is offering a three hour evening, or an eight hour all-day course, where proprietor and factory-trained technician, Kev French, takes you through all aspects of the machine, introducing you to the world of mechanical understanding: everything you wanted to know about your Harley but were afraid to ask. The 3 hour course gives an invaluable insight into all aspects of your motorcycle, while the full day is much more in-depth looking much deeper to gain a proper understanding of how it all works, from servicing and customising to tuning. An excellent Christmas present, the three hours courses are held on a Tuesday evening and cost £60, while the full day course runs on a Monday. Places are strictly limited to 6 per session, so book early to avoid disappointment. For more information and a booking form please telephone 01623 632266 or email info@le-rock-ltd.co.uk

www.wwag.com

www.le-rock-ltd.co.uk

* Sorry Kev: it was just too easy

Protect your radiator/oil cooler from road debris. At £100 inc vat + next day delivery, a stylish and inexpensive way to ensure your V-Rod’s expensive radiator/ oil cooler doesn’t get damaged. They’re available in black or chrome, or flamed by special order, and come with full complete fitting instructions. Exclusively available from Twin City Motorcycles now.

88American-V.co.uk American-V.co.uk

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30/11/09 23:46:38

SLIP-SLIDIN’ AWAY If all the recent talk of racing Harley-Davidsons, and particularly hurtling sideways round dirt ovals at impossible speeds, has got you hungry to know more, you might be interested in a very specialist magazine. Sideburn is a high quality, A5 magazine, containing gratuitous images of people in the throes of passion ... racing, that is. It has more than its share of XR750s but it’s broader than that, mixing classic and current, racing and the subculture it has spawned. It might even be ‘down with the kids’, if I knew what that meant: I hope so, because we need new blood and flat-track / short track / speedway – and, hell, even just fun on simple motorcycles might just be the way to make bikes cool again to the X-Box generation. Available direct or through the Magazine Man (www.themagazineman.co.uk). www.sideburnmagazine.com

Pintail Seat for Late Dynas

Rocket Bobs Pintail Seat Unit is a radical new design made from glass fibre over a steel skeleton, that takes its inspiration from a mix of surfing culture and the old school Bobber look. It is available with a matt or gloss black paint finish and comes with a handstitched leather seat pad, complete with gel inserts for extra comfort. To fit the seat, the original Dyna rear fender struts need to be removed behind the top shock mount – which they can do for you or detailed instructions can be provided after which it’s a simple procedure to bolt on the Pintail seat unit. Optional extra’s include rear hugger fenders, Kellermann stop/tail/turn lights and their own special edition baseball stitched leather seats (as shown). www.rocketbobs.biz

NEW UNIVERSAL LOW TUNNEL TANKS

Paughco’s latest, custom fuel tanks are perfect for a wide variety of machines from choppers to open-road cruisers. With three sizes – 3.4, 3.8 and 4.8 US Gallon – they’re a sleek teardrop shape designed for use on stretched toptubes. Each tank has the stock screw-in filler and vent, and a standard 22mm petcock fitting for use with left-side mounted fuel taps. The tunnel depth is just 3.5-inches, and they measure 21-inches, mount to mount, for the smaller one, and 22inches for the two bigger models: all of which have a MSRP of $314.95. Paughco: 001 775 246 5738 www.paughco.com

FASTRATCH WRENCHES These are either barking mad or genius and I’m erring towards the latter purely because of their source: Germany, where they take their engineering seriously. Their only limitation would seem to be space for the fully enclosing head. It’s basically a spring-loaded ratchet where turning one way locks the jaws onto a bolt head and then turning it back releases it, spring-loaded on its internal ratchet, and thenyou can tighten again: a quick way to release a long, tight bolt, and we’ve all had them. If you want to refasten said bolt, flip the tool over and the ratchet works the other way: simple. Because it isn’t a perfect mechanical fit, each wrench fits one metric size and its nearest equivalent imperial, and they are long – presumably because of the need for strength in the tool – from a 12cm long 5 ⁄16-inch / 8mm, working up to a 24cm ¾-inch / 19mm. We’ve no pricing information, or first hand knowledge of the Stahlwille brand, but can tell you they are only available individually, which suggests expensive, but high quality. in. mm ⁄16 8 W&W 97-616 3⁄ 8 10 W&W 97-617 7⁄ 16 11 W&W 97-618 15 ⁄ 32 12 W&W 97-619 1⁄ 2 13 W&W 97-634 5

in. mm ⁄16 14 5 ⁄ 16 8 21 ⁄ 17 32 11 ⁄ 18 16 3 ⁄ 19 4 9

W&W 97-635 W&W 97-636 W&W 97-637 W&W 97-638 W&W 97-639

www.wwag.com

Bikers’ group applauds B’ham bus lane decision The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) applauded the decision by Birmingham City Council to open its bus lanes to motorcycles, after completing a test that allowed motorcycles to use them, which confirmed the experience of other towns and cities, that it was beneficial to motorcyclists, with no disadvantages to other road users. It’s a policy that allows motorcyclists to see and be seen in congested traffic. MAG in Birmingham and nation-wide has been campaigning on this issue for years, first winning access to bus lanes throughout Bristol in 1996, and London opened all of its major route bus lanes to motorcycles recently. MAG President Ian Mutch said ‘There seems to be an outbreak of sanity among local authorities all over the country, this is great news and shows how MAG’s campaigning is helping to produce real results for riders.

www.mag-uk.org American-V.co.uk

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American-V American-V

ZODIAC BEACH CRUISER

Every year Zodiac try to build at least one demo-bike to show what can be done with their parts, and this year that demo-bike is the Beach Cruiser. How does it work, look and perform and is everything working the way it should be? A low-seat chopper running a still-tight 1700cc S&S motor, Big Twin Magazine’s chopper specialist, Grizzley, got to sample its delights first hand as part roadtest, part shake-down run. Grizzley reports that it rides very well for a low seat bike, which can be an uncompromising ride, especially with an ‘old and retired back’ sitting low with arms and legs stretched out ahead of you, and it’s something that even hi-tech suspension struggles to help with, but he reckons the frame builders did a good job with the Beach Cruiser, especially in terms of dealing with the complications of relocating the oil and battery – and after a 400km day through Dutch drizzle, that’s the time you’re going to notice. He reports no stiff limbs or a sore back, and thoroughly enjoyed himself squeezed in between the tank and rear mudguard - especially with that amount of power on-tap. The steering geometry – with an extra three degrees of rake in the yokes to provide the perfect trail – was set up well for all road conditions, which included some narrow winding roads, and even the 300-section rear tyre failed to unsettle things. He reports that the low mileage engine was a little lumpy at low speeds in traffic, but once on the highway it settled into its stride nicely,

and was particularly happy in the 100130km/h bracket with plenty of roll-on power to catapult it forward at will, and thankfully a triple disk set up could pull it up sharp without drama. Despite the weather, he stayed relatively dry, thanks in part to the classy-looking West-Coast-style wrap-round front mudguard, sitting close to the 21-inch tyre, that contributed to the classic, clean lines of the bike, and he liked the look – and the sound – of the slightly upswept pipes which he reckoned provided the Cruiser with a racy sportbike look. He also appreciated the Fat Bubba front end and the nicely curved fuel tank with its fancy paint. The only niggles were a speedo that tried to escape from its bracket on the

pullback handlebars, and a side-mount that was designed to fold out of the way in the event of an impact, but which struggled to hold its own against the wind ... but which meant he wouldn’t have been getting a speeding ticket that day. www.zodiac.nl

American-V.co.uk

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8 BAKER STREET BIRMINGHAM B11 4SF TELEPHONE 0121 766 8111

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WHERE YOUR DREAMS TURN TO REALITY WHERE FRIENDSHIPS ARE FORGED ON THE ROAD WHERE YOUR BIKE IS AS PRECIOUS TO US AS IT IS TO YOU WHERE EXPERIENCE REALLY DOES COUNT WE ARE THUNDER ROAD

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Reviews S&S Cycle Presents:

Today’s Top Custom Bike Builders

Howard Kelly Photographs by Michael Lichter ISBN 978-0-7603-3603-8 RRP £24.00 http://www.motorbooks.com Those who have been living in a cave for the last few years might not have noticed that S&S Cycle – the premier aftermarket specialists in the HarleyDavidson sector – celebrated 50 years of Proven Performance in 2008, and that as part of their anniversary party they invited the world’s top 50 builders to build a bike based round one of their motors, in a special limited edition form. With a foreword by none other than Jay Leno, and preceded by a brief history of S&S, this is the record of those bikes and, as suggested by the title, their builders. Former S&S PR man and journalist, Howard Kelly, provides a brief background to each build and builder, teaming up with world-renowned photographer, Michael Lichter who provides his usual stunning images – including a formally-posed portrait of the builders with their bikes. This is a stunning book to grace any coffee table, with the photographs reproduced flawlessly on a very high grade of gloss art paper within a robust, embossed binding. Every shot is a calendar shot, each painstakingly picked out from its original studio background to show these masterpieces in glorious isolation, and if you don’t come away with a desire to build something yourself, and a massive amount of respect for those who have put these together, you’re probably reading the wrong magazine. Don’t expect to like every bike: these are fifty of the world’s most creative engineers, and they have very different, original ideas, each triggering a reaction, challenging your sensibilities. A moment superbly captured in time, that will be as interesting when S&S celebrate their 100th as today. American-V deal: £22.00 inc P&P Contact GBS on 01206 255777 and quote “S&S Presents”

Custom Motorcycles Choppers • Bobbers • Baggers

Howard Kelly Photographs by Michael Lichter ISBN 978-0-7603-3607-6 £14.99 http://www.motorbooks.com An “Idea Book” and sister publication to “Today’s Top Custom Builders”, Howard Kelly sifts through the detail pics of Michael Lichters image library from the S&S 50th Anniversary bikes and beyond, breaking down the elements of high-end custom bikes to their basic components so that interested readers can see what’s what, and feed their creative senses. Pick a subject – say wheels – and there’s a chapter that picks out just about every type

of wheel, in glorious isolation without the rest of the bike to distract you. Now that could be dangerous, if it weren’t for the side-on library shots at the front of the book under “Bike Styles” which show most of the complete bikes so that you can cross-reference each component to its original application, because every bike is more than just the sum of its parts and how those parts work together is the biggest factor in the master builder’s art. They missed a trick in not crossreferencing each detail shot by a common ID number to the full image (ie all images marked 32 link to the bike numbered 32 at the front of the book), but once you’ve familiarised yourself with the bikes, you’ll pick that up anyway. Indeed, it’s a quick and easy way to learn who’s building what, and by the time you get to the end, you should be able to recognise the bike and the builder by its style alone without referring to the lighthearted captions.

American-V.co.uk

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If you’re easily irritated and you know your stuff, give the captions a miss: they’re often more for entertainment than edification, with a little bit of steering here and there, but it’s not hard to pick holes which detracts from the value of the book, and could turn you into a plausible facsimile of your great aunt shouting at the TV when the Saturday wrestling was on ... well, mine did. For someone interested in building their own bike, or even modifying an existing bike, this is an invaluable reference and saves hours of trawling through back issue looking for that elusive front end that was fitted to that blue XL photographed outside a cement factory ... but never was. I would have liked a little more technical information – relative weights of wheel designs, as an example, and the implications of some of the choices on offer – but this is more a visual examination, which it carries off nicely. American-V deal: £12.99 inc P&P Contact GBS on 01206 255777 and quote “Custom Motorcycles”

Harley-Davidson Panhead Restoration

Wolfgang Publishing Motorcycle Restoration

Rick Shunk and C Hannaway ISBN 978-1-929133-81-9 £16.99 http://www.wolfpub.com The joy of getting a book like this, is it gives me a good excuse to go out, buy a Panhead and restore it ... except, of course, it doesn’t work like that. What it does do, though, is to provide loads of reference material, and masses of stripped engine/gearbox/chassis photographs, taken mainly by the author, which ensures that each picture illustrates the point as needed. There’s plenty of other useful stuff, like the special tools that

make life easier and how to fabricate said tools if you haven’t got them to hand, as well as simple checks for frame alignment, spotting component wear, and lots and lots of measuring, which can be reconciled to Appendix A, where all the important information has been picked out for quick reference. That’s obviously all well and good if you’ve got a genuine Panhead – which is going to limit its market somewhat over here – but it does have an appeal to general classic petrol heads in that you can read it as a book in its own right and get some insight into how Harley engines are put together. Some sections will have direct relevance to Shovelhead and Evo owners, but even those running Twin Cams will get something out of it: much of the technology might have moved on, but the concepts are the same and are at the heart of understanding your bike. The biggest reassurance in terms of American-V’s riding ethos, is that this is not about how to do a concours restoration but a sympathetic one, and there is an underlying sense that the restored bike will be ridden rather than tucked away for posterity. Consequently it concentrates more on measuring for tolerance rather than getting bogged down in a frenzy of rivet-counting, and in doing so it outlines the mechanical evolution (sic) of the model that spanned Harley’s progress from the last year of the Springer forks, through Hydra Glide, into Duo Glides and into the first year of the Electra Glide. An interesting book with a broader appeal than its title suggests. American-V deal: £14.99 inc P&P Contact GBS on 01206 255777 and quote “Panhead”

American-V.co.uk

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American-V American-V

Reviews Weise Cowboy Boot £89.99

weise-clothing.co.uk

If you are commuting this winter by bike, then you will know just how important it is to have the right kit to keep you warm and dry. I had been wearing a very well known brand of bike boot which I’d smothered in dubbin for that added waterproofing, and yet time and time again they let me down in even the mildest of showers, and so the hunt for a winter-time-commuting solution began. I wanted style, comfort, dryness and warmth but could I get a pair of boots to meets all my requirements in one? A casual enquiry led to the discovery that Weise do a pair of Harness boots that have a cruiser-friendly styling and are waterproof, thanks to their use of Hydroguard® waterproof and breathable lining. And of course, it hasn’t rained since they arrived! I did test them under the shower-head for quite a while though, making sure that plenty of water went into the stitched leather seams which would be the obvious weak spot, and my feet stayed perfectly dry, which is promising. It also showed how well the water repellent coating worked, the boots not even looking wet, even after a prolonged soaking. Water is only half the battle though, and warmth is essential to your comfort during winter and I have found these boots have kept my wee tootsies warm so far, thanks to the waterproof/breathable lining aided by a pair of Oxford’s excellent thermal socks.

Leanings

The best of Peter Egan from Cycle World Magazine Peter Egan ISBN 978-0-7603-3657-1 £12.99 An entry from left field, because it’s far from being a book extolling the virtues of American motorcycles, but is a compendium of assorted ramblings from the pen of an established columnist on Cycle World magazine, and for the sheer joy of Anglophile, Peter Egan’s passion for motorcycling, it’s well worth a punt. Through a series of features and columns, you grow to feel you know the author by mid-way through the book, thanks partly to a simple writing style that lacks for nothing in its ability to describe a situation, location or time, but also for the breadth of his experience. It doesn’t matter whether he’s recounting his youth, reliving his pilgrimage to the Isle of Man TT Races, justifying keeping his old helmets, or getting excited about one of the many motorcycles that are special to him, he writes in an easy style with an obvious love of language, without being too showy about it, which makes for very easy reading, and the inevitable Americanisms forgivable. It’s a book that invites you to dip in at random,

They are a bit slack, which is due to the styling of the boot, but this does allow for thick socks to be worn: a buckle across the front would have been nice for a more secure fit but that would have started looking like an engineer boot. The Western origin comes through in the rest of the design, with a reinforced toe and heel – which is great – but lighter leather on the rest of the foot which I could feel the gear change on the Buell through, but that’s the styling compromise. There’s no such compromise on the sole, which is robust with a good, confident grip, and they’re very comfortable to walk in too! And the styling for me is spot-on, making for a very handsome looking boot, and not one you’d normally associate with waterproofing: I’m almost looking forward to doing more tests in real rain – what am I saying? – and will report on that in the next issue of the magazine in a broader four-season clothing feature. This style of boot isn’t the sort of thing that can carry a brand name comfortably without detracting from the look, but Weise have stamped their name so subtly that you wouldn’t know it was there unless you looked for it, which I really liked. In the brief time that I’ve had these boots I have become extremely fond of them and am very hopeful at this early stage that I will only look cool this winter: I will actually be snug and dry. And all this for just £89.99! Amanda

picking out a short story or a shorter column according to time available, and one of them will strike chord that will ensure you finish the book. For me it was a search for a lost highway, Route 66, now almost entirely replaced by a series of Interstates, but which have left large stretches of America’s most famous road intact – often following the natural contours of the land – while the modern blacktop soars overhead taking the short-cut, leaving the ghosts of towns and communities to their bypassed tranquillity. Now there’s a road trip: motoring west, dodging wildlife that has grown accustomed to the lack of traffic, and trees that have grown up in the gaps between the sectional concrete that comprised much of the old road. But that’s one of many engaging tales Highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in motorcycling of any kind. American-V deal: £10.00 inc P&P Contact GBS on 01206 255777 and quote “Leanings”

American-V.co.uk

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2010 FXDW DYNA WIDE GLIDE

REINVENTING THE PAST NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD 16

American-V.co.uk

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Harley-Davidson 2010:FXDWG FXDWGDyna DynaWide Wide Glide Glide Harley-Davidson 2010:

DWG

Just twelve months since it was dropped from the model range, the FXDWG returns with a new style. American-V.co.uk

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2010 FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE ULTRA LIMITED A CVO ON THE CHEAP OR A SUBTLE SPECIAL?

American-V.co.uk

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Harley-Davidson 2010: FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra Limited

Ultra Limited perhaps isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the best choice of names for this most flexible of Electra Glides. Ultra? Certainly. Limited? Hardly!

American-V.co.uk

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Warr's Ad_American V_Dec09/Jan10_Warr's Ad_American V_Dec09/Jan10 23/11/2009 16:42 Page 1

Warr’s Silver ‘Tracker’ – Customised Harley-Davidson Street Bob

Europe’s most successful Harley-Davidson Dealership www.warrs.com

+44 (0)20 7736 2934

American-V.co.uk

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Harley-Davidson 2010: FLSTFB Fat Boy Special

2010 FLSTF

FAT BOY SPECIAL WHO SAYS THAT BLACK IS A SLIMMING COLOUR?

Denim black and satin chrome mark this Fat Boy out as Special, but the Motor Company stopped short of making it Low. American-V.co.uk

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American-V.co.uk

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2010 30/11/09 22:37:15

Harley-Davidson 2010: XR1200X

FINE-TUNING THE XR1200 Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already on the record as big fans of the XR1200, both as a means of bringing new blood into the Harley family and as an excellent modern American motorcycle, so we were interested to see how The Motor Company have improved it for 2010.

0 XR1200X American-V.co.uk

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8 Tritton Road, Lincoln LN6 7QY Tel: 01522 850098 Fax: 01522 850088 www.lincolnharleydavidson.co.uk

Newcastle Harley-Davidson

3 Dinsdale Place, Warwick Street, Sandyford, Newcastle NE2 1BD Tel: 0191 2327174 www.newcastleharley-davidson.com

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Corner House Garage, Whitecross, Wootton, Oxfordshire OX13 6BS Tel: 01865 735121 www.bladegroup.co.uk

West Strand Park, Strand Road, Preston,Lancashire PR1 8UY. Tel: 01772 551800 www.harleydavidson-preston.com

Silverstone Harley-Davidson

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170 Watling Street East, Towcester,Northamptonshire NN12 6DB Tel: 01327 353444 www.silverstoneharley-davidson.co.uk

Waterlinks Motor Village, Lichﬁeld Road Aston, Birmingham Tel: 0121 335 70 43 www.stratstone.com/harley-davidson-bikes.html

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30/11/09 15:40:49

KRAUS/DYN HYBRID

Satya Kraus has very strong thoughts about Harley’s idea of motorcycle styling, basically, he sums it up in one word, and it’s not a complimentary one! 32 American-V.co.uk

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Street: Satya Kraus’ Hydrid Dyna

NA He is happy to rant on further, should you press him on the subject, he will probably start by telling you something like, how the Milwaukee engineers and designers just keep piling on the junk until the bike needs a larger engine just to get it moving ... but he has ideas about this too, thinking it is maybe Harley’s strategy to sell more engine upgrade parts. He concludes that perhaps he is not the greatest business man, but hand on heart, he can honestly say that all of his own custom motorcycles look good and go damn fast too.

I was therefore surprised to learn that Satya now believes that not everything is bad about all current model stock Harleys, and that he could – and indeed has – used one for the basis of a hybrid custom/stock project. He told me, for example, that the frame and swingarm setup of the FXD make for a solid chassis that handles the road nicely. Wow! Praise indeed from the man who had told me in the past that if it isn’t a completely one off, unique hand-made custom, he’s not interested! That’s paraphrasing what he actually said, but I’m sure you get the drift.

American-V.co.uk

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www.on-bike.com p41_avdec09.indd 1

30/11/09 09:40:25

RIDE TO THE “TO REMEMBER THOSE THAT CAN NO LONGER RIDE BY OUR SIDE”

Some things are more important than straightforward brand-loyalty, and while the Ride to the Wall was founded by Martin Dickinson, a director of Nene Valley HOG, RTTW opened up to the wider biking community for 2009, to remember the fallen ... and they came.

American-V.co.uk

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Event: Ride to the Wall 2009

WALL

American-V.co.uk

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Event: Ride to the Wall 2009

I’m going to keep this short out of respect: think of it as a minute’s silence. For full details of the event, and committee see www.RTTW.org Pictures: Amanda Wright

American-V.co.uk

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Classic/Custom: Knuckle Duster

KNUCKLE DUSTER It’s one thing to note that Shovels, and increasingly Panheads outnumber Evos in these pages, giving us chance to remark on the absence of The Motor Company’s most important engine of the modern age ... but we’re overrun by Knuckles too! What’s going on?

It seems odd that the engine that re-established Harley-Davidson at the time of the buyback, the launch of the Softail frame and just in time to inspire a new generation of riders ready to invest their mid-life crisis bucks into an iconic brand, has gone to ground, and I’ve seen more Panheads than genuine Evolutions in the last few years. The only thing that was less visible was always that rarest of big twins: the Knucklehead. Another landmark engine, the Knuck introduced OHV technology, a recirculating oil system and it has been the basis of every Harley-Davidson big twin built since 1936, until its single-cam design was finally revised to create the Twin Cam in 1999/2000. Their rarity is rather more understandable though: there weren’t that many Knuckleheads built in the eleven years between 1936 and 1947, remembering that for four of those years production was focussed on churning out army 45s. In fact it’s reckoned there were fewer than 41,000, which will have been less than the annual production of Evos for each of their sixteen years between 1984 and 2000. Fewer still, as a percentage, will have crossed the Atlantic to these shores where they would have been serious exotica, so I’ve no idea where they’re coming from, but who’s complaining? This particular one is perhaps the best known Knuck Custom in the UK, having been built nearly ten years ago and shown frequently since, but its familiarity is no reason to let it slip through the net, because it’s a damn good-looking bike.

American-V.co.uk

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Quick Spin: Zero Engineering Samurai Chopper Type 5

SAMURAI TYPE 5

Japanese factory chopper, anyone? No, not the Honda Fury: someone else got there before the industrial giant, albeit on a different scale ... 50

American-V.co.uk

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Quick Spin: Zero Engineering Samurai Chopper Type Xl1200C Vs Dyna Low Rider

American-V.co.uk

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30/11/09 22:27:51

Classic/Custom: Knuckle Duster

American-V.co.uk

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American-V.co.uk

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Classic/Custom: Rebeccaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Servicar

SERVICAR

WITH A SMILE For a great many people, owning a Harley-Davidson is more than just a dream, and for those people itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just any Harley-Davidson that is the object of their aspiration but a specific model.

American-V.co.uk

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STURGIS 09 PART 2

We left Steve last issue in Sturgis, after the Legends Ride heading for a party ... tell you what, dig out the issue and recap it yourself: this is sounding too much like a reality TV show continuity announcement for my liking! AMD Winner: Cook Customs’ “Rambler” Photo: Horst Rosler

AMD 2nd place: Kris Krome Customs “Re-flex-tion” Photo: Horst Rosler

AMD 3rd place: Krugger Speedshop Photo: Horst Rosler

I’m not entirely sure when, but I know I visited the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building. This four day event drew eightythree top custom bikes from around the world, and this year’s stunners included a fresh bike from Krugger Motorcycles called Overmile, a 103-inch raceinspired ride that was a hybrid of ideas that encompassed a mix of Ducati and H-D XR750 styling. Other bikes that caught my attention included Satya Kraus’ radical Shovelhead called ‘Snatch,’ and Roth Engineering’s Indian XXL. I guess some of the judges agreed with me, as Satya’s ‘Snatch’ took fifth place and

Photo: Frank Sander

the Krugger entry placed third. Fourth place was awarded to SE Services’ ‘Harrier’, second place went to Kris Krome Customs Inc, and top honours went to Dave Cook, for the winning bike, built around a 550cc International engine: the first American to win the AMD since the show’s inception in 2004. But an International engine? A very clever piece of engineering putting a CB550 top end onto new cases and an in-line transmission. A thunderstorm blows in out of nowhere, one minute it’s blue sky and sunshine; the next, it’s all flashes, and deep booms that are loud enough to drown out tens of thousands of Harleys. For a while the heavy rain shakes-up the little farming town: bikers run for cover, the outdoor vendors hang onto their tents, and the already jam-packed bars try to make room for yet more, but just as quickly as it arrives the storm passes over. Suddenly there isn’t a hint of humidity in the air, the storm has refreshed and renewed, the clean smell of the pine on the breeze has me craving the open road once more. AMD 5th place: Kraus Motor Co “Snatch” Photo: Frank Sander

AMD 4th place: SE Service “Harrier” Photo: Horst Rosler

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Event: Sturgis ’09 Part 2

Before the rally’s end, we were treated to more thunderstorms, tennis ball size hail, and more rain than I’ve ever experienced in the Black Hills, but it is just part of the experience of the great outdoors! Later in the week I take a ride to see Jerry and Kathleen Covington at their booth, which is set up at the massive Harley dealership in Rapid City. As soon as I pull into the parking lot I can understand why they have chosen this location to show off their beautiful but extremely expensive, hand-crafted choppers. It seems that everyone is carrying a black plastic carrier bag emblazoned with an orange bar and shield. All these boutique style bags suddenly remind me of Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and a world gone mad. The dealership is doing land-rush business: so much for the credit crunch! I have a problem with mass consumerism at the best of times, but it baffles me that bikers could fall for such tactics: why would anyone want a Harley-Davidson toilet cover, bar stool, or a T-shirt design that will be worn by hundreds of thousands of others? While I’m in Rapid, I call into the civic centre to get a first glimpse of the 2010 Harley line up. Harley-Davidson have laid off 1,400 staff this year and plan to dump a further 1,000 positions in the next few weeks as they reel from a 35% revenue drop, so I’m not surprised to find that they have scaled back their display at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Centre. They have moved their whole operation outdoors into tents, which I see as a good thing as it makes their dog and pony show feel more

like it is a part of the rally. I discover there are nine new models for 2010, and some are rather nice, I particularly like the 6speed, blacked-out American market Fat Boy Lo and the V-Rod Night Rod Special still looks good. The days are flying past way, way too fast. It’s Wednesday already and time to head off to Wyoming: it is time for Hulett’s ‘No Panties’ day. You have to make the seventymile ride early: arrive any later than 9am and you can spend hours trying to get a parking spot. That is no problem for me as I like to get up early, plus the ride is pretty spectacular so I’m as keen as mustard to be off, and I know that after a day of partying in the street with at least 100,000 other bikers and many of Hulett’s 408 residents I will be having my most peaceful night’s sleep of the rally. I’ve used the tiny, off the beaten track, back to nature, Cook Lake Campground about a dozen times over the years; there are less than forty pitches, half scattered around the lake, the remainder deep in the woods. It costs peanuts to camp ($6), and after a week of madcap antics in Sturgis I’m ready to recharge my batteries. It’s twelve miles off the blacktop, but the gravel road is well maintained. That night I barbecue the buffalo steak I bought in Hulett’s single convenience store – opened in 1903 – drink a few warm beers among the Douglas firs and the pines before falling into a deep sleep, and you know what? I couldn’t be happier. Hulett is set right upon the Belle Fourche River, near the red-rimmed

rocks of Bear Lodge Mountains, and is located on highway 24, nine miles north of Devils Tower. Their one-day event has actually got two names: the town prefers it to be known as Ham N’ Jam rather than No Panties Day. The little town with three motels, two restaurants and two bars gets totally overrun, but the cops are laid-back, it is legal to drink in the

American-V.co.uk

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XR1200s ARE GO! It comes as something as of a culture shock to us Brits, because we don’t associate Harley-Davidson with sport. Well, there’s drag racing, obviously, but that’s about where it begins and ends in our experience. Not so in America, where orange liveried bikes have been thrilling the crowds for generations, typically in Flat Track series, where the XR750 still reigns supreme. The factory run a team and actively support three other dealer-owned teams who continue to enjoy great success in the AMA Grand National Twins Series under the collective banner of the Wrecking Crew – a reference to pioneering racers who dominated flat-track racing on HarleyDavidsons back when God’s dog was a puppy. Cynics will argue that Harleys win because they mainly race against other Harleys, but the Brits and the Japanese have ranged an array of bikes against them over the decades, and they’ve just not been able to compete – and it’s not gentle racing: 130mph sideways round a dirt oval with no brakes. Harley used to race XRs and its predecessor, the side-valve KR, in road racing competitions too, but withdrew in 1973 due to financial difficulties, but not before Harley’s finest hour on this side of the Atlantic in 1972 when factory rider, Cal Rayborn, won three of the six Transatlantic Match Races in the UK that pitched the best American riders against the best of the Brits, on tracks he’d never seen before. Ironically he wasn’t on the new alloyengined XR750 factory bike, because Harley hadn’t sanctioned him racing in the series, arriving with the much maligned Ironhead and his tuner, Walt Faulk. Reader and fellow Thundersprint competitor, Frank Jones, told me of an encounter with Rayborn as a young privateer racing Ducati singles, riding round Oulton Park in a practice session. Oulton was Frank’s home circuit, and he’d heard that there was a hot shot American on-site – and he was already a legend having won the Daytona 200 in 1968 and 1969, lapping the whole field to take that first victory on a side-valve KR – but he doubted that he’d see him: it was drizzling and everyone knew the Americans didn’t like racing in the rain ... and then in an explosion of orange noise, Rayborn passed him on the inside round a bend – apparently on his first lap of the circuit – and disappeared leaving an indelible impression in his memory, and ultimately a heavily reworked 883R in his garage. The UK saw a very different side to HarleyDavidson in the spring of 1972, and it must surely be in the minds of Harley-Davidson UK to try and recapture some of that glory.

American-V.co.uk

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Sport: Blade Group’s XR1200 Trophy Racer

We’re just a matter of months from the flag dropping at the first competitive race in the XR1200 Trophy race, if all goes to plan, with Harley-Davidsons hurtling round Britain’s race tracks at British Superbike meetings in their own one-make series.

So why start roundy-roundy racing again now? It’s simple really: they’ve got a bike that is worth pushing into this sector, and a massive percentage of British motorcyclists are still very much in love with motorcycle racing. If the XR1200 Trophy puts Harley-Davidson in front of a crowd who are falling out of love with the ergonomics of extreme sportbikes, that can only be a good thing ... ideally before they all go out and buy a BMW GS, as the only other route proffered that has some kudos, courtesy of Charlie and Ewan and many hours of the sort of TV promotion that money just can’t buy.

And quite apart from that, there are a few people in the Harley network who really – and I mean really – want to race. One such is Gavin Cupit at Oxford Harley-Davidson, who has coerced his bosses into putting a bike up between the Blade Group’s two Harley dealerships, and is on the verge of realising a lifelong ambition. Not as a rider – they’ve lined up Darren Neal who has competed at a number of levels over the last nine years – but as a race mechanic / manager, with his colleague, Chris Archer. It helps, of course, that the Blade Group have a racing history with Darren Neal.

American-V.co.uk

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American-V.co.uk

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Classic/Custom: Bob’s ’55 Panhead Stroker

BOB’S CHOP 93-INCHES OF PANHEAD POWER

The most exciting thing about a typical Harley-Davidson custom motorcycle is that it is anything but typical. Take Bob Gribbon’s Panhead, for example: at first sight a typical high-neck Seventiesstyle chop, except it isn’t. And as is the way with these things, the more you look, the more you see.

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NEC

’09

Despite being shunned by Harley-Davidson and Honda ... there was enough to keep me occupied at the NEC for the whole of press day, when I should really have been finishing off the magazine ... but I couldn’t miss Victory’s 2010 press launch.

American-V.co.uk

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30/11/09 23:24:33

News: Carole Nash Motorcycle Show, NEC 2009

It was my reason for going and unfortunately they couldn’t get a morning slot, but it was worth the wait. If you haven’t been keeping up, Victory are launching into Europe properly this year with full EUWVTA, enabling them to sell in all EU countries ... or at least the Vegas platform machines have: the Vision will follow close behind. The upshot of this is rather than homologating the 100/5 and the 100/6 and the 106/6 Freedom engines, Victory have standardised using their most powerful, offering, the 106/6, motor across the range – even in the entry level Vegas, which starts the 8-Ball rolling at a ridiculously low £8,995. That makes it the bargain of the American motorcycle world right now, and in black-on-black, it’s also one of the best looking bikes in this market, and well-placed to capitalise on the loss of Harley’s Night Train in 2010. It also now gets the standard Victory headlamp, common to the rest of the street range in place of the cheap-looking round unit that didn’t do last year’s model any favours, and comes in black with black highlights rather than the flash of chrome or colour-matched treatment of other models, but it looks good for it. Victory are playing the long game, and while the company won’t get rich on sales of the entry-level 8-Ball, it will bring a lot of people into Victory ownership, and part of Polaris Britain’s boss, Ross Clifford’s briefing was in establishing the Victory’s parent company’s financial strength. The Vegas is joined by a more complete family of 8-Balls this year, which still includes the Kingpin which is now £1,500 more than the Vegas, but still £1,500 cheaper than its dressed-up sibling. The custom/performance sector isn’t forgotten with an 8-Ball Hammer, which loses a front disc and its tacho but gains a whole new attitude in head-to-toe black, but that’s nothing compared to the effect of the 8-Ball treatment on the Vision. Touring model of the year for both 2008 and 2009 in its normal guise, which now gets ABS as standard for its linked brakes, the Starship Enterprise’s earthbound cousin looks completely different without its aluminium panel details, and turns into a horny, ornery, bad-ass Limo. Stripped of a lot of its electrical goodies – all of which can be retrofitted – the ridiculously low and very supportive seat, full-length floorboards and sweeping lines make for an extraordinary motorcycle that is in severe danger of redefining custom baggers. The rest of Victory’s fleet has been given a new confidence too, from the two-tone monochromatic Hammer-S in a finish that they call Suede – matt to you and me, or Denim to HarleyDavidson – the

blue ice flames of the regular Hammer, and a more sane approach to the paint of the flagship Jackpot, tied in to a black frame, opening the door to easier opportunities for further modification. There are subtle changes, too, and I was astounded by just how much difference the odd pinstripe detail makes to a familiar form, accenting, lifting and reinforcing a line here and there, to give a simple face-lift. But the big news – yes, I’m surprised it got this far to get to it too – was much more than a face-lift when the sheets came off the Cross-series models: the Cross Roads and the Cross Country. We’ve seen photos, but someone had been on a Photoshop course and they were heavily stylised, which usually makes me suspicious: why did they need to attract attention? Because there was something to hide? No, because someone was being artistic. If any bike exceeded the high expectations of it, it was this ... were these. It’s impossible to quickly run through their detail without referencing the models of another manufacturer, so I’m not going to try. Victory have introduced rivals for Harley’s Road King and the Street Glide models, and they’ve got it right. Good-looking bikes with comfortable seats, big panniers, full length floorboards, clear instrumentation and a big enough difference between the two models to justify there being two. The Cross-Roads’ plain windshield and simple speedo with its embedded warning lights, contrasts with the Cross Country’s streamlined modern interpretation of a batwing fairing and the instruments from the Vision, but they both stand out, and the bags are the icing on the cake. Cavernous, they hinge outward, are waterproof and quickly detachable – though more for servicing and cleaning than because the bike will look good without them. And there’s a cherry on that icing. Since the LED tail-light of the first Vegas, Victory have been ahead of the game in terms of lighting, and the Cross-series takes that to new heights: stunning! All we’ve got to do now is wait for its official launch in Summer 2010, when it will have full EU type approval. Yes, I know that the Vision will be available with SVA until its paperwork is complete, and so do Victory. They really would rather you got a homologated bike, but they’d prefer to supply an SVA’d early arrival through their dealer network than support a privately imported example. It was almost enough to eclipse the first UK public unveiling of the Core concept bike that was the source of much technology in the Cross-series, but it never hurts to see what lengths a company goes to in pushing boundaries, and so radical a concept from a major manufacturer is very promising for the future: a possible hint at a production custom model? Would be interesting. You could be forgiven for thinking that nothing else went on, and with the absence of anything representing Harley-Davidson’s current output,

American-V.co.uk

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BOLT-ON EURO BOB CATALOGUE SHOPPING FXDB-STYLE The ultimate bolt-on Street Bob, Custom Chrome Europe had a good long trawl through their goodies bags to see how they could best dress-up Harleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bargain Dyna.

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Street: Bolt-On Street Bob

What they arrived at wasn’t so much a development of the Bobber, but capitalised on the FXDB as the entry-level big twin: what we used to call a blank canvas back when we had the Softail Standard and the FXD Super Glide to play with. And if you think about it, that’s pretty much what the Street Bob is, with the added benefit of being a good looking bike in its own right, which sometimes worked against the excellent but featureless Plain-Jane Super Glides. As a blank canvas, it is a potential clotheshorse for all the aftermarket bits and pieces that have been made for Dynas since 1991, but it’s massively important to recognise two things. Firstly, all Harleys evolve at a quicker pace than their model designations would suggest, and while the Street Bob arrived with the current generation EFI and the Mk2 Dyna frame, there are a lot of Dyna parts that won’t fit on it: anything pre-2006 should be cross-referenced and double-checked. Seats, tanks and mudguards were modified for the new chassis, and the pre-’06 models used normal Sportster-style forks rather than the current V-Rod derived items. Talk to your dealer and note the models that parts are designed to fit, and if the part that you really want isn’t compatible, it doesn’t mean that it won’t, just that you’ll have to make it fit – which will usually invalidate any warranty claims. Secondly, there isn’t a competition to see who can replace the most standard parts with aftermarket accessories: that way leads to accusations of riding a tart’s handbag, and with some justification. Less is frequently more, and that is certainly the case when it comes to mixing styles: just because the professional builders on the telly have managed to make an art deco detail look stunning on a billet barge, doesn’t means mere mortals can. And the same is true of metals: chrome, stainless and aluminium are all silver metals, but they’re different shades of silver. With such cautionary notes in your head, the world’s your lobster. It’s your bike, your tastes and your money and the only thing you need to lose any sleep over is future resale value, but that’s some way in the future. You almost certainly won’t get what you put into it back unless you’ve got exquisite taste, because the next owner will probably ebay all the stuff you put on, and replace it with their own. Taste is a funny thing, but remember the old adage: halitosis is better than no breath at all. If it’s bolt-on, it’s also bolt-off: keep the original bits you took off and save them for when you sell the bike, and you’ll be part way to dressing your new ride, or creating your own ebay shop. Custom Chrome have pulled off that rare trick of loading a basic bike with a van full of bling and created a bike that looks right ... but then it will have been Thomas and Gunnar stamping their national identity on the bike, and the result is a clean, efficient custom, but one that thankfully has an American heart beating at its centre ... and one with a RevTech DSO chatting to the ECU, liberating a few extra horses. You want a list of everything that has been bolted on? Seriously? Tough. All you need is some imagination, and to know that anything that isn’t part of the base FXDB is available through Custom Chrome. Words: Andy Hornsby Pictures: Motographer.de

Next issue’s Street Bob is a very different prospect: not so much bolton as sawn-off. Keep ’em coming in.

American-V.co.uk

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THOSE BUELL REMEMBERED THRILLS ... 84 American-V.co.uk

AmV38.1125R.indd 84

30/11/09 22:56:30

Roadtest: Buell 1125R

It was a strange day, was the 15th October: the anticipated Buell 1125CR turned out to be an ‘R’ when it landed, but by the time I’d discovered what had gone wrong it was all rather arbitrary. A press release had arrived: Harley-Davidson was closing the Buell Motorcycle Company. American-V.co.uk

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169-171 FISHPONDS RD. EASTVILLE, BRISTOL BS5 6PR TEL/FAX 0117 951 7609 EVERYTHING FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON & MERIDEN TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES, S&S PERFORMANCE PARTS FOR HARLEYS, CUSTOM PARTS FOR JAPANESE CRUISERS, ONE OFF CONTROL CABLES M.O.T.TESTING WE UNDERSTAND CLASSICS & CUSTOMS ZODIAC, CUSTOM CHROME, LUCAS, AMAL CARBURETTORS , BOYER IGNITIONS, MOTORCYCLE STOREHOUSE, CHAMPION PLUGS, MORRIS OILS, SILKOLENE OILS, ARLEN NESS, KURYAKIN, W&W PLUS LOTS MORE. STAINLESS BRAKE HOSES, ONE OFF CABLES 2008 CATALOGUES IN STOCK NOW FULL OR PART RESTORATIONS, 883-1200 CONVERSIONS, TWIN CAM 1550 CONVERSIONS, TYRES & FITTING WHEEL BUILDING 0117 951 7609

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Custom Bikes

Motorcycle Accessories

Classic & Custom Specialists

ARROW ENAMEL PINS & PATCHES

Lightning-Services

geratarrow@btinternet.com www.arrowenamels.co.uk arrowenamels.com

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Complete Workshop Facilities inc: • New and Pre owned Bikes for Sale • Full Custom Bike Design and Builds • Customisation • Custom Paint and Repaint • Crash Repairs & Insurance Quotes • Servicing & Parts Fitting

• • • • • •

On site Tyre Fitting Diagnostics Polishing Shop Full w/shop Facility @ £35.00 p/h + VAT In House Fabrication Parts & Accessories Sold

Come and visit Nick Gale’s Motorcycle World at our Wembley Showroom open Monday – Friday (Saturday by appointment). Tel: +44 (0)20 8998 6775 or +44 (0)79 51 74 13 52 E mail; Nick@nickgalecustoms.co.uk Unit 5 Montague Works, 250 Water Road, Wembley, Middx HA0 1HX

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E M O R H C IN S A M T IS R CH INDIAN LARRY BELT BUCKLE

BATTERY TENDER BT-TWIN 800 2 BANK BATTERY CHARGER

164,25

31,79

59,29

OPTIMATE 4 BATTERY CHARGER

61,39

£ DELUXE ALL-SEASON COVER

AMIGAZ SKULL WALLET CHAIN

29,80

32,90

ECONO TOOL KITS BY CRUZTOOLS

62,25

B2 MINILIFT

CUSTOM CHROME EUROPE FLEECE

124,59

LIMITED EDITION 3/8” AND 1/2” DRIVE SOCKET KIT BY GEDORE

44,45

311,59

148,35

MULTIPLE SKULL ROCKER BOX COVERS

INCL. UPDATES 1.200 NEW PRODUCTS

8,40 GBP + SHIPPING

25.000 WAYS TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS. CONTACT YOUR CUSTOM CHROME EUROPE DEALER TO HELP FIND THE PERFECT GIFT. Order your copy now or download at www.custom-chrome-europe.com. Call +49 (0) 671-88888-0 for the dealer nearest you.

All prices are retail prices including 17,5% VAT. Custom Chrome Europe Planiger Strasse 154 55543 Bad Kreuznach, Germany

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Phone: + 49 (0) 671 - 8 88 88 - 0 Fax: + 49 (0) 671 - 8 88 88 -100

e-mail: info@customchrome.de www.custom-chrome-europe.com

10.11.2009 15:43:19 Uhr