SEPT 2020 #91
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Contents
SEPTEMBER ISSUE 91
AD INDEX
FEATURES
Michael Lichter - Top 10 Fave Photos 80th Sturgis Rally - Pandemic Be Damned
AAA
IFC
10
Angel City
18
22
Battle At The Beach
27
Biker Owned Business
37
Boss Hogg Radio
26
COLUMNS
10
20
BTR.com 8
Nefarious James - Your Turn?
29
Christian Motorcycle Association
40
DEPARTMENTS Contents Page 2 Letter From The Editor Dave Nichols 4 Ride Safe, Ride Smart-Strategies 6 Tech Tip - Your Bagger The Strong Arm 32 Born To Ride Kids 40
BTR Heat Up
28
BTR Magazine Subscription
37
BTR Radio
34
BTR Youtube
39
Cycle World Athens
7
Freedom Power Sports
20, 21
Georgia Motor Trike
8
HD Thunder Tower West
19, BC
HD Tifton
5
High Seas Rally
35
LawBike.com 1 Leather Lid Inserts
37
REPORTS
Leather, Love & Freedom
37
Media Design Shop
30
Craig Can Fix It! - The Tank Whisperer 28 Reader’s Ride - Triumph Bobber 38
Metalsport Wheels
IBC
Mid USA Motorcycle Parts
9
Motorcycle Law Group
31
Progressive Insurance
3
ProRider Ken Anderson
6
Tiny Trailer Nation
36
Toys Wanted
37
Wanted GI Joe
37
Wife Swap-Now Casting
37
ON THE COVER Angel City Rally Fall 2020 Unadilla, GA October 7-11, 2020 Angelcitymotorcyclerally.com 229-591-5155
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888-795-5779 Start Born To Ride TV and Magazine in your city! Call 888-795-5779 The information contained herein is provided by Born To Ride Magazine or by its advertisers. BTR makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information in the issue. Born To Ride Magazine does not endorse, approve, or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information throughout this magazine. Use of such information is voluntary on your part, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after your independent review. Reference herein to any specific manufacturer, company, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement of or recommendation of said by Born To Ride Magazine.” “Born To Ride Magazine (including its employees, contributors and agents) assumes no responsibility for consequences that may result from the use of the information herein, including the use of the information obtained at www.borntoride.com and it’s linked sites, or in any respect for the content of such information, including (but not limited to) errors or omissions, the accuracy or reasonableness of factual or scientific assumptions, studies or conclusions, ownership of copyright or other intellectual property rights, and the violation of property, privacy, or personal rights of others. BTR Magazine is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on such information. No guarantees or warranties, including (but not limited to) any express or implied warranties are made by BTR Magazine with respect to such information contained throughout the site.” No part may be copied without written permission of the publisher, Born To Ride, Inc. P.O. Box 3021, Brandon, FL 33509. 888-795-5779, Fax 813-689-2996.
ISSUE #91
BORN TO RIDE Magazine
PO BOX 3021 Brandon, FL 33509
Letter from the Editor
PUBLISHER
Ron Galletti 813-785-3895 888-795-5779 rg@borntoride.com
DAVE NICHOLS
CO PUBLISHER
Deb Galletti dgalletti@borntoride.com
EDITOR
FROM THE HELM
Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
“ROUGH BOYS” ARE COMIN’!
ART DIRECTOR
Peter Soutullo art@borntoride.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erick Runyon
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Juan Guzman, Jared Hartman, Erick Runyon , Peter Soutullo, Craig Miller, Beatnik Steve Werner art@borntoride.com
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Ron & Selena Hawks, Chris Miller, Scott Odel, Eric Albright, Chopper Dave, JP Brady, Erick Runyon, Craig Miller
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HOWDY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! September is that most pivotal of months, when we go from summer scorchers to awesome Autumn riding. It is also the perfect time to make some announcements on where the two-wheeled world is going here at Born To Ride. Over the past few months you’ve probably noticed a shift in editorial direction including a fresh look and plenty of old school features that make for interesting reading.
Each month we showcase an incredible custom cycle creation and a gorgeous gal with a centerspread that is ready to adorn your shop or garage wall. There’s also an intriguing Reader’s Ride offering up a bike that proves that your motorcycle has the right stuff to be seen here in Born To Ride. Then there are the articles that look back at Biker History to remind us where we came from and to Biker Legends who inspire us to live our two-wheeled dreams. This month we asked marvelous motojournalist Felicia Morgan to bring us all the farout fun of the 80th Sturgis Rally, where over 400,000 bikers gave the Corona virus the finger and partied on. We also bring you world-renowned custom bike photographer Michael Lichter to show you his personal pick of Ten Tempting Photos that are some of the very best of his lifetime collection documenting the biker lifestyle we love in this issue’s feature article. But wait, there’s more! When is the last time you sat down and watched a really good biker movie? I’m talking about a film filled with rowdy motorcycle madmen and sexy sultry sirens on two-wheels? Well, hold on to your engineer boots, because Born To Ride is proud to announce that we will be promoting the next great biker movie. I’m talkin’ about “Rough Boys”, a scooter flick that captures two very American traditions; the music of the Blues and the biker culture. Bucking the Hollywood system, executive producer Dennis Sanfilippo and biker Blues legend Charlie Brechtel created a feature-
length biker movie two years ago called “Rebel on the Highway.” Made by bikers, for bikers, the film tells the story of a down-on-his-luck musician who makes a deal with the Devil for overnight stardom. The movie was an instant hit at regional theaters, motorcycle dealerships and bike shops where “biker movie nights” sprung up around the country to show the film and sell merchandise. The film is a five star hit on Amazon Prime.
Now the same team is in post-production on a new film, “Rough Boys.” The plot revolves around bike shop owner and Bluesman Slim Dixon (Charlie Musselwhite) who passes his love of motorcycles and music to a ragtag group of teenagers. When Slim passes away, he leaves instructions with his daughter Billie (Athena Ransome) to get the rough boys he mentored back together for a motorcycle sojourn through the south to deliver his ashes to the “Home of the Blues” in Clarksdale, Mississippi. But along the way, the mythic tale of a long lost golden motorcycle and a buried treasure throws a wrench in the works. I had the honor of writing the screenplay and directing this torrid tale of motorized madness. Sadly, Charlie Brechtel died on his motorcycle soon after we finished filming. But his legacy will live on forever in “Rough Boys!”
The film will be available on DVD and Bluray as well as Amazon Prime in just a few short months. Best of all, you can WIN the famous $60,000.00 gold chopper that will soon become a film icon. Stay tuned right here in Born To Ride for details. The chopper was built by Paughco MC Parts and Mondo from Denver’ Choppers and you might just be the one to join us on the Buffalo Chip Main Stage next year at Sturgis to take home this one-of-a-kind custom bike! Join Born To Ride for the next big thing in the biker world as we bring you “Rough Boys!”
— Dave Nichols editor@borntoride.com
The Sleepy Commuter You’re riding your motorcycle to work just after sunrise, traveling down a typical suburban street lined with car-filled driveways. As you approach one of these driveways a car begins to move and backs out directly into your path. You brake hard and come to a stop just inches away from the car’s rear bumper. Strategy: Given the hour of day and the type of neighborhood, you could have expected to encounter at least a few drivers backing out of their driveways and heading off to work. Clues include drivers getting into their cars as you approach, or a tell-tale puff of exhaust warning you that the car has been started and is preparing to leave. Watch for brake lights and backup lights, too. If you observe any of the above warning signs, take the following precautions: Slow your pace and prepare to stop, if necessary. Keep your eyes up and cover the front brake lever and rear brake pedal. Stabilize your speed so that if the car does begin to move out into your path, you have sufficient space to stop. If there isn’t room or time to slow to a stop, scan for an escape route to swerve into. If there is no oncoming traffic, swerve to the left; if this route isn’t available, consider swerving to the right. Info: www.msf-usa.org
month
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EVERYBODY IN THE MOTORCYCLE SCENE KNOWS MICHAEL LICHTER.
He is without a doubt the world’s best photographer of custom motorcycles and the biker lifestyle. His amazing and memorable images have been seen in Easyriders magazine for over 40 years and in many other periodicals and motorcycle-related books all over the planet. Mike will do absolutely anything to get a shot. I’ve seen him hang off the back of a speeding pickup truck to get just the right photo of a custom motorcycle as a pack of bikers roar down the highway right behind him. His photographic documentation of such renowned rallies as Sturgis, Laconia and Daytona are legendary as is his annual “Motorcycle as Art” museum show at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis during the August Rally. Born To Ride magazine is very proud to announce that Michael Lichter is lending his talents here to show you a personal pick of some of his favorite photographs in biker lifestyle history. Rather than try to nail Mike down to his all-time Top Ten favorites, we agreed that these represent and interesting collection of photos spanning many years of his amazing work. Call ‘em Today’s Top Ten. We spoke to Mike about this proud pick of moto memories from his studio in Boulder, Colorado. He was working on his all-new website that features incredible galleries of his work through the decades. I mentioned that looking at his photos reminds me of images I had seen depicting the cowboys, gunfighters and Native American Chiefs of old. Here was the biker lifestyle captured in all its grungy glory by a discerning eye. Images locked in time of an age when human beings were wild enough to throw a fossil-fuel motor between their legs and roar around on two wheels. Future generations will no doubt look back at us and think that bikers were crazy. Mike told me that he had very similar feelings when he was putting together this year’s “Motorcycles as Art” show in Sturgis. The collection was called “Heavy Mettle” and his curator’s statement in part reads: Since I bought my first Harley in 1977, custom motorcycles have become immensely popular and evolved considerably, as has the
culture surrounding them. It was once thought of as something for outlaws and renegades, but by the mid-1980s, perceptions started to change, and it became not only socially acceptable to pull up all clad in leather looking tough on a big Harley, it became cool! Motorcycle gatherings grew in number, as did their attendance, and for better or worse, they became more organized and commercial through the 1990s and early 2000s. The days when “we just pulled over to the side of the road, and after a little partying we’d sleep where we fell” as Sonny Barger, a past president of the Oakland Hells Angels wrote, seemed to disappear in seemingly direct correlation to the attention biking was receiving on television. Year after year, motorcycling grew, and then came the economic crash of 2008. All bets were off. Both riders and the motorcycle industry suffered a big hit. The outlook seemed bleak, but thankfully, beneath the surface, a new generation was coming of age with a different set of interests, concerns, priorities, and ways of being. There is a revival underway where there is less concern for what people ride and the accouterments of the culture. More attention is paid to the things that really count — like just getting out to ride and sharing the experiences around riding with friends. Once again, I am encouraged to feel there is a correlation between my work documenting bikers over the last four decades and Owen Wister’s writing about cowboys in the changing American West more than a century ago. In the 1902 introduction to his novel The Virginian, Wister lamented that his romantic vision of cowboys and the American West had vanished. “What is become of the horseman, the cowpuncher, the last romantic figure upon our soil… His wild kind has been among us always, since the beginning: a young man with his temptations, a hero without wings... He and his brief epoch make a complete picture, for in themselves, they were as complete as the pioneers of the land or the explorers of the sea.” I do believe this brief “epoch” is not over and that these “romantic figures upon our soil” are back, stronger than ever, making this the best time of my career to be in motorcycling. For more information about Michael Lichter’s photography or regarding purchasing prints, please visit his new website, Instagram or FB pages. Visit www.lichterphoto.com and tell Mike Born To Ride sent ya. —Dave Nichols
Born To Ride Magazine, real editorial content for you the reader every month
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LOOKING BACK – PAUL COX NORTH OF BEAR BUTTE. STURGIS, SD. 2003 - Hair flying in the wind, leather and brass, knives and power…Looking back in time to the bandits, pirates, Vikings and marauders that crossed the land before.
FACES. CITY PARK, STURGIS, SD 1980 - City Park was a world of its own, a protective sanctuary for many. Inside its gates, little existed beyond. Such an odd collection of personalities, backgrounds, and faces. The heart of America. A time before bikers wore much Harley gear.
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AFTER THE STORM. RIDING TO THE BELLE FOURCHE DRAGS, SD. 1980 - In 1979, there was flat track racing and hill climbs, but there was no drag strip in Sturgis. If you wanted to see Pete Hill drag race his Knuckle, you had to ride to Belle Fourche. It was questionable whether they would be racing on this day as the group of bikers mostly from Boulder left Sturgis’ City Park campground. Half way to the track, the skies began to clear. A rainbow appeared just as the sun made the wet pavement and prairie grasses glow. Free spirits crossed the “Great West.”
WHAT’S UP? LAKE PERRY, KS. 1984 - Life happens. Mike says he took this photo but didn’t really look at it for about five years. Then he noticed many
aspects of it for the first time. A moment frozen in time. Look at this young lady’s best friend behind her having the time of her life. So in the moment and present, surrounded by a group that is totally engaged. Check out the cameo appearance of the archetypal stoner looking over her shoulder. The one armed biker is just part of the scene. Bikers accept everyone as long as you know how to have a good time.
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PUPPY AT BEAR BUTTE, STURGIS, SD. 1994 - I have photographed quite a few bikers surfing like this, but on this occasion and in this frame,
Puppy exuded the spirit of what biking is all about as he rides his Flathead past Bear Butte. A friend of mine captured that spirit when she looked at this image and said, “Feel the Freedom.”
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HOLD ON. THE BURNOUT PIT AT MYRTLE BEACH, SC. 2006 - According to Mike, this young college girl had never been on a bike before. She just came out to Myrtle Beach Bike Week to see what all the fuss was about. Guess she found out and then some. All the rider told her was “Hold on.” The revs did the rest. Right after shooting this, Mike had a dinner meeting at a fancy restaurant and didn’t realize he was covered in black tire rubber smoke. Pure Class.
EARLY MORNING. CITY PARK, STURGIS, SD. 1979 - I arrived in Sturgis for my first bike week too late to see the lay of the land but just in time for the all-night party that happened every night in City Park. This then was my first morning in Sturgis. I woke up not having slept much and assessed the damages, both internally and externally. What sort of toll did the party take? There was drag racing down the narrow pavement between the tents, there were campfires, wildness until all hours of the morning and a dreamlike recollection of police cars with lights flashing, screaming through the park in the middle of the night.
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- A bike, a tent, and the open plains. You and the elements. Motorcycling teases us with the freedom to be on the road, stop when and where you want to, and slow down and experience the world first hand. Janice Joplin comes to mind; “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
HOME ON THE RANGE. STURGIS, SD. 1988
NICK’S ECSTASY. SUNDANCE, WY. 2002
It was a time when choppers were king and bike builders were on TV every week on the Discovery Channel’s “Great Biker Build-off.” Builder Nicke Fredella was right in the thick of it all. When asked how he felt when this burnout photo was taken, Nick told Mike, “I feel like Satan coming out from the depths of hell, coming through the smoke.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MICHAEL LICHTER’S PHOTOGRAPHY OR REGARDING PURCHASING PRINTS, PLEASE VISIT HIS NEW WEBSITE, INSTAGRAM OR FB PAGES. VISIT WWW.LICHTERPHOTO.COM AND TELL MIKE BORN TO RIDE SENT YA.
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HAPPY TIMES. BILLY LANE RACING HIS 1919 HARLEY. STURGIS, SD. 2019 - We end with this photo of legendary bike builder Billy Lane,
totally in his element and loving life. Billy is piloting his 1919 Harley racer during his Sons of Speed vintage races. Mike Lichter truly has a unique and heart-felt gift when capturing the biker lifestyle. This image says it all.
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COPY & PHOTOS: FELICIA MORGAN
STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA, AUG. 7-16. Riders from around the globe have religiously made the annual pilgrimage to South Dakota’s “City of Riders” during the rally’s eight decades’ reign as the most famous biker bash in the world. While the parties, concerts, races and riding are indeed legendary, it’s the landscape and spirituality of the Black Hills that make this rally the top contender when it comes to bucket list destinations. No matter where a rider may bivouac or what kind of event schedule may be laid out, everyone who scoots into Sturgis comes with a must-do ride list and they set about the task of taking it all in with wild abandon. From the heads of Rushmore, through the Badlands, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Custer and the Wildlife loop right on out to the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, there is magic to be found along the roads well beyond the city limits of Sturgis. All of this was taken into account as the City’s management sat down in June to ponder the possibility of cancelling the 2020 run due to the world-wide panic over the pandemic. They realized that invited or not, bikers would indeed flood their little berg come August. The safety of their residents was the agenda, of course, but the issue of economics was also a well-hashed topic. With shut down business, cancelled events and the earth generally tilted off its axis in world-wide upheaval, sponsor dollars had shriveled to nil as the industry danced around trying to figure out how brave attendees might be in the face of the COVID virus. Just how much of a fiscal risk was involved and how much social responsibility came with hosting a big-ass party as the world started calling bikers “super spreaders” weighed heavily in the negotiations. It was a crapshoot call, but in the end, Sturgis took a gamble and decided to embrace the event with open arms. Kinda. While it was officially announced that the 80th Sturgis Rally would indeed be held, a mumbled statement that the City would not be participating in any official events quietly followed as an estimated 240,000 bikers prepared to roar into the city. Cancelled were opening ceremonies, the historic photo towers at either end of Main Street as well as any of the normal events as the City clearly hedged its bets on participation by merely standing back and collecting incoming revenues from vendors while not having to shell out any funds on hosted activities. Which turned out to be just fine with riders since the majority took “social distancing” to a higher level and hit the road to all the cool spots rather than merely lurking around downtown Sturgis. Deadwood, for example, was off the hook busy. Even so, just as in the past, Main Street was still a photo op of sardine-packed, rubber-to-rubber motorcycles lounging on kickstands at various times during the 10-day run. The energy on the streets and in the hills was that of an elated band of bikers who were just happy to be in the wind. And the weather did its best to accommodate. Masks were rare but smiles were not, which is not to say that revelers were ignoring the seriousness of the factors that have held the world captive. Riders we spoke to were solicitous in their decisions to attend
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" The energy on the
streets and in the hills was that of an elated band of bikers who were just happy to be in the wind. And the weather did its best to accommodate."
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and encapsulated a myriad of reasons to cast off confinement. In some cases, hotels were not issuing refunds so decisions to attend were based on “use it or lose it” practicalities. Vacation times had already been reserved and arrangements set, so in they rode. Once in Sturgis, the like-minded set about living out what the rally has typically been: racing, camping on lawns, street food, bike shows, bands and buffoonery. A palpable sense of gratitude to be away from home stirred with determination and ecstatic jubilance highlighted the freedom of the biker lifestyle. Old Glory was sharply snapping in the breeze most everywhere you looked and American Pride glowed from behind every set of handlebars. As the only official biker event all year, since the last week of Dayton was COVID cancelled, it seemed fitting that it should be the 80th anniversary of the Sturgis Rally and set against the backdrop of the Black Hills in South Dakota. For most of us, the Rally typically kicks off with the opening of Michael Lichter’s “Motorcycles as Art” museum show hosted by the Buffalo Chip on Sunday afternoon but this year, as Michael’s 20th anniversary at the Chip, there was a bit of a change up. Specifically, there was no Michael in attendance. Instead, others presented the builders and discussed the machines as Michael chimed in via live-feed from his home in Colorado. Lichter had installed the exhibit, then returned home to prepare for a scheduled surgery. While his presence was felt, his peers who wandered among the magnificent machines understood the arrangement. Some activities, however, were unchanged. The Buffalo Chip’s signature Legends, Biker Belles and Rusty Wallace runs still garnered stacks of cash for local charities. Racers still toed up to the burnout box over at the Sturgis Drag Strip on Monday and Tuesday and by Wednesday morning the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum hosted the annual Hall of Fame breakfast to welcome their newest inductees. The 2020 list included folks from coast to coast and their supporters traveled out to show their love. Inductee Vicki Sanfelipo, a nurse from Wisconsin, thoughtfully provided face coverings for all her attending friends and family. Sanfelipo’s fellow inductees included Allen Alvarez, Arlin Flatland, Dave Mackie, Micah McCloskey and Jody Perewitz. Honored as Freedom Fighters were Sturgis residents, Wayne and Susan Lettau. The Buffalo Chip’s nightly concerts were a scaled back version of their typical blowouts but the masses still showed up to rock the house at night while hanging out for bike shows, stunts, races and shows during the day. And, despite the threats of another outbreak and at the risk of giving the world one more reason to scorn us misfit bikers, an estimated 462,182 riders turned up to celebrate the one thing bikers cherish the most: FREEDOM.
NEXT YEAR’S STURGIS RALLY DATES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET SO MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ROCK THE BLACK HILL AUGUST 6-15, 2021.
Born To Ride Magazine, real editorial content for you the reader every month
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WHEN WILL IT BE YOUR TURN ? problem. Many times at the party or after the party, the rider seems to forget one very important detail. That passenger with them, the one they claim is theirs or that they’re just giving a ride to, relinquishes control of their life and turns it over to the drunk rider the minute they get on the back. That is the ultimate responsibility anyone can be given. Being put in control of whether someone lives or dies. Why? Please, someone tell me why you would risk that other person’s life for vanity, control or just stupidity.
When will it be your turn? When will the Reaper knock on your door, put out his hand and demand his payment. One day you will stand before him for that payment. For decades I have been riding my motorcycle around the country. I’ve experienced a ton of stuff. I’ve been to a lot of events, traveled countless miles, and met incredible people. With all of this, I’ve experienced great joy but recently, I’ve also experienced horrific life-altering sorrow. Over the years I have spoken many times on a topic that I’m sure many of you are tired of hearing about. Tough. Suck it up because here it comes again. We live in stressful times. With many of the readers of this page being bikers and whatnot, we like to party a little. Sometimes a lot. Men in particular, like to be in charge. Drunk men sometimes demand being in charge. Sometimes those drunk men have passengers that ride with them. That’s a
Riding impaired; being drunk behind those handlebars is a stupid move. If you want to kill yourself doing stupid stuff like that, it’s your right. It’s your life. You don’t have the right to decide for that passenger. So if the rider is impaired, then why does
"CARE ENOUGH TO GET THE WOULD-BE PASSENGER HOME SAFE SOME OTHER WAY." the passenger get on and leave with them? There are many reasons for this from what I hear. Fear of being stranded, fear of conflict with the rider if he or she doesn’t get their way. Love for the rider or trusting that the person wouldn’t put their life at risk. After all, we’ve all said “I’m fine, I only had a couple.” Where is all of this going? Well, here is the hardest truth I’ve ever had to stomach. The beautiful young lady in the picture on
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this page is that hard lesson. Her name is Mari Eliseuson. She is also how I can tell you with all my soul firsthand what it’s like to lose someone so very close to you. It’s like having everything seen and unseen in your body ripped out. She got on the back of an impaired rider’s motorcycle at a local establishment. Someone she had known and trusted. On their ride, he was speeding, lost control of the motorcycle in a turn and went off the road, killing her at the scene. His ass is on ICU. He had a responsibility to her and he failed. He killed her. Period. No traffic, dry road, no deer, just plain old stupidity that resulted in the senseless death of a beautiful person who put her trust in him. What those impaired people never think of, alone or with a passenger, is of all the family, friends and acquaintances who are left behind to cope with what’s happened. I can tell you that this has affected my life and will until I expire. Don’t do it. Don’t drink and ride, but if you do (and I’m saying don’t), leave that back seat empty. Care enough to get that would-be passenger home safe some other way. Just remember that if you don’t make it home, all those people you have left behind will have to go through what I am right now. Grieving is the worst feeling in the world. Trust me, I now know. In closing, all I can say now is directed to Marin’s spirit. Rest now, my sweet Angel. You’ve changed my life in so many ways and I will always cherish that. You were my salvation. I’ll always love you. NEFARIOUS JAMES AMERICAN
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Giving Your Bagger the Strong Ar INSTALLING ALLOY ART’S FAIRING MOUNTING BRACKETS If Harley’s baggers have a weak link, it’s in the two inner fairing mounting brackets. On 1996 through 2013 Electra Glides, Ultra Glides and Street Glides, Harley used stamped sheetmetal brackets to attach the inner fairings to the bikes’ front forks. The lower section of each bracket is securely bolted to the outside edges of the top and bottom triple trees and the upper section of each bracket bolts to the inner faring in two places and also to the outside edge of the radio.
The problem develops with the end piece at the topmost part of the bracket, where it bolts to the inner fairing. That end piece is welded to the edges of the actual bracket. This end is about eighteen inches up from the lower bracket to the fairing mounting point. As the bike travels over most roads, the vibration from the front fork moves up through the fairing mounting brackets and the motion makes the bracket act like a whip; this movement can and does eventually break the bracket at the point where the bracket and its end piece are welded together.
Once the upper brackets break, the added vibration on the fairing mount can travel out the secondary speaker brackets, which then break at the point where they are attached to the fairing mounted radio speakers. With both of those brackets broken, the rider will hear a lot of rattling coming out of one side of the fairing and might notice that it is vibrating at its upper edge. If both fairing brackets break, the top of the faring looks like it is dancing.
REMOVING THE OUTER FAIRING STARTS AT THE WINDSHIELD, THERE ARE THREE TORX SCREWS TO REMOVE.
To repair the broken bracket and keep the problem from reoccurring, the gang at Alloy Art developed a set of molded nylon brackets that they call the Strong Arm, part number ASB1, MSRP $96.95. They are available either direct from Alloy Art or from your local Drag Specialties dealer. Their brackets replace the stamped metal factory brackets. By making the brackets out of industrial grade nylon, which acts as a dampener, they eliminated the brackets tendency to act as a whip, thus cutting down on the fairing overall vibrations. They use all of the original positions for mounting holes and are a total bolt-in replacement. Having a staff member whose 2007 Electra Glide had broken fairing mounting brackets, we ordered a set of Strong Arms. Installing the two parts took us the better part of four hours. Although the job tested our collection of Allen wrenches, we didn’t have to cut any parts or drill any holes. After the bike was back together, the fairing was good and tight, with nary a rattle coming out as it rolled over our bumpy roads. — John Sullivan Source: Alloy Art Alloyart.com Drag Specialties Dragspecialties.com
THE ALLOY ART BRACKETS ARE A CASE STUDY IN AN ENGINEER THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. AS DIFFERENT AS THESE BRACKETS LOOK FROM THE FACTORY BRACKETS, THEY WORK MUCH BETTER.
BTR 32 | BORNTORIDE.COM
ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE FAIRING, THERE ARE FIVE TORX AND ALLEN BOLTS THAT RUN DOWN EACH EDGE OF THE FAIRING TO REMOVE.
WITH THE OUTER FAIRING OUT OF THE WAY, WE SAW THAT THE UPPER ENDS OF BOTH OF THE FAIRING MOUNTING BRACKETS WERE BROKEN OFF.
ng Arm
REMOVING THE OUTER FAIRING STARTS AT THE WINDSHIELD, THERE ARE THREE TORX SCREWS TO REMOVE.
EVEN THOUGH IT HAS A LARGER CROSS SECTION, THE STRONG ARM WILL FIT RIGHT WHERE THE FACTORY BRACKET CAME OUT OF.
THIS CLOSE-UP SHOWS JUST WHERE THE BRACKETS BROKE, RIGHT AT THE POINT WHERE THE BRACKET’S MOUNTING PAD IS WELDED TO THE MAIN SECTION OF THE BRACKET.
WE FIRST BOLTED THE NEW BRACKET UP TO THE FORK ASSEMBLY, THEN THE INNER FARING AND FINALLY THE RADIO.
WE REMOVED AND REPLACED THE BRACKETS ONE SIDE AT A TIME. THE FACTORY BRACKETS ARE VERY STOUT EXCEPT AT THEIR UPPER END.
ONCE BOTH OF THE NEW BRACKETS WERE IN PLACE, WE TIGHTENED ALL OF THEIR MOUNTING BOLTS. THERE ARE SIX ON EACH SIDE: TWO AT THE INNER FAIRING, TWO AT THE RADIO AND TWO AT THE TRIPLE TREES ON THE FORK. INSTALLING THE FAIRING, COMPLETED THE JOB. THE FINISHED INSTALLATION WAS VERY TIGHT WHEN COMPARED TO WHAT WE STARTED WITH.
If you have a Tech Tip you would like to see, let us know at editor@borntoride.com
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DO YOU HAVE A BIKER OWNED
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THE FINISHED BOBBER IN HASSE’S GARAGE.
HASSE CARLSSON’S TRIUMPH BOBBER
THIS IS WHAT THE TRIUMPH LOOKED LIKE THE DAY HASSE BOUGHT IT. PRETTY SWEET.
When we decided to put a Reader’s Ride in every issue of Born To Ride magazine, I reached out on our Facebook page, asking riders to send me their photos. I was instantly barraged with hundreds of great motorcycles by riders like you. But the little 1957 Triumph Triton bobber seen here touched my heart. It comes to us all the way from Sweden where owner Hasse Carlsson heard the call. Hasse bought this scooter in 2012 and says he only paid a few thousand dollars for it. “I’ve always liked old school bobbers,” Hasse says. “So I decided to build one myself.” The Triumph was taken down to the frame and Hasse found a hardtail rear end on eBay in Arizona
BTR 38 | BORNTORIDE.COM
HASSE FOUND THIS HARDTAIL REAR END ON EBAY.
for fifty dollars. He also got a new front wheel because he loves the look of the old drum brakes.
The engine had been gone through by the previous owner and ran like a top so nothing was needed there. Hasse owns quite a few motorcycles so he found many of the parts he put on this bobber right in his own garage including the seat, handlebars, and taillight. He built the exhaust himself. Hasse says the bike is a ton of fun to ride and that he gets a lot of “thumbs up” from people on the street.
Hasse told me that he has always loved motorcycles and this little bobber is his favorite. We can see why. — Chopper Daddy Dave
Send photos and information of you and your motorcycle to editor@borntoride.com
RONNIE and EMILY’S
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION When it comes to riding, andOne of the challenges we face in life is found in controlling our anger level and how we respond to it. The easiest way to handle anger is to blow up and become part of the problem rather than part of the solution. The cause for anger is often so insignificant that it is ridiculous, such as yelling about who gets to lead a ride or even who gets to sit where they want to sit at an event, or cut in a food line. Danger is only one letter from anger and it really causes problems when we react to a situation rather than respond to the same. I once was involved in an argument with a family member and foolishly decided to test what another relative had told me. He said that when people are angry and in an argument, they often go into a non-listening mode, and you can say anything you want and they will not respond because they aren’t listening. Being young and dumb I decided to try it. I brilliantly stated that the person had a purple elephant on top of their head. Amazingly my comment was unheard by the arguer. By the way, don’t try that stunt at home, it may backfire on you. Don’t spend time looking over your shoulder at what you could have done or what you should have said. The problem with BTR 40 | BORNTORIDE.COM
looking over your shoulder is that sooner or later, having a backwards look causes us to run into the obstacles in your way. In Psalm 37:8, the Bible says, “Don’t get angry. Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble.” Here we are admonished to not even allow ourselves to get angry, that’s the command. It is followed by a promise that anger leads to trouble, and who really wants more trouble in their lives? Throughout the stories about Jesus, time after time He is tempted by one person or another, but He always keeps His cool. Rather than yield to temptation, Jesus always used His control over His anger. That way He was in the best position to solve issues in a way that people listened to what He had to say. That control is what allowed Him to build such an awesome following in His three short years of ministry. The next time you feel anger coming on in your life just remember the “d” that turns anger into danger. Not only will you enjoy life more, you will be more effective in sharing your thoughts and ideas with others. You will also enjoy a higher energy level by not getting involved in unnecessary frustration. So, if you don’t get angry and you don’t get upset, trouble has no place in your life. Like the Caribbean song says, “Don’t worry, be happy! With Jesus on your side you have no reason to worry! In the Wind, Denny Dingler
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