Drag Specialties Magazine - December 2019

B R I A R

B A U M A N

C L I N C H E S

A F T

T W I N S

C H A M P I O N S H I P

DECEMBER 2019

$3.95

NCH U A L N O SEAS

★ Paughco Celebrates 50 Years ★ Dealer Profiles: Doc’s Motorcycle Parts

& The Chopper Place

★

VOL. 26, #11

H IT W E ID R R U O Y E V IMPRO .

Y IT C A P A C E G A R O T S E R MO

T N A T S N I E H T TACTICAL LUGGAGE RAIN COVER *INCLUDED

3515-0198 R1300LXE TACTICAL $110.00

3515-0197 TR3300DE TACTICAL $185.00

3515-0199 TR2300DE TACTICAL $153.00

3516-0271 TS1450R TACTICAL $145.00

!

E D A R T UPG

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7 8 9 1 E C IN S S N IO T U L TRUSTED SO

3516-0272 TS1620R TACTICAL $145.00

3516-0270 TS3200DE TACTICAL $180.00

3515-0202 BR3400 TACTICAL $232.00

3501-1364 BR4100 TACTICAL $200.00

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CONTENTS December 2019 H Vol. 26 #11 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Don Emde • don@emdebooks.com

ON THE COVER

Editor: Dennis Johnson • dennis@emdebooks.com

» 20

Art Director: Morgan Williams Production Manager: Jen Rose • jen@emdebooks.com

2019 North American NVP Expo – Season Launch!

Dealers from the U.S. and Canada piled into Madison, WI to preview hot new sellers and lucrative programs for the 2020 sales season.

Copy Editor: Tracy Emde

Webmaster: Jeff Emde

Design Assistant: Kristina Nystul Breaux

Contributing Writers:

Beth Dolgner, Don Emde, Dain Gingerelli, Ari Henning, Dennis Johnson, Joe Kress, Marilyn Stemp

Contributing Photographers: Scott Daloisio, Don Emde, Dain Gingerelli, Scott Hunter/American Flat

Track, Dennis Johnson, ©John Mahoney, Todd Olson, Marilyn Stemp To our readers: Editorial space in this publication has been offered on an “advertorial” basis. While we have done our best to check the facts, our readers should be aware that the responsibility for accuracy rests with the manufacturers, vendors or sponsors who provided the information to us. – Publisher.

Drag Specialties Magazine is published by Don Emde, Inc., 92 Argonaut, Ste. 160, Aliso Viejo, CA. 92656. Copyright © 2019 by Don Emde, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Unsolicited photos or manuscripts cannot be returned unless SASE is provided. Don Emde Inc. cannot take responsibility for lost or misdirected mail. Don Emde Inc. assumes no liability for any material published herein.

All statements and information are the responsibility of the authors and/or sponsors. Drag Specialties Magazine, Parts Magazine, Parts Europe Magazine and Parts Magazine Online are trademarks of Don Emde Inc.

Publishing office: 92 Argonaut, Suite 160, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Tel: 949-215-4780 • Fax: 949-215-9042 Don Emde Inc. Directors: President: Don Emde Vice President: Tracy Emde Secretary/General Manager: Jen Rose WE’RE ONLINE! Parts Magazine and Drag Specialties Magazine are available free online in an easily downloadable format. You can also check out the very latest news from the world of motorcycling in our online Newsroom.

See it all at: www.partsmagazineonline.com

Printed in the USA NOTICE: Drag Specialties does not sell direct to the public. To purchase products seen in this magazine, please see your dealer.

DEPARTMENTS

» 6 » 10 » 83

Welcome Letter News & Events Parts Department

SPECIAL FEATURES

» 50 » 64 » 70

Dealer Profile: Doc’s Motorcycle Parts Dealer Profile: The Chopper Place Paughco Celebrates 50th Anniversary

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

» 34 Michelin » 36 LA Choppers » 38 KICKER Audio » 40 Custom Dynamics » 42 CycleSmiths » 44 Slyfox » 46 Vance & Hines » 48 Bel-Ray » 54 Performance Machine » 55 Performance Machine » 58 Hogtunes » 60 S&S Cycle » 62 Drag Specialties Air Pads » 67 Dakota Digital » 68 Bassani Xhaust » 72 Feuling » 73 Bridgestone » 74 KB Pistons » 75 Hogtunes » 76 OptiMate » 77 Feuling » 78 Magnum Shielding » 79 LePera » 80 JIMS » 81 Battery Tender » 82 Khrome Werks

Introducing MICHELIN Commander III Tires

®

®

Available January, 2020!

The newest MICHELIN ® tire for all types of V-Twin Cruisers and Touring bikes The new MICHELIN® Commander® III tire comes in two models: Cruiser and Touring. The MICHELIN® Commander® III Cruiser tire is designed to deliver even more wet grip and durability than the MICHELIN® Commander® II tire. The MICHELIN® Commander® III Touring tire is designed to go the distance for Baggers with enhanced wet grip and longevity that exceeds its predecessor thanks to new tread compounds. Both offer distinctive tread patterns and patented velvet sidewall designs to enhance the styling of V-Twin motorcycles, and both will be available in 27 sizes in January, 2020.

Motorcycle.Michelinman.com

#MichelinOnMyMoto

Copyright © 2019 Michelin North America, Inc. All rights reserved. The Michelin Man is a registered trademark owned by Michelin North America, Inc. © 2019 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.

E M D E

R E P O R T

In This Issue

by D on Em de

T

his issue features one of our must-do events in the Drag Specialties world every year, the North American NVP Expo in Madison, WI. Hopefully, that’s true with you too. For us, the event in August was actually two events in one, starting with a couple of days of Drag sales rep training, followed by a full-on Product Expo for dealers. Please enjoy our 10-page report on this year’s event, starting on page 20.

CycleSmiths is another good story about the current business run

by Doug Clarkson, which included an 8-year “tour of duty” at HarleyDavidson headquarters in Milwaukee. Willie G. Davidson himself was so impressed with Doug back at the end of the 1990s that he invited him to come work with him and the design team. Clarkson eventually headed back to Southern California and today CycleSmiths products fill many pages of the FatBook.

We enjoyed seeing so much optimism with the attending Drag dealers this year when it came to the products they were checking out and ordering. Despite some V-Twin categories struggling to maintain previous vehicle sales levels, many dealers have figured out how to make up the difference – and more – with a bigger representation of products on their walls from the Drag Specialties FatBook.

We celebrate some anniversaries and long-running relationships with Drag Specialties in this issue. Be sure to check out our 50th anniversary stories on Paughco, one of Drag’s original vendors; and two Drag Specialties dealers who been along for the ride with Drag since the start: Doc’s Motorcycle Parts in Waterbury, CT, and The Chopper Place, in Riverside, CA.

One hot segment at the NVP Product Expo was Performance Baggers.

In our previous issue, we introduced Slyfox, a new brand for Drag Specialties, although owner Alex Fox is hardly new to the company.

Alex is the nephew of LeMans Corporation founder and chairman Fred Fox, and son of late-great auto racing driver Stan Fox. Alex has a great story to tell in this issue about how his dad’s use of carbon fiber in Indy cars inspired him to incorporate the same technology to knock weight off of today’s big V-twins.

Lastly, Drag Specialties got on board as a sponsor of the Indian factory team this year in the AFT series, and we were excited and proud to see Briar Bauman recently clinch the AFT Twins championship for 2019.

Congratulations to Briar on his domination of this year’s dirt track series, hopefully just the first of many to come. ■

Ride Safe!

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

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FEBRUARY 15 & 16

2020 NVP PRODUCT EXPO KICC CONVENTION CENTER LOUISVILLE, KY

Over 300 displays New products Easy to get around, most walkable downtown Fourth Street Live!

Premier dining and entertainment destination

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AND

NEWS EVENTS

Four Corners Rally 2019 RALLY, RIDE, REPEAT

Story and photos by Marilyn Stemp Dirt-tracking Shovelheads, Sportsters and even Trikes took to the oval for the Hooligan Dirt Dash at LaPlata County Fairgrounds.

The Sky Ute Casino hosted factory demo rides, Speed Kings Stunt Team shows and served as the staging point for organized rides.

O

n Labor Day weekend, Durango Harley-Davidson in Durango, CO. was one of five venues that comprised the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally. Along with Sky Ute Casino, Purgatory Ski Resort, LaPlata County Fairgrounds and a Block Party in downtown Durango, they combined to bring a fresh vibe for the third straight year to an event with history – and remarkable natural amenities.

Four Corners isn’t new. An event by this name took place near Ignacio, CO, for several decades starting in the early 1990s. However, when Catie and Trevor Bird bought Durango Harley-Davidson in 2017 (what would have been the rally’s 25th anniversary) they decided that Four Corners should--and would-continue. The Birds partnered with John Oakes, CEO of Freeze Management, to buy the rally’s intellectual property and Four Corners was back!

“For the past couple years under our management we have been focused on creating events and activities across the region for riders to enjoy,” says Oakes.

Those activities include family-friendly events and an emphasis on riding to feature the region’s stellar scenery and roads.

The Purgatory Ski Resort was home to Wheelie Pig’s Hill Climb Challenge, a flat-out spectacle that stopped everyone in their tracks.

As one of the event locations, the Drag Specialties dealership has served as something of a hub for the rally. This year, Durango Harley hosted live music, bike shows by V-Twin Visionary and Cycle Source magazine, and top-name vendors the likes of Bassani, Burly Brand, Progressive Suspension and Saddlemen.

The store’s Drag Specialties sales rep was on hand during the rally to showcase products from such vendors as Custom Dynamics, Klock Werks, Nelson-Rigg, and Legend Suspension. In fact, many rally-goers purchased the products on site and had them installed by the continued on page 12...

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ALL CURVES LEAD TO CRUISETEC. THE NEW CRUISETEC™. PERFORMANCE PERFECTED. The new performance-oriented tire for V-Twins, designed to upgrade the handling of older and newer motorcycles, featuring remarkable grip in dry and wet conditions, ground-breaking performance consistency and stability features. Discover more on metzeler.com ™

AND

NEWS EVENTS ...continued from page 10

dealership’s service department. “We focused on products that could be installed quickly,” says Newell. “Free installation gives people a reason to buy at the rally. I’d tell riders, ‘Let’s make your ride home a lot better than the ride here.’”

Saturday’s Hooligan Dirt Dash races, held at the nearby county fairgrounds, featured support from Biltwell, Fueling and K&N. Loosely structured, it was highlighted by zany shenanigans (a footrace in inflatable T-rex costumes?) and a flat-out-fun attitude. All bikes were welcome, and classes were determined by engine size and rider skill – or lack thereof.

After a burrito breakfast and a tribal blessing on Sunday morning, riders took a parade lap around town then headed to Purgatory Ski Resort for Wheelie Pig’s Hill Climb Challenge, a spirited scramble held under the chair lifts with antics aplenty. In fact, the racers stopped the show at Purgatory that day. Biker or not, spectators cheered and groaned as bikes crested the hill or rolled back down.

This custom Buell rolled in to join the women’s ride from Sky Ute to Downtown Durango - them promptly won first place in the bike show.

All weekend long, the block party off Main Street buzzed with music, meet-ups, custom bikes and daily happy hours, with beer sales benefiting ‘Building Homes for Heroes’. The non-profit organization builds or modifies homes and then gifts them, mortgage free, to veterans and their families.

Continuous action at Sky Ute Casino Resort featured Indian and Harley-Davidson demo rides, Ride Like A Pro demonstrations, Speed Kings stunt shows, and a concert Saturday night by Great White and Slaughter. Organizers also gave away two motorcycles – a 2019 Street Glide with custom paint by Taylor Schultz, and a 2019 Fat Bob customized by Speed-Kings Cycles.

The Four Corners Rally attracted riders from all over the western U.S.

Additionally there was a veteran’s ride that benefitted the Durango Elks Lodge, a women’s ride and show called Dames in Durango, and a self-guided Poker Chip Run that included stops at all five venues. The latter encouraged back-road riding on routes as stunning and famous as the Million Dollar Highway with its nail-biting switchbacks and stellar mountain vistas. The section between Silverton and Ouray is a must!

Plans are already underway for the 2020 rally, and the organizers report that they have developed a 20-year plan. “The growth and expansion is going to continue for years to come,” says Oakes. The future looks bright for the Four Corners Rally. ■

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From left, Mindi Cherry of Las Vegas Bikefest and New York Myke Shelby of San Diego Harley-Davidson with Durango Harley-Davidson owners Trevor and Catie Bird.

DECEMBER 2019

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SuperStreet 2:1 Exhaust made for your HD Softail ®

Made in the USA • sscycle.com • @sscycle Disclaimer: Exempt from emissions tampering regulations under CARB EO# K-010-5 for all 2018-2019 Softail Models.

Fitments now available for HD Fat Boy , FXDR & Breakout ®

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AND

NEWS EVENTS Times are tight, Space is limited & Less is more.

Badlands Illuminator™ (RUNBRAKE-TURN with LEQ™) modules are the ONLY modules the industry that offer run, brake and turn signal functions with a built-in Load Equalizer! That’s an all-in-one module, plug-n-play and a LIFETIME WARRANTY! So save your money & some space under your seat using the “originals” since 1990.

NAMZ Custom Cycle Products

Briar Bauman Crowned AFT Grand National Champion!

Drag Specialties/Parts Unlimited/Indian rider Briar Bauman clinched the 2019 American Flat Track Championship after a solid night of racing at the Minnesota Mile. “I don’t know if I can put words on this right now,” said an emotional Bauman. “I’ve dreamed of this my whole life. I used to have posters of Bryan [Smith] and Jared [Mees] hanging in my room growing up. And to win it … I can’t even put it into words.” Scott Hunter/American Flat Track/Scott photo

Following the race, teammate, fellow Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties/Indian rider, and two-time Champion Jared Mees and Bauman shared a dramatic two-up victory lap that brought the new Grand National Champion to tears of joy. Scott Hunter/American Flat Track/Scott photo ■

NAMZ / BADLANDS PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE USA & EUROPE FROM PARTS UNLIMITED AND DRAG SPECIALTIES.

DRAG SPECIALTIES MAGAZINE

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DECEMBER 2019

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all-weather high-performance long-lasting www.dp-brakes.com

premium clutches & rotors also available

no noise, no dust. Keep your whitewalls white.

NEWS EVENTS AND

quality cables,

trusted name OE Quality, High-Performance Black Vinyl or Stainless-Steel Braided cables — including extended lengths.

The Indian Challenger Dark Horse in Sandstone Smoke.

Indian Unveils New Challenger for 2020 BAGGER POWERED BY LIQUID-COOLED POWERPLUS ENGINE

I

ndian Motorcycle introduced its newest model, the 2020 Challenger, a fullyloaded Bagger that’s designed for performance and premium comfort.

The new bike is powered by the new Indian PowerPlus engine, a liquidcooled, 108 cubic-inch V-twin that produces 122 horsepower and 128 ft-lbs of torque. The new powertrain also features a six-speed transmission with true overdrive, assist clutch to reduce clutch effort, and hydraulic valve lash adjusters and camshaft chain tensioners for low maintenance and reliability.

Riders can customize the bike’s throttle mapping by selecting one of three ride modes, including Rain, Standard and Sport. Each ride mode has been engineered with its own distinct traction control setting to align with each mode’s specific throttle mapping.

The bike’s modern and aggressively styled chassis-mounted fairing sits over the Challenger’s inverted front suspension. This, combined with the bike’s lightweight cast aluminum frame and hydraulically adjustable rear shock, delivers great handling and stability.

See your Drag Specialties sales rep for more information

dragspecialties.com | #SINCE1968

Race-spec radially-mounted Brembo brakes provide fierce stopping power, and new performance touring Metzeler Cruisetec tires offer great traction.

The Indian Challenger comes in three variants, the Challenger, Challenger Dark Horse and Challenger Limited. ■

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Indian Motorcycle’s new liquid-cooled Bagger is available in three models – the Challenger, the Challenger Dark Horse and the Challenger Limited.

E V E N T

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NCH U A L N O SEAS

W

hile the fall Drag Specialties NVP always buzzes with excitement over the huge lineup of hot new products, lucrative show programs and the promise of future sales, this year’s preview of the coming season was absolutely crackling with energy.

You see, for the first time ever Drag Specialties, Parts Unlimited and Parts Canada teamed up to present the 2019 North American NVP Expo and the end results smashed all expectations.

Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited saw their largest Madison-based expo ever with a 25 percent increase in dealer attendance, while the addition of Canadian dealers pumped those numbers up to an overall increase in dealer attendance of 38 percent.

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A year ago, LeMans Corporation’s Vice president of Sales and Marketing Jeff Derge used the phrase, “Spring starts today” to describe the Expo. This year proved that dealers were primed to jump in on the action and get a leg up on the competition by getting detailed information about new products and sales programs available when the 2020 season officially kicks off.

“The first ever North American NVP exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Derge said. “Thank you to all the dealers, the vendors, the Parts Unlimited / Drag Specialties Sales Team and Parts Canada for all their efforts!”

The collaborative Expo allowed vendors, dealers and sales reps from across the continent – and from two different countries – to gather for two days of intensive product

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DEALERS PREVIEW HOT NEW SELLERS, PROGRAMS FOR 2020

MADISON, WI • AUG. 24-25 Photos by Don Emde, Dennis Johnson and Todd Olson

to the staff of all three companies and to the exhibitors for a job well done!”

Highlights of the weekend included a dealer-packed Expo floor both days and a number of new vendors in attendance. Parts Canada kicked off its booking program while Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited introduced a new drop ship program.

Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited also announced the launch of two new dealer websites that provide an industry-first, an eCommerce-like shopping experience.

Attending dealers got to experience it first-hand and the sites continued to roll out to more dealers in the weeks following the show.

For the sixth year running, the Michelin Power Jam rocked Madison’s Majestic Theater as the talented musicians among the LeMans staff, Drag and Parts rep force, and vendor lineup delivered a night of great music.

One new event was the Mini-Bike Roundup presented by Icon. For this epic night, Icon gave mini-bikes to Biltwell, LA Choppers, Performance Machine, the Speed Merchant, and S&S Cycle to modify, and then compete in a series of crowd-pleasing challenges. The hijinks likely made a lasting impression on the people in downtown Madison that night.

Dennis Johnson photo

education, dealer training sessions, and invaluable face-toface socializing. They got a hands-on first look at everything from riding jackets, exhaust and brake supplies to audio equipment, helmets, touring luggage, and much more.

“When the three companies decided to combine for the first ever North American NVP, we knew it would be successful as Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited wrote the book on how to do a vendor Expo,” said James Danyluk, President of Parts Canada. “As the Expo unfolded, the massive scale of the success came clearly into view.

“Every dealer, supplier and staff member had nothing but positive comments on the Expo, and the common theme was that they all would be back for the next one. Thank you

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Of course no NVP is official without the now-legendary Saturday evening’s Meet & Greet/Bike Show. The event is always a favorite among showgoers who appreciate the chance to kick back, enjoy refreshments and the company of friends, and check out a bevy of custom bikes brought by dealers and vendors alike.

“The excitement and momentum from this successful Expo will be buzzing for a long time,” said Mike Collins, CEO of LeMans Corporation. “It shows what we can do when our companies work together. The release of the new products and incentives/programs by the vendors for the sales force and dealers are sure to bring a great Fall season. Look for more of this in the future.”

With 2020 clearly on the horizon, Drag Specialties dealers and vendors now have their sights set on the Spring NVP Product Expo as it returns to Louisville, KY at the KICC Convention Center on February 15th and 16th. Talk with your Drag rep for details on attending the show.

DECEMBER 2019

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NORTH AMERICAN NVP EXPO

You never know who you’re going to run into at the NVP. LeMans Corporation founder and chairman Fred Fox (middle left) and his wife Paula (left) pose for a photo with Drag sales rep Tony Ayala (middle right) and dealer Tanya Jun of Motorcycle Works.

Don Emde photo

22

The morning meeting before NVP begins offers reps updates on company and vendor news. This year, Drag national sales manager Jim Matchette offered kudos to the Drag Specialties Magazine cover story on brand ambassador Carey Hart.

Don Emde photo

When the NVP comes to town, everyone in Madison knows.

Todd Olson photo

Rob “Mouth of LeMans” Buydos had a chat with Drag Specialties/Parts Unlimited/ Indian rider Briar Bauman during an autograph signing on the show floor. At the time, Bauman was about a month away from clinching the 2019 American Flat Track Championship. Tod Olsen photo

Buydos also had a few words with American Flat Track rider Shayna Texter during an autograph session at the expo. The Drag Specialties/ Parts Unlimited/KTM rider has more wins than any other rider in the AFT Singles class. Dennis Johnson photo ...continued on page 24

DRAG SPECIALTIES MAGAZINE

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Low-Profile Solo Seat FOR FL MODELS

• Seat covers the two seat fender studs for a low, clean look • EZ-ON Mount system requires no tools for taking seat on and off • Molded polyurethane foam interior for maximum comfort and styling

seats.dragspecialties.com Manufactured by Drag Specialties in the U.S.A.

• Available in Double diamond stitch with black or silver thread • Additional coverings, thread colors and stitch patterns are available through our custom seat program

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NORTH AMERICAN NVP EXPO ...continued from page 22

24

Michael Golding (left) from Holley was on hand over the weekend to showcase the company’s range of performance brands. Dealer Wayne Foster (right) stopped in to get all the details. Dennis Johnson photo

From left: Drag Specialties sales reps Bryon Smith, James “Woody” Wood, dealer Frank Sanchez Jr., and Drag rep Jason Rayburn check out the new audio products from KICKER Audio. Dennis Johnson photo

Nelson-Rigg’s Deb Drinan (left) details the company’s new luggage lineup for Parts Canada district sales managers Rob Berg (middle) and Mark Rudd (right).

Dennis Johnson photo

The LeMans Corporation’s Digital Services team had stations set up where dealers and vendors could stop by to learn more about the new Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited dealer website. Dennis Johnson photo

Doug Hill of AFX showcased the company’s new FX-60 Super Cruise ¾ helmet, which features a visor that’s tough enough to stop a 22-caliber projectile. Don Emde photo

The Icon booth is always a hub of activity. Not only did the brand’s team of product specialists have a whole host of new products to show off, it also featured a tricked out pinball machine and other unique show-related goodies. Don Emde photo

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MADISON, WI • AUG. 24-25

Prior to the opening of the show, Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited sales reps received intensive training on ins and outs of the new dealer websites.

The LeMans Digital Services team was on hand to help outline the new e-Commerce-like ordering experience.

Todd Olson photos

New to the Drag Specialties portfolio of products, Liqui-Moly had its range of chemicals and lubricants on display at the NVP. Here Eric Rastaad (left) and his son Lane (middle) get the scoop from Liqui-Moly’s Vinny Russo. Todd Olson photo

Icon always has interesting new ways of marketing new products. For the NVP, the brand’s team brought in a pinball machine with a graphic theme styled after its Pleasuredome3 helmet. Todd Olson photo

Dealer Ryan Cost of Synergy Motoworks (middle) was the lucky winner of the raffle for a free trip to the Drag Specialties Dealer Ride in Tucson, AZ. Parts Unlimited national sales manager Mike Faulkner (left) and Drag national sales manager Jim Matchette were there to congratulate him. Todd Olson photo

Drag Specialties reps Hans Mossner (left) and Bob Dell check out the latest grip lineup at Avon Grips. Todd Olson photo

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NORTH AMERICAN NVP EXPO

It’s a family affair at the Dakota Digital booth. Back, from left; Josh Kobernusz, Sasha Werst, April Zerby and Conner Ray. Front, from left: Emilee Werst, Breanna Reinhart, Isabell Reinhart and Ashley Kobernusz. Dennis Johnson photo

Dealer Zak Munn from Classy Chassis & Cycles in Ontario, Canada, checks out the new headlight options from Custom Dynamics. Todd Olson photo

A regular feature of the NVP is in-depth product training sessions held by key vendors. The presentations offer a deep dive into the features and benefits of new parts and apparel. Presenting vendors included Jesse Jurrens from Legend Suspensions (top), Paul Devine and David Zemla from S&S Cycle and Joe Gross from KICKER Audio (bottom). Todd Olson photos

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From the moment the doors opened, the aisles and booths inside the Monona Terrace convention space were packed with dealers. They were eager to get a hands-on look at all the exciting new products that will have cash registers ringing when the coming selling season opens. Todd Olson photo ...continued on page 28

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Make Your Mark.

Cafe Fairing on Nick Reynolds’ (of @grimcompany) Dyna Low Rider.

MADE IN MEMPHIS | #ShadyMark

memphisshades.com

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2019 MEET & GREET/BIKE SHOW

Princesses are especially welcome at the Meet & Greet/Bike Show. Brianna Foster was at the event with her dad, Brian Foster from Performance Cycle II in Crown Point, IN. Don Emde photo

Owned by the Stein family, and normally on display at the NHRA Museum in southern California, this Top Gas Drag Bike was a Bike Show favorite. Built

by Byron Hines and ridden by Terry Vance, the bike started as a Honda CB750 and was morphed into a dual-engine championship machine. It was the first 8-second motorcycle on gasoline, and the winner of 22 out of 23 races entered.

Don Emde photo

...continued from page 26

The Monona Terrace Rooftop Deck was packed with showgoers, offering just a glimpse of how big the crowds were at this NVP thanks to the combined Parts Canada, Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties dealer and sales forces, and attending vendors. Todd Olson photo

As always, the trusty trio from Drag Specialties Magazine was on hand at the Meet & Greet/Bike Show. From left: production manager Jen Rose; publisher/ editor-in-chief Don Emde; and editor Dennis Johnson. Todd Olson photos

Overlooking fabulous Lake Monona, the Monona Terrace Rooftop Deck came alive with the Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties/ Parts Canada Meet & Greet/ Bike Show. Don Emde photo

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MONONA TERRACE ROOFTOP DECK

The collective Parts Canada team. Front row from left: Todd Shyiak, Jason Edmondson, Brendan Walsh, Chris Monette, Wade Claypool, Mitch Rathje, and Todd Emery.

Second and third row, alternating front to back: Mike Logan, Brandon Smith, Fecares Nitura (black shirt), Mike Falconer, John Courtney, John McFarlan, Kal Dietz, Rob Goth, Steve Bryant, Pascal Houde, Dave Chamberlain, Marc Leenders-VP of Sales (black shirt), James Danyluk-General Manager (black shirt), JF Ethier, Francois Methot, Sebastien Belisle, Rob Berg, David Cantin, Stephan Levac, Chantel Berkley (black shirt) Alex Belley, Keith Lazell, Laura Lenko-Graham (black shirt), Mark Rudd, and Jake Alkins. Todd Olson photo

V-TWIN PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

That 2019 custom Panhead took home the V-twin People’s Choice Awards. From left: Parts rep Adam Roth, Drag Specialties national sales manager Jim Matchette celebrate with the bike’s builders, Keith and Chuck Wilkins of Eastwood Bikes and Rods, along with Parts rep Kevin Hill. Todd Olson photo

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The other winner of the V-twin People’s Choice Award was Kyle Bertsch (center), of Memphis Shades, who build this ripping 2017 HarleyDavidson Road King. Drag Specialties national sales manager Jim Matchette (left) and Drag regional sales manager Rob Bluma (right) present him with the award. Todd Olson photo

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E V E N T

R E P O R T

MICHELIN NVP POWER JAM — MAJESTIC THEATER, DOWNTOWN MADISON

Master of ceremonies, Drag rep and regular Power Jam lead vocalist Benny Harwell (center) encourages a round of applause for the event’s founder and annual champion, Michelin’s Eric Miller (left). Dennis Johnson photo

Saddlemen product specialist Alex Fidram showing his guitar chops up on stage at the Majestic. Dennis Johnson photo

The Michelin NVP Power Jam is an open stage so there’s no telling the talent that chooses to step up to the stage. LeMans Corporation digital art director Bri Dederich took her solo shot to the acclaim of the crowd. Dennis Johnson photo

After showcasing a powerhouse version of Radiohead’s Creep in 2018, Icon’s own Kurt Walter returned in 2019 for an encore version of the song. Once again, he brought the house down. Dennis Johnson photo

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A cornerstone of the NVP Power Jam de facto backing band, Drag Specialties sales rep Dave Jengo is a masterful guitar player and a powerful singer. Dennis Johnson photo

DECEMBER 2019

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ICON MINI-BIKE ROUNDUP – DOWNTOWN MADISON

Contrary to what the pictures may indicate, or what the crowd might have witnessed, there were no injuries at the Icon Mini-Bike Roundup. Todd Olson photos

The starting line. Dennis Johnson photo

The team from S&S Cycle took home the evening’s grand prize – bragging rights, the respect of all entrants, and pleasure of knowing they had a rip-roaring good time.

From left: David Zemla, Paul Devine, Mike Maloney, and Drag sales rep Mike Coury.

Todd Olson photo

Participants in the Icon Mini-Bike Roundup kept the audience thoroughly entertained with a full round of two-wheeled hijinks, and the crowd returned the favor with accolades aplenty. Icon’s Kat Foster and Slyfox founder Alex Fox lead the way. Todd Olson photo

The rules of the Icon Mini-Bike Roundup were as nebulous as the grand prize – ride, have fun, keep the rubber side down, and be sure to launch some sick wheelies and smoky burnouts. Todd Olson photos ■

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

TIRES

Command Performance

Improving on a Classic Cruiser Tire Michelin announced the Commander III tire at Biketoberfest in Daytona, the perfect setting for introducing a V-twin Cruiser and Touring tire.

The tire is the next evolutionary step for its venerated Commander line.

M

ichelin announced its newest tire at Biketoberfest in Daytona, the perfect setting for introducing a V-twin Cruiser and Touring tire. The Michelin Commander III is the next evolutionary step for its venerated Commander line, and there are both Cruiser and Touring options so that V-twin riders get just the right tire for the job.

The Commander III tire represents Michelin’s biggest motorcycle tire launch in the past three years, so it’s no wonder that the company has exciting plans for it, including being the Official Motorcycle Tire of the 2020 Daytona Bike Week. Even though the Commander III doesn’t officially launch until January 1, 2020, Michelin is already heavily promoting the tire among V-twin riders, including the launch of a referral program.

The Commander III’s history actually starts with the first-generation Commander back in 1998. That iteration was Michelin’s first cruiser tire. During those first couple

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of years, Michelin engineers collected a lot of feedback about the cruiser customer’s ideal tire. That feedback went into the Commander II, which launched in 2012. The updated tire lasted significantly longer thanks to a new rubber compound, and it was designed to increase handling and stability characteristics. Many riders reported that they logged more than 25,000 miles on a single set of tires, making the Commander II a solid choice in both the quality and economy categories.

The Commander II is still an extremely popular choice among cruiser riders. So popular, in fact, that 17 of the current 33 sizes will still be available in 2020, despite the debut of its successor.

Those same characteristics that defined the Commander II have been improved for the Commander III, and the two distinct lines – Cruiser and Touring – mean that riders can get a tire specifically tailored to their style of riding.

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TIRE AMBASSADORS WANTED Dealers should let their customers know that Michelin is already encouraging riders to order a set of Commander III tires by offering the chance to become a Commander III tire ambassador.

Customers who sign up for the program will receive a unique “Commander ID” and the chance to receive a $50 rebate by mail with the purchase of a set of the new tires by February 29, 2020.

Where the role of ambassador really comes into play is in the next step – for every five referrals that result in the purchase of a set of tires, the ambassador will earn an additional $100.

That offer is valid for up to 25 referrals for a total rebate offer of $500. Dealers can encourage customers to sign up as an ambassador and help spread the word about the Commander III. Get the complete details on the program from your Drag Specialties sales rep.

MICHELIN

The Michelin Commander III Cruiser tire is designed to deliver even more wet grip and durability than its predecessor.

Handling and longevity are all also optimized for all-around premium performance.

The Michelin Commander III Cruiser tire is designed to deliver even more wet grip and durability than its predecessor, making it a stable platform even in bad weather. Meanwhile, the Commander III Touring tire also boasts enhanced wet grip, and its new tread compounds provide the longevity that Touring riders require.

Distinctive tread patterns for both versions of the tire plus patented velvet sidewall styling give the Commander III a unique but timeless look that is designed to enhance a V-twin motorcycle.

All of the features of the Commander III tire line are held to the Michelin Total Performance standard, which means features like wet grip, handling and longevity are all optimized for all-around premium performance. The result is an extremely well-balanced tire that customers can rely on in all seasons.

While Michelin might have been relatively late to the cruiser game (for a company that started producing motorcycle tires in 1897, 1998 certainly qualifies as “late”) it has made up for lost time. Back in 2007, Michelin collaborated with Harley-Davidson to produce its first co-developed and co-branded tire in its entire portfolio. That tire was the Michelin Scorcher tire line for Harley-Davidson. Today, the Scorcher tire is OE on nearly half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The Commander III Touring tire also boasts enhanced wet grip, and its new tread compounds provide the longevity that Touring riders require.

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Being able to claim “first” for something is nothing new to Michelin. The company is also credited with introducing the first radial motorcycle tire, the first dual compound tire, the first motorcycle tire casing with both radial and bias plies and the first motorcycle tire with sipes. ■

» Talk to your Drag rep about the Michelin Commander III tire

and how to get the word out to customers and ambassadors.

You can find all of the details about the Commander II and Commander III at https://motorcycle.michelinman.com.

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S H O W C A S E

HANDLEBARS

Bigger Is Better

Introducing the Grande Handlebar Range

The new Grande family of handlebars from LA Choppers features a range of 1½-inch diameter bars based on some of the company’s popular models such as the Twin Peaks.

I

n an age of Big Macs and Double-Doubles, big wheel Baggers both tall and wide, and iPhone screens the size of laptops, it seems like the world is constantly asking for bigger and better products.

Why should the powersports industry be any different?

Leave it up to the team at LA Choppers to deliver some big news. Introducing the newest addition to their American made product line up, the Grande family of handlebars.

This new line up is massive in both style and breadth. The Grande line consists of many different bar styles, and the Grande name indicates the new 1½-inch diameter bars now offered from LA Choppers. This adaption has been applied to some of the most popular selling 1¼-inch handlebars in the company’s lineup. The new range includes the Grande Twin Peaks, the Grande Prime Apes, and the Grande traditional ape hanger for those who don’t want points or mitered ends, but simply are looking for a beefier look to a traditional bar.

Not only has LA Choppers delivered an aesthetically pleasing product, they have also worked very hard to address some of the issues and concerns that arise when installing an oversized bar. First off, the new range does not use the stock risers on all 2015 and later HarleyDavidson Road Glides, and 2000 to present Batwing bikes.

Instead, a new cleverly designed proprietary riser kit bolts directly into the bar itself and the top clamp is internal.

This new setup provides your customers with ¾ of an inch behind the fairing cap so there is plenty of clearance for the cover and for wiring. There is access to the riser bolts from underneath the triple tree for adjustment without having to remove faring caps, thus saving precious time and labor.

Grande bars have full adjustability forward and backward thanks to slots that are laser cut into the bottom of the

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handlebar. They have also crimped the bars down to clear the fairing caps on Batwing bikes, again making sure there’s plenty of room and zero contact.

The Grande handlebars feature a proprietary riser kit that bolts directly onto the bar itself.

The bars can be adjusted forwards and backwards thanks to slots laser-cut into the bottom of the bars.

The Grande line up is also offered for the rest of the Harley-Davidson family and custom applications, but will require a separate purchase of a 1½-inch riser kit – the likes of which you’ll find in the FatBook and the OldBook.

Check those catalogs for the fitments that will work with your customers’ bikes.

When it comes to handlebars, the team at LA Choppers not only have your customers’ needs and expectations in mind, it also puts plenty of thought and consideration into the selling and installation of the company’s products. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties rep for details and get more information at www.lachoppers.com.

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1-½" GRANDE PRIME APE H A N D L E B A R S

COMFORT

14" GRANDE PRIME APE Gloss Black: #0601-5074 Chrome: #0601-5073

STYLE

SUPPORT

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

AUDIO EQUIPMENT

Boomin’ Bags

Saddlebag Audio Upgrades

KICKER Audio’s saddlebag lid 6x9 speaker kits are designed to provide rich, full sound that’s strong enough to push through the strongest wind and road noise.

resin blend that provides high-impact strength with minimal paint prep. Easy installation allows you to re-use all the OE hinges, latches, and tethers. Simply mount the speaker, then transfer the hinge and latch hardware from the old saddlebag lid.

s the air cools and the days get shorter, many of your customers will be hanging up their leather jackets and parking their Harley-Davidsons in the garage for the winter. These upcoming cold months are a drag as far as cruising time goes, but on the upside they provide your clients with ample time to wrench on their rides.

A

A water-tight gasket seals the speaker pocket from the elements, keeping the inside of your saddlebag dry while a small drainage channel keeps water from pooling around the speaker. The 6x9 speakers mount on top of the plastic shelf, which supports the speaker frame and eliminates mounting failures. KICKER engineers angled the shelf slightly forward to direct sound toward both rider and passenger for the full audio experience.

Oil changes, tire changes, and careful detailing are likely on the docket, but why not suggest a project that’s sure to make the next riding season the most enjoyable one yet?

And by that we’re talking about upgrading their Harley’s saddlebag lids with a 6x9 speaker kit from KICKER.

The KICKER bag-lid kit comes in two configurations. You can get it as a set of standalone lids (p/n 4405-0590) with speaker cutouts for a build-your-own setup, or as a fully loaded kit (p/m 4405-0589) that comes with KICKER’s own 2-Ohm, weather-resistant 6x9 coaxial speakers.

With a pair of 6x9 coaxial speakers pumping music from your customer’s saddlebags, their springtime rides will be accompanied by rich, full sound that’s strong enough to push through the loudest wind and road noise. Listening to good tunes is a tried-and-true way of making any ride more satisfying, and with KICKER’s kit the upgrade is easy and the outcome is so clean that it looks like it was designed in Milwaukee.

Opting for the fully loaded kit means the bag lids are equipped with speakers from an experienced and dedicated audio company. KICKER’s rugged PS69 6x9 speakers are built to last and offer great volume and clarity by way of heavy-duty ceramic magnets and titanium tweeters. The whole package is sealed and weatherproofed to withstand rain, fog and regular bike washes. ■

Designed for the 2014 through 2020 Harley-Davidsons, KICKER saddlebag speaker lids are made from an ABS

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» KICKER also has a range of premium amplifiers, fairing speakers and plug-and-play wiring harnesses. For more details, talk with your Drag Specialties rep and check out www.kicker.com.

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PHOTOS by Not Stock Photography

©2019 STILLWATER DESIGNS

LIVIN’ LOUD

KICKER Audio is factory tuned to enjoy loudly and clearly over wind and road noise.

Ask your rep about award-winning Plug-and-Play Upgrade Kits.

@kickeraudio #kickeraudio #livinloud kicker.com

LED LIGHTING

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

Lighting Up Luggage LED Products for Tour-Paks

C

ustom Dynamics wants riders to get noticed, whether they are coming or going. For HarleyDavidson Touring riders, that means Custom Dynamics has plenty of LED lighting solutions that are designed to fit exclusively on a Tour-Pak. The list of available Tour-Pak LED lighting products has recently grown with the addition of ProBEAM® Tour-Pak arms, High Mount Tour-Pak lights and a range of quick disconnect harnesses.

The ProBEAM run, brake and turn LED Tour-Pak arms are more than just a running light. The Tour-Pak arms are available in two fitments, including 2006-2013 models and 2014 and newer models. The Tour-Pak arms are a direct plug-and-play replacement for the OEM arms. The lighting is courtesy of 26 super bright red LEDs on each arm, so a bike is even more visible from the side.

By using high-quality automotive LEDs, combined with modern design, Custom Dynamics is able to both enhance the look and visibility of a bike, while also giving the rider a long-lasting premium lighting solution. The LEDs are sealed behind the customer’s choice of a smoked or red lens. Custom Dynamics also offers ProBEAM run and brake LED Tour-Pak arms for 2006-2013 models.

For customers looking to add some lighting to their King or Chopped style Tour-Pak on their 2014 or newer Touring bike, the High Mount Tour-Pak LED light adds both style and visibility to the rear of the Tour-Pak. There are 32 LEDs in total for run and brake lights, which means there are 16 LEDs illuminated in sync with the turn signal for most models. The High Mount Tour-Pak LED light gets extra style points with a chrome or gloss black frame and the choice of a red or smoked lens.

Custom Dynamics’ ProBEAM Tour-Pak arms provide extra bright LED lighting that can also function as running, brake and turn signal lights.

The unit comes pre-taped so that it easily adheres to the top of the King and Chopped Tour-Paks. A plug-and-play wiring harness is included, too, to make installation even simpler.

Like all Custom Dynamics lighting products, these new additions include the company’s Lifetime LED warranty.

Custom Dynamics also has a range of new Tour-Pak quick disconnects for a variety of Harley touring models. In all, there are five new fitments available. The plug-and-play wiring harnesses have an easily-accessible connector so that removing a Tour-Pak is as painless as ever, even with the additional lights. ■

» Learn more about Custom Dynamics and its Tour-Pak LED lighting products by talking with your Drag Rep, and read more at www.customdynamics.com.

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Thanks to the new range of plug-and-playquick connect harnesses from Custom Dynamics, your customers can quickly and easily remove their Tour-Paks.

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Everything to Light Up Your Ride!®

ProBEAM® Bagz ProBEAM® Rear Turn Signals

ProBEAM® Fillerz® Vector 3d Logo on Black

ProBEAM® LED Tri-Bar ProBEAM® Taillight ProBEAM® Fender Tip

ProBEAM® Headlight & Passing Lamps

ProBEAM Front Turn Signals ®

www.customdynamics.com Youngsville, NC 27596 . Toll-Free: 1.800.382.1388 Phone: 919.554.0949 . Fax: 919.882.9611

ProBEAM® Front Turn Signals

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

COMPANY PROFILE & PRODUCTS

Designed to Perform Form Meets Function

company Doug founded in 1993. “We were at a trade show,” he explains, “and some of the Harley design team got a look at what we were doing.”

Long story short, they were impressed enough with those CycleSmiths parts that an offer to work alongside Willie G. was forthcoming, an offer too enticing to pass up. “Especially,” Doug explains, “because we simply didn’t have the capacity at CycleSmiths to produce all the designs we were coming up with.”

So, assured that CycleSmiths could continue to deliver everything in its lineup by turning the day-to-day operation of this small, but innovative company, over to his father, Doug uprooted his family from their Southern California home and moved to Milwaukee.

He was immediately put in charge of styling the Touring platform while advising and assisting the styling team with all projects including the CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations). Much of the Rushmore Bike designs are his along with many other aspects of HarleyDavidson style as we see it today. “While I always tried to add visual interest to the bikes, at the same time I’d bring function into the equation,” he says. “A look, I believe, has to add something more than just that. There has to be function, as well, whether it be comfort, utility or both.”

CycleSmiths’ 1¼-inch Premium Apes handlebars are available in 13-inch and 16-inch heights, in a choice of black or chrome.

“Y

ou might already be riding a CycleSmiths bike and not even know it,” says CycleSmiths’ Doug Clarkson and he’s 100 percent correct, even though the HarleyDavidsons he’s talking about might not have a single CycleSmiths-branded part on them.

None of the big, 1¼-inch CycleSmiths handlebars, no CycleSmiths Banana Board floorboards, not even a pair of the CycleSmiths billet-aluminum Saddlebag Extensions.

With none of that onboard, the bike still bone-stock, there’s a better than good chance it’s still a CycleSmiths bike.

Confused? You won’t be. See, from 2000 through 2008 Doug Clarkson was a head designer of Harley-Davidson models for the Motor Company. That 8-year stint in Milwaukee came about because of CycleSmiths, a

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All of this could be predicted. A graduate of the famed ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Doug began his career doing contract work for Metalcrafters and other heavyweights designing the prototype, concept and show cars for the likes of Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz and other automotive giants.

One of those clients was asked to design some motorcycle aftermarket accessories, brake calipers and rotors, and for that it turned to Doug. “It was an interesting change of pace,” he says. More than that, it also sparked a new company of his own – CycleSmiths – the name chosen to harken back to timeless craftsmanship and style.

Back in the early 1990s, Doug didn’t see too many products in the motorcycle aftermarket that he thought were all that interesting looking. For instance, many brake rotors at the time were always just round on their circumference, maybe with some holes drilled into them, but that would be it. The rotors Doug came up with were entirely different, the stylized shape of their hubs continued through the braking area so the circumference was no longer round.

Sensing an opportunity here, Doug began working up some motorcycle accessories of his own, and casting

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CYCLESMITHS

The Cyclesmiths brand is well known for its Banana Board floorboards, and matching shifter pegs and foot pegs.

them, not cutting them out CNC-style. CycleSmiths fender struts and control levers came first, quickly followed by handlebars with a marked difference. He recalls that most aftermarket handlebars were all 1-inch in diameter, a look he thought too small for a Harley-Davidson.

In response came the big, 1¼-inch CycleSmiths handlebars, which Doug claims were the first in the market at that size. And every one was designed to be just as comfortable and functional, as it was good looking.

“Our focus has always been exactly that, to develop accessories that function as well as they look,” he says. For an example, he points to those big, 1¼-inch handlebars, and all the other CycleSmiths styles and heights that are in the current FatBook and OldBook.

If those handlebars can’t be comfortable for the rider, CycleSmiths isn’t interested in producing them. The same holds true for the popular CycleSmiths Banana Boards, including the new ones with gold-anodized trim. Those signature CycleSmiths floorboards are curved and shaped just as much for added ground clearance and rider comfort as they are for their flowing style. It’s form with function. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep for details and get more information at www.cyclesmiths.com.

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CycleSmiths founder Doug Clarkson designed his first 1¼-inch handlebars so that they not only stood out in the V-twin aftermarket, but were also comfortable, functional and good looking.

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Inspired Performance From IndyCar to Bagger Parts

Stan, brother of LeMans Corporation Founder and Chairman Fred Fox, made eight career starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of seventh in 1987. Stan was also a standout in USAC Midget Car racing, racking up more than 60 wins and earning a spot in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

A terrible crash in the first turn of the 1995 Indy 500 sent Stan into the wall. The car broke into pieces, but thankfully the carbon fiber tub of the driver’s cockpit held together. The g-forces he incurred exceeded what many engineers previously thought possible for survival, but he did and months later was released from the hospital and returned to his home in Janesville, WI. Tragically, Stan was killed five years later in a street car accident while visiting friends in New Zealand.

Alex Fox’s father, Stan Fox, was a standout in the USAC Midget Car racing, racking up more than 60 wins and earning a spot in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1995. Just as it is with Alex’s personal bikes, that #9 was front-and-center as Stan’s Midget racing number. © John Mahoney photo

Alex had grown up in his father’s world of performance and speed, attending races with him at their home track in Sun Prairie, WI.

I

ndyCar chassis are constructed out of aerospace-grade carbon fiber, just like the carbon fiber parts from new brand Slyfox. Making a connection between auto racing and Bagger parts might seem unusual, but the two are intrinsically connected for Slyfox owner Alex Fox. Alex’s father, Stan Fox, was a driver at the top level of car racing in the 1980s and ‘90s, when carbon fiber replaced steel tubing to protect drivers running inches away from cement walls at over 200 miles per hour. Carbon fiber is strong, but also lightweight.

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SLYFOX

Stan Fox made eight career starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of seventh in 1987. Inspired by his dad, Alex Fox had performance in mind when he started Slyfox, saying “He was really focused on making sure the cars he drove were the highest quality, and I’m doing the same thing with my brand.” © John Mahoney photo

Alex was also at a few Indy 500s to cheer on his dad, whose lasting legacy included a passion for performance.

Inspired by his dad, Alex also had performance in mind when he started Slyfox. Alex recalled, “He was very talented behind the steering wheel, and because of that he was able to achieve the highest level of racing by going to the Indy 500. He was really focused on making sure the cars he drove were the highest quality, and I’m doing the same thing with my brand.”

Slyfox’s carbon fiber front and rear fenders, side panels and saddlebag lids for 2014 and up Baggers use both premium materials as well as high-quality manufacturing processes. The parts are made from pre-impregnated carbon fiber that is both mil-spec and aerospace grade.

Slyfox ensures that the autoclaving process is meticulously executed to ensure consistent premium parts.

Alex Fox draws a distinct line between his Slyfox product line and his father Stan’s racing career. In addition to his IndyCar career, the older Fox made his #9 car famous with such feats as winning the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1990 the last time it was held at Ascot Park. Scott Daloisio photo

“The Performance Bagger scene is emerging, but Baggers are heavy,” Alex says. “Carbon fiber helps cut weight, but keeps it stylish at the same time.” In other words, carbon fiber was the perfect fit for Slyfox’s mission to make parts that reduce weight, perform well and look good, all at the same time. ■

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» Learn more about Slyfox and its new line of performance Bagger components, including carbon fiber parts and an aluminum top tree, by chatting with your Drag rep, and by visiting www.slyfoxperformance.com.

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

TUNING EQUIPMENT

FP3 and the Fuelpak Pro

Custom Tuning for Harley-Davidsons well, performance for virtually any engine upgrade can be precisely dialed-in for maximum performance from idle to full-throttle. Vance & Hines has the equipment for all of that and more with the Fuelpak Pro and the Fuelpak FP3.

The Fuelpak FP3 puts those custom-tuning capabilities right into a DIY customer’s hands, literally by wirelessly linking all those tuning controls to a smartphone. For a pro tuning shop, with or without access to a dynamometer, Fuelpak Pro opens up a whole new range of tuning possibilities. Using wide-band Bosch sensors, Fuelpak Pro not only maximizes the performance potential and efficiency of a custom tune, it dramatically speeds up that work to maximize service-flow and profits.

With Vance & Hines’ Fuelpak FP3 installed, your customers can use the AutoTune function to tune their bikes while they ride after installing new exhausts or air intakes.

T

he merits of re-mapping a Harley-Davidson’s ECM are well known. Stage 1 setups including free-flowing intakes and exhausts truly deliver their wake-up call when fuel flow and ignition timing is precisely matched to those new additions.

And, when custom mapping is taken to the next level by a pro-tuner armed with super-powerful tuning equipment,

For DIY customers looking to maximize the potential of their new intake and exhaust additions, the Fuelpak FP3 from Vance & Hines offers a quickly-installed, easyto-use solution. Plugged into the HD/LAN interface and connected via Bluetooth to either an iPhone or Android smartphone, Fuelpak FP3 allows custom tuning set-ups to be quickly downloaded and deliver the new engine-management program required. These are maps dyno-developed by Vance & Hines to cover virtually all intake and exhaust possibilities.

The Fuelpak FP3 also allows customers to access many of their bike’s ECM tuning tables on their own, and custom adjust for an even greater degree of tuning precision. The adjustment possibilities include VE and target air/fuel ratio tables, acceleration enrichment, decel adjustments, idle rpm and rev-limits. There’s also an AutoTune function

Aimed at the professional tuner, the Fuelpak Pro Wideband Tuning Kit can be used with or without a dynamometer, and features all the tools needed to tune any combination of performance parts and engine upgrades.

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VANCE & HINES

Once connected to a bike, the Fuelpak FP3 is an easy-to-use solution for custom tuning set-ups and complete engine management. All of this can be done via Bluetooth and an iPhone or Android smartphone.

that uses the OE sensors. Fuelpak FP3 can also read and clear diagnostic trouble codes.

Your customers can also leave the Fuelpak FP3 module plugged in to display live data for speed, rpm, cylinder head temperature, voltage, gear selection, fuel economy, horsepower and torque output and more on a smartphone. Given all this, Fuelpak FP3 should be an easy up-sale to any performance intake or exhaust package and there are models available covering all applicable fuel-injected Harleys.

Then there’s Fuelpak Pro, which is aimed at the professional tuner. The Fuelpak Pro Wideband Tuning Kit includes a pair of Bosch 18mm wideband oxygen sensors and a control module that’s installed in-line between an FP3 and a motorcycle. A powerful evolution of Fuelpak FP3, Fuelpak Pro gives pro tuners,

with or without a dynamometer, all the tools needed to tune for any combination of performance parts and engine upgrades.

This includes everything from simple Stage 1 packages to full-performance bikes with big-bore cylinders, highcompression pistons, high-lift/long-duration cams, ported/ big-valve heads and all the rest can be custom tuned quickly and easily. Fuelpak Pro is able to collect up to eight times the data with extreme accuracy, and full custom-mapping sessions can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.

The tuning possibilities are virtually unlimited – target air/fuel ratio tables can be edited, front and rear cylinder volumetric efficiency tables can be analyzed and adjusted, front and rear cylinder spark advance can be adjusted, performance-enrichment tables can be manipulated, throttle-blade control tables are adjustable and on it goes.

Utilizing step test intervals every 250 rpm, and Sweep Tests starting at 1,500 rpm a bike, typically, can be brought into perfect tune with just one or two Fuelpak Pro AutoTune sessions.

Since Fuelpak Pro doesn’t marry itself to any one bike it can be used again and again. And, dealers/tuners can upload and save any custom map created to their own account on the Vance & Hines Fuelpak Pro cloud-based server where it can be edited, shared, or modified to offer remote assistance to customers far from home.

Additionally, shops can save even more tuning time by pre-creating maps for their most common engine builds or parts combinations, keeping them ready to flash into any FP3-equipped motorcycle when needed. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep for details,

and visit www.vanceandhines.com for detailed stepby-step set-up instructions, and all the information for dealer registration and cloud-based accounts.

DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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LUBRICANTS

Purpose-Built Performance V-Twin-Specific Oils and Lubricants

Bel-Ray’s range of oils and lubricants are specifically formulated for V-twin engines and transmissions.

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repping a motorcycle often requires very specific tools, and what goes inside the bike should be specific, too. Bel-Ray has oils and lubricants designed exclusively for modern Harley-Davidson models.

The American-made products include full-synthetic V-twin oil as well as compartment-specific products like Big Twin Transmission Oil and V-Twin Primary Chaincase Lubricant. By taking advantage of oils and lubricants made for a very defined purpose and style of bike, the engine is better able to meet its full potential.

The V-twin Synthetic oil is a premium choice for air-cooled Harley engines. The 10W-50 synthetic oil is combined with high-performance additives to provide reliable viscosity, engine component protection and optimal operation.

Exclusive Bel-Ray anti-wear chemistry reduces valve train wear and keeps pistons and rings from scuffing.

The synthetic base oils and additives result in a superior film strength, and Bel-Ray’s highest viscosity index means improved viscosity protection, even at high temperatures.

Exceptional shear stability also reduces viscosity loss.

Because the oil reduces friction in the engine, operating temperatures are decreased to help keep the motor cool.

And on the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, cold starts are both safe and easy.

A Harley’s transmission functions noticeably smoother and quieter with Bel-Ray’s Big Twin Transmission Oil. The improved lubrication helps reduce first-gear clunk,

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reduces or even eliminates gear whine, and helps the rider find neutral easier.

The transmission oil features Bel-Ray’s exclusive extremepressure chemistry, which protects gear components from the destructive effects of shock loading. The oil is also designed to retain its properties despite excessive wear. Oxidation protection prevents the temperatures from degrading the oil, and high-viscosity-index base oils maintain their film strength over a wide temperature range. The oil also resists viscosity breakdown caused by gear-shearing action.

The Bel-Ray V-Twin Primary Chaincase Lubricant is a specially-formulated, high-quality lubricant built specifically for the primary chaincase of all Big Twin models. It offers improved lubrication compared to motor oil and it is ideally suited to withstand high pressures.

Performance as well as clutch and chain life are improved with the V-Twin Primary Chaincase Lubricant. Exceptional friction additives, less clutch slipping and chatter, plus smoother operation in hot stop-and-go traffic are all benefits of the chaincase oil.

Both the transmission oil and the chaincase lubricant are produced in a distinctive red color to help detect any leaks. ■

» Talk to your Drag Specialties rep about the benefits of Bel-Ray’s

purpose-built oils and lubricants for Harley engine components.

Learn more about the company at www.belray.com.

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The parts department crew at Doc’s Motorcycle Parts.

From left: Leo Provancher, Mike Borelli, Keith Chausse and Dan DePaulo.

DOC’S MOTORCYCLE PARTS: ALL IN THE FAMILY

DRAG DEALER PROFILE

50 YEARS OF MOTORCYCLE PASSION

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his is a story about patriotism, and a love for family, country and motorcycles. Moreover, this story personifies the American Dream. This particular dream belongs to an enthusiast named Cosimo D’Occhio, who grew up in Waterbury, CT. As a young man D’Occhio served in the U.S. Air Force, spending most of his time stationed in Southeast Asia where he helped build airbases during the Vietnam War. Following his honorable discharge in 1968, Doc (as everyone called D’Occhio) returned to his hometown of Waterbury. Even before he finished unpacking Doc realized that he wanted – no, needed – to rekindle his passion for motorcycling.

Photos courtesy of Doc’s Motorcycle Parts

or make them himself. Thus, in 1969, was born Waterbury Cycle Specialists, a company that Doc formed to build and supply custom parts to other bikers like himself.

By 1973, the company name morphed into Doc’s Cycle Specialties before the current moniker, Doc’s Motorcycle Parts, ultimately filled the marquee. Somewhere in that timeframe Doc’s became one of Drag Specialties’ first dealers. More about that relationship later.

“I bought a 1951 BSA for $150,” recalls Doc. Shortly after that the movie Easy Rider hit the silver screen and like many other young men from his generation Doc had visions of converting his bike into a chopper.

Like many motorcycle shops from that era, Doc’s occupied a modest setting, in this case a tiny back room at his parent’s house. Eventually, as business grew, he could afford a small, but dedicated, outlet on Cherry Street in Waterbury. By 1976 he uprooted again to slightly larger digs on Meadow Street, and it was in 1998 that the good Doc moved his practice to its present location, still in Waterbury, mind you; a spacious 30,000-square-foot facility on 1625 Thomaston Avenue.

But back then, it was nearly impossible to find custom parts so Doc found himself in a situation encountered by countless riders – before and since. He needed to either forage for parts

Along the way Doc married the love of his life, Wendy, and they raised three devoted sons. They are Bill, who joined a local fire-fighting force, Matthew, who signed on to be a

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DOC’S MOTORCYCLE PARTS

Upper left: The ladies of Doc’s apparel department. From left: Juliette Johnson, Isabel Nunes, Cecilia Fernandes, Wendy D’Occhio, and Amy Ouellette.

Above right: Doc’s features more than 20 vintage restorations on display. Here is the most recent project, a 1971 Harley-Davidson Super Glide that’s being showcased in Doc’s lounge.

Bottom left: Doc, his wife Wendy and their son Mike in a shot from the 1970s.

member of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces immediately after 9-11, and Mike, who remained a member of Doc’s Motorcycle Parts. Nowadays, Mike oversees business now that Doc himself has semi-retired from day-to-day operations. All three brothers, and their father, still ride motorcycles.

If you’re getting the idea that this is a tightly knit family, you’re on the right track. It traces back to Doc’s mother taking her oh-so-delicious Italian pasta to the shop on a regular basis so that Doc’s employees could feast on it during lunch breaks or at the end of a hard workday. That tradition helped spawn an attitude at the shop that continues into Doc’s 50th year of doing business. It’s an attitude that, simply put, lumps everybody at Doc’s, from the owner to shop employees to the customers themselves, as family.

“The family aspect,” Mike points out, “is something that I’m really proud of.” And with that, lets put Mama D’Occhio’s classic family pasta dish aside for a moment to take a closer look at the business itself. Welcome to Doc’s Motorcycle Parts.

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H A R D WOR K A N D FA M I LY

Through hard work and love of family, Doc’s has grown into a do-it-all motorcycle shop. Naturally, a spacious showroom of pre-owned motorcycles for sale is what greets most customers entering through the front door.

Apparel and riding gear are reserved to their own section of the building, and for parts and accessories step this way where, if the part you need isn’t in stock, Doc’s can order it for next-day delivery from Drag Specialties.

Mike says parts acquisition is made even easier thanks to the efforts of the shop’s Drag Specialties sales rep Bill Newell, who’s been with the company for years. Adds Mike: “I’m dreading the day he retires,” meaning, of course, that Bill is an integral part of the shop’s success. You know, the way that family members can be.

Doc himself credits the success of the shop’s apparel department to his wife Wendy. She was the one who actually steered the business into that realm when, years

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“Anything an authorized dealership offers, we can do, too,” says Mike. That includes full engine and transmission service work on just about all Harley-Davidson motors.

“Ironheads, Panheads, Shovelheads, even Knuckleheads” continues Mike. “We’ll work on anything.”

E S S E N TI A L E V E N TS

DOC’S MOTORCYCLE PARTS

Semi-retired owner and founder, Doc D’Occhio (left) and his son, Mike “Doc” D’Occhio, who now runs the shop and serves as its president.

They’re shown here taking the stage during a recent custom bike show.

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Of course, it’s not all work and no play at Doc’s Motorcycle Parts. A look at the shop’s social calendar is proof of that.

“Yeah,” says Mike, “we have several annual events.” Start with three pig roasts held at various times during the year, and around July, Doc’s hosts a classic car and bike show.

August ushers in Food Truck Night, and Doc’s closes out New England’s riding season in September with Doc’s Customer Appreciation Day & Bike Show.

Indeed, Doc’s Motorcycle Parts plays an integral role with the surrounding community and all of New England, often raising money for various charities and causes. They also sponsor food drives for the homeless and needy families, and toy runs have always been among the shop’s favorite events. Mike is sure to point out that a majority of the store’s customers are military veterans and first responders.

No doubt, Doc’s Motorcycle Parts has enjoyed a colorful 50 years as one of New England’s largest motorcycle supply shops. Along the way Doc has accumulated a rather impressive collection of old bikes, many of which he restored himself. Among his most interesting restorations is the 1971 FX Superglide that he restored specifically for the shop’s 50th anniversary Customer Appreciation Night.

Each September thousands come out to Doc’s Annual Customer Appreciation Day. It’s an event that is hosted by Doc’s to say “Thank You!” to its customers, the same ones who are considered family by everyone at the business.

ago at a dealer show, she purchased about a dozen buckskin leather jackets with fringed sleeves and waistlines.

“I told her they’d never sell, and I turned out to be wrong.

They sold quickly!” Doc recalls, peppering his comments with dry humor. “So I said to her, ‘Why didn’t you buy more of them?’ I soon learned to leave her with the apparel, and I took care of the rest of the shop’s business. The apparel department has been going strong ever since.”

The shop also has a fully equipped 12,000-square-feet service department, staffed by a master technician, two head techs, and a part-time mechanic to help maintain a steady turnover of customers’ bikes for service or repair.

There’s also a dedicated paint shop, and elsewhere an enclosed garage has room to store about 70 customer bikes during New England’s long, harsh winter months.

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Technically, the restoration began years ago with the acquisition of the FX’s infamous boat tail seat/rear fender section that, as Doc explains, were often thrown away by their owners to make room for a more conventional seat.

“A guy was going to throw his bike’s seat away, but I told him that I’d take it,” recalls Doc. “I knew that one day I’d come across another FX that could use the seat in a restoration, so I held on to the boat tail section. Finally, about 20 years later I found that bike, but it sat until about a year before our 50th. Mike said that I should restore the Superglide for the shop’s 50th, and his idea sounded good to me.” Long story short, Doc and Mike began hunting down replacement parts, often times digging deep into the OldBook, and even the FatBook, for correct parts.

Doc said he was striving for at least a 99-point restoration with that old Superglide, but when you hear him describe exactly how the bike enjoyed its second coming you realize that the thrill for Doc wasn’t necessarily in the outcome, but in the build itself. But, that’s no surprise, because it was with that same level of enthusiasm that Doc even started this family-owned business 50 years ago. And through the years it could only thrive because, after all, Doc had the support of one big, big family. ■

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P R O D U C T

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WHEELS

Lightweight Performers

Assault, Revolution and Pro-Am Wheels

The lightweight Revolution wheel is also built for enhanced performance, and features a 9 spoke transitioning into 18 spoke design that is as gorgeous as it is functional.

The Assault wheel from Performance Machine has an aggressive 11-spoke design, and is built to reduce unsprung weight and rotational inertia.

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s its name has long implied, Performance Machine is offering exactly that, performance.

There’s enhanced acceleration for HarleyDavidson Touring models, drastically shortened braking distances, and quick, crisp handling response. This time it’s all coming without ever touching the engine, the suspension, or the brake setup. This all-over performance boost is coming from the switch to forged, lightweight custom wheels from Performance Machine.

Maybe you’ve already seen the five-spoke directional/ back cut Pro-Am wheels. These lightweight wheels from Performance Machine were featured in Drag Specialties Magazine issue No 5. With their Black Ops or Gold Ops textured finishes they’re hard to miss; custom style at its best.

On average, the Pro-Am wheels are two pounds lighter than any other wheel in the Performance Machine Image Series lineup. And the payoff, other than the good look, is a significant decrease in unsprung weight and rotational inertia for enhanced performance across the board. A Harley’s ride quality, acceleration, braking and handling all get a major boost with the lightweight Pro-Am wheels.

Now there are two more performance inspired designs, the new and even lighter Assault and Revolution wheels.

These latest additions to the Performance Machine Raceline forged aluminum wheel series shave a full 6

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pounds off any of the current/previous Performance Machine wheels. That’s 3½ pounds from the wheel itself, and 2½ pounds more coming from the new Raceline wheel hub set for the performance Bagger enthusiast.

It all adds up to an impressive performance-boosting weight savings, and both of these new wheels are custom lookers. The Assault has an aggressive 11-spoke design, its rim lip back cut to reduce mass at the outer area of the wheel. The lightweight Revolution wheel, 9 spoke transitioning to 18 spoke, is a one-piece styling masterpiece. The Assault and Revolution are offered in either Black Ano or Gold Ano finishes, and both are available in 21 x 3.5 front wheel and 18 x 5.5 rear wheel sizes.

Good looks and eye-catching finishes aside, the real story here is the light weight and what these wheels bring – or don’t bring – to the table. Cutting 6 pounds off per wheel is a major power-to-weight gain on a Harley, the equivalent of a significant horsepower boost all on its own. Reducing the unsprung weight and rotational mass by those amounts further amplifies the bike’s overall performance. ■

» Talk to your Drag rep about the lightweight Performance

Machine wheels, and let your performance-minded Harley customers know about these new wheels. Take a look at www.performancemachine.com for additional details.

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Parts for Performance and Style The new LED fuel gauges from Performance Machine feature a row of multicolored LEDs that energize when the tank is full, and then sequentially shut off as the fuel level drops.

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erformance Machine has added some great new products to their lineup and they’re available now. They include Milwaukee-Eight fuel caps and LED fuel gauges, four-piston direct bolt-on front calipers for the Milwaukee Softails and Touring bikes, spoke mount Rotor hub systems for Image series wheels, and classic one-piece stainless steel rotors. You’ll want to get them all.

Performance Machine’s new four-piston direct bolt-on front calipers are designed to work at peak efficiency with OE-spec master cylinders. They’re CNC machined from billet aluminum for a custom look to go with no-flex, optimal braking power. The calipers are ABS and non-ABS compatible, and work with 11.8-inch/300mm rotors.

Three finishes are available – Chrome, Contrast Cut and the new Gold Ops. For customers looking to save money and run their stock front rotors on the Image series wheels for 2014 and up Touring models, Performance Machine has developed the spoke mount rotor hub system. Like all Performance Machine hub sets, the spoke mount rotor hubs are CNC machined from 6061 aluminum, they’re strong and they’re light. Image series wheels with spoke mount rotor hubs are available in Chrome, Contrast Cut Platinum, Black Ops and Gold Ops finishes for ABS/non-ABS dual-disc HarleyDavidson Touring applications.

For customers looking to run their stock front rotors on the Image series wheels for 2014 and up Touring models, Performance Machine has developed the spoke mount rotor hub system.

The new Apex, Array, Grill and Scallop fuel caps and LED fuel gauges have been redesigned to fit the 2018 and up M-8 Softail applications as well as late-1996 and up Evo and Twin Cam bikes. Premium, high-end jewelry for the gas tank without the high-end price, these pieces are a perfect complement to other accessories in the Performance Machine lineup.

The fuel caps are vented and the proprietary LED fuel gauges are user-programmable. Their row of multi-colored LEDs energize when the tank is full and sequentially shut off as the fuel level drops. Both the fuel caps and gauges are CNC machined from aircraft grade aluminum and are available in three finishes – Chrome, Contrast Cut and Black Ops.

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

All-Over Custom

And finally, Performance Machine has gone back to its roots and re-released its classic one-piece stainless steel brake rotors. Made from premium 420 stainless steel, these lightweight five-spoke rotors are precision machined to ensure flat, parallel surfaces, and are hardened to an RC36 spec for a high resistance to deformation.

The braking surface is drilled with a sweep pattern so there’s optimal heat dissipation which equates to improved braking performance. The classic one-piece stainless steel brake rotors are available in 11.5-inch, 11.8-inch/300mm, and 13-inch diameters for front applications and 11.5-inch and 11.8-inch/300mm rear sizes. The rotors work with OE and most aftermarket wheels and calipers. ■

» Talk with your Drag rep for more information and Your customers can add an extra dash of style to their fuel tanks with the new range of fuel caps from Performance Machine.

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check out www.performancemachine.com.

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Exclusive Drag Dealer Training Tour Joe Kress Photos 1

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Thursday evening in late September found the big Drag Specialties show semi set up in a hotel parking lot in Jacksonville, FL, as Drag Specialties dealers from throughout the area streamed into the Marriott. Many of them browsed outside, looking over the FatBook show bikes on display, while others already inside one of the hotel’s conference rooms enjoyed a buffet put out for them. Another stop on the Drag Specialties Exclusive Dealer Training Tour had begun.

For three years running now these Training Tour evenings have become a highly anticipated, and certainly rewarding, date penciled in on a dealer’s calendar. This Jacksonville date, one of 40 Training Tour stops scheduled for 2019 throughout the country, once again gave dealers the chance for serious one-on-one time with a number of key Drag Specialties vendors.

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For this leg of the tour, vendor reps were on hand from Dunlop tires, Hogtunes/Wild Boar Audio, LA Choppers, Sena, and TecMate/OptiMate to provide plenty of in-depth, exclusive product training.

As they did at each of the coast-to-coast stops, these product specialists gave the assembled dealers the headsup on everything new. They offered detailed explanations of product currently available, tips on how to best present it all to their customers, and lots of straight answers to some very direct questions.

One highlight of the tour stops is the after-presentation bike show set up outside the event venue. Here dealers had the chance to check out all those FatBook customs fully mounted up with the parts and accessories just discussed.

It’s an extended version of show-and-tell that allows the vendors a deeper dive into the available products.

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The Jacksonville stop happened just as the tour was winding down for the year, and the interest was high as the dealers dedicated an after-work evening to some great product education.

“Right from the start, it’s been a really successful, popular, run,” says Jim Matchette, Drag Specialties national sales manager. And why not? It’s great for the dealers, it’s great for the vendors, it’s great for the reps and it’s great for Drag Specialties. “A win for everyone all the way down the line,” Matchette adds.

And there’s more. Besides all that inside/in-depth product information dealers get at a Training Tour event they’ll also leave with significant discounts on anything ordered from any of the presenting vendors during the following week.

For the vendors, all this is a great opportunity to get some really personal time with the dealers. Often, many of those vendor reps will stay in the area for a few days after a Training

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1. A Drag Specialties Dealer Training Tour stop will educate dealers about everything from new product launches to inside tips on sales and installations. Hogtunes/ Wild Boar Audio was one of five presenting vendors in Jacksonville, FL 2. All the product information and assistance dealers receive at the Drag Dealer Training Tours comes straight from the source. In the case of TecMate, it was from the company’s CEO Martin Human, who rode his own motorcycle to the Florida event.

3. Every Drag Dealer Training Tour stop includes a range of customized bikes.

4. With the Drag Specialties show semi parked right outside and all the FatBook bikes available, every Dealer Training Tour wraps up with a hand-on demonstration of the products that were discussed.

5. Sixteen vendors participated in the Training Tour for 2019, five scheduled for each event on a rotating basis. At the Jacksonville, FL stop Dunlop was the featured tire brand.

Tour evening and go out with the Drag Specialties sales rep for more personalized visits with the dealers.

A Drag Specialties Exclusive Dealer Training Tour stop doesn’t end there, either. To make the most of this one-onone/dealer-vendor time, Drag Specialties will often have Open House events scheduled in the area, either directly before or after a Training Tour evening.

For example, after the evening in Jacksonville, Adamec Harley-Davidson in nearby St. Augustine hosted the Open House on the following Saturday. Not only was this a great chance for more dealer education, it also allowed the vendors to meet and greet the dealership’s customers.

If the team from your shop hasn’t attended a Training Tour session yet, don’t miss out next year. Ask your Drag sales rep about the 2020 schedule and save the dates of any planned stops in your area. ■

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AUDIO PRODUCTS

Affordable, Quality Sound Audio Solutions for Older Bikes Hogtunes XL is a higher-end speaker that works with Hogtunes amps for 1998-2013 Harley-Davidson Touring bikes. It’s available in a kit that includes an amp, two speakers, grills and all required wiring and hardware.

bucks on a new bike,” says Pez. “There are so many early2000s bikes with no miles on them for cheap, and it’s an easy way for a new rider to get into the Harley market.”

Hogtunes XL offers speakers with better bass response, the ability to handle higher power and an overall better sound. The amp and speaker combination is strong enough to let riders listen to music at any speed.

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here was a time, not so long ago, when aftermarket companies didn’t give a lot of thought to Baggers. Builders were customizing every other type of Harley-Davidson, leaving the stock Baggers untouched. Back then, Hogtunes, then just a new brand with limited products, created a plug-and-play speaker replacement for Baggers and moved on to other models.

Things have changed a lot since then, both for Baggers and for Hogtunes, which has turned into an empire of audio solutions. That empire grew bigger last month, when Hogtunes XL was introduced.

Hogtunes XL is a higher-end speaker that works with Hogtunes amps for 1998-2013 HarleyDavidson Touring bikes. The 5.25-inch speakers are To make the Hogtunes XL up-sell even easier for dealers, Hogtunes an upgrade from the third-generation Hogtunes designed a retail display for it. speakers, putting them more on a level with speakers from Wild Boar Audio, which is the company’s premium brand for 2014 and newer model bikes. But The speakers feature a carbon fiber woofer cone, studiounlike Wild Boar Audio, Hogtunes XL is aimed specifically quality crossover parts and a titanium-impregnated one-inch tweeter. Metal mesh grills are included with the at that 1998-2013 model range. speakers, so a customer can either show them off or mount “In 2014 when Harley made the big change to the Rushthe speakers behind the stock cloth grills. The 225-watt more platform, we had our normal Hogtunes line and our amp features Hogtunes’s proprietary R.E.M.I.T. circuitry, separate brand Wild Boar. We found there was an opening which enables excellent FM reception from a Class D amp. for a similar business model for the ‘98-13 bikes,” says Hogtunes owner/president Mike “Pez” Pesdirz. “We decided Hogtunes 225 SG KIT-XL (p/n 4405-0613) includes the amp, we needed to offer something better for a different cus- two front speakers, grills, and all required wiring and hardware. Customers who already have an amp can opt for just tomer, and that turned out to be the XL line of products.” a pair of Hogtunes 352-XLF speakers (p/n 4405-0555). ■ Not only do those Bagger owners qualify as a different Talk to your Drag rep about Hogtunes XL and how to qualify customer, but in a lot of cases, they are also younger, newer for their new retail display. You can learn more about riders. “I think the next wave of the Harley customer is going Hogtunes audio products at www.hogtunes.com. to be the guy who in no way can spend 30 or 40 thousand

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

PERFORMANCE KITS

Power Packages

Performance Kits for Milwaukee-Eights

Let your customers know that S&S Cycle has the cure for those no-riding, wintertime blues. The Power Package for Milwaukee-Eight bikes features everything necessary – a big-bore kit and complete cam chest kit – to provide a healthy performance boost without breaking the bank.

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ith winter right around the corner and riding season coming to a close in many parts of the country, now is the time to talk with customers about any service work and upgrades they’ve been planning.

While nobody looks forward to parking their bikes for the season, that riding hiatus is the opportune time for big jobs like performance and motor work. If that’s the case, S&S Cycle has something in which your Milwaukee-Eight customers might be interested.

The new Power Packages for the M-8 bikes are complete 124-inch and 128-inch big-bore and cam chest kits that are the ideal combination of performance and savings.

The Power Packages are designed to transform those M-8 bikes without breaking the bank. They include S&S’s new 124-inch and 128-inch bolt-in big-bore kits, a 550 cam, cam plate, high flow oil pump, valve springs, lifters, and pushrods. All kits are available with gear- or chain-drive cams.

Designed by a company that’s legendary for its “Proven Performance”, those all-in-one packages feature everything necessary to make big, reliable power at a significant cost savings. Let your customers know they can park their bikes for the winter so that when spring finally breaks and the riding season begins, they’ll be ready to rip.

The barrels on those 124-inch big-bore kits come in a wrinkle black finish for that stealthy hot rod look, and are available with or without fin highlighting. And, they bolt right in with no case machining required. The 128-inch kits come in a Black Granite finish or in wrinkle black, for which fin highlighting is available.

The oil pumps and cam plates are precision machined from billet aluminum and feature removable passage plugs for easy servicing. There are debris screens in both scavenge pickups, and a magnet in the cam chest to help stop debris from entering the oil pump. The pumps provide increased flow capacity on both feed and scavenge sides, and the pressure relief valve is adjustable with the unit installed in the engine.

DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES 60

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S&S CYCLE

At the heart of S&S Cycle’s Power Package is the big-bore kit. The 114-inch to 128-inch version features a 4.250 bore by 4.5 stroke. The kit helps provide 140-plus horsepower and 150 ft-lb of torque.

Dyno numbers after the 124-inch Power Package was installed on a 107-inch Milwaukee-Eight motor. The stock setup produces around 78 horsepower and 104 ft-lb of torque.

S&S Cycle’s proprietary Quickee pushrods are designed to be both installed and removed easily, and permit a trouble-free installation that does not require removal of parts like the gas tank, rocker assemblies or rocker box cover.

They are available with a choice of chrome or gloss black pushrod tubes. Both the gear-drive and chain-drive variations of the S&S 550 cam are designed for big-bore applications.

So, how does all this stack up against the stock setup? When upgrading from the 114-inch M-8 motor to the 124-inch big-bore Power Pack, your customers can expect a horsepower bump from 76.39 to 130.65, and increase in torque from 97.91 ft-lb to 141.91. They’re definitely going to feel it when they crack up the throttle, the perfect way to blow off the winter doldrums and welcome riding season. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties rep for more details and check out www.sscycle.com for more information.

DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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SEAT PADS

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

Riding On Air

Quick-Attach Comfort Pads

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hecking out early from a ride because of an uncomfortable seat can be a thing of the past with new Cool Comfort Quick-Attachment Air Pads from Drag Specialties. The pads offer riders an affordable and convenient way to make a motorcycle seat more comfortable in just a few minutes, and they join a long list of seating solutions available from Drag Specialties.

The Cool Comfort Quick-Attachment Air Pads come in five different configurations. There are sizes to fit small, medium and large cruiser-sized seats, plus options for pillion and sport seats.

What all five air pads have in common are the comfort and easy installation features. An air pad mounts easily to a motorcycle’s existing seat with just two straps, which are easy to secure but sturdy enough to keep the pad firmly in place.

The new Cool Comfort QuickAttachment Air Pads from Drag Specialties are built for long-distance comfort.

Their design helps reduce the pressure points and numbness associated with long miles in the saddle.

The air pad has a self-inflating design and an adjustable pressure valve, so a rider can fine-tune the cushioning to just the right level for their comfort. The foam internal section and the air bladder combine to distribute a rider’s weight across the entire seating area. The result is superior comfort, improved blood circulation and reduced numbness. All of that adds up to the ability to stay in the saddle longer, so the air pad is especially ideal for extended trips.

Drag Specialties has other complementary products to enhance a seat’s comfort, like the Tour Box Pads that go perfectly with Harley-Davidson Tour Boxes. Compatible with all OEM and Drag Specialties seats, the Tour Box Pad mounts against the Tour Box to create a luxurious back and armrest setup.

Of course, sometimes riders want more than just additional comfort, they want a completely new look for their motorcycle, which means a completely new seat. Drag Specialties Seats has plenty of seat designs to suit all types of riding.

Solo and pillion seats plus touring seats, low-profile designs, backrest configurations and other styles are all in the OldBook and FatBook, so customers can get just what they want.

Like the air pads, comfort is a common theme among all of the Drag seat options. Molded flexible urethane foam interiors provide the right amount of support, and seat shaping is designed to maximize both style and comfort.

Drag even considers a rider’s stance, with seats like the forward-positioning Large Touring Seats that move a rider 2 inches forward and lower the seat an inch. ■

» Talk to your Drag Specialties rep to learn more about the

new Cool Comfort Quick-Attachment Air Pads and the many other seat options available from Drag Specialties.

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cool comfort

Drag Specialties’ line of Cool Comfort Air pads will change your extended riding game.

ADJUSTABLE PRESSURE VALVE

Pads feature FoamAir cushion technology – a patented, self-inflating design with interconnected FoamAir cells and an adjustable pressure valve allowing you to fine-tune your comfort by distributing your weight across the entire seating area. Channels between the cells allow for ventilation by dispersing heat and moisture.

Complete with a 3D mesh cover, the pad can be used with or without the mounting straps.

Cool Comfort quick-attachment air pads are available in five sizes: Small, Medium or Large Cruiser; Sport and Pillion.

See your Drag Specialties rep for more information.

FROM OUR GARAGE TO YOURS

dragspecialties.com

S P E C I A L

F E AT U R E

THE CHOPPER PLACE LONG LIVE THE CLASSIC CUSTOM SHOP

Photos by Dain Gingerelli

DRAG DEALER PROFILE

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here’s a place in Riverside, CA, that appears to be lost in the 1970s. This place happens to be a custom motorcycle The Chopper Place crew. Back, from left: Gary Bender, Andrew Walker, shop that resembles those Grant Godron, Drag Specialties rep Jason Rayburn. Front: Jay Nelson and your dad, maybe even wife Lysa on their Road Glide painted by Ricki Hickenbottom of 2 Left Hands. your granddad, would frequent when they were But in reality, there isn’t much office wild pups riding custom bikes of their space to be found at The Chopper own creations.

Place. In fact, there’s not much space Fittingly, this place is known as The to be found there, period. Remember, Chopper Place, and it’s a third-generathis place resembles many of the tion business that’s catered to Southern cramped yet efficient shops of old, California’s custom bike crowd since where floor space usually is/was at a 1971 when Ken Godron posted his premium, often consumed by tools shingle that boldly proclaimed – The and workbenches, customer bikes, Chopper Place. inventory crowded within the parts counters and on wall shelves, not to Ken owned and operated The Chopper forget machinery like drill presses and Place until 1986. About that time he lathes to handle the heavy work. abdicated to his son Grant, who kept

the business thriving into the next milAt this point we could end the story, lennium when his son Jason “Jay” Nelson and you’d have a basic appreciation took over several years ago. Ken has of what it’s like to own and operate Ken since passed on, but Grant continues a business that, to this day, is so As a member of Riverside Bombers MC Club, racing. working in the shop, although at a pace integral with Americana bike culture.

Godron competed in scrambles and desert that, as he says, “is much more enjoyable But ending the report here would be for me now.” Translation: He spends his a disservice to custom biking’s roots. Simply, shops like The time in the service shop, while the next generation – Jay, Chopper Place are part of motorcycling heritage, and with with help from wife Lysa – labors over the books in the office. that, here’s The Chopper Place’s back story.

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The saga begins near the cornfields of Iowa where two young men, Skip Fordyce and Ken Godron, acquired their addiction to motorcycles. Shortly after World War II, Fordyce formed a traveling motorcycle stunt show, in the process making a name for himself with the kind folks in Milwaukee, WI who happened to own America’s largest motorcycle company.

Eventually Fordyce was recruited to buy and operate an authorized Harley-Davidson dealership in Riverside. He called on many of his Hawkeye State motorcycling friends to join him in California’s sunny climate where he employed them at the fledging dealership. Among those Midwest transplants was young Ken Godron who became Fordyce’s

THE CHOPPER PLACE

The Chopper Place is the kind of throwback motorcycle shop that everyone remembers.

There’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

service manager, a position he held until 1971, shortly after the dealership was sold.

The new owners ran things a little differently than Fordyce had done, and many of the employees left to start their own businesses. Ken was among that group and he settled into The Chopper Place, while remaining active in the Riverside Bombers Motorcycle Club. Within a few years he relocated to another location, and finally set permanent roots in the current digs on Doane Street at the southern edge of town.

By 1974 The Chopper Place became a Drag Specialties dealer.

The 1970s were rollicking years for the booming chopper industry and The Chopper Place played a role in building bikes for customers. Grant recalls that he and his dad often based custom builds using the long, stretched-out frames from Denver’s Choppers in nearby San Bernardino to cradle the Shovelhead and Panhead Harley motors that they rebuilt.

But all motorcycle brands – BSA, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Triumph, you name it – were fair game for chopping back then.

Flip through The Chopper Place’s photo album and you’ll see there was no limit to what bikes they’d chop.

The beat continued into the 1980s when Ken turned things over to Grant, allowing the shop’s patriarch to concentrate on doing what he loved most, custom painting. Grant assumed the lead role in the shop, in the process mastering his skills on the shop lathe to fabricate parts for special builds for which the shop became known.

(So, about that lathe – Grant is proud of that hefty piece of equipment that consumes the floorspace at the back of the shop. “It’s from World War II,” he readily reports. “It even has the government-level specs,” he says, referencing the tags that certify the lathe for U.S. government contractual work.)

Drag Specialties sales rep Jason Rayburn (right) shares new product news with Jay at the counter. The Chopper Place has been a Drag Specialties dealer since 1974.

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It wasn’t until about a few years ago that Grant’s son Jay joined the shop. As Jay puts it, “I guess I just had to go out

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F E AT U R E

and become my own man,” and when he was ready to settle down, he and his wife Lysa hopped on board. And, like his father before him, Grant passed the shop keys to his son Jay. This transition allows Grant himself to spend more time working on customer bikes.

Throughout the years, though, the shop’s overall character has changed very little. Even the tool marker lines above the workbench that Ken painted by hand so many years ago remain, and if you look closely at the small cardboard boxes on the shelves, you’ll find parts and accessories from years gone by. A good portion of today’s clientele are refugees from nearby authorized dealers, whose older bikes are often turned down for service.

“Some dealers won’t even touch [service or repair] a bike more than 15 years old,” says Jay. “But we’ll take it in.” That’s worth remembering about all independent shops that feed a symbiotic relationship with authorized dealers today.

THE CHOPPER PLACE

And like most other successful indie shops, TCP relies on Drag Specialties for a bulk of their parts and accessories.

As Jason Rayburn, the shop’s regional sales rep, explains, “I visit the shop about once every other week.” The visits generally include briefings or demonstrations by Rayburn about new and interesting parts from Drag Specialties vendors, or simply a chance to review restocking for future sales.

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Rayburn also points out another interesting trend that The Chopper Place was quick to embrace. “This is one of my shops that first got into servicing and modifying the Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight models.” That’s important to know because as M-8 owners log more miles onto their bikes, eventually surpassing warranty limits, they’re free to modify their M-8s in ways they otherwise couldn’t do without voiding their warranties.

Consequently, the Milwaukee-Eight is gaining as much popularity as Twin Cam engines for modifications among small indie shops. The Chopper Place customers with M-8 Harleys can now openly modify their bikes using the brands from within the FatBook catalog to personalize their rides.

Second generation owner Grant Godron spends most of his time in the service shop now that his son Jay and daughter-in-law Lysa Lysa (on bike below) have have taken the reins. It’s there where he gets to spend quality time with his favorite piece of equipment, a World War II-era lathe.

And speaking of catalogs, The Chopper Place primarily relies on three of those thick tomes to harvest parts.

Primary source remains the FatBook, followed by the OldBook, and finally Drag Specialties’ sister company, Parts Unlimited’s own huge catalog. If a component can’t be found in any of them, chances are it doesn’t exist.

“Or, we’ll fabricate it,” Grant says proudly. Doing so on that classic, reliable lathe that still sits on the shop floor where it was first positioned so many years ago. No doubt, some things never change at The Chopper Place. ■

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

GAUGES

Display Decisions

Robust, Customizable Gauges

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hen a rider buys an MLX-3000 Series gauge cluster from Dakota Digital, the easiest choice in the process is probably choosing between the chrome or black machined aluminum bezel. From there, the gauges are fully customizable so a rider can see the information that is most important to them at a glance.

The high-tech MLX series of gauges are designed for Harley-Davidsons, and the MLX-3000 Series gauge clusters fit stock 33/8-inch housings for an easy swap on both tank-mounted and handlebar-mounted applications.

When a rider upgrades to an MLX-3000, MLX-3004 or MLX-3012 gauge cluster, they will want to update their Android or Apple iOS device, too – the gauges have Bluetooth technology that allows the rider to set up the gauge display via their smartphone or tablet.

Once the gauges and app are installed, there are a lot of choices to make since there are so many display options to choose from. In addition to standard things like a speedometer, tachometer and odometer, the rider can

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The MLX series of gauges are a great upgrade over the stock readouts. They provide a number of display options that are easy to view at night and in direct sunlight.

choose to see things like a voltage readout, gear position indicator, 0-60 time, ¼-mile time and speed, hourmeter, and even a miles-to-service countdown.

After that, it’s time to choose some colors. There are 31 available illumination colors that can be independently selected to help read specific information at a glance, or the rider can choose from one of 12 preset themes.

The gauge display automatically dims in the dark and brightens to a high-contrast mode for excellent visibility, even in direct sunlight. ■

» Talk with your Drag rep about Dakota Digital’s customizable gauges and check out www.dakotadigital.com for more.

2014 & Newer Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Ultra Classic, and CVO touring models.

30+ COLORS

2212-0745

1996-2013 Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Ultra Classic, and CVO touring models.

CALL TOLL FREE 1.800.643.4449

WWW.DAKOTADIGITAL.COM/DS

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

EXHAUSTS

Short 2-into-1 Exhausts

Sporty Style for Milwaukee-Eight Baggers Bassani’s new Short 2-into-1 exhaust for the Milwaukee-Eight Baggers slots right into that role. These pipes take custom/sport style to the next level. The Short 2-into-1 is offered with the choice of a chrome finish (p/n 1800-2445), in black (p/n 1800-2446) or with completely hand TIG-welded stainless steel (p/n 1800-2447) construction, and they’re short.

Bassani’s new Short 2-into-1 exhausts for Harley-Davidson FL models offer a sporty style and the company’s trademark boost in torque and horsepower.

The Short 2-into-1s features a megaphone-style muffler that terminates at the front of the rear wheel and well before the saddlebag. It’s a no-nonsense performance look. The super-scavenging 2-into-1 horsepower-and-torque boost that riders want is here and ready to rip. There’s also that unmistakable Bassani sound thanks to the removable spiral-core baffle inside the system’s 4-inch megaphone muffler. A Short 2-into-1 is the custom exhaust M8 Bagger riders have asked for and Bassani has delivered.

Bassani 2-into-1s for Bagger-model Harleys are nothing new, of course.

All those Road Rage systems, whether coming with megaphone mufflers or straight-cans, have been popular for quite a while. The Short 2-into-1, though, offers a style and sound that’s new and all its own.

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addlebag-toting Harley-Davidsons can become almost anything their riders want them to be and the possibilities run far and wide. Long gone are the days when big, FL-model Harleys were looked on as motorcycles exclusively aimed at the highmileage touring crowd, bikes built for long-haul comfort and convenience.

While that’s a role a Bagger-model Harley still plays well, in recent times those same bikes have also become a pretty popular custom/sport platform. Built for performance, those Baggers pull multiple duties such as hot rods, touring bikes and around-town commuters.

First of all, this is a one-piece design, the headers and collector are welded to the muffler housing. The systems all feature the power-producing design and technology Bassani has always included in its Harley-application 2-into-1s.

The head pipes are custom-tuned for length and are stepped, starting with 1¾-inches and opening up to 17/8-inches. They also feature Bassani’s performanceminded collector. The one-piece fit on the bike is high and tight for a clean, integrated look with maximum ground clearance. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties sale rep about the new Short

2-into-1s and get more information at www.bassanipipes.com.

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S P E C I A L

F E AT U R E

PAUGHCO’S 50TH

Left: Ron Paugh on his customized 1967 Sportster. Above: Paughco continues to make its products in the USA. Here a machinist works on 4-speed kickstart covers.

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or all of 2019, Paughco has been celebrating 50 years of supplying reproduction aftermarket parts for Harley-Davidsons, five decades of having just what’s needed for countless restorations, custom builds, choppers, Bobbers, Baggers, you name it.

In fact, the longtime Drag Specialties vendor’s (since 1969) longevity in the market and importance to the history of the custom motorcycle scene earned its founder, Ron Paugh, a spot in the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He was inducted this past summer during the Black Hills Rally.

So, who would imagine that the company’s long and storied history had its origins in the trunk of a rented Cadillac? That’s pretty much how Paughco got rolling back in the late 1960s.

The company’s story actually begins with Paugh, an industrious Southern California high school student at the time, and a $75 Knucklehead basket case that he assembled and sold for $500. The success of that sale prompting him to buy another pile of parts to flip for even more money, and then another until he had enough cash to buy a brand new 1967 Sportster.

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This turn of events led to young Paugh hanging out with Boyd DeFrance, one of the movers and shakers of an early chopper business in Burbank, CA, known as D&D Cycle.

When DeFrance learned that young Paugh’s father, Bob, owned a tool and die company known as Paughco Tool and Die, he offered a business proposition: Could papa Paugh reproduce early Harley inner primary covers?

That project turned out to be a no-brainer for the experienced craftsman. See, Paughco Tool and Die was a member of NASA’s original Apollo project that would put a man on the moon, supplying essential bits and pieces for the program. By comparison, creating motorcycles parts was a cakewalk, and about the time astronaut Neil Armstrong made his famous step for man and leap for mankind in 1969, Paughco’s inner covers were ready for sale.

After selling several of the finished products to local chopper shops, Ron set up what amounted to Paughco’s first distributorship, the spacious trunk of a rented 1969 Cadillac that he filled with those reproduction parts. Young Paugh’s mission was simple, visit as many custom bike shops as he could, to sell as many of those early tins as he could.

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Five Decades of Custom Parts

Photos courtesy of Paughco

P A U G H C O C E L E B R AT E S 5 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

Ron Paugh and his key support staff. From left: Bob Paugh Jr., CNC manager; Rafino Ramero, springer technician; Chris Campbell, gas tank technician; Kyle Brewer, frame technician; Steve Massicotte, R&D; and Darren Britten, chrome shop manager.

From left: Steve Massicotte, Ron Paugh and Mondo Porras pose with a custom Panhead chopper the three collaborated on for a new movie due out in April 2020.

That mission turned out to be a quick one; his stop at nearby Laidlaw Harley-Davidson proved to be one giant step for Paughco because Laidlaw’s parts manager bought all the remaining inner primary covers that Ron had in the Caddy’s trunk!

When Ron reported back to mission control, he and his father realized they were on to something. “Within a couple of years Paughco was producing handlebars, sissy bars, gas tanks and other bolt-ons,” explains Steve Massicotte, who today serves as Paughco’s general manager.

Soon enough Paughco was recruited by Drag Specialties to be a vendor, and in a twist of fate Paughco purchased D&D Cycle in 1974. That purchase allowed Paughco to expand its parts manifest to include custom chopper and

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reproduction frames, springer forks of various lengths and configurations, and a whole lot more.

Paughco was on its way, and the journey eventually led north to a plot of land that Ron and his parents/business partners Bob and Ruth Paugh purchased to establish new headquarters. By 1983 a new 100,000 square-foot manufacturing and shipping facility was completed and ready for business. Paughco eventually relocated to Carson City, NV, and business boomed.

Bob and Ruth have since passed on, and Ron has relied more on his son Bob to help steer Paughco’s future, but one thing hasn’t changed. Drag Specialties continues to include a huge range of Paughco replacement and custom motorcycle parts in the FatBook and OldBook. ■

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P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

No Pressure!

Performance Engine Venting

The rocker box breathers for Twin Cam bikes are a serious upgrade over the original stock breather bodies, and for later factory revisions.

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rankcase pressure is just part of the deal with an internal-combustion engine. New or old, every engine will have some degree of internal crankcase pressure. Relieving that pressure to prevent oil-misting in the mildest cases, blown gaskets and seals in the worst, is the reason engines have breather systems – some more successful than others.

The V-twin engine specialists at Feuling Parts have been dealing with this situation for years and, mindful that everything in and on an engine must work together as a balanced system, have come up with upgraded, efficient, venting systems for both Twin Cam and Milwaukee-Eight engines.

Perhaps you’ve already seen some of the latest additions to this lineup, the vented dipsticks for the MilwaukeeEight. Engines particularly susceptible to blow-by, the vented dipsticks for the M-8s are another product to help control crankcase pressure and its attendant problems.

Two versions were initially offered, one for the Touringmodel engines and one for the Milwaukee-Eight Softails.

The dipsticks feature one of two venting/filtering systems – an in-cap vent/filter or a remote crankcase-style filter element with a quick-disconnect hose that couples at the dipstick cap. Both are available with the choice of a polished or a fade-resistant black finish.

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Feuling has come up with a lineup of vented dipsticks designed to improve the venting systems of Touring-model and Softail-version Milwaukee-Eight engines.

Those M-8 Softail-application vented dipsticks now include an oil-separator system to further reduce any chance of misting. Fit into the inner-dipstick housing are oil-separator inserts, an alternating stack of perforated screens and spacers below the filter and under the system’s umbrella valve.

Joining that lineup is a third option. Feuling now offers a vented dipstick for late-model, 2007 through 2017 TwinCam bikes with screw-in dipsticks.

Also new and further addressing a Harley-Davidson’s venting/breathing issues are new billet aluminum rocker box breathers for the 1999 through 2017 Twin Cam bikes.

These precision-machined billet aluminum rocker box breathers eliminate the gasket- and breather-leakage problems of the original plastic Twin Cam breather bodies, and the later factory revisions.

The hole-sizing and placement in the new breathers has also been optimized for efficient, effective breathing. The kits include the billet breather housings, gaskets, filter elements, umbrella valves and ARP hardware. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep about these latest additions to the Feuling lineup and get more information at www.feulingparts.com.

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UltimatEye and the Battlecruise H50

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TIRES

Designed To Deliver hen it comes to upgrading tires for an American Vtwin motorcycle, the Bridgestone Battlecruise H50 was designed from the get-go to provide improved performance across the board.

Right from the prototype stage the H50s have been built to give riders on big American V-Twins all they ask for. That strong grip on both wet and dry surfaces is here. So is the light, precise feel with high cornering power, the quiet, comfortable ride, the even tread wear, extended life, and the tough American V-twin look. How did Bridgestone accomplish all this? The main reason why the company was so successful is because it developed the H50 with UltimatEye™ technology.

Customers riding on Battlecruise H50 tires know they provide great grip on wet and dry roads, and provide strong cornering power, a comfortable ride and even tread wear – all features developed through the use of UltimatEye technology.

UltimatEye will simulate everything from straight-up cruising and hard cornering with 60-degree bank angles, to full-force braking and accelerating up to 248 mph.

High-speed data processing measures and analyzes all of this, the actual dynamic tire behavior, all fully visualized by the testers.

Through the integration of all this simulation, experimentation, measurement and visualization, significant improvements in tire performance becomes possible, and result in a tire that meets all of the goals described at the onset.

A revolutionary tire-development system, UltimatEye simulates, actually visualizes, and then thoroughly analyzes virtually every aspect of a new motorcycle tire’s performance. Originally designed for Bridgestone’s racing tires in Formula 1 and MotoGP, UltimatEye technology was brought to bear with the development of the Battlecruise H50, tires designed to meet and exceed all the demands an American V-twin rider makes.

The result is a production tire that delivers as promised because it’s already proven that it will, right from the prototype stage. Every aspect of the Battlecruise H50, its original design, the materials chosen, the overall construction, all of it has been optimized through UltimatEye for an American V-twin.

The Bridgestone Battlecruise H50s are available in 12 front sizes and 12 rear sizes. ■

The UltimatEye process is interesting, exhaustive, and as the Battlecruise H50 demonstrates, well worth the effort. First, computer simulations define riding conditions and the new tire’s goals. The results are analyzed and a prototype tire is Bridgestone’s UltimatEye technology is used to develop tires that will work exactly as designed, produced. Then UltimatEye comes from the prototype stage all the way up to the in with groundbreaking equipment production models. composed of a drum with multiple ultra-compact force sensors in it to Talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep for details and get gather detailed measurements. It also features a highmore information at www.bridgestonemotorcycletires.com. performance tire stand to mount that prototype tire and reproduce actual riding conditions.

»

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BIG-BORE KITS

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

Bigger is Better

Milwaukee-Eight Big-Bore Kits

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arley-Davidson’s Milwaukee-Eight engine is a marvel of engineering and a power plant that’s built for performance. However, for those customers that aren’t content to leave their engines stock – as if any Harley rider is – a set of KB Performance pistons will add cubic inches of displacement, increase compression and pile on loads of satisfaction to your client’s ride.

Designed for the Milwaukee-Eight 114-inch and 117-inch big twins from 2017 on, KB Performance’s KB542LCA big-bore pistons are available to increase displacement and power.

Designed for the Milwaukee-Eight 114-inch and 117-inch big twins from 2017 on, KB Performance’s KB542LCA bigbore conversions are available to increase displacement to 120-cubic-inches and up to a full, pavement-pounding 124-cubic-inches. Bore sizes start at 4.125 inches through 4.185 inches, utilizing bored factory cylinders. These slugs are manufactured in North America by a company that’s nearly as old as Harley-Davidson itself, making them a worthy upgrade for your customer’s modern Harley.

With more than 97 years of manufacturing experience, KB Performance knows what it takes to create pistons suitable for an engine as impressive as the M-8. It starts

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with alloy selection, which in this case is low-expansion, ductile 4032 aluminum that’s forged in KB’s factory. This special blend of metal allows for a tighter running clearance for better ring sealing, which means more power going to the rear wheel with every power stroke.

To further improve sealing, reduce mechanical noise and prolong component life, KB’s KB542LCA slugs feature a proprietary LINE2LINE skirt coating. This abradable polymer-based material is designed to hone-in to the ideal oil-film clearance during break-in and then stop wearing.

The coating permits a tighter operating clearance, resulting in less piston rock and a better seal. The LINE2LINE material also provides critical security against damage by serving as a sacrificial layer – if at any point during use the piston expands further, the coating will again burnish to safely maintain a minimum clearance and prevent scuffing.

Besides boosting your customer’s cubic-inch count, the KB542LCAs also increase compression from the mid-10s on stock 114 and 117 engines to 11:1. More compression means more power, but it also means more heat and punishment, which is why the crown and top ring grooves on KB’s slugs are hard anodized. This durable surface treatment improves heat deflection on the crown and prevents micro welding on the top ring.

Pistons are supplied with a true performance ring pack that utilizes the latest materials and designs. The top ring is steel with a nitride coating, while the second ring is a ductile-Napier design. The high-tension, 3.00mm oil-ring pack is thicker than stock, providing better oil control and lubrication for these hard-working pistons. Kits include two forged-aluminum pistons, ring sets, wrist pins, and wire locks. ■

» To learn more about these high-performance pistons or to place an order, talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep and check out www.uempistons.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

From One SKU to Four Audio Brands factory audio system. The pricing is competitive, and the various options are fully expandable, making it ideal for customers who want to grow their setups over time. The fourth generation of Hogtunes speakers was recently released for 2014 and newer Harleys.

Hogtunes XL is the newest brand in the lineup, featuring an amplifier and speakers built specifically for 1998-2013 Harleys. Customers looking for a significant upgrade from the factory speakers will find better bass response and higher power handling, which results

COMPANY PROFILE

Expanding Sound

Since first starting up 15 years ago, Hogtunes has grown from a small supplier with only one part number into a major audio manufacturer with a product line that stretches across four brands.

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hen Hogtunes started 15 years ago, the company had just one product – an aftermarket front speaker for Harley-Davidson models.

Today, with the addition of Hogtunes XL, the company has grown to include four brand names and a wide variety of aftermarket audio solutions.

Back when Hogtunes owner/president Mike “Pez” Pesdirz was launching the company near Toronto, he heard about Parts Canada. He approached them and soon had his single SKU in the catalog. Pez wanted U.S. distribution for his speaker, too, so when he saw a Drag Specialties banner on an episode of American Chopper, he called up his Parts Canada buyer and asked if they were a decent distributor. His buyer laughed and informed him that they were, in fact, part of the same family.

It’s hard to believe that Hogtunes was ever that small, or that Pez was ever so new in the industry. The product lines for the four brands – including Hogtunes, Hogtunes XL, Wild Boar Audio and Metrix Audio – include a wide range of speakers, amplifiers and complete kits for everything from Baggers to UTVs. There are a number of attributes that each brand shares.

Most of the parts have easy plug-and-play installation, and the products are built for motorcycle riders by motorcycle riders. Everything is custom-engineered to suit a motorcycle’s unique needs, including power usage, weather resistance, and pulling big sound from a small speaker.

The Hogtunes brand covers 1998 to current Harley models, and each part offers improved sound and quality over the

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Hogtunes owner/president Mike “Pez” Pesdirz

in an overall better sound, especially at riding speeds.

Dealers can expect the Hogtunes XL line to grow in the coming months. (Read all about the new Hogtunes XL line on page 58.)

Wild Boar Audio is also a premium line of audio solutions, but for 2014 and newer Harleys. The superior sound is achieved thanks to details like carbon fiber woofer cones that provide great sound at speed as well as improved bass response. While the sound gets a big boost from Wild Boar Audio, the power does not: the systems are safe for a bike’s charging system.

“When Fred Fox and I started our relationship in the U.S. on a handshake, I had one SKU,” says Pez. “Motorcycle audio started its evolution and we put the building blocks in place to grow with that evolution, but we’ve always focused on good value.” ■

» Talk to your Drag rep and visit www.hogtunes. com for more details about each brand.

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BATTERY CHARGERS

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

Back To Life

Solving the Dead Battery Blues Hooked up to the parked vehicle, OptiMate3’s unique 24/7 maintenance program ensures the battery is always 100 percent charged and ready to perform.

If the customer forgot, OptiMate3’s battery saving ability will quickly and efficiently recover that dead battery from as low as 2 Volts, meeting the demand for a quick fix at the site.

The Drag Specialties co-branded OptiMate3 battery charger can quickly and efficiently recover a dead battery that’s as low as 2 Volts.

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ne of the favorite sayings at TecMate is, “No one cares about a battery until it is dead.” This is especially true when your customers wants that dead battery problem solved now, sparing no effort on your part.

What could be a difficult conversation, especially if the battery is still within warranty, can be avoided with the help of OptiMate3 (p/n 3807-0261). This is the company’s most popular and enduring battery-saving charger, and a perfect bit of battery insurance for dealer and customer alike.

Over the life of the battery, the OptiMate3 will test battery health and warn when it is likely time for a replacement. That’s the type of battery insurance that delivers on its promise. The OptiMate3 is also available in co-branded Drag Specialties colors (p/n 3807-0254).

New to the line-up of OptiMate battery chargers is the Drag Specialties OptiMate 5 power charger (p/n 38070467), ideal for fast charging, and for reconditioning the battery of a motorcycle in for service. It includes a hook so that the OptiMate 5 can be hung up, out of the way, while the service is being completed. ■

» Talk with your Drag rep for details and check out https://optimate1.com for more information.

OPTIMATE 3 - SAVING BATTERIES SINCE 1994!

Trusted by global motorcycle brands & million of riders worldwide.

Part no: TM-431

Le Mans: 3807-0261 optimate1.com

High Performance Battery Chargers

Camchest Kits New Life for Early Twin-Cams

Feuling’s Bulletproof™ OE+ Conversion Camchest Kits feature everything necessary for upgrading a late-model Twin Cam engine to hydraulic cam-chain tensioners and a more powerful cam.

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ustomers with 1999 through 2006 model Twin Cam Harley-Davidsons will want to know about Feuling’s Bulletproof™ OE+ Conversion Camchest Kits. This is an easy, affordable way to update their bikes to the more desirable hydraulic cam-chain tensioners of the later-model TCs. The kits come with everything needed for the job, including the choice of three performance camshaft grinds, the Feuling 525s, 543s or 574s. (2006 Dynas are not covered.)

The upgrade OE+ Camchest Kit includes an OE+ high-volume oil pump, an OE+ camplate and a choice of any of those Reaper® Series conversion camshafts, which are cams that allow the use of late-style camplates, oil pumps, hydraulic chain tensioners and chain drive systems in early-TC cases.

There are matching HP+ hydraulic roller lifters, as well as Quick Install adjustable pushrods that don’t require the removal of the rocker arms during kit installation. The kit also includes new pushrod tubes, sprockets and spacers, cam chains, Timken bearings, and all the gaskets, O-rings, ARP fasteners, assembly lube and Loctite to put it all together. Feuling has removed the guess work from the ordering process and everything is designed to work together for maximum reliability, peak performance and the coolest engine and oil temperatures obtainable.

The switch from early-style/spring-loaded cam-chain tensioners to the later hydraulics with all the improved parts is a serious upgrade. Additionally, the whole kit will work with the stock valve springs. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties rep for more details and check out www.feulingparts.com for more information.Feuling lineup and get more information at www.feulingparts.com.

DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES

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MORE POWER COOLER OIL TEMPS MORE OIL PRESSURE COOLER ENGINE TEMPS

BRAKE LINES

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

High Quality, Great Value

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Heavy-Duty, Responsive Brake Lines

agnum Shielding, a supplier of brake lines and control cables to HarleyDavidson Parts and Accessories for decades, is known for developing premium cables and brake line constructions along with great fitting complete handlebar installation kits.

rating. It’s a fact that the less a brake hose expands under pressure, the more responsive the brake system will be and feel. That’s how eXtreme Response XR brake lines earned their name.

XR Stainless brake lines from Magnum Shielding feature a heavy-duty gauge braid that’s thoroughly embedded with tough nylon, a construction that helps improve braking performance.

The all-black XR Stainless lines are the latest addition to the company’s kit lineup, featuring black chrome plated fittings, tube assemblies and of course, Magnum’s all-brazed manifolds.

The competitively priced XR Stainless brake lines feature a unique construction that includes the all-important braid, which is a heavy-duty gauge that gets fully embedded in tough durable nylon, rather than a soft PVC outer jacket.

This enhanced construction has outstanding durability and, most importantly, a very low volumetric expansion

Volumetric Expansion specifications are tested at three pressures: 1,000 psig, 1,500 psig and 2,900 psig. Testing for hose expansion rates is especially important given the combination of today’s sensitive computerized ABS controller modules, with extended length brake lines required for some aftermarket handlebars. The lower the expansion number is, the more effective the construction.

XR Stainless DOT handlebar installation kits are designed to be compatible with Harley-Davidson ABS and non-ABS requirements and are compliant with all DOT FMVSS-106 specifications. Kits fit most Harley Touring, Softail, Dyna, and Sportster models, including 2018 and newer Softails. ■

» Talk to your Drag rep for details about the XR Stainless extreme response handlebar installation kits and get more information at www.magnumshielding.com.

A Seat for Adrenaline Lovers

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ePera Motorcycle Seats is a company built on traditional craftsmanship, but that doesn’t mean the company sticks to traditional styling. One of the newest seats from LePera is the TailWhip, which expertly blends artistry with adrenaline.

The TailWhip is geared toward those who like to ride in the saddle and to those adventurous riders who like to get their adrenaline pumping. It’s in the same family as LePera’s Kickflip seat, and both are designed with contours that encourage a non-traditional riding style.

The TailWhip’s most distinctive feature is what gave the seat its name – the whipped-up tail adds a pop of style, gives extra support to the passenger and provides the perfect platform for a rider to push their creativity.

Underneath the adrenaline-rush styling, though, are the same characteristics that define every LePera seat, which are all handcrafted in the USA. The TailWhip starts with a steel base, which ensures a seamless, contoured fit on the motorcycle. The natural dampening characteristics and tough-but-beautiful powder-coated surface are enhanced by a carpeted bottom.

The distinctive whipped-up tail section of LePera’s TailWhip seat provides extra support for a passenger and offers a rider the perfect platform for some adventurous riding.

The steel base plate supports LePera’s specially-poured and formulated high-density Marathon molded foam, which gives the TailWhip its distinctive shape as well as a lot of comfort, no matter what stance a rider has on the seat!

The TailWhip is topped off with a BikerTec custom cover, which adds to the looks and longevity of the seat. There are three finishes available, including Basket Weave, Double Diamond and Pleats. ■

» Talk to your Drag Specialties rep about the LePera

TailWhip seat, and learn more at www.lepera.com.

SEATS

Building a New Tradition

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

“On-Bike” Valve Spring Compressor Speeding up Milwaukee-Eight Service

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hanging valve springs for a performance-cam upgrade, or replacing worn and leaky valve-stem seals on a Milwaukee-Eight no longer requires the time-consuming removal of the entire cylinder head, not with JIMS on-bike valve spring compressor (p/n 3801-0366) in the toolbox.

This clever, creative, simple-to-use tool can save hours of shop-time and become a welcome addition to any M-8 tech’s toolbox. Priced at just $265 it’ll soon pay for itself many times over.

Patent pending, the on-bike valve spring compressor kit for the Milwaukee-Eight works with the cylinder head left right in place on the engine. To service or replace those valve springs or seals, all that’s required now is to simply remove the rocker box covers and rocker arms, and then slide this unique JIMS compressor tool onto the rocker arm shaft. Once the cylinder is filled with compressed air, simply rotate the tool with a ratchet or breaker bar.

The tool compresses the top collar of the valve spring exposing the keepers for a quick, easy removal and full

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With JIMS’ on-bike valve spring compressor, replacing worn and leaky valve-stem seals or changing valve springs is no longer a timeconsuming task. All that’s required is the removal of the rocker box cover and rocker arms.

access to the valve spring and the seal. Hours of shop time have just been eliminated. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties sales rep about this latest addition to the extensive JIMS shop-tool lineup, and visit www.jimsusa.com for more information.

Milwaukee-Eight Forceflow Cylinder Head Cooler ®

®

Milwaukee-Eight “On Bike” Valve Spring Compressor ®

Steve Zlomke

A Small Selection Of Our New Products

Milwaukee-Eight Balancer Bearing Installer

Smart Chargers for Winter Storage

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inter is right around the corner, which means many of your customers will soon be tucking their bikes away for the season. Now is the time to move your Battery Tender® products to the end caps and encourage your clients to properly winterize their motorcycles so they’re ready to ride come spring.

At the top of the winterization list is battery maintenance.

With the Battery Tender Junior 800, keeping that battery happy is plug-and-play easy. This compact smart charger will keep any 12V AGM, Gel, flooded or lithium battery in peak condition thanks to fully automatic charging sequences.

The Junior 800 plugs right into the wall and connects to the battery with the included fused ring terminals, making it incredibly simple to use. And, with features like short-circuit protection, reverse-hookup protection and a spark-proof design, your customers can feel safe leaving it plugged in all winter long.

For applications that require a little more amperage and versatility, the Battery Tender 6V/12V 4A is the

Quickly Charge 12V Lead Acid and Lithium Batteries P/N: 3807-0403

Help your customers prepare their bikes for winter storage by telling them about Battery Tender’s big range of battery chargers, including the Junior 800 and the 6V/12V 4A charger.

way to go. It can quick-charge and maintain all types of 6V and 12V batteries, and offers LED indicators and a fully automatic four-step charging process. This microprocessor-controlled unit is a premium charger with all the latest performance and safety features.

Both Battery Tender battery chargers are designed for use throughout the winter months, and doing so will ensure a battery that’s ready to crank as soon as the weather improves. ■

» Talk with your Drag Specialties rep for details and get more information at www.batterytender.com.

P/N: 3807-0403

BATTERY CHARGERS

Battery Bliss

COMPANY PROFILE & PRODUCTS

P R O D U C T

S H O W C A S E

Powerful and Shiny

Experience, Engineering and Lots of Chrome Khrome Werks’ 4.5-inch HPPlus slip-on muffler for 2017 and newer Harley-Davidson Touring models provide a 12 percent increase in torque, and a 7 percent increase in horsepower over the stock mufflers.

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hrome Werks products are distributed solely through Drag Specialties in the United States, which is no surprise given the intertwined history of the two companies. While the Khrome Werks brand is already well-known in the industry, its history might not be.

These days, Khrome Werks engineers and manufactures high-performance exhaust mufflers and systems for Harley-Davidson and Indian models, as well as a complete line of well-priced handlebars, sissy bars and trailer hitches for Harley-Davidson models. All of it is made in the USA. However, back before Khrome Werks existed, founder Jim Preisler was actually a product designer/engineer for Drag Specialties. He later started DS Manufacturing, which continued to design and supply parts for Drag Specialties.

Preisler was ready to start selling products under his own brand name by 1991, when he launched Khrome Werks to do just that. In 2015, Khrome Werks was acquired by Lincoln Industries, a Tier One OE supplier for companies such as Harley-Davidson, Polaris, PACCAR and Navistar.

All Khrome Werks products are made using OE-level manufacturing processes and finishes. The company’s engineers have a rich history in racing and in the aftermarket industry.

aftermarket industry, and exhausts are designed to a high standard for fit, style, power and durability.

Drag Specialties dealers are especially excited about the 4.5-inch HP-Plus slip-on mufflers for 2017 and newer Harley Touring models. EPA-compliant and available in all 50 U.S. states, the muffler was engineered to feature performance, style and sound. Dyno testing by Khrome Werks showed a 12 percent increase in torque and a 7 percent increase in power over stock mufflers.

The absorptive baffle was developed just for MilwaukeeEight models. It has a two-layer stainless/ceramic packing that produces a super deep tone that doesn’t change over time. Decibel reduction inserts are a separate option, too.

The 4.5-inch HP-Plus muffler is available in both chrome and black, like most Khrome Werks mufflers, and it has a Lifetime Warranty on the chrome and black structure and finish.

The acquisition included a big transition – all Khrome Werks products are now made with OE manufacturing processes and finishes. The highly-polished, 16-gauge steel mufflers and headers are plated with a duplex nickel chrome or coated with the company’s proprietary black finish to increase durability and minimize discoloration while also maximizing scratch and heat resistance.

The Hentzen coating on the black mufflers is the same one used by Harley-Davidson on the factory mufflers and heatshield, which means the black Khrome Werks muffler will exactly match the Harley heatshield.

Although the production process changed, the passion and engineering that goes into each product is still an important part of the Khrome Werks brand. The Khrome Werks engineers have a rich history in racing and the

» Talk to your Drag rep to learn more about Khrome Werks and its

The exhaust tips, which are powder coated so that the black color won’t fade, are available in three different styles.

Khrome Werks says that more options are on the way, too. ■ products. Check out the full line at www.khromewerks.com.

DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES 82

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PA R T S

D E PA R T M E N T

DRAG SPECIALTIES SEATS EZ-ON MOUNT LOW-PROFILE SOLO SEATS Features solar-reflective leather in the seating area and automotive-grade vinyl on the sides; patented process reduces surface temperature by as much as 25°F for a cooler seat, higher durability and longer life over conventional leather or vinyl Molded polyurethane foam for maximum comfort and styling 3/16˝ ABS thermoformed seat base for a perfect fit, with a carpeted bottom and rubber bumpers to protect paint EZ-ON mount system (included) requires no tools for taking seat on and off Seat geometry places rider 2˝ further back and up to 1˝ lower (depending on model) than stock seat Lower position creates better rider position with improved styling Seat covers the two seat fender studs for a low, clean look Includes all mounting hardware Made in the U.S.A.

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PART # DESCRIPTION SUG. RETAIL FOR 08-20 FLHT/FLHR/FLTR/FLHX MODELS (231/2˝ L OVERALL X 131/4˝ W X 13/4˝ H) 0801-1152 Double diamond w/ black thread $329.95 0801-1153 Double diamond w/ silver thread 329.95

DRAG SPECIALTIES COOL COMFORT QUICK ATTACHMENT AIR PADS Can be used on top of the motorcycle’s existing seat Self-inflating design and adjustable pressure valve allows for fine-tuned comfort Distributes weight across entire seating area to improve circulation and reduce numbness Superior comfort allows for extended riding time Foam internal section with mesh cover Two straps secure air pad to the seat

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PART # 0807-0205 0807-0206 0807-0207 0807-0208 0807-0209

DESCRIPTION Pillion (11.2˝ L x 8.5˝ W) Small cruiser (14.4˝ L x 13.4˝ W) Medium cruiser (14.6˝ L x 14˝ W) Large cruiser (15˝ L x 13˝ W) Sport (12˝ L x 11.7˝ W)

SUG. RETAIL $92.95 96.95 96.95 96.95 92.95

OEM-STYLE FORK TUBES Highly durable hard chrome finish Offer less drag and improved seal wear Accept all OEM components Sold in pairs

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PART # DESCRIPTION SUG. RETAIL FOR 99-13 FLT/FLHT/FLHR/FLTR (41mm) 0404-0372 20.875˝; repl. OEM #45890-97 $199.95 0404-0373 22.875˝; repl. OEM #45930-00 199.95 0404-0374 24.875˝ (+.300˝ over stock); repl. OEM #45417-00 199.95

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PA R T S

D E PA R T M E N T

THRASHIN SUPPLY COMPANY

» Can attach to handlebars with or without risers, as well as sissy bars » Constructed from 1680D ballistic nylon » Four interior pockets » Front pocket lined with microfiber specifically designed to store glasses » Four quick-attach nylon straps for easy mounting » YKK® zippers » Dimensions: 9˝ L x 4˝ W x 5˝ T PART # SUG. RETAIL

3510-0102 $74.95

KICKER COMPRT® THIN SUBWOOFERS Engineered to deliver serious bottom-end where space is limited Less than four inches deep Capable of tremendously low bass Weatherproof (work best in a sealed or ported enclosure) Sold each

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PART # 4405-0585 4405-0586

DESCRIPTION 10˝ (400W RMS) 8˝ (300W RMS)

SUG. RETAIL $179.95 149.95

New 120” M8 Super Duty Pistons fit 2017 - current year Harley Davidson 114” & 117” Milwaukee 8’s using stock cylinders bored to 4.125”, 11:1 compression with generous valve pockets to accept 1mm larger valves.

KB M8 Series Feature: • Hard Anodized Crown aids in heat deflection and corrosion from alcohol fuels • Top ring groove Hard Anodizing eliminates micro-welding of the ring to the groove and maintains a flat and smooth surface for best ring seal • Round wire locks • Premium Hastings 1.2mm 1.2mm 3.0mm rings • Steel Nitrile top ring with a Ductile Napier Second M8 Series Features Line2Line Abradable Coating standard. Line2Line is applied the thickness of the piston-to-wall clearance for a ZERO install clearance. The coating abrades in on start-up to hone for the perfect fit per cylinder, and eliminates piston rock for the best possible ring seal with no piston slap Contact your Drag Specialties noise.

Rep for Ordering Info.

KB Performance Motorcycle Pistons Division of United Engine & Machine Co. 800-648-7970

LEGEND SUSPENSION REVO-ARC PIGGYBACK XL COIL SUSPENSION Available in Black Type III hard-coat anodize REVO coils provide improved plush ride-quality, control and resistance to bottoming-out REVO’s extended coil length has larger “sweet spot” without increasing overall shock length Allows minimal pre-load adjustment by hand when changing between riders’ weights or loads Adjusts by hand, no tools needed Available in 13˝ and 14˝, standard or heavy-duty applications Easy installation and alignment, provided by spherical bearings on both top and bottom 35mm monotube construction Deflective disc valve stacks PART # DESCRIPTION SUG. RETAIL FOR 04-20 XL MODELS (EXCEPT 883L) Balanced/matched piston and base-valve design specific for these motorcycle applications STANDARD Low-friction sealing system and PTFE-based sliding bearings for improved performance and feel 1310-1894 13˝ L $1,295.95 Seven external knob adjustments allow fine-tuning of rebound 1310-1896 14˝ L 1,295.95 Seven external knob adjustments allow fine-tuning of compression HEAVY-DUTY 1310-1895 13˝ L $1,295.95 Provides optimum rebound and compression performance for any given rider 1310-1897 14˝ L 1,295.95 weight, personal ride-quality preference or personal riding style Nitrogen gas bladder design allows ultra-fast response and stiction-free movement Light to heavy riders can fine-tune ride preference Aggressive to casual riding styles can tune to desired quality or personal preference Heavy-duty applications are recommended for 250 lb. plus rider and passenger total weight, or if the majority of your riding is 2-up or aggressive in style

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PA R T S

D E PA R T M E N T

SADDLEMEN HEATED ROAD SOFA CF SEAT WITH BACKREST SaddleGel™ in front and rear reduces tailbone pressure and increases circulation and comfort for both driver and passenger Tall lumbar support and wide driver saddle support the back and legs for superior comfort, while the streamlined nose improves the rider’s reach to the ground Constructed from contrasting carbon-fiber weave and SaddleHyde™ Two-level heat adjustment that connects easily to bike’s electrical system Independently controlled heating elements for rider and passenger Brightly colored LEDs indicate level of heat Styling and function are unaffected by switches or wiring Available with or without backrest Made in the U.S.A.

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PART # 0801-1167

DESCRIPTION For 08-20 FLHT/FLHR/FLHX/FLTR/FLTRX/FLTRU/FLTRK

SUG. RETAIL $739.00

CIRO LED FRONT SPEAKER ACCENTS Black fairing speaker accents with LED lights Supplies a million color options when used with Ciro’s Shock & Awe manual encoder (available separately) or Bluetooth controller If used with Ciro Shock & Awe Bluetooth controller, you can have the fairing accessories on one channel and your bike LEDs on another channel, giving you millions of options for color, brightness and functions Sold in pairs Patent pending

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PART # DESCRIPTION 4405-0541 For 14-19 FLHT/FLHX/FLHTCU/FLHTK (except Boom Stage II audio fairing speakers)

SUG. RETAIL $159.95

S&S *GRAND NATIONAL 2-INTO-2 HIGH-MOUNT EXHAUST SYSTEM A true race-replica system featuring the same 3.5˝ diameter muffler body and end cap design as the FTR750 flat track race bikes Stainless steel perforated core baffles wrapped in fiberglass for a stealthy exhaust note High-flow catalytic converters Multi-layer heat shields including a 6mm ceramic thermal barrier to guard riders from exhaust heat Meets SAE J2825 sound standards (with dB reducers)

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PART # 1810-2681

DESCRIPTION For 19 FTR1200

SUG. RETAIL $1,874.95

*DISCLAIMER: NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA ON ANY POLLUTION CONTROLLED MOTOR VEHICLES 86

DRAG SPECIALTIES MAGAZINE

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DECEMBER 2019

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start it up with a proven brand

From high performance starter motors, drives and ring gears to solenoids and relays, Drag Specialties has the quality parts you need to get your bike started and the reliability to keep it starting for years to come. Pans to M-Eights, whether a major rebuild or a minor repair, we offer a complete selection of dependable V-Twin parts.

Contact your Drag Specialties rep for more information.

dragspecialties.com | #SINCE1968

FEATURING:

VARIANT PRO CONSTRUCT | HELMET OPTIONAL DARK SMOKE SHIELD BRIGAND | DENIM JACKET

REMOVABLE WATERPROOF LINER BRIGAND | GLOVES

HI-FLOW MESH WITH AX LAREDOTM PALM

EXPLORE THE COLLECTION AT:

ICON1000.COM