Full Throttle Magazine January issue 2023

Here we are at a new year and a new

for some people. Hopefully 2023 will bring some muchneeded changes to our country and to all of us here in this great country. I am hopeful that the year brings positive change and growth to each and every one of us and to our great nation. I believe change is good thing. We must have change to grow and prosper. All of us here at Full Throttle Magazine are looking forward to a year of change, to better our magazine, to grow and meet new friends and spend time with all of you, our old friends. So, we say to you, Happy New Year and may it bring positive and prosperous things to all of you in 2023.

We have already begun working on Historic Route 66 Bike Night at Bobby’s Place in Valley Park for 2023. We are looking forward to another year of weekly bike nights on Wednesday evening starting April 05, 2023. Watch for more details as we get closer to that time.

The year is already starting to look amazing with great rides, events and rallies. As always, Full Throttle will keep you up to date on all the things going on around the Midwest both in our magazine and on our Facebook and website. Remember we are the only free magazine that covers the Midwest. If you have rides, events and rallies you would like everyone to know about be sure and contact us at so we can get them posted. Email your info to publisher@fullthrottle-magazine.com or go to our website and add your event there.

I want to take one last minute to again thank all our advertisers, readers and fans that support us and have helped us remain the Number “One” free motorcycle magazine in the Midwest. We have outlived all the other local Motorcycle Magazines that are now out of business, and we are grateful to all of you for your continued support. Our goal is to continue to grow in 2023 and we welcome any and all comments and suggestions.

As always, my friends ride safe and we will see you on the road with Full Throttle Magazine.

Bob

"Tis The

Welcome back Full Throttle readers and riders!! The holidays have come and gone and the New Year is upon us. The turkeys are safe for now, the Christmas lights have gone up and will soon be coming down, unless you have “that” neighbor who decides March 1st is the dead line, and we are all making new year’s resolutions! Mine? I resolve not to make one; I can always seem to meet that expectation. But if you are, in fact, looking to make a resolution, make one for your bikes sake.

How many of you have walked out to the bike on that nice random winters day, had your gear on, with a smile on your face and only to have your happy warm fuzzy feeling flip to rage as all the bike manages to muster is a few clicks and then silence? Yep! Dead battery! Sure you can “bump start” it but is that something you wanna do at every stop? Nothing will ruin your riding expectations more than not getting started at all! Let’s talk batteries and charging system maintenance.

This whole situation can be avoided all together with a few precautionary steps. First and foremost if you are riding a Harley it is imperative to have a Genuine HarleyDavidson battery. I know what you are thinking “I've be brain washed by the motor company again!” But the truth of the matter is there are hundreds of options out there and the HD should be your only choice. Why? Well first of they are “sealed” unit requiring no acid top offs and not to mention Harley-Davidson's require a specific amount of cold cranking amps. What are cold Cranking amps? It’s the amount of amperage needed to turn the bike over at start up, at this point the charging system takes over now that the bike has started. Sportsters batteries have 225cca, Softails and Dynas are rated at 315cca and the big baggers with all their bells and whistles are at a whopping 405cca!!! When I compared the specs of a generic battery against a Genuine Harley touring battery

By: Marshall Tucker

Season"

the generic battery fell short by 45 cold cranking amps! That may not seem like a huge difference, but when it comes to making sure that your bike starts every time is a massive deficit! So treat your ride right and buy Genuine Harley-Davidson batteries!

Now that we have the proper battery in our bike lets maintain it! Best way to do so is by buying a simple Battery tender or “trickle” charger. Most range about 45-65 bucks for the base models and as much as a few hundred for larger models that charge more than one “toy” at a time. These are not full out battery chargers; if a battery is beyond the point of being saved a tender won’t do the job. Its main purpose is to maintain the battery at optimum cold cranking amperage or to keep a solid “surface” charge securing a strong start every time! Most folks feel that they only need to place their bikes on a tender during the winter storage months. For me this is not true. I plug mine in every night. I have had the same HD Battery in my Sporty for 6 years now and it shows no signs of stopping at this point! Harley batteries run between 120 dollars to 170 dollars depending on the year and model. So to spend $39.95 to protect a $170 investment seems like a safe bet wouldn’t you say? These days it seems like everything is going to the lithium ion cells, whether it be your Iphone or a new electric car it seems to be the first choice these days but again I disagree. I had a buddy run one on his custom build and with only 250 miles on the battery it decided to melt in the battery tray effectively turning his bike into a Salvador Dali painting. We have all heard the saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” that still stands true today. Until the technology can keep up with the proper demands, stick to what works! A Genuine Harley-Davidson product! Follow these tips and you won’t be hearing any clicks coming from your bike!! Happy New Year and Y’all enjoy the ride!!!

Permitting

CUSTOM

How’s it going Full Throttle readers and riders!! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the holiday season and you received all the gifts for your motorcycle that were on your all’s list. With the end of the year approaching extremely fast, we all know that the new model releases are right around the corner. With it being the 120th anniversary of Harley Davidson I expect the new models and parts to be something pretty special this time around. One thing Harley Davidson has tried to make better this last year is their lighting, but they are still falling just a little short of the mark on this. Lucky for us we have Custom Dynamics. So lets get into this article.

Tucked between the backroads of Youngsville, NC, you’ll find Custom Dynamics, an industry leader in after-market motorcycle LED lighting. Even after almost 20 years in business, family-value mentality still serves as the guiding force of their company. Custom Dynamics as a ProBeam line that is leading the industry in lighting and for good reasons, and that’s what well go over today.

The ProBeam line features turn signals, tail lights, head lights, and other accessory lights for your Harley Davidson. Let’s start with the turn signals which is one of our top sellers in the dealership. The ProBeam front and rear turn signals inserts are a plug and play set up for the Harley Davidson turn signal bulbs. The ProBeam product line uses high quality automotive grade components including OSRAM LEDs to produce a bright visible light. All ProBeam turn signals come with turn signal lenses and a waterproof gasket, and come equipped with Custom Dynamics lifetime LED warranty.

For the tail lights the ProBeam line has standard and low-profile applications to give your bike the custom looks you’re going for. The ProBeam taillights have the patent Custom Dynamics LED pipe design which wraps from one side of the tail light to the other for an increased visibility, and are also DOT/SAE compliant. The ProBeam taillights produce a smooth eye-catching light for the traffic behind you. These Units are completely sealed and come in red or smoked lens options and are plug and play applications.

Rounding out the main lights on the bike Custom Dynamics also offers their ProBeam headlights. These headlights are complete with the latest in LED engineering innovation. The low Beam on these headlights consist of high power advanced optical D lenses and a position light. The high beam keeps the low beam illuminated and adds 2 additional LEDs with advanced optical D lenses and three more LEDs with

DYNAMICS

projector lenses, which gives these head lights an incredibly wide optical pattern producing an ideal beam pattern with illumination down the road as well as either side of the road. The head light housing is made of heavy duty, light weight die-cast aluminum. The low-profile trim requires no trim ring and offers plug and play installation. The ProBeam headlights are DOT, SAE and ECE compliant and are also backed by the Custom Dynamics lifetime LED warranty. The coolest feature of the ProBeam headlights is the Adaptive2 versions which feature JW Speakers adaptive technology which enables the light to sense when the bike is leaning to illuminate additional LED’s providing ditch-to-ditch light output. Basically, the light moves with you and your bike in turns for optimal visibility where you need it the most. When the headlight is paired with the ProBeam passing lamps you’ll have the highest visibility possible on a Harley Davidson.

Custom Dynamics doesn’t just stop there with the lights. One of the most popular products they make are their light modules. One of my personal favorites is going to be the Magic Strobe brake light flasher. This Module features 10 user selected flash/strobe patterns. What this module does is make your brake lights flash or strobe when applying pressure to your brakes, giving vehicles behind you a better chance at seeing you as your coming to a stop. These modules work with LEDs and incandescent bulbs, come with a sealed weather proof case and of course are supported by the Life Time warranty.

Another popular module from them is the Smart triple play. This module triples your visibility in the rear by converting your turn signals into Run-Brake-Turn signals. This module also has the magic strobe feature built into it with its 10 user setting patterns. This Module also comes with the life time warranty.

I encourage you all to check out the complete custom dynamics line of products that they sell. When it comes to lighting, they really are the leader in this industry. With their wide range of saddlebag lights, turn signals, head lights, filler lights and much more, there is no reason the drivers on the road shouldn’t be able to see you. So, stop in and see us at the shop and check out everything Custom Dynamics has to offer for your motorcycle.

Well, that’s going to wrap up this article. I could go on and on about all the products Custom Dynamics offers but the easiest way to see for yourself is to stop by the dealership and check out the displays that we have. When I say these lights are bright, I’m not exaggerating. As always, you can reach out to me at the dealership or my email Keigan@stcharlesharleydavidson.com if you have any questions or concerns. Hope you all had a happy holiday and a safe new year. Ill see you all next year and as always, keep it rubber side down!

CRACK UP’S

Why do we tell actors to “break a leg?” Because every play has a cast.

Yesterday I saw a guy spill all his Scrabble letters on the road. I asked him, “What’s the word on the street?”

Sandy’s mum has four kids; North, West, and East.

What is the name of the fourth child? Sandy, obviously!

If an electric train is traveling south at 10 miles per hour and the wind is blowing North at 10 miles per hour, which way does the smoke blow? Fooled you! Electric trains don’t blow smoke. ____________________

A woman in labor suddenly shouted, “Shouldn’t! Wouldn’t! Couldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!”

“Don’t worry,” said the doctor. “Those are just contractions.” Why can’t you ever trust atoms? Because they make up everything. How much did the man sell his dead batteries for?

Nothing, they were free of charge! Why did the soccer player take so long to eat dinner? Because he thought he couldn’t use his hands.

A couple is on a date at a fancy restaurant. The woman tells the man to say something to her that will get her heart racing. He says, “I forgot my wallet.”

Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up by itself? Because it was two-tired.

Did you hear about the guy who invented the knock-knock joke? He won the “no-bell” prize. Did you hear about the fire in the shoe factory? 10,000 soles were lost. The police said some heels started it. Knock, knock. Who’s there?

Frank. Frank, who? Frank, you for loving me.

Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!

Evolution of the Motorcycle Why Are Motorcycles on Almost

Before we can dive into the understanding of the motorcycle enthusiast, we need to have a greater understanding of how this exhilarating machine came to be.

Now, most everyone has a base understanding of the motorcycle and some of the history. But do you know how far back the history goes? Oh, some of you will say 1901 for Indian Motorcycles and 1903 for Harley Davidson. These two companies did indeed put the motorcycle industry on the map, no question. Let me digress just a bit; traveling back in time to Michelangelo. Some would say that it all began with him, the true inventor of the bicycle. He did not actually construct the bicycle, but merely put brush to paper, drawing a body, wheels, pedals and a chain. That was it. No handle bars or steering column. What this did was cause the minds of inventors to churn. In 1791, There’s Comte de Sirvac, inventor of the ‘Hobby Horse”; consisting of two wheels, a body and a steering bar; no pedals or chain. It was more of a conversation piece with no real functionality. Inventor after inventor came closer and closer to perfecting the “Bicycle”. In 1860, a blacksmith in Paris, Pierre Michaux, own the first company to construct a bicycle with pedals call the Velocipede. The first motorcycle can be traced back as far as 1867 when Pierre’s son Ernest Michaux fitted a small steam engine to one the “Velocipedes”.

Moving forward in 1868, an American, Sylvester H. Roper of Roxbury Massachusetts, developed a twin cylinder steam velocipede, with a coal fired boiler between the wheels. In 1881, Lucius Copeland of Phoenix, Arizona designed a much smaller steam boiler which could drive the large rear wheel of an American Star high-wheeler at 12 mph. In 1887 the first successful ‘moto-cycle’ was produced.

“Did

know that the first commercial design for a self-propelled bicycle was a three-wheeler called the Butler Petrol Cycle?”

In 1885, German inventor, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach worked with Nicolaus Otto, an engineer who in 1876 developed the “four-stroke combustible engine”. Daimler took the idea of Sylvester H. Roper’s Velocipede and added Nicolaus Otto’s engine and hence came to be the first true adaptation of a gas powered “Motorcycle”, better known as “Motor Bicycle”

Through the course of time, there were many inventors and companies that saw this self-propelled bicycle as the future. In 1901, the first motorcycle with a 239 cc engine was created. In 1902 the bicycle maker “Triumph” decided to extend its focus to include motorcycles. A year later they became the largest manufacturer with an annual production of over 500 units. Other firms were Norton and Birmingham Small Arms Company began motorbike production in 1902 and 1910, respectively.

Also in 1901, the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company was founded, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. In 1903, William Harley, Walter Davidson and Arthur Davidson started the American company Harley-Davidson and by 1920 they were largest manufacturer with their motorcycles being

you

Motorcycle and Enthusiast Almost Everyone’s Bucket List?

sold by dealers in 67 countries.

Through the decades more and more motorcycle companies came to be; BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha to name a few.

Let’s rush forward to the 21st century. There are choppers, street rods, cruisers, small bikes, large bikes, bikes that are quiet, bikes that are Very Loud, and my personal favorite….”The Trike”.

So here begs the real question. Why is this two or three wheeled form of transportation on everyone’s bucket list? People want to own one or at the very least ride one. Several years ago my aunt voiced that she really wanted to ride on the back of a motorcycle. So my husband and I went and picked her up. She got on the back of his bike with him and we took her for a quick 15 minute ride. When we got back to her house, she was grinning from ear to ear. She said that she can check that off her list of things that she has always wanted to do.

What is so fascinating with this machine? Is it because it’s un-inhibiting, a sense of freedom, an adrenaline rush? I would say yes and much more. It’s the feeling of exhilaration, the wind racing past you. When you are racing down the highway are 60, 70 or 80 mph and then you come to a stop, how your skin is tingly, the hairs on your body are standing on end. Your senses are heightened; everything from your reflex actions to your sense of sound and even smells. In the springtime, when the trees and flowers are in full bloom, take a ride and smell how the honeysuckle is so sweet in the air. You can never experience that traveling in a car. Or in the middle of a beautiful Summer day when you are riding down a curvy road and you come upon a glorious canopy of trees that shelters you from the hot sun and how the shade gives off a cool breeze. There is nothing to obstruct your views of Gods landscaping. Why would you not want to experience this?

There are some that associate motorcycle riders as being Bad Ass. Some are and some aren’t. The one common thread that we all have is the love of the open road. There is a certain camaraderie between bikers. Now, not to say that some bikers want to have it out with other bikers, that’s just the nature of the beast. But, I would like to stay positive in all this. Most bikers will come together for a greater cause, such as local and national charities alike.

What I think is the best part about being a motorcycle enthusiast sums it up in two words…”THE RIDE”. So the next time you decide to take “A RIDE” and you pass your fellow biker, remember to extend your hand add a wave saying, “Yeah, I know what’s on your mind”.

Remember to Live Free, Ride Hard and always be safe.