HOT BIKE VOLUME 2 2024 by hotbikemagazine

IS H-D’S CVO ROAD GLIDE ST THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE BAGGER?

THE CUSTOM & PERFORMANCE V-TWIN MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE

BROCK BRIDGES’

Moto Chop

VOL. 2 2024 • HOTBIKE.COM

RIDER POSITION IS THE FOUNDATION OF PERFORMANCE Kraus cockpit systems are engineered to improve ergonomics, control, comfort and confidence. • Isolated Risers and Bars put you into an upright, engaged body position • Foot Controls and Floorboards adjust to riders of all sizes • S e a t s c o r re c t l y p o s i t i o n y o u a n d i m p ro v e y o u r c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e b i ke

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS From The Editor ............................................... 10 Riding Gear........................................................ 12 The Hot Seat: Chatting With Casey Horner.... 14 Tech: Horsepower, Inc.’s M8 FXLRST Exhaust ............................................................. 82 Tech Tips Featuring Danny Wilson................. 88 SCAN THE QR CODE THROUGHOUT FOR EVEN MORE GOOD STUFF!

New Products.................................................... 94 Readers’ Rides................................................... 98

FEATURES Meyer’s Turbo Daily Driver ............................. 18 One Way Machine’s Elegant M8 Softail.......... 24 Ramjet Racing’s Perfectly Simple FXR ............ 32 MB Cycles Nails A CFL Rigid ............................ 38 Paper Street Customs’ King Of Pain .............. 46 Brock Bridges’ FXR Evo Chop .......................... 54 From The Archives: 20th Century Foxes ....... 64

TECH Inside The 2024 CVO Road Glide ST’s Electronics ........................................................ 72

PROFILE The Parts Counter: Harley-Davidson Genuine Motorcycle Parts & Accessories ..................... 78

ON THE COVER We spotted a refreshing take on custom bike building thanks to Brock Bridges and his Evo chop from Bill Dodge’s BC Moto Invitational at this year’s TMMR show.

I S S U E 2 2 0 24 — E ST. 1 97 1

PHOTO: MICHAEL LICHTER

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- ONE PIECE BILLET CAGE - HIGH FLOW FILTER & VELOCITY STACK - CHROME, BLACK, RAW - CLEAR OR SOLID COVER

FEULING #5434 DRAG #1010-3144

TWO CENTS

TIME FOR A CHANGE

e’re full swing into the Summer months. It feels weird to say that… er… type that. It’s even weirder to experience something other than a temperate climate. Experiencing seasons isn’t something I’m used to after having spent the majority of my adult life in Southern California. I mean it would get cold sometimes (I’d layer up with long-johns when it dropped to 50), but after moving to Utah where freezing-and-bursting pipes was an actual thing, well… it was a shock to the system. That’s right, I moved to Utah. It’s not too cold. I mean I’m shoveling snow all winter. And so far this summer has been relatively mild, too (it’s in the 90s). I didn’t move to Utah to take on an extra wife or two. I moved there because I wasn’t too sure of the future fate of my home state of California. The honey grew tainted and the milk started to curdle. At least in Long Beach where I lived. I got tired of watching people take a shit on the sidewalks as my kids and I walked to get ice cream (it happened more than once). I was over all of the political bullshit too. It became impossible to have an opinion without some sort of repercussions. And of course, traffic. I loathed traffic. God knows I spent my fair share battling it out with the best of them on the 405 day in and day out. The state just got too damn populated, and as a result, I was ready for something new. As far as Utah’s concerned, I’m still in the honeymoon phase. It’s too soon to tell, but so far so good. There’s a lot of riders up here too. Maybe it’s because there’s a lot of great rides! I just spent the past couple days on a new Harley-Davidson Street Glide and it was one of the most fun days I’ve had in a very long time. It seemed like more of an adventure because I was riding roads I’d never been on before. And I did so without having to traverse through a shitload of traffic, just to get to the good stuff. It was glorious. The only traffic I encounter now is when a herd of deer crosses the street… er…dirt road outside of the town where I live. No checked-out Tesla or Prius owners and their “autonomous” vehicles. All that said, I think we’re happier there. It is a trip though. And we love that we’re close to some more epic states to ride: Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, it’s really much closer to the goods from here. Especially Sturgis. Which brings me to my next point. Are you going to Sturgis this year? Are you still a fan of the iconic Bike Week in the Black Hills? I mean, I’ve done the rally so many years now, I’m not sure I’d miss anything if I never went again. I mean, as an indentured servant of the motorcycle industry, the “why” is a lot different for me. And I don’t party anymore, so that adds another layer. And Sturgis is One. Big. Party. But as the now owner of the Hot Bike publishing business, and not just the editor, does it make sense for us to keep going as a reseller of subscriptions and merch? We went for the first time in a long time last year and the rain kind of screwed us up. I get that people want to ride the Black Hills and check the boxes of visiting their favorite haunts. Unless it rains. Then people simply get shitfaced. Which is what seemed to happen in 2023. So it was a hard one to gauge as we navigated setting up a booth at bike rallies again. But we’re 10 HOTBIKE.COM

“AS FAR AS UTAH’S CONCERNED, I’M STILL IN THE HONEYMOON PHASE. IT’S TOO SOON TO TELL, BUT SO FAR SO GOOD. THERE’S A LOT OF RIDERS UP THERE TOO.” going back again this year. And we’ll be parked again at the Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership, this year next to our pals at Trask Performance. Stay tuned for some cool things we’re working on with Trask and co. We expect you to come by and say hi and tell us about your travels or your latest builds. We hope it’s a better experience for everyone this year and the rain subsides so we can all get back to doing what we love to do the most: riding motorcycles and buying Hot Bike magazines. If you ever have any questions or want to know what we’re up to, drop us a line at info@hotbike.com. Until then... Bye for now, Jordan

President/Editor-In-Chief JORDAN MASTAGNI The Real Boss ASHLEY MASTAGNI Creative Director ROBERT MARTIN Managing Editor IRENE GONZALEZ

CONTRIBUTORS GISELLE ALLISON, ALEX CHAPMAN, ROB FORTIER, MORGAN GALES, CASEY HORNER, MICHAEL LICHTER, MARK MASKER, RAY PARK, NOOK2M STUDIOS, DANNY WILSON SPONSORS Hot Bike is grateful for these awesome supporters! ARCH MOTORCYCLE, AVON GRIPS, BILTWELL, BUELL MOTORCYCLE CO., FACTORY 47, FEULING PARTS, GALFER USA, HORSEPOWER INC., JW SPEAKER, KEN’S FACTORY, KRAUS MOTOR CO., LAW TIGERS, MINT SPEED SHOP, MOTOAMERICA, MOTUL, RAMJET RACING, ROLAND SANDS DESIGN, SAWICKI SPEED SHOP, THRASHIN’ SUPPLY CO., TRASK PERFORMANCE, TURN 14 DISTRIBUTION

GEAR: TESTED

CARDO PACKTALK PRO REVIEW

WORDS: MORGAN GALES PHOTOS: MONEEB NAIN, COURTESY OF CARDO

ike it or not, in-helmet communicators have become standard in many riders’ helmets. From touring to weekend riders and daily commuters alike, music and intercom are a regular part of the ride for a whole lot of us. And for a minute there, this in-helmet comms market was anyone’s game. Sena had some products and “Hi-Def,” audio that seemed like it could compete. Lexin introduced a few products that could sort of almost compete—hey, they’ve got lights on ‘em? Then Cardo partnered up with JBL Audio and it was all over. In an instant, Cardo had higher quality speakers that were louder and clearer than any of the competition. It went from riders having to blast their music at max volume just to hear the bass, to being able to listen to a podcast clearly at 80mph. I don’t know about the rest of the riding community, but I put a Packtalk Edge on my helmet and never looked back. Now Cardo just introduced the PackTalk Pro helmet communication device. This device is the same size and shape as the Packtalk Edge, but adds larger and higher quality speakers, as well as an inertial measurement unit with crash detection. Software to manage this IMU and crash detection were still in Beta during our test, so we were unable to test any of the Crash Detection performance, but even without that, a couple of key elements improve quality and functionality. I know, I wish they would have pushed the test back however long it took so they could figure the product out and show us what it can actually do, but we got what we got—and really, I realized I may not care all that much about this crash detection thing. The PackTalk Pro is priced at $459 compared to the Packtalk Edge at $399, and in short, you get better speakers and an auto on/off. Crash Detection was emphasized throughout the launch, but being unable to test it made us also realize how easy it is to disregard. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max which has crash detection with satelite SOS—which would seem to provide better off-thegrid protection than this new Cardo which relies on cell service to send a text message. If you run an Apple Watch, chances are that’s got crash detection, too. Redundencies are often necessary when considering your safety, but again, we’re unable to tell if this works better or differently or has anything to offer over the crash-detection devices many of us already carry. All that remains to be seen when production models and consumer-facing software is released on July 7th, 2024. But how many times have I forgotten to turn off my Cardo when I got home? Or worse, after a full-day trip my lady will leave hers on and forget to charge it and then she’s all upset that she doesn’t have music or comms in the morning. While the new Packtalk Pro offers some nice safety and quality features, the new auto on/off feature is wildly valuable and may just save a few relationships. If the helmet doesn’t move for a minute, it will shut itself off. Pick it back up and you hear the “BONG BONG BONG, Phone connected!”. 12 HOTBIKE.COM

Compared to Edge models, the Pro comes standard with 45mm speakers which are deeper, louder, and more robust sounding than the 40mm units. Every rider on the test remarked on the quality improvement. I wore a somewhat loud helmet and with my plugs in, music was quiet with the 40mm speakers. With the new 45mm speakers, I’m totally happy with my earplugs and audio quality. It’s a $60 diﬀerence between the Edge and the Pro, and crash detection be damned—just this auto on/oﬀ and the larger speakers make it easily worth the upgrade. The 45mm speaker kit on its own is $99. And Cardo has shown a pattern of doing the work and improving its products over time, so there’s hope to see more thoroughly developed crash detection on launch. If I was choosing between the two units, I’d spring for the Pro over the Edge just because of the speakers, but the internal IMU adds a ton of potential to what a helmet communicator can do. Software updates can completely change how this unit functions, so time will tell. We’d love to update this piece once we’ve tested the production unit, so stay tuned for more.

SOURCE: CARDO cardosystems.com

THE

HOT SEAT —SPECIAL EDITION CHATTING WITH THE TWO-BIT MOTO SHOW’S PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: CASEY HORNER We teamed up with our pals at Tucker Speed to host a cool photo contest at the inaugural Two-Bit Moto Show in Ogden, Utah, this past June. Tony Tucker and his cronies invited us to Ogden to help curate the overall contest. It wasn’t easy. We received some really great submissions as a result, but it boiled down to one photo that just stood out the most from Casey Horner aka @mischievous_penguins. That being said, Casey’s prize was for us to feature his work in the mag, which we were more than obliged to do because he’s a very talented dude. And there you have it… Enjoy!

HOT BIKE : Okay, so what does your IG handle, @mischievous_penguins mean? CASEY HORNER: I used to have a personalized license plate that said “mschvs” and I wore Original Penguin brand shirts often, so a buddy started calling me mischievous penguins as a joke. I just thought it sounded funny so I used it for my IG handle. HB : Where do you live now, and where did you grow up? CH: I currently live in Manteca, California, and I grew up mostly in San Jose, California. HB : You have a rad photo style and you won the inaugural TwoBit Moto Show Photo Contest. How does it feel? CH: It feels a little weird to be honest. I’m very critical of my work and I wasn’t really confident my photo was good enough to win. HB : How did you get into photography? CH: I took a trip to Zion National Park with my wife and I brought a digital camera to see if I could do some landscape photography. That trip got me hooked and I started spending all my spare time trying to learn everything I could about photography. HB : Talk about your style of photography. CH: I still feel I’m developing my own style, but I am known for shooting a lot of slower shutter speed images. I really try to do everything I can to convey energy and movement in a still photo, whether that be slow shutter panning shots or riding my bike and shooting rollers of guys doing stunts right next to me. My only goal is to produce something that is visually striking and truly represents what I saw when I took the image. 14 HOTBIKE.COM

Q&A: PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: CASEY HORNER

HB : What inspires you? CH: Progression inspires me. I just want to continually push my skills to make the images that I picture in my mind. HB : Who inspires you? CH: All of the stunt riders I shoot inspire me. They are constantly out there pushing limits and it makes me just want to work harder to create images that really convey how cool they look in person. HB : What are some of your favorite types of motorcycle things to shoot (bike portraits, action, lifestyle, anything else, etc.)? CH: I really enjoy shooting action images. I really enjoy the challenge of creating an image that I feel communicates the energy in a scene. HB : What else do you like to shoot besides motorcycles? CH: I really enjoy landscape/nature photography. HB : Are you a DSLR kinda guy or a mirrorless guy? CH: I’ve shot with both, but I do really prefer mirrorless systems. HB : Do you have a favorite shot? Or a few that you’re most proud of? CH: My favorite shot will always be the one I haven’t taken yet. There are shots I’m proud of, but it usually has more to do with 16 HOTBIKE.COM

what it took to get the shot than the actual result.

HB : What advice would you give to young shooters just getting into photography? CH: Practice…practice…practice HB : Anything else you want to add? CH: Make photos great again… You can’t print a video and hang it on the wall. HB

Proudly Distributed by

FABIEN MEYER’S TURBO DAILY DRIVER

FROM DREAM RIDES TENNESSEE WORDS: MORGAN GALES PHOTOS: JORDAN MASTAGNI

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very single one of us has that list. It may be in your head, on your phone, or on the wall of your shop, but we all know what we need for the bike, what we want, and those parts we drool over but will never actually get without divine intervention or a lucky lottery ticket. Looking at the bike that Jesse Taylor built for owner Fabien Meyer, it seems like these guys have just been working their way down the pipe-dream list and checking off every box. Fabien is a Marine who lives in New York and had been putting some serious miles on his 2022 Low Rider S, but he wanted more power. And not just big, hot, clunky power, but clean usable power in a reliable engine that he could bash every day. He’d heard that’s what Dream Rides was known for, so he got on the bike and rode down to Tennessee. Dream Rides was started in Stockton, CA in 2004 by John and Tom Jessup, and it’s still running and thriving. But back in 2019, after a trip out to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, John decided it was time to branch off and take the shop out East. He started shopping around and found a spot in Maryville, Tennessee, a city near the incredible riding road Tail of the Dragon with a huge motorcycle-riding population, and Dream Rides Tennessee was born.

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BLITZKRIEG

“HE DIDN’T REALLY HOLD BACK. HE WANTED TO GO LIGHTER AND FASTER!” John rides a yellow Road King that puts out 205 horsepower on pump gas. That bike is named The Hellion and he rides it to the drag strip, to the Dragon, and to run errands around town, showing firsthand why the shop is so well-known for reliable bikes with big power. When Fabien arrived at Dream Rides and saw the USMC flag over shop foreman Jesse Taylor’s workstation, it was just another affirmation that he was in the right place. Fabien wanted to add an aggressive edge to his bike, both in style and performance, and few things can add that “Oh shit!” factor like a big ol’ turbo strapped to the side of your bike. The engine is mostly stock spare an Andrews 475 cam that was already on the bike when it came in. An HPI fuel injector and Thundermax EFI help manage the new Trask Assault Turbo. “He didn’t really hold back.” says Jesse Taylor. “He wanted to go lighter and faster!” And as we all know, lightweight and fast is an expensive combination—lots of carbon fiber and billet alloys. The Softail already had a bit of custom work done when it showed up, but that doesn’t mean it all worked with the new direction. The previous FXRT-style fairing interfered with the turbo, so that was removed and replaced with the smaller carbon fiber T-Sport style 20 HOTBIKE.COM

fairing which had to be trimmed to fit the Baja Designs headlight. Carbon fiber handlebars from Kirk Taylor were drilled up, cut to size, and installed. A new set of carbon fiber BST wheels replaced the old machined set that Fabien rode in on. Front and rear fenders, dash—even the rear sprocket is carbon fiber. Fast and light only does so much if the ride isn’t well suspended, so the Low Rider was equipped with fully adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear. A Trac Dynamics swingarm matches Art Somsong’s machined fender struts to a T, both shaving significant weight compared to stock, and a set of Ken’s Factory rockerboxes cap off the engine. Black and silver paint with flake, lace, and paneling from Saul Lomas at Cobra Customs further highlights the aluminum and carbon contrast seen throughout the bike. Now it’s back in Fabien’s possession and just as intended, he’s riding it every day. The bike was named Blitzkrieg, which is a military term for an overwhelming show of force in a short period of time—literally translate from german it means “flash war.” So we don’t know what sort of trouble Fabien plans on starting with this bike, but we do know he’ll be able to get out of it in hurry. HB

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SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER SHOP NAME SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL YEAR/MAKE/MODEL

FABIEN MEYER DREAM RIDES OF TENNESSEE (865) 233-7272 DREAMRIDESOFTN.COM/ AND @DREAMRIDESTENNESSEE 2022 CARBON FIBER LOW RIDER S TURBO

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER 2022 H-D TYPE/SIZE 117 WITH 465 CAMS AND TRASK ASSAULT TURBO CASES H-D H-D CYLINDERS HEADS H-D ROCKER BOXES KEN’S FACTORY EFI/CARB THUNDERMAX AIR CLEANER TRASK PERFORMANCE TURBO TRASK PERFORMANCE TURBO EXHAUST SPECIAL FEATURES TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE 2024 BAKER GRUDGE BOX CLUTCH TRASK BILLET ALUMINUM BASKET PRIMARY DRIVE DARK HORSE MAN OF WAR COMPENSATOR AND CARBON FIBER SPROCKET FROM ITALIAN PERFORMANCE PARTS FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE STRETCH SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT LENGTH TRIPLE TREES MANUFACTURER REAR SPECIAL FEATURES

2022 H-D H-D H-D

ÖHLINS 43MM H-D ÖHLINS TRAC DYNAMICS SWINGARM AND ART SOMSONG FENDER STRUTS

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE BST CARBON FIBER TWIN TEK 19” WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH METZELER 110/90/10 BREMBO CAFE RACERS CALIPER ROTOR GALFER MANUFACTURER REAR BST CARBON FIBER TWIN TEK WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 19” TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH METZELER 180/55/18 CALIPER BREMBO CAFÉ RACERS ROTOR GALFER BERINGER MASTER CYLINDER AND CLUTCH LEVER DEATH METAL RACING BRAKE AND SHIFT LEVERS FOOT PEGS, SHIFTER AND LOWER BRAKE CONTROL FROM TWISTED T INDUSTRIES (TTI) FINISH-PAINT COLOR BLACK, SILVER AND CARBON FIBER PAINTER SAUL LOMAS FROM COBRA CUSTOMS GRAPHICS U.S. MARINES LOGOS GHOSTED INTO THE TANK SPECIAL FINISHES CUSTOM LP6 HEADLIGHT FABRICATED INTO FAIRING ACCESSORIES FRONT FENDER REAR FENDER FAIRING/WINDSCREEN GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP DASH OIL TANK HANDLEBARS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT SEAT

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RACE CARBON USA CARBON FIBER RACE CARBON USA CARBON FIBER IMZZ ELITE T-SPORT CARBON FIBER H-D CUSTOM PAINTED H-D RACE CARBON USA CARBON FIBER H-D KIRK TAYLOR CARBON FIBER BAJA DESIGN LP6 CUSTOM MOUNTED H-D WHIPLASH SPEED CO.

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THE BLACK

MEN ONE WAY MACHINE’S ELEGANT M8 SOFTAIL

BAD 24 HOTBIKE.COM

K PHANTOM

NACE WORDS: RAY PARK PHOTOS: NOOK2M STUDIOS

BAD BOYS GARAGE’S NIGHTSTER FROM MOTOR BIKE EXPO ISSUE 2 / 2024 25

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he Black Phantom, from One Way Machine (OWM), was built for an entrepreneur from Bavaria. This German tycoon already owns a Scrambler converted by OWM and further projects are being planned as we type. Starting with a Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114, which was ordered from Harley-Davidson Nürnberg as the basis for the Black Phantom. Julian Von Oheimb, the owner of OWM, likes the modern technology and the power of the Milwaukee-Eight engine, but says it is not as easy to build an old-school bike with it as the platform. In fact, 95-percent of customizers who want to build something in this classic style revert to bikes from the past. Julian also likes to work on old stuff, but old bikes are often very unreliable and OWM customers are not mechanics. Julian recognized this early on and set up his company OWM accordingly. OWM therefore uses almost exclusively new vehicles. The trick is to build an awesome bike despite the new parameters. As you can easily see from the Black Phantom, Julian always takes design and construction to the extreme. The aim here was to create a bike as elegant and classic as a Rolls Royce.

Among other things, it was discussed with the customer that a special fork should be installed. The Girder fork from Custom Corner was used as the basis. As Julian is not only a designer but also an engineer, the first task was to redesign various fork parts so that the fork could be fitted to a Milwaukee-Eight. During this, the technology was further refined so that the fork now works like a Swiss watch. The design was also modified, and various parts were specially made. The front cover in Art Decó design was made by Julian himself. A set of risers for under the triple trees was designed and CNC milled. The brake caliper bracket for the PM-Vintage brake caliper was developed. Furthermore, all bolts, the axle, axle covers, the lamp holders and the fork extension were manufactured. The P&W LED lights are hidden under the front cover. The front wheel is a 2.15 x 21-inch 80 spoke wheel from TTS, which was pinstriped by Chikos Pinstriping. The tire is a Firestone 3.00 x 21-inch vintage tire. The handlebar is an OWM series product with TÜV. The handcontrols are from Rebuffini and the grips from SDC. The radiator cover in Art Decó style is again a one-off. The speedometer housing and ISSUE ISSUE 21 / 2024 27

the foot controls are from Thunderbike. The pegs, the cam cover, and the rocker boxes come from the OWM sponsor, Rough Crafts. The hydraulic gearbox cover is a Baker product. The primary cover comes from EMD and was elaborately polished by Schwartz Optical Tuning and then engraved by Carsten Estermann. The secondary drive was converted to a chain to support the vintage theme. The license plate holder is an OWM series product. At the rear, a 19-inch V-Rod front wheel was extensively modified and fitted. The rim was covered with a 19-inch rib tire, and also pinstriped by Chikos Pinstriping. A matching drive section was designed and manufactured in the design of old drum brakes. The swing arm side covers in Art Decó style were also custom-made. A brake caliper holder was developed on the right side, which can accommodate two PM vintage calipers. The entire seat and fender area was handmade 28 HOTBIKE.COM

from sheet metal by Julian. The seat shell was covered with the finest crocodile leather from leather specialist Spirit Leather. The tank with its stainless-steel applications was also elaborately manufactured by Julian. The fuel filler cap is a unique piece and was engraved by Carsten Estermann. The air filter was supplied by PM. The exhaust manifolds are from V&H and were welded to a J&H muffler. The exhaust end-cap was also designed by Julian and manufactured on a CNC machining center. The indicators and the combination light unit were supplied by OWM sponsor Kellermann. The elaborate paintwork, including pinstriping and lettering, is by Chikos Pinstriping. All in all, the result is a very elegant and powerful bike in the typical OWM neo-classic style. As with all OWM bikes, great importance was attached to technical functionality, rideability, and the surface finish. HB

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SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER SHOP NAME SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL

MATTHIAS MERK ONE WAY MACHINE 0049-177-3264316 ONEWAYMACHINE.COM / INSTAGRAM: JULIAN_VON_OHEIMB 2022 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL STREET BOB 114” ONE WAY MACHINE ONE WAY MACHINE 700 HOURS

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL FABRICATION ASSEMBLY BUILD TIME ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE CASES CYLINDERS HEADS ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB AIR CLEANER EXHAUST

2022 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MILWAUKEE-EIGHT 114” OEM OEM OEM ROUGH CRAFTS OEM PERFORMANCE MACHINE ONE WAY MACHINE / JEKILL & HYDE MUFFLER / VANCE & HINES PIPES

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE 2022 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 6-SPEED CASE OEM CLUTCH BAKER HYDROCLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE EMD PRIMARYCOVER POLISHED AND ENGRAVED BY CARSTEN ESTERMANN FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE STRETCH SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT MANUFACTURER REAR SPECIAL FEATURES

2022 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL OEM OEM

CUSTOM CORNER GIRDER FRONT-END THUNDERBIKE AIRRIDE DID A LOT OF MODIFICATIONS TO THE FRONT-END TO FIT WITH THE M8 NECK

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

TTS 80 SPOKE WHEEL ALL BLACK POWDERCOATED WITH PINSTRIPE WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 2.15 X 21” TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH FIRESTONE 3.00-21” CALIPER PERFORMANCE MACHINE VINTAGE LINE ROTOR ZODIAC MANUFACTURER REAR MODIFIED H-D V-ROD FRONTWHEEL WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 3.00 X 19” TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH 4.00-19” CALIPER DOUBLE PERFORMANCE MACHINE VINTAGE LINE ROTOR ZOCIAC FINISH-PAINT COLOR PAINTER SPECIAL FINISHES ACCESSORIES FRONT FENDER REAR FENDER GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP OIL TANK HANDLEBARS HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT TURN SIGNALS LICENSE MOUNT SEAT

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H-D VIVID BLACK CHIKOS PINSTRIPING PINSTRIPES GOLD

NONE ONE WAY MACHINE ONE-OFF OEM SPEEDO ONE WAY MACHINE ONE-OFF OEM ONE WAY MACHINE REBUFFINI / SDC THUNDERBIKE / ROUGH CRAFTS HIGHSIDER KELLERMANN KELLERMANN ONE WAY MACHINE SPIRIT LEATHER

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RAMJET RACING’S PERFECTLY SIMPLE

TONY MEI’S ’90S DREAM BIKE WORDS: MORGAN GALES PHOTOS: ALEX CHAPMAN

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TONY MEI’S FXR

lame paint has been around nearly as long as kustom culture existed, but when you think of flames on a chopper, there’s one name that comes to mind—Dave Perewitz. Perewitz has been painting and customizing bikes for over 50 years now, and with the nickname “The King of Flames,” his style is instantly recognizable. So when Tony Mei saw this flamed-out FXR with its molded frame roll into his Arizona shop—he knew exactly what he was looking at. Tony Mei’s dad started Ramjet Racing in 1993 at the same time Tony was thrust into his moto career. At first he was just sweeping the floors, then moved on to parts sales and finally management. After some time, Tony ended up taking over the business. But growing up in a custom shop in the 90’s, Ramjet was full of pro-street bikes with lots of chrome and, of course, flames. When you grow up, whatever posters you had on your wall as a kid are still the dream and for Tony—DP was the man. So when a friend brought his 1988 FXR in to Ramjet Racing for some service work a few years ago, Tony was happy to do a regular service on the bike, but wanted so much more. The 1988 FXR was pretty stock aside from the incredible paint and framework, so Tony tightened it up and let his buddy know that

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ISSUE ISSUE 21 / 2024 2023 35

TONY MEI’S FXR if he’d ever like to sell it…it would have a loving home in Tony’s garage. Some time passed and unfortunately, Tony’s pal passed away, leaving the FXR to his girlfriend, who, without her partner, didn’t plan on riding. And so the bike entered the Ramjet Racing stable and Tony got to work. The bike is a 1988 but the engine has been replaced with a post-’93 Evo with a head breather, and spline-shaft transmission. Displacement is still 80ci, but it’s been tightened up with an Andrews Cam and single-fire ignition. An Arlen Ness Big Sucker intake, Mikuni carb, and Thunderheader exhaust manage breath, as is tradition. Most of the later aesthetic mods came in the form of stance and ergonomic adjustments. A pair of 14-inch Bitubo shocks were installed in the rear with 2-over forks and RaceTech internals up front. PM 4-piston calipers grip EBC rotors on polishes H-D wheels, 19-inch in the front and 16 behind. Small pieces were cleaned up with Ramjet’s parts, like the headlight, taillight, and blinkers. Arlen Ness and PM hand controls keep the whole 90’s spirit alive.

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Now the FXR sits tall, which fits with Ramjet’s style and the way they build bikes these days, but the chrome and billet and polish echo Ramjet’s early pro-street days and the style that Tony cut his teeth on. It’s all the rideability of a newly built FXR, but with the chrome and billet we dreamt of as kids in the 90’s. “It’s one of my favorites, man.” Tony says, as this is now the fifth FXR in his collection. “It’s clean and simple and that’s it. I like less is more and I typically don’t add the biggest flashiest colors but this bike is timeless.” The more you ride and appreciate this era of machine, the more you realize that you don’t have to do all that much to make them enjoyable daily riders. If you wanted something you could run quarter miles on over and over, you’d trick out an M8, but Evos like this have a blend of character and performance that you really can’t find anywhere else. With a little bit of engine mods, Ramjet parts cleaning up the lighting, brakes, and suspension addressed, this clean and classic FXR is ready to rip with no end in sight. Tony Mei would like to extend a special thanks to Beau Haslan and the rest of the Ramjet crew. HB

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER

TONY MEI

SHOP NAME

RAMJET PERFORMANCE CYCLES

SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL

602-788-0364

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

WWW.RAMJETRACING.COM /

MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

@RAMJETRACING / FACEBOOK.COM/RAMJETRACING YEAR/MAKE/MODEL FABRICATION ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE CASES HEADS ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB AIR CLEANER EXHAUST

MANUFACTURER REAR

1988 FXRS RAMJET ASSEMBLY

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH CALIPER

BITUBO

19” X 2.15” 100/90-19 P.M. DIFFERENTIAL BORE ROTOR EBC

MANUFACTURER REAR

H-D

80” EVO

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

16” X 3.5”

‘93/H-D

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

H-D CYLINDERS

CALIPER

130/90-16 P.M. DIFFERENTIAL BORE ROTOR EBC

H-D H-D MIKUNI (OF COURSE) ARLEN NESS THUNDERHEADER

FINISH-PAINT

COLOR PURPLE

PAINTER

DAVE PEREWITZ

GRAPHICS SPECIAL FINISHES

DAVE PEREWITZ FLAMES PAINTED / MOLDED FRAME & SWINGARM

(OF COURSE) ACCESSORIES

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE CASE

‘91/H-D/SPLINED SHAFT H-D

CLUTCH

PRIMO-RIVERA

PRIMARY

DRIVE CHAIN

FRONT FENDER REAR FENDER FAIRING/WINDSCREEN GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP

FRAME

DASH

YEAR/MANUFACTURER

OIL TANK

1988/H-D

RAKE

STOCK

STRETCH

STOCK

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT

H-D 39MM N/G W/ RACE-TECH INTERNALS

HANDLEBARS HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS

WELDED H-D H-D NONE FUEL ONLY OEM H-D / HOTOP H-D H-D BILTWELL ARLEN NESS / PM

FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS

H-D / HOTOP

HEADLIGHT

H-D / RAMJET

TAILLIGHT

LENGTH

+2”

TURN SIGNALS

TRIPLE TREES

H-D

LICENSE MOUNT

RAMJET NIGHT PROWLER RAMJET NIGHT PROWLER INTEGRATED HOTOP SEAT MUSTANG / PEREWITZ AUDIO

ISSUE 2 / 2024 37

BACK BLACK IN

MBC NAILS A CFL RIGID WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: RIDERSEYES

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ay back when, during the second golden age of choppers, everyone wanted a long rigid chop with one of Jesse James’ CFL frames. You couldn’t turn around in Sturgis or Daytona during a rally without running into one back in Ye Olde Days circa 1998 to 2005. It was a far cry from the performance baggers enjoying the spotlight now. Nowadays, CFL builds aren’t nearly as common. And ones from Germany are even rarer. That’s what makes this Knuckle-powered impressive build by Germany’s MBC. As shop owner Martin Becker puts it, “I bought the West Coast CFL frame with German license like I always do when there is a CFL frame available in Germany. They are very rare over here. You have to pay around 10,000 € here. For the last three years, I’ve always had at least one CFL in the make.” When asked about the main goal when building this project, he replied, “For my client Sirko Usath, who always wants the best, I tried to do something special which is usable and mean at the same time. He already has six bikes from MBC. Right now two more bikes are in the make for him.” It doesn’t get much meaner than a CFL rigid, 93-inch Knuckle, and black paint.

ISSUE 2 / 2024 39

“I BOUGHT THE WEST COAST CFL FRAME WITH GERMAN LICENSE LIKE I ALWAYS DO WHEN THERE IS A CFL FRAME AVAILABLE IN GERMANY. THEY ARE VERY RARE OVER HERE. — MARTIN BECKER

Having secured the bones, Martin got down to fleshing out Sirko’s chop. On the power side of the equation, that meant the addition of 93-inch S&S Cycle Knucklehead motor. The 2-into-1 exhaust was made by Martin in-house, giving it a look more about performance than classic style. However, the 2-inch open belt drive from Performance Machine packs the classic chopper cred a bike like this deserves. It’s part of the old-school chopper look that’s carried through with the spoked wheels from TTS Germany. In true chopper fashion, the wheels measure in with an 18-incher up front and a 21-inch at the rear. The same can’t be said for the brakes, which are modern Lyndalls all around. “Making the brackets and fitments for the brake system was the biggest 40 HOTBIKE.COM

challenge,” Martin says. “However, the most rewarding part of the build was for sure the brake system.” For Martin, that’s just one of the many rewards that come with a motorcycle build. Still, if you check out the scoots on his website, you’ll see a wide variety but with an underlying commitment to great craftsmanship. We asked what inspired the style or direction of this project, and Martin replied, “I can’t tell you. It always grows in my mind step by step. I always build my bikes in my style—as clean and functional as possible.” Finally, we were curious about what MBC is currently working on, and he tells us, “Right now I build two more CFLs and a longfork Swedishchopp.” HB

ISSUE 2 / 2024 41

SPEC SHEET

BIKE OWNER SHOP NAME SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL YEAR/MAKE/MODEL FABRICATION ASSEMBLY BUILD TIME

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE CASES CYLINDERS HEADS ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB AIR CLEANER EXHAUST SPECIAL FEATURES

SIRKO USATH MARTIN BECKER/MB CYCLES 004962217559823 MBCYCLES.DE / IG: MBCYCLES666 / FB: CHOPPERORDEATH WEST COAST CHOPPERS CFL MB CYCLES MB CYCLES 7 MONTHS

2023 93 CI S&S KNUCKLEHEAD 93 CI S&S CYCLE S&S CYCLE S&S CYCLE S&S CYCLE S&S SUPER E TOM FORK MB CYCLES JAGG OIL COOLER

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE 2023 BAKER 6-IN-5 BAKER CASE CLUTCH PERFORMANCE MACHINE PRIMARY DRIVE PERFORMANCE MACHINE 2-INCH OPEN BELT FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE STRETCH

2007 WEST COAST CHOPPERS CFL 32 DEGREES 4 INCHES UP

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT LENGTH TRIPLE TREES SPECIAL FEATURES

PRO ONE AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON 4 INCHES OVER PRO ONE SPORTSTER SPORT LEGS

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES TTS GERMANY MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 6X18-INCH CALIPERS LYNDALL BRAKES MANUFACTURER REAR TTS GERMANY WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 3.5X21-INCH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH 3.5X21-INCH CALIPER LYNDALL BRAKES FINISH-PAINT COLOR PAINTER GRAPHICS ACCESSORIES REAR FENDER GAS TANK/CAP OIL TANK HANDLEBARS HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS

CHROME AND BLACK CHIKOS PINSTRIPING CHIKOS PINSTRIPING

PENZ AUSTRIA FAMOUS FABRICATOR WCC MB CYCLES BERINGER WITH FAMOUS FABRICATOR GRIPS FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS FAMOUS FABRICATOR HEADLIGHT AFTERMARKET TAILLIGHT KODLIN MURDER CYCLES LICENSE MOUNT MB CYCLES SEAT FAMOUS FABRICATOR MISC M8 SOFTAIL FRONT SPOILER, HYPER PRO STEERING DAMPER, MOTOGADGET MINI SPEEDO

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ISSUE 2 / 2024 43

GLOSS BLACK

GLOSS WHITE

FLAT BLACK

GLOSS OLIVE GREEN

METALLIC CHERRY RED

GLOSS STORM GREY INERTIA

GLOSS BLACK/WHITE FLAMES

GLOSS TAHOE BLUE

HOT BIKE LANE SPLITTER May.indd 2-3

THREE OUTER SHELL SIZES FOR A FINE-TUNED FIT. Every new ECE R22.06-certified Biltwell full-face helmet now features three outer shell sizes. The new Dual Density EPS safety shell inside this year’s Lane Splitter features a revised shape to improve comfort.

• LIGHTWEIGHT INJECTION-MOLDED ABS OUTER SHELL • REMOVABLE/REPLACEABLE COMFORT LINER • ANTI-FOG AND ANTI-SCRATCH SHIELD

• NEW DUAL DENSITY EPS SAFETY LINER • FRONT, SIDE, AND REAR VENTS

WWW.BILTWELLINC.COM

5/13/24 11:16 AM

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PAPER STREET CUSTOMS’ KING OF PAIN WORDS: GISELLE ALLISON PHOTOS: DAN RIOZ PHOTOGRAPHY

ISSUE 2 / 2024 47

RYAN GORE’S 1974 SHOVELHEAD

“THE BIKE STARTED OUT AS A STOCK 1974 FXE I FOUND ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE ACROSS THE STATE. IT HAD BEEN SITTING IN A STORAGE UNIT FOR OVER FIVE YEARS.”

n the age of Chat GPT, 3D printing and filtered photos, you’re going to be hard-pressed—and dare I say fortunate—to discover anything one-of-a-kind or raw come across your feed. Seldom do we hear the word “craftsman” applied to the whole of its meaning, but I can confidently say that once you wade through the noise and fake shit of the internet, you’ll find that true fabricators and builders, in every sense of the word, still exist. I present to you as evidence of this case Exhibit A: Ryan Gore (owner and operator of Paper Street Customs) and his triumph of a chopper King of Pain. Ryan Gore is no fresh face on the scene, he is a seasoned builder and fabricator whose hand-machined parts pepper a myriad of motorcycles at most custom bike shows across the country. A graduate of AMI in 2004, he trained his chops working in shops on both coasts before starting Paper Street Customs. With a style influenced by the likes of Warren Lane, Indian Larry, 48 HOTBIKE.COM

Tom Foster and Masa, Ryan’s builds are highly accented customs that are built with old-school elegance but meant to ride. He truly found his niche in handcrafted small-batch custom parts and accessories, the kind made with the care and attention you’d more likely ﬁnd in an art gallery than on a motorcycle. The details are where his builds rise above the bulk. There are few if any mass-production elements setting oﬀ his pieces. King of Pain is no exception. I got Ryan’s take on the process of building this centerpiece of a Shovelhead and this is what he had to say: WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS BUILD COME FROM? ALL THE SIGNATURE TOUCHES TIE TOGETHER SO WELL, IT’S OBVIOUSLY THEMATICALLY INFLUENCED. RYAN GORE: I don’t really have “inspiration” for builds. Typically, I can see the whole bike in my head before I even start. I really

wanted to push myself as far as my manual machining skills, so I knew I wanted to incorporate a lot of the decorative machined pieces like the top motor mount and country bar in the frame, then tie in as many of the small details so it all ﬂowed together. I really appreciate the subtle details you can put in a bike without overdoing it. WHAT DID THE ORIGINAL BIKE/SITUATION LOOK LIKE? ROLLER? ENGINE, FRAME, WHAT PIECES DID YOU HAVE TO START? RG: The bike started out as a stock 1974 FXE I found on Facebook Marketplace across the state. It had been sitting in a storage unit for over ﬁve years. I brought it home and got it running, then immediately tore it apart. All I kept was the stock neck casting, lower frame rails, motor, and transmission. WHAT ELEMENTS ON THIS BIKE WERE HANDMADE/ FABRICATED BY YOU OR BY ANYONE ELSE?

RG: I chopped the frame and stretched it up 4 inches in the downtubes, and 2 inches in the tailsection. Then I hard-tailed the rear using loop tail style castings and added the machined stainless motor mount and country bar. I machined all the stainless struts, linkages, and accent pieces to match the stainless frame details. I made the curved oil tank and had Thomas Kearney at Leading Edge Machine make me the end caps styled after old Supreme 5 spoke wheels. The gas tank is an old Blackbird tank that I frisco’d and narrowed 2 inches. The stainless foot controls were the prototype for what has become my diamond pedal controls I sell. I made the exhaust and tried to style them after church organ pipes. I shaved a 39mm frontend and used nitrile coated tubes for the murdered-out look. The wheels are 5 spoke invaders made by Rick Bray at RKB Kustom Speed. I made an aluminum seat pan and had Curt Green of Bare Bones Leather hand-tool the seat. ISSUE 2 / 2024 49

WHERE DOES THIS FALL IN YOUR CAREER RANKINGS? FAVORITE? LONGEST BUILD? MOST DIFFICULT? HARDEST TO PART WITH? RG: I tend not to think about things like this. I think it’s one of my best builds based on the feedback I’ve gotten and how well it did on the show circuit (went 5 for 5 ﬁrst place wins in Sturgis with 4 Best of Shows). But I don’t really let myself celebrate things for very long. I acknowledge what I did and then move on to the next thing. In my mind I’m just getting started and have so far to go to reach my goals. My favorite build is always the next one. I wouldn’t say this was my most diﬃcult build but I did try to push my skills with things like stretching the frame and incorporating the machined 50 HOTBIKE.COM

stainless. The longer I do this for a living the easier it gets to part with them. Things are just things. And I love building them more than anything. To feed that addiction I have to sell the previous one. WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF CHOPPER CULTURE LOOK LIKE TO YOU AND HOW DOES YOUR STYLE FIT INTO THAT? RG: I don’t know what to think about the future. I just do what I do. Hopefully people keep digging it, and I get to keep doing it. My style is mine, I don’t worry about whether it ﬁts in or not. I worry more about just being authentic…being authentic never goes out of style. HB

SPEC SHEET YEAR/MAKE/MODEL BUILD TIME ASSEMBLY FABRICATION

1974 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SHOVELHEAD SIX MONTHS RYAN GORE OF PAPER STREET CUSTOMS RYAN GORE OF PAPER STREET CUSTOMS

ENGINE YEAR/MAKE/SIZE REBUILDER IGNITION LOWER END BALANCING PISTONS HEADS CAM LIFTERS CARB AIR CLEANER PIPES

1974 H-D SHOVELHEAD 74CI RYAN GORE OF PAPER STREET CUSTOMS POINTS STOCK STOCK H-D H-D H-D STOCK S&S SUPER “E” THROWBACK M/C PAPER STREET CUSTOMS

TRANSMISSION YEAR AND MAKE TYPE SHIFTING

1974 H-D 4-SPEED FOOT

PAINTING PAINTER COLOR TYPE

PAINTZOO STAINED GLASS PAINT HUFFER

FRAME YEAR AND BUILDER TYPE RAKE STRETCH SHOCKS MODS

1974 H-D/PAPER STREET RIGID 30-DEGREES 4 INCHES OVER NONE LOOP TAIL AXLE PLATES

ACCESSORIES BARS HANDLEBAR CONTROLS FENDERS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT PEGS ELECTRICS GAS TANK OIL TANK PRIMARY SEAT GRIPS

PAPER STREET CUSTOMS TC BROS LED SLED CUSTOMS UNITY AFTER HOURS CHOPPERS PAPER STREET CUSTOMS PAPER STREET CUSTOMS PAPER STREET CUSTOMS PAPER STREET CUSTOMS OPEN BELT BARE BONES LEATHER PAPER STREET CUSTOMS

FRONT END TYPE EXTENSION BUILDER

39 MM 4 INCHES OVER PAPER STREET CUSTOMS

WHEELS SIZE TYPE TIRES BRAKES

21-INCH FRONT, 16-INCH REAR INVADER BY RKB KUSTOM SPEED DUNLOP WILWOOD

OTHER MODS STAINLESS STRUTS, PAPER STREET FOOT CONTROLS, GRIPS, KICKER, THROWBACK M/C ROCKERS

ISSUE 2 / 2024 51

no-frills, purpose-built Brock Bridges’ FXR Evo Chop WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: MICHAEL LICHTER

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BROCK BRIDGES’ EVO CHOP

e first laid eyes on Brock Bridges’ Evo-powered chopper at Bill Dodge’s BC Moto Invitational this past May. The BC Moto is a refreshing take on a bike show. It’s not about competition. It’s about camaraderie. It’s not a contest. It’s a showcase. Old friends gather annually at the Tennessee Motorcycles & Music Revival at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and have a family reunion of sorts. With very cool motorcycles. We spotted a bunch of rad iron at this year’s BC Moto, which was chock-full of bikes from FNA Custom Cycles, Led Sled Customs, Majik Mike Designs and others. But there was this neat little chopper built by Brock Bridges that had everyone talking, especially Michael Lichter, who’s photographed a few bikes throughout his career. I mentioned a bike I particularly liked to Michael, an Evo-powered chopper with fullon dirt bike frontend and brakes and he said, “Oh, Brock’s bike? I love that bike. Brock is a super talented guy.” Well, turns out the bike was built from scratch just for the BC Moto Invitational. While this was my first year attending BC Moto, it definitely wasn’t Brock’s first BC Moto Rodeo. In fact, this will be his sixth year as an invited builder. He’s been doing this a lot longer than we realized— he literally started wrenching on hot rods at the tender age of 2 years old with his father and grandfather. Tinkering on things other than tinker toys started with drag racing, and then naturally Brock just got into the hot rod scene. Brock built his first Model A hot rod at 14, and it just took off from there. He was hooked. And he was in good company. He mainly built Model A’s, ’30 Fords and some other stuff, but then he discovered bikes. As in motorcycles. And hot rods took a back seat.

“THIS BIKE WAS BUILT WITH THE INTENTION FOR ME TO RIDE IT!” “Don’t get me wrong, I still got them and still play around with [hot rods],” Brock says, “But I really focus more on building bikes now and I typically build one for myself per year.” And then I’ll either do another customer or a friend’s build or help them. It won’t be a full on build like I built for myself, but more like I like building a lot of chassis, frames, and stuff like that. Fast-forward to 2017, Brock was at the Broken Spoke in Daytona with one of his builds, and he actually won Best In Show. “I was just out partying, hanging out, and checking out chicks and whatnot and Bill ended up finding me, and he’s like, ‘Hey, dude, I dig your stuff.’ Then he told me about his show or whatever. We ended up riding together back to his shop and hung out for hours and hours, and just bullshitted and hit it off from there. 56 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 2 / 2024 57

58 HOTBIKE.COM

“I’d seen pictures of [Bill] and Jesse James way back in the day and was like, ‘Man, that dude’s got some cool iron,’” Brock remembers. “But I didn’t make any connections until 2017, when we rode back to his shop and he was filming me, and it all started clicking.” And that was in 2020. Brock had been building since 2009-ish and had basically seven years under his belt but nothing was crazy radical. In fact, it was all mostly bobber-style stuff until Brock met Bill and he just started pushing himself to do more and more. He’d build the wheels from scratch. He’d build the entire engine. He’d do all the paint, leather work, and everything. ISSUE 2 / 2024 59

BROCK BRIDGES’ EVO CHOP Then he kicked things up a notch further, doing things that pushed his limits even more. “I built a turbo shovel,” Brock says. “I flopped heads. I went crazy on the show stuff, whatever. Bill Dodge was always Bill. Nothing super crazy, but just badass. And I had him in mind the entire time. I’m like, ‘if Bill were building this, what would he do?’ A little bit his style, but still my thing.” If you look at Brock’s Instagram, you can tell he’s more into the old-school stuff, from long ’70s style choppers to Jammer hot rods. But the bike he built for himself, this bike for instance, features probably the least amount of work he’s done. Why, you ask? “This bike was built with the intention for me to ride it,” Brock explains. “I knew I wanted a raw steel frame so I didn’t have to worry about rock chips because our roads are horrible out here. I wasn’t pushing anything show quality, I guess. I wanted to go with good suspension, good dirt bike brakes, and stuff like that. A little bit wider back tire than I normally would run. I guess, in time, other than some of the beginning bikes I’ve done because I usually build my own wheels and everything. The motor is pretty much stopped from those parts. It’s got a few higher parts in it. But the last four bikes I built, the heads have either been flipped around 180 degrees or I’d use an Evolution or Shovel [engine]. Overall, Brock’s Evo-powered FXR Chop was one that we definitely took notice of at this year’s BC Moto Invitational. Not only because it was unique, but this guy has the chops to build whatever he wants, and a badass, purpose-built Evo-powered chop with good suspension and quality brakes were the main bits of criteria, we can definitely dig that. HB

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ISSUE 2 / 2024 61

BROCK BRIDGES’ EVO CHOP

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER BROCK BRIDGES SHOP NAME/PHONE/WEBSITE BRIDGYS FAB - IG@MADBFAB514 BIKE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL 1987 H-D FXR FABRICATION BROCK BRIDGES BUILD TIME 6 MONTHS ENGINE YEAR/TYPE/SIZE 1987 EVO 1340 TRANSMISSION YEAR/TYPE/SIZE 1987 5-SPEED FRAME HANDMADE STAINLESS STEEL SUSPENSION REAR: NONE, FRONT: YZ85 FINISH/PAINT HOC VOODOO VIOLET AND FLAKE COLORS HOC VOODOO VIOLET AND TANGERINE

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WATCH BAGGERS BATTLE FOR TH E

CROWN! during motoamerica superbike weekend

REMAINING RACES

JULY 12-14

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AUG 16-18

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SEPT 13-15

Circuit of the americas, TX

SEPT 27-29

New Jersey Motorsports Park, NJ

Get tickets at MotoAmerica.com

20 CENTURY FOXES TH

DONNIE SMITH, A SLY FOX, AND AN INDY PINK SOFTAIL WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: HOT BIKE ARCHIVES, COURTESY OF SLYFOX PERFORMANCE

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66 HOTBIKE.COM

ay back in the late last millenium, not everyone

Both were instrumental in the development of LeMans’ brands Parts

could make pink work on a custom bike. No amount

Unlimited and Drag Specialties.

of skulls, tribal flames, or chrome could balance

Which brings us back to the 1990 Harley-Davidson Fatboy we ran

out a predominantly pink motorcycle, unless you

on that cover back in the day. Like it said in the original story, Fred

looked good in chaps and a bikini top. Don’t get mad at me; that

wanted to dress up a Fatboy in Drag Specialties parts, assigning Tom

was just how aesthetics worked back then. So when we ran Stan

Motzko and Jim Betlach the task of making that dream happen with

Fox’s Fatboy on the December ’92 cover in all of its Day-Glo pinkified

Stan’s H-D here as the guinea pig. The guys took the plan to custom

glory, it wasn’t your typical cover bike, despite the scantily clad model

bike legend Donnie Smith to make the plan come together. “They

straddling it. And no, that’s not Stan.

brought it over to me,” Donnie says. “Stan was driving a hot pink car

Stan Fox was an Indy car racer whose bright pink race car had

that year. It was in all the auto mags because of the hot color, it was a

made the rounds on car mag covers all over the place back in 1990.

cover car. I did my thing and we got to be good friends, but Stan was

Years before he’d started his racing career with midget cars before

getting cold feet. I said, ‘Well it’s a little late to change your mind now.’

moving on up to the world of Indy 500 action. From ’87 to ’95 he

So we used blue highlights as a contrasting color to tone down the

drove for AJ Foyt and Ron Hemelgarn. Somewhere in there he also

pink. That bike got tons of cover shoots and double spreads. It was

found time to ride motorcycles. He and his brother, Fred, were

even used as the bike for Super Cycle in their double-page subscriber

members of the same Fox family that owned LeMans Corporation.

ad. I think Fred and Stan were happy about what they got out of it.”

ISSUE 2 / 2024 67

DRAG SPECIALTIES PINK FATBOY

68 HOTBIKE.COM

“I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THIS BIKE EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID. I EVEN HAD IT PUT BACK TOGETHER TO RUN AS MY DAILY RIDER DURING STURGIS 2018” Now, though, the bike has resurfaced. And we love it when an old bike feature comes back. Sadly, Stan passed away in a racing accident in New Zealand in 1995. Fred has also passed away, but Stan’s son Alex Fox now owns Indy Pink. He’s also the proud proprietor of SlyFox Performance, so motorcycles are his life. Growing up in a family steeped in not only the powersports business, but racing as well, launching SlyFox was his way of creating an aftermarket parts company with a focus on racing and performance. In a nutshell, he took the tools he had and created a way for himself to stay involved in this industry. He’s having fun and he wouldn’t change a thing. ISSUE 2 / 2024 69

DRAG SPECIALTIES PINK FATBOY Motorcycling is a lifelong passion that kicked off with him all the way back as far as he can remember. “I’ve always loved this bike ever since I was a little kid,” Alex tells us. “I even had it put back together to run as my daily rider during Sturgis 2018. Fred knew my connection to it and gifted me this bike. It’s more than just a motorcycle, it has great sentimental value to me.” Alex was anything but shy about riding it, too. During that Sturgis rally, he put down some serious miles, having a blast trying to keep up with all of his buddies’ built-out MilwaukeeEights and Twin Cams. That wasn’t Indy Pink’s first rally, though. See, Stan loved to watch himself some motorcycle racing. He’d turn up in attendance as his Indy car schedule allowed. Alex remembers one such occasion at a certain spring rally in Florida: “I know at one of the Daytona rallies back in the 90’s that John Claude Van Damme came across this bike and insisted that he ride it during a parade.” As Indy Pink and SlyFox Performance move ahead, though, Alex is pretty proud to be carrying the torch into the future: “Both my Uncle Fred and father Stan have been integral parts in my life. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us, but I’ve learned a lot and will continue to push the powersports legacy that they left behind.” HB

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HOT BIKE TECH WORDS: PETER JONES PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON

2024 CVO ROAD GLIDE

FROM INFOTAINMENT TO RIDE MANAGEMENT; INSIDE THE CVO ROAD GLIDE ST’S ELECTRONICS

ait a minute, a race-bred Harley-Davidson bagger? Is this one of the Biblical seven signs of the End Times? Is this the “Beast From the

Land” that speaks like a dragon? Hmmm… Born from the Mission King of the Baggers series of MotoAmerica, the new 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST takes the concept of performance cruiser to an all-new level with shrewd mechanics mated to smart electronics. Unlike the previous versions of performance cruisers from 20-years past, the CVO Road Glide ST wasn’t developed from the street up, but from the race track down by the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team. It’s a real-live sportbike that deﬁes conventions and cultures of performance and redeﬁnes baggers.

THE HARD PARTS Before we get to smart software and aggressive algorithms, let’s quickly consider the solid parts. The 121 cubic-inch (1977cc) High Output (HO) V-twin of the 2024 CVO Road Glide ST puts out 12-more hp and six-more ft lbs of torque than the standard CVO Road Glide, for a total of 127 hp and 145 ft lbs torque. This results primarily from hotter cams, a high-performance intake system, and an increased redline to 5,900 rpm and, of course, ECU mapping. Please note, while the standard CVO Road Glide has the cool feature of Variable Valve Timing (VVT), the ST is without that complication. That’s because the ST is all about maximum raw horsepower. The standard version is about a comfortable, nice and easy power band, while the ST is proudly nice and rough, as a performance bike should be.

72 HOTBIKE.COM

Weight was trimmed by use of carbon-ﬁber for some

shocks are fully adjustable for preload and compression

body parts, and there are no passenger accommodations,

and rebound damping. The inverted SHOWA fork legs with

from seat to ﬂoorboards. It rolls on cast aluminum wheels

Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, for reduced stiction,

rather than tubeless wire wheels. The muﬄers are high-ﬂow

and feature a one-by-one damping with the right fork leg

titanium with carbon ﬁber end caps for maximum power

providing rebound damping, while the left leg provides

while meeting noise and emissions compliance. The ST sports

compression damping. Braking is by Brembo radial-mounted

a frame protector bar for moderate tip-overs, because, you

calipers mated to wave rotors for maximum control and heat

know, things happen. The package is 25 pounds lighter than

dissipation.

its sister Road Glide and six pounds lighter than the 2023 ST. The ST is available in Golden White Pearl or Raven Black,

THE SOFT PARTS

because there’s nothing grey about the ST. But sadly, top

What really sets the 2024 CVO Road Glide ST apart from

speed is electronically limited to 120 mph. Damn. Aftermarket

history are its high-tech eclectic electronic features, tuned for

tuners are likely already on this.

maximum no-frills and all-thrills performance. For frills there

Because suspension is as critical to performance as is

is the Skyline OS Infotainment system. The interface for riders

an engine, the CVO Road Glide ST has some of the best

to all the electronic features is a customizable, giant 12.3-

components ever found on a showroom Harley-Davidson.

inch TFT full-color touch screen that includes every gauge

It’s SHOWA at both ends with a pair of piggyback-reservoir

and possible bit of information a rider desires. Magically,

shocks out back, for reduced heat fade or cavitation. The

ﬁngerless gloves aren’t necessary, and one can also use the

ISSUE 2 / 2024 73

HOT BIKE TECH

mechanical buttons on the conventional switch-gear hand controls.

Other electronic features include a proximity fob, for security, that

The system of course has an AM/FM radio, for totally old-school riders.

awakens the machine for starting. Without the fob the ST will not start

Beyond that, the system can be mated to audio with an SD Card, Flash

and it will revert into security mode. An option is a customer-set PIN

Drive, or MP3 player by USB or, of course, a smart phone. A smart

priorly created that will allow starting the bike without the fob. Either

phone is also useful for zapping the oﬀered QR code for the Help

don’t lose the fob or don’t forget the code. The Vehicle Hold Control

function. Don’t be frightened, the logic is intuitive. The display can be

(VHC) can be locked while the ST is in gear or just while stopped,

set into any of 30 diﬀerent languages, para tu placer.

allowing a rider to remain motionless with the engine running without

The dash display is compatible with Apple and Android smart

the need of holding onto the bars or keeping a foot on the brake

phones, but while Apple Car(Motorcycle)Play projection is possible,

lever. There is also a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), for the

Android Auto is not, though steaming music from an Android is

amusement of those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

possible. The customizable display includes visual aesthetic options of Cruise,

While modern motorcycles have various ride modes, the CVO Road Glide ST takes these modes to a new level, showing the breadth of

Sport and Tour. The Cruise display features analogue-style tach and

its performance goals. Riders can choose between Road, Sport, or

speedometer, just like conventional mechanical gauges. Sport mode

Rain modes, but also provided are two Track modes that share the

drops the speedometer, puts the tach in the center, and mph is

algorithms the Harley-Davidson Factory Race Team uses in the Mission

reduced to digital numbers in the tach’s center. This allows more room

King of Baggers racing series. All modes except for Rain ultimately

for info-widgets such as audio status, trip information, fuel level, and so

provide a rider the full 127 horsepower.

forth. In Tour, the dash nixes the tach, puts the speedo and widgets on

For those who haven’t heard, the factory race bikes have been

the left, and is dominated by the chosen navigation map and directions.

clocked at well over 180 mph on the high banks of Daytona

Riders can choose the “Blank” widget setting for a cleaner dash display

International Speedway. Bagger racing has quickly evolved into a

limited to only necessary information. The Sport and Tour displays

uniquely American and serious sport. It was the only MotoAmerica class

allow for more widget options for those desiring to always know the

competing at the Circuit of the Americas with the world MotoGP series

most possible about everything. The embedded navigation system is a

this year. If there was any laughter, it was of the nervous sort, not the

$350 option. iPhone users need not be concerned.

yeah-that’s-funny sort.

74 HOTBIKE.COM

TOP LEFT/BOTTOM LEFT: New switch housings help control the infotainment system’s features and functions as well as set cruise control, switch between Traction Control settings, and much more. The infotainment system itself is touch-screen compatible, but if you’re a button-pushing kinda guy or gal, Harley has you covered there too. ABOVE: The CVO Road Glide ST is equipped with some new components, like

the Forged Carbon rear seat cowl, which only comes standard on the CVO Road Glide ST from the factory. It’s of course joined by a one-of-a-kind solo saddle that blends comfort and performance in one tidy package.

delivery and smooth predictable throttle responses. The electronically linked front and rear braking is disabled and the C-ABS and C-TCS interventions are reduced to respect greater rider input and control. The overlay of Track 1 mode is identical to Kyle Wyman’s mapping

Track Plus mode is for experienced riders riding on a dry racetrack.

on his road racing Road Glide in the Mission King of the Baggers

Yes, we are still talking about a Bagger motorcycle, or what some used

series. But these modes do much more than simply change the ratio

to refer to as a Touring motorcycle. Track Plus provides maximum rider

of throttle movement to throttle response. The various modes also

control with minimal intervention. The C-ABS is reduced yet further,

alter a combination of power delivery, engine braking, Cornering

allowing a higher level of rear wheel slip under braking and aggressive

Antilock Braking (C-ABS), Cornering Traction Control (C-TCS), Cornering

downshifts, and the C-TCS is set at its lowest level to maximize raw

Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking (C-ELB), and Cornering Drag-Torque

rider input and raw physics for controlling acceleration while cornering

Slip Control System (C-DSCS). The first three are self-explanatory and

or straight-up. It trusts the rider’s wrist.

the function of the C-DSCS is electronically managing the relationship

Controlling the rider aids for the CVO Road Glide ST is a six-axis

between engine speed and wheel speed when over-aggressive

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that uses the 3D knowledge it collects

downshifting goes beyond the capability of the slipper clutch.

nearly instantaneously of the motorcycle’s dynamic activity, for

Road mode provides a balanced performance for regular riding,

managing the C-ABS and C-TCS, and other rider-aid components, when

which we’re told some people desire. It delivers less throttle response,

deciding on allowed progressivity of rider inputs. The IMU monitors

less mid-range power, and balanced C-ABS and C-TCS. Sport mode

acceleration and 3D angular rates and forces for deciding what level of

also gives a rider full power, but with a crisper more aggressive throttle

intrusion is necessary based on the rider-selected mode. For example,

response, the C-TCS is less intrusive and there’s increased engine

when the rear tire is on its edge the ST knows this and power or braking

braking. Rain mode is sort of the opposite of Sport, with throttle

is reduced as needed, within the parameters of a chosen mode. Though

response and lower power restraining acceleration, engine braking is

the system might be brilliant, a rider does need to remember that the

limited and C-ABS and C-TCS are at maximum. If these three modes do

rider aid systems cannot violate the laws of physics. Maybe in a few

not result in rider nirvana, there are four Custom Modes where engine

more years of development it will be able to master that challenge. An

power delivery, throttle response, engine braking, C-ABS, and C-TCS

added advantage to all this groovy software is that it doesn’t even add

can be modified to a rider’s personal preferences.

an ounce to the CVO Road Glide ST’s overall weight. Please note while

Track mode was developed with input by Kyle Wyman for riding on dry racetracks at track days, providing optimum mapping for power

riding, the CVO Road Glide ST is a motorcycle, not a video game. The 2024 CVO Road Glide ST has an MSRP of $42,999. HB ISSUE 2 / 2024 75

ADAPTED FOR YOUR RIDE nd Rou 5" 7 . 5

nd ou R 7"

The Adaptive 2 Series® of LED Motorcycle Headlights dynamically fill in the dark corners as the bike turns left or right. Embedded sensors in the headlight work in real time to calculate banking angles and speed to adjust and direct precise beam patterns for maximum comfort and safety for the rider. Made to Fit Your Ride No matter what you ride, we’ve got you covered. The Adaptive 2 Series® Headlights fit over 1,000 styles of motorcycles.

ide 5" W 8 . 6

Adaptive 2®

Halogen

Find Your Fit:

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THIS INSTALLATION VIDEO ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

THE PARTS COUNTER

elcome to The Parts Counter, presented by Hot Bike Magazine, your source for personalizing your HarleyDavidson motorcycle with Harley-Davidson’s Genuine Motorcycle Parts & Accessories. One of our favorite things to do is ﬁnd cool new products that might make our motorcycles function better, stop faster, accelerate quicker, or ﬁt us better. We wanted to share some favorites from Harley-Davidson’s vast collection of Genuine Motorcycle Parts & Accessories for the 2024 Road Glide that our pals from Thrashin’ Supply Co. just picked up. We headed to Thrashin’s new HQ in Moorpark, CA, to hang with our pals, Lance Coury and Juan Arceo. We brought a whole batch of brand-new parts provided by Harley-Davidson to show you how easy these items are to install and how well they perform on the 2024 Road Glide.

We broke the parts list into three categories that we felt might enhance longer trips starting with a few diﬀerent functional components, followed by some goods from the new Forged Carbon lineup, all capped oﬀ with a complete audio kit from Harley-Davidson Audio by Rockford Fosgate.

FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS For the Functional Components we ordered the new Flat-Out Bar, a cool rendition of the highway bar that not only provides some foot placement options, but also keeps the bike upright if it tips over. We included a set of saddlebag liners as well as glove box liners, which are lined with felt to keep things nice and tidy.

FLAT-OUT BAR

Part Number: 49000242

78 HOTBIKE.COM

ROAD GLIDE COMPARTMENT LINERS Part Number: 76001332

MID-FRAME AIR DEFLECTOR Part Number: 57200417

PREMIUM FITTED SADDLEBAG LINING Part Number: 90202608

FORGED CARBON FIBER CONSOLE Part Number: 70901157

FORGED CARBON

FORGED CARBON FIBER FRONT FENDER Part Number: 58900630

The new Forged Carbon parts were inspired by King of the Baggers race bikes and will give your bike an exciting new performance look. We went with the Forged Carbon Front Fender and Center Console to add a little texture and break up the all-black design of the bagger. The result was a weight savings of 2.5 pounds, plus we love this carbon ﬁber pattern.

ISSUE 2 / 2024 79

THE PARTS COUNTER

COLOR MATCHED SADDLEBAG SPEAKER LIDS LEFT & RIGHT

HARLEY-DAVIDSON AUDIO POWERED BY ROCKFORD FOSGATE STAGE II 4-SPEAKER KIT PACKAGE Part Number: 50700121

Part Number: 90202793EWR

HARLEY-DAVIDSON AUDIO BY ROCKFORD FOSGATE To wrap everything up on Thrashin’s Road Glide, we focused on the new Harley-Davidson Audio Powered by Rockford Fosgate all-in-one kit. Included were Stage II Fairing Speakers and 5x7” Stage II Saddlebag Speakers, a 500-watt Primary Ampliﬁer and Saddlebag Speaker Installation Kit and all installation hardware. All of these components can be ordered individually as well, but we’re upgrading the whole system. With the all-inone kit, you’ll notice the stock lids will not work for the saddlebag speakers. We opted for the new color-matched saddlebag lids for this project too. Overall, the instructions were super easy to understand and we noticed a huge diﬀerence in sound quality over stock. HB

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THIS INSTALLATION VIDEO ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

SOURCE:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY Harley-Davidson.com THRASHIN’ SUPPLY CO. Thrashinsupply.com

80 HOTBIKE.COM

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TECH

FORM, FUNCTION & THE AUDIBLE ADVANTAGE HORSEPOWER, INC.’S M8 FXLRST EXHAUST WORDS AND PHOTOS: ROB FORTIER

hen form and function jive on the same level, that’s when you know you’ve created a friendly monster! And that’s pretty much how I feel

about Horsepower, Inc.’s family of M8 Softail performance products. Now, with HPi’s FXLRST stainless exhaust, I’ve rounded out the external parts package on the Low Rider’s 114 (62mm billet throttle body/manifold, injectors, V2 air cleaner, and breather kit)—and the dyno results fully back that decision up: 131hp @ 6,300rpm / 123lb-ft @ 4,500rpm. HPi has pretty much become synonymous with modern V-twin performance—their products literally “speak” for themselves… especially their stainless exhaust, which has that unmistakable throaty growl. And it should come as no surprise, as HPi’s owners, Jimmy and Laura Light have poured their heart and soul into the business since taking over in 2002 and reestablishing the company right smackdab in the middle of America’s performance heartland: Gasoline Alley in Indianapolis, IN. (Along with designing and manufacturing their components in-house, HPi also offers engine building/tuning services as well, making them one of the most well-rounded aftermarket V-twin companies around). From conception to development to fine-tuning and testing, the assurance you get with each part is only rivalled by the performance your bike attains. Even though my Softail is in fact not an ST model, since I’m running the Sportglide saddlebags, I ordered the ST pipe from HPi (thanks Ryan for handling the order seamlessly) to have installed and subsequently retuned and dyno’d by Danny Wilson at MotorWitch Industries (formerly Collective Phoenix/Leading Edge Mfg). This, once again, allowed me the perfect before-and-after road testing: a 320-mile commute to and from the MotorWitch compound… the latter of which was without a doubt the most enjoyable 4-hour ride, even with the increased exhaust decibel level.

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Horsepower, Inc.’s HPI-EXM8S-ST stainless exhaust for the 2018–2024 Softail— includes all hardware, brackets (as designated, for ST models), and gaskets. As mentioned, MotorWitch Industries’ Danny Wilson handled the install and subsequent tuning/dyno service.

Each and every HPi exhaust is designed and built in-house; all stainless systems are TIG-welded (and purged) for integrity and vanity’s sake, while that unmistakable HPi sound is achieved with perforated muffler baffling.

Danny prepared both head pipes with the original O2 sensor leads (antiseized before install) and new exhaust flanges/retainer springs before loosely installing on the bike.

For the pre-’20 M8, the front header pipe is supplied with both early/late O2 sensor bungs; the rear pipe uses just the larger-diameter bung with a reducer for the later models.

ISSUE 2 / 2024 83

TECH HORSEPOWER, INC.’S M8 FXLRST EXHAUST

The ST version of HPi’s M8 Softail kit includes this bracket for the saddlebags, which is installed prior to the supplied billet muffler bracket mount.

As with the exhaust flanges/head pipes, leave the muffler clamp hand tight for the time being.

Finally, Danny stretches the collector retainer springs in place before tightening down the head pipes and rear bracket.

If you’ve ever dealt with and/or owned a stainless exhaust, you know this: Anything on the surface of the stainless steel will burn itself into the pipe as soon as it’s heat cycled. Constantly cleaning with alcohol/acetone is a must.

84 HOTBIKE.COM HOTBIKE.COM 84

The HPi muffler secures to the aforementioned bracket with a heavyduty stainless band clamp, which is stretched over the inlet of the muffler prior to install. Danny added a bit of antiseize to the collector and head pipes before mating them together… to ease the slip fit.

All said and done (well, at least as far as the install’s concerned). Pipe looks great without the bags.

TECH HORSEPOWER, INC.’S M8 FXLRST EXHAUST

HPi is a second generation owned, manufacturer of performance fuel injected parts for Harley-

…and with them on, the height and angle of the muffler fills that void created by H-D’s uneven R/L bag sizing quite nicely.

Finally, a quick Power Vision retune and software update before the bike came off the lift and into Danny’s magical dyno room.

Davidson motorcycles. Jimmy and Laura Light have been growing and expanding the family business since they moved the company to Indianapolis in 2012 and took over the day-to-day operations. They opened their doors with just the two of them, and have now grown to 18 full-time employees with sales, assembly, manufacturing, fabrication, service and dyno tuning divisions all under one roof. Horsepower Inc. is proud to produce an entire product line of American Made performance parts including, throttle bodies, air cleaners, hand-made exhaust systems, injectors, fuel rails, and much more. Unlike other companies, all aspects of HPi’s design and manufacturing process is completed in-house. With their knowledge and reputation, HPi has earned many loyal and respected relationships in the industry. This small family-owned business proudly produces American Made products and is most known for their second to none customer service. HB

SOURCES:

HORSEPOWER, INC. (317) 757-8668 www.horsepowerinc.net MOTORWITCH INDUSTRIES (602) 919-3595 www.motorwitchindustries.com 86 HOTBIKE.COM

ABOVE: Along with the tune, the HPi pipe pushed the 114 to 131hp/127lb-ft—all streetable power and torque … i.e., no soft spots or hesitation, and a pipe that growls like a MF’er. Win-win for sure. BELOW: On a side

note, the entire time Danny was doing his thing, I had to stare at the MotorWitch/James Root ST—with its polished HPi pipe!

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TECH T PS

FROM THE

PROS:

CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT

n the last issue, we broke down how to bleed your brakes. For this issue, we’re moving on to clutch adjustment. We’ll talk about hydraulic ﬁrst because it’s simple. There is no adjustment. If the system has no air and is working correctly, well, then the clutch works. It’s not rocket science, people. If there is air in the system or one of the components has an issue the clutch doesn’t work. There is zero adjustment on a hydraulic. But if you’re going to use a hydraulic clutch ﬂuid, I recommend Motul RBF 660.

WITH DANNY WILSON

With a cable-operated clutch there are two adjustments. One at the clutch itself and one on the cable. I want to explain what the adjustments do so that you understand how and why you’re doing the adjustments.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: DANNY WILSON

SCAN THE QR CODE & CHECK OUT THE VIDEO IF YOU NEED SOME HELP DOING THIS YOURSELF ON THE HOT BIKE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 88 HOTBIKE.COM

The clutch is attached to the transmission mainshaft, which is hollow. Inside the hollow main shaft is a solid steel rod. On the side of the transmission where the clutch cable hooks up there is a ball and ramp assembly. When you pull the clutch lever the ball and ramp pushes on another part that pushes on the rod in the mainshaft, which pushes the clutch opening it.

kensFactory_hotBikeAd_022924v1.indd 1

3/1/2024 3:28:40 PM

TECH T PS CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT 101 The adjustment at the clutch sets the distance between the steel rod when the clutch is closed and at rest. The factory service manual says to lightly seat the adjuster then back it oﬀ a quarter to a full turn from lightly seated. Here’s the reason you have to back it oﬀ. Metal grows when it gets hot. If you leave the adjuster lightly seated when the metal grows it will begin to apply pressure on the clutch which will slightly open it. Once that starts taking place everything gets hotter and the end result is you will destroy the clutch pack.

I normally set the clutch adjustment at a quarter turn oﬀ lightly seated. The adjustment at the clutch will allow the rider to control where the clutch engages to your speciﬁc taste.

As for the cable adjustment… If you have a Milwaukee-Eight equipped Harley that has a cable driven clutch, the stock clutch cable is modular, meaning you can replace the upper without having to do anything with the lower that mounts into the transmission. This is a great idea, but the adjuster on it leaves a little to be desired. It’s considered an auto adjuster, and it is made of plastic. This isn’t an issue with a stock clutch but it won’t stand up to an aftermarket clutch with strong springs. The plastic adjuster won’t hold up to the pressure from a strong aftermarket clutch so you will have to convert it to a metal adjuster that will give you a regular clutch cable adjustment like the earlier models.

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With any big-inch upgrades, or more importantly, heavier clutch packs or clutches in general, we recommend installing the Fat Baggers EZ Clutch Adjuster Upgrade kit. The EZ Clutch replaces the factory plastic adjuster for a more robust steel adjuster to handle the increased clutch pressure of high-performance clutch setups. But for all intents and purposes for stock clutch applications… here’s how you adjust them. Once you have the clutch adjustment done at the clutch basket you move on to the cable. The cable will be collapsed all the way when you start the adjustment process. You will open it up until you have removed the slack in the cable.

Pull in the clutch lever and release it, when you release it pull the cable itself away from the perch and see what the distance is between the collar of the clutch cable and the clutch perch. You want that distance to be about the thickness of a nickel. Once you get that distance correct, lock oﬀ the cable adjusters and you’re done. If you’re doing this yourself you can experiment with your adjustment to get the friction zone where you want it. HB

ISSUE 1 / 2023 91

LIGHTER•FASTER

2018+ SOFTAIL ASS

TER•STRONGER

ASSAULT SWINGARM

NEW PRODUCTS FEULING PARTS BA MOTO AIR CLEANER $659.95 Feuling’s BA air cleaner lengthens the intake runners and increases air velocity, delivering added volume for balanced dynamic flow. The BA air cleaner features a high-flow billet aluminum velocity stack with optimal opening diameter, outer lip and internal (ID) taper. The BA Air Cleaner includes a highflow reusable air filter and one piece billet cage. The one-piece design creates a clean look and eases installation when compared to the industry standard multi stack up construction. feulingparts.com

BILTWELL EL DORADO SHIRTJACK $124.95 El Dorado Shirt Jacket’s tailored silhouette features a 7.5 oz. cotton/ nylon blend twill canvas shell. This material provides great resistance to wind and mild weather without compromising fit or flexibility. Inside, a 100% fleece polyester liner insulates your core for comfort. Sleeves are lined with silky smooth Repreve recycled polyester. Five pockets provide options for carrying gloves, key fobs, glasses, cash, and other essentials. biltwellinc.com

BITUBO JBH FORK CARTRIDGE KITS $869.95 Bitubo’s Performance Cartridge Kit features plug-and-play fitments for inverted/upside down forks. They offer ultimate support while braking, killing front-end dive, and claim to improve cornering, traction and stability. Easily make adjustments for sport-bike firmness or luxury touring comfort with 100-percent ride-control at your fingertips by adjusting the preload, rebound, and compression. Included in each box features two cartridge systems, full installation instructions sheet and a Delrin preload adjustment tool. bitubo.com

RAMJET RACING BRAKE LINE KITS $89.99 If you’re upgrading your brakes to a late-model touring Brembos using the Ramjet Brembo Brake bracket kit, you’ll also need this brake line kit! Ditch that old, dry-rotted line and upgrade your lines and ﬁttings alike. ramjetracing.com 94 HOTBIKE.COM

THRASHIN’ SUPPLY CO. HIGH-BEND BAGGER BARS (STAINLESS) $169.95 These handlebars are designed specifically to work with the 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Street Glide models. Featuring a 1-inch diameter to fit stock 2024 H-D Touring mounts and controls and have been drilled and slotted for internal wiring and knurled for max clamp grip. Featuring 5.5-inch rise, with 20 degrees of sweep and overall width of 32 inches, the Thrashin’ High-Bend Bagger Bars are a great fit. thrashinsupply.com

AVON GRIPS DIAMOND CONTOUR GRIPS $74.95 The Diamond Contour grip is a soft feeling, smaller diameter grip, with plenty of texture to help hang on. Avon’s commitment to produce the most ergonomic, yet design-conscious grips in the industry has hit the bullseye again. Similar in size and shape to the successful Custom Contour grips, the Diamond Contour oﬀers a ﬂair of style matching many of the new diamond stitched seats available today. avongrips.com

ROLAND SANDS DESIGN SECTOR GAS CAP

GALFER USA OVERSIZE BRACKETS TO FIT OVERSIZE ROTORS

$110

Brackets $124.99 each; Rotors $346.95 each

Take your ride to the next level with the RSD Sector Gas Cap. Featuring unique kellering details that are done during the machining process highlight the overall shape while complementing the design of your power plant. It’s a perfect match to the RSD Sector Collection and will pair nicely with the Sector Camo Cover and Gas Cap. Add some jewelry to your ride. rolandsands.com

Galfer USA’s SP064K and SP065K oversize brackets allow Harley-Davidson Touring riders to install oversize rotors for increased braking power without the need to change their calipers while also providing perfect pad sweep across the rotor friction surface. This is an affordable, plug-and-play upgrade for both solid, spoke-mount wheels and hub-mount wheels if using wide-band floating rotors. These brackets come complete with new mounting hardware and are left and right side specific. gbrakes.com

KRAUS MOTOR CO. MAX LEAN FOOT CONTROL KIT $1,600 Experience the ultimate in performance with Kraus Max Lean Foot Controls. Engineered for conﬁdence when pushing limits in the twisties or banging gears on the open road your shift and brake controls are right where you need them, perfectly positioned and unmatched in precision and control. krausmotorco.com

KEN’S FACTORY NXT-01BG AIR CLEANER KIT $599.95 These new air cleaner kits have been tested thoroughly to work with 2017–2023 Milwaukee-Eight models (excluding CVO, FLTRX, FLHX and 2023-1/2 models). The washable, pre-oiled, high-ﬂow ﬁlter with see through design is a cool take on air cleaners and internal venting is also included in the design. kensfactoryusa.com

TRASK PERFORMANCE SOFTAIL SWINGARM $2,999.95 Trask billet aluminum swingarm for 2018–later Harley-Davidson Softails allow you to get the most out of your performance build by carrying less weight with increased stability. Trask’s high-grade billet aluminum swingarm is precision-machined and comes complete with all necessary mounting hardware. traskperformance.com

SAWICKI SPEED CARBON FIBER SOFTAIL SIDE COVERS $700 Made in-house from real carbon fiber, Sawicki’s Side Covers offer riders a way to further customize their ride. Made from lightweight carbon fiber, you can choose from two designs: single duct or dual duct in a gloss finish (matte coming soon!). The new side covers also reuse the OEM mounting hardware. sawickispeed.com

ISSUE 2 / 2024 95

ROLAND SANDS DESIGN SECTOR GAS CAP

GALFER USA OVERSIZE BRACKETS TO FIT OVERSIZE ROTORS

$110

Brackets $124.99 each; Rotors $346.95 each

ISSUE 2 / 2024 95

READERS’ RIDES

SCRAMBLIN’ SPORTY!

his Harley-Davidson Scrambler was inspired by Chevy muscle cars and was customized by the Lord Drake Kustoms team in Vélez-Málaga, Spain. Francisco Alí Manen aka Fran, motorcycle customizer and owner of Lord Drake Kustoms, received a call from a Belgian client who followed his work and was in love with his tracker-type Sportster Scrambler models. After several conversations, the client told Fran he wanted a Sportster tracker inspired by a ’67 Chevy Camaro, and the rest was history. The client shipped the stocker to Spain, a Harley-Davidson Nightster 1200, and then hopped on a plane to visit the Lord Drake Kustoms shop and help cocreate the Camaro-inspired Scrambler you see here. From there the Lord Drake team got to work, starting with the front suspension and a set of Öhlins rear shocks. The entire subframe was cut and new front and rear fenders really

transformed the look of the stock bike, turning it into a little muscle car on two wheels. Custom wheels were next, measuring 18 inches at the rear and 21 inches at the front. Of course, a 2-into-1 stainless steel exhaust with Supertrapp tip for Harleys, along with a custom air filter and Chevrolet emblems were also added. Then came some cool accessories to round out the look: BMX handlebars, KOSO odometer for Sportster, Kellerman turn signals in cuffs, and endless details give shape to the Sporty. The black engine was paired with chrome covers in just the right spots and the body was painted orange with white racing stripes and orange stitching was used in the saddle as well. After finishing the work, the bike was shipped to the owner in Belgium where it now lives and breathes, which of course is accompanied by its older brother… a 1967 Chevy Camaro. HB

SUBMISSIONS: We want to feature your bike in the Hot Bike Readers’ Rides section! All you have to do is take some decent photos of your bike like the ones you see here. We’re looking for good angles of the bike from both sides (pipe and primary) without a bunch of crap in the foreground or background. We also need some information: First/last name, year/make/model of the bike, some modiﬁcations you’ve done or are planning to do, and anything else that might tell your and your motorcycle’s story. Once you have all of that information, simply email the images and information to info@hotbike.com with READ in the subject headline, and we’ll take care of the rest. 98 HOTBIKE.COM

Law Tigers’ friends: Paul Yaffe & son on custom Yaffe FXRT - BaggerNation.com

Nick Trask’s FXR - TraskPerformance.com

REDUCED ENGINE TEMPERATURES & SMOOTHER SHIFTING.

ENOUGH SAID!