HOT BIKE MARCH 2015

INFLUENCE UNDER THE

NOISE CYCLES’ HISTORY LESSON

PLUS:

BUILD > TIP-TO-TAIL FXR BUILD > SPORTSTER CLUTCH > S&S TECH TIPS

LIVE > THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN > COAST-TO-COAST MOTORCYCLE CANNONBALL

RIDE > KEEP YOUR BIKE SPOTLESS > GAIN MORE HORSEPOWER > KICKER’S BAGGER BOMB

BE IC O NIC

THE DIXON DESIGN WAS BORN FROM THE PHILOSOPHY OF LUXURY.

FROM HUB TO RIM, ITS LONG LEGS ELEGANTLY EXTEND AND BEND AT THE PERFECT POINT OF CONCEPTION, WHILE THE COMPOSITION ON THE RIM BODY GIVES BOUNTY TO ALL ANGLES.

INDIVIDUALISM COMES STANDARD. CHARACTER IS BUILT. ICONS ARE REMEMBERED.

ICONIC FOR 45 YEARS FORGING FORWARD

SINCE 1971

PHOTO: John Zamora

FOREFRONT

CALLS DUTY

In this life of mine I have been lucky enough to have been around the world and have seen and experienced many things that most folks only see in the movies, on the Internet, or on late-night cable TV. I have also been fortunate to ride motorcycles in some of the most beautiful places in the world. From the highlands of Scotland to the interior lowlands of America and all points in between, I have racked up a slew of travel miles. Some could say I am jaded with all the travel I do, and others would say I am the luckiest man in the world. I am sure this will be an ongoing debate for the next few years at least.

Last month I met a kid and a group of folks who also have traveled and have seen many things in their lives. Nathan Munoz is a 23-year-old friend of Mikey, my better half’s son. I had overheard them talking about how he just bought a 2015 H-D Street Bob as his main source of transportation. I also heard he recently got back from another tour of duty overseas, had a new baby, and was pretty much, as one could imagine, having more than a few issues with both.

Right after meeting Nathan I was invited by Victory Motorcycles to be part of the New York Veterans Day Parade in support of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America or IAVA for short. Founded in 2004 by an Iraq veteran, IAVA (iava.org, #VetsRising) is the most diverse and rapidly growing veterans group in America with more than 176,000 members. IAVA is a very impressive operation that has a myriad of

programs to aid, educate, and support our sons and daughters who have served. I was impressed with the operation and overcome with a mix of emotions as I rode down the parade route on 5th Avenue from 26th to 57th streets. Seeing the joy and support these men and women had and were receiving from half a million flag-waving onlookers was something I will never forget.

After the parade we were invited to IAVA’s after-party at St. Mark’s church, and I got to meet many of the folks we rode with in the parade and see firsthand the pride, respect, and camaraderie these men and women have for one other.

I also learned that there are 21 million American veterans in the United States, a suicide rate of 22 veterans a day, and that the VA is struggling to keep pace with its backlog of medical claims due to the sheer amount of impacted vets.

But the IAVA and other teams, associations, and foundations are standing by our veterans and making a bigger and bigger difference in these folks’ lives every single day.

In Nathan I saw a need. Yes, his brand-new Harley FXDB had all its horrible stock exhaust, intake, and handlebars, and that was fixed with some parts from Burly and Biltwell (see next month’s issue), but the bigger issue (obviously) I saw was a young man who was perceptibly in need of some support from what he had experienced while serving our country coupled with his newly found adult life.

Being able to add one and one, I of course urged Nathan to get in contact with the fine folks at IAVA and form a mutually beneficial relationship where both of their experiences can help everyone involved. And I urge you to do the same for any vet you know who you think may be in need. It is your duty as an American to do so. HB

JEFF G. HOLT EDITOR IN CHIEF

(Left) The IAVA marching at NYC’s Vets Day Parade. (Middle) Yours truly with “Gunny.” (Above) Nathan Munoz.

#RIDE

Have you ever watched one of those futuristic flicks like Minority Report? There’s a scene where Tom Cruise is walking through a mall of some sorts, and sensors mounted on the wall identify him by his eyes and display custom advertisements as he walks. It’s a never-ending stream of images and products trying to capture his attention for a split second. Sound that far off? It’s closer than you think. There is supposed to be glasses coming soon that are connected to the Internet that will work with facial recognition to identify people as you walk. Today, every time I log onto Facebook the ads that pop up along the side all seem to know what my last search was. Not sure how this all works, but it seems like that future scene is not too far off.

Our jobs as editors have been transformed over the past few years from photographers and writers to content directors. In the olden days you only had to be a great photographer, writer, or wrencher and that would just be enough to work at a magazine. Well, those days have long been gone, and in order to cut it today at a place like Hot Bike, your bag of skills has to grow significantly.

To be a good photographer now includes being proficient with an

iPhone too. At events, especially, I’m constantly swapping back and forth from my DSLR (big camera) to my phone. Today’s social media requires us to be continually uploading what’s going on at that exact moment and giving you, the readers, a virtual experience when we are out and about.

Being a writer has also been hugely impacted. In the ol’ days, a wellworded story complete with sidebars and extras was all that was necessary for a story. Today, depending on the forum, it’s necessary to write the same story in shorter, more concise versions that are more easily digestible for reading on either a computer screen or, now especially, a smartphone. Bye-bye, word nerds. Hello, hashtaggers.

We are also becoming videographers now. Using that same DSLR, we now video our photo shoots and features to make short clips, giving even more of a behind-thescenes look into what we are doing. Those videos need to be different formats—from 15 seconds to fewer than three minutes.

Finally, our jobs are evolving into advertisement experts. Much thought goes into using the right key words and phrases to get you, the reader, to pick our story to view over anything else you are being bombarded with.

So it seems like that scene from Minority Report is in fact here and alive today. We strive to deliver our content to you in a multitude of ways, over a large array of forums, with both behind-the-scenes videos, live view photos, and polished content on the printed page.

But do you know what I’m happy to say hasn’t changed? Getting on the bike hasn’t changed. Hitting the road by yourself or with buddies hasn’t changed. Thankfully, the purpose of riding is still to shut out the world for a little bit and just unplug.

At the end of the day all these messages hitting us at 1,000 times a second can still be turned off with a tank of gas, a good road, and some rolling rubber. #ride HB

JOHN ZAMORA EDITOR JOHN.ZAMORA@BONNIERCORP.COM @JOHNZPICS FACEBOOK.COM/HOTBIKEJOHN

“AT THE END OF THE DAY ALL THESE MESSAGES HITTING US AT 1,000 TIMES A SECOND CAN STILL BE TURNED OFF WITH A TANK OF GAS, A GOOD ROAD, AND SOME ROLLING RUBBER.”

10 PRO ACTION Rear Shocks for Baggers pro-action.com

12 BURLY BRAND Jail Bars burlybrand.com

11 JOKER MACHINE Serrated Brake Pedal jokermachine.com

14 INDIAN MOTORCYCLE Mesh Cap indianmotorcycle.com

16 TORCH INDUSTRIES HB-8 Handlebars torchind.com

15 MUSTANG SEATS Tripper and Standard Seat mustangseats.com

COMPILED BY THE HOT BIKE STAFF

13 QUIXX Paint Scratch Remover quixx.com

Rear Shocks for p ti m jokermachine com

MACHINE Mesh indianmotorcycle com

INDUSTRIES

BIKE BRITE CLEANERS

Founded in 1992 by Joe Coviello, Bike Brite was a simple solution to a dirty biker’s problems. Now years have passed, and the little cleaning company that was once sold out of the back of a car now has 22 diferent products and millions of happy two-wheeled customers. From spray washes to chain lubes this stuf can and will keep polished metal, chrome, paint, powdercoat, and plastic both clean and well protected for the harshest of elements and road grime. Good stuf, indeed.

bikebrite.com

MOTION PRO STANDARD MP TOOL

There are plenty of multi tools on the market, but very few contain as much as the MP tool. It possesses a mess of tools all in one handy pouch such as 1/2- and 3/8-inch open end, a 10mm and 7/16-inch box end, a bottle opener, an L-socket handle with 7/16 and 1/2-inch sockets, a combo 1/4- and 3/8-inch drive, and a few interchangeable combination hex, torx, and screwdriver chingaderas

motionpro.com

AGV RP60 HELMET

AGV is an Italian company known for making some of the best helmets for superbike riders and MotoGP racers. That in turn guarantees that the RP60 is going to be a high-quality helmet. Despite the checkerboard theme on this particular brain bucket (don’t worry, they come in all-black and several faked colors), it ft well and was very comfortable. The crown and cheek pads are removable as well as fully washable, so this skid lid can remain as stink-free as the frst day it was worn. And speaking of it being worn, I have to say that it did sit a bit higher on the head than many other three-quarter helmets on the market but not so much as it would make you look like a bobblehead doll riding down the highway. If you are in the market for a nice open-face helmet, I would for sure check out these oferings from AGV. $139.99 // agv.com

5-BALL RACING

SPECIAL OPS CLUB JACKET

This jacket is pretty damn cool. Not only does it have 12 pockets for just about everything you need all wrapped into a sleek-looking garment straight from bufalo hide, but it converts into a vest by zipping of the sleeves. Other standout features of this killer convertible jacket are heavy-duty zippers, double-needle seam construction, leather neck trim (no collar, thank you), and two inner conceal-carry pockets for those “safety frst” moments. I have been riding in this jacket for quite some time and have really liked the fact I can take the sleeves of when the weather heats up or when I just want to invite ladies to check out the “gun show.” The design of the jacket is really well thought out and very generous for my 215-pound 5-foot-10 frame. And I also really enjoyed the softas-a-baby’s-butt plaid liner as well. Just call me Mr. Sensitive, I guess.

$240 // crankandstroker.com

EPIC-ID

USB EMERGENCY ID BAND

As an old biker once told me, “It’s not if, it’s when” in regard to crashing on a motorbike. The bad thing is he never told me any sort of degree of severity I would suffer bodily during this occurrence. I guess I will just have to wait to find out. Well, if and when it does happen, I will be ahead of the curve with the EPIC-id. It’s a waterproof USB emergency information bracelet that is constructed from a comfortable silicone band and a durable stainless-steel clasp that has all of your emergency info cleverly embedded into it. It is both PC and Mac compatible, and it takes mere minutes to set up via your computer with all the needed info to save your life in an emergency.

It goes like this: You insert one side of the bracelet into the USB port of your computer and click on the EPIC-id button, which appears on your computer’s desktop. Then you fill in the blanks by privately providing the bracelet’s interface with your list of personal emergency contacts, doctor info, the meds you are on, and any sort of allergies or aversions you may have. You can even change and update it with information like a DNR order, donor information, and requests for clergy in case shit really hits the fan when you hit the ground.

For another $15 you can get a stainless-steel external personalized ID tag that simply mounts to the bracelet with a simple five lines of easily readable text for those first responders without iPads and laptops.

I have been wearing the EPIC-id for a while now both in and out of the saddle. And although nobody has had to use it yet, for the little amount of money the EPIC-id costs and the amount of benefit it carries in one simple device, I don’t know why anyone who rides shouldn’t be wearing one every time they are in the wind.

$35 // epic-id.com

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JEFF G. HOLT

OurDEVIANTVelocityStackrebelsagainstallthatisOEMandnormal. It’soneofthemostarrogantandrespectedpartsyoucanevermounttoyourmotor. Youknowyougotitwhenyougotit.GogetitandrideFREE.

of Led Sled Customs

of San Diego Customs

of Harold’s Iron Works

A BUILD-OFF OF BOTH SHOW AND GO!

Hot Bike and Harley-Davidson in association with Born-Free have teamed up to unleash six of the country’s most progressive bike builders in a build-off competition that possesses equal parts speed and style.

All six of the builders’ creations will be powered using various 2015 H-D engines as the basis of their machines. The design and execution of each bike will be dramatically different with no limitations given to any of the builders. Certainly these will be six game-changing custom machines.

The bikes will be unveiled at Born-Free June 26–27

(bornfreeshow.com). Then the half-dozen builders and their bikes are off to show their bikes at Sturgis for the 75th Black Hills Rally August 3–9 (sturgismotorcyclerally. com). Shortly after that the bikes will be shown, judged, and ridden on all five days of the Hot Bike Tour 2015 this September 9–13 (sign up at hotbikeweb.com/tour).

For the sake of true competition, all of these motorcycles will be judged by you, the public, via ballot boxes. Te builder with the most combined total votes over the three events will be crowned the King of Speed and Style.

Stay tuned to hotbikeweb.com for all of the up-to-theminute build-off news, photos, features, and videos HB

G

BIG.D

Is there a single bike that encompasses the 110-plus-year history that started in a shed and has grown into a worldwide phenomenon? If you had to choose only one bike to fully defne the history of Harley-Davidson, which would it be? When Scott “Tbone” Jones from Noise Cycles set out to build a bike for Born-Free 6, he thought he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Tat was until a trip to the H-D Museum forever changed his mind.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOHN ZAMORA

NOISE CYCLES’ HISTORY-MAKING DYNA

BIGGER. B G

2009 DYNA MUSEUM PIECE

Scott explains how this 2009 Dyna was transformed into a stamp in H-D history: “I won the Harley award at Born-Free 5 and received a motor and transmission. I could build whatever I wanted with it for Born-Free 6. It was either going to be an FXR or a Dyna. I know the FXR handles better than the Dyna, but the FXR frame wasn’t working out for me, so I started with a 2009 Dyna. I basically chose that bike for the rear-shock angle. Te vision I had for the frame had to cooperate with me. I didn’t want to cut the frame. I also wanted to park it next to a standard Dyna and that guy say, ‘Wow! Tat’s my bike?’”

Originally Scott was going for more of a sportbike look. “Initially it was supposed to be a whole diferent bike,” he explains. “My original vision was full-on sportbike to try and scrape my knee with. By winning the award, I got my frst trip to Milwaukee and to the Harley-Davidson Museum. When I got there, everything I thought I wanted to do went out the window. I spent seven hours at the museum looking at all the stuf you don’t see in photos or the Internet. I just started tweaking out on the evolution of all the parts. Tat was a game changer to see the beginning of Harley-Davidson until now.”

So with a new outlook and mindset, Scott headed down the path to build the ultimate Dyna that defned who Harley-Davidson is. No easy task by any means.

With so much thought that went into each of the pieces of the bike, it’s no wonder it takes a bit of explaining to fully understand and appreciate this machine. Once the bike was fnished, the response would change Scott’s life forever, whether he realized it fully at the time.

“I debuted the Dyna at the HarleyDavidson Born-Free pre-party,” Scott says. Willie G. came up to my booth and said he enjoyed looking at the bike. He was so stoked on it that he asked if he could put it on display at the Harley Museum for a year. I think H-D was stoked on where my thinking and vision had come from. After all, I had spent seven hours at the museum taking Harley in. Te whole bike is based on Harley. Tere was nothing else feeding my vision but the history of Harley.”

The 1920s

Starting with the foot controls, I wanted to make a Dyna that had a rocker clutch, shift gate, and floorboards. To me it makes sense to do something like this since that’s how it all started. You can see the nostalgia in the setup, and it still performs. The brake pedal is an old cast, real simple, and strong-looking pedal. I tried to duplicate the hand shift and the gate as well but made the knob a little bit bigger than the early ones. hand shift and the as well but made the knob a little bit th th l

Being asked to have a bike on display in the Harley-Davidson Museum isn’t just a compliment; it’s a way of validating one’s work in the history books forever. As the bike was picked up from the photo shoot and loaded on a carrier destined for Milwaukee, Scott sat for a second and thought just how far he had come and realized that he hadn’t built just another bike, but he actually made something truly special.

The 1930s

The whole paint scheme and graphics are from the ’30s. We tried to match the actual orange and black since those are factory Harley racing colors. The paint is 1934 Orlando Orange and black with a 1930–’39 gold stripe and 1932 wave tank graphics.

He explains: “For some reason, growing up we always had to pay our mortgage in person in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. We had to drive and go into the city. Te road that we took in went by Ray Price Harley-Davidson. I’d always make her [his mom] stop so I could go in and check out all the stock Harley-Davidsons. I was barely in the sixth grade, and I was already wearing Harley-Davidson shirts and a chain wallet. To grow up like that and now I’m walking around the HarleyDavidson Museum and my bike is sitting there… I can’t believe it! I’m like, ‘Why me?’ It’s like winning the lottery—but without the money [laughs]. It defnitely gives me goose bumps. Te room my bike is in is surrounded by other bikes that were hand chosen by Harley. Tey represent the history of Harley. Tey recognized what I did and the passion that I had for HarleyDavidson. It’s big. It’s big for my kids, it’s big for my wife, and it’s big for my mom. She helped do this. She loved motorcycles as much as I do, and she had no problem letting her kid run around a dealership looking at Harley-Davidson. Tanks, Mom.”

The 1940s

My favorite bike is a Harley WR racer. I wanted to build a Dyna WR, hence the knobby tires, WR-style tank, and fender that’s kind of bobbed. I wanted it to look like it was rolled instead of smoothed. I wanted that early race thinking of whatever you got, make it work and make it work good and function well.

The air cleaner is hand spun with a badge on the top and a bar and shield on the front trying to resemble the early knuckleheads. I cut the grooves in it to try and make it more racing.

It took a lot of people to help build this bike, and Scott would like to thank Stance, RSD, Belt Drives Ltd., PBI Sprockets, Antigravity Batteries, Coker Tire, Law Tigers, Lyndall Brakes, Orange County Harley-Davidson, Matt Cortez Cycles, Works Performance, Burns Stainless, Harpoon Kustom Paint/ Undertaker, Te Seat Guy, SK Machine, Mesa Hose, Biltwell, Luck Motorcycles/ Suideath, Burly Brand, Jason Cruz, Matt Ross Paint, Matt Brady Fabrication, Luke Mouradian Photography, Mark Choiniere Photography, Nathan Tytor Productions, Mike Desmond Art, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Screamin’ Eagle, and Larry’s Deburring. In addition, thanks goes to my friends and family, including the big man upstairs, my beautiful wife and three kids, my parents, way to go Steve, Warren Spangenberg, Dustin Pilgrimage, and Merch Connection. HB

The 1950s

One piece is the real simple primary cover with a BDL primary and race clutch. When you’re watching NASCAR, there are headlights on the car, but they don’t work. But they try and make it resemble the real part of the car. The primary cover is for me to keep my feet out of the primary but also resemble a knucklehead outer cover. I handmade it all out of aluminum. It’s all one piece with only three bolts holding it on; that way if I need to get something, I get to it quick.

The front end I used a wide glide front end but made narrow mid-glide trees. The top is adjustable-style tree. I shaved the legs but kept a part of the lower leg and engraved a 120R in for a race look. The nacelle is based of a ’50s duo-glide but incorporated with a ’60s sportster nacelle. There’s like ’50 and ’60s molded together. That was the hardest thing of the whole bike. It was shape, fighting shape, fighting heat, fighting hammer. You’d hit one thing, and the other side took of. Even the cowbells are three pieces of metal to make one.

The swingarm—I’m a big fan of Shovelheads. I’ve always felt like I get whole look of a cone-shovel, and I always ditch the swingarm. It’s also easy to take a Panhead swingarm and make it work. It’s very common that we take the square swingarm to the swap meet and put a round swingarm on. I felt the same with the Dyna. The rest of the bike is pretty round. I thought it would be a good idea to make a one-of swingarm that’s more round.

The 1960s

I bought a sportster seat for a generator shovel. I took the cover and tried to make a sportster-looking seat but use the cover from a generator shovel. The actual cover is from the ’60s, and the sides are new. It still had some patina but was pretty clean for the most part. That cost me $100 for that little strip of white on top.

The exhaust is modeled after the 1960s like the sportsters. I found a set of NOS slash-cut mufers. I work a lot with Burns Stainless out of Costa Mesa, California. They let me design this mufer, and we bumped it up to 2 inches. Those early sportster ones were all sheet-metal rolled. I tried to resemble the race-style mufers. I cut it exactly like they were—just without the seam roll.

When I did the BF5 Panhead that was a challenge to myself. I tried to challenge myself on styling with the use of aluminum, and I wanted everything to flow too. I did the 120R underneath the seat because the lettering and engraving paid tribute to the 1978 HarleyDavidson MX250 dirt bike.

The 1970s

The rear suspension and brakes are based in the ’70s. I called Works Performance and began talking to him about some piggybacks from early racing. He said he had a set of 1970s NOS piggyback bodies lying around. Then we modernized the springs and damping. Also, the Lockheed brakes were one of the big guys back then. There’s a company called AP Racing that copies them today. I wanted it to stop good. I used Lyndall rotors. We made custom ones that fit the bike and not something that was on a normal Dyna today. Finally, I took a Brembo hand clutch master cylinder and adapted it to the foot clutch. Now it works like a champ.

Other

I changed the chain because belts weren’t around in the early days. Even with rotors and discs, I wanted it to have a modern look. One of the biggest challenges was the squareness of the backbone. Everyone knows the square backbone is what keeps Dynas from changing gas tanks. I knew I had to make it not look square. That’s why I made the aluminum backbone piece.

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL

OWNER Scott Jones

SHOP Noise Cycles

SHOP PHONE (714) 309-8119

WEBSITE noisecycles.com

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL 2009/H-D/Dyna

FABRICATION Noise Cycles

BUILD TIME 3.5 months

ENGINE

YEAR/TYPE/SIZE 2009/Twin Cam/120R

BUILDER H-D/ Matt Cortez Cycles

CASES H-D

CYLINDERS H-D

HEADS H-D

ROCKER BOXES RSD

CAM COVER RSD

THROTTLE BODY Screamin’ Eagle 62mm

AIR CLEANER Noise Cycle/Suideath

EFI CONTROLLER Screamin’ Eagle EXHAUST Noise Cycles/Burns Stainless

TRANSMISSION

YEAR/TYPE 2009/H-D/6-speed

GEARS H-D

CLUTCH BDL

PRIMARY DRIVE BDL

FRAME

YEAR/TYPE 2009/Dyna

RAKE/STRETCH Stock

SUSPENSION

FRONT END Panhead 41mm

LENGTH 2 under

TRIPLE TREES Noise Cycles

SWINGARM Noise Cycles

REAR SHOCKS Works Performance

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

FRONT

BUILDER/SIZE Morris Mag/19 in.

TIRE/SIZE Firestone ANS 400/19

CALIPERS AP Racing

ROTORS Lyndall/Noise Cycles

REAR

BUILDER/SIZE Morris Mag/18-in.

TIRE/SIZE Firestone ANS 400/18

CALIPER AP Racing

ROTOR Lyndall/Noise Cycle

FINISH/PAINT

COLORS H-D 1934 Orlando Orange

PAINT/GRAPHICS Tins and Stripping by The Harpoon/ Lettering by The Undertaker/Frame by Matt Ross

PLATING/POLISHING Speedway Coatings Ceramic/ Ramero The King Polishing

ACCESSORIES

REAR FENDER Repop K-model/Noise Cycle

GAS TANK Repop 3.5/Noise Cycles

DASH Noise Cycles

HANDLEBARS Noise Cycles

GRIPS Noise Cycles/IK-Works

HAND CONTROLS Noise Cycles

FOOT CONTROLS Noise Cycles

FLOORBOARDS H-D

HEADLIGHT Early 5-in.

TAILLIGHT Tractor

SEAT Original Shovel Buddy Seat/The Seat Guy

“THE WHOLE BIKE IS BASED ON HARLEY. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE FEEDING MY VISION BUT THE HISTORY OF HARLEY.”

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EAST COAST HARD CORE

On October 3–5, 2014, a select group of gentlemen raced their early iron machines on the shoreline of the sleepy beach community of Wildwood, New Jersey.

Tis invitation-only event was presented by the Oilers CC/MC and the throwback event was sponsored by Sailor Jerry Rum and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Te whole shebang was strictly classifed to prewar (1920s and 1930s) cars and bikes. Amid rising sea tides and magnifcent rooster tails of loose-sand motorcycles—such as Indians, Harley-Davidsons, and Excelsiors from as early as 1911—were bikes hitting the eighthmile dragstrip with much fervor and glee.

The simplistic yet exciting racing went like this: A fellow in a black top hat and tuxedo guided a doublewide queue of waiting bikes along the beach. From there a line judge wearing white coveralls and a pith helmet readied the riders to the line. When it was go time, a young woman jumped in the air wildly while brandishing a checkered flag as the bikes roared off down the beach to infamy. After the two days of constant racing, we don’t really know how many bikes competed or who even won, but we do know that the number-one rule at the Race of Gentlemen was to have fun. And we at Hot Bike sure as hell know we did. And we were just spectating! HB

WORDS: JEFF G. HOLT PHOTOS: ED SUBIAS

EBC Vee-Rotors™ are radical new lighter weight profiled rotors which feature all the best of EBC engineering such as:

● Heat treated and tempered stainless steel rotor blades

● EBC patterned SD-System™ square drive buttons

● Lightest weight alloy center hubs

● Option of FIVE colors

● Stainless rear rotors with matching pattern

Choose your ideal brake compound from the stunning American made Double-H™ sintered high friction pads, UK made organic pads for sport street use or the new long lasting semi-sintered V Pads™ for rear fitments and classic motorcycles, delivering longest life.

Also available the ever popular MD series rotors

New VLD series pads available with chromed backing plates

GOING RACING OR DOING TRACK DAYS?

The EBC track day Extreme Pro™ series pads are perfect for combination street and track use or for TRACK ONLY use the unbeatable high friction, fade resistant GPFA series pads.

CHRONICLE |

THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN

FOR A TON MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THIS EVENT, HEAD TO HOTBIKEWEB.COM

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PROJECT F-XXX-R BEHIND THE HOTBIKE

This is a true rags-to-riches basket-case build scenario where we take the bare minimum and take it to the maximum. We do these types of builds to show y’all just how far a pile of rusty and rejected junk can go when given a new two-wheeled lease on life.

Starting with a pile of parts and making it into something that has both speed and style is quite an accomplishment for anyone, even those of us with the fortitude and knowhow. And having a ton of skilled friends and the world’s top

manufacturers on speed dial to make it all happen doesn’t hurt either.

Bringing something back from the dead and making it far better than it ever really was is what we do with these types of show-and-go bikes. In doing so it is a way that you, the reader, can take a cheap bike score and turn it into the bike of your dreams. We hope you learn a bit and are also entertained by us doing so.

And here’s how we did it. HB

WORDS: CHIP KASTELNIK PHOTOS: MIKEY VAN SENUS

We started of with a frame and a few boxes of parts. Not knowing what was in the boxes was part of the fun!

p  To begin the frst steps of the build, we installed the front end setup by Kraus Motor Co. and Öhlins Suspension on our freshly powdercoated 1992 Harley-Davidson FXR frame.

p Installed next was the front wheel, which was provided by Roland Sands Designs. We went with RSD’s new Morris Mag wheel in “Black Ops” fnish. We then wrapped the wheel with a 19/110 tire provided by none other than Avon Tires.

p Next, we installed the transmission case and internals. We chose a whole new Baker Drivetrain six-speed tranny since we wanted a majorly bombproof gearbox.

WORDS: CHIP KASTELNIK PHOTOS: MIKEY VAN SENUS

p The rear RSD Morris wheel was installed on our back right after the swingarm was treated to a CCE swingarm axle and bearing kit upgrade. All FXRs should have this bearing conversion done to them to ensure a smooth and straight ride.

p  A set of Öhlins custom-tuned amazing “piggyback” rear shocks were installed next.

p The frame was taped of, so we could install our mock-up motor while the nice folks at S&S built the V111 motor that would power the F-XXX-R.

p We installed Biltwell Tracker bars and Murdock risers on top of the Kraus trees.

p We got an OEM replacement rear fender from Biker’s Choice and installed it.

p We wiggled the front fairing provided by Deviant Fabrications into place.

p Hand controls by Performance Machine were set on the bars to get a feel for their positioning.

YOU’VE GOT THE PIECES...

p We asked the crew at Street Noyz in San Diego to help us mold our LED lighting, provided by Baja Designs, into the Defab fairing.

p After cutting some templates and riser blocks for the passing lamps, we fberglass the mounts into the fairing.

p Installing the speakers was a lot harder than one would think. We had to make mounts for the speakers that were reinforced, so the fberglass fairing would not crack from the weight of the speakers, then smooth it all out.

p S&S provided us with a solid 111-inch engine with all the trimmings that we needed to hype this beast up.

p After carefully placing the engine in the chassis, we installed the nicely designed Corbin chin spoiler we lovingly call the “wizard’s sleeve.”

Pictured here is Chip from San Diego Customs (SDC) carrying the S&S 111-inch engine to its resting place inside the F-XXX-R chassis.

NEXT WE INSTALLED SOME MOCK-UP SDC 320MM ROTORS WHILE THE FOLKS AT LYNDALL BRAKES MADE MATCHING COMPOSITE ROTORS TO MATCH THE RSD MORRIS WHEEL PATTERN.

POWER VISION SOLVES

THE PUZZLE

–ONE DEVICE –ONE CONNECTION ONE SOLUTION

THE ONLY EFI FLASH TUNER FOR HARLEY-DAVIDSON ® MOTORCYCLES YOU’LL EVER NEED

p We began to install our stereo components using Kicker audio parts. We wired it all together using many various wiring components from NAMZ.

p We installed the compact, waterproof, and rugged Bluetooth PXiBT50.2 combination receiver and amp setup from Kicker Audio.

p We began by feeding the wire throughout the bike, leaving ample lengths to be cut down.

p Tony from SDC began to manufacture our custom-wiring loom using NAMZ quality connectors and pins.

p NAMZ Deustch connectors were used as much as possible to make replacing any electrical item an easy task. We highly suggest doing this due to ease of service and the positive connections these connectors supply.

p We internally wired the bars by drilling through the risers and handlebars. This helps to give a cleaner overall look. Tony begins to wire the audio system.

t 31 Taylor Schultz of Schultz Designz did an incredible job of cleaning up our tins and fairing pieces and then applying a show-quality, classy paint job. The amount of detail in it is insane. We had the task of installing the pieces without adding some custom scratches!

t 32 Steve from SPFabrication lent his assistance in making some amazing custom fairing stainless-steel mounts on the bike after the paint was fnished. Très cool, indeed.

33

We

34

p Sometimes (just like in life) you need to dump the various nuts to fnd that special one you need to make you happy. And we found it!

35

p After installing the SDC x SPF “High Pipe” constructed from the top-quality tubing supplied to us from none other than the pros at Burns Stainless, we proceeded to install the tank, fenders, and side panels.

p

assembled the dash with our new blacked-out Digital Dakota gauges, installed our Spyke petcock, and prepped the Biker’s Choice gas tank for installation.

p After completely fabricating a headlight bucket that was both adjustable and durable, we installed the bright-as-hell four-LED Squadron headlight from Baja Designs and covered it with a smoked-out Clearview Shields headlight cover to match the Clearview windshield. Trust us: There is plenty of light coming through that dark cover. 37

p Going through the primary one fnal time and making sure everything is in spec is part of the process. Chip assembles the BDL clutch pressure plate and installs it. 38

p Alignment of the vehicle is a very important part of the building process. Master bike mechanic and land-speed record holder Tatro helps Chip make sure the F-XXX-R will ride straight as a train on rails.

39

t After six months of hard work, the now-legendary HotBikemagazine F-XXX-R is born.

For a list of all involved in the build of the F-XXX-R, log on to hotbikeweb.com.

ASCOT SPEEDSTER

As a kid, Alan Beatty worked at one of the most historically well-known dirt racetracks in the world: Ascot Speedway. Now stop for a second and really imagine the thundering exhaust notes of two-wheeled racers blasting by you at breakneck speeds—not to mention seeing these same racers in the pits with their handmade machines made to chase the glorious victory, putting it all on the line.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: NELSON KANNO

CHOPPED | 2000 SPORTSTER

Minimally summed up, it’s a look into what kind of impression it had on Alan when it came to building his frst Sportster. “Te whole theme of this bike was dirt-track related, Grand National style. Little bit of old school thrown in too. Te frst step was a frame.”

A basic Paughco rigid frame of simple dimensions was his choice, 30-degree rake and no stretch. Along with wheels and a front end, Alan was certain that it had the basic lines of the bike he had imagined.

Next, parts were slowly purchased online and at swap meets. “I didn’t buy a bunch of parts and expect it to go together,” Alan explains. “A lot of thought went into this bike, especially the lines. Te way the tank sits, the fow of it all—I think attention to those details made a big difference. And having Brawny on my side, that was a big factor in how this bike turned out.”

Having Brawny Built help with the important details proved critical into building a solid runner. Te bottom rear fender mount pulls double duty as a battery hold-down bracket. Clean coil mounts doubles as a top motor mount. Adequately clearance’d but tucked away shock absorbers are mounted under the seat. Tese are just some of the examples of road experience Brawny put into this project.

Color Zone in Huntington Beach took good care of the painting duties. A classy burgundy and cream offset scheme was chosen by Alan, which brought a classy hotrod look to the bike. Te paint was actually the last step of putting the bike together, in which the colors were chosen to match the handmade, brown leather seat.

“It actually turned out looking a lot better, cleaner, than I had imagined, which is all due to the fact that I had such good help. Tere were a few things that I thought were going to be at least a small problem. For example, the seat springs on there, under the seat, they really help. It’s not just for show. And the Speed Merchant triple trees give it a lot more stability going down the road.”

With all the content and detail that went into this Sportster, I naturally had to ask what his fnal thoughts were on this project.

“When you think of a Harley, the thought of bigger, more cumbersome, heavier bikes come to mind,” Alan says. “Defnitely not the case here. It’s just really, really fun to ride. I live in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, in Redondo Beach. Ascot Speedway used to be next door in Gardena. Just growing up around that and now having put this bike together, it’s so much fun to go and blast around town!” HB

“ASCOT SPEEDWAY USED TO BE NEXT DOOR IN GARDENA. JUST GROWING UP AROUND THAT AND NOW HAVING PUT THIS BIKE TOGETHER, IT’S SO MUCH FUN TO GO AND BLAST AROUND TOWN!”

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL OWNER ALAN BEATTY SHOP BRAWNY BUILT

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL 2000/H-D/SPORTSTER

FABRICATION BRAWNY BUILT

ASSEMBLY OWNER BUILD TIME OFF AND ON 6 YEARS

ENGINE

YEAR/TYPE/SIZE 2000/1200CC/SPORTSTER

BUILDER H-D

CASES H-D

CYLINDERS H-D

HEADS H-D PORTED ROCKER BOXES H-D

CAMS H-D CARB S&S E AIR CLEANER GOODSON EXHAUST BRAWNY BUILT

TRANSMISSION

YEAR/TYPE H-D

GEARS H-D CLUTCH H-D PRIMARY DRIVE H-D

FRAME YEAR/TYPE 2000/PAUGHCO RIDGED RAKE/STRETCH 30º/ NO STRETCH

SUSPENSION

FRONT END H-D NARROW GLIDE, SHAVED LOWER LEGS

LENGTH 2 IN. UNDER TRIPLE TREES SPEED MERCHANT

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

FRONT BUILDER/SIZE

H-D/19 X 2.5

TIRE/SIZE COKER/4.00 X 19

CALIPERS PERFORMANCE MACHINE ROTORS RUSSELL REAR

BUILDER/SIZE H-D/18 X 4.0

TIRE/SIZE

COCKER 4.50 X 18

FOR MORE ON THIS BIKE VISIT HOTBIKEWEB.COM

CALIPER H-D MODIFIED

ROTOR RUSSELL SPROCKET PBI

FINISH/PAINT

MANUFACTURER HOUSE OF KOLORS

COLORS BURGUNDY CREAM PANELS

PAINT/GRAPHICS COLOR ZONE

PLATING/POLISHING VERNS PLATING AND POLISHING

POWDERCOATING VERNS PLATING AND POLISHING

ACCESSORIES

REAR FENDER CHICA/BRAWNY BUILT

GAS TANK COLE FOSTER

HANDLEBARS FLANDERS NORROW CLUBMAN

GRIPS BUILTWELL

HAND CONTROLS PERFORMANCE MACHINE

FOOT CONTROLS H-D

HEADLIGHT PAUGHCO

TAILLIGHT TODD’S CYCLE

LICENSE MOUNT BRAWNY BUILT

SEAT THOM HANSEN

MOTORCYCLE C P

ut 100 riders in the saddles of 77- to 100-year-old museum-quality motorcycles next to the Atlantic Ocean with 3,938 miles of turn-byturn instructions to the Pacific Ocean, and you have just the right ingredients for an epic adventure. That is precisely what happened this past September as the Motorcycle Cannonball Cross Country Endurance Run set off from the sands of Daytona Beach, Florida, to Tacoma, Washington.

Daytona Beach

CANNONBALL III

Tis third installment of the Motorcycle Cannonball followed the most basic criteria of the 2010 and 2012 Cannonballs: riding museum-quality antique bikes from coast to coast in 17 days and splitting the bikes into three classes based on engine displacement, but that is where the similarities ended. For the frst time ever, this Cannon-

ball started on a beach as the waves of the Atlantic Ocean kissed the bikes’ tires while everyone was being positioned for a monumental panorama photo I took to commemorate the start. Could there be a more appropriate place than the sands of historic Daytona Beach, a place where so much motorcycle history was made? Setting up 98 bikes and 105 riders took

quite some time, but as soon as the shot was taken, the fag came down and the bikes struggled through what had now become torn-up, soft, and deep sand to get to the nearby pavement and their frst navigation 100 yards ahead.

“Turn right out of the alleyway” was the instruction, and that is exactly how they continued for 3,938 miles.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: MICHAEL LICHTER

Bonneville

On mostly two-lane roads, you were told to go 14.23 miles and turn right at a red sign, pass eight trafc lights, and make a left. Or how about go 37.63 miles and take a right? No street names, no names of towns—just lefts and rights all day long, day after day, to test your stamina and concentration!

We continued in this manner through the Southeast United States riding from Florida into Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, as we passed farms with cotton exploding from their pods, tobacco drying in smoky roadside barns and two major rivers, the Cumberland and Tennessee. We grazed the Midwest briefy as we crossed the Ohio River into Illinois and then crossed the Mississippi a couple of hours later out to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Heading west through Missouri, we transitioned into the seemingly endless Great Plains that continued through Kansas and half of Colorado, staying fat as can be right up until we hit the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado. From there, we rose quickly to 11,990 feet above sea level to cross the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass and then the 11,319-foot Fremont Pass that took us into a sponsored lunch in Leadville, Colorado, the highest town in the USA. A third climb that same day took us over the 10,424-foot Tennessee pass. We were lucky, as just a week earlier, it snowed at the bottom of the mountains so there could have easily been a foot of snow at these elevations, but thankfully the weather warmed and we had a gorgeous sunny day with dry roads the whole way. By the time we joined the Colorado River on the other side of the Rockies, we were truly in the beautiful Wild West. Tis powerful river has cut spectacular rock formations, particularly through Glenwood Canyon and on into eastern Utah. We continued west through the salt-scapes of western Utah and made another stop at a signifcant place in motorcycle history, the Bonneville Salt Flats, where I set up a second dramatic panorama photo

of all the riders. From the salt, we rode onto the barren lunar-like landscape of Nevada and turned north to Idaho where we came across more rivers and mostly greener surroundings. At this point, it was just the Cascade mountain range between the fnish, and us, which we crossed on the last day. We had passed through 12 states by the time we came down to sea level for the fnish at the impressive LeMay Museum with its backdrop of Puget Sound and the Pacifc Ocean.

This might sound like an easy route, but in addition to the sheer distance traveled on extremely old bikes, there were the challenges of Mother Nature and the roads themselves. We went between 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) temperatures in Florida with its extreme humidity to 27 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.77 degrees Celsius) with the windchill in the mountains of Idaho. It was difficult to be prepared, as you never really knew where you were going other than the one day they warned us about Loveland Pass, so on one day in particular, the temperature changed almost 50 degrees (from -2.77 degrees to 23.9 degrees Celsius) in just four hours. We were so cold when we got to our first gas stop that everyone put their hands right into a food warmer filled with hot breakfast sandwiches! Heavy rains were also encountered, one of which was so bad that we woke to rain falling sideways, support vehicles stuck in water to their hubcaps, and flood warnings from the government. On that one occasion, for safety’s sake, run officials encouraged riders to trailer their bikes (without penalty) to the lunch stop.

What a way to see the USA: on two wheels taking the back roads through every sort of little town you can imagine. I especially envied the riders who came from Japan, South Africa, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, England, Ireland, Germany, and Canada, as I can’t imagine a better way for a

foreigner to see the USA without the glossy Hollywood makeover portrayed on TV. As an international event, the Cannonball seems to be growing with riders from 11 countries represented this year and even more countries when you count the mechanics and support.

Most people think of the Motorcycle Cannonball as a race, and, yes, with number plates clearly mounted on both sides of each bike and me already writing about points and standings, there certainly is a competitive spirit to it, but as the name implies, this is an “endurance run.” As such, you are awarded points for every mile you ride with the goal of getting a perfect score of 3,938 points (miles) after crossing the fnish in Tacoma. If you broke down on the course and had to get picked up by an offcial chase vehicle (truck or motorcycle carrying a sidecar rig) at, for example, mile 127 on a 250-mile day, you were just awarded 127 points for that day. Points were also deducted for various penalties, such as if your support crew helped repair your bike during the day (or if they just handed you a tool), coming in past the 45-minute predetermined window you had to cross the fnish line, having a co-rider sharing a bike (automatic 100 point penalty), or having a bike that was somehow not compliant with the rules. It was clear from past Cannonballs that the only chance you had of winning would be to cross the fnish with a perfect score on a lowerdisplacement Class 1 bike because quite a few bikes would likely fnish with perfect scores in which case the tie-breaker system was enacted. Tis system favors Class 1 (under 700cc) bikes over the bigger bikes then looks to the year of the bike favoring the older bikes, and lastly, it went to the age of the rider with the older rider winning over younger riders.

Riders were interested in checking the standings nightly, but for many, this didn’t mean a thing because they were on this run for the adventure, the fun, and the personal challenge. Teams with

co-riders knew before they left Daytona, their 100-point penalty had them out of the running, as did showing up on one of the 51 Class 3 (over 1,000cc) bikes. One of the best examples of being there for the personal challenge was Shinya Kimura’s Team 80 that signed up for their third Cannonball with the same Class 2 1915 Indian twin-cylinder single-speed bike, the second oldest on the run. Shinya, who is considered one of the best and most famous custom-bike builders in the world, shared riding duties with his close friend Yoshimasa Niimi, who came from Japan just to ride the bike on alternate days and work closely with Shinya to keep the bike running as he

had done on the frst two Cannonballs. Tis meant taking the engine out of the bike on three occasions, including splitting the cases apart for major repairs on their third go. Keep in mind, Shinya and Yoshimasa, along with Shinya’s wife Ayu, had just an old American van packed with parts as a support vehicle and the hard pavement of hotel parking lots for a shop, which isn’t much when you consider many teams had big trailers ftted with complete machine shops and the large “Wolf Pack” Henderson team actually had a full “semi” for their shop and supplies. Somehow, Shinya and Yoshimasa would be at the start in their big woolen sweaters, oilcloth jackets, high leather lace-up

boots and jodhpurs (clothing that could have been worn by the bike’s original owner 100 years before) and the bike was ready and running. Tey did experience one unfortunate breakdown that couldn’t be repaired on the side of the road, which caused them to miss some miles, so Shinya has already decided he will be back for MCR-IV in 2016, as he is determined that his 1914 gets ridden every mile across this big country. What an attitude. What an approach. And it was for this that Team 80 was presented a special “Spirit of the Cannonball” award in Tacoma.

How amazing to consider the value of the Cannonball bikes—some of which are

“WHAT A WAY TO SEE THE USA: ON TWO WHEELS TAKING THE BACK ROADS THROUGH EVERY SORT OF LITTLE TOWN YOU CAN IMAGINE.”

worth close to $100,000. Any one of the bikes could reside in a museum, but it was part of MCR founder Lonnie Isam’s original intention to get these quality bikes out on the roads where they belong and to let people see them in context rather than on a pedestal. Of course, this begs the question, “Will anyone really want to sign up their rare and valuable motorcycles for the abuse of nearly 4,000 tough road miles and all the costs involved to get these bikes across the country?” As happened in 2010 and 2012, this was not a problem. Lonnie stopped taking entries after flling up in less than a week!

Among the Knuckleheads were two very refreshing entries that I fondly referred to as “Te Chopper Dudes”: Sean Duggan and Bill Buckingham. In sharp contrast to all of the other antiques on the run, these close friends from Southern California both ran “Invader”-style mag wheels, pullback handlebars, rigid frames, and long Springer front ends and both kept their bikes under wraps, not posting any photos as all the other riders had done prior to arriving in Daytona Beach. Tere were certainly some raised eyebrows when they frst appeared, but these two guys couldn’t help but bring a smile to your face as they popped up over a rise in the road and sped on by as if they were just racing down to the local bar! To give an idea of the quality of these bikes, Bill’s Knuckle that was handbuilt for him by Kouske, who won Best of Show and a trip to Tokyo at Born-Free 6 this past June. Tat is as good as saying it is one of the best choppers in the USA! And “Te Chopper Dudes” each rode every single mile of the entire run!

In the end, the Motorcycle Cannonball was every bit the epic adventure it appeared to be as we rode off the sands of Daytona. Trials and tribulations took their toll, yet 72 very satisfed and exhausted riders crossed the fnish line in Tacoma where hundreds greeted their arrival. Te frst-place trophy was bestowed on Hans Coertse that same evening at the awards banquet, as his 1924 Indian Scout was the oldest class I bike to run. Almost all of the 105 riders who set out were at the banquet with their families, crew, and support staff, and it was quite a celebration. But while it might seem like they were celebrating the fnish, it was truly a celebration of the journey!

See more photos at lichterphoto.com. HB

AN ULTIMATE UPGRADE

For years we have been upgrading the clutches on our “early Evo” Sportsters with what we thought were good results. Tat was until we got our grubby paws on a Barnett Scorpion Clutch. Now we know what power and modulation feels like.

We went with Barnett Scorpion clutch (part #607-30-10084). Tis kit fts fts the 1986–1990 four-speed Evo Sportster. Tese clutch assemblies come complete with a billet-aluminum pressure plate, steel inner hub, and specially formulated clutch plates that both increase the surface area and capacity of the clutch. Barnett’s Scorpion clutch also utilizes six coil springs for a smoother and more controllable linear engagement than the competition. Extra spring sets of various tensions are also included, allowing a person to tune the clutch to just what suits your setup best. Te Scorpion clutch can also be run wet or dry in an open or enclosed primary.

We took our bike to Chris Richardson of LA Speed Shop, and he slapped this anodized orange wonder into our bike. Since then we have peeled of a few thousand miles and have found the Scorpion clutch to be a top choice for either stock or modifed Sportsters. And we think you will as well. Here’s how we did it. HB

BARNETT SPORTSTER CLUTCH INSTALL

p Here’s a shot of our early Evo Sportster awaiting a brand-new clutch.

4

t

5

p Chris begins by removing the clutch cable and stock primary cover of of the left-hand side of the bike.

p We then remove the clutch adjuster access plug, O-ring, clutch spring, and lock-plate from primary cover and loosen the old beaten and battered clutch basket from the main shaft of the transmission.

The worn-out old clutch plates are removed and chucked into the trash.

q The stock clutch assembly is removed. The hub is then separated from the clutch basket with a hydraulic press.

p The stock clutch basket is reinstalled and the new Barnett clutch hub bolted into place.

p A set of six scorpion springs (say that fve times fast) are installed onto the new Barnett clutch hub.

p The new Scorpion clutch plate is then soaked in primary oil for 10 minutes before installing them into the clutch basket. This gets them properly lubed up.

p Chris then reinstalls the OEM pressure plate snap ring to keep the clutch plate from wandering.

p The primary chain tensioner is reinstalled and torqued to factory specifcations.

the

p Chris reinstalls the stock clutch adjustment screw and checks for proper ft.

p Barnett also sent us a brand-new clutch cable to make this upgrade as smooth as possible.

SPORTSTER CLUTCH INSTALL

the bonanza open-face helmet

Vintage style + modern materials and construction. Meets DOT standards. Available in a wide variety of colors/fnishes. Sizes XS through XXL.

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THE TUGBOAT

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, GIVE OR TAKE

WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOGRAPHY: WES DRELLESHAK

Joe Mielke named his 1999 FLHT Standard “Tugboat,” but it’s had almost as many lives as Connor MacLeod in the old Highlander movies. Born a stocker then wrecked, Joe bought it in 2011 from his friend Robbie Pastor. Tat’s where life number two kicked in. “I rebuilt it with a bunch of takeof parts and some new Klock Werks parts,” Joe recalls. “I rebuilt the engine and went from an 88-inch to 95-inch setup. I called it the Cash Bike.”

Tat iteration lasted all of a year. Joe heard the high-octane call of the dragstrip, killed the Cash Bike, and then reincarnated the FLHT for a life of racing. High-compression pistons, high-lift cams, and a 45mm Mikuni carb ramped up the power factor this go-around. Having installed a café fairing and fabricated an aluminum tailsection, Joe was of to the strip. Tis life was a little more than two years of 11-second quarter-mile runs.

Meanwhile, Joe was working at Klock Werks on a joint venture with Kicker Audio. Te idea was to bring Kicker’s quality audio upgrades to the motorcycle industry. January of 2014 saw Klock Werks and Kicker at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) launching the Klock Werks Powered by Kicker Fit-Kits for Harley-Davidson models. “We searched around CES to see what kind of motorcycle presence there was,” Joe says. “Tere wasn’t anything too impressive as far as custom motorcycles with a quality stereo system. In talking with the team at Kicker, we all agreed we needed to

“FROM THE DAWN OF TIME WE CAME; MOVING SILENTLY DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES, LIVING MANY SECRET LIVES, STRUGGLING TO REACH THE TIME OF THE GATHERING; WHEN THE FEW WHO REMAIN WILL BATTLE TO THE LAST. NO ONE HAS EVER KNOWN WE WERE AMONG YOU…UNTIL NOW.”

Sean Connery as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, Highlander

(1985)

BAGGED | 1999 FLHT THE FOURTH

build an over-the-top showpiece for Klock Werks and Kicker to display as much Kicker audio equipment as possible.”

TIME FOR LIFE NUMBER FOUR.

Joe ofered up his ’99 Standard as the base of the build. He contributed his time, sweat, and blood, Klock Werks came through with parts, and Kicker kicked in the audio equipment. Joe’s overall game plan called for an FXR look to his bike. He’s a big fan of FXRs and was reproducing an FXR-esque fairing and lowers when build four began, so the plan melded together pretty seamlessly. Tis is his way of setting the bagger apart from the monster-front-hula-hoop crowd.

Six months passed as Joe worked on and of on this project, eventually riding the partially completed bike to Sturgis and the subsequent GEICO Hot Bike Tour. Fabrication resumed after that, and along the way somewhere, he christened the bike with its

latest moniker. “It earned the name ‘Tugboat’ because this motorcycle has more plastic and fberglass than a motorcycle should have,” Joe says. He also says the fnished project has a ridiculous amount of stereo equipment but still remains a powerful and rideable custom.

For as long a journey and as many lives as this motorcycle has had since 2011, in a way it has come full circle, namely with the paint. Joe’s old buddy Robbie, who sold him this scoot, used to work with Prince and Te Revolution and Morris Day and Te Time. “Who wouldn’t want to build a Purple Rain tribute bike?” Joe asks. “So I took advantage of this opportunity with a color palette that pays homage to Te Revolution and Te mother f—kin’ Time!”

We met the fnished FLHT during its debut at the 2014 SEMA show in Las Vegas. You can catch it live in Sin City yourself when it returns for the 2015 CES. HB

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL OWNER Joe Mielke

SHOP Klock Werks Kustom Cycles

SHOP PHONE (605) 996-3700

WEBSITE kustombaggers.com

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL 1999/H-D/FLHT Standard

FABRICATION Joe Mielke

BUILD TIME 4 months

ENGINE

YEAR/TYPE/SIZE 1999/Twin Cam A/95ci

BUILDERS Joe Mielke, John Patton

CASES H-D

CYLINDERS H-D

HEADS H-D, Ported by Hal’s H-D

ROCKER BOXES H-D

CAMS Wild Things

CARB Mikuni 45mm Carb

EXHAUST Klock Werks 2:1

AIR CLEANER Cycle Visions Moflow

TRANSMISSION

YEAR/TYPE 1999/H-D 5-speed

GEARS H-D

CLUTCH Barnett Scorpion Clutch

PRIMARY DRIVE H-D

FRAME

YEAR/TYPE 1999/H-D FLHT

RAKE/STRETCH Stock

SUSPENSION

FRONT END H-D Forks, Progressive Suspension Monotube Cartridges

REAR SHOCKS Progressive Suspension 944 Series Ultra-Low Shocks

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

FRONT

BUILDER/SIZE Roland Sands Design Boss 18 x 5.5 in.

TIRE/SIZE Avon 180/55-18

CALIPERS Jay Brake 6-piston

ROTORS Roland Sands Design Boss two-piece

REAR

BUILDER/SIZE Roland Sands Design Boss 18 x 5.5 in.

TIRE/SIZE Avon 180/55-18

CALIPER H-D

ROTOR H-D

PULLEY Chain

FINISH/PAINT

COLORS PPG Purple Rain

PAINT/GRAPHICS The Factory Match

PLATING/POLISHING Perfection Metal Polishing

POWDERCOATING North Side Ind.

ACCESSORIES

FRONT FENDER Klock Werks Benchmark Front/Modified

REAR FENDER Klock Werks Benchmark Rear

GAS TANK H-D/Joe Mielke

DASH Joe Mielke

HANDLEBARS Joe Mielke, Klip Splitters

GRIPS H-D

MIRRORS None

HAND CONTROLS H-D

FOOT CONTROLS H-D

FLOORBOARDS H-D

HEADLIGHT H-D

TAILLIGHT Klock Werks Dolla

TURN SIGNALS Klock Werks LED

LICENSE MOUNT Klock Werks

SEAT/UPHOLSTERY Joe Mielke

STEREO Kicker PXiBT50.2

AMPLIFIER Kicker PX powersports amplifiers, Dual ZXMRLC zone controllers

SPEAKERS Kicker: 1pair KST25 1-in. dome tweeter,

1 pair PS5250 5.25-in. coaxials, 1 pair PS69 6x9-in. coaxials,

1 pair PS4 4-in. coaxials, 1 pair KM8 8-in. coaxials,

1 pair KMS67 Tower System, 1 CompRT12-in. Subwoofer

CAM SELECTION: BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER!

WHY A BOLT-IN CAM MAY BE YOUR BEST CHOICE

After intake and exhaust, camshafts are the next most popular performance upgrade for HarleyDavidson motorcycles. Tey’re relatively inexpensive and comparatively easy to install. Tey’re also one of the most misunderstood items in the giant air pump we call an engine.

Te most common misunderstanding we encounter is the notion that the biggest cam you can stuf in your engine is the best. Also commonly misunderstood is the diference between torque and horsepower. Tese are critical factors in cam selection because most cams are better for one than the other.

Torque is a twisting force that makes something turn, such as your rear wheel. How hard your engine can twist on your rear wheel determines how quickly your bike can accelerate. Horsepower is defned as the ability to do a certain amount of

work in a given time. Like how long it will take to move 800 pounds of bagger from wherever you happen to be to somewhere a mile from there. Te more horsepower you have, the faster that can happen. So torque equates to acceleration, and horsepower determines your top speed. Depending on the type of bike you have and how you ride it, you need to decide which is more important to you. For 99 percent of the population, and particularly bagger riders, torque and acceleration are what you want, whether you realize it or not. How often do you ride at more than 100 mph compared to how often you need to get that hog up to freeway speed on an on-ramp? If you’re a dragracer, you might top 100 every weekend, so maximum peak horsepower will top your wish list. On the street, not so much.

as the to do a certain amount of pretty long-winded blah, blah, blah

Discussions of camshaft theory can get pretty long-winded…blah, blah, blah…

CHAIN DRIVE CAMS

S&S chain drive cams are another way to save on a cam installation, since the stock chain drive can be reused. The hydraulic chain tensioners that come in 2006 Dyna models and all 2007–later big twins are adequate for most performance cams, but S&S recommends that owners of ’99–’06 engines with spring tensioners upgrade to either S&S gear drive cams or install the Harley-Davidson hydraulic tensioner and oil pump kit.

and we don’t want you nodding of and drooling on your shirt, so for this article we’ll concentrate on the basics and extol the virtues of bolt-in cams for late-model big twins. If we win the arm-wrestling contest with the editor, we can go deeper into the theory next month.

Typically a bolt-in cam is defned as a cam that can be installed in an engine with stock heads and valve springs. Te cam’s lift does not exceed the maximum lift capacity of the stock valve springs. Tat’s correct, but a true bolt-in cam is also designed to have the stock base circle dimension so you can use your stock pushrods.

Tat part about the base circle may require a bit of demystifying. A cam lobe is shaped sort of like an egg when viewed from the side, but the fat end of a cam lobe is perfectly circular and is called the base circle. When the cam is turning and

the lifter is rolling along base circle, the valve is closed. When the bump on the lobe (hence the origin of the vernacular camshaft term “bumpstick”) comes around, the lifter rides up it, pushes the pushrod up, which rocks the rocker arm, which opens the valve, and aspiration is achieved.

“So what?” you may ask. Well, it all comes down to cost. Te price of a bolt-in cam and a high lift cam should be about the same, since they cost about the same to manufacture. However, true bolt-in cams are a lot cheaper to install since you can reuse all your other stock valve train components. Valve springs, pushrods, and rocker arms are expensive, but when you add the labor to install them, the bill mounts up. Some mechanics will save their customers a little time/cash when removing stock pushrods by using a specialty tool called a bolt cutter, but there is no way of installing a set of high-lift valve springs without removing the heads from the engine. Cha-ching!

Another consideration about bolt-in cams is that most of them are actually designed for an otherwise stock engine. Te timing specifcations aren’t so wild that a stocker will run like a pooch at low rpm. Tere are a variety of bolt-in cams available from S&S and other manufacturers generally advertised as either torque cams or horsepower cams. As mentioned earlier, most riders will fnd the torque cams more useful on the street and more fun to ride.

Te majority of high-lift cams are really designed for modifed engines with more compression, more displacement, and possibly ported heads. If your engine is still stock, you probably shouldn’t go there.

To sum up: Don’t just look at cam specs and choose the cam with the biggest numbers unless you have the engine to match it. If your engine is stock, a bolt-in cam is probably your best bet. If you are in doubt, you should ask someone who has the knowledge and experience to give you a straight answer. Te boys down at the local watering hole are always full of advice, but we suggest that you ask a professional engine builder or give the S&S tech line a call for a recommendation for your application! HB

GEAR DRIVE CAMS

S&S Cycle’s patented gear drive cams are another option when installing performance cams. They are somewhat more expensive than chain drive cams, but they ofer the assurance of absolute dead-on cam timing at any rpm. The cams in both of these photos also boast the exclusive S&S Easy Start feature that reduces the strain on your starter and battery.

FROM THE RUBBLE OF A MANCHILD RISES THIS DYNA

For the everyday Joe, sometimes the funds to build a custom comes from a small slip that eventually we all experience. After a minor crash, the owner has a choice to build it back like it came from the factory using all factory parts or take the insurance money and build a new bike. What better way to turn a tragedy into a triumph than by taking your newly crashed cruiser and breathe life back into it, making it better, stronger, faster, and cooler.

Aaron Shapiro only had about 1,000 miles on his 2013 Street Bob when tragedy struck one night on the way to a concert.

He explains: “I bought this bike new from Barger Harley-Davidson and fxed it up with some of the equipment that it has on it now. One night, the homies and me were going to see a concert at the Viper Room in Hollywood, California. We were going to see Manchild, who my buddy Ivory Daniels of Regime Management and Suburban Noize manages. On the way there I crashed in the San Fernando Valley, ending up at the ER. I ended up getting a CAT scan and X-rays. I felt good enough after they discharged me, so I said, ‘F—k it,’ and got in the car and made the show.”

But it would seem that Aaron’s spill wasn’t the only one of the night. “Turns out Gerad Poepke[@ Sil3nt_g], the painter of the bike now, crashed the same night on the way,” Aaron says. “Yeah, there was a lot of crashes that night.”

Once the paperwork was processed and the checks were cashed, it was time to rebuild the Dyna—but this time better than before. To help convert the Street Bob into a Super Glide, Aaron hit up a few of his buddies at Dirtyland Garage. “For the rebuild I enlisted the help of master mechanic Justin ‘Big Red’ Scott, Dominic ‘D2wheels’ Towell, and Gerad,” Aaron tells us. Te paint is what stands out the most on the rebuild with the old-school patterns, infnity lines, tape fades, and lace patterns thanks to Gerad. “I knew I wanted a white paint scheme, and originally I wanted black fames,” he goes on. “Te homies talked me out of that real quick. Instead we decided to do panels and fades.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOHN ZAMORA MODEL: HEATHER GREET

We used a piece of lingerie from a stripper store for the lace pattern, and the rest came out of Gerad’s imagination.”

It’s those types of good friends who help make the sting of the crash less painful. When your friends rally to help you rebuild, it reminds you of why riders stick together. “Right now I just plan on enjoying running around the San Fernando Valley with the bike now that it’s done,” Aaron explains. “Over the years I’ve

surrounded myself with solid friends who happen to all be bike enthusiasts. We are all family—not necessarily by blood—and help each other out on our projects. We keep our circle small and support those who support us.”

Oh, to show exactly how small the circle of trust is, the gorgeous model Heather Greet shown here is also Gerad’s lady and riding partner. Sorry, fellas. You’re stuck outside lookin’ in. HB

SPECIFICATIONS

10-spoke/19 in.

TIRE/SIZE Michelin/19 in.

CALIPERS H-D

ROTORS H-D

REAR

BUILDER/SIZE H-D Spoke Mags/16 in.

TIRE/SIZE Michelin/16 in.

CALIPER H-D

ROTOR H-D

PULLEY H-D

FINISH/PAINT

MANUFACTURER PPG Paint

COLORS White/Black

PAINT/GRAPHICS Gerad Poepke, ValleyKustoms.com/ Pinstripe by Jack “Pac Man” McCann POWDERCOATING Gas Powder Coating, Simi Valley, CA

ACCESSORIES

FRONT FENDER H-D

REAR FENDER H-D Super Glide

GAS CAP Black Flush Mount w/ LED Gauge

HANDLEBARS West Coast T-Bars 12 in.

GRIPS Hand guards

PEGS San Diego Customs Knurlies

HEADLIGHT H-D HID

TURN SIGNALS Küryakyn Panacea Taillight w/ Integrated Signals

LICENSE MOUNT Hog Rida Flat License Plate Mount

SEAT Le Pera

“IT’S THOSE TYPES OF GOOD FRIENDS WHO HELP MAKE THE STING OF THE CRASH LESS PAINFUL. WHEN YOUR FRIENDS RALLY TO HELP YOU REBUILD, IT REMINDS YOU OF WHY RIDERS STICK TOGETHER.”

YESTERDAY’S TECHNOLOGY… REFINED

CHRIS HUBER’S ’46 UL

Most anything Salinas Boy Cole Foster lays his hand on—be it a ground-up full custom or a stalled project—it manages to stand out in a crowd like Madonna walking naked down Park Ave. Why is that? Cole’s got an eye for form, something you don’t simply acquire by perfecting the art of function. Te most skilled and learned builder in the world can attempt to reinvent a turd, but when it’s all said and done, it’s still just that…a turd. Making cohesive rhyme and reason of a pile of mechanical parts goes well beyond the task of making them work in functional harmony. It’s more about minimizing emphasis on the unnecessary while capitalizing on the core essence of the machine—not taking away from its inherent natural beauty but at the same time giving one something new and fresh to admire. Tat’s precisely what Cole’s done with Chris Huber’s ’46 UL Flathead.

WORDS: ROB FORTIER PHOTOS: MARK KAWAKAMI

Chris is no stranger to Cole’s handiwork—his blown LT1 ’60 Cadillac convertible has spent time in Foster’s Salinas, California, shop—but unlike his Cad, his Argentinian-sold UL wasn’t coming in for “just some work,” as Cole puts it. He elaborates in his own words what went into the Flathead build:

“Chris and his friend Galan had the bike ‘close’ about 10 years ago but were never able to fnish it 100 percent… After that many years, it was a little mixed up on the overall look. It came in with the motor—an 80-inch UL—basically done. We put the magneto in it and went through the Linkert carb. It had a nice frame and big-twin springer, but we swapped out a 21-inch front wheel for the 18-incher it showed up with. I redid the rear fender and handmade the struts, as well as built the seat pan with stainless rail guard and had big Duane Ballard do a tasteful diamond-pattern

black leather seat.

“Chris had started on the ribbed fller piece on the original tanks, and I took over it and got the piece cast in aluminum. Where the idiot lights usually go on the dash, I installed an amp and oil pressure gauge. Also took some stock springer bars, cut them up, and added a cross bar. Te headlight is a swap-meet special. Te Bakelite grips and shifter are handmade. And old Guide running lights have been updated with Biltwell LED internal tail/brake lights. We had Greg Casner paint the tan pearl and black, with pinstriping added by Eddie Padilla.”

But it’s not the laundry list of “tasteful” parts that sets Chris’ Flathead apart from the rest; it’s the manner in which they were tastefully orchestrated together. Te bike has that undeniable Cole Foster Salinas Boyz look: a simplifed style not easy to emulate. HB

“IT’S MORE ABOUT MINIMIZING EMPHASIS ON THE UNNECESSARY WHILE CAPITALIZING ON THE CORE ESSENCE OF THE MACHINE—NOT TAKING AWAY FROM ITS INHERENT NATURAL BEAUTY BUT AT THE SAME TIME GIVING ONE SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH TO ADMIRE.”

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

IMZZ BUILDS A ROAD KING THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Trying to build a custom bike is a lot like fnding the perfect mate. Sometimes you have to date around a bit to see what you like and don’t like. Often what you want is what you least expected. Sure, dating a celebrity sounds like a great idea—that is until you realize there’s a crazy lady behind all the glitz and glamour. In the same fashion, how do you know you want gigantic apehangers or a wide-open exhaust until you try them on for size and set of cruising down the road?

Mike Ninowski frst brought his 2008 Road King to IMZZ Elite with a short but sweet list of to-dos. IMZZ has been in business since 1996 and has been creating some of the most-

talked-about, published, and craziest custom cars, trucks, and bikes since its opening. Whether it’s two wheels or four, there isn’t much this shop hasn’t cut, molded, painted, or built over the past 18 years.

What started of a simple project included a set of bars, bags, and stereo. IMZZ added its own unique bag lids that encompass four speakers total all controlled by a single Bluetooth-connected knob to Rockford Fosgate amps. After returning the bike back to Mike for inspection, the list of things he wanted grew a little bit longer.

Next on the list of mods was a clean and classy paint job. Nothing speaks style like a tuxedo, so the black-and-

white scheme was dropped in a traditional fashion. Again the bike was returned to Mike for fnal inspection. After a few hems and haws, it was sent back this time for the addition of some graphics. By this time a trust had been developed, and IMZZ was given free rein on the graphics. Tis back and forth continued a few more times resulting in a slew of Arlen Ness goodies like grips, mirrors, foorboards, foot controls, and more.

At the time of the shoot, the bike was fnally completed and ready for fnal pickup. After a long, hard look, Mike gave the fnal thumbsup. Following a quick rip around the corner, he returned with an ear-to-ear grin and then asked to add some more motor mods. Ha! Sometimes enough is never enough. Looks like Mike found the looks of the supermodel he was after; now he just needs to fnd the soul to back her up. HB

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOHN ZAMORA

“IMZZ HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1996 AND HAS BEEN CREATING SOME OF THE MOST-TALKED-ABOUT, PUBLISHED, AND CRAZIEST CUSTOM CARS, TRUCKS, AND BIKES SINCE ITS OPENING. WHETHER IT’S TWO WHEELS OR FOUR, THERE ISN’T MUCH THIS SHOP HASN’T CUT, MOLDED, PAINTED, OR BUILT OVER THE PAST 18 YEARS.”

NOTAVAILABLEINANYSTORE!

YES! Please enter my order for one Indian Motorcycle ® Express electric train collection, beginning with the “Indian Motorcycle ® Diesel Locomotive” as described in this announcement. SEND NO MONEY NOW.

In tribute to this legendary American motorcycle that is still made in America, Hawthorne Village presents the Indian Motorcycle ¨ Express. This train is boldly decorated with the famous colors, official logos and classic slogans of this true American motorcycling legend. YouÕll appreciate the extraordinary wealth of impeccably authentic details devoted to every inch of this heirloom-quality train. Plus, youÕll enjoy the faithfully sculpted replicas of some of Indian ¨ MotorcycleÕs most popular and legendary bikes including the 1928 Indian ¨ 101 Scout and the 1948 Indian ¨ Chief.

Name (Please Print Clearly)

Signature Mrs. Mr. Ms.

These beautiful reproductions each ÒrideÓ on their own Flat Car with backdrops featuring the look of vintage Indian Motorcycle ¨ advertising and are removable for display wherever you choose!

An incredible train at an exceptional value. Begin your train collection with the ÒIndian Motorcycle ¨ Diesel

LocomotiveÓ for three easy payments of $25.00*, the first billed before shipment. Subsequent carsÑsome with sculpted Indian ¨ MotorcyclesÑwill each be billed separately at the same low price and sent about every other month. In addition, youÕll receive the track set, power-pack and speed controllerÑa $100

Address City State

SHIPMENT FOUR“1948 Indian ® Chief” Flat Car

Zip Email

The 1948 Indian ® Chief satisfied the rider’s need for speed as it was capable of 85 mph and over 100 mph when tuned just right.

valueÑFREE with Shipments Two and Three! With our best-inthe-business 365-day guarantee, your satisfaction is assured and you may cancel at any time. Not available in any store! Order today! This is a limited-time offer and strong demand is expected. You need send no money now. Just sign and mail the order form today!

Certificate of Authenticity and 365-day guarantee. *Plus $9.99 shipping and service. Allow 4-6 weeks after initial payment fo r shipment. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.

917855-E32101

HEAVY METAL | 2008 ROAD KING

SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL OWNER Mike Ninowski, Anaheim, CA

SHOP IMZZ Elite

SHOP PHONE (714) 871-9038

WEBSITE imzzelite.com

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL 2008/H-D/Road King

TRANSMISSION

SUSPENSION

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

FRONT

BUILDER/SIZE Ride Wright Fat 50/23 in.

Avon/130/60R23

Ride Wright

BUILDER/SIZE Ride Wright Fat 50/16 in. TIRE/SIZE Dunlop American Elite/150/80R16 CALIPER H-D ROTOR Ride Wright PULLEY Ride Wright

FINISH/PAINT

MANUFACTURER BASF

COLORS Black and White

PAINT/GRAPHICS IMZZ Elite

ACCESSORIES

FRONT FENDER Bagger Nation

REAR FENDER IMZZ Smooth Ass

BAG LIDS IMZZ Double Down

GAUGES Nu Image

HANDLEBARS IMZZ Custom

GRIPS Arlen Ness

MIRRORS Arlen Ness

FOOT CONTROLS Arlen Ness

FLOORBOARDS Arlen Ness

TAILLIGHT RWD

LICENSE MOUNT RWD

SEAT Le Pera Villain

STEREO IMZZ Elite

AMPLIFIER Rockford Fosgate

SPEAKERS Rockford Fosgate

FOR MORE ON THIS BIKE VISIT HOTBIKEWEB.COM

TODD’S CYCLE VICE GRIPS WITH RUBBER INSERT

Some custom grips look good and some feel good, but it’s a real feat to make them do both. And Todd’s Cycle did just that—not to mention it invented this style of aluminum grip with motocross rubber inserts, which everybody and their brother have been whittling up ever since. I put these grips on this daily rider and have been thrashing them for well over two years. Tey still look good, and the rubber is still as soft as the day they were put on. Te pair is just barely starting to show signs of wear, which is pretty damn amazing. Tese grips might not be the cheapest of their kind, but they are the best.

$150 (AS TESTED) // TODDSCYCLE.COM

SADDLEMEN RENEGADE SOLO SEAT AND PILLION PAD

Back in 2009 we installed this seat on our beloved 1995 Road King, and it has had at the very least 20,000 miles of booty duty on it since. The seat is low and simple, which I love, and its UV-resistant premium-grade vinyl cover hasn’t hardened or gotten any sort of rips or tears even from the bundle of keys I always have hanging from my belt loop. The gel insert is still comfortable and shows no signs of migration, which can be a problem with other seats after just a few months of saddle time. The pillion pad is also still hanging tough, and the ol’ lady says it’s just as comfy (as a little padded p-pad can be) as the day she first rode on it. After using this seat setup for half a decade now, I can say it truly is a great value for the money.

$279 SEAT, $149 PILLION PAD (AS TESTED) // SADDLEMEN.COM

READERS’ RIDE PICK OF THE MONTH

BUCKING THE TRENDS

Here’s my 2002 883R with a 1200 conversion. I built this bike because I didn’t want to follow the FXR or Dyna trend that is so popular today. Plus, I have always liked the 883R paint scheme. Engine mods include Screamin’ Eagle Arias pistons, Mikuni carb, ‘W’ cams, Vance & Hines Pro Pipe, Pingel petcock, System 1 reusable oil filter, and Mr. Gasket air cleaner with a K&N filter. I also have color-matched H-D quarter fairing, custom-painted H-D Sportster hard bags, and powdercoated wheels. This little sporty is super quick and handles great with its Progressive 430 shocks, Speed Merchant fork adjusters, Lyndall brake pads, steering damper, and SuperBrace.

JON FATE MCGILL Tulare, California

FIRED UP

Here are some shots of my 2001 Pro Street. It has a 113-inch S&S motor, fed by S&S Super G carburetor, and the Martin Bros Medustas exhaust provides the perfect look with paint by Joe Martin. The frame is an Ultima 200 Softail. It has a 16-inch rear wheel and 21-inch front both wrapped in Vee Rubber. The fenders are customized and provide a unique look, and my gauges are Dakota Digital. I occasionally ride my bike to and from work (240 miles roundtrip) and get lots of thumbs-ups and compliments. I love my bike and have been reaching for your mag for years.

MIKE APPLEGATE Whitney, Texas

SLIM IN THE SOUTH

Iam living in South Carolina and working in a Harley dealership in Augusta, Georgia. My ride is a 2012 Slim with a little work done. I’m 60 years old and still love the feel of being in the wind on a bare-bones scooter.

MICHAEL HARLEY ALT

“I BUILT THIS BIKE BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO FOLLOW THE FXR OR DYNA TREND THAT IS SO POPULAR TODAY. PLUS, I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THE 883R PAINT SCHEME.”

HOTBIKEWEB.COM

EDITORIAL

Jeff G. Holt, Brand Director, American Motorcycle Group

Jeff G. Holt, Editor In Chief

John Zamora, Editor

Ed Subias, Online Editor

Irene Gonzalez, Managing Editor

Jessica Matteson, Copy Editor

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

Robert Martin, Art Director

PHOTO AND VIDEO SERVICES

Jeff Allen, Photographer Spenser Robert, Videographer

CONTRIBUTORS

Nelson Kanne, Wes Drelleshak, Joe Mielke, Rob Fortier, Michael Lichter, Mikey Van Senus, Chip Kastelnik, Jeff Leighton, Mark Kawakami

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS hot.bike@bonniercorp.com

THE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE GROUP ON THE WEB hotbikeweb.com streetchopperweb.com baggersmag.com

ADVERTISING

Andrew Leisner, Vice President, Group Publisher

Libby Vevers, Associate Publisher, Advertising Director

15255 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618; 415/671-8861

Garrett Kai, Associate Publisher, Marketing

Tara Bisciello, Financial Director

Brian Schrader, Director of Digital Strategy

Tim Collins, Marketing Director

David Roe, Senior Account Representative

david.roe@bonniercorp.com; 317/485-2989

Chris Long, Senior Advertising Manager

15255 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618; 760/707-1073

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625 North Michigan Ave., Suite 1270, Chicago, IL 60611; 312/252-3854, fax: 313/573-1535

Renee McGinty, Eastern Advertising Manager 312/718-8880

Katelynn Kovaleff, Western Advertising Manager 15255 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618; 760/707-0087, fax: 760/707-0101

Brad Banister, Western Advertising Manager 15255 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618; 323/228-7011

Ed Bartley, Detroit Sales Manager

3000 Town Center/Suite 1440, Southfeld, MI 48075; 248/213-6153

Jeff Roberge, Detroit Sales Manager

3000 Town Center/Suite 1440, Southfeld, MI 48075; 248/213-6154

Ross Cunningham, Eastern Advertising Manager 2 Park Ave., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10016; 212/779-5042

Jeoff Haertle, Advertising Coordinator

Sadie Huemmer, Digital Account Manager

Mike Turnbull, Marketing Designer

CUSTOMER SERVICE

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION

QUESTIONS, such as Renewals, Address Changes, Email Preferences, Billing, and Account Status, go to: hotbike.com/cs. You can also email HBKcustserv@cdsfulfillment. com, in the US call toll-free 800-759-5540, outside the US call 515-237-3697, or write to Hot Bike, PO Box 6364, Harlan, IA 51593-1864.

Corey Eastman, Consumer Events Director

Tonia Troncone, Events Coordinator

Ashley Andrews, Sales Development Coordinator

Donna Provencher, Offce Manager/Sales Administrator

John W. Scafetta, Advertising Assistant

Kim Putman, Director, Human Resources

SHOWCASE/DIRECT RESPONSE SALES

Kurt Eisinger

2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016; 212/779-5507; fax 212/779-5502

HB Garage Advertising 317/485-2989

Tomas Franzén, Chairman

Dave Freygang, Chief Executive Offcer

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David Ritchie, Chief Content Offcer

Nancy Coalter, Chief Financial Offcer

Lisa Earlywine, Chief Operating Offcer

Elizabeth Burnham Murphy, Chief Marketing Offcer

Sean Holzman, Chief Brand Development Offcer

John Graney, Vice President, Integrated Sales

John Reese, Vice President, Consumer Marketing

Perri Dorset, Vice President, Public Relations

Jeremy Thompson, General Counsel

PRODUCTION

Jeff Cassell, Corporate Production Director

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REPRINTS

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Copyright © 2015 by Bonnier Corp. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

IT’S POWER SEASON

Zipper’s has new and updated drop on Muscle Series engine kits for Twin Cam® engines! Muscle kits are dynodeveloped and road tested to deliver exceptional torque and horsepower while providing you with the durability that Zipper’s is famous for. Our Muscle kits are engineered to start easily and run smoothly on premium pump gas while putting a wide smile on your face every time you twist the throttle. Everything you need is included!

110+HP 105+TQ

Zipper’s Muscle 95” for ‘99 - ‘06 Big Twins

120+ P TO E!

120+HP& TORQUE!

Zipper’s Muscle 107” for ‘07 - Up Big Twins

Zipper’s Muscle 110” for CVO Models

UPTO 120+TQ

130HP1

THE

SPEED’S SPOTLIGHT 106 PACKAGE

Darn near twice the horsepower and torque in a day, without taking the engine out of the frame. No complicated or expensive machine work required, all done with wrenches. Sounds good? That’s a 96 or 103 Harley putting out 110-plus hp with a torque number to match or with a few quick parts substitutions bumping those numbers up into the 125 ranges, torque, and horsepower. Tat’s power and performance that’ll get your attention, the kind of oomph that’ll have a bagger bike towing the motor home and not the other way around. Almost.

For a while now we’ve been listening as the guys at Speed’s Performance Plus repeatedly told us all the boosts and benefts of big-bore cylinders, cam swaps with a gear drive, and big-port/highfow heads. At this past Biketoberfest in Daytona we got to see up close the results of all this, all at once. “It our complete 106 kit,” Jamie Hanson says. “We’re doing one right now. Want to stick around for a while? I think you’ll like the results.” An invitation hard to refuse.

Te package the SPP guys have come up with, and something Jamie uses on his own bike and has refned to perfection, is an easily installed complete top-end swap, able to be completed in a day. And the result, he quickly points out, is a big-power motor that can be ridden anywhere, anytime. No hard starting, no hot running, no problems at all. Just horsepower and torque galore. It all begins with a pair of S&S 106-inch cylinders with the matching forged pistons and rings, bringing the bore size from the stock 3.750 inches to 3.927 inches. No case-boring or crank rebalancing required. “Tose fat-top pistons usually put the bike at about a 10.6:1 compression ratio,” Jamie says. Tat’s tight enough to produce a big bang but not so high as to cause

starting or running woes. It’s a setup perfectly compatible with ordinary pump gas. Tat’s matched with a geardriven 635 cam set, the S&S Easy Start versions further increasing the everyday friendliness, and SPP installs them using one of their own super-strong billet cam plates. Depending on the bike and the condition of the original lifters they’ll drop in a set the S&S performance rollers too. All this is then topped of by a pair of S&S Super Stock 79cc cylinder heads. Compatible with the stock HarleyDavidson rocker boxes (more of that no-machine-work/all-bolt-on approach) and coming with 1.940-inch intake and 1.575-inch exhaust valves, 0.640-inch lift springs and reconfgured high-fow ports those heads are an economical performance upgrade and a big step in the right direction. And that’s it—at least as far as the major parts go. Now, on a 103-inch engine the gain of just 3ci might not seem worth the efort or expense of new cylinders, but, remember, this setup is a coordinated package and is about more than just displacement.

“Te cool thing about it all,” Jamie says, “is that it’s something we can do right at an event, like right now. And with that comfortable 10.6 compression ratio and the Easy Start cams we know it’s going to be everyday friendly on pump gas, ready to go anywhere in the country, anytime.” An option, he tells us, is to use a thinner 0.030-inch head gasket and bump the compression up to 10.8 for a little bit more bang. Jamie did this on

his own bike, also stepping up to the next level of performance heads with the R&R Stage III Torque Ports. He switched to a marginally bigger 58mm throttle body too. Te result? He came away with 123 hp and 130 foot-pounds torque.

In either case, 110 to 115 hp with the standard package or going big like Jamie did, with power like this a beefed-up clutch, is a must, and Speed’s includes it in the package. Tey’ll install a Speed’s Clutch Pack with an extra friction plate and an extra drive along with a strongertension diaphragm spring, 10-percent stifer than stock. One of those trick Speed’s lifetime oil flters/oil coolers is included too. Anytime you bump up performance like this you’re creating more heat, and that fnned flter/cooler helps dissipate it. And of course the job winds up with a Power Commander and a custom dyno tune, a performance map written specifcally for this engine.

Talk about a jump in performance. Stock 96-inch engines average 62 or 63 hp, maybe 68 from an original-spec 103. Contrast that with what’s on hand after that 106 kit joins the party. And as we saw in Daytona it can happen in a matter of hours. Next time the Speed’s Performance crew is at an event in your area (the schedule’s on the website) stop by and take a look for yourself. HB

SOURCE: SPEED’S PERFORMANCE PLUS speedsperformanceplus.com

(605) 695-1401 – MN

(605) 695-2272 – SD

Electrical Connectors

Complete Wiring Harnesses

EFI & Ignition Harnesses

Handlebar Extensions

Throttle-by-Wire Harnesses

Braided Hoses & Clamps

Plug-n-Play Headlights

Tools & Installation Supplies

American V-Twin & Metric

Custom - OEM - Private Label

Providing over 12-yearsof wiring excellence for consumers, distributors& manufacturers.

www.namzccp.com

NAMZ Custom Cycle Products, Inc.

MCH-GPS17

• Factory-Match, GPS-Powered Compass, Altimeter, Ambient Air Temperature

• Plugs directly into ’96-13 Harley Touring Models, replacing OE Ambient Air Temp gauge

• GPS Technology provides quick and precise compass information

• Chrome or Black Bezel option, selectable to match OE Gauges

• 8 user-selectable color options: Stock Match, Red, Green, Blue, Teal, Magenta, Amber, White

New application fitting 2014+ models!

2015 SEMA Award

Powersports

Product of the Year

MCL-3014 Gauges

• Direct-replacement 4-gauge kit ftting ‘14-15 Harley Touring Models

• High-Brightness Red or Blue LED Lighting

• Includes Speedometer, Tachometer, Fuel Level, Oil Temp and Voltmeter.

• Additional readouts include Gear Position, OE indicators and much more!

• MBM Add-on modules available to add Single/Dual Air Pressure or Boost

MVX-2000 Series

• New MVX Application, ftting decades of models using the classic 5”tank mounted gauge: Road King, Softail, Dyna, Deuce

• 7 User-selectable Pointer, Backlight and LCD Message Center Colors: Red, Green, Blue, Teal, Magenta, Amber, White

• 4 Face options available: Black/Red, Black/Gray, White/Red, White/Gray

• 2 bezel options: Chrome or Black

Visit our website for more information.

MVX-8K Series

MVX 8K

• MVX Application ftting ’96-13 Harley Touring Models

• Direct Plug-in integration for simple installation

• 7 User-selectable Pointer, Backlight and LCD Message Center Colors: Red, Green, Blue, Teal, Magenta, Amber, White

• 4 Face options available: Black/Red, Black/Gray, White/Red, White/Gray

• 2 bezel options: Chrome or Black

Visit our website for more information.

MCL-3000 Series

High-Brightness LED package fts ’96-13 Harley Touring Models.

MCL-2000 Series

High-Brightness LED system fts Road King, Softail, Dyna and Deuce models across many years. Visit our website for more information.