INDIAN’S THE WRENCH: SCOUT BOBBER BUILD-OFF

I HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING THE CONTENT HERE AT HOT BIKE. NOT JUST ANYTHING MAKES THE CUT. THERE ARE PLENTY OF COOL THINGS HAPPENING IN V-TWIN LAND, AND FILTERING ONLY THE BEST BIKES, PRODUCTS, TECH, AND SO ON CAN BE TRICKY—THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH REAL ESTATE, TIME, AND BUDGET TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW?

When I was asked to participate as a judge for Indian Motorcycle’s The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off competition, I immediately agreed since it falls into that out-of-the-box category we like around here.

The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off is a custom-motorcycle competition that was developed to spotlight amateurs who build bikes purely for the love of turning a wrench and shaping sheet metal into handcrafted works of moto art. The goal is to find talented craftsmen whose 9-to-5 isn’t in a motorcycle shop, whose bikes are strictly a creative outlet and who are not looking for anything in return. Men or women who simply love rolling up the garage door, sliding out the tool-chest drawers, and spinning wrenches. But these bikes needed to be functional riders that are just as much go as they are show.

A judging panel of professional builders and experts, including Roland Sands, Satya Kraus, Jason Paul Michaels, and me, along with an online fan vote on Indian’s website, selected three finalists to take part in the official build-off.

From March 15-30, hopefuls from across the nation entered for the chance to win a new 2018 stock Indian Scout Bobber and receive a custom-build budget of $10,000 to design and radically customize the stock bike. From more than 100 submissions, 12 top designers were showcased as semifinalists. Online voting took place until April 19, and three men were selected.

Christian Newman, from Buffalo, New York; PJ Grakauskas, from Avon, Ohio; and Alfredo Juarez, from Las Cruces, New Mexico, made the final cut, and each received a brand-new Scout Bobber. However, only one will take the grand prize of $10,000 and receive a feature spread in Hot Bike magazine.

Indian’s Scout Bobber is an already cool motorcycle with an aggressive, bold stance that is just as much fun to ride as it is to look at. I’ve had the pleasure of ripping the Scout Bobber several times, and it’s one of my favorites in the Hot Bike test fleet. It’s such a great canvas for customizing too.

I’m excited to see the efforts of each of these three talented gents when their customized Scout Bobbers are unveiled in Sturgis at the Legendary Buffalo Chip in August. For now, you can check the progress of what they’ve been up to at hotbike.com, or for more information on The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off, you can visit indianmotorcycle.com. HB

Kuryakyn Kellermann Bullet Atto Lights

Don’t let the diminutive size of the Kuryakyn by Kellermann Bullet Atto turn signals fool you. This pint-size powerhouse makes up for its small stature with sheer attention-grabbing brightness. Kellermann’s extreme optical transparency and high-power LED technology increase rider visibility on the road. Choose chrome or black housings with amber turn signals for front/rear applications; red run/brake, run/turn, or run/turn/brake for rear; or white running lights for front.

$59.99 each kuryakyn.com

Supertrapp Bootlegger

STAINLESS 2-INTO-1

Stainless 2-into-1 exhaust pipes are all the rage, and SuperTrapp’s Bootlegger for ’17–later Harley-Davidson MilwaukeeEight Touring models is the latest to come from the Cleveland factory. The all-stainless TIGwelded design features highflow stepped header pipes with a beefy stainless collector for a claimed jump in horsepower and torque. The Bootlegger also works with most extended saddlebags and side covers for custom applications.

$859 supertrapp.com

Clymer Service Manuals

Unlike factory service manuals, Clymer’s manuals are written with the DIY mechanic in mind, and include easy-to-follow procedures and accurate, clear, and concise test procedures, as well as hundreds of photos. The new HarleyDavidson FXD Dyna Clymer manual M255 covers all recent Dyna models from 2012 to 2017 powered by the Twin Cam motor. And the new Harley-Davidson Sportster Clymer manual M256 covers all Sportster variations since the brakes-and-electrical update in 2014.

$41.95 each clymer.com

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RUGER BY CRKT RTD KNIFE

We like guns and knives almost as much as motorcycles. Hence why we had to get our mitts on CRKT and Ruger’s latest collab, the RTD. Inspired by Ruger’s 10/22 Takedown rifle, the RTD is unique because it can be taken apart for cleaning and maintenance. This folding knife has a textured glass-reinforced nylon handle with clip and locking liner, and measures 8.5 inches overall, with a 3.67-inch blade length and overall weight of 3.9 ounces.

$89.99 crkt.com

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Danny Gray Seats released these 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail seats. Available as a solo or twoup, these seats improve rider comfort with two innovative designs exclusive to Danny Gray: independent-suspension technology, featuring strategically placed cutouts in the pan topped with a flexible plastic membrane to combat numbness, road shock, and painful pressure points, and Airhawk air cell technology, which adds another layer of cushioning and dampens vibrations from the road.

$629.95 dannygray.com

DANNY GRAY WEEKDAY TWO-UP SEAT DRAG SPECIALTIES TWIN CAM CYLINDER

We all rack a ton of mileage on our bikes. Unfortunately, wear and tear can wreak havoc on our pride and joy. When the miles add up and an engine rebuild is in your favorite bike’s future, check out Drag Specialties’ Twin Cam cylinder. Drag’s Twin Cam cylinder is a stock replacement for 88-inch and 96-inch Twin Cam motors with a 3.75-inch bore. OEM black texture powdercoat with highlighted fins maintains the original factory look. Made for all ’99–’17 Twin Cam motors.

$195.95 dragspecialties.com