HOT BIKE VOLUME #3 2023

FXR HOME-BUILT

VOL. 3 2023 • HOTBIKE.COM

SCAN THE QR CODE THROUGHOUT FOR EVEN MORE GOOD STUFF!

32 18 6 HOTBIKE.COM

26

44

CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS From The Editor .............................................. 10 The Hot Seat: Lance Coury, Jr. Interviews Lance Coury, Sr. ......................................................... 12 Tech Tips featuring Danny Wilson ................. 92 Readers’ Rides.................................................. 98

FEATURES

Buddhist Priest: The Latest Custom Softail From Ken’s Factory . ...................................... 18 Big Chief: Roland Sands Design’s Indian Racer Simply Can’t Be Beat ..................................... 26 Kyle Ray Rice Shovelhead FXR Proves That Talent Is Everywhere ...................................... 32 St. Louis Style: Nightfall Customs’ De-Raked Turbo Shovel ................................................... 44 Spray ‘N Play: Austin’s Graffiti Glide

........... 52

The ADVXL: Biltwell’s New Dual Sport .......... 58 From the Archives: Were The ‘90s The Best Decade Ever? ................................................... 64

TECH

Building A Better M8, Part 3: Big Bear Performance Suspension Upgrade................ 72

PROFILE

Hecho A Mano: Metal Shaping 101 With Sosa Metalworks ...................................................... 76 Our Hero’s Story: A Ride To Remember .......... 86

ON THE COVER Kyle Ray Rice can pretty much do it all when building bikes: weld, shape metal, paint… Did we mention he can take a great photo too? What an overachiever…

I S S U E 3 2 0 2 3 — E ST. 1 97 1

52

COVER PHOTO: KYLE RAY RICE

92 ISSUE 3 / 2023 7

TWO CENTS

PERSPECTIVE

H

ey brother, I hope you’re doing well! I haven’t touched base in a while, and I was just checking in to see how things were going.

I’ll be out in California in November for the last round at Willow Springs and I hope to catch up, at least for lunch or something. I’ll be in town for about two weeks. I just want to let you know how much we all appreciate the time and effort that you put into what you’re doing.

You’re doing an awesome fucking job no matter how you feel about it. We all appreciate and respect everything that you do, and we look forward to seeing you continue to make this thing once again, a legacy media product that we all can be proud of within the industry. Keep killing it!” – Chris Moos.

I got this random text from Chris Moos of Moosecraft on a Saturday morning as I was just about to start the arduous task of writing this column. Chris is a rad human. And an extremely talented one at that. I always value the friendships I’ve made with other like-minded individuals. Chris is a great example of that. All that said, I still struggle with writing these columns. I don’t know why. I’ve written, I don’t know, over 100 of these editorials over the years and I’ve struggled with each and every one of them. Maybe it’s because they require me to be vulnerable. Yes, I said it. The “V” word. Being vulnerable doesn’t come naturally to me. It probably doesn’t come naturally to most men. Or humans in general for that matter. But Chris’s note was perfectly timed, and it really meant a lot.

There have been times I’ve questioned my decision to buy the rights to Hot Bike and revive this brand, let alone bring a magazine back to the masses in the digital age. I am my own worst enemy and my own worst critic and I pretty much question everything I do. It’s a blessing and a curse. And a lot of times I want to quit. But I don’t.

I won’t. This thing will have to kill me, and it very well might, but at least I’ll die trying by doing something I’m passionate about. And I will keep on keeping on for as long as you’ll allow me. As a wise man once said (The Lizard King himself, Jim Morrison), “I’m gonna get my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.” Amen to that, Mojo Rising… Amen.

Lately I’ve been doing some reflecting. I wanted to work in publishing industry for many reasons when I started my career.

I’ve always been driven to explore and identify interesting things, as a curious observer. I’m fascinated by other human behavior and culture. What makes people tick? What drives creativity? What fuels passion? I like being able to recognize that and try my best to tell their tale in the most accurate and interesting way possible.

Take for instance this month’s cover bike built by Kyle Rae Rice over the course of a few years in his home garage/shop. Kyle is a metal worker by trade, which definitely shines through with his hand-built and fabricated Shovelhead FXR. When I first laid eyes on the early stages of this bike, I called Kyle and told him that I wanted it for Hot Bike’s return to print (Issue 1 2023, which luckily, we were able to get Cory and Patricia West on the cover instead). Things happen for a reason. Kyle wasn’t ready and maybe it was better the way things panned out. I told him that I’d be happy to wait for it until he was done. Well, that time finally came, and the bike is just as incredible as I hoped it would be.

10 HOTBIKE.COM

And Kyle’s story is even cooler than his bike. He doesn’t make a living building these things. He does it because it brings him joy.

It’s that simple. I respect that. And it reminds me that there is so much awesomeness happening in the world that people aren’t aware of, that if a magazine feature in Hot Bike can help be the catalyst to share those stories in a way that is worthy of more than a split-second scroll, then I’m happy with that.

Bye for now…

Jordan // info@hotbike.com

President/Editor-In-Chief JORDAN MASTAGNI The Real Boss ASHLEY MASTAGNI Creative Director ROBERTMARTINDESIGN.COM Managing Editor IRENE GONZALEZ

CONTRIBUTORS BILL BRYANT, ALEX CHAPMAN, LANCE COURY, JASON CRUZ, ROB FORTIER, JUSTIN GEORGE, NELSON KANNO, MARK MASKER, SOICHIRO MIWA, BEN NICHOLS, KYLE RAE RICE, TIM SUTTON, DANNY WILSON, LOUIS YIO, JOHN ZAMORA SPONSORS Hot Bike is grateful for these awesome supporters!

BILTWELL, JW SPEAKER, GALFER USA, MOTUL USA, FXR DIVISION, TORCH INDUSTRIES, KRAUS MOTOR CO., LLOYDZ PERFORMANCE, REVOLUTION SPEED, GUERRILLA CABLES, KEN’S FACTORY, LAW TIGERS, ARCH MOTORCYCLE, SAWICKI SPEED SHOP, TRASK PERFORMANCE, PAINTHUFFER METALFLAKE, FEULING PARTS, ROLAND SANDS DESIGN, ODI GRIPS, RAMJET PERFORMANCE CYCLES, AVON GRIPS, FACTORY 47

CHOOSE FROM 9 CARRIER COLORS & 11 BUTTON COLORS

Q&A

THE HOT Lance Coury,

SEAT

Jr. Interviews Lance Coury, Sr.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Meet the Courys, Lance Sr. and Lance Jr. Well, something like that (Lance Jr. has a different middle name). We’ve been keeping tabs on what Lance Coury, Jr. has been doing over the past decade with Thrashin’ Supply Co., to working and riding with his dad, Lance Coury, Sr. who you might have seen on his YouTube series, 2LaneLife. Both Lance Sr. and Lance Jr. are industrious, positive influences on our little motorcycle community, and we wanted to dive a bit deeper into their cool and unique relationship. Enjoy.

LANCE COURY, JR.: Okay, so I’m sitting here with my father, Lance Coury, Sr. in Canoga Park, California, right now at the 2LaneLife headquarters. So, pops. Dad. I was asked by Jordan over at Hot Bike to do a Q&A with somebody from the industry. I listed out a couple names and a couple influential people in the motorcycle industry that I would be happy to interview. And Jordan said, “hey, why don’t you interview your dad? That’d be cool.”

LANCE COURY, SR.: I love that.

JR: Jordan gave me a list of dumb questions we can go off, but we can

and hitting the road. And then my buddy Galen, who does 2LaneLife

delve into any realm we want. But to start it off… Describe yourself in

with me, we started going farther and farther and farther, and we came

three words.

back with these incredible stories. Then his family and my family said,

SR: Positive, energetic, adventurous.

“why aren’t you sharing these stories?” So, it kind of just started basically

JR: That’s pretty accurate. You definitely are all of those things. You’re the guy to where it could be raining on a ride, and you’d look at the bright side of things. We’ve been on multiple thousand-mile trips together— going to Sturgis, or the Redwoods, or to Arizona from California or whatever. And we’ve traveled the world back through my freestyle riding career, and you’ve always been able to be positive in every situation. If we’re riding in the rain, you’re laughing about it, saying there’s a reason for it. If we’re riding in freezing cold, you’re always like, “It’s mind over matter.” Or in the burning heat, you’re always like, “Ya, it’s fine.” So, yeah, those three words are very accurate to your personality.

SR: That’s why we came up with the term, “If you don’t go, you won’t know.”

JR: Very true. Very true and inspiring. Okay, so how did you end up in the motorcycle industry?

SR: Well, you with your career in motocross and freestyle motocross, we were always on two wheels. I wasn’t, but you were, and I watched it. And then when you came to the end of your career, one of our buddies who rode with us said, “hey, you should get a Harley.” So, I ended up getting a Harley and riding with Sean Langham.

JR: And how long ago was this now?

SR: Oh, in 2008.

from your career continuing on two wheels.

JR: So, you got into motorcycles primarily because I had a big passion for it at a young age. And then come full circle, you’re looking to do something for yourself on your free time, and then you somehow went to a Harley dealership in 2008. So then what? How many years later till 2LaneLife became a thing?

SR: 2LaneLife started in 2020, so, from 2008 to 2020, we just rode for fun.

JR: Twelve years you guys were riding, and even I noticed you riding gnarlier trips where you’d be gone for four or five days at a time, crossing state lines and telling us stories of crazy weather or just cool, historic American western towns and stuff like that. And even I was like, dude, you got to share this with the world.

SR: Absolutely.

JR: That was a little over three years ago that you guys started doing 2LaneLife, and now you’re full-fledged in the motorcycle industry.

SR: We are in the motorcycle industry. We have a retail store outlet, we travel all over, we’ve crossed country borders, we work with HarleyDavidson and Eagle Rider, so we’re full-fledged and it’s a 24/7 gig now.

JR: Nice. And ultimately it all started from passion, which is super cool.

JR: You got your first Harley in 2008?

What do you see in the motorcycle industry’s crystal ball?

SR: I got my first Harley, a Road King, and started riding and practicing

SR: Well, I’ve heard certain negative things the whole time I’ve been

12 HOTBIKE.COM

Q&A: LANCE COURY, JR. INTERVIEWS LANCE COURY, SR. riding, but everywhere I go and everything I see is riders and more people wanting to ride, and I see all this great stuff, and it’s like, I’m really stoked to see the younger riders also wanting to get on baggers and travel. It’s really cool. I see a positive upswing, and bikes make people happy, and I see growth in it.

JR: Yeah, I think you’re very accurate. We’ve been around two wheels since 1994, when I got my first PW 50. Now we’re riding V-twins. And as we’ve been more and more involved, we’ve noticed the growth of people at Sturgis that come up to us from all ages of life. There are guys that are younger than me in their early 20s, up to guys in their 70s. I’ve even seen some guys in their 80s at Neptune’s before. Like last night, we had a small meetup at Neptune’s Net, kind of just shared it on social media about 24 hours before, and hundreds of people were there.

SR: It was amazing. And you know what I like about what you were just saying is the fact that the young guys will come up to us older guys and be stoked at what we’re doing, and then the older guys are stoked with what you and Juan are doing and seeing young guys ride. So, it’s all ages.

There’s no age barrier.

JR: Yeah. Basically, the crystal ball is just continuing to see organic,

JR: All right, here’s the negative one. What is your biggest regret?

natural growth. I think that the world is changing, and they’re able to

SR: I have no regrets in life, because everything you do in life is a

see it through social media and YouTube. That’s actually someone

learning lesson that gets you to the next level.

proactively growing it.

SR: Yeah. One, riding is fun. Two, the camaraderie. Everyone loves that

JR: Everything happens for a reason.

they get friends, so it’s like a family deal.

SR: Everything.

JR: Yep, for sure. All right, let’s see. I got to get back over to these

JR: All right. What is your proudest moment?

questions really quick. What is your greatest accomplishment?

SR: My proudest moment? I have two of them, probably. I mean, I was

SR: Well, people always ask us, what’s your favorite trip? Where’s your

very blown away and stoked with all the effort you put in, and you

favorite place to go? Greatest accomplishment? But every trip we

winning your gold medal in Brazil, so that was a proud moment. And I

go on, when we’re done with the trip and we’re riding home, we’re

mean two proud moments of father and son, both named Lance. You’ve

always saying, this is the best trip ever. We met the greatest people,

created this business that is awesome, that has helped me, and my

and then the next trip we go on, we say the same thing. So, greatest

buddies Galen and Josh create our side of the business. So those are

accomplishment, I guess, is inspiring people to get out and ride and

proud moments for me. We’re making headway in this industry.

being involved in the industry, and we’ve worked so hard at it that now we’re in the industry helping riders.

JR: Awesome. Right on. Who or what inspires you?

SR: That’s a hard one to say. I mean, I’m inspired by you, my son, with

JR: So that you guys, the readers, can understand, my father and I have a very close relationship that we don’t take this for granted and we are very appreciative of it. And we got to travel the world together, basically from when I was a little kid, but all the way into my

what you’ve done in business and in the motorcycle world. I’m inspired

teens, and we would go into other countries. And this whole time I

with my buddies Galen and Josh that we build this stuff, and we have the

was riding freestyle motocross primarily for Red Bull, and they would

same passion. So, all of the stuff that inspires me and inspiration, we’re

bring me to Europe, and they would bring me around the world,

surrounded by it.

and basically, I was able to bring my dad with me, and we were able

JR:. Yep. That’s awesome. All right. And I think that’s one cool thing, too,

to be in the motorcycle industry and ride dirt bikes. And after a lot of blood, sweat, tears, injuries and stuff, getting invited to X Games

as well, for myself, is that, just like you said, you’re surrounded by it, we

and winning a gold medal in X Games was a big feat. My dad was

don’t have to look far in this community that we have here. Like you said,

right there. He was right there at the finish line when I rolled off, and

between yourself, myself, Josh, Galen, all the guys over at Thrashin’, Juan,

something that took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get. You can

Jake, my wife, Courtney, and my mom. Everybody that is surrounded

see why he’s stoked on that great moment. I feel like one other thing

and born and raised on two wheels and so dedicated, we’re always kind

you should be proud of is that I also named my first son Lance as

of just helping inspire each other, which is rad, for sure.

well. So, keeping that generation going.

SR: It’s become a great big family.

14 HOTBIKE.COM

SR: That’s another great thing. There’s three of us. Three Lances.

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! SUBSCRIBE TO HOT BIKE TODAY FOR EASY HOME DELIVERY RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR!

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING

Thank you for supporting the new independently owned and operated HOT BIKE. For order status, questions and returns, please email info@hotbike.com.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT HOTBIKE.COM

Q&A: LANCE COURY, JR. INTERVIEWS LANCE COURY, SR. JR: All right, I can answer the next question before I even ask it, but I’m going to ask it so that you guys can hear it right from the man’s mouth… What’s your favorite place on earth?

SR: My favorite place on earth is anywhere in Arizona that has a great sunset.

JR: This guy has been saying he wants to live in Arizona for the last decade. He loves Arizona. Williams in particular. We have spent the last four or five years going to Williams, Arizona for Thanksgiving. We have spent the last three or four Sturgis rallies riding through Williams. I think any chance he gets, he tries to go to Williams, Arizona. But we got a lot of family here in SoCal, and so he keeps being held down by his parents and other family members that are local that he’s not ready to pack his bags and move yet.

SR: Yeah, both of my parents are 90. And they live life to the fullest.

They’re energetic. They have all their faculties, so I can’t just bounce yet.

JR: All right, so let’s see. Next question is biggest pet peeve?

SR: Biggest pet peeve is probably people with negative attitudes. Yeah.

You got to live life you can’t look backwards. You got to look forward.

JR: Love it. Love it. What are you currently working on that you’d like to share?

JR: Kudos to you guys for pushing forward on that. Last question. The

SR: Well, with 2LaneLife, our biggest adventure is that we moved into

twelfth and final question. Anything else you would like to add that you

your old building. We built a podcast studio. So, we’re trying to build

would like to say to the readers of Hot Bike or to make Jordan laugh at

a retail store and a destination for riders. And we have that passion

this interview that he’s listening to right now?

for that because people have stories to tell us, and we listen to their

SR: Make Jordan laugh? Whatever motorcycle you own, whatever two

stories, and we share their stories. That’s the big thing, building this

wheels, vehicle you have, get out and travel. Get out and see what’s out

new store and this new brand and traveling more. Yeah.

there. Meet new people, learn new things, have some great adventures, find some cool food, somewhere to eat. Yeah, get out and meet people.

JR: The readers aren’t here right now hanging out with us, but if

Have fun. What do you guys always say at the end of your vlogs?

they were here, they would see that you guys have probably a 1,000 or 1,500 square foot showroom that has a bunch of stock product.

JR: I always say, “With that being said, we will see you guys on the

When I walked in, I was like, you guys got brake pads? And you’re like,

next one.”

“yeah, we do.” Brake pads, oil change kits, helmets, gloves, jackets,

SR: And we say, “With that being said, we will see you down the

handlebars, risers, luggage. You guys have all those seats. You guys

road.” HB

have all that in stock here. Someone can come touch it, feel it, ride with

“GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT, I GUESS, IS INSPIRING PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND RIDE AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WE’VE WORKED SO HARD AT IT THAT NOW WE’RE IN THE INDUSTRY HELPING RIDERS.”

it, maybe test it, demo it, and then they can leave with it right away.

You guys built that out. Like you said, we’re in this pretty cool podcast room right now that you’ve built out. You got stock on hand, and I think that is something that you won’t stop talking about.

SR: We did well, the great thing is, people that have been in the industry for years—older people that have some power in the industry—when they see us, they thank us and say, “we need people like you doing what you’re doing to keep our industry alive.”

JR: Yeah. Brick and mortar shops that stock products are few and far between. And it’s a bummer, right? Because sometimes we want to touch and feel it before we buy it. Definitely dig what you guys are doing. There used to be a couple of motorcycle shops in the west into the Valley, and they’re not around.

SR: They’re not around, but we are.

16 HOTBIKE.COM

— LANCE COURY, SR.

Buddhist

18 HOTBIKE.COM

st Priest

The Latest from Ken’s Factory

WORDS: NELSON KANNO PHOTOS: SOICHIRO MIWA

ISSUE 3 / 2023 19

N

KEN’S FACTORY 2013 FLSTF agoya, Japan—an industrial powerhouse by the sea.

Known as the birthplace of auto-giant Toyota, the city has several other mega corporations manufacturing automotive, aircraft, and machine tools for the world

to consume.

Also being a port town with solid blue-collar ethics, hustlers make their way up and shine by showing their passion for whatever craft they had honed. Which brings us to Ken’s Factory.

Having a reputation across Asia as the premier builder of 6-figure bikes and classic American muscle cars for the affluent, Ken’s Factory has always brought in interesting clients. Milliondollar koi fish breeders, casino chain owners, and of course a few gangsters, but this time around someone quite unusual… a Buddhist Priest.

Although being quite shy and not wanting to be photographed, the Buddhist Priest was quite cool about letting us take a few shots of the ride that Ken’s Factory put together.

Each of Ken’s Factory’s creations are led by owner and head designer Ken Nagai and his long-time wingman Kennichi Deguchi.

All fab, machining, CAD design, CNC, welding are all done in house by these two.

In fact, the bulk of Ken’s Factory parts line is manufactured in house at HQ in Nagoya as well—this way an eye can be kept on quality control.

So back to it: how does a Buddhist Priest put the scratch together to afford such a ride? Aside from his temple, he runs a school for young children and is also successful in real estate.

Being a long-time customer, he would usually pop-in for mild custom work over the years but this time around, he hit it hard.

Ken says, “during the build, the Buddhist Priest also liked my Land Rover Defender 110 so much he went out and bought one for himself. Then also bought my personal Jaguar F-Type Convertible. Then just before his build was done, he also picked up a club style M8 Low Rider we had sitting around. So, yeah, we like having him around!”

“When it came down to this bike, we had already done some slight modifications some time ago, but he wanted to take it further and he liked what we had been doing. All parts, set up, dimensions he left it all to us which was great. The vintage chopper flair to a modern Twin Cam engine was his idea, and that for us was no problem.

The toughest part of the build was reading the CANBUS signal from an OEM H-D ECU. Then creating a signal module to operate with the Thunder Max. It took a week to read the ECU signal, but we got it done, which was the most challenging part of the build.

Otherwise, the gas/oil tank, rear fender, any sheet metal we made by hand. We just truly enjoy making nice toys for wealthy wise guys!” HB

“WE JUST TRULY ENJOY MAKING NICE TOYS FOR WEALTHY WISE GUYS!” 20 HOTBIKE.COM

22 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 3 / 2023 23

KEN’S FACTORY 2013 FLSTF

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER

BUDDHIST PRIEST

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

SHOP NAME

KEN’S FACTORY

MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL

@KENSFACTORY

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL

2013 FLSTF

FABRICATION

KEN’S FACTORY

ASSEMBLY

KEN’S FACTORY

BUILD TIME

ONE YEAR

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE

2013 H-D 96 TWIN CAM

CASES

H-D

CYLINDERS

H-D

HEADS

H-D

ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB AIR CLEANER EXHAUST

KEN’S FACTORY THUNDER MAX W/ CAN BUS ELIMINATED KEN’S FACTORY ONE-OFF THIS AND THAT

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE CASE CLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE

2013 H-D 6-SPEED H-D BARNETT NH POWER

FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE

H-D W/ SLIGHTLY MODIFIED STOCK

TRIPLE TREES MANUFACTURER REAR

24 HOTBIKE.COM

KEN’S FACTORY GIRDER KEN’S FACTORY H-D W/LOWERING

23X3.75 130-23”

CALIPER

PM 4POT

ROTOR

KEN’S FACTORY EL MIRAGE

MANUFACTURER REAR

KEN’S FACTORY EL MIRAGE

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

18X5.5

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

180

CALIPER

PM 4 POT

ROTOR

KEN’S FACTORY EL MIRAGE

FINISH-PAINT COLOR

RUSTY SILVER

PAINTER

CENTER ROOTS

GRAPHICS

RUSTY STEEL

SPECIAL FINISHES

…YES

ACCESSORIES REAR FENDER

ONE-OFF, KEN’S FACTORY

GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP

SMALL HANDMADE BY KEN’S FACTORY / NEO FUSION GAS CAP

OIL TANK

ONE-OFF BY KEN’S FACTORY

HANDLEBARS

ONE-OFF BY KEN’S FACTORY

HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

KEN’S FACTORY EL MIRAGE

TURN SIGNALS LICENSE MOUNT SEAT

KEN’S FACTORY /PM KEN’S FACTORY KEN’S FACTORY 4-1/2 SMALL KEN’S FACTORY SIDE MOUNT ATELIER CHERRY

THE NOT-SO-LITTLE

ITHAT N DCOULD IAN A Remarkable Streak for the RSD Chief Racer WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: LOUIS YIO

W

ith motorcycle racing, certain things happen that defy logic. Of course, they can’t be explained, either. The story of the RSD Indian Chief that’s made the rounds in several different races seems to be somewhat of a unicorn, a pot of gold, a four-leaf clover (whatever you’re into), but no matter if it was luck or rider skill or a serendipitous aligning of the stars (over and over and over again), one thing remains certain: The RSD Indian Chief is one machine that seems to defy all logic on the racetrack.

In 2021 the Roland Sands Design (RSD) crew embarked on building what may currently be the winningest motorcycle on the planet. In fact, every pilot that’s thrown a leg over the 2021 RSD/ Indian Chief has stood atop the podium in every race it’s entered.

26 HOTBIKE.COM

This audacious endeavor was fueled by the RSD crew’s penchant for turning wild ideas into tangible realities. This Indian Chief racer would emerge as irrefutable proof that unconventional thinking could lead to extraordinary results in the world of Big Twin racing within the Bagger Racing League and the Super Hooligans series for MotoAmerica.

At its inception, the Indian Chief was a laid-back cruiser, weighing in at a hefty 640 pounds, designed for, well, ya know… cruising. In fact, the Chief was never meant to navigate the twists and turns of high-speed road racing circuits; it was more suited for casual barhopping and leisurely Sunday jaunts. As the cruiser market evolved and Indian aimed to compete in the middleweight cruiser segment,

the competition had spent years fine-tuning their bikes for enhanced performance. Interestingly, the tides had turned, and heavy bikes were now finding their way back onto road racetracks. It was as if the unnatural had become the new norm. And with that, RSD made the audacious decision to thrust the Indian Chief into the realm of road racing.

The transformation began with the removal of unnecessary bits, shedding approximately 100 pounds of excess weight. While the excess weight might have gone unnoticed during highway cruises, it would undoubtedly be felt when pushing the bike to its limits on tracks like Laguna Seca’s notorious corkscrew or the challenging turns of Miller Motorsports Park. RSD opted for a set of FTR forks,

complete with reversed S&S triple clamps borrowed from their Indian Challenger bagger racer. The stock wheels were swapped out for RSD’s 17x3.5 and 17x6 Assault road race wheels, shod with sticky Dunlop slicks. Accompanied by the long-travel Fox shocks, this setup was a recipe for a dramatic shift in the Chief’s overall demeanor.

Lloydz Motor Workz entered the picture, providing a finely tuned exhaust system meticulously crafted in-house by RSD’s fabrication guru, Aaron Boss. The bike’s rear end was replaced with a Saddlemen flat track tailsection and custom seat which were both seamlessly joined to an adjustable subframe. Saddlemen also contributed a tank hump, enhancing knee-to-bike contact and bolstering rider control.

For stopping power, Brembo rotors and brake calipers took the ISSUE 3 / 2023 27

RSD CHIEF RACER

reins, while a 530 chain and sprocket replaced the pulley to enable gearing adjustments. RSD’s in-house craftsmanship extended to the handlebars and Spiegler brake lines, further optimizing the Chief for the racetrack. The culmination of these modifications birthed a trackready beast that Rennie Scaysbrook expertly piloted to a triumphant victory in the inaugural BRL Big Twin class race at Miller Motorsports Park. The transformation was nothing short of astounding and the svelte, yet brute stance of a big twin was looking lean and mean going into its first race.

In the Chief’s debut, piloted by Rennie Scaysbrook at Utah Motorsports Park in 2021, the Chief went on to take position of its first race in the Bagger Racing League’s Big Twin Class. Rennie went on to pilot the Chief again in 2022, winning the Super Hooligan Mission Foods American V-twin Championship with First place podiums at Daytona, the double header at Atlanta and again a double header at Laguna Seca. With a 6-0 record on one big twin Indian, it’s kind of a freak occurrence if you think about it.

28 HOTBIKE.COM

LLOYD GREER

Lloyd Greer of Lloydz Motor Workz and Lloydz Garage got the call to tune the original Indian Chief Road Racer. Having developed his own engine performance components and the go-to tuner for several Indian race teams for MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers, RSD’s

Super Hooligans series and the Bagger Racing League. “We went and worked with Roland’s crew to tune the bike before its first race,” Lloyd recalls. “And with just a tune, it substantially increased the power of that stock engine. Other than that, it was a bone stock motor with an exhaust, an intake and a really good tune. Once we got that bike in Charlotte, we put a set of my cams in it and it picked up another 15 horsepower and the bike has been that way ever since, with zero being touched on the tune or the motor. It’s a really good testament to the Thunder Stroke in stock form.”

ISSUE 1 / 2023 29

RSD CHIEF RACER

PATRICIA FERNANDEZ-WEST

Patricia Fernandez, current racer for Team Saddlemen HarleyDavidson for King of the Baggers and Super Hooligans, spent a good amount of time on the RSD Chief, and has the same success stories, winning the BRL Big Twin Championship and every race she entered. “Literally, everyone that’s ridden that thing won on it,” Patricia explains. “You just get on it and flog the thing. For the class that it competes in, against other air-cooled bikes, nothing beats it. I did three races, and I won all three. And then I won the championship for the Big Twins, which was the BRL class that it was competing in.” When asked what the secret sauce could be for the Chief’s winning streak, Patricia says it’s leaving well enough alone. “I feel like sometimes people in racing can over-engineer stuff and sometimes that can be their worst enemy, where with that bike, the simplicity of it is what makes it so dominant, so easy for any rider to get on it and win.”

“YOU JUST GET ON IT AND FLOG THE THING. FOR THE CLASS THAT IT COMPETES IN, AGAINST OTHER AIR-COOLED BIKES, NOTHING BEATS IT. I DID THREE RACES, AND I WON ALL THREE.” Patricia Fernandez-West was also asked to give the RSD Chief a go in 2022. In fact, Patricia won every race she entered in the BRL Big Twin class. In fact, she went on to win the BRL Big Twin Championship too.

Then in 2023, the RSD Chief found a new home by way of Hawk Mazzotta, who got the call to continue the RSD Chief’s legacy. You can guess what happened next. Hawk went on to win every race he entered with the Chief and won the overall Mission Foods Super Hooligan Air-Cooled V-twin championship. It seemed that the Chief could never lose.

30 HOTBIKE.COM

RENNIE SCAYSBROOK Rennie is a moto-journalist that’s ridden, and raced, pretty much everything. Rennie was also the original pilot to race, and win, on the RSD Indian Chief at Utah Motorsports Park (formerly Miller Motorsports Park) where it debuted in 2021. Not only did Rennie take the pole, he went on to win the race out of 20 or so riders in the field. In 2022, Rennie Scaysbrook won the Mission Foods Super Hooligan American V-twin Championship, winning every race he entered at Daytona, a double header at Atlanta and Laguna Seca. “Yeah, it was bloody good fun to ride,” Rennie says. “It was deceptive in how easy it was to ride, too.

You look at something like that and you think, ‘Christ, how long is it?’ It was almost like a big supermoto bike; like a bloody air-cooled V-twin supermoto.” After winning the Chief’s debut race at Utah in 2021 where the bike debuted, Rennie went on to win every other race he rode the Chief. “I have so many good memories of that thing,” Rennie says. “I just had so much fun riding it. It’s a big, stable, fucking heavy thing, but once you figured out how to ride it, it was just a freaking joy to ride.”

But the Texas gods had different plans for the Chief’s debut at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). While Hawk was getting going, the Chief’s original engine, tuned by Lloydz Garage, officially went kaput. It grenaded and the Chief’s winning streak had come to an end.

As the dust settled and the racetrack beckoned, the world awaits the next chapter in the RSD Indian Chief’s racing legacy. While the questions surrounding its transformation may never be entirely answered, one thing is certain: in the world of motorcycle racing, the improbable had become the new standard, and the RSD Indian had cemented its place as a truly exceptional racing motorcycle. HB ISSUE 3 / 2023 31

Great FX-tations Kyle Rae Rice Pushes it to the Limits WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: KYLE RAY RICE

32 HOTBIKE.COM

KYLE RICE’S 1992 H-D FXR Kyle’s grandpa (circa 1977) was kind of responsible for Kyle getting bit by the building bug.

W

ay back when none of us were born, Charles Dickens wrote a coming-of-age novel about a kid named Pip in Victorian England. No, not the one they made into a Muppet movie. That’s the book about the grouchy banker who gets his mind right after three ghosts take turns kicking his brain’s ass. I’m talking about Great Expectations. And just like how the main character in the book learns and grows throughout the book, Kyle Rice has learned a lot about the bike builder’s craft over the years, growing and overcoming its inherent challenges to be the craftsman who turned this 1992 Harley-Davidson FXR into a pretty cool chopper. Or, as he tells it, “I wanted to challenge myself and push my limits; feel the pressure. I wanted to be perfect but quickly realized that wasn’t happening. I wanted to become a better fabricator (and show what I’ve learned over the last few years), be a better sheet metal shaper, a better painter, and a better upholsterer than I was. I feel like I’ve dreamt of this bike for years, waiting to find my style and build up the skill level to actually make it happen. I’ve been chasing this one for a while.”

His history with chopped iron goes back a couple of generations.

Kyle’s grandfather also built choppers way back in the day, like sketchy long chops in the ’60s in Southern Illinois. He had Harleys, BSAs, and Triumphs. He messed around with everything mechanical, and so did Kyle’s father. Unfortunately, grandfather passed away a year after Kyle was born. That left Kyle with stories and photos. “I wanted to build this bike to keep that flame burning.

I think my grandfather would be proud of this one.”

Kyle also drew inspiration from real-deal legendary custom gods, too: “John Harman is one of my favorite builders. Towards the end his style was so aggressive, I always wondered what would exist if he lived longer. Bill Dodge, FNA, Alleyway, they were always at the Florida shows so their work definitely rubbed off on me. Arlen Ness’ “Untouchable” is a specific bike that I found inspiring. It was his first, that he would cut up every year to keep going to the shows. The name was so fitting for the bike too.”

34 HOTBIKE.COM

“THE PROJECT PUSHED ME WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.”

ISSUE ISSUE 31 / 2023 35

KYLE RICE’S 1992 H-D FXR The build itself kicked off when Kyle got his hands on a few 19-inch Morris mag wheels. “I really dig Motomags and Kimtabs,” he says. “I drew up a ‘X’ brace and had them waterjetted to weld in between each spoke. But I wound up getting an 18-inch Morris from my buddy Justin Valcourt which would be right for a M&H Racemaster that I always wanted to run.”

Wheels wouldn’t be the only things he’d weld and fabricate on to make just right for the build. As fate would have it, Kyle also had an FXR swingarm laying around. “I essentially copied it but in 1.25-inch chromoly tubing. I extended the axle adjustment range another inch (mostly to clear the 28-inch rear tire). At this point I really was just stacking parts for a cool little FXR swingarm-based chopper.

I took a few months away from the garage ‘til I realized I really wanted to cut up my first build. It really lit a fire under me.”

That first build was what Kyle originally thought was his dream bike. At the time he made the bike, it was exactly that. He says, “It was a massive shovelhead in a FXR frame that I turned into a

dirt bike/tracker looking thing. The idea was to build a fun haver with an old big V-twin. It actually got to a point where I was almost embarrassed to show it, quality-wise. I had just gotten a lot better as a builder after that.” He realized the quickest way to get a real project going was to just cut that one up and use the parts for a second shot at said dream bike.

The idea was to cut the neck in order to retain the real H-D VIN. If you’ve ever tried to register a custom frame with the DMV, you know exactly why keeping an existing VIN was a good idea. Kyle also utilized the bottom frame rails with the rubber mounts and retained all of the stock drivetrain.

Inspiration also hit while Kyle worked all of that out: “Stainless metal finishing clicked with me at some point and I had to figure out a way to make it work. A lot of the stainless work came from watching Brian Buttera and Christian Newman. Buttera was super clean and simply and Newman was insanely clever and intricate.

Watching them build stainless frames is 100-percent why I did

Kyle completely seamed and polished out the stainless-steel exhaust. He’s big on having collectors on an exhaust system.

36 HOTBIKE.COM

mine. So, I decided to slug the joints between the FXR bottom rails to the stainless tubing, plug weld those it and for extra insurance create stainless sleeves to be welded completely over those joints.”

The backbone, county bar, top mount, and shock tower/rear frame section were the most challenging parts of this process, though.

“The backbone and country bar are two tubes completely welded together like a double barrel shotgun that splits and becomes the rear section,” Kyle continued. “Every tube intersection I bent the ends made the transitions flow a bit more. And a lot of the bends follow the lines of the Shovel engine, fenders, etc. At this point the entire build was planned out, and everything was made to fit the next step. I then made bars to match the plan in my head.”

Part of that mental plan called for some pretty cool subtlety, too.

“To me doing a mild chop is super unique. Most people that go as far as to chop something will normally go wild,” Kyle says. “Like not a lot of guys chop a roof on a car just one inch. But that’s a detail only the trained eye will see. I really dug the idea of making the rake mild and making it up with the fork tubes. It had no negative effect on the trail. It actually didn’t affect it at all.”

ISSUE 3 / 2023 37

The metal look continued on into the bodywork, too. The sheet metal is all-aluminum, and the tanks are the third rendition made for the bike. The tank bottoms flare out like you’d find on a Johnny “Chop” Vasko project. Kyle polished the undersides and built some underside rubber mount brackets for them; they almost resemble butterfly wings. The front and rear fenders are made from 0.125inch aluminum. Kyle wanted them to be tough, especially the rear in case it needs to hold a passenger. “I rolled some aluminum tubing and split it in fours to create the ridge they have on the sides. It was a ton of welding but I’m especially proud of them. All the sheet metal I had intended to be polished and I masked off the areas to remain metallic through paint. The raw polished metals became part of the paintjob.” The 3 he painted on the side has a lot of meaning to him also. Kyle’s racing number was 37. He had a thing with threes and sevens.

That paintjob may have been the hardest part of the whole project, too. It took at least a year longer to create than Kyle thought it would: “At times it felt like there was failure at every step. I learned a lot. Painting was rough. I painted the bike in August of ’23 in South Florida. At the time, we had been experiencing the worst heat wave in a long time. I had to paint in a driveway under a canopy (which I’m grateful to even have had access to). Mosquitos would get bad at night so realistically I could only spray really early before the heat hit 100-plus degrees. That eliminated painting weekdays for me. I experienced solvent pop for the first time, which really wasn’t a big deal with how much I was cutting and flow coating over the art. The paint process was just slow.”

There was an art to the seat process, as well. Kyle didn’t use just one material to upholster it like most of us would. He covered his saddle in half-suede half-leather, with a faded diamond stitch on the suede. It sits on a nice aluminum pan that hinges upward for access to the electrical system.

At times Kyle really struggled with the project. It’s wild how a side project can spiral your mood. He says, “It would constantly make me feel inexperienced at every turn. I spent all of two years constantly trying to problem solve, completely obsessed with it.

That eventually turned into ‘Why am I not further along on this’ and wondering if it was ever going to end. Every day it seemed like I added another day of work that needed to be accomplished. The project absolutely pushed me way out of my comfort zone.”

At the same time, all of the problems that came up gave Kyle opportunities to solve them and get better at his craft: “I feel like it created a ton of personal growth in every aspect of my life. I don’t really panic as much under pressure in normal life situations because of this process.”

Simultaneously, Kyle’s also bitten off a lot more in the projects department. “I’m turning a lil’ Sporty into a dirt bike. I’ve got a super charged Evo laying around I’d like to make a nice chromoly frame chopper out of, and a Dyna that needs a facelift,” he tells us.

“I’m also working on a ’49 Anglia me and my pops are throwing a 392 Hemi into with billet hotheads, four port Hilborn injection, and a big blower. I’ll also help him knock out some fabrication on his ’71 D100 with a late model 5.7 Hemi.” From the sound of things, Kyle has great expectations for himself. And why wouldn’t he? “I’m inspired by everything else around me, too. I find there are so many gorgeous lines and shapes in everything in nature, there are so many design avenues just waiting to be unlocked. It’s constantly around us. We just have to look.” HB

ABOVE: The taillights tucked inside the stainless struts are Kyle’s favorite part of the entire build. He carved out some stainless tubes and blended them into the struts. BELOW: The foot controls are all stainless, with clevises from Boosted Brads mids. The foot pegs were carved from an old set of Brassballs Meathooks with Flo cleats.

ABOVE: The rear sprocket was a 40-dollar PBI swap meet find that was brand-new in the box. Kyle carved it out to match the rear wheel and polished it. BELOW: The headlight housing was made to resemble a 33s Willys headlight. There’s actually a real cool stainless bracket and pivot that runs through the riser/bar bolts on it.

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER

KYLE RICE

SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL

@KYLERAYRICE

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL

1992/HARLEY-DAVIDSON/FXR

FABRICATION

KYLE AND KRAIG RICE

BUILD TIME

A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS

YEAR/MANUFACTURER

HARLEY-DAVIDSON/DELKRON

TYPE/SIZE

108CI SHOVELHEAD

CASES

DELKRON

CYLINDERS

TROCK 3.8125” BORE

H-D DUAL-PLUGGED AND CONVERTED TO A THREE BOLT EX FLANGE

(STD STYLE) ROCKER BOXES

H-D

EFI/CARB

S&S SUPER G

AIR CLEANER

2.5-INCH VELOCITY STACK

EXHAUST

HANDMADE STAINLESS STEEL WITH AN X-PIPE

SPECIAL FEATURES

JE PISTONS, IRONHEAD VALVES

(SMALLER DIAMETER STEMS), 4.75-INCH STROKE S&S FLYWHEEL, S&S OIL PUMP, DYNATEK IGNITION.

HANDMADE CHROMOLY SWINGARM WITH RECESSED STAINLESS AXLE PLATES

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES

YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE

1990/H-D

’90S TOURING TRANS CASE WITH ENGINE OIL PAN UNDERNEATH

CLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE

BDL WITH A BAKER HYDRAULIC SLAVE CYLINDER BDL

YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE STRETCH

1992 H-D/KYLE RICE STOCK 2 INCHES UP

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT

AVON SPEEDMASTER TIRE 19X2.15-INCH

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

3.25X19-INCH

CALIPER

PERFORMANCE MACHINE

ROTOR

ARLEN NESS

MANUFACTURER REAR

MODIFIED MORRIS 7-SPOKE WITH A M&H RACEMASTER FRONTRUNNER TIRE

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

18X2.15-INCH

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

28X18-INCH

CALIPER

PERFORMANCE MACHINE

ROTOR

ARLEN NESS

FINISH-PAINT COLOR

HOUSE OF KOLOR JET BLACK/POLISHED ALUMINUM KYLE RICE

ACCESSORIES FRONT FENDER

HANDMADE ALUMINUM

REAR FENDER

HANDMADE ALUMINUM

GAS TANK/CAP

MOONEYES

OIL TANK

FRAME

39MM H-D WITH PROGRESSIVE SPRINGS 2 INCHES OVER TUBES, 2 INCHES UP NECK

MODIFIED MORRIS 7-SPOKE WITH AN

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

PAINTER

TRANSMISSION

LENGTH

14.25-INCH ÖHLINS

SPECIAL FEATURES

MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

ENGINE

CASE

DARKWOLF, SHAVED AND POLISHED

MANUFACTURER REAR

KYLE RICE

ASSEMBLY

HEADS

TRIPLE TREES

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

HANDLEBARS

HANDMADE STAINLESS STEEL

HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS

ISR/BOOSTED BRAD HANDMADE STAINLESS STEEL

HEADLIGHT

4.5-INCH LED IN A HANDMADE ALUMINUM HOUSING

TAILLIGHT

PRISM SUPPLY RECESSED IN THE STAINLESS STEEL STRUTS

LICENSE MOUNT

KYLE RICE

SEAT

KYLE RICE

ISSUE 3 / 2023 39

e l y St 44 HOTBIKE.COM

Nightfall Customs De-Raked Turbo Chop WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: BEN NICHOLS

ISSUE ISSUE 31 / 2023 45

46 HOTBIKE.COM

I

n the heart of St. Louis, a city known for its rich history and vibrant culture, a motorcycle junkie named Nick Rutherford is leaving his mark with a passion for two wheels and a talent for crafting custom two-wheeled creations. Nick’s journey into the world of motorcycles may have started later than some, but his love for the open road and his innate knack for fabrication have propelled him into building some pretty unique custom bikes, like this turbocharged Shovelhead chopper.

Nick’s fascination with motorcycles began when he was just 16, starting with street bikes rather than the dirt bikes many riders grew up with. His early experiences involved tinkering with these machines, especially his second bike, a fixer-upper that demanded a lot of his attention. Nick dove headfirst into motorcycle customization, fabricating brackets, crafting handlebars, and even building a cage for his bike. It was in these moments that he discovered his passion for metal fabrication.

The turning point came in 2016 when Nick purchased his first Harley and decided to have a set of custom handlebars made by a local builder named Fish. Fish’s backlog was extensive, and Nick’s impatience led him to attempt making the bars himself.

Armed with little more than a piece of welding wire and sheer determination, Nick succeeded in crafting the bars he envisioned.

This achievement ignited a fire within him, and soon, he was crafting more than just handlebars. He designed and built a complete Evo chopper, constructing the frame, gas tank, fender, handlebars, and the sissy bar.

In 2019, Nick took a significant step forward by acquiring a CNC plasma table, marking the birth of Nightfall Customs. This venture initially involved creating signs and cutting brackets for lowrider trucks and motorcycles, but it was a bold vision that would truly set Nick’s work apart.

Nick’s vision for his Shovelhead chopper was to create a bike that blended form and function seamlessly. He sought to install a turbocharger in a unique location, positioning it in the neck of the frame to avoid obstructing the motor’s view. Additionally, he designed a split gas and oil tank, with the oil residing in the top left section, allowing for ample storage capacity. The single down tube frame design added an element of cleanliness and simplicity to the overall aesthetic.

“THE RESULT OF NICK’S HARD WORK AND CREATIVITY WAS NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR.” ISSUE 3 / 2023 47

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER

NICK RUTHERFORD

SHOP NAME

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

SHOP PHONE

(314) 496-0670

SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL

NIGHTFALLCUSTOMS.COM, @NIGHTFALLCUSTOMSLLC

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL

1981/HARLEY-DAVIDSON/TURBOCHARGED

SHOVELHEAD

FABRICATION

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

ASSEMBLY

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

BUILD TIME

10 MONTHS

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER

1981/HARLEY

TYPE/SIZE

SHOVELHEAD/80 CUI

CASES

HARLEY

CYLINDERS

HARLEY

HEADS

HARLEY

ROCKER BOXES

HARLEY

EFI/CARB

S&S SUPER E

AIR CLEANER

OLD STF CYCLE

EXHAUST SPECIAL FEATURES

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS TURBO, TURBO EXHAUST AND INTAKE PIPING

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE 2022 6-SPEED ELECTRIC/KICK START CLUTCH

TECH CYCLE PERFORMANCE

PRIMARY DRIVE

TECH CYCLE PERFORMANCE

FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER

2022 NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

RAKE

29°

STRETCH

9.5 UP, 3/4-INCH OUT

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT

CCE TUBES PROGRESSIVE SPRINGS

LENGTH

10 OVER

TRIPLE TREES

BARE KNUCKLE PERFORMANCE

MANUFACTURER REAR

HARDTAIL

SPECIAL FEATURES

SINGLE DOWNTUBE FRAME/RIGID

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

The result of Nick’s hard work and creativity was nothing short of spectacular. The Shovelhead chopper boasted a Garrett GBC 17 turbo, producing six to seven pounds of boost. Nick knew that the turbo would undoubtedly garner a lot of attention at events.

Nick worked tirelessly to finish the bike in time for the Cycle Showcase St. Louis, a labor of love that paid off when he unveiled his creation at the show.

The response was overwhelming. People flocked to Nick’s turbocharged Shovelhead, captivated by its unique design and the sheer audacity of a turbocharger nestled in the neck of the frame. Nick’s creation was a testament to his dedication to the craft and his commitment to pushing boundaries. He even designed a custom points cover featuring the STL (St. Louis) logo, showcasing his attention to detail.

While Nick’s bike received numerous accolades at the Cycle Showcase, it was also a reminder of the risks associated with riding such a high-performance machine. Nick recounted a butt-puckering incident when his brake line came loose, leaving him without brakes at high-speed. The quick thinking and maneuvering that saved him from disaster highlighted the challenges of piloting a powerful custom creation like his.

48 HOTBIKE.COM

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

LED SLED INVADER 21X2.5 120/70-21

MANUFACTURER REAR

LED SLED INVADER

WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH

18X5.5 DOUBLE SPOKE

TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH

180/55-18

CALIPER

HARLEY

ROTOR

LED SLED CUSTOMS

FINISH-PAINT COLOR PAINTER

PURPLE/GRAY/SILVER LEE EBREY OF PYROTECH CYCLES

ACCESSORIES REAR FENDER

HANDMADE NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

GAS TANK/CAP

HANDMADE TANK NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

OIL TANK

HANDMADE NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

HANDLEBARS

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS RABBIT EARS

HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS MACHINE ACRYLIC GRIPS/ELITE MOTO CLUTCH LEVER FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS

HEADLIGHT

ARIS STYLE REMAKE

TAILLIGHT

LOWBROW CUSTOMS & NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS 3D PRINTED IN WHEEL HUBS

LICENSE MOUNT SEAT

NIGHTFALL CUSTOMS SISSYBAR RICH PHILLIPS LEATHER

Nick’s aspirations for Nightfall Customs extend beyond his own creations. He dreams of building bikes for others, envisioning a future where he can continue bringing his unique visions to life for other enthusiasts of something out of the box. His dedication to the craft is evident in his desire to keep the art of custom motorcycle building alive in an age of mass-produced machines.

As for the future, Nick is open to the possibility of creating custom parts, but he remains focused on one-off custom fabrication, ensuring that each creation is a unique masterpiece. His work has already garnered attention at bike nights and beyond, drawing crowds of enthusiasts eager to see something truly special.

Nick Rutherford and Nightfall Customs are proof that passion, dedication, and a fearless commitment to innovation can produce remarkable results. In the world of custom motorcycles, Nick’s turbocharged Shovelhead chopper stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when creativity knows no bounds.

As Nick continues to push the limits, we’re eager to see what else rolls out of Nick’s St. Louis shop next. HB ISSUE 3 / 2023 49

A bagger that aims to stand out and hits right on target WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: JUSTIN GEORGE

52 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 3 / 2023 53

“I WANTED A FUN BAGGER THAT RIDES LIKE A DYNA BUT HAS THE LUXURY OF THE ROAD GLIDE. AT THE SAME TIME, I DIDN’T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE EVERY OTHER ROAD GLIDE.”

T

hat’s how Austin Padgett sums up his hard-charging street slayer of a bagger. This lays down the basics but what it doesn’t tell you about his 2017 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special is how (or why) he zapped it with spray can paint instead of going the gun route. Seeing as how he paints bikery for none other than Arlen Ness Motorcycles, we can probably give him the benefit of the doubt. But it’s not your usual plan for painting a motorcycle.

Then again, Austin ain’t your usual guy. Yes, I know, who among us in the custom motorcycle world really is? “Usual” is where fun goes to die. None of us threw a leg over a bike one day because being mundane sounded like a good life plan. No, we did it for the speed, the wind, and the tang of flying insects in our mouths on the highway (for those of us who aren’t big on full face helmets). Austin Padgett is a creative guy who digs motorcycles and combining those two things.

But that’s probably always been the case for him. See, he gets both of those traits from mom and dad. “My mom is an artist and I’ve always been around it,” Austin says. “I enjoy other media as well but painting just works well in this industry. I was also obsessed with my dad’s Kawasaki 900 when I was a kid!” he continued. “I would just sit on it making brap noises. I never had a bike as a kid, but we got stand-up jet skis when I was six or seven and went deep into them, until I broke myself too much. Later I ended up getting a supermotard to commute on and I rode it for years.”

This Road Glide is, of course, the latest brainchild of his creativity. Very little of it stayed stock over the course of its Dynatization. If you follow King of the Baggers, you know how much touring rigs have changed since the days of Street Glides turned Big Wheels. Performance bumped style to second place and this Road Glide was built with that in mind. If you’re not familiar with KOTB, I’d advise removing your tin foil hat, replacing your flip phone, and using this thing called, “Google” to get caught up. But I digress.

In a nutshell, this bike was torn down to the bare bones for some serious surgery. While it was once stock, it now fully identifies as custom. For one thing, the Milwaukee-Eight got pulled apart, its cases, cylinders, and heads retained for the job while other bits and pieces of the powerplant were tossed in favor of bold new aftermarket upgrades. S&S Cycle bored it out to 129 inches and Austin brought in a Ness Crossfire air box and 2-into-1 S&S Stainless Diamondback exhaust to give the high displacement V-twin the breathing it richly deserves.

No changes went into the frame but that’s where the stock parts pretty much end on this bike. Having more power to bear on the asphalt doesn’t mean as much without the handling to back it up. The stance of the chassis was where Austin wanted it, but the suspension needed some love if it was going to keep up.

That’s why he changed over to Legend Suspension AXEO cartridges set in black Arlen Ness fork tubes, mated to 2-inch drop-in

54 HOTBIKE.COM

Ness triple trees. Matched with 14-inch Legend Gold Reservoir shocks out back, the overall parts combo makes this bagger much better geared toward handling like a Dyna than it did in its stock life.

Austin continued his personal gold rush at the wheel level with a set of Ness Y-spokers, 19x3.5-inch and 18x5.5-inch. They run on Metzeler Cruisetec and rely on 6-piston Ness calipers and rotator brake rotors for stopping power.

Unlike the wheels, the OEM back fender kept its job. But that carbon fiber skin hugging the front tire is a prototype from Arlen Ness. How many of us can say we’ve had the opportunity to run something that new on a motorcycle? Like the front fender the gas tank got some fiber in its diet, too, thanks to a Ness carbon fiber dash. It’s capped off with an Arlen Ness 12-point gas cap.

Austin went with Custom Dynamics lighting from nose to tail.

In keeping with the Dyna vibe, the floorboards had to go. “I wanted to build a bike for myself, for it to be comfortable enough to ride anywhere, any time,” Austin continued. “It was important to me that the bike handled well and showed off my style.” To those ends, Austin swapped over to Arlen Ness mids and MX pegs to get the foot placement more in line with deep leans and twisty carving. Of course, while he was at it, Austin also made the switch to Ness bars, grips, and MX stainless steel handlebars, just to keep everything properly matched like it should be.

The final touch for getting just the right seat position came down to the seat, however, “Dontay at Le Pera built my seat to position your body one inch taller and one inch further forward. It works perfectly with the mid-mount controls and Ness Method Risers.”

Speaking of method, we now come to the paint. Austin caught a lot of grief online about his spray can process. But how good is the payoff if there’s no risk? “Of course, the most rewarding part is the most challenging,” he tells us. “My mom is an artist, so I grew up around art and love to create. I’ve always liked working on stuff mostly because I can’t afford to pay a mechanic so I just learned, I also always had hot rods growing up and just did all

the basic stuff with them. Also, all of my builds are spray painted!

I use a two-part clear coat called SprayMax 2k, which is the key to making the paint look great. I’ve gotten some hate for doing it this way and that’s ok! That’s my thing now, and I’m going to stay with it and improve my skills.” As it turns out, Austin and rattle can paint go way back, though: “Well I painted bicycles and a Chevy step side when I was a teenager with spray paint because, well, I was 16! I ended up painting a few jet skis with normal style guns and I just didn’t enjoy doing it on jet skis. I’d done some air brushing on fishing lures from time to time.”

Fast forward to when he started working for Ness. He’d bought a 2007 Dyna and wanted to build a club style bike out of it, fast

and dirty, for Sturgis. “At the time we had our metal fab guy Alex Ramirez, who also builds model cars, who told me about a twopart clearcoat called SprayMax 2k,” Austin continued. “He said it can be wet sanded and buffed to get the professional look, so I went to Home Depot and bought a bunch of Tiffany Blue spray paint and did the Dyna up with it. And it came out way better than I expected. So, it kinda just turned into a thing and now I have painted four of my own bikes. I like using spray paint because most people will not believe it’s spray paint and it gives me my own little niche. I would like to start adding in some airbrush techniques and maybe Monty Roach of Roach Kustoms can teach me some basic pinstriping!” HB ISSUE 3 / 2023 55

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

AUSTIN PADGETT ARLEN NESS ENTERPRISE 925-298-4533 ARLENNESS.COM / @AUSTINFROMNESS 2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL AUSTIN PADGETT AUSTIN PADGETT TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

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

2017 S&S CYCLE/HARLEY-DAVIDSON 129CI MILWAUKEE-EIGHT H-D H-D H-D ARLEN NESS CROSSFIRE S&S STAINLESS DIAMONDBACK 2-1

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE CASE CLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE

2017 H-D STOCK STOCK STOCK

FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER STRETCH

2017 H-D NONE

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT ARLEN NESS BLACK TUBES WITH LEGEND SUSPENSIONS AXEO CARTRIDGES LENGTH 4 INCHES OVER TRIPLE TREES ARLEN NESS 2-INCH DROP TREES MANUFACTURER REAR LEGENDS 14-INCH GOLD RESERVOIR WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE ARLEN NESS Y-SPOKE GOLD WHEELS WITH METZELER CRUISETECHS WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 19X3.5-INCH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH 19X3.5-INCH CALIPER ARLEN NESS 6-PISTON CALIPERS ROTOR ARLEN NESS ROTATOR MANUFACTURER REAR ARLEN NESS ROTATOR WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 18X5-INCH TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH 18X5-INCH FINISH-PAINT COLORS PAINTER GRAPHICS

BLACK, WHITE, BLUES, NEON YELLOW AUSTIN PADGETT @GFVINYLZ

ACCESSORIES FRONT FENDER ARLEN NESS PROTOTYPE CARBON FENDER REAR FENDER STOCK FAIRING/WINDSCREEN KLOCK WERKS YELLOW GAUGES STOCK GAS TANK/CAP ARLEN NESS 12-POINT RACE GAS CAP DASH CARBON FIBER OIL TANK STOCK HANDLEBARS ARLEN NESS MX STAINLESS BARS, ARLEN NESS METHOD RISERS HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS ARLEN NESS SPEEDLINER FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS ARLEN NESS MID CONTROLS, MX PEGS CUSTOM DYNAMICS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT CUSTOM DYNAMICS TURN SIGNALS CUSTOM DYNAMICS LICENSE MOUNT CUSTOM DYNAMICS SEAT LEPERA CUSTOM AUDIO J&M ROKKER

ODI V-TWIN MOTO HANDLEBARS • ODI Motocross Technology in a V-Twin Handlebar • Width: 31.75” Height: 4.75” Pullback: 2.125” • High-strength seamless double-butted alloy • Knurled clutch slide for improved adhesion with use of Slip-On Moto Grips • Shot-peened and hard anodized for improved durability • Slotted for Internal Wiring and notched for Throttle-by-Wire Systems • Available in Polished Black HART-LUCK Edition, Matte Black and Matte Silver finishes • Black features subtle ODI Blacked Out Logos / Silver features ODI Chrome Hit Logos

Tracker Series WIDTH: 30” HEIGHT: 2.75” PULLBACK: 1.75”

ODI_VTWIN | WWW.ODIG RI P S. CO M

BILTWELL’S DUALSPORT

WORDS & PHOTOS: BILL BRYANT

58 HOTBIKE.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s evident that the Biltwell boys have a serious addiction. To Sportsters. More importantly, converting Sportsters into desert sleds capable of running competitively in Baja. When the crew built a desert racer the likes of a full-on Dakar Rally ripper for the NORRA 1000 in Baja back in 2018, it was definitely a challenging feat to say the least.

That bike, dubbed Frijole, was a great way to open people’s eyes to how much potential the quad-cam Harleys can be for customizing. Especially in the dirt.

When a spare parts Sportster was purchased for that race, it turned out none of the actual spare parts were needed, so the Biltwell crew decided to build another fun sled, but something more versatile for the street and the dirt. The Spare Parts Sportster before you is the brainchild of Bill and Rouser from the get. It’s fun to see the creativity behind these very capable off-road Harleys.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 59

Racing the Frijole in the NORRA 1000

A

fter we built the original Frijole 883 to race the 2018 NORRA 1000 in Baja California, Mexico, we picked up a cream puff 2003 883 as a “spare parts” bike. We stripped it down and

brought the frame and engine with us in the chase van during the race in case we needed to scrounge parts or completely swap out the frame or power plant.

As it worked out, the race bike was way more durable than we expected and most of the spare parts came back in the van unused.

The next year, Rouser built the “Spare Parts Sportster” out of this donor and the leftover race parts. Our buddy Ricky flogged this version of the humble Sporto at Lapaglia’s practice track and then our crew raced it at the Mint 400 and the first two Biltwell 100 desert races.

Fast forward to 2023 and the bike was a little hammered and was time for a refresh. Our VP of Sales, Davin Wirtanen is a bad influence around here and his love for ADV bikes has been contagious. Harley introducing and loaning us a few Pan America motorcycles just poured fuel on the gravel road flame. I was considering a venerable KLR or Yamaha T700 as a pragmatic solution to this gap in my motorcycle quiver. Of course, either would have been fantastic and realistic choices, but then I recalled the ridden hard and put away wet SPS bike.

In the spring of this year, Rouser traveled from his surf lair in remote Panama to come up for his annual work trip in Temecula, CA. We brainstormed about what it would take to convert this semiretired race/thrash bike to become a more universal all-rounder.

First, we defined the mission: A street-legal bike that is capable of 300–500-mile days while having some modern features, extra fuel capacity, and the ability to haul plenty of gear. Of course, it had to be off-road capable and not lose any of the race-proven provenance inherited from the original Frijole and also be comfy and competent on the highway.

We went round and round about how to solve the extra fuel capacity issue. We didn’t want a strangely huge plastic tank, it just wouldn’t look or feel like a Harley. The simplest solution? Pop a couple Rotopax on either side of the H-D Pan Am top box. This way we fit an extra two gallons in addition to the stock 3.3. This lends itself to roughly 200 miles without an external gas stop. I need a snack about every 100 miles or so anyway. Rob built a rear rack to support the Harley Pan Am top box (by SW-Motech) and

60 HOTBIKE.COM

the saddlebag supports, and I did a little TIG-welding to stick it all

XT2 navigator which also serves as a speedometer. Below that on

together. We slipped the yoke of our EXFIL-18 saddlebags over that

the dash are aircraft style circuit breakers and switches for ignition,

rear support and rebuilt the exhaust system to keep its tucked-in

heated grips and the brilliant Baja Designs lights, and a USB charger/

compact routing but exit at a bag-friendly angle. (I was nervous that it

voltmeter is built into the side of the Manic Rally Tower. Those Baja

was still too close to the bag, but a recent all-day trip proved that our

Designs lights btw, are killer. I run the yellows in the daytime just to

work was not in vain, and the bag stayed intact instead of melting.)

be seen.

How’s it ride? Rob’s rebuild with the S&S 1,200cc Hooligan kit

Other race-proven bits are the Honda XR-400 oil cooler mounted

makes this bike way more peppy than the original Frijole. Tim Statt

on the neck and the Anti-Gravity battery with rigid mount. Like the

at Giga Cycle Garage carved up some new trees with a slightly more

race bike, we rebuilt the stock oil tank to bolt on to the frame rather

relaxed head angle and we moved the steering stops to get a better

than hang from the failure-prone stock rubber mounts. We ditched

turning radius than the old race bike. The gearing is perfect for mixed

the push-in oil tank cap and welded in a threaded bung and custom

use. It’ll run 70 mph all day on the highway without feeling taxed but

aluminum cap. These oil tank mods are often overlooked by novice

still has plenty of grunt down low to get this 500-pound wannabe dirt

desert racers hopping up a Sporty—all it takes is one tip-over for the

bike out of tricky situations off road. Rob’s attention to detail on the

stock oil cap to pop off and all is lost in the middle of nowhere. Less

build confused fellow riders on a recent ferry ride in the PNW. Most

racy, but visually important is the 2022 Subaru “Adventure Green”

of them insisted that it must be a new motorcycle and had a hard

and flat black paint laid down by Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan.

time believing it’s a 20-year-old Sporty.

The ergonomics are natural when seated and the standing position

This motorcycle may have been born and raised in the deserts of SoCal and Baja but it’s getting a new lease on life up on the

is totally comfortable for extended periods of time. Shifting is still

Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. I moved up here to the

GP-style to keep the shifter tucked and we kept the Rekluse clutch

upper left in Port Angeles this summer and the ADVXL is the

because it is such a fatigue-saver off-road. Rouser added heated grip

bike that gets the most use so far since it behaves so well in all

liners which sounds pretty bougie for chopper types, but when it’s

environments. I’ve yet to take it on any multi-day epic adventures

chilly, they sure are nice! Another modern touch is the Garmin Zumo

but that is absolutely the plan! HB ISSUE 3 / 2023 61

2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 883 PARTS LIST • S&S 1200 Hooligan kit • XR400 oil cooler • CV carb w/Rouser mods • Custom exhaust w/Cone Eng. muffler and JetHot coating • Rekluse Clutch kit • Buell XB valve covers and breathers • Dyna 2000i ignition • Cycle Electrics charging system • Antigravity battery • 2005 CR250F front forks • Elka rear shocks • Giga Cycle trees • GPR stabilizer • Manic Rally tower • Baja Designs Squadron Pro driving, spot, and fog lights • Motogadget turn signals • Garmin GPS • Heated grips • Modified Hugo Moto skidplate • Modified Hugo Moto foot controls • Giga Cycle rear brake carrier • Galfer brake rotors • Metzler MC360 tires • Beefed up swingarm • Reinforced frame • Beefed up oil tank mounts • Roto Pax 1-gallon tanks (2) • Harley Pan Am SW-Motech top box • Biltwell EXFIL-18 saddle bags

62 HOTBIKE.COM

Scan the QR code to see the ADVXL Sporty in action.

PAST

FROM THE 1990’S ARCHIVES

The

T

1990’s THE BEST DECADE EVER?

64 HOTBIKE.COM

he ’90s were intense. Slick Willie and his intern, Monica Lewinski, were doing some interesting experiments with cigars. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were brutally murdered, and the OJ trial essentially birthed reality television. The Rodney King beating and soon-to-follow LA riots created widespread panic. The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac were murdered and the whole East vs. West conflict was born. What about the invention of grunge rock and Nirvana’s frontman, Kurt Cobain, “allegedly” committing suicide? When you think about it, the ’90s were nuts! We like that the wide-scale digital age had yet to become a thing. And good old magazines (like this one) were how you entertained yourselves while taking a shit. Most importantly, you’d get the above Elvira look-alike types posing with some of the coolest customs the magazine has ever featured.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 65

PAST

FROM THE 1990’S ARCHIVES

66 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 3 / 2023 67

PAST FROM THE 1990’S ARCHIVES

68 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 3 / 2023 69

PAST

FROM THE 1990’S ARCHIVES

TECH

BUILDING A BETTER PART 3 BIG BEAR PERFORMANCE ADDRESSES THE FRONT SUSPENSION… OR LACK THEREOF WORDS AND PHOTOS: ROB FORTIER

C

ontinuing the ongoing saga of improving upon Harley-Davidson’s M-8 Softail platform—the everpopular FXLRS model, to be more specific—my

focus recently shifted, and not a moment too soon, from the drivetrain to the suspension.

If you’ll recall, Editor Jordan updated his Lowrider ST with an Öhlins NIX 30 (FKS 508) cartridge kit in our relaunch Issue 1, complementing his rear Öhlins S46 (HD 504) adjustable monoshock. When purchased, my 2021 Lowrider S, it had already been equipped with that same rear shock by its original owner, so to try something different for the front, Jordan suggested contacting Big Bear Performance, who had recently come out with their own 29mm cartridge kit for the Lowrider S/ST Showa 43mm inverted front end. And that’s exactly what I did.

But, before I get into the how, let me explain why. As stated, my FXLRS had been updated with the Öhlins rear shock, but my initial reaction was, it didn’t ride any better than stock. As for the front, which was untouched from the dealership, it definitely had room for improvement… it was rather spongy and dove dramatically upon hard front braking (not to mention what I assumed caused the rear to bottom out quite regularly). Overall, the bike’s suspension created what I could best describe as a “rocking horse” scenario when accelerating at speed through the gears.

72 HOTBIKE.COM

ABOVE: Kevin and Rob get the bike prepped and ready for the installation. BELOW:

The Big Bear Performance 29mm kit includes the cartridges, springs, preload spacers and necessary hardware. There are several specialty tools required for this specific application. We’d highly recommend using a reputable suspension dealer for the job.

Suffice it to say, I made an appointment with Big Bear Performance’s Kevin Alsop to not only have him install his 29mm cartridge kit, but to show how his versions of the drop in performance kit are assembled. During the process, Kevin explained the benefits of upgrading to a performance suspension setup. “Having correct suspension improves stability and grip while cornering and under braking, which provides shorter stopping distances,” Kevin says. “Holding your line through the corners, with the added stability and braking, makes it so much more enjoyable for the rider because it improves their confidence. Suspension isn’t just there to hold the bike up it’s there to control the input from the road surface on one hand but also to control the energy that is built up in the springs combined with correct fork oil level to support the bike under braking. We only come to these conclusions through multiple hours of testing.”

After about an hour of assembly time, Kevin and Rob took a quick look at the current settings of the rear shocks and—lo and behold—it was completely zeroed out on both comp/rebound, which explains not only the rocking horse scenario, but why the bike was bottoming out. After addressing that, I was told in no uncertain words, “Get on the freeway and go as fast as you can, as far as you can!” Which I did.

Without exaggeration, the bike handled and performed like never before—like it should’ve from the get-go. Accelerating through the gears, the bike was straight as an arrow (no more rocking back and forth between each gear), did not nosedive under hard front braking, and the ride was as smooth yet solid beyond expectation. All Kevin started with the compression side and assembled the cartridge kit.

combined, it provided for an incredibly enjoyable riding experience— something you must personally experience yourself to truly appreciate.

Kevin heated the fork foot to break the loctite loose from the bolt.

With the fork feet off, Kevin installed the steel insert for the rebound side.

Now the rebound cartridge was ready to be screwed into the steel insert.

Kevin installed the rebound and compression cartridges and tightened them up on the vise.

The fork on the right (hole at bottom) is the rebound side. The fork tube with fill hole at top is for compression side fork tube.

Kevin added Öhlins fork oil to each tube.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 73

TECH BUILDING A BETTER MILWAUKEE-EIGHT: PART 3

Kevin used Öhlins fork oil and stressed the importance of adding a specific amount to achieve the correct air gap inside the fork.

Once the fork cap was installed, Kevin adjusted the preload.

Once the correct preload was set, Big Bear Rob installed the fork tubes back in the Low Rider S.

Then the top and bottom triple tree pinch bolts were tightened up.

And installation was complete. Here’s a look at the compression side of the new fork tubes.

“SUSPENSION ISN’T JUST THERE TO HOLD THE BIKE UP; IT’S THERE TO CONTROL THE INPUT FROM THE ROAD SURFACE. WITH THE CORRECT FORK OIL LEVEL, IT WILL ALSO SUPPORT UNDER BRAKING. THE REBOUND VALVE CONTROLS THE ENERGY THAT IS BUILT UP IN THE SPRINGS. AS WE COMPRESS THE SPRING, WHICH BUILDS ENERGY, WE HAVE TO CONTROL THE RELEASE THROUGH REBOUND” – KEVIN ALSOP

And as Kevin put it, “having the correct suspension improves stability and grip under braking, providing shorter stopping differences, so it really is a huge safety factor as well.”

Looking back now, this probably should’ve been the first step in Building a Better M-8… but better late than never. HB

74 HOTBIKE.COM

SOURCES:

BIG BEAR PERFORMANCE (909) 478-7788 // bigbearperformance.com

76 HOTBIKE.COM

SOSA METALWORKS FABRICATION WORKSHOP WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI, ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALEX CHAPMAN PHOTOS: ALEX CHAPMAN

ISSUE 3 / 2023 77

78 HOTBIKE.COM

W

hen I think of Las Vegas, I immediately reflect back on some of the pretty bad decisions I’ve made through the years… and the hangovers.

Yikes. But just off the beaten path from the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip lies a hidden gem for metal enthusiasts and artisans alike: Sosa Metalworks.

Sosa Metalworks is an unassuming workshop where metal is shaped and molded; it’s a haven where creativity meets craftsmanship, and where individuals from all walks of life come together to learn the art of metal fabrication from long-time fabrication aficionado, Cristian Sosa, during one of his metal shaping workshops. We sent our man, Alex Chapman, to document the experience first-hand.

Who is Cristian Sosa, you might be asking, and why would people want him to teach them how to shape and mold metal into something artistic or functional or both? Well, Cristian seems like the guy in the background making everyone else’s shit look cool, but not the alleyes-on-me kinda guy. Cristian is the humble type but possesses all the talent in the world. “I’ve been working in these shops since I was 15 years old,” Cristian says.

“So, I’ve been doing the metal shaping thing for about 24 years, something like that, and metal shaping is kind of my specialty.” But let’s not forget about some of the incredibly cool handbuilt motorcycles Cristian has built through the years.

“Most of the builds that I do, I do them one at a time, and they’re built from scratch, basically.” Cristian has been into cars and bikes his whole life. When he started working in fabrication he was always most interested in being able to make something out of nothing. As a long-time bike builder who’s been shaping and molding materials for over 20 years, it just sort of made sense for the natural progression to be offering up his workshops to serve anyone and everyone interested in learning the metal shaping craft.

Upon arriving at Sosa Metalworks, participants are immediately welcomed into a tight-knit community of like-minded individuals. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, and filled with the anticipation of what will unfold in the coming days. Cristian started hosting these metal shaping workshops as a way to give back to the community and pay forward the wealth of knowledge he’s developed through the years with the help from those who shaped and molded him into the talented fabricator that he’s become. Whether you’re an experienced metal shaper or a complete novice it doesn’t matter, there’s a place for you here.

“I’ve been doing these classes for close to 10 years,” Cristian recalls. “Originally it started with people asking me to either come to my shop or somebody that owned a shop, and they would ask me ‘Can I go to your shop and spend the weekend with you or pay you so you can teach me how to do some stuff?’” As that became a more frequent occurrence, Cristian enjoyed doing them and the fabrication workshops on a more regular basis.

“It started growing so we opened it up to allow ISSUE 3 / 2023 79

SOSA METALWORKS FABRICATION WORKSHOP

whoever was interested in learning this kind of thing to join in,” Cristian says. “So, when we do these classes, it’s not necessarily always people that are in this field to begin with. Most of the time it’s people that are in some random type of work and they’re just interested in this, and they want to try it out.” And the diverse culture of clientele is what really makes the workshops unique as well. “I think that’s what makes it interesting,” Cristian explains. “But as far as the work, I mean, when you’re in there working in the classes, you’re very much on your own.

Even though there’s people around you, each person has their own project that they’re working on and they’re focusing on whatever problems they’re going through.”

The workshop consists of a three-day journey, with an additional meet-and-greet session on day one. As students gather, the camaraderie among the 10 students and the dedicated staff members becomes apparent. Cristian and his team are there to guide, mentor, and facilitate the creative process.

While he enlisted the help of someone he deemed worthy, Cristian’s ex-student, Carl Fisher from JapHands Kustoms in Canada, was up for the task. “Carl took my class in 2018 and he’s really good at it, so we became good friends and recently four classes ago I asked him if he wanted to jump in and help me run the class so that there would be two of us,” Cristian explains. “It makes for a better class because there’s more support around and also he can kind of teach his system of doing things, which he does a lot of stuff by hand.” Cristian thinks Carl’s participa80 HOTBIKE.COM

tion has greatly improved the class because not everybody that leaves the workshop will have access to the machines.

“It’s been an improvement having [Carl] around because he explains things in a way where you can go home and all you’ll need is a stump and a hammer and you can get started on practicing or making projects or whatever until you’re ready for a machine or to decide if you want to continue doing it,” Cristian says.

DAY ONE: SHAPING THE FOUNDATION The first day is all about getting acquainted with the tools and techniques of metal shaping. Cristian Sosa and Carl lead the way, demonstrating the use of power hammers and hand tools, like the English wheel and the versatile planishing hammer, also known as the “panel beater.” Students are introduced to the art of transforming flat sheets of metal into beautifully crafted bowls. This initial step is crucial as it sets the foundation for the days ahead.

DAY TWO: CRAFTING THE BLUEPRINT Day two takes a different turn as students shift their focus to creating wire frames. These frames serve as the blueprint for constructing custom fuel tanks for motorcycles. As students work diligently, they also gain proficiency in welding, ensuring they can securely assemble their creations. While some arrive with welding experience, Cristian and his team are ready to assist anyone who needs guidance.

CRISTIAN’S RIGHT-HAND MAN:

CARL FISHER

I’m Carl Fisher, also known as JapHands Kustoms on YouTube, and I’ve been involved in metalwork for a long time. My journey with Cristian Sosa began back in 2013 when we crossed paths while building motorcycles.

Since then, we’ve stayed connected, and in 2018, I had the opportunity to take Cristian’s metal shaping class, a decision that truly changed my life.

The workshop experience is an immersive four-day adventure. It all kicks off with a lively meet-and-greet on Thursday night, where we bond over tacos and beers. This informal gathering is essential because it helps build connections and eases us into the class.

As for my role in these workshops, I’ve been assisting Cristian for the past four classes. My primary goal is to support the participants, answer their questions, and help Cristian manage the class. It’s about ensuring everyone gets the most out of this incredible learning opportunity.

People come from all over the world to take this class, showing how farreaching the impact of Sosa Metalworks is. Whether you’re from Canada, like me, or Spain, the class attracts metal enthusiasts from every corner of the globe.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of this workshop is witnessing those “aha moments” when students grasp a concept they’ve been wondering about. It’s these moments of understanding that make the experience truly special. In a nutshell, Sosa Metalworks’ workshop is a transformative journey, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

On Friday, we dive headfirst into the world of metal shaping, starting with crafting symmetrical bowls. It’s a hands-on experience with various machines that allows us to understand metal’s behavior and the tools at our disposal. We also explore hand metal shaping, including using my own creation, the “Mother Tucker Hammer.”

Saturday shifts the focus to wireframes and patternmaking. It’s a quieter day, where we hone our design skills and create templates. By Saturday night, we’re ready to begin shaping our projects.

Sunday is the culmination of our efforts as we spend the entire day shaping our metal into fuel tanks. It’s a rewarding experience to see your project come to life.

For those considering entering the world of metal shaping, this class is an excellent starting point. You don’t need any prior knowledge or welding skills; you can come in green and leave with valuable insights into your metalworking interests.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 81

SOSA METALWORKS FABRICATION WORKSHOP

“I’VE BEEN DOING THE METAL SHAPING THING FOR 24 YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO METAL SHAPING IS KIND OF MY SPECIALTY.” 82 HOTBIKE.COM

DAY THREE AND BEYOND: FROM FRAME TO FINISH The excitement and anticipation grow on day three as students progress from wireframes to shaping metal panels around their frames. This is where the real magic happens. With the wire frame as a guide, students transform flat sheets of metal into intricate, three-dimensional fuel tanks. Each tank is unique, reflecting the individual creativity of its maker.

By the end of the workshop, some students will have completed their fuel tanks, while others may still be perfecting their craft. There’s no judgment or competition here; everyone is encouraged to progress at their own pace and ask questions without hesitation.

The Sosa Metalworks experience isn’t just about learning; it’s about forging connections, building friendships, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the art of metal shaping. Students leave with newfound skills, a sense of accomplishment, and the knowledge that they’ve learned from one of the best in the industry.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 83

SOSA METALWORKS FABRICATION WORKSHOP

“IT STARTED GROWING SO WE OPENED IT UP TO WHOEVER WAS INTERESTED IN LEARNING THIS KIND OF THING TO JOIN IN.” THE TAKEAWAY Sosa Metalworks isn’t just a workshop; it’s a journey of self-discovery and creative expression.

It’s a place where metal meets mastery, where beginners become artisans, and where a shared passion for craftsmanship brings people together.

Whether you’re a seasoned metal shaper or a curious novice, Sosa Metalworks welcomes you to join their community and embark on a transformative experience. Who knows? You might just discover a newfound passion for shaping metal and bringing your unique creations to life.

If you’re ready to embark on this incredible journey of metal shaping and creativity, don’t hesitate to register for the next Sosa Metalworks workshop. With Cristian Sosa and his team as your guides, you’ll not only learn the art of metal fabrication but also become part of a community that shares your passion for crafting beauty from raw materials. HB

84 HOTBIKE.COM

86 HOTBIKE.COM

RIDE A RIDE TO REMEMBER

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOHN ZAMORA

ISSUE 3 / 2023 87

A

7-year-old once asked Tom Brady, “Many people say you’re

memories of my dad missing a single birthday, performance, game,

their hero, but who’s your hero?” Taken aback by the

or graduation no matter how big or small. He was always present.

question, Brady responded: “Great question. I think my dad

Always.

is my hero because he’s someone that I look up to… every day (Brady gets choked up). My Dad.” The Zamora family of five brothers and sisters lost our dad in

When I was in my late twenties, I worked for the United States Air Force as a civilian budget analyst. I was set in a career that would almost guarantee me a well-paid, easy going (cough boring) life.

early 2022 after a long, rich 86 years on this earth. The word hero

What more could a father ask for? Instead, I decided to leave it all to

gets thrown around a lot and this is by no means a comparison to

be a motorcycle journalist for one-third the pay and one-tenth the

the countless others that protect and serve and who have laid their

stability. I asked my dad for advice on what to do and he said, “I trust

lives down for us. For me personally, my hero is and always will be

you and believe in you. Do what you think is best and I’ll support

my dad.

you no matter what.” Over the years, there wasn’t a single trip back

Recently, one of my brothers and I were able to take a ride up the

home that someone wouldn’t approach me and say, “Oh! You’re the

California coast to celebrate the life of Melcor Zamora who lived a

motorcycle guy. Your dad talks about you all the time.” Twenty plus

lifetime of what I would consider to be the epitome of a true man.

years later here I am, still living my dream thanks to that support.

With my brother David on his 2020 BMW R1250 GS adventure bike,

My Dad taught my brothers and me how to operate a motorcycle.

and me on a 2023 Indian Roadmaster Limited we were mechanically

My mother hated every part of us riding, but he could see the passion

equipped to do a ride around the world, but the purpose of the trip

that we all had for two wheels. It was that passion we all shared that

wasn’t the distance, it was to reflect and celebrate our father’s life.

we thought the trip would be the perfect way to honor his life.

What makes a hero? To me, it’s a lifetime of consistency, of setting

My brother and I headed up the central coast on our cross-country

an example of how to be a man. Who taught you to ride your first

motorcycles with focus on the purpose of the ride and less on the

bike or your first motorcycle? Who provided you with everything you

machines. The Indian Roadmaster Limited is an oxymoron because

needed, but made you work hard for the things you want? These

it showed no limits on the road. In my 25-plus years of riding, I

were not theoretical do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do lessons. These were lead-

can’t recall a motorcycle with more creature comfort options at

by-example methods of fatherhood. My dad was a humble, quiet

my fingertips. Our trip took place during an unusual heat wave in

man who let his actions speak volumes over his soft, few spoken

California that saw our riding temperatures swing in a single day from

words. Even as the sole provider of a family of seven, I don’t have any

103 degrees across the valley of Highway 101 to 53 degrees when

88 HOTBIKE.COM

“MY DAD TAUGHT MY BROTHERS AND ME HOW TO OPERATE A MOTORCYLE.” we arrived in Monterey. At neither time was I overly uncomfortable after quick adjustments to the power windshield, and the heated/ cooled seat kept me right in the zone.

My dad loved his beer. He told the same joke every single time about how the can he was holding “must have had a small hole in it” because it kept getting empty. So, at the end of each day, after parking the motorcycles for the night, my brother and I shared a beer together, ironically with defective containers.

Once moving again, the Roadmaster continued to impress me.

All you had to do is look where you want the bike to be, crack the throttle and 126 lb.-ft. of torque propels you there like a bike a fraction of its size. In stop and go in the blaring heat, the rear cylinder shuts down to keep you from having to do the one-footedhop at a stop. With 240-plus miles between gas stops, more remote lockable storage than I could fill, cruise control, and seven-inch ISSUE 3 / 2023 89

“I DON’T HAVE ANY MEMORIES OF MY DAD MISSING A SINGLE BIRTHDAY, PERFORMANCE, GAME OR GRADUATION...” touchscreen complete with ride command and built-in navigation, the Roadmaster Limited was begging to keep going long after our riding day was done.

One feature that helped merge the how and why of our trip was the stereo system. With the Indian taking care of all the comfort duties for me, a well cultivated playlist was all I needed to celebrate my dad’s life. At one point, while cruising down the world-famous Highway 1, the fog above the ocean collided with the shining sun of the sky on land. “There Goes My Hero” by Foo Fighters reached its turn in rotation and screamed across the 200-watt stereo system. I looked back at my brother in the rearview mirror seeing what I was seeing, feeling what I was feeling. I could only think of my pops looking down at us and wanting us to be at that very spot at that very moment.

This is what makes us riders. This is what makes us brothers on two wheels. For us that included a lifetime of guidance, leadership, and mentorship of what it means to be a man, and a true hero. Dad, you will always be my hero. HB

90 HOTBIKE.COM

TECH T PS

FROM THE

PROS:

WITH DANNY WILSON

FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION BASICS

W

elcome back to another issue of Hot Bike’s Tech Tips.

In this issue, we are going to cover front and rear suspension basics on one of the late-model Softails, a 2022 Low Rider ST.

So, what is the point of suspension? Some people might say that a

motorcycle suspension’s purpose or function is to make the ride more comfortable. That’s actually not the case. While a good suspension setup or a finely tuned application can, and does, make the ride more comfortable, ultimately, the main point of suspension is to keep the tire in contact with the road. When your tires are not in contact with the asphalt then basically you have no control of the motorcycle, which is obviously not ideal.

Harley-Davidson has two styles of front suspension: A conventional style front fork and an inverted front fork (or upside-down fork). Up until recently, most Harley-Davidsons have been equipped with conventional front forks, but with performance being the name of the game with riders these days, a lot of Harleys nowadays come equipped with inverted front forks from the factory. And they work pretty well. This particular model, the ’22 Low Rider ST, has the inverted front fork, which is more complicated to work on, but far superior in terms of functionality. There are people that make an entire career out of building and tuning suspension. It’s an art much like engine building, but it’s not talked about as much.

To be clear I’m not a master-certified suspension tech, but I do understand suspension and want to explain some basics so you know what we’re talking about here. Then you can make a more informed decision when making a purchase on some potentially costly new suspension products for your personal bike.

So, what’s the difference between an inverted front fork and a conventional? A conventional frontend’s fork tubes are what are anchored into the triple tree. The tubes are the least rigid part of the front fork. When you lay the bike into a turn the lateral force can cause the fork tubes to flex.

With an inverted front fork, the fork tube is at the bottom of the front fork.

The strongest part of the front fork, the fork leg, is anchored into the triple

WORDS: DANNY WILSON PHOTOS: BRYAN HEIDEN

SCAN THE QR CODE & CHECK OUT THE VIDEO IF YOU NEED SOME HELP DOING THIS YOURSELF ON THE HOT BIKE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 92 HOTBIKE.COM

The Low Rider ST served as our test mule for this application of updating the front inverted forks with GP Suspension cartridges.

The GP Suspension cartridges feature fully adjustable preload, compression, and rebound settings.

tree, so it has far less flex when lateral force is applied.

Be aware, front forks require quite a few special tools. You will fuck

The RWD 13.5-inch RS-1 Adjustable M-8 Softail Suspension system is a quality setup that won’t break the bank.

NOTE: Certain 2018–2023 Softails have been recalled for rear suspension mounting bolt failure. The bottom bolt can shear, causing

something up if you don’t use the right tools. Also, the forks are under

damage to the rear tire. A damaged rear tire can result in a loss of

spring pressure so be careful when tearing down because the steel

tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash. While we were replacing

preload tube can jump out and cut you pretty good.

the rear shock, we obviously needed to replace the bolts too.

For this application, we are using a GP cartridge kit for the Low

For the rear shock we went with a RWD 13.5-inch RS-1 Adjustable

Rider’s frontend. Our specific GP kit ($1,499 as assembled) includes

M-8 Softail Suspension system for 2018–2023 Softail models ($799).

the model-specific Low Rider ST cartridges ($1,379) and 35.1x260x1.05

This shock has far more adjustability and better valving than

KG 10.29 N/mm fork springs in each (add $60 for each fork leg, $120

stock. Much like the frontend, you’ll think you’re riding a different

total). The new GP frontend is fully adjustable and handles like a dream.

motorcycle. The combination of the GP Suspension fork internals

The stock suspension is good, but the GP suspension is great. It feels

and the RWD rear shock gives you amazing performance while still

like a completely different motorcycle once installed. It also comes set

maintaining comfort.

up pretty close for your weight. When we ordered the kit from GP we

The rear shock install is pretty straightforward. You will need to

simply provided some basic rider information and it came set up to

support the bike to take the pressure off the stock shock. It is held in

our specs close enough that all you need to do is fine tune it to your

with a large bolt at either end. At the swingarm there is a pinch bolt

personal taste.

that needs to be undone. When installing the new RWD rear shock

We are also changing out the stock tubes for black tubes. To do this you need to remove the fork feet. There is no magic involved in doing this, they simply thread onto the tube. To get them off you need

you will need to route the remote adjuster and mount it. This is also not hard to do, which we installed ours to the ST’s side cover.

All of the parts we’re covering here have superior fit and finish and

to throw some heat at them and use the axle to unscrew them. The

are made specifically for you and your bike and can be fine-tuned

threads are really fine so take care when putting them on your new

based on your riding style and your riding specifications. Check out

tubes to not cross thread them.

the subsequent YouTube video by scanning the QR code to get the

The Milwaukee-Eight Softail features a monoshock frame, meaning it has one rear shock that rides in the center of the frame attaching to

in-depth information on this particular installation.

Until next time ride safe and have fun on your motorcycle. HB

the top of the swingarm at its center.

The fork caps are equipped with two different settings since each fork tube allows for varying adjustments. The right fork cap allows you to tweak the rebound, while the left fork tube allows for compression tweaks.

And of course, both fork tubes allow for tailoring the suspension preload to your specs and riding style.

The fork feet simply thread onto the fork tube. To get them off you add some heat and use the axle to unscrew them. The threads are really fine, so be careful not to cross-thread them.

ISSUE 2 / 2023 93

The GP Suspension cartridges feature fully adjustable preload, compression, and rebound settings.

tree, so it has far less flex when lateral force is applied.

Be aware, front forks require quite a few special tools. You will fuck

The RWD 13.5-inch RS-1 Adjustable M-8 Softail Suspension system is a quality setup that won’t break the bank.

NOTE: Certain 2018–2023 Softails have been recalled for rear suspension mounting bolt failure. The bottom bolt can shear, causing

something up if you don’t use the right tools. Also, the forks are under

damage to the rear tire. A damaged rear tire can result in a loss of

spring pressure so be careful when tearing down because the steel

tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash. While we were replacing

preload tube can jump out and cut you pretty good.

the rear shock, we obviously needed to replace the bolts too.

For this application, we are using a GP cartridge kit for the Low

For the rear shock we went with a RWD 13.5-inch RS-1 Adjustable

Rider’s frontend. Our specific GP kit ($1,499 as assembled) includes

M-8 Softail Suspension system for 2018–2023 Softail models ($799).

the model-specific Low Rider ST cartridges ($1,379) and 35.1x260x1.05

This shock has far more adjustability and better valving than

KG 10.29 N/mm fork springs in each (add $60 for each fork leg, $120

stock. Much like the frontend, you’ll think you’re riding a different

total). The new GP frontend is fully adjustable and handles like a dream.

motorcycle. The combination of the GP Suspension fork internals

The stock suspension is good, but the GP suspension is great. It feels

and the RWD rear shock gives you amazing performance while still

like a completely different motorcycle once installed. It also comes set

maintaining comfort.

up pretty close for your weight. When we ordered the kit from GP we

The rear shock install is pretty straightforward. You will need to

simply provided some basic rider information and it came set up to

support the bike to take the pressure off the stock shock. It is held in

our specs close enough that all you need to do is fine tune it to your

with a large bolt at either end. At the swingarm there is a pinch bolt

personal taste.

that needs to be undone. When installing the new RWD rear shock

We are also changing out the stock tubes for black tubes. To do this you need to remove the fork feet. There is no magic involved in doing this, they simply thread onto the tube. To get them off you need

you will need to route the remote adjuster and mount it. This is also not hard to do, which we installed ours to the ST’s side cover.

All of the parts we’re covering here have superior fit and finish and

to throw some heat at them and use the axle to unscrew them. The

are made specifically for you and your bike and can be fine-tuned

threads are really fine so take care when putting them on your new

based on your riding style and your riding specifications. Check out

tubes to not cross thread them.

the subsequent YouTube video by scanning the QR code to get the

The Milwaukee-Eight Softail features a monoshock frame, meaning it has one rear shock that rides in the center of the frame attaching to

in-depth information on this particular installation.

Until next time ride safe and have fun on your motorcycle. HB

the top of the swingarm at its center.

The fork caps are equipped with two different settings since each fork tube allows for varying adjustments. The right fork cap allows you to tweak the rebound, while the left fork tube allows for compression tweaks.

And of course, both fork tubes allow for tailoring the suspension preload to your specs and riding style.

The fork feet simply thread onto the fork tube. To get them off you add some heat and use the axle to unscrew them. The threads are really fine, so be careful not to cross-thread them.

ISSUE 3 / 2023 93

472 CAMSHAFT

RACE SERIES OIL PUMP - FULL BILLET DESIGN - 27% MORE PRESSURE & SCAVENGE GEAR VOLUME OVER STOCK - PROPERLY SIZED PASSAGES

QUALITY ARP HARDWARE MILWAUKEE EIGHT 472 RACE SERIES CAMCHEST KIT // FEULING #7261

RACE SERIES LIFTERS - SLOWER BLEED DOWN RATE OVER STOCK - INCREASED OIL FLOW TO TOP END - REDUCED VALVE-TRAIN HARMONICS

FEULING LIFTER PUMP UP TOOL HP+PERFORMANCE ONE PIECE PUSHRODS

- HEAT TREATED FOR INCREASED HARDNESS - REDUCES VALVE-TRAIN HARMONICS - ELIMINATES PUSHROD FLEX

RACE SERIES HIGH FLOW CAMPLATE - 7075 BILLET ALUMINUM - 15-25 DEGREE COOLER ENGINE TEMPERATURES - 68% MORE OIL VOLUME TO CRANKSHAFT

DIRIBUTED BY:

ADAPTED FOR YOUR RIDE The Adaptive 2 Series® of LED Motorcycle Headlights dynamically fill in the dark corners as the bike turns left or right. Embedded sensors in the headlight work in real time to calculate banking angles and speed to adjust and direct precise beam patterns for maximum comfort and safety for the rider.

Made to Fit Your Ride No matter what you ride, we’ve got you covered. The Adaptive 2 Series® Headlights fit over 1,000 styles of motorcycles.

Adaptive 2®

Halogen

5.7 5

nd ou R ”

und Ro " 7

ide 5" W 8 .

6

Find Your Fit:

READERS’ RIDES

FUCK CANCER! Brian and Shelly Johnson, from Waverly, Nebraska, walked up to the Hot Bike booth at the Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Brian then proceeded to tell us that they had a couple of bikes that we had to shoot for the magazine. In fact, Brian was pretty persistent that we see the two baggers before you, and you know what they say about squeaky wheels and grease and whatnot. So, we obliged and walked with them over to where their bikes were parked.

On our way over, Brian explained that Shelly had just been given the news that she was cancer-free and had survived her difficult bout with the awful disease. The two of them were celebrating the beauty that this life has to offer the only way they knew how, riding their motorcycles to the largest rally on earth. While we now know the bikes were just the catalyst for Brian to tell Shelly’s story, it’s a great reminder that there some extraordinary people you’ll meet because you share a passion for motorcycles.

98 HOTBIKE.COM

SUBMISSIONS: We want to feature your bike in the Hot Bike Readers’ Rides section! All you have to do is take some decent photos of your bike like the ones you see here. We’re looking for good angles of the bike from both sides (pipe and primary) without a bunch of crap in the foreground or background. We also need some information: First/last name, year/make/model of the bike, some modifications you’ve done or are planning to do, and anything else that might tell your and your motorcycle’s story.

Once you have all of that information, simply email the images and information to info@hotbike.com with READ in the subject headline, and we’ll take care of the rest. For your trouble, each bike that we pick for this section in each issue will get this cool Hot Bike hat gratis! Note: Only active subscribers will be featured.