Cycle Source Magazine April 2018

CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE

21 YEARS AS AMERICA’S FAVORITE GRASS ROOTS MOTORCYCLE PUBLICATION

ISSUE NUMBER 253

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BIKES Perfection

Kevin Graham's Sportster Rebuild .............................................................. 22

Black Beauty

Jeff Allen Revives A 45 ....................................................................................... 40

The Crusader

Iacona Custom Cycles Triumph Racer ..................................................... 58

Root Beer Barrel

Anthony Robinson's Triumph .......................................................................... 70

DK Sporty

DK Custom Products Puts Their Parts To The Test ............................... 82

Softail Named Dotty

Peter Ballards Bike Built For An Adventure ............................................. 90

FEATURES Lone Star Rally 2018

Everything Is Bigger In Texas, Including The Party ..............................10

Motorcycle Missions

Helping Give Veterans & First Responders A New Skill .................... 28

First Ride

Ken Puts The Bagger Nation SRT Through The Paces ....................... 30

Something From Nothing-Pt1

Rebuilding A CB750 With MotoAuct ........................................................... 34

The Shed Run

Clinton Gets To Make The Run To The Cosmic Shed .......................... 36

Art Of Our Culture

Curt Green Of Bare Bones Leather ............................................................... 76

Thunder In The Valley 20th

Johnstown's Little Rally Celebrates 20 Years ........................................ 78

In Motion

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And They All Had To Run ..................................................................................... 96

TECH

She's A Rollin'

Wheel Bearings Removal and Installatoin With Daniel................... 18

Fabricating FXR Side Covers

Chris Walks Us Through The Steps.............................................................. 46

Threading On A Manual Lathe

One Of The More Challenging Operations................................................ 66

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EDITORIAL OFFICE

The Cycle Source Magazine 118 Dellenbaugh Road Tarentum, PA 15084

For Any Questions Or Comments Please Call 724-226-2867 or e-mail cyclesourcemain@comcast.net

EDITORIAL STAFF

Christopher Callen - Editor In Chief - cyclesource69@comcast.net Heather Callen - Managing Editor - cyclesourcemain@comcast.net Will Ramsey - Tech Editor - will@faithforgotten.com Milwaukee Mike - Mid-West Editor - neanderthalneon@hotmail.com Roadside Marty - South East Editor - roadsidemd@bellsouth.net Keith “Bandit” Ball - News Editor - bandit@bikernet.com J. Ken Conte - Test Ride Editor - kenconte@gmail.com

STAFF WRITERS

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Chris Callen, Milwaukee Mike, Jack Schitt, Pat Jansen, Will Ramsey, Xavier Muriel, Charlie Weisel, Mitch Bodine, Mark Velazquez, Amelia Rose, Daniel Donley, Joshua Elzey, Jimmy Frizzell, Roadside Marty, Scooter Tramp Scotty, Heather Callen, Rebecca Cunningham, Dan Venditto, George The Painter

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chris Callen, Amelia Rose, Heather Callen, Mad Stork Ken, Mark Velazquez, Carsten Fritzen, Twila Knight, Rebecca Cunningham, Dan Venditto, George The Painter

CONTRIBUTORS

Kayla Koeune, Pauly White, Jimmie Lee Cohen

STAFF ARTISTS

Jimmy Frizzell, Chris Callen, Seth Leibowitz

ADVERTISING

Heather Callen - Sales Manager - cyclesourcemain@comcast.net

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CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Heather Callen - 724-226-2867

New Products

COPY EDITOR

What's New On The Market................................................................................. 82 The World Report Powered by BikerNet.com ......................................... 100

Judy Duggan

LEGAL COUNSEL

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DEPARTMENTS From The Editor’s Desk .................................................... 8 Chopper Charlie .............................................................. 54 On Tour With X ................................................................... 64

James L. Paz Attorney at Law - Tarentum, PA - 724-226-9PAZ For Any Subscription Questions Call 724-226-2867 The Cycle Source Magazine® (ISSN 1935-0287) is published 12 times a year by The Cycle Source Magazine with Offices at 118 Dellenbaugh Road Tarentum, PA 15084, 724-226-2867, www.cyclesource.com. U.S. Subscription rate is $25.00 for 12 issues. Canadian Subscription rate is $40.00 for 12 issues. Back Issues, when available, are $6.00 each, payable in advance. Periodicals postage paid at Tarentum, PA ad additional mailing offices. The Cycle Source Magazine® reserves the right to reject any advertising or contributions that it deems unsuitable. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not of The Cycle Source Magazine®. Nothing printed in The Cycle Source Magazine® August be re-printed in whole or part without the express written consent of the publishers. Copyright ® 2018. The Cycle Source Magazine®, A Grass Roots Motorcycle PublicationSM, Scooter Tramp ™ Wild Man™ Low Down & Dirty Rotten™ Grease & Gears Garage™are registered trade marks.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle Source Magazine 118 Dellenbaugh RD. Tarentum, PA 15084

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Photo Hunt ........................................................................... 68 Pin-Up Of The Month ....................................................... 85 Endless Highway .......................................................... 86 The Edge With Jimmy Frizzell ................................... 104 Gut Busters ........................................................................ 113

DISTRIBUTION

Coast to Coast Newsstand Services Partnership 5230 Finch Ave. E., Ste. 1, Toronto, ON, M1S 4Z9 Cycle Source - Dealership Direct Distribution 724-226-2867

SPARE PARTS In The News

GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Chris Callen, Heather Callen, Amelia Rose

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ABOUT THE COVER Steve Iacona, is a quiet unassuming guy from the heart of New York that never stops thinking outside of the box. The Triumph that graces the cover this month is no exception. He went above and beyond to make his client's dream a reality and we think he more than nailed. We are honored to have an Iaconia Custom Cycle on our cover and are thrilled to watch as his talent continues to develop.

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Article By: Chris Callen

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s I sit here writing this today I am day five into a heavy bout of the Flu and Heather, as far as I can tell, is in day two. The tale I’m about to lay on you is one of a series of unfortunate

events.

It was the end of the Christmas break, and we were ready to hit the road for the second half of the IMS tour. Once we left home for Cleveland, other than a quick stop near the end of February, we would just travel from town to town, working on the War Pony in between. The timeline would be tight but with a little luck and skipping some sleep we should be able to pull it off. Cleveland was a hit, and we hauled ass to Dallas, where Moos and X were already helping us ahead of time on the bike build. We would need the extra help because not only was it a full show schedule, but this was deadline weekend too. With the couple of days between shows, we stopped in Oklahoma City, where Mike Hardin graciously gave us use of his place to do our work until we had to leave for the show. It’s times like these that I realize how lucky we are. Having friends across the country to count on has been the biggest reward of all these years.

Everything was on track, and we all started to get in the groove of the show, and except for the fact that staff parking was a mile walk one way, the show was

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rocking. Xavier was in town and brought a bag of goodies from Weld Tables; it was shaping up nicely. Then Saturday afternoon. I started having a hard time remembering what I was doing... then what I was saying or thinking. I started to break out in sweats; then I’d get crazy chills. For the first time in longer than I can even remember, I went home early from work. I couldn’t believe I was doing it. The next two days found me going through bouts of sleeping and trying to stand. Three or four seconds of the standing led to hours more of the sleeping. I was crashing man and hard.

Poor Heather was gonna have to pick up even more of the load as the clock was running. Every couple of hours she would bring some medicine in, we’d talk about the magazine for a minute, and I’d wake up hours later. Monday morning, we all left Dallas, I was still so sick, Heather had to drive most of the way back to OKC. We were about 20 miles from Mikes house when realized that Heather had picked up a pretty steady cough. Oh yeah, within 24 hours we found ourselves in a huddled mass of sneezing, hacking, sweaty mess, trying to finish the issue.

All the while arguing who’s fault exactly all of this was. I’m a man, so I know ultimately the answer to those arguments is me... But I love a good argument when I’m sick, so...

The last day of press was a monster.

It started with us waking up to the dog throwing up. YES, even the dog was sick.

Christ on a rubber crutch. Did I mention that when we finished the magazine, I was supposed to get up to Big Wills to work on the War Pony? There’s barely a chance of that now, it has literally come down to one page at a time, with breaks of nausea in between. We are quite a mess, and all I can think is we’re gonna need to send a cleaning service into Mike’s house to disinfect the whole place. Still, I can smell the sunshine and palm trees from here. Before too long we’ll be soaking up the Daytona sun and this year brother we will have earned the trip to Daytona! I might stay an extra week after the bikes all split just to let Heather and the dog get their poop back in a group. I guess even my tired ass old brain could use some time off, but I’d rather it not be under a blanket shakin’ and coughing.

I guess the point of this whole rant is to reflect on how once more, all I need to know about life has been taught to me through the motorcycle. In the order of crashing, well... clean dry underwear is a good start, having extra wires and medica l supplies in your saddle bag is another good idea, but about the only thing you really need to get through any bad situation is a partner to count on even if you do make each other sick from time to time.

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Article And Photos By: Heather Callen

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017 was a crazy year in the good Ol US of A. Fires, floods, hurricanes; you name it, the US took all that Mother Nature had to throw at us. As we all know Southeast Texas was one of the hardest hit areas, entire communities devastated due to an angry Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in August of 2017. Houston was all but shut down, the smaller surrounding towns without power

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for days on end. Yet, even with all the devastation and destruction we, as a nation, proved just how strong we are.

That we will persevere and overcome adversity. And I’ll be damned Texas was no exception. The people of the Lone Star state stepped up, lent a helping hand to neighbors, strangers, family, and friends. They proved that their hearts are as big as their state.

In the aftermath of the horrendous storm, the organizers of Texas’s biggest motorcycle rally wondered if

they should proceed as planned or if the area needed more time to heal.

After talking to the folks in the city of Galveston, doing some recon work and straight up asking the public what they wanted the answer was a resounding Yes, the rally must go on! And man did it ever, and we were so proud to be a part of the annual Lone Star Rally. The four-day event gave motorcycle enthusiasts of Texas something fun to think about, a way to create good memories amidst so

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many negatives that had surrounded the area for months prior. It was a brief reprieve for many and a way to support the local economy for others.

Now, I’m not going to lie, the Lone Star Rally is one of my favorite events of the year, not just because it’s a great way to close out our rally season but being from the Northeast and “having to go” to the Gulf of Mexico for “work” in early November doesn’t suck. I also just love Texas!

The people that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting are some of the greatest people to have crossed my path, the weather is as close to perfect as it can get, I say this not having been there in July or August yet, which from what I understand could make me change my mind...but I doubt it!

Enough about how much I love Texas, psst...Chris Hill Country is still calling to me…let’s get down to business. 2017 Lone Star would be a little different for the Cycle Source crew as we had a new project underway, the In Motion show. I won’t go into too much detail here because you can flip to page 95 of this issue and read all about it. What I will say is that Chris and I rolled into town a few days early with our tiny house and set up camp behind Seawall Park and set to work getting the Devil’s Cut ready for some of the best bikes and builders in the country.

Lighting, signage, ambiance all had to be just right for this inaugural event, and I think we pulled it off.

Usually, every Thursday of LSR we host a Run Down The Shore for rally attendees. This year we did the run.

However, it was the shakedown ride for all the In Motion bikes. You see, not only did they have to be there on time, they had to start and finish the ride with everyone else to qualify for the 10G’s. We started with 14 invited and ended with 11 qualifying. Now, the shakedown was open to rally attendees, but I’ll be honest, it was more about putting the builders to the test, but we did have a few of our regular riders in attendance, and for that we are grateful. Maybe next year we can combine the two a little better, we’ll keep ya posted!

Over the past few years, one of the main attractions on Seawall are the Old Time Bike Games that we host every Friday. Texas takes their games very…very seriously and this year was no different. Contestants and spectators alike lined the streets.

Despite the abnormally high temps and humidity that day thousands stayed for hours and cheered, heckled and helped contestants through to the end. As in years past, so many wanted to participate we ended up having to cut out a competition. We couldn’t have people getting heat

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stroke on account of having too much fun, now could we. Competitors tested their skills in the Slow Race, Barrell Roll, and Weenie Bite. Nothing like a warm saggy weenie hanging from a string on a hot day to get your tummy rumbling! Just kidding, it’s by far the most entertaining challenge there is. For three years running, Scotty Trip has showed up and brought his A-game each and every time; he did the same this year too as he was the overall winner and took home bragging rights for another year and a hand striped kidney belt from our buddy Atomic Bob (www.atomicdice. com).

Friday afternoon on the magnificent grounds of the Hotel Galvez, Mr. Dave Perewitz himself hosted the Perewitz Paint Show. What a scene, the coastal waters glittering in the background as the sun danced off the metal flake of some killer custom paint jobs.

The level of artistry displayed that afternoon was staggering, especially for someone like me who can’t even draw a stick figure. The competition was stiff, and I know Dave and Jody had a hard making their picks. Cudos to everyone that showed their stuff, like they always say, “if you’ve got it flaunt it!”

Friday night brought the closed judging for In Motion. Each builder had two minutes to tell the panel of judges about their build before the score sheets being filled out. Man, oh man, am I glad all I had to do was the tally for this show. Scoring eleven builders a 1 to 10 in 10 categories, knowing $10,000 was on the line... no thank you…I’ll just do the math.

It was great to witness the nerves, energy, and passion they brought to the room, many found it inspiring, and I bet you will too when you visit next year.

Saturday morning rolled around much too quickly and brought with it our annual Free Ride In Bike show. Every year I’m surprised at the diversity that shows up for our little show. With well over 100 bikes entered the judging was tough. We had everything on hand including kick-ass baggers, choppers, bobbers, sport bikes, trikes, vintage, antique and everything in between. We were thrilled to give Eric Scott Vaughan of Destroyer Garage the award for Best of Show. He snuck in by the skin of his teeth with a killer Panhead that you’ll see in an upcoming feature, so be on the lookout.

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t tell you about all the other cool happenings that take place on Galveston Island during the Lone Star Rally. The event organizers truly try to have something for everyone.

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Scavenger Hunts, a Truck /Jeep Show, and a Drive-In Car Show. The entertainment on multiple stages is always stellar and covers a wide array of genres. The legendary David Allen Coe took to the stage a time or two along with the Bobby Friss Band, Tom Keifer and Sawyer Brown headlined the event on Saturday night.

On Sunday as the Lone Star Rally was coming to a close we awarded the $10,000 to one exceptional craftsman while the rally holdouts anxiously awaited the final performance by, a Texan by birth, Vanilla Ice! All in all, Lone Star Rally 2017 was a tremendous success and a testament to the fortitude of our culture and its people. Thank you for letting us be part of your memories.

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ealed wheel bearings are found on 2000 and newer Harley-Davidson’s.

They are also on old to new metric motorcycles. It is a good idea to check these or have your local service shop check them for you during a tire change. You may also be removing them or replacing them before or after powder-coating/ chrome plating of your rims. The tools required for doing this task are relatively affordable and can pay for themselves during the first use. They are definitely a great addition to your tool box.

During a tire change or anytime the wheel may be removed from the motorcycle. I strongly advise that you

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Article And Photos By: Daniel Donley

www.pandemoniumcustomchoppers.com check your wheel bearings to feel their condition. You do this by inserting your finger into the bearing and rolling the bearing back and forth.

If you feel any roughness or a lot of resistance your bearings will need to be replaced. I use a Jim’s wheel bearing removal and installation tool kit. You can purchase the kit for around $150 and this is a top of the line kit. Other kits are available for less money.

This is what the wheel bearing removal and installation tool kit consists of: this particular kit has pullers and installers for ¾” -1” – 25mm bearings. I have had this kit for many years and it has served me well. Definitely worth the money!

I personally like to use OEM manufacturer bearings, or bearings from All Balls racing. Both are quality bearings. Beware of cheap knockoffs as they will NOT last. Even quality bearings are not very expensive, you can typically put bearings in one wheel for under $40

The kit uses an internal bearing

puller. The puller slips down through the inside of the bearing and grabs onto the back side with a lip. You will notice that there is a cone shaped spreader to spread the puller tightly against the bearing. I do advise that once you remove the bearings whether they are good or not, DO NOT reuse them. The removal process is very hard on the bearings and typically makes them unusable.

you can tighten the cone expander nut, this will swell the internal puller onto the bearing. I like to use a large crescent wrench to turn the puller nut. You WILL have to get after this as sometimes they come out very hard. They will also sometimes pop and creek as they are slowly pulled out: that is completely normal. On a side note DO NOT USE an IMPACT here. Hand tools only!!

To get things started you install the internal bearing puller into the bearing along with the spreader. This will require a good stiff push to get into the bearing.

The puller is doing its job and removing the bearing from the wheel hub.

Now you will want to install the puller hat along with the brass washer, you will want to apply oil to all the threads this will help prevent galling.

If not done, you can ruin your tool.

Installing the puller nut and cone expander nut are next. You will want to run these both up finger tight first to get everything into place. Then

With the bearing removed you can now remove the inner wheel bearing spacer, and then remove the wheel bearing from the other side.

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clean up the bearing pockets in the wheel, I like to use a scotch brite pad to remove any small burrs, rust or corrosion. Doing this will allow the bearings to slide in nicely.

Now that the bearings and inner spacer are removed you will want to

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Installing the bearings and inner spacer tube is straight forward. Do the Inner spacer tube first. Then with the use of the installation tool you pull both bearings in at the same time. I also like to use a little bit of light oil on the outer bearing surfaces to help let the bearings slide in easy. Make sure that the bearings are square to the

hub when you start pulling them in.

If you allow them to get crooked, you could damage the wheel hub. They typically pull in nice and smooth and when they are seated fully, you will notice resistance on the puller.

Well there you have it, wheel bearing

installation. If you are comfortable taking the wheel off your bike, then you should have no problem in doing a wheel bearing removal and installation. This job requires more than basic hand tools, but the tool can pay for itself after its first use!

If there is something that you would like to see me do a Tech article on please call me or email me with your idea. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at the shop anytime 419-576-6812 Daniel Donley Pandemonium Custom Choppers info@pandemoniumc2.com pandemoniumcustomchoppers.com

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ay hello to Kevin Graham. If you are part of the ever-growing Jersey bike scene you might have been lucky enough to have already met him. At the end of the day he parks his ride in Freehold New Jersey. This soft spoken yet rough around the edges dude is what I call a true grit rider. I’m pretty sure he has been riding since he could walk.

It’s funny how small the circle of coolness really can be sometimes. I have to admit that I’m not so cool myself but when I’m in need, I hit these circles and always come home with keeper builds and better yet, new friends. I say this because this is just how I happened to meet Kevin.

As always, I attended the annual Indian Larry Block Party this past year, who wouldn’t? During the day, I got to see so many people I have known

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over the years as well as a load of great bikes that grace this great outdoor party, It was there that I ran into my old friend Bob Crank, another long time Jersey boy. Cutting to the chase I asked him what he thought was cool that day and he pointed out a killer Sporty.

We walked over and there she was, a perfectly done 1967 XLCH. I’ve always had a soft spot for Sportsters. I had to have this bike and wanted to find out the story behind it. That’s when I made a new friend, Kevin.

Kevin was quick to show his Jersey pride and told me how he had been riding for over 45 years thanks to buddies like Lou and Fitz who he has known since his high school days in Jersey City.

The three of them together have made riding their age defender.

So now the deal with the Sporty. Kevin has

Article And Photos By: Mark Velazquez

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had this bike since 1975.

He found it while Pan shopping with his buddies. After having no luck he just happened to run into this 67 after being given a tip on a guy who was getting married and was packing it in. When purchased, the bike was a super cool chopper, the kind everyone is trying to build today. It was kick only and perfect down to the bolts: and at the time it was built for two. He made a quick deal, brought her home and added her to his growing stable.

The bike stayed just the way it was purchased for years. It was tucked away and taken out when it was her turn with his wife as his copilot. The years would roll by and then with a twist of bad fate, Kevin’s sister passed away.

Needing something to take away the loss and keep him grounded,

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his wife suggested that it was time he take on a feel-good project to keep his mind busy. Not being a builder but a pretty good wrench Graham thought it would be a good time to re-build the Sporty and make it truly his own.

And so, it began. He was on a budget but didn’t want to cut any corners. He began the teardown with the removal of the engine and tranny. Kevin went to Chris Freda over at Design Worx Customs and with a little guidance from Chris turned it into a hardtail with a 4” stretch in the rear.

With the main frame modifications done, it was time to get the engine back in place. Keving wanted to keep her as stock as possible but did work out some upgrades which included cams and push rods by Andrews, Manley valves, a Magneto ignition and of course a S&S Super E carb. For the rest, you can hit the spec sheet. When all was said and done, it’s a pretty bullet proof engine that just keeps on ticking.

With engine done and placed, a super glide front end was added along with a custom rear fender to accommodate the chain drive and shocks. A solo Rich Phillips seat was added. One of my favorite features is the Paughco Goose Neck exhaust.

With all these killer mods,

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PERFECTION TECH SHEET Owner:Kevin Graham City/State: Freehold New Jersey Fab. By: Kevin Graham/Chris Freda Mayhem Cycles Year: 1967 Model: HD XLCH Value: Time: 3 Months Engine Year: 1967 Model: XLCH Builder: Kevin Graham Ignition: Magneto Displacement: 900cc Pistons: Wiseco Heads: Harley Davidson Carb: S&S Super E Cam: Andrews Air Cleaner: Speed Dealer Customs Velocity Stack Exhaust: Paughco Goose Neck Primary: Harley-Davidson Transmission Year: 1967 Make: Harley Davidson Shifting: 4 speed foot Frame Year: 1967 Make: Harley -Davidson Modified Rake: A Little Stretch: 4” Tail Section Forks Type: 41mm Wide Glide Builder: V -Twin Extension: Triple Trees: Wheels, Tires, Brakes Front Wheel: Spoke Size: 21” Front Tire: Avon Speed Master MK II Front Brake: Disc Rear Wheel: Spoke Size: 16” Rear Tire: Goodyear Super Eagle Rear Brake: Mechanical Drum Painting Painter: Andy Hoy, Lees Garage Color: Green Type: Graphics: Kerry Buckley K&M Molding: Neck & Tank Chroming: Ecker Plating Accessories Bars: Drag Risers: ” Hand Controls: Speed Dealer Customs Fuel Tank: Harley -Davidson Front Fender: None Rear Fender: J&P Cycle Seat: Rich Phillips Foot Controls: Forward Mirror: Speed Dealer Customs Oil Tank: Wrap Around Headlight: Bates Taillight: Lowbrow Customs Model A Speedo: None Photographer: Mark Velazquez

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aftermarket parts and of course the killer motor all good in the world. Now, it all came down to paint, paint, paint. Kevin has been using Andy Hoy of Lee’s Garage for every bike he has ever owned and did not plan to break the chain. So, the killer paint you see on this ride proves that you should always go with who you know!

With the bike done in just 3 months Kevin is truly blessed and a happy camper with a bike he can call his own. It’s interesting that when in tough and troubled times these bikes always seem to get us to the other

side.

As for Kevin, the blessings of this bike seem to never end. It’s been a winner at Panstock and many other shows but what Graham feels is the best thing to come from this is what he calls the forced friendships. With this bike, he has grown a larger circle of friends. Friendships of love and respect that you only get from this culture.

Such a testament makes even a guy like me want to build my own one day. But for now, I will let lady luck lead me to more people like Kevin Graham.

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motorcycle missons krystal hess and her group have been making big strides

Photos Courtesy Of Motorcycle Missions (Katie O’Connell, Garrett Stanley, Rudy Ximinez)

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long with the many other splendors of the Dallas IMS Show, we had a chance to catch up with Krystal Hess and her Motorcycle Missions.

They debuted a new build on Friday Night at Strokers.

Before we get too far into that, I want to catch our readers up on what Motorcycle Missions is.

Founded in 2015 by Pediatric Nurse, Krystal Hess, Missions was born out of her own pesonal tragedy.

Having just moved to Texas for a new ralationship Krystal found herself the witness of her significant other’s suicide attempt.

The wake of

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which left a trail of destruction that included a bike build the two were working on together that was 75% complete.

After searching her soul for the answer Krystal decided the only way back was to finish the build.

She knew that the only way to close that horrible chapter was to finish it in a positive way, so she did.

“Today, I use motorcycles to overcome my trauma and to help others do the same through my non-profit Motorcycle Missions.

My mission is to help individuals with PTS(D) and suicidal ideation find hope and balance through motorcycling.

I

don’t know where I’d be without motorcycles, so I hope to help others find the same passion.”.

A few years later, Krystal continues to reach more veterans and First Responders. With 22 Vets and 3 EMS taking their own lives each day, this is a noble cause and one that almost certainly touches us all peronsally.

Through Missions the work they do gives focus and purpose. Programs like the “The Motorcycle Build Mentorship Program” and “Project MX Motocross Camp” contain incredible stories of dealing with, if not overcoming PTSD. Not that long ago, one of our good buddies Chris Moos of Misfit Industries got deep into the Motorcyce Missions project and we started to pay more attention. On Friday, February 2nd, we were honored to be at Strokers Dallas when Misfit Industries, along with 22Kill.org presented

one very deserving Veteran, Tinman, with a new and improved version of his old ride. Since Tinmans EOD, that left him as a double amputee, one eye and three fingers left on his “good hand” he has put a whopping 20K miles on a trike that had definitely seen better days. As is common with this industry we are so lucky to be a part of, the call went out and companies like Legends Suspension, Custom Dynamics, Dakota Digital, Klockwerks, CFR Mufflers and James Carter Seats stepped up without hesitation.

Now, Tinman can have the smooth ride he’s earned while he fearlessly defended our right live the life we love.

For more information or to support Motorcycle Missions please visit www.motorcyclemissions. org.

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need to come clean about this right from the start: in general, from a performance perspective, I am not a fan of big wheel baggers. They can look cool, but I haven’t been on too many that ride well. I will say that I’ve tried to chase down Paul Yaffe while he was on a 26-inch big wheel Road King through the mountains of Colorado, and I couldn’t keep up, so I’m sure some of it has to do with the operator.

When Paul first started telling me about the SRT bike (short for Steam Roller Touring) he was building, it intrigued me from a performance perspective. Paul partnered with

bagger with a big wheel to make a true performance sport touring bike.

This could not be accomplished with what was available, so he partnered with Shinko to make a true front tire, called the 777 SRT HD, with a heavy-duty load rating.

But you can’t just slap on a 20inch wheel and think it will handle well. Paul conducted tests for hours and found the perfect rake and triple-tree setup to make it handle like a dream. He put together the SRT kit so any builder with a latemodel Harley bagger can customize their bike into an SRT, leaving out any guesswork. For $1999 the SRT

Shinko to create a whole new tire and wheel size (20” x 5”) that would have the same radius as a 23-inch but provide much more contact area, thereby creating a much more stable ride. I was skeptical. It seemed like it could be heavy, and the potential for tire flop appeared high.

The journey to the SRT for Paul started years ago. He wanted to do something new and innovative. If you’ve never spoken to Paul about what he’s working on at a given time, it’s a great way to break the ice. He has so many projects that push the envelope of what’s being done in terms of parts and performance that I’m amazed he sleeps at all.

The SRT was born out of necessity, though. He wanted a great riding

kit comes complete with a Shinko 20-inch SRT 777 tire, Bagger Nation– forged 20” x 5” wheel blank, Bagger Nation 7-degree wide-rake tree kit, Bagger Nation 7-degree-raked neck block, Bagger Nation wide Yaxle and a wide Bagger Nation Thicky front fender. If you have the aptitude, it is well worth the money to make your bagger truly unique and rideable.

I have quite a bit of experience riding expensive one-off motorcycles.

I typically don’t get nervous—it’s just a bike. But this was Paul Yaffe’s personal ride that he’d spent hundreds of hours perfecting, so I was a little apprehensive when I first threw my leg over it. What I discovered immediately was that at slower speeds it rode like a dream. It

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Article By: J. Ken Conte Photos By: Chris Callen

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felt light and maneuvered as well—if not better—than a stock Road Glide. Yes, you just read that right: better then a stock Road Glide. As I got it up to speed, the throaty Cult Forty-Five collector started to sing, and I started to relax. The footing of the bike didn’t waver—it stuck as solidly to the asphalt at 5 mph as it did at 90 mph. This bike was the cure for the big wheel bagger, and I had it for two days. Everywhere I went people asked about it, and I happily obliged with my opinion: it is the solution to performance problems in big wheel baggers that some people have experienced. Couple that with the Bagger Nation Monkey Sport Bars, a ton of Bagger Nation Speed Freak accessories and a Bagger Nation Wail Tail tour pack, and you not only have a bike that rides great, you’ve got a fully custom machine that can win any show it enters.

Shortly after riding the SRT, I got a Road Glide Special long-term loaner from Harley-Davidson, and I put thousands of miles on it. I liked the Road Glide platform, but I found that the front tire just seemed inadequate.

It wasn’t bad—heck, it was better then most touring bikes, and it looked great— but riding that low, stretched beefy SRT has become the high bar to which I will always compare any bagger. I know it isn’t fair, because the SRT is meant to be a performance bagger, but the factory should take note: instead of just adding chrome to their CVOs, they might talk to Paul about augmenting performance with his SRT modifications, because the SRT really is the standard by which all performance baggers should be measured.

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A

Article By: J. Ken Conte Photos Courtesy Of MotoAuct

s an avid motorcyclist, I want to see as many people out riding motorcycles as possible. The feeling of being on an open road with the wind in your face is unparalleled and only surpassed by experiencing it on a machine you know intimately that you’ve built with your own hands.

Over the next few issues, we are going to show how a free motorcycle— that’s right, this bike was free—can be transformed into an auction-worthy café racer and encourage the non-riding public to get out and ride.

Jason Delacroix and Jason Williams, cofounders of Motoauct. com, are passionate about vintage motorcycles—so much so that they started the only online auction site dedicated to vintage motorcycles. The idea was to take some of the financial sting and budgetary constraint out of typical vintage motorcycle auctions and provide the vintage community with a common place to meet online.

They’d bought and sold at “tent-pole”

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auctions over the years, scoured eBay and won auctions only to get burned, and had way too many sketchy craigslist encounters.

Motoauct. com was born out of necessity, and it has blossomed since launching as the only online vintage motorcycle auction site of its kind.

To celebrate their launch, Delacroix

and Williams decided to find what looked like an unsalvageable project bike, put some elbow grease into it and offer it up for auction on their site in time for the Quail Motorcycle Gathering

in May. If you keep your eyes open, anyone can find a bike in similar shape, rotting in a yard. Heck, I know a guy who found an Indian Chief that way and restored it. Keep your eyes open, carry cash and don’t be afraid to ask. They did exactly that and found an original-owner 1978 Honda CB750, with only 25K miles on it that had been parked for the last 30 years.

There were a lot of questions that needed answers, but first the bike had to be hosed down with insecticide and left for a few days.

It was found in an arid climate, so the critters hiding out in it were not to be messed with—they did a thorough cleaning of the bike and set to work.

The first and most timely proposition is tearing down the drivetrain. This can be very intimidating work if you haven’t done it before, but with all the resources out there, including Clymer’s guides, blogs and YouTube, you can get everything freshened up and moving freely. The best tip is to take lots of pictures, be methodical

about labeling parts and have a system in place for storing them.

The next order of business is to see if the heads are worth saving.

The Motoauct.com guys filled the combustion chambers with gas to see if they’d hold liquid, making sure the valves seated properly. There were no issues. Then they pulled the carbs and the drivetrain, removed the valves, decked the heads, and honed and touched the valve seats in preparation for a full-scale rebuild to make it a solid runner. If it was going to carry the Motoauct.com name and be sold on the site, they were going to make sure the drivetrain was bulletproof.

The carb bank was stuck, but after some time in the ultra sonic cleaner they were ready for a rebuild and re-jetting. Once the bodywork was removed, they saw period lowering blocks had been added, giving this CB its long, low look, which they planned to keep and upgrade with modern parts. They stripped everything from the frame and discovered more critters and crud. Then they commenced a thorough scrubbing of the frame, inspected it for any signs of wear that needed addressing, and began their modifications.

One of the great things about the Honda CB platform is that there is a

plethora of bolt-on and weld-on parts available. It doesn’t matter if you want to craft a chopper, bobber or a café racer. Dime City Cycles got us hooked up with a $55 “Brat” seat pan and a $95 DIY upswept custom rear tail hoop to clean up the CB’s rear end. This is where it gets fun, and, as a new builder, your creative side can come out. You can hand-form a rear cowl, leave it flat or make a giant 70s-style king-and-queen seat,

depending on the look you’re going for. In the next issue, we’ll show how we started to get the rebuild done and some of the great aftermarket parts we used to make this supposed hunk of junk into a solid café racer.

Check back on the Motoauct.com site for more news and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

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s most of you know, we have some pretty cool events that go down here in Texas.

However, one of the best is one that you’ve probably never heard of. And that’s by design, is called The Shed Run. The Shed Run is put on by Scott Hoepker, you might know him as Chemical Candy Customs. He has been hosting the Shed Run for 14 years. Held in his home town of Henderson, Texas, the location is known locally as The Cosmic Shed and our host is Miss Cindy. Let me tell you, Miss Cindy is awesome, she parties all night with us and is the first up and has the coffee ready pretty early.

As I said you might not have heard about it and that’s because attendance is by invitation only. A

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Article By CLinton Wallace Photos By: Tom O’Keefe @tim.okeefe @thestagmag few years into hosting the event, Scott opened it up to everyone and let’s just say that it got a little outta hand and was just not manageable. So, Scott decided to go back to invitation only, so if you know, well then, you know...

Hoepker hosts the run twice a year, once in the spring to kick off the year and once in the fall as a final ride before the weather turns to shit. It runs from Thursday through Sunday and people just show up whenever they can get there. Over the last several years, Scott has lined up some killer bands like, Quaker City Night Hawks, Lulu, The Black Sheep, and The Outbound Train just to name a few. The guys from The Bucking Pig usually show up on Friday and start the BBQ up and

keep us all fed until everyone’s gone on Sunday. And let me tell you, if you haven’t had any BBQ from these guys you are missing out.

Let me step back and give you a little insight into what is known as The Cosmic Shed. It was built

by Fred Rodgers a self-proclaimed trash artist. It was built usiång old telephone poles, and discarded materials. It is four stories high in the shape of a pyramid, and the grounds around it showcase his trash art and metal sculptures.

Once he passed away it was turned into an art museum and Miss Cindy, who was Mr. Rodger’s partner, maintains it.

Friday, we usually ride into town for some breakfast then back to camp to get ready for a day of

riding. Everyone that’s there goes for a ride around the east Texas piney woods. Then its back to camp for some awesome BBQ and maybe a game of washers or horse shoes. Everyone hangs out, some people take off in small groups for rides until nightfall when the band sets up by the camp fire and plays deep into the night.

Saturday, is the big day. By now everybody has shown up and the day starts with breakfast by the guys from The Bucking Pig. Scott leads us on a guided tour to some of his favorite spots. This usually lasts until late afternoon, it’s a rad time getting to ride with close friends and seethe country side.

It’s a nice change of pace from being at some of the big events with so many people, it’s nice to be with just a few and not have to rush to be anywhere. Then it’s back to camp once again for another great band, camp fire, and one hell of a party that usually leads into the morning hours.

Sunday, starts with breakfast, then everyone pitches in and gets the place cleaned up and back to normal for Miss Cindy. Nobody gets out with out helping out.

Reluctantly the weekend comes to a close and all break away to head back home. The Shed Run

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is one of my favorite runs of the year because while they party hard, it’s one of the most relaxing weekends of the year for me. If you’ve been to it then you know and if you haven’t, maybe you’ll get the invite one day. I would like to thank Scott for putting on such a rad weekend and Miss Cindy for being such a badass and awesome host. Maybe one day I’ll see you out there.

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ust because you want a nice old bike doesn’t mean you have to have a 100 % restoration. Sure, when you’re tryin’ to win trophies an over the top restoration would be in order. However, what if it’s just a bike you have and you’re more worried about riding it rather than impressing some goon with a checklist and a microscope.

In this case, you should take a good long look at what you

have and choose where you want to spend your money to make the bike nice enough for the road.

This was a situation that Jeff “Tennessee” Allen found himself in with this beautiful 1941 WL. Jeff got this bike as a means to seal a deal a couple of years ago. It really wasn’t something Jeff was too into but if it came with a deal that he was already working on, he figured why not grab it

and do something with it.

Jeff took the bike to his shop, and then decided what his attentions would be focused on and what to leave alone. The bike was originally an 80’s build and is basically a hodgepodge of different parts. Jeff steered his way through everything to find as many original parts as possible.

Although the bike would have probably run in its

Article By: GTP Photos By: Chris Callen

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current condition Jeff decided to rebuild the top end and would leave the bottom end untouched.

As Jeff stated “…it’s a 45 and if something goes wrong, it goes wrong with those bottom ends.

As long as it spins free, doesn’t have excessive end play and doesn’t make a lot of noise your good.”

While Jeff was rebuilding the motor from the base gaskets up he removed the tins and gave them to John Dills for a quick spray of black paint. While this was going on Jeff rebuilt the cylinders, pistons and went for a total head rebuild while they were off.

The Linkert carb was also in need of a rebuild, and it was outfitted with all the new parts that were needed to make the old flatty purr. He also started to gather all the trim for the bike and even scored some NOS trim mounts for the front and rear trim.

John Bordass was given the task of restoring the

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speedometer, and Wayne Haggler of Heathers Leathers recovered the seat and saddlebags (not shown).

When he was addressing the electrical system, he got a real surprise. Jeff found that the original clothe wiring harness was in good shape and completely usable and that the generator was still charging after all those years.

With the addition of only a stock HD battery and fluid changes, the bike fired.

With all the parts back from their respective craftsmen Jeff and his pals assembled what they had to. Then they started the arduous task of getting it running, which according to Jeff required one prime kick and one with the ignition on and she fired right up and ran just fine.

I asked Jeff about his rolling gear, and he stated that the tires that are on it are as they came, and he thinks they even have original tubes in them.

Apparently, it runs and rides

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BLACK BEAUTY TECH SHEET owner: Jeff Allen City/State: Sylva, NC Builder: Jeff Allen year: 1941 Model: Harley-Davidson WL Value: Time: ENGINE Year: 1941 Model: WL Builder: Jeff Allen Ignition: Harley-Davidson Points Displacement: 45ci Pistons: NOS Harley-Davidson Heads: Harley-Davidson #6 Carb: Linkert M51 Cam: 4 Harley-Davidson Air Cleaner: 7” H-D J Slot Exhaust: 2 Into 1 With Muffler Primary: Dramond Chain TRANSMISSION Year: 1941 Make: Harley-Davidson Shifting: 3 Speed Tank Shift FRAME year: 1941 make:Harley-Davidson Model: WL rake: Stock stretch: None Front end type: Springer builder: Harley-Davidson extension: triple trees: WHEELS Front: Harley-Davidson Stock Size: 16” Tire: front brake: Harley-Davidson Stock rear: Star Hub Size: 16” Tire: Shinko rear Brake: Harley-Davidson Drum PAINT Painter: Dills Paintworks Color: Black Type: graphics: None chroming: Harley-Davidson Stock ACCESSORIES Bars: H-D Hollywood risers: None hand controls: Harley-Davidson foot controls: Harley-Davidson Gas Tank(s): Harley-Davidson Oil Tank: Harley-Davidson Front fender: Harley-Davidson rear Fender: Harley-Davidson Seat: Heather’s Leathers tail light: Harley-Davidson Speedo: Harley-Davidson photographer: Chris Callen

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fine and he has put a few thousand miles on it without incident.

So, the next time you are faced with a similar project, take your time and choose your direction. If you go the restoration route, gut the bike and take out a second mortgage and get to it. If you decide to just enjoy the bike on the road for your own gratification, you might want to choose your repairs carefully and get yourself onto a runner that doesn’t break the bank. Either way, you choose, you should consider yourself happy to have a bike like Jeff’s. “GTP”

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Article And Photos By: Chris Callen

A

nyone that’s been watching knows, the War Pony Project has been going full tilt in the Grease & Gears Garage during the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. With so little time to get this whole thing finished we are leaving very little chance; opting out of sending things out to other people.

With that, we have a little metal shaping tech to share from this month in Cleveland.

Now, right off I will tell you that there are a million ways to do this type of work. Mine comes from a background in auto body rust repair, so much of how I go about this project came from making panels to repair rusted off fender skirts. In any event, I learned to use some new tools and

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had some fun. In the following text I’m going to share with you the steps of taking some flat sheet steel and a small investment in tools, create your own side panels.

proper buck, we do begin with simple cardboard taped to the frame section.

Then I run a razor knife along the frame rail to shape it to fit inside the rails.

Most will tell you that this work starts with a template of some sort. While we are not going the full route of a

Once I get the shape right, I make indications of where the frame bends and I will want to add form to it later.

With a Sharpie, I transfer the template to a sheet of 18 gauge steel.

This extra 3/4 inch will give me the metal to make sides for the covers so it fits inside the frame.

The section of extra metal at the bottom where the foot peg mount will be doesn’t have space for any sides. I cut that away before we get started.

The air nibbler is my new favorite tool.

I use it to cut out my panel.

I know there is probably a fancy tool for this step but I simply tape a screw driver to my Sharpie and get a 3/4 inch space between the two points and make a second outline.

At this point, I also transfer the places where the frame bends.

Using a cutoff wheel, I make relief cuts along the outside border of the panel, stopping just at the inside line.

These will let the panel flex as we start to give it shape later on.

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At first, I started this project by using a section of pipe locked in a vise, I soon ordered a set of T-Dollies for $80 that made the finished product way better.

With the T-Dollies locked in the vise I start from the middle of one side and work my way out, radiusing the extra 3/4 inch of metal past my inside line.

At this point I just let the tabs bend where they will.

Once all the sides are radiused over, I hold the piece on the edge of a flat surface, lining up my frame line indicators, and I smack it with a flat hammer. Just enough the get some shape to it. At this point it starts to fit in the frame.

You can see here how the relief cut has slightly opened. Some of them will open, some will close, some may even overlap. The overlaps get cut off so they don’t interfere with the next step as we start to shape it further.

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Once we have checked our fitment, and adjusted where need be, we move on to securing our reliefs. The tool you see above is a neat little cheat that Daniel Donnley’s dad Leo turned us on to; plug weld pliers. We want to weld these cuts back up and give the panel some strength again. These pliers make it easier to do as they provide a backer that the weld doesn’t stick to.

With the part on a beaters bag I start in the middle and work out in a circle with a body mallet. These come in a variety of sizes and you just have to get the feel for what each one does.

I really don’t hit it very hard at first just to start getting the metal moving.

Remember this will get way worse before it gets better so just look for the depth you want right now and not the finish.

Later on we will clean away the excess and it will smooth out nicely.

After I am happy with the depth I take it to the planishing hammer. Now this is a high end tool that I recommend.

For about $200 this thing saves so much time that it’s well worth the investment. Using a slightly domed bit I work the metal smooth. Again, you just have to get a feel for the different tooling.

At this point you might be happy with the results and want to stop, that’s fine but we want to take it a little bit further and add a little body shape to the middle.

Using the sharpie I make some rough lines to keep track of the shape of the panel and also to determine where I will be adding shape.

While these are still not done, they’re pretty good for two hours time per side. From here going back and forth with the T-Dollies and some body hammers on an anvil will produce some killer results.

In the end the thing that I dig is having the ability to look at this bike and know that I learned something new and created something with my own two hands, and you can too. Get out in the garage and give it a shot!

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1. Different logos on tank. 2. Different Logo On Primary Cover. 3. Bigger Velocity Stack 4. # Of Bolts On Ptimary Cover. 5. Missing Wiring. 6. Different Color Petcock. 7. # Of Bolts On Skidplate. leg. 8. Length Of Front Cylinder FIns. 9. No Bolts On Tank. 10. Size Of Rocker Arm.

FIND TEN DIFFERENT THINGS ON CRUSADER NO THERE ISN’T ANY REAL PRIZE, JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE IN THE CAN.

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Article And Photos By: Charlie Weisel

I

see it every day in this once pleasant and chill town of Boulder, Colorado that I live in.

People are scurrying around like short sighted rats, focused on nothing beyond the tip of their nose and the quantity of commas in their bank account. Teslas quietly dominate the streets piloted by uptight and privileged soccer moms pointlessly checking emails as if there is something of importance to read, acting like it’s the end of the world when their yoga class gets rescheduled.

Some spoiled little brat is likely screaming in the backseat, clueless as to how the rest of the world lives, spoon fed his gluten free, vegan, humanely cultivated load of crap that life is easy and he will never have to lift a finger to get by. Sadly, that

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will most likely be the truth for this kid. This snot nosed little ten-year-old has more in the bank

waiting for him to turn 18 than most of us will make in a lifetime.

Privilege has become the norm

around here and with that comes an onslaught of arrogant, spoiled citizens who somehow think life is difficult for them.

Get a grip people. Life may come easy to you, but for the rest of the world, especially in the blue-collar sector, life is difficult.

We wake early, strap on our tool belts and get to work. We spend our days working to build oversized, indulgent homes that are so completely unnecessary it makes me sick to my stomach.

Homes with theaters that cost enough to feed a nation, $10,000 ovens, and chandeliers made of Swarovski crystals, heated toilet seats and multi-level garages. Meanwhile, at the end of the day, our callused hands grip the steering wheels of our dilapidated trucks and drive us back to our humble homes on the

outskirts of town where the rest of the world lives. This is the part of society that understands what it means to work hard for everything we have. This is the part of the world that has survived without handouts, trust funds and a silver spoon.

Sadly, I have recently watched myself fall into the trap of wanting more. I leave the house before the sun comes up, and come home after the sun has set: I have become immersed in work.

Chasing the almighty dollar has become my focus as of late and all it has brought is darkness to my life and a slap in the face reminder that life is about so much more.

Life is not about padding the bank account, it is not about keeping up with the Jones’s. Life is about being a good person, being happy, helping your fellow man and seeing the world. Life is about exploring the unknown, seeking adventure and living a life worth writing about. What is the point of it all if the only thing you have to talk about while sitting in your rocking chair in old age is how much money you made or how many degrees you procured from some overpriced university. I don’t see that as living. Now don’t

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get me wrong, there is a certain level of responsibility we have to maintain to not become a drain on society. Being a mooch is no way to live either and there are plenty of those out there as well, but I’ll go off on a rant about that some other time. So, that begs the question, how should we live?

I don’t know.

What I do know is this, for as much as I complain about how the other half lives, the greediness and excess that they appear to flaunt, I know deep down that I don’t want to be a part of that anyway.

I feel the most at home with the blue collar, work a day, dirty jeans and tired boots type.

The ones that are happiest sleeping under the stars and not under the roof of a 5-star resort. These are my people, you are my people.

The dreamers, the explorers, the fearless. We are happier atop a struggling to stay alive motorcycle than in the climate controlled leather seat of a Mercedes Benz. We like machines that require a fuel pump, not a battery pack.

We are the survivors, the ones that keep this world turning, the gears greased and the roads smooth.

I fully understand the level of bitterness I am exuding at the moment, I’m sure many of you feel the same way, but I do have a point to all of this. It is time to slow down. This fast-paced society of constantly chasing more has churned out an army of drones, an army of people that walk around in a daze, faces buried in

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their phones, information right now, forgetting how to think for themselves type of drones that appear to have lost all sight of actually living. People drive and walk around as if they are the

only ones on earth, with no regard to others around them, no subtle glance over their shoulder to see if they should hold the door for someone, no awareness of the line of people behind them as they fumble though their wallet while talking on the phone at a checkout counter. Just oblivious. We have all seen it, and, on occasion have partaken in such selfish activities.

We need to get back to the little

things, the things that actually matter, the everyday common courtesies. Let’s all take a step back and slow down. Let’s all stop and remember that we are not alone here on this crazy spinning sphere of land and sea. Let’s spend more time stopping to help a driver in distress, holding that door open for a stranger, letting that person sneak in front of you in a line of traffic, stop to let a pedestrian cross the street. These are small things that make a difference.

Humans need to spend more time stopping to smell the roses and listening to the birds chirp. I, from this moment forward, will strive to get back to living for reasons that matter, reasons worth writing about.

Live a life that is noteworthy and noble.

I will spend my time and energy traveling on my motorcycle and seeing the world we live in first hand. I will slow down and take in everything life has to offer.

The beautiful thing that the motorcycle community has to offer is that I think most of you will agree with what I have ranted about here, let’s foster this lifestyle of enjoy the small things together and let the rest of the world spin off into oblivion as they please. Let us not fall into the traps society has laid before us and become members of the perpetual rat race.

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j

ust when I thought he could surprise me no more my longtime friend Steve Iacona of Iacona Customs Cycles has done it once again! Stepping out of his comfort zone, his latest build is a Bonneville racer with a touch of Sportster done in only a way that Steve could do it.

This was a build that had been sitting off to the side for a bit. It was like so many builds we do because there are others that must always come before it and for just reason, like the rent has to get paid. Finally, one day the owner and Steve’s good friend Frank Mattera said: “Let’s do something with this baby.” The first

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Article And Photos By: Mark Velazquez and only design idea that came to mind was that of a Bonneville racer that would be street and show worthy. With vision in mind, Steve got right to work.

Despite building bikes since 2002 this would be the first true Triumph ground up build for Steve, but for him, new is just where the fun begins. The 1972 Triumph T120 would now become the next Iacona creation.

Like all Iacona builds that have come before, the teardown would be the beginning, and everything would go! It is very rare to find the remains of stock parts on an Iacona build and to list every piece made

would take an entire issue. This is the reasons for tech sheets, so I suggest you take a look because this feature does actually come with one…long story but Nuff said.

Now in pieces, the first mission would be to stretch a David Bird frame 4 inches and to add additional modifications to accommodate the seat section. If you take a look, the seat rides independent from the frame and sits on shocks with the tail section attached. Pretty damn cool, if you ask me. Also, this frame can and does accommodate a 130 hub in the rear! Old engine mounts were removed, and new custom tabs were installed to clean up the

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clutter. The front end, well that’s a 39 mm narrow glide 2 inches under with HD Sportster triple trees.

Getting to the engine - the upgrade was made from 650cc to 750cc. Modified cases, Hunt magneto, 30mm dual Mikuni carbs are just some of the standouts. A dry clutch with an open cut primary cover were added to the mix. And to wrap it all up, braking and shifting was tackled with heavily modified brackets and brakes from a 2005 Sportster and installed made to sit American.

With Iacona builds the visual is just as important as how she runs.

The handmade signature tank, as well as the custom handmade tail section, is always an eye catcher.

This is a design we first saw from Steve based on his famous bike, the Challenger. You will also see for the first time, a handmade fairing set

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just off to the left headlight that is done only by Steve, but it will soon be a production part. There are many reasons this cool new fairing sits as she does and here are a few: The master cylinder is tucked away behind the fairing and is cable to hydraulic, to keep that clean look. If you look close, there is an oiler cooler with an air intake in the front which is why there is a screen. Rounding it all up is the very regal royal blue paint done by Shane Salsbury over at Wetcoat Inc. This paint job truly represents the royals for sure and does Triumph proud.

So, there you have it! Another Iacona classic. This, like all of Steve’s builds, is world class.

The Crusader was a 2016 IMS 1st place winner in Chicago, National Champion in the Retro Modified class, invited to the 2016 Hand

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CRUSADER TECH SHEET Owner: Frank Mattera City: Brooklyn, NY Fabrication By: Iacona Custom Cycles Year: 1972 Model: T120 Value: Way Too Much For A Triumph Time: 6 Months

ENGINE

Year: 1972 Model: Triumph T120 Builder: Iacona Custom Cycles Ignition: Hunt Magneto Displacement: 750cc Pistons: Brittish Standard Heads: Stock Cam(s): Stock Carb: Dual 30mm Mikuni Air Cleaner: Dime City Cycles Stacks Exhaust: Iacona Custom Cycles Primary: Classic Cycleworks

Transmission

Year: 1972 Make: Triumpj Shifting: Iacona Modified Left Side

FRAME

Year: 2012 Model: David Bird, Mods By Iacona Rake: Stock Stretch:

Front end

Type: H-D 39mm Narrow Glide Builder: Iacona Custom Cycles Extension: 2” Under Triple Trees: H-D Sportster

WHEELS

Front Wheel: H-D Rocker Size: 19” Front Tire: Bridgestone Front brake: 2005 Sportster Rear Wheel: Solid Dish Size: 16” Rear Tire: IRC Rear Brake: 2005 Sportster W/ Modified Bracket

PAINT

Painter: Wetcoats, Inc. Color: Dark Blue Type: Porsche Graphics: Wetcoats, Inc. Molding: Wetcoats, Inc.

ACCESSORIES

bars: Clip Ons, Iacona risers: None hand Controls: Lowbrow Customs foot Controls: Iacona Custom Cycles Fuel tank: Iacona Custom Cycles oil tank: Iacona Custom Cycles Front fender: Iacona Custom Cycles rear fender: Iacona Custom Cycles Seat: Wetcoats, Inc. Headlight: Speed Dealer Customs Taillight: Iacona Custom Cycles Speedo: None Photographer: Mark Velazquez

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Built Show, and took 3rd in the Artistry and Iron competition where it competed with some of the best. I would have to say well done indeed! But if you think that this was the end of the journey for this bike you are very wrong. As we speak, the Triumph is being prepped and redesigned to hit the Bonneville Salt Flats this year! Both Steve and owner Frank are putting beauty aside and running her on the flats just like she was intended to do. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this bike’s life.

We talked a good bit about this beautiful scoot now it’s time for a little about its creator. Steve is a kind soul, good family man, and a kick-ass builder!

He always carries a smile under his nose and welcomes a hello anytime. He is a true man of his craft straight out of Brooklyn. Iacona is currently working on a full line of parts for the consumer and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table in 2018!

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Article By: Xavier Muriel

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ola Amigos!!!!! Hoping this finds all of ya’ll well and looking forward to another riding season. I’m not sure which is worse being on the East Coast and knowing that it’s going to be awhile or living in central Texas and being teased with one day of 65° weather and then rain and cold for the next few weeks. I guess, either way; it just allows more time to tinker on things...

Speaking of tinkering on things, I was in Dallas this past weekend at my first IMS (Progressive International Motorcycle Show).

Man, what an experience. An entire pavilion set up with everything motorcycle related that you could think of. All the major manufacturers were present from import to American. Hell, they even had a Freestyle stunt team that performed inside, yeah it was a big place. One of the features they offered this year, and the main reason for my attendance was Grease & Gears Garage on the main stage. I was honored once again to be invited to do a live demonstration. I had done this once before in Sturgis last year when I installed a Baker tranny into Patience, and

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that was an absolute blast. I hadn’t realized how much I enjoyed passing on knowledge.

The set up for this tour of Grease & Gears Garage was even better than the last; it boasted a huge stage, they had expanding

their tool/equipment inventory and the best part, was the bunch of characters I shared the stage with.

I did a demo along with South Dakota Joe Mielke (IG sodakbigjoe) on the many uses of Certi Flat weld tables (WeldTable.com) and was thrilled Big Joe was on hand, if there’s

one other person than Dave Lago the owner of Certi Flat who knows the ins and outs of this table it’s Joe. Together, along with Chris, Mark, and emcee Pat Jensen we talked about the uses and various options that the Certi Flat offers as well as the price ranges and levels they’re designed for. Now, having just assembled mine a week earlier I was excited to see what this thing could do.

Man, I wasn’t disappointed in the least, as a matter of fact, I couldn’t wait to get home to start tinkering with mine. There’s some magic that happens when you mic up a bunch of grease monkeys, and you put them on a stage with tools and a live audience, not to mention the tens of thousands that watch the feed live on Facebook. Anything can happen and usually does.

It’s always a humbling experience to be working side by side with some of the best in this industry.

I can honestly say that every time I get the opportunity to do something like that I always walk away with more knowledge than I started with. Hopefully, it’s the same with the audience but this I know to be true, the laughter that I heard when we were doing our thing tells me that not only were I and

my colleagues having a blast but so was the people watching. I mean, where else can you go to see live demonstration that maybe otherwise we would never be exposed to unless we paid to attend a school or specialty class. Professionals who have labored for years on perfecting their abilities who show you how it’s done for free, I’d say that’s a hell of Bargain!!!

Once again, I was amazed at the comradery that everyone showed the entire weekend, no egos or attitudes, just a bunch of different people who love motorcycles and the culture that surrounds them. I’d like to think that were all part of a community that helps instead of hinders this culture that is so important to us. If you didn’t get a chance to attend the show when it was near you this time, don’t fret it will be back and I highly suggest you check it out. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Myself and the guys that share the stage with me would like to give a huge thank you to Dave at Certi Flat Weld Tables for taking such great care of the Grease & Gears Garage stage. Get ready for a little shameless promo on one of my buddies…thank you to Josh Mc Elhannon at Greezmunky (IG greezmunky) for hooking me up with a pair of custom riding gloves for this season, they’re bitchin’, so be sure to check him out to get yours!

Until next time my Amigos, be kind to one another and ride safe. God Bless. X.

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Article And Photos By: Will Ramsey www.faithforgotten.com

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n last month’s tech article, I asked if anyone would be interested in a deeper look at the threading process on a manual lathe. Since I had an excellent response from many Cycle Source readers, I decided to proceed with this tech article.

Point threading is one of the more challenging and exciting operations performed on a manual lathe. It is an unforgiving process as one mistake can quickly ruin the entire part. So, it is important that every aspect of the operation is understood before diving in. The following tech is meant to be a starting point for those wishing to try their hand at point threading.

Illustrated here are the steps used at Faith Forgotten Choppers to make an oil cap for one of our oil tanks.

Starting with a simple piece of 6061 aluminum chucked up in the lathe.

Three jaw chucks are quick and easy. A four jaw chuck creates more clamping power and the part must be indicated in as each jaw moves independently.

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The first operation is to face the material.

Learning to get your speeds and feeds correct will yield an excellent finish. I’m always pushing myself to do everything just a little bit better than I did before.

The outer diameter of the threads are achieved by turning the length of the threads. In this case the diameter of the threaded section of the oil cap is 1”.

Precision is the key to any quality part. I always choose to mic my parts rather than using calipers. Strive for perfection even in areas where it’s not necessary.

If precision and quality are attributes you strive for in machine work, then a copy of the Machinery’s Handbook is essential. This book is essentially the bible for all operations pertaining to manual machine work.

the remaining burr. The tool can be hand ground from a high-speed steel blank, or a carbide insert can be used. It is imperative that the tool is set perpendicular to the workpiece.

A thread gauge (as seen here) or indicator can be used to square the cutter to the z axis.

the 8 lines. On an odd thread pitch you need to engage only on the numbered lines. To keep it simple, when I thread, I only engage on the numbered lines no matter what thread pitch I’m using. This ensures that the cutter always tracks along the same path.

The threading section of the handbook will provide all the information needed to cut the 1” – 8 threads.

Any lathe equipped with a gear box and lead nut should have some guide which instructs the setup of the machine to determine the thread pitch.

With everything set up I move the threading cutter to touch off on the workpiece and zero the dials on the compound rest and the cross slide. The compound rest will be determining the depth of cut as the cutter is advanced along the 29.5 degree angle that was already established. .005” cuts are taken until the thread depth approaches its final diameter.

Before cutting the threads, I will turn a lead in that will allow the oil cap to easily index and line up in the threaded bung. This lead in must be smaller than the minimum diameter provided in the handbook.

All the levers are turned to their appropriate places and the machine is set to turn the 1”-8 thread.

A grooving tool is used to cut an O-ring groove. This groove will also serve as a stopping point for the threading tool.

Setting up the lathe and threading tool is critical. First, the compound rest is set at 29.5 degrees.

The threading tool cuts a 60-degree angle.

Therefore, setting the compound to a 30-degree angle would seem proper, but the .5 degree offset ensures that the cutter only cuts on the leading edge, while the trailing edge “cleans”

The use of layout dye is not necessary but it is very helpful in providing contrast, so the development of the threads can more easily be seen.

Understanding the threading dial on the lathe is important to cutting a clean thread. It has a deeper complexity when you get into complicated thread pitches but for the basic threads we cut the rule is that on even thread pitches you can engage the half nut on any of

After advancing the compound rest .005”, the half nut is engaged on the lead screw and the cutter will advance at the appropriate feed rate.

As the cutter advances the contrast to the layout dye allows the operator to monitor the cutting process.

The half nut must be manually disengaged as the cutter enters the groove at the base of the cap. This is critical. If it is stopped too early the April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 67

cutter will circle and tear through the existing threads. If it is stopped too late the cutter will crash into the workpiece.

Once the cutter is stopped the cross slide is used to back the cutter up far enough to clear all the thread as it is returned to the starting point.

There are essentially 2 methods used to determine the depth of the thread.

The most precise is the use of a mic around thread gauge wires. This is a difficult operation and requires you to pretend you are an octopus. It takes a lot of practice to hold the three wires square and measure precisely.

Once the measurement is made there is mathematical formula used to determine the measurement in relation to the minimum diameter as found in the Machinery’s Handbook.

The details of this process are beyond the scope of this tech, but I’d be happy to discuss the process with anyone interested.

After the threading procedure is complete the cap is threaded into a bung and held in the lathe so that the tops side can be finished appropriately

Once returned to the starting point the compound can be advanced another .005”

The cross slide is returned to zero every time the cutter is repositioned at the start. This dictates that the only advancement in the x axis will come from the 29.5 degree advancement of the compound rest.

Before each pass it is prudent to liberally apply a cutting oil. This will lubricate the cutter and minimize heat buildup in the workpiece.

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The second method is the use of a “go, no-go” gauge. This can simply be a piece of scrap that has been tapped to the proper thread diameter and pitch. This method is not as precise as the wires and the operator must be care full to slowly creep up on the final cuts so as to not over cut the threads and create a loose fit.

Point threading on a lathe is an advanced skill and demands a great deal of concentration. Although CNC lathes can crank these out all day with easy, there is something very gratifying for a craftsman to hold a truly handmade thread after the process is complete.

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A

nthony is not a newcomer to building triumph motorcycles, this was his third and he has owned many more, so he knows what he is doing. This one was going to be special, visually special. This is a bike comes with a heritage from Budd Elmors win at the 1966 Daytona 200. It reached speeds of 100mph and averaged 96.6 mph! The triumph tiger that was the foundation of the bike

was developed by Doug Hele at triumph, and it soon became a production model. The early models had a few technical problems, like a valve gear that used too much oil. But Anthony had the advantage of many years of improved engineering and has had no problems on the bikes he has made or is making.

The focus was on the visual, and of course that big tank is what hits you first. It is a nos

69 period correct tank. Mat Egan gave Anthony paint help.

He used gold leafing, and wood graphics then placed the 69 perfectly which made a visually stunning tank.

The handlebars are from a 40’s Knuckle. He wanted that board tracker look, so he shortened and inverted them, so they would be turned down.

He used an internal throttle along with cork grips to set the pace defiantly different.

Article And Photos By: Peter Linney

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He found the Harley 45 springer at the Long Beach swap meet from an old cat that was ever so firm on the price. Apart from a little milling, it fit perfectly and again, it adds so much to the aesthetics. Oh ya, and it works great at speed also.

The engine is an original 500 motor and gives him about 41 hp. To help this a little, he ended up using a dual set of 626 Amal carbs with short velocity stacks.

The heads are polished for looks with NJK spark plug caps. But what really helps the engine are the 2 custom exhaust pipes “I wanted to work with stainless on this build and the pipes would be no exception. It wasn’t like I could run down to the local parts store and pick up pipes, having reversed the head on this one. All I could get my hands on at the time was two u-shaped stainless pipes. To make sure I had enough for both sides I first taped each piece that I would cut. The exhaust gods were on my side that day...I cut them, tigged them up, had a buddy polish them, threw on some lowbrow tips, viola!! I really dig the way they came out with swooping downward

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race style. “ The oil tank came from Lowbrow Customs. Anthony hid all the electronics in an old 42 Navy binocular case, the binocular works great also, even at 75 years old.

Anthony is a big fan of Firestone tires and wanted that race look. The last and perhaps the most unusual element on this bike, is what resides over the Firestone’s “the whole inspiration for this build was this fender .... made of wood... Zebra wood to be precise. You see, I own a door company in which I work with wood and steel. So, I decided to make a fender out of wood with stainless straps to hold it in place. The fender took the longest to create, over a month, and three tries. The first two didn’t work out so

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ROOT BEER BARREL TECH SHEET Owner: Anthony Robinson city/state: Palmdale,CA builder: Anthony Robinson Year: 1969 Model: Triumph T-100R Time: value:

ENGINE

Year: 1993 Model: Triumph T-100R Builder: Dean Collinson ignition: Mechanical Pazon Displacement: 500cc pistons: .254 Aluminum Alloy Heads: Carb: Dual Amal cam: Air Cleaner: Velocity Stacks Exhaust: Custom Stainless primary: Unit

TRANSMISSION

Year: 1969 Make: Triumph Shifting:

Frame

year: 1969 model: Triumphh T-100R rake: 30 Degree Mods: Hardtail

forks

type: 45 Servi Car Springer Builder: Harley-Davidson triple trees: extension:

WHEELS

Front Wheel: 40 Spoke Triumph Size: 18” Front Tire: Firestone front brake:Internal Expanding Rear Wheel: H-D, Buchanan Spokes Size: 18” Rear Tire: Firestones rear brake: :Internal Expanding

PAINT

Painter: Air Brush Works Color: Tan, Black, White type: PPG graphics: Mat Egan powder coat: Pacific Powder Coat

ACCESSORIES

Bars: H-D Knuckle Speedster risers: Hand Controls: Deluxe 1” Foot Controls: Triumph / Custom Fuel tank: OEM 69 Triumph Petrol oil tank: Lowbrow Customs Front Fender: rear Fender: Zebra Wood Fender seat: Messenger Seat/Tractor Spring Headlight: 5 3/4” Retor Bates Style taillight: Webster Chicago Mico speedo: :None

Photographer: Peter Linney

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well. I almost gave up. I finally got advice from an old cat that builds wood canes. Third time was a charm. I sent that fender off to mat Egan for some candy” In front, he used a messenger tractor seat with a one-off spring. Right up front, so he can see his way, you will find a 5 ¾ retro bates style head light.

There is no doubt that Anthony has created a real head turner with this sweet little scoot. When I asked him how it rides, he told me “low and fast”!a

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Article By: Amelia “Killer” Rose

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rowing up in Atlanta, GA, Curt Green of Bare Bones Leather was always fiddling with something, be it his dad’s lawnmower or his bicycle, which the neighborhood kids lovingly called “Frankenstein” because he switched the parts out so much. Along with his tinkering, he loved to draw, so much so that he would frequently be found in class drawing rather than doing his school work. No matter where they were, his mother always kept a pen and paper in her purse for him to sketch with, and by the time he reached his teen years Curt went from drawing to painting murals and working with clay (he actually still has a clay head that he made that hangs in his shop. Apparently, he’s quite scary, but his name is Bob.) Once high school was over, he went off the join the Army, where he began drawing tattoos for his brothers and was given the opportunity to paint a mural on the wall in the mess hall at Ft. Jackson for the Special Olympics.

Upon leaving the Army, for once in his life, Curt was without art. He lacked ideas and drive and felt empty. After a trip to the local convenience store and a few minutes flipping through the pages of a chopper magazine, a fire was lit in his belly,

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and he went out to buy an airbrush kit.

Curt airbrushed on pretty much anything someone would pay him for; gas tanks, baseball helmets, etc. He spent about two years airbrushing until he met someone who would change his life for good.

Curt met Tim Quick, owner of Outlaw

Custom Seats around 2008, who was interested in his artwork and soon after asked him if he’d like to be his apprentice.

Immediately he became obsessed with the art of tooling leather and studied not

only the current uses of leather but also the history of the art of leather craft. Curt studied under Quick for approximately a year and a half until he handed over the tools and he became his business partner.

After roughly four years, Quick handed the business over to Curt in 2012, who opened a shop out of his home and changed the name to Bare Bones Leather, which he has owned for an incredible six years.

When asked what made him choose leather as his medium he responded with “I didn’t choose leather, leather chose me. Before meeting Quick, I never had even heard of tooling leather nor had I ever seen anything like it, but after that first visit to his shop I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was the medium I was destined to work with.” It’s an amazing moment when you see something and realize that it’s what you’re meant to do for the rest of your life. Not many people get to experience that, and those of us that have and get to do what we love for a living are the luckiest ones.

As for what inspires him, Curt’s answer is enough to make anyone say “aww,” his mother and great-grandmother, two very important women in his life. As a young child, he remembers watching his great-

grandmother paint, and as he grew and began to pursue his own passion for art, his mother was always incredibly encouraging and supportive. Of course, as he got older he tried as many types of art as he could, even some graffiti on the backs of buildings and bridges in his hometown. Though of all the art forms he tried, nothing was able to hold his attention the way leather did, and he is forever grateful for having met Quick when he did and having the opportunity to learn a craft that has opened an infinite number of doors for him over the past ten years.

Since his start in the world of leather crafting, Curt has been able to meet and work with all of the people he used to read about in the magazines from the convenience store. “I have always looked up to and was finally able to meet Paul Cox (Paul Cox Industries). He is an amazing leather worker and will strive to be in the same realm as he is one day” Some of the other people he has had the chance to meet include Roadside Marty (“Loudmouth of the industry”), Jeff Cochran (SpeedKing Racing), Sugar Bear (Sugar Bear Choppers), Chris Callen (Cycle Source Mag), and so many more. For him, it is truly humbling that the people he once read about now call him or refer people to him when they need leather work.

Of course, like many artists, Curt has his own special way of doing things that sets him apart from the others. In his opinion, the fact that he has such a diverse background in terms of medium helps him to see things differently helps when it comes to making masterpieces for his clients. Though his methods may be viewed as unconventional to some, he loves trying new techniques and isn’t afraid to waste a bit of leather to make things perfect. His background in general art and airbrushing also helps to give each customer a one-ofa-kind piece they can be proud to own for years to come. Curt uses leather to express other people’s visions that sometimes they have a hard time expressing. For him, there is nothing better than hearing the words “this was more than I imagined,” or “I can’t believe you made my vision a reality.”

Currently, Curt works a full-time job on top of creating leather masterpieces, with the hopes of retiring from the fulltime within the next 3-4 years so he can pursue his craft full-time. He is excited and hopeful that his artwork will leave a legacy of hard work, and the love of the motorcycle community. Of course, nothing in the world would make him happier than being able to do what he loves 23/7, leaving an hour or so to sleep, of course.

If you want to check out some more of Curt’s incredible craftsmanship, which I recommend you do, you can check out his Facebook At facebook.com/Bare-BonesLeather-101093273263626), his Instagram (@barebonesleather), or you can email him at barebones@yahoo.com

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Article By: Heather Callen Photos Courtesty of Thunder In The Valley

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017 marked a 20-year milestone not only for this rag but also for another Western PA motorcycle long time holdout, Thunder in the Valley. Back in 1998 several local motorbike shops and enthusiasts approached the Cambria County CVB about starting a motorcycle rally. Back then, and even still today the CVB was primarily run by a group of what many would consider to be “soccer moms.” What the heck could they possibly know about putting together a motorcycle rally? Well, obviously they knew something because, in June of 1998, Thunder in The Valley

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came together at Central Park in Johnstown, PA with roughly 3,000 attendees. They admit that some of the first-year success may have been due to combining the new event with Old Fashioned Bargain Days, which had been around for a bit already. However, they didn’t just combine the two and hope for the best, they added Hill Climbs in Beaverdale and a Welcome Party at Franklin Ballfield, and encouraged local shops to host bike events at their own locations, all of which are still happening 20 years later.

Despite having a minimal budget and only advertising in club newsletters (cool fact: Cycle Source Magazine was one of the

first publications that they actually advertised in, our own editor was in on that inaugural year, helping the ladies navigate the motorcycle culture in the region).

That first year, it was mostly local and regional traffic, but it was successful enough that they opted to make it an annual event. After the first year, a leather vendor inquired about the event and needed a tent space larger than a 10x10 and the birth of other venues within the rally was born. Currently, Thunder hosts four downtown venues, Central Park, Train Station, Biker Mall and Peoples Natural Gas Park to accommodate their evergrowing numbers. A few short years

into the event major motorcycle manufacturers started to take notice, and 2000 Flood City opened its arms to Triumph who was quickly followed by BMW in 2001.

Now, on their 20th event, the riders of Thunder had the opportunity to visit with factory dealers such as Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Ducati, and Aprilia.

Back in 2013, the event organizers knew it was time to step up their game a bit and knowing that motorcyclists are often music enthusiasts as well, they started to bring some national acts to their main stage. Since then, the likes of Josh Gallagher, Molly Hatchet and most recently 38 Special in 2017

to name a few. Now, the fine folks at the CVB also know that it takes more than music and motorcycles to make a successful event. So, for their 20th Anniversary celebration they brought in Ill Conduct, one of the nation’s leading street bike stunt shows, the legendary American Motordrome Wall of Death and Cycle Source even had the pleasure of hosting a ride in bike show. I mean it only seemed fitting, our 20th Anniversary, their 20th Anniversary, and it was awesome.

We were thrilled to have such a diverse group of bikes show up. Part of their annual offerings include a Flight 93 Memorial ride, a parade of motorcycles through town that lets

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proud riders show off their trusty steeds to kick off the event, and the legendary Budweiser Clydesdales make regular appearances.

So, what does this event have over other regional and national bike galas you might be wondering?

Well, let’s talk about the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. If you have never ridden in this part of the country, within a half hour of the center of the rally, you can ride up out of the valley, and through some of the most beautiful landscape in the country. In the western direction, you can ride over to the Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, one of the most historic railroad sites in history and the people of this region are as steeped in motorcycling as if it were downtown Milwaukee.

Johnstown is only two hours away from Pittsburgh, about the same from the York final assembly plant.

This quiet country town fabled in story and song for their epic flood disaster back in 1889 has proven that while they have no intention of losing their personal history, they have adapted to the changing times when it comes to throwing a hell of a motorcycle party.

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Article By: Matt Reel Photos By: Kevin Pirolo

w

hile the DK Sportster looks like a really nice custom ride, its also quite a workhorse.

Bought as an 883 Low its owner, Kevin Pirolo, rode it for awhile and then started modifying it.

One of those modifications was a set of handlebars. After hitting up several shops in his area and being told they could make the bars he wanted, but never delivering, Kevin had another idea. Kevin talked to his welder friend, Devin, and they designed

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and fabricated the bars he wanted.

Spring forward six months and Kevin and Devin have been busy making parts for others inspired by that set of bars and DK Customs is formed with an equal partnership of the two. One year later, their web site is up and running with many products from their own line. Today DK Customs stocks over 900 products that are ready for their customers.

So, what does this have to do with the Sporty on these pages? Well, any product that DK produces is thoroughly tested before being put on the market,

along with a life time warranty.

When I say “thoroughly tested” I don’t mean running around town with stops at the local bike nights.

The DK bike has been on several 1,000 plus mile trips including the 2,400-mile Power Tour only days after it was completed.

So, what went into building the DK Sporty? For starters, the stock 883 needed a little help. DK turned to NRHS for one of their 1250 cc kits. Having the extra cc’s, the Sportster needed to move more air. On the intake side a DK

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DK SPORTY TECH SHEET owner: Kevin Pirolo City/State: Red Banks, MS Builder: DK Custom Products year: 2009 Model: Sportster 883 Low Value: $8,000 Time: 20 Days Over 7 Months ENGINE Year: 2009 Model: 883 With NHRS 1250 Builder: DK Custom Products Ignition: Harley-Davidson Displacement: 1250 Pistons: NHRS Hurricane Forged Heads: Stock Carb: H-D EFI Cam: Stock Air Cleaner: DK Customs OUTLAW 425 Sano Exhaust: DK Customs Exhaust Builder Kit Primary: Stock TRANSMISSION Year: 2009 Make: Harley-Davidson Shifting: Stock, 5 Speed FRAME year: 2009 make:Harley-Davidson Model: Sportster rake: Stock stretch: None Front end type: Stock builder: Harley-Davidson extension: triple trees: WHEELS Front: Harley-Davidson Stock Size: 19” Tire: Metzeler front brake: Stock W/ Lyndall Z+ rear: Harley-Davidson Stock Size: 16” Tire: Dunlop rear Brake: Stock W/ Lyndall Z+ PAINT Painter: Adam Paul Color: Toxic Green Type: House Of Kolor graphics: None Chroming: Harley-Davidson Stock ACCESSORIES Bars: Mini Apes risers: DK Customs Riser Extensions hand controls: Stock foot controls: DK Custom Products Gas Tank(s): 3” Tank Lift Oil Tank: Stock Front fender: Lowered, DK Customs rear Fender: Led Sled Fender Blank Seat: DK Custom Solo Seat headlight: DK Custom Products taillight: DK Custom Products Speedo: DK Custom Products photographer: Kevin Pirolo

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Customs Outlaw 425 air cleaner was installed. To exhale the spent gases a one-off exhaust was fabbed up using one of DK’s Exhaust Builders Kit. With the engine making plenty of power it was time to turn to visual appeal. A Led Sled fender blank was cut up to make a new rear fender.

The new rear fender along with the rest of the original sheet metal was sent off to Adam Paul at Time Warp Custom Paint. Adam laid down a deep House of Kolor Toxic Green base and then accented it with a checker design and green fire.

With the engine and paint wrapped up it was time to put those DK Customs parts to work. A set of mini apes were bolted to the stock risers and then mounted to the triple tree with a set of DK riser extensions for a little extra height. The gas tank

was bolted to the backbone with a DK lift kit and the fender mounted in a little lower position. Next, a DK Solo Seat System was mounted after a trip to the local saddle shop for some tooling work. After that a Visor Light was mounted up front with a DK Customs Modular Mount and then a set of DK Trap foot pegs were put in place.

As you can see DK Customs believes in their parts and beats them up on their own bikes to make sure they are going to last when they get in the customers hands. So, the next time you’re shopping around for parts give them a look. You can be assured that not only does DK put their parts to the test they also test all other manufacturers parts before putting them on their site.

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e

arly August 2017 When I first moved fulltime onto my motorcycle in 1995, and even though there was good response to the gypsy stories I wrote for Easyriders Magazine, very few wished to actually engage in such a crazy idea. In fact, for many years Panhead Billy (who I began running into across the country) and I seemed the only guys actually intent on doing such a nut-bag thing. Imagine living in a world where your chosen lifestyle is limited to a very small number.

Although due to its great sights and often perpetual adventures I could imagine living no other way, however, I still doubted my sanity regularly. Therefore, when I did run across Billy, it was always a relief to spend time with another of my kind.

In recent years, however, I’ve noted a real change. Scores of men and women have been coming out of the woodwork

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Article And Photos By: Scooter Tramp Scotty to load up their bikes and hit the road.

Some seek only summer’s travels or as long as the money will last, while others want the full-time life of a drifter. This change mystifies me, and I sometimes

wonder if Billy and I were ahead of our time, or if the rest of the world has simply gone mad. In any case, it’s getting a lot less lonely out here, and this year the number of these drifter types who’d come to camp with us would be a record

breaker.

Summertime air was hot as the old Harley moved with ease along the familiar Highway-90. Coming from the east, it had been a long ride across the seemingly endless prairie that still stretched in all directions. The Black Hills were just ahead, and I’d enter the small town of Sturgis within 20 minutes. As usual, I was a week early.

Sturgis sits at the precipice where America’s Great Plains meet her Black Hills, and as I rode its familiar streets obvious signs of the coming rally could be seen everywhere. Vendor tents were everywhere, and more were being set up. Riders milled around, and their bikes were parked at every curb.

But the crowd was sparse, traffic light, and air still soothingly calm. The atomic energy would not truly erupt until the coming weekend. It was the calm before the storm.

As usual, I’d be working for a large tire changing operation at this rally.

By the time I’d checked in with my boss and visited a few friends the sun had just set. While heading for home, I passed the pizza joint and noticed Joe Sparrow’s beat up half million-mile Gold Wing in the parking lot. Stopping for a visit with this eight-year full-time motorcycle drifter, I found him at a table with a young man. After I took a chair, Joe introduced Mike and informed me he’d be camping with us. Joe himself works for J&P Cycles, who rents their employees a big house during the rally work week, so Mike could not stay with him. Only after the rally does Joe spend a few days with us at Camp-5. Mike had recently moved onto his Softail and was still quite unsure of himself. He sought the company of mentors and Joe, and I fit this bill. Mike said as much, though he’d later hook up with Chip.

After the bullshit session, Mike and I started for home. As Hwy-14 led towards Deadwood some 11 miles away, the plains disappeared, and we were immediately surrounded by tall hills of pine forest as this little two-lane led on through the valleys.

Six miles later we pulled into Camp-5.

This place occupies 100s of square miles that make up the Black Hills National Forest, which grants a 14 day stay for free. Friends and I had been camping here for many years. Although this place offers only two chemical toilets and a dumpster, the recreation center in Deadwood sells showers for $1.50. There are plenty of other showers available as well. Far from the midnight noise of campgrounds like Glencoe and the Buffalo Chip, Camp-5 is also reasonably quiet; and with the work week ahead I welcomed the silence. Those who stay in this place range in temperament from the more abundant bikers who come on nice Harleys and put up tents to a guy and his son who show up on an ancient falling apart Gold Wing. They generally sleep on the ground under a tarp, and we even get a few million-dollar motor homes. It’s pretty diverse.

Because I always arrive a week early, the area is still mostly deserted (though some send scouts ahead to set tents and claim turf) and I take possession of the best spot by setting in camp. This is, after all, public land and reservations are not an option. Mike and I set our tents.

Some years ago, I’d made a Facebook post inviting anyone who’d like to stay with us. New people came, and I enjoyed what quickly became a family atmosphere of men and women traveling on motorcycles.

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After that, I didn’t post invitations for two years. Although some returned, others didn’t, and our attendance began to subside. In response, I posted another invitation this year. Little did I suspect what that post would bring.

Because I never start work until the following Saturday, this first week is my time to relax, visit friends, eat inexpensive meals at the casinos in Deadwood, and simply enjoy the Black Hills beauty. More began showing up.

Jersey Mike is an old friend and mechanic who’d lived many years in a van while following the Grateful Dead.

Nowadays he’s a family man and half owner of an independent Harley shop in Asheville NC. Although Jersey obviously loves his family life, he still misses the road. He’s spoken of this many times, and in response, I’ve gotten him a few mobile-mechanic rally-vendor jobs like my own. These offer a good excuse for travel and Jersey had gladly accepted.

This year he’d be working Sturgis, and it was the day after my arrival that Jersey showed up with truck, tools, and motorcycle, to set upcamp.

Scorpio had been living on his bike for two years. He also works the rallies, and we’ve spent considerable time together around the country. Scorpio and his little dog Titan pulled in and set camp behind my own. Although this guy’s the weirdest looking cat, he must appeal to women because once again I, Mr. Innocent, would be forced to endure the loud, late-night moans emanating from his damn tent.

Jay “Bones” Corsetti arrived. He lives in Vale Colorado, is a ski instructor, bicycles 18 or 20 miles of uneven highaltitude roads a day and is an avid fisherman. Bone’s has been coming to Camp-5 as long as I and usually shows up pulling his bike behind an old VW camper bus—though he does tent camp on occasion. Bones is 75 years old.

I’d spent some months traveling with Tom Rogers when he was living off his bike some years ago. He’d since suffered a few strokes which forced him to move into an SUV. With his bike in tow, Tom showed up next.

They kept coming, old faces and new. Nerdy brought a big swap-meet tent while others had campers and all manner of equipment. In short time we had stoves, coffee, food, chairs…the list went on. In this midst of this new environment, friendships grew.

Although some came just for the rally, more than I’d seen before were living on their bikes. There was Troy, who’d come with Nicholas from Argentina, Chip, Mike, Cody, Scorpio, Snowman, his ol’ lady, and a few others. Their presence April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE

brought a piece of reality home to me.

Some rode newer motorcycles and used fair equipment while probably more had beat up bikes. Cody was riding an ancient $500 Honda CX that made one wonder if the thing actually ran. More than not were using cheesy equipment (cheap tents, no tent, Walmart sleeping bags, etc.) while traveling on a budget.

After 22 years of road life, my perspective had grown jaded. The life of a drifter seems completely normal to me now, and a lot of its original magic has faded.

But these guys reminded me of why we do it. While ignoring inconvenience, everyone seemed happily immersed in their adventure and looked excitedly and unconcernedly forward to what would come next. The spirit of adventure was with them and its intrigue animated their ideas and movements in a way the daily grind seldom can. It brought back memories.

We hung at camp swapping stories and drinking coffee. Although some liked weed, few were heavy drinkers.

We also made breakfast or lunch rides

to inexpensive casino buffets in the nearby gambling town of Deadwood.

Afterwards, we’d walk its streets to take in the sights of this historic place.

On one occasion we arrived at the reccenter in force to clean up and let those new to our little gang know where the inexpensive showers were. We rode Spearfish Canyon (Fantastic. Especially if you’ve never done it) and spent time at my favorite coffee house in Spearfish.

There were also rides into Sturgis, and other activities too.

Because Sturgis has become a twoweek event many vendors, including my guys at Fix Cycles, open Tuesday of the week before the rally’s official start date.

I never work the first week because it’s slow, we get paid by the job, so I’d not make much money anyway, it leaves more for the other guys, and I’m a lazy bugger. However, Fix Cycles was now open for business. My boss’s 80-foot tent always sits in the parking lot of J&P Cycles. J&P sells parts and tires; then we install them. It’s a symbiotic relationship. While walking across a parking lot, I noticed one large chunk of

rubber missing from my rear tire. With plenty of tread still on it, this Metzeler was now junk.

Because J&P’s a big outfit, Metzeler reps would be on site, and I set out to talk with them. Both reps were behind their station when I asked them to take a look. They did. After some embarrassment at the failure of their product, then a little hemming and hawing around, they eventually handed me a brand-new tire. Feeling pretty happy, since mine was already half gone anyway, I walked to our tent, said hi to the guys, threw my bike on a lift, and installed the new rubber.

The rally scene was now set. Players were in place. It was about to get interesting…

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ou’ve got to give HarleyDavidson credit where credit is due. For years they’ve created multiple platforms of frames and engine configurations that have supplied the basic essentials needed to build a custom bike. This sweet Evo Softail Bobber built by Peter Ballard is definitely no exception. Since its inception, the Softail line has been extremely popular. It was introduced in 1984 and up until the 2018 model year that combined the Dyna and Softail frames it saw more than a few revisions to its frame design: this was due to the introduction of the Twin

Article By: Roadside Marty

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Cam “B” motor and increased tire sizes.

An interesting side note that deserves a mention is that the original concept for the frame was designed and fabricated by a rider from the St. Louis area.

After a few prototypes were built he sold his patented design to the Motor Company…and the rest is history. The all new Evolution motor was placed in it and Harley-Davidson started to see some improved sales every year. The Softail remains a strong part of their production motorcycles to this day.

Okay, enough with the history lesson.

The owner of this Softail is Peter Ballard, who like most of us grew up

riding various makes and models of bikes. He got his first HD when he was 24 and from then on it was only Harleys. The idea for this bike started at Daytona Bike Week after his good friend Kyle Shorey of Shade Tree Fabrication invited him to ride along on the Hot Bike tour that was to kick off in September of that year. It took a few minutes for Peter to realize that if he went along he would be riding the Tail of the Dragon on his 40th birthday, so needless to say he was pumped.

He decided he wanted to build a new bike for this adventure and with the timeline he was facing he thought

Photos By: Carsten Fritzen

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using an existing bike would help ease the fabrication process. On the way home from Daytona he made a call to his father-in-law who had a 99 Fat Boy that was collecting dust in his garage. He knew it only had 5400 original miles on it and he knew it was the perfect candidate for what he had in mind.

The bike eventually earned the nickname “Dotty” because of the oil dots she left behind wherever she went. The gaskets had gotten hard from years of just sitting- thus the “dots”.

Not only did Kyle give him an invitation to go on the tour he also kicked up a few parts from his Shade Tree Fabrications line of Softail components. This included things like the rear fender struts that give the frame a more aggressive stance. This is fast becoming a very popular modification on these frames. Next up was a Led Sled fender that was worked into place and since it came undrilled Peter was able to lower it to the point where it hugs the rear tire perfectly. The seat was made using a hinge mount on the pan that was covered with a 1/2” gel pad and after staining a raw piece of leather black it was mounted up and good to go.

As he was making modifications to the bike he decided to clean up the exposed areas of the frame by cutting off any unneeded tabs. He decided to leave the motor and transmission stock untouched because of the low miles.

Given the Evolution motor’s reputation for dependability he knew it was the right choice.

He did take the original primary assembly off and used a 2’ belt primary from Ultima. The only change he made was to paint the inner plate wrinkle black to match the motor and transmission. Another Ultima piece is the round oil tank that was used to replace the stock unit because Peter felt it looked more in line with his vision. One of my favorite pieces

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is the taillight. Peter cut down the stalk of a stock turn signal and after replacing the lens with a red one it worked like a charm. Another trick part of this build I really dig is the stock odometer trip reset button. This was rewired to work as the starter button, really a nice piece of work!

Most people underestimate the CV carb but Peter kept this one. He did add another Shade Tree component when he used one of their free flow air cleaners that matched perfectly with the Shade Tree floorboards.

The Vance and Hines short shot pipes were a Craigslist find and the exhaust wrap was left over from a 72 Nova project. Originally, Peter used the stock Fat Boy front end but after a 1000 miles with it he decided to use a 2” under stock reproduction springer that gives it a nice level stance. He used a narrow squared off set of bars that he had to machine special risers for due to the width of the springer top tree. He also updated the front brake with a GMA unit that he custom milled for a clean look.

The stock wheels didn’t go with what he had done so far so he went with a set of Ultima 60 spoke wheels.

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DOTTY TECH SHEET Owner: Peter Ballard city/state: Barrington, NH Fabrication By: Peter Ballard Year: 1999 Model: Softail time: Never Enough value: Too Much

ENGINE

Year: 1999 Model: Evo Builder: Stock ignition: Stock Displacement: 80” pistons: Stock heads: Stock Carb: Stock cam: Stock Air Cleaner: Shadetree Fabrications Exhaust: Primary:

TRANSMISSION

Year: 1999 Make: Harley-Davidson Shifting: Foot

Frame

year: 1999 make: Softail rake: Stock Stretch: Stock

front end

Type: Springer Builder: Mid-USA Triple trees: extension: -2”

WHEELS

front Wheel: 60 Spoke Size: 23” front tire: Bridgestone front brake: GMA rear Wheel: 60 Spoke Size: 16” rear tire: Firestone rear brake: Harley-Davidson

PAINT

painter: Pete’s Custom Cycles Color: Rescue Green Type: MBC Powder Coat:

ACCESSORIES

Bars: Biltwell risers: Custom Hand Controls: Stock foot controls: Shadetree Fabrications Fuel tank: Stock oil tank: Ultima Front Fender: Shadetree Fabrications rear Fender: Shadetree Fabrications seat: Shadetree Fabrications Headlight: Who Knows? taillight: Chopped Up Blinker speedo: Stock

Photographer: Carsten Fritzen

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However, instead of the tried and true chopper formula of a 16” rear and a 21” front he used a 16” rear and a 23” front with Bridgestone dirt bike tires. That nice paint job was laid down by a good friend named Pete Carver who paints all of Peter’s bikes. Peter opted for a modern twist on the traditional HD green and went with a Jeep color called “Rescue Green”.

According to Peter he couldn’t be happier with the way the bike

turned out, I personally like how he turned an otherwise stock bike and made something any biker would be proud to ride. Peter wants to thank his wife Sara for all of her help and support with this bike!

Thanks for your sharing your ride with us Peter!

m

y first motorcycle was a 1985 Honda Interceptor 500. It was metallic red, white and blue with black wheels. I bought mine the same day my buddies bought theirs. Our riding group consisted of three Interceptors, a couple of Ninjas and a Kenny Roberts Edition Yamaha FZ350.

The yellow one with the black and white stripe design. We watched a lot of Grand Prix when we weren’t racing up and down South 14 outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Nobody ever won, we just rode fast and enjoyed the company. That is where it all started. Bikes were our life. Not just riding, but always trying to customize our bikes to stand out and look faster.

By the time that Interceptor went to meet its maker, it had a single seat cowl, lower

Article By Chris Callen And Jimmie Lee Cohen Photos By: Michael Lichter And Heather Callen

fairing, red grips and neon orange wheels.

It was fast just sitting there. Our style.

So here we are, 32 years later, invited by Cycle Source Magazine to be a part of their, first ever, In Motion Show. I’ve always been a little apprehensive about bike building contests. The winners are always accused of being the judge’s pal, and the losers feel jilted every time. “That bike doesn’t even run,” is the phrase of the day. I will never forget the look on my brother’s face at the 2005 Long Beach Show when Keith Ball said, “We are looking for paint and a lot of chrome.” If you know anything about Three Two Choppers, you know that is not us, and it never has been. We have always tried to stay true to what we think is cool.

Our business motto is, “Contribute to the culture, don’t exploit it.” Meaning, bring something to the table and don’t copy other people’s ideas.

The invite to the In Motion Show was a testament to that theory. To be a part of this show was truly an honor for my brother and I. We’ve always considered ourselves just a couple of douchebags trying to build cool shit in our little warehouse in East Fort Worth, and, just like in 1985, we still build bikes that look fast sitting still.

That brings me to the main reason why we accepted the invitation to be included in the In Motion Show. The name says it all, “In Motion.” In other words, all the bikes in this show not only had to run, but they all had to complete the ride portion of the show. For me, that ride was the best part.

The cast of characters invited to be a part of the show was a small who’s who in the motorcycle industry. Every one of these guys could have won the show, but on the ride, like in 1985, none of that seemed to matter. It’s not very often you see a dozen show quality scooters all riding together.

We went up the Sea Wall, over the bridge, around Galveston Harbor and ended up at Sea Wolf Park. Then, back around and down the Strand. I stayed in back as much as possible to take in the view of all the incredible bikes in front of me. I love the sounds. At one point, we came across the final bridge just as the sun was starting to set. I know it sounds corny, but it was definitely one of those moments where all stress is gone, and you are one with the bike. Only this time, it was a bike that we built. The ride was way too short. The rest of the weekend was spent talking bikes, telling stories and making new friends.

Congrats to Donny on the win. By the way, next time you see Austin Andrella from Austin Martin Originals, ask him about Cousin Cliff.

I asked Jimmy Lee from Three Two Choppers to write a short peice for us to kick off our coverage of the first ever In Motion because I knew he would give an honest assessment of just how cool it was. Will Ramsey and I came up with the idea for In Motion one day as we talked about the sinking standards some of the

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big money builder shows were starting to exhibit. The very fact that there have been bikes that did not and would not run, allowed to participate, let alone win some of these shows demanded a few of us break off and start our own thing. I was looking for a nice round group. Some old bikes, some modern, some old school, some traditional. In short, a cross section of who and what we are as the custom industry right now. We got our list together and with the help of The Lone Star Rally and Lucas Oil, we set off to gather the goods.

Ryan Gore - Paper Street Customs Gunnison, CO 1978 H-D Shovelhead “My Brother’s Keeper” Ryan was one of the guys we asked in to this show early on. His last couple bikes have been other level and we knew he’d kill it here too. Armed with a 78 Shovel provided by his brother, he put it all on the table.

JC & Jimmie Lee Coen - Three Two Choppers - Fort Worth, TX El Segundo “Dr. Death” JC & Jimmie Lee were our Texas connection. They were the Ace in the hold. See, I knew the kind of bike these cats would bring would ensure that this wouldn’t turn into a click show of this kinda bike or that kinda bike. Their “Dr. Death” was exactly what we needed to that end. And man, when you sat and looked at that bike it made you think of one thing....

It’s Time To Cut The Cake!!!

Austin Andrella - Austin Martin Originals Akron, OH 1976 Yamaha XS650 “Timeless” Austin is a good man and a great father.

We first saw this bike at the end of last year and I am still as impressed with it now as I was then. He is a nut job for detail and this bike was no slouch.

Majik Mike Rabideau - Majik Mike Designs Las Vegas, NV - 1978 Harley-Davidson® “Lane Splitter” I had the chance to have one of Mike’s Shovelheads on a cover last year and it was around then that we asked him to be on the In Motion roster. Mike is one of those cats that you see do stuff and wonder why you didn’t think of it. His designs are so complimentary to the stock componentry yet leave no mistake that he has put his touch on them. His Lane Splitter Shovelhead entry was a big hit from start to finish.

Xavier Muriel - Providence Cycle Worx Austin, TX 1979 H-D FXE “Patience” For his first real build deadline Xavier had a lot on his plate while he was in final assembly of his 79. In the end, he hushed the masses and brought it hard to Galveston, learning a little “Patience” in April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 97

the process.

Chris Moos - Misfit Industries - Dallas, TX - 2017 Misfit “DYNOT” Moos was another ringer to keep the show honest and man did he. He was coming from a direction that no one else was. He was taking the most modern design and styling ques and throwing everything he had at it. He was going around the clock, up to and including the four hour drive from Dallas to Galveston where he was in the back of the box trailer wiring the bike.

Unfortunately, The DYNOT didn’t make the ride departure time and was the first heartbrake of In Motion.

Jeff Cochran - SpeedKing Racing West Harrison, IN 1976 H-D FLH “Whitey” Whate can I say here but the obvious: Jeff was the originator of what we call the Old School Bobber style today. His designs during and after Sucker Punch Sally’s proves that he is not a fluke or a fad. The bike he brought to In Motion, “Whitey” sparkeled like a diamond in the middle of the room.

Will Ramsey - Faith Forgotten Choppers New Albany, IN 2017 Faith Forgotten Chopper “Hot Rod” I’ll have to admit that when I stopped by Will’s shop on my way to Texas and saw that he was still pretty far from complete, I got nervous. I mean this was one of the cats that talked me into this so he had to make it right? Well, down to the wire, but he rolled in in time for the shake down ride with a killer Evo build.

Kyle Shorey - Shadetree Fabrications Fort Worth, TX - 1984 H-D This had to be one of the hardest pills to swallow. When we set the rules down for this we all agreed that if you weren’t here by the time the shake down ride left, you couldn’t compete for the money. Well, most of us wished there was a way to bend that rule for the bike Kyle built that was probably one of the best bikes of his career. Still, the rules are the rules and Kyle showed real class in showing up with his bike anyway and displaying it proudly.

Mike Tomas - Kiwi Indian Motorcycles Riverside, CA - 1916/2017 Indian “PowerPlus” While I all but had to talk Mike into this show, I’m so glad he came. Some of the young guys that don’t get the time around him that I do might not ever know just how much work he has done improving the original Indian Motorcycle. His bike was just that, spotless, timeless, and all Kiwi.

RJ Powell - Cutting Edge Customs Morgantown, WV - 1997 Buell “The Dirtbag Express” I watched RJ chip away at this bike over the years and I half think I invited him into

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this show just to push him into finishing it. Seriously though, with all aluminum sheet metal and modern race and dirt bike styling, this thing was a serious contender.

Bill Dodge - Blings Cycles Daytona Beach , FL - 1967 H-D Chopper “Holy Grail” The bike Bill Dodge brought to In Motion was built for a mutual friend and man we couldn’t be happier to know that this bike will always be around the neighborhood. It is complete class from the chopper era and shits balls of fire too.

Donny Loos - Don’s Custom Cycles Miamitown, OH 1949 FL Of course our big money winner, Mr. Donny Loos took home the Ten Thousand Dollar first prize of the first ever In Motion Show for his Flawless 49. It was so great to watch his emotion the day we announced the judges decision. He was literally overcome. Well deserved too, when you looked this bike over even the cylinders were sculpted to the cases. The hardware, all matching, all in the same direction....

No detail left unturned.

In case you missed how the judging for In Motion worked, let me run it down real quick because it is a system we are pretty proud of. We set down a 40/40/20 system that would see a peer vote (the builders themselves) worth 20% . Another 40% would come from Industry Professionals and the final 40% would come from members of the trades. These would be welders, machinsists, metal fabricators, etc,. There was no way that the judging could be brought into question with this system and just like we hoped it would be, the winner was decided by the narrowest of margins.

All in all, we had an incredible innaugural year. None of this could have been possbile without the support of Melissa Penland who let us run with this idea and gave us a beautiful building to display the bikes all weekend. I think if there was only one thing we would hcange for next year it would be to make it so more of the general public could see all the bikes and have an opportunity to meet the guys that are leading the scene.

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Hey, This is the time to dial in on our goals for this year and make a move.

There’s so much discussion going around about our industry, but much of the problem goes way beyond it.

Did you know that Al Gore’s films were aired in front of school children? In England, it was stopped because of the fear it caused in children.

I watched his first film and was impressed, but my concern has always been for motorcycling and riding free, so I questioned him. So much of his film is unfortunately lies. What’s worse is his policies will kill people and mostly poor people. Did you know Global Warming stopped in 2001?

Did you know that temperatures rise first, then CO2 levels? Did you know CO2 levels are not a bad thing and were much higher thousands of years ago?

That’s just the tip of the bullshit iceberg hurting so many of our industries including motorcycling.

Let’s do something about it.

Executive & Regulatory Updates – Infrastructure Plan Leaked, Chaos Ensues - Despite being on his checklist of priorities for the first 100 days of his presidency, President Trump has

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released few details on his infrastructure proposal…that is until now. And “released” probably isn’t the right verb to use. “Leaked” would be more applicable.

It offers a glimpse of what may be the next major package of legislation Congress debates. According to the document, there would be about $200 billion (that’s right, you saw a B and not an M), which would be divvied up to states (about half) rural infrastructure needs (about a quarter) with the remaining for “transformative” projects.

One other thing caught many eyes?

TOLLING. The leaked memo says that states should have the flexibility to collect interstate tolls and utilize toll for their infrastructure needs.

This has been a big no, no – there is a current ban on tolling existing interstates with a few exceptions.

The Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates, of which the MRF is a member, quickly fired out a statement saying that if true, the plan is NOT good policy and they would actively fight against it.

The other rumor on the street: A gas tax increase could help financing of the package. What are your thoughts on this? As citizens, drivers and most importantly RIDERS, I’d like to hear your perspective. Thumbs up or down

on an infrastructure package? And if up, how do we pay for it? Tolling?

Gas tax?

Charge it to America’s credit card?

Shoot me an email to tell me your thoughts – remember, I work for YOU: Megan@mrf.org Megan Ekstrom, Vice-President of Government Affairs & Public Relations, MRF Write to Megan, if you have a minute. Infrastructure and the economy for the middleclass should be the first priorities for America. I don’t think anyone should be forced to pay any more taxes. We are paying billions for other agencies including the DOT and the NHTSA and others responsible for infrastructure. We pay taxes that go to agencies that do little or nothing except ask for more money. It’s amazing. We need to get a handle on our run-away government.

But what the hell do I know. I’m just a grubby biker.-Bandit NMA Alert-Fight Over Right To Repair Will Heat Up In 2018-You bought, you own it! That’s what most of us think anyway when we buy a car. We should be able to do what we want with it, whether modifying the engine for better performance or taking it to our favorite mechanic to have it repaired. Many car owners, however, might be surprised to find that they actually don’t own every part of their vehicle.

Increasingly, automakers have utilized embedded software to take the place of mechanical functions.

Automakers consider this code to be intellectual property protected by the 1996 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Access to the software can only be given by permission. The embedded programming can control brakes, emissions, ignitions, transmissions and even windshield wipers.

Vehicle owners cannot just have any mechanic (themselves included) make adjustments to the factory coding. You either have to take your car back to the dealer or have it serviced by an approved/authorized third-party repair shop.

According to the Auto Care

Association (ACA), the advocacy association for indie repair shops, this limitation hurts the free market. ACA’s Aaron Lowe notes, “The manufacturers want to control where you get your car repaired.

There are many ways they can make it available to independent shops, but then it’s no longer an independent market.”

Richmond, VA independent auto shop owner Gary Thaxton said he would love to see some competition entering the programming side of the auto repair market. “Right now the dealership has you by the … They can charge whatever they want.” He added, “I would be in favor of having an independent option to get the price down to a more reasonable amount.”

The right to repair and property rights seems to be clashing with intellectual property rights. The autocareadvocacy.org website questions whether the DMCA should even cover manufactured equipment.

U.S. patent law protects consumers’ right to repair their motor vehicle themselves, or choose a trusted technician to perform the work for them. Cleaning, repairing and refurbishing parts or replacing worn or broken parts has always been considered permissible under the law.

-NMA Motorcycle Industry Study GuideGive A Shift Clicks Up The Gears In 2018-Additional panels to drill into five areas of focus. The Give A Shift About Motorcycles initiative was formed out of a desire to elevate and promote the category of motorcycling in a public manner that leverages industry experience, enthusiasm and new ideas via an “informed anonymity” round-table.

With new motorcycle sales stagnating after a significant drop in 2009, and a quickly shifting consumer base and retail culture, GAS is an informed grassroots effort to facilitate a variety of solutions.

Announced at Lucky Wheels

We are actively involved in the science of the climate and how little change is man-made.; We are actively involved in motorcyclists’ rights and how regulation impacts the sport— ride free -Bandit

Garage on Jan 11, 2018, the Give A Shift motorcycle industry roundtable will host additional roundtables to discuss the five major take-aways from the initial meeting.

With a mission to create five more sets of reports, and transcripts that delve deeper into the initial meetings output. 1. We have a categorical desirability problem, not a product problem; 2. Motorcycles can get eliminated in an autonomous vehicle future; 3. Mothers and female ridership increase is critical, but real action is needed; 4. Motorcyclists and industry must relentlessly selfpromote to survive; 5. Improvements in the dealership experience is desperately needed Give A Shift will kick off the next set of roundtable events with a late spring session in New York.

Additional round table events will be announced in the coming months with a goal of completing the reports and making each available by the end of August 2018.

Those interested in the program can connect with Robert Pandya directly at RobertPandya@gmail.com or via www.MotoGiveAShift.com.

I take a slightly different slant.

Here’s my list: Autonomous vehicles will never eliminate motorcycles.; More females are riding than ever before and we’re helping.; We are working on a major campaign to promote motorcycling and motorcycle racing all over the world.; Dealers are more engaged with their customers than ever before, sponsor more events and racing. We can help.; We are working with school kids all over the world to introduce them to the fun and adventures of motorcycling.;

Study Urges Motorcycle Awareness Training In Driver’s Ed - Motorcycle awareness should be included in all driver training and increased in safety campaigns, according to the authors of an Australian National University study which found that drivers are twice as likely to miss seeing a motorcycle compared with a taxi and admit they do not expect to see motorcyclists.

Referred to it as “unintentional blindness” resulting in “looked-butfailed-to-see” (LBFTS) crashes, these are the most common type of collision involving motorcycles, according to the 2017 US Motorcycle Crash Causation Study.

Now, a new Australian National University study, “Allocating Attention to Detect Motorcycles: The Role of Unintentional Blindness”, has found that drivers are overloaded with more sensory information than the brain can handle. “So our brain has to decide what information is most important,” the study reports.

Researchers showed photographs of “safe” or “unsafe” situations involving a motorcycle and a taxi, and 65% did not detect the motorcycle while only 31% did not notice the taxi. In other experiments, drivers modulated their attention to accommodate motorcycles when necessary, suggesting that motorcycles are given the least amount of attention.

Participants said they believed a motorcycle was just as likely to be on the road as a taxi, but admitted they would be far less likely to notice the motorcycle. However, participants who have a motorcycle license were more likely to notice the motorcycles.

“Motorcycles appear to be very low on the priority list for the brain when it is filtering information,” University

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researcher Kristen Pammer says.

Co-authors say their study highlights the need to encourage drivers to be more motorcycle-aware with special training for novice drivers to “put motorcyclists higher on the brain ‘radar’ of the driver.”

Pammer notes many ways drivers can be made rider-aware, including advertising campaigns.

“I would put it into driver training programs where everyone who drives must also experience what it is like to ride a motorbike,” she says, adding, “If we could have everyone pass a simulator motorbike riding test -- I bet it would make a big difference.”

-Bill Bish, NCOM Legislative Newsbytes

Harley-Davidson Trademarks Hint At New Models-48X, Pan America And Bronx All Proposed Names - HarleyDavidson has applied for trademark rights on three new names that it intends to apply to ‘motorcycles and the structural parts thereof’ in the future. But what could the 48X, Pan America and Bronx models actually be?

Let’s start with the 48X. Harley already makes a bike with a similar name, the Forty-Eight. Note that the current machine spells the name out while the proposed new title uses numerals instead. The original Forty-Eight was inspired by the 1948 Harley S-125 ‘Hummer’ that first introduced the ‘peanut’ fuel tank that later became synonymous with the Sportster.

There’s a pretty strong chance that the 48X will be a related model. It would certainly be confusing if the number 48 was applied to completely unrelated machine. The ‘X’ remains a mystery.

Under normal H-D practice the letter ‘X’, when used at the start of a model code (e.g. ‘XR750’ or ‘XL1200’), refers to a sports model. But all Sportsters, including the existing Forty-Eight, already have an ‘X’ designation like that. And even more confusingly, the existing Forty-Eight already has an additional ‘X’ in its code – it’s officially the XL1200X. In more general use, an X can refer to ‘cross’ and is widely used for adventure-style bikes (Honda CB500X, for instance).

Finally, and the longest of all long shots, the 48X could be a leaning reverse-trike three-wheeler along the lines of the never-released ‘Penster’ prototypes designed more than a decade ago. These prototypes were eventually revealed at the H-D museum under the title ‘Collection X’

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to reflect their ‘eXperimental’ nature.

There’s also a very strong chance that the 48X could merely be a celebratory derivative of the existing Forty-Eight. After all, 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the 1948 bike that inspired it.

Another thing that happened in 1948 was the introduction of the Panhead engine, replacing the earlier Knucklehead design on Harley’s V-twins. And the 70th anniversary of the Panhead could well be what’s behind the ‘Pan America’ trademark and its 2018 timing.

Equally, just as Honda has the ST1300 Pan European tourer, the Harley Pan America could be a longdistance touring model – although such machines are already well catered for in the existing range.

Finally, there’s the Bronx. There’s really no indication of what sort of bike this might be, although the name has overtones that make us imagine a stripped-back Sportster rather than something at the gaudier end of the Harley line-up.

There’s normally around six months to a year between the filing of a Harley trademark application and the emergence of the bike carrying the name. The most recent was the Sport Glide; the trademark application was published in May 2017; the bike was revealed in November the same year. Trademark applications for all three of the new proposed new titles went in during December 2017, so we’re likely to see the bikes bearing the names during the second half of 2018.

-Ujjwal Dey; Bikernet Trikes Bonnier Motorcycle Group Shifting into New Gear in 2018-Bonnier Motorcycle Group is refining its print content to position it more toward the younger, millennial audience with higher quality products.

As we enter a new and exciting year within the motorcycle industry, it is imperative to recognize that the footprint of all media, including

that within the motorcycle sector, is encountering significant change.

Among these refinements, print media is witnessing the most significant of changes. Consumers continue to enjoy traditional media, but advertising demand in all magazines has steadily decreased.

However, it has been proven that Millennials, surprisingly, enjoy the printed product, especially when the magazine is of high quality, artistic and experiential.

Furthermore, nearly all people consume digital content now via web properties, news feeds (i.e. Apple News), video, or, most significantly, social media platforms. Facebook is social media content for Gen X and Baby Boomers, while YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat are implemented heavily by Millennials and Gen Z. To quickly adapt to this growing trend, the Bonnier Motorcycle Group is refining its print content to position it more toward the younger, millennial audience with higher quality products.

To respond to the changes in consumer and advertiser media needs, Cycle World is moving to a captivating, quarterly, coffee table-sized journal focusing on the art of the motorcycle.

Motorcyclist, fresh off a newly-redesigned package from early 2017, will continue to be produced six times a year and will now include additional productionquality improvements to further showcase the amazing experiences that motorcycling delivers.

Additionally, Hot Bike magazine will be combining with Baggers to become the premier American custom and V-Twin touring publication, which will be produced six times within the year.

The printed versions of DIRT RIDER and Sport Rider will not be produced in 2018 but will continue to deliver industry leading digital content via social, news feed, web, and syndication platforms.

Calling All Artists: Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum Is Giving You The Chance To Cutomize A HarleyDavidson Motorcycle Through The “My Work Speaks For Itself” Contest Witness Your Work Ride Across The U.S. -In This Celebration Of Two American Icons--Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, a brand born to honor the father of American old school tattooing, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, continues its multiyear partnership with the iconic motorcycle manufacturer Harley-

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Davidson in the “My Work Speaks For Itself” contest.

This first-of-its-kind design competition invites old pros and fresh faces to submit their boldest sketches and bravest concepts for a shot at becoming one of six lucky winners to have their artwork emblazoned on 2018 Harley-Davidson® Street Bob motorcycles.

Artwork submissions will be hand-chosen by a panel of rebel-raisers themselves – celebrity tattoo artist Megan Massacre, Spike TV’s “Ink Master” star Oliver Peck, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum Ambassadors Ashley Marsh and Daniel “Gravy” Thomas and the Harley-Davidson Design Team.

So, pull out those sketchpads and tattoo guns and let your imagination run wild. The design competition kick-starts January 14, 2018, and runs through February 15, 2018, with winners scheduled to be announced February 28, 2018 via Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum’s Instagram and Facebook feeds.

To enter the design contest or for additional information, visit www.SailorJerry.com/ MyWorkSpeaksForItself.

Not only will contest winners’ artwork be seen on Harley-Davidson motorcycles across the United States, they will also receive: An exclusive, behind-thescenes VIP experience at the Harley-Davidson Museum, hosted by Megan Massacre and Oliver Peck.

In exciting events taking place starting mid-April, these custom painted motorcycles will be unveiled and begin their tour across the nation. After Labor Day, each motorcycle will be awarded to lucky winners through a separate fan-driven sweepstakes, letting the artwork live on infinitely.

Proposed TV Series: “ATK Motorcycles”, The Other American Motorcycle Brand That Defies All Odds.

ATK Motorcycles, America’s only Dirt Bike manufacturer is now poised to expand its winning traditions on a TV reality series that will follow the daily commotion of what happens at ATK Motorcycles.

The series will take viewers on what actually occurs along the way; from the initial concept of a new motorcycle, engineering, designing, developing, testing, crashing,

marketing and manufacturing and

then finally selling that motorcycle somewhere on planet earth.

ATK will ask for the viewers for their input on what they want to ride and ATK will manufacturer it.

This will be a first in the motorcycle industry. Along the way viewers will be a part of the epic rides on the open

mighty Goliath’s in the motorcycle industry. Everyone wants an underdog and ATK is just that by defying all odds.

Every episode will include a special motorcycle give away to the viewers in being with the cast of ATK. If you want to help, contribute or know more contact Frank White, ATK motorcycles.

-Frank White frank.white@atkusa.com I Don’t Get It—But I’m just a grubby biker. In my younger years the media questioned everything the government spewed, which was correct.

They asked questions and reported.

Made sense. They understood the need for the first amendment and freedom.

Then came helmet laws and they no longer supported freedom. And now Global Warming that could regulate everything and they don’t question it, why? Are they afraid they might piss someone off?

Bikers aren’t afraid of anything. We fight for freedom no matter what.

Ride free forever!

-Bandit

asphalt roads, discovering special places with biker history along with viewing impressive off-road trails, sand dunes, snow peaks on snowbikes that only a few people have ever seen.

Along the track, ATK will link up with the special VIP’s in the biker-world, from the legendary chopper guys to the world champion motocross champions who all share the same passion for motorcycling and how it changed their lives.

The series will also pick up along the way some special actors, celebrities’ and yes, even a few politicians, who are true bikers to make the series a little controversial and fun.

Each episode will have various roadblocks, cliffs and sand washes with different heroes in the cast overcoming these obstacles in making ATK a success against the April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 103

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t’s all but a haze of incoherent memories shrouded in exaggeration and mystic adventure. The characters have all changed but in the end the story remains the same. On occasion, I try to jump start my own history and relive memories that have rotted away years ago leaving holes where stories once lived. The streets I roamed as a little kid are still there, but the pavement is clean and the cars that sit in old friend’s driveways are new and unfamiliar.

We’ve all moved on to capture whatever version of success we were imprinted with by our parents years before we were able to give a damn, but at least we had those days years ago. I didn’t know it, but by the time I was old enough to realize what the hell I was doing it was already too late to appreciate where I was. My dreams were filled with motorcycles, I never had a dirt bike so what my mind conjured up as I slept was a pure sense of ideal freedom, without limitation, that I hoped someday to experience. The ironic part is that the earliest memory that I have of an actual motorcycle besides the one sitting in my father’s garage was of a black undefined bike laying in a pile next to severely damaged car.

My mother turned her head and with a firm tone forbid me to ever ride such a death machine in such an uncertain world.

With so much hatred towards these two wheeled chariots of evil there had to be some reason that someone would want to have one. My Huffy was as

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close as I would come for many years.

I would race down hills at perilous speeds void of all concern for my own safety, I didn’t know what a helmet even was. It was a dangerous time of freedom and my friends and I embraced it. A stolen piece of plywood and a hunk of a log would send us to the heavens as we soared to infamy in the footsteps of the fearless man named Evel. Deep in the woods we would be lost for hours with only our bicycles to deliver us home before dark; it was a childhood I wish I had more time to have.

The sweeping hills and endless roads were all we had in order to find each other. A series of turns and organized sweeping patterns would allow any twelve-year-old to comb his neighborhood in their search of “the pile”. And when you finally found it, you knew you had arrived.

The pile was a symbol of your gang, six or seven beat to shit pedal bikes thrown across the lawn of the house where the parents allowed the most leeway. The pile was the beginning of adventure, a swarm of chaos galloping to the sounds of popping chains and the chatter of bearings as the pedals began to freewheel.

As the pile became mobile it would absorb any kid in its path becoming a mute frenzy of opportunity and peer pressured destiny. No day repeated the last and no story stayed the same.

The surrounding fields of my neighborhood soon fell prey to bulldozers and general contractors that quickly changed the landscape with clone homes and convenience stores forever changing the path of the kids younger than my friends and me. We all soon found ourselves engulfed in the magic of rudimentary video games and cable television nestled inside homes comforted by central air conditioning and bulk store treats. The piles stopped moving and the landscapers moved the bikes off the yards, times changed.

I finally got my motorcycle, taught myself how to ride and began to start new adventures with new friends in a

new town. I found myself scouring the streets chasing that freedom that filled my dreams as I slept years ago. The piles are still there, just farther apart, spread all over this country in all kinds of landscapes.

Different faces with different lives all searching for the same kind of freedoms. I think, that in some way, who you are as a kid is as close to what’s going to make you a happy adult as you ever may be. Whether you ride alone or in that frenzy of chaos at some time, you’ll end up in that pile once again.

A pile with different versions of those you knew as a kid, just as familiar and just as exciting. Every day is the beginning of a new story and as soon as you fire that bike up you’re saluting that kid you used to be and, in some way, still are. Something has brought all of us to this point and it’s what we do from here that defines us. You shouldn’t need a reason to ride, you don’t need an agenda or a purpose. You just need to be free and chase that freedom till the day you die because in the end that is the only thing you owe yourself.

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TC Bros. Chrome Louvered Air Cleaner Bendix Zenith & Keihin Butterfly Carbs

Add classic Hot-Rod style to your motorcycle with this TC Bros. Chrome Louvered Air Cleaner. Washable cotton gauze filter element provides high performance air flow to your V-Twin. Kit attaches easily using the American made, CNC machined, powder coated steel mounting bracket. This ultra-compact kit is designed to fit all Harley Davidson® Big Twin and Sportster models using factory Bendix Zenith & Keihin Butterfly Carbs. (WILL NOT FIT CV carburetor, see our other items for our air cleaner kit that does). It is highly recommended to use in conjunction with a support bracket for longevity. See TC Bros. SKU #109-0163 for 88-90 Sportster models. NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA $59.95 www.tcbroschoppers.com

Twin Power Expands Gasket Kit Product Line

The Cam Change Gasket Kits include all gaskets, seals and O-rings necessary for a camshaft change. The kits are designed for Harley-Davidson® 1970 to 1992 Big Twin models. $18.56 to $68.00. The new M-8 Gasket Kits are sold individually or in convenient package quantities depending on your particular application.

These kits include: Top End Gasket Sets retails for $180.0; Rocker Cover Gaskets $57.50; Cylinder Head Gaskets $44.99; Tappet Guide Gasket $29.25; Cam Cover Gaskets/Seals and O-Rings $31.25; Motor Case O-Rings and Seals $11.25 to $19.80; Manifold/Carburetor/Air Cleaner Gaskets and Seals $2.45 to $51.80; Primary/Derby/Inspection Cover Gaskets $24.00 to $65.00; Transmission Rebuild Kit $75.24; and Transmission Oil Pan Gaskets $15.95. Made in the USA, Twin Power gaskets are offered as a kit that contains all the gaskets and seals necessary, or separately as needed, to perform a specific job. These high-quality kits include AFM and MLS style gaskets, and meet or exceed O.E.M.specifications. Visit your local Tucker Rocky | Biker’s Choice dealer.

Profile Low Touring Front Suspension

“Reverse Motor” for all Harley-Davidson Tri-Glides.

. Included in the kit are: a new armature, a new field assembly (magnets), a new brush cap, and a new planetary gear shield. Terry Components reverse motor rebuild kits make it easy and economical to repair the Harley-Davidson Tri-Glide back-up motor.

This kit retails for $300.00. Included in every kit is Terry Components traditional “Quality and Performance.” Dealer inquiries welcomed. For all further information please visit your local Drag Specialties dealer or contact Terry Components direct at www. terrycomp.com

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Original Equipment on the Electra Glide Ultra Low Model, this front suspension reduces the front fork length by over .7”, reducing seat height and delivering a closer to the pavement riding experience.

Utilizes Dual Bending Valve technology to preserve original ride quality. Features springs that are wound to allow a compliant, yet controlled ride. When paired with the required Low Profile Hand-Adjustable Rear Suspension, the overall ride height is reduced. Provides the rider with a short inseam additional confidence when stopped or maneuvering vehicle in a parking lot. Kit includes two fork springs, two damper tubes, jiffy stand mount, seals and hardware. $159.95 www.h-d. com

Premium Hand-Adjustable Touring Shocks

This low profile rear suspension system is engineered to minimize ride height while maximizing comfort for the rider and passenger. Features Low height; A nitrogen charged emulsion design; Delivers enhanced compression and rebound damping for a controlled and comfortable ride with less bottoming; Large chambers that allow the suspension to react quickly to impacts, keeping the tires tracking while minimizing hardness transmitted through the frame; Simple knob behind the left saddlebag permits adjustment of the spring preload to adapt for light and heavy load; Reduces seat height by .75” to deliver a confidence-inspiring shorter reach to the ground; Kit includes left and right rear shocks $549.95. Visit h-d.com

BikeMaster® Expands Line with Heavy-Duty Moto and Enduro Inner Tubes

DP Brakes For Harley-Davidson

DP Brakes, the pioneer and longtime industry leader in sintered metal braking technology, offers brakes that are an upgrade to original equipment for 2018 and earlier Harley Davidsons. DP Brakes are quiet and dust free. Fitment covers Harley’s from early 1970‘s.

Added fitments the new Street Glide Trikes, Streets, Sportsters and Softail models with new calipers. In addition, DP Brakes are fitted as original equipment on all Performance Machine (PM) and HHI (Hawg Halters) calipers. For more information on the complete lineup of DP Brakes brake pads, shoes, rotors and clutch kits, contact (716) 681-8806, e-mail dpbrakestm@aol. com, or visit DP Brakes on the web at www.dp-brakes. com

BikeMaster Heavy-Duty Moto Tubes are made from natural rubber, making them ultra-durable. Seamless construction, increased wall thickness and superior valve stems combine to provide better puncture and pinch flat protection in any terrain. Starting at $10.95. BikeMaster Heavy-Duty Enduro have all the same characteristics as the Heavy-Duty Moto Tubes, but also feature an average of 35% boost in wall thickness. These are designed to perform well in extreme conditions, giving you better sidewall stability and superior protection, and retail starting at $17.95. BikeMaster HeavyDuty Moto and Heavy-Duty Enduro Tubes can be ordered through your local Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice dealer. Visit your local Tucker Rocky | Biker’s Choice dealer.

Cycle X Vintage Racing Pistons

Cycle X and Wiseco have teamed up to offer state of the art strutted, billet and race coated piston sets. These 1.00mm over piston sets will be race legal in all formula vintage motorcycle road races and feature a 12.5 compression ratio. Lightest pistons in the industry for your go-fast project. www.cyclexchange.net

Yamaha XS650 Rubber Battery Box Boot

Yamaha XS650 Rubber Battery Boot, use this to isolate vibration on your battery. Fits: 12N14 type Batteries as used on 1974-84 Yamaha 650’s $21.99 www.tcbroschoppers.com

TC Bros Breather Bolts For all Harley Twin Cam Engines

TC Bros. Breather Bolts For your 1999-2017 Twin Cam Harley Motors (does not fit Sportster models). These bolts are the cleanest way to solve your crankcase venting issues when installing aftermarket air cleaners on your Harley. They are fully CNC machined 6061 aluminum that is polished for a super clean look! They include stainless steel vent screens, stainless washers, circlips and foam filter elements. No more ugly hoses and bulky breather filters to deal with! MADE IN USA! NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN CALIFORNIA. Fits all Twin cam engines.

Twin cam engines were produced from 1999-2017 in the following displacements: 88 cu in, 96 cu in, 103 cu in, 110 cu in. $44.99 www.tcbroschoppers.com April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 107

DRAG SPECIALTIES BLACK +1” KICKSTANDS

New gloss black Precision engine covers from Kuryakyn take blacked-out Milwaukee-Eight® powerplants deeper to the dark side. Now available in smooth gloss black, Precision covers serve as an extension of the Milwaukee-Eight’s design language, enhancing the sinister look of Harley-Davidson® “Special” and CVO Touring models, as well as the Gloss Black Engine Cover Kit (H-D P/N 92500059). The modern and muscular designs deliver a truly defined appearance for a seamless integration with every factory component, whether used individually or as a complete set. Everything in the Precision line is bolt on, creating a uniform aesthetic with the motor. The collection includes groupings of unique covers and accents that bring the same powerful appearance to often-overlooked areas of the engine and transmission. Focus areas include the cylinder base, inner primary, tappet block, transmission and starter, as well as the voltage regulator, oil cooler, and coolant pump for liquid-cooled models, among other areas. Coming soon to the Precision lineup are full kits for 2018 Softail® models offered in both gloss black and chrome finish options. To view the complete Precision collection for Milwaukee-Eight Touring models, visit www.kuryakyn.com/c/precision.

Valve and Spring Kits, 1948-1965 HD PANHEAD ENGINE KIT

Twin Power is proud to introduce a new line of high quality USA made valve and spring kits to the product line. These are offered as Replacement Valve Kits or Complete Engine Kits. Valve kits include (4) stock size valves for each application. Engine kits include (4) valves, A complete OEM replacement style spring kit, steel retainers and keepers, and valve guide seals (where applicable). From Knuckleheads to the latest Twin Cam models, we give you everything you need in one kit. Only one part number to order for a complete cylinder head overhaul. (Note: dealer must install and fit valve guides as needed). Easy to order, easy to stock, and Made in USA. $224.99. Visit your local Twin Power dealer.

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OFFICIAL POWDERCOATER OF FLAT BROKE CHOPS & RODS

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ADVERTISERS INDEX AMCA ............................................37 5 Ball Racing Leather................. 109 Bare Bones Leather.......................37 Battery Outlet..............................111 Big Mountain Run.........................33 BikerNet.com................................113 Bikers Choice...................................3 Billet Proof Designs........................79 Boogie East...................................39 Kiwi Indian....................................37 Choppertime....................................4 Cycle Source Gear.........................85 Dennis Kirk....................................9 DK Custom Products....................111 Dirty Bird Concepts.......................79 Donnie Smith Flat Track...............35 Donnie Smith Show.......................52 Drag Specialties............................15 Dutchman....................................111 Faith Forgotten Choppers.............81 Feuling..........................................111 Fox Creek Leather..........................65 GEICO..............................................2 Harbor Freight...............................49 Hardtail Choppers........................110 Harley-Davidson............................16 Hijinx Apparel..............................110 Hogs 4 Hope ..................................105 Hot Leathers.................................105 Hydroclutch..................................110 I Draw Flies...................................108 Indian Larry Motorcycles..............27 Inferno Art...................................110 LePera Seats..................................75 J&P Cycles.....................................63 Kearney Rides................................56 Kiwi Indian....................................29 Led Sled Customs...........................69 Lutz Leather.................................110 Metzeler..........................................33 Mikuni...........................................51 Nash ........................................... 112 National Motorcycle Museum......110 New Air-A Vape Shop...................110 Pandemonium................................67 Paughco.....................................19,87 Progressive Insurance...................21 Russ Brown...................................45 S&S Cycle.....................................116 SBS Brakes....................................89 SpeedKing.....................................80 Sporty Parts.................................111 Steel City H-D..............................115 Tech Cycles....................................29 Thermo Tech..................................65 Three Two Choppers.......................47 Tropical Tattoo.............................113 Twisted Choppers............................5

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barely able to stifle its laughter and snickering. When silence is restored, the teacher smiles sympathetically at the student, shakes her head, and sweetly says, “You can write with your other hand then!”

A

Heard A Good One Lately ?

Then Send It Along To Us At: 118 Dellenbaugh Rd. Tarentum, PA 15084 Or E-mail To cyclesourcemain@comcast.net

A

New York attorney representing a wealthy art collector called his client. “Saul, I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The art collector replied, “I’ve had an awful day. Give me the good news first.”

The lawyer said, “Well, I met with your wife today, and she informed me that she just invested $5,000 in two pictures that she thinks will bring a minimum of $15 to $20 million, and I think she could be right.” Saul replied enthusiastically, “Well done! My wife is a brilliant businesswoman! You’ve just made my day. Now I know I can handle the bad news. What is it?” The lawyer replied, “The pictures are of you and your secretary.”

T

Earl

wo young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, “Son, how old are you?” “Eight”, the boy replied.

The man continued, “do you know what these are used for?” The boy replied, “not exactly, but they aren’t for me. They are for him. He’s my brother. He’s four.

We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike.

Right now, he can’t do either!”

M

Tim

y husband and I purchased an old home in Northern New York State from two elderly sisters.

Winter was fast approaching, and I was concerned about the house’s lack of insulation. “If they could live here all those years, so can we!” my husband confidently declared. One November

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night the temperature plunged to below zero, and we woke up to find interior walls covered with frost. My husband called the sisters to ask how they had kept the house warm. After a rather brief conversation, he hung up. “For the past 30 years,” he muttered, “they’ve gone to Florida for the winter.”

A

Tony

7-year-old and a 4-year-old are upstairs in their bedroom. “You know what?” says the 7-yearold, “I think it’s about time we started swearing.” The 4-year-old nods his head in approval. “When we go downstairs for breakfast I’m gonna say ‘hell’ and you say ‘ass’, O.K.?” “O.K.” the 4-yearold agrees with enthusiasm. The mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 7 year old what he wants for breakfast.

“Aw, hell Mom, I guess I’ll have some Cheerios.” WHACK!! He flew out of his chair, tumbled across the kitchen floor, got up and ran upstairs crying his eyes out. She looked at the 4-year-old and asked with a stern voice, “And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?” “I don’t know,” he blubbers, “but you can bet your ass it won’t be Cheerios.”

A

Emily

high school English teacher reminds her class of tomorrow’s final exam. She also tells them that there will be no excuse for failing to show up, except for serious injury, illness, or a death in the student’s immediate family. A smart-ass jock in the back of the room pipes up and asks the teacher out loud, “What about extreme sexual exhaustion?” The entire class has all it can do keep from breaking up, being

Cindy

n American tourist went into a restaurant in a Spanish provincial city for dinner and asked to be served the specialty of the house. When the dish arrived, he asked what kind of meat it contained. “Senor, these are the cojones,” the waiter replied. “The what, you say?” exclaimed the tourist.

“They are the testicles of the bull killed in the ring today,” explained the waiter.

The tourist gulped but tasted the dish anyway and found it delicious. Returning the following evening, he asked for the same dish. After he finished the meal, the tourist commented to the waiter: “Today’s cojones are much saltier and smaller than the ones I had yesterday.”

“True, senor,” agreed the waiter. “You see the bull, he does not always lose.”

T

Fernando

he new priest was so nervous at his first mass, he could hardly speak.

Before his second appearance in the pulpit he asked the Monsignor how he could relax. The Monsignor said, “Next Sunday, it may help if you put some vodka in the water pitcher. After a few sips, everything should go smoothly.”

The next Sunday the new priest put the suggestion into practice and was able to talk up a storm. He felt great. However, upon returning to the rectory, he found a note from the Monsignor. It read: Next time, sip rather than gulp. There are 10 commandments, not 12. There are 12 disciples, not 10. We do not refer to the cross as the big “T”. The recommended grace before meals is not “ rub-a-dubdub, thanks for the grub, yeah God.” Do not refer to our savior, Jesus Christ and his apostles as “J.C. and The boys”.

David slew Goliath. He did not kick the shit out of him.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are never referred to as “Big Daddy, Junior and, The Spook”. It is always the Virgin Mary, never “Mary with the Cherry. Jesus was Consecrated, NOT constipated. Jesus said, “Take this and eat it, for it is my body,” he did not say, “Eat me.” Jacob wagered his donkey, he didn’t “beat his ass.” David was hit by a rock and knocked off his donkey, he wasn’t “stoned off his ass.”. Last, but not least, next Wednesday there will be a taffy pulling contest as St. Peters. There will not be a Peter pulling contest at St. Taffy’s.

Jack

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