Cycle Source Magazine Issue 306- February/March 2024

50 December‘10 CYCLE SOURCE

CYCLE SOURCE December December '23 - January '24 7

BIKES The Raven

RKB's Lowrider ................................................................... 20

Gold Rush

Jim Powers Pan .................................................................. 38

Geraldine

Steve Reed's Shovelhead ............................................. 50

Time Crunch

Hofmann Designs Ode To A Chopper ...................... 60

The Heavy

Cubby's 1979 FXEF ............................................................... 74

Harman

Garage Builder Brett Myhre's Honda ................... 86

FEATURES 2023 Year In Review

A Look Back At The Year In Motorcycling .............. 10

Best Of

You're Votes Counted ..................................................... 30

Dreaming Big

Dream Ride Bicycle Give A Way ................................. 46

Long Road 23

The Road To SmokeOut .................................................. 56

Meet The Builders

The Inaugural Donnie Smith Invitational ............. 66

Top Ten

Your Favorite Bikes Of 2023 ........................................ 69

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TECH

Wiring School

How To Properly Solder Connections ..................... 16

Trifecta

Installing Klock Werks FXR Swingarm Blocks ... 26

TV Or RTV

The Right Sealant For The Right Job ........................ 46

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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 Kevin Baxter- Tech Editor - Kevin@baxtersgarage.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

STAFF WRITERS

Chris Callen, Milwaukee Mike, Jack Schit, Pat Jansen, Xavier Muriel, Charlie Weisel, Mitch Bodine, Amelia Rose, Daniel Donley, Joshua Elzey, Roadside Marty, Heather Callen, Melissa DeBord, Troy Bensinger, Matt Reel, Jason Mook

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Callen, Heather Callen, Mad Stork Ken, Twila Knight, Melissa DeBord

CONTRIBUTORS Jason Hallman, Mike Allen

STAFF ARTISTS Chris Callen

ADVERTISING

Heather Callen- Sales Manager - cyclesourcemain@comcast.net

GRAPHIC ARTISTS Chris Callen, Heather Callen

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DISTRIBUTION

Comag 5230 Finch Ave. E., Ste. 1, Toronto, ON, M1S 4Z9 Cycle Source - Dealership Direct Distribution 724-226-2867

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Heather Callen - 724-226-2867

COPY EDITOR Judy Duggan

LEGAL COUNSEL

James L. Paz Attorney at Law - Tarentum, PA - 724-226-9PAZ For Any Subscription Questions Call 724-226-2867

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SPARE PARTS Product Spotlight

Hot Off The Rack ............................................................... 84

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

Cycle Source Magazine

In The News

118 Dellenbaugh Rd. Tarentum, PA 15084

The World Report Powered by BikerNet.com .... 90

DEPARTMENTS

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From The Editor’s Desk .................................................... 8 Photo Hunt ........................................................................... 36 Art Of Our Culture ............................................................ 44 Pin-Up Of The Month ....................................................... 68 Chopper Charlie ............................................................... 80 Gut Busters ........................................................................ 98

The Cycle Source Magazine® (ISSN 1935-0287) is published 10 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 $40.00 for 10 issues. Canadian Subscription rate is $50.00 for 10 issues. Back Issues, when available, are $7.99 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® can be re-printed in whole or part without the express written consent of the publishers. Copyright ® 2023. The Cycle Source Magazine®, A Grass Roots Motorcycle PublicationSM, Scooter Tramp ™ Wild Man™ Low Down & Dirty Rotten™ Grease & Gears Garage™ Grease & Gears TV™ Grease & Gears Garage Roadshow™ ShopTalk™ Do It Your Damn Self™ Inslide Line™ and SmokeOut™ are registered trade marks.

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ABOUT THE COVER Steve Reed showed up with this beauty for the Chopper Friends Throwdown last year and it was a real work of art. It comes from good stock but was also a flawless build in a sea of top shelf customs.

We are so happy to have it on the cover for this issue. february '24 - march '24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 7

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hat seems like about a hundred years ago now, but was really only 2001, I had freshly finished my first chopper.

We had taken a Softail and raked the frame with a digging bar and a rosebud torch. With no frame fixture and no measurements, we simply cut the neck, heated it up, and bent it to where we thought it looked good.

It ended up being right around 40 degrees of rake and looked bitchin.

We used the front fender from an FLH as the rear fender, cut it down the middle, and welded it up with an extra inch or so in it. Bunch of other stuff, too, but all in all, I was proud as hell as it rolled off the table.

Back then, I had a great friend named Albert. Many of you might know him from his famed Albert’s Chrome. He had done work for much of the country but most of the East Coast. He was a chrome plater but a motorcycle nut through and through.

In a little shop only a few miles from my house, Albert had a service shop attached to the chroming business where he and a ragtag group of old school bikers fixed bikes and performed service work. Of course, I was thrilled to take my new build to Alberts, and it was the first place I went when I finished the last few touches.

About halfway there, I realized I may have miscalculated the rake on the bike as I went to take a hard bend at speed when the bike stood

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up on the frame rail and I nearly ended up in the ditch. Apparently, when we adjusted the rake, we took it to a place that looked level and good but didn’t yet have the weight of the motor in the frame.

Once the suspension took that weight, it was obviously lower than I was comfortable with, but I was too excited to take it back apart.

Somehow, I managed to make it to Albert’s without incident. I pulled up just as they were coming off a break. “What do you think of my new build?” I said loudly. What Albert said next is the focus of this article and the key to where we are now in the motorcycle thing. “Yeah, yeah, it’s great,” he said. “How about we roll it up on one of the lifts and make sure you aren’t gonna kill yourself on it.” Years later now, I realize the raised eyebrow meant, “Oh my God, what has he done?” But rather than bust my balls or tell me how great it was or what he built was so much better, he took a customer bike off the lift and rolled mine up to give it an overall safety inspection. He helped me measure it for a proper set of 2-over fork tubes, which we promptly ordered. Now, this man was my hero. Suppose he had taken the other route right then and humiliated me by disqualifying what I had done altogether. Well, In that case, the results may have been disastrous. I may have turned away from this motorcycle thing entirely at that point. Over 20 builds later, I

may never have reached the much more mature approach I take in my work today.

Ya see, the teach a man to fish rule applies here. Albert sat me down and showed me what I could do better, commented on some of the things I did right, and sent me away with a desire to do better. Not that anything was critically wrong with that bike, but after the two-inch tubes were added, I rode it for years and many miles. It was a blast and made me feel like I had accomplished something I had dreamt about since I was a kid.

At that point, I became obsessed with learning new skills and getting tools to take my abilities up a notch because one of the older guys in my circle didn’t just offer to throw me a fish or slap me in the face with it. No, Albert saw an opportunity to show me how great it is to fish.

Many years later, and quite a few builds under my belt, I found myself sitting at Albert’s kitchen table as he handed me the chrome parts for my ’49 Panhead Chopper “The Ticket.” It would be some of the last chroming he did before he was taken from us and one of the most poetic memories I keep of him. He was a great friend but possibly a better man because he had the ability to put the good of this thing we love ahead of his own ego. We should all look for a good fishing buddy, huh?

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his issue is always bittersweet for us here at Cycle Source. On the one hand, we want to take a minute and look back over the past 12 months to celebrate what made this year in motorcycling so great; it is extremely hard, in one article, to sum up everything from a year and not leave anything out. The year 2023 was a weird one. It started with all the hopes and dreams that were carried over from a rush of business post-COVID and the years after but ended with worry, strife, and a sense of foreboding.

Still, there were so many great bikes that came out this year, so many great friendships made and events attended, and a couple of monumental personal achievements for us here at the magazine. It is hard not to say that it was a great year overall. One way or another, it stands that we can’t turn that next page of the calendar and start the new year without properly looking over the year that was 2023.

THE INDUSTRY: It seemed by mid-year that the industry was having a mid-life crisis of sorts. Top compa-

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nies started to switch players. Some sold out, and some just went away.

Change was on the way, and as the money slowed from the big fat government checks that were our reward for suffering through the pandemic, it started to dry up, and so did the incredible growth margins. It turned into a bear market in a hurry, and all

that, coupled with early election talk, threw caution up as an emergency flag warning about late-year spending. Harley-Davidson showed a great

need for a new direction with the comments of CEO Zeitz in an interview that the all-electric motorcycle was in the company’s future. At the same time, they discontinued the Evolution Sportster and manufactured the firstever overseas motorcycle with the bar & shield. This collab with QJ Motors warns of an uncomfortable global approach that might be a sign of more things to come that aren’t going to endear most Americans. The Aftermarket suffered from shutters, and long-time parts distributor Tucker sold to large-scale automotive parts giants Turn-14. JP Cycles had retail locations closing in some areas, and even Harley Dealerships started to see closures of the traditional family-owned businesses in favor of big car group conglomerates. With reports like the mid-year notice that H-D blamed their losses on a lack of repossessions, people started to understand that their revenues were as much about banking as it ever was selling motorcycles.

The EPA was a major concern for both new and Aftermarket companies.

BMW actually ceased all US sales over a noncompliance issue for a period. In opposition to that, the MRF assisted in the formation of the IMA (Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket) dealer group. This group, led by Bob Kay, intends to provide staunch opposi-

Article And Photos By: Source Staff

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tion to any further legislation in their attempts to ban Internal Combustion Engines. The whole Business scene makes it feel like 2010 all over again.

THE CULTURE: It would seem that the effects of COVID were still with us, and the idea of appreciating life that bloomed for 2 years was replaced in some ways by the need for a challenge by 2023. We saw this firsthand with the Chopper Friends Throwdown in Arizona, which launched out of the success of the FXR Friends Throwdown the year before. Of course, some of the young guns were getting in on it in ‘23, and the FXR Tour saw another group of builders make a project deadline and ride their finished bikes at the end. This all lends to our observation this year, which saw a “meet in the middle approach” to custom bikes. Where years before, the chopper guys stayed toward the older bikes, and the performance crowd was primarily on newer, we saw an opening of the gates, and everyone started to use Evo, Twin Cam, and M-8 engine families no matter if it was performance builds, choppers or FXRs. The Twin Cam resurgence into the custom realm has been amazing. With companies like Mike Beland’s A-1 Cycles, Dark Horse, and Revolution Performance getting a handle on the process of the flywheels, it seems they are no longer as problematic to deal with.

Old bikes were on the move as well, and record numbers continued to come out of Mecums where not only did Elvis’ FLH self for over 800k, but the most expensive bike ever sold at a Mecum auction was credited to 2023 when a 1908 strap tank Harley sold for nearly 1 million dollars. Even Harley-Davidson continues to acknowledge the role of vintage bikes in our culture today. During their 120th Anniversary, they released the next bike of their Icon line, The Highway King. This bike is very reminiscent of an old Shovelhead FLH and is by far the coolest bike in the model year. Sean Jackson and Tom Banks made the play for Competition Distribution. While they both say there is a long way to go to right the ship, they saved it and have it going in the right direction to continue to provide quality parts for the antique community.

Events continue to bolster the Grass Roots perspective with tons of support for the backyard or back 40 style events over the homogenized Rally In A Box approach of the “Your Town Name Here Bike Week” events that continued to suffer losses. Their old business models of the same bands, same vendors, same turkey legs, and stale beer just aren’t what the riding community is

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looking for anymore. Still, there must be just enough money in it for them to keep on trucking…. For now. Good luck somethingBurg Bike Week.

Past and present were celebrated in so many ways this year with a return to the Smoekout by the Long Road, The Wallend / Ives death-defying jump at Buffalo Chip, and the Anniversary of the Motocross Des Nations Anniversary that scored them a Hall Of Fame Ring at Sturgis. Speaking of this, it was a big honor for our editor, Chris Callen, who was inducted this year along with Jay Allen, Roland Sands, and Burt Monroe.

A hell of a tribute to past and present.

Racing saw ups for the King Of Baggers and BRL. Both continue to grow attention for big twin bagger racing, with BRL seeing record attendance this year at their Pittsburgh and Black Hawk races. They will be the first sanction to go international next year as the series has been invited to hold a race in Canada. On the downside in racing, we found out late that the operators of the Sturgis Raceway decided to forgo renewing their lease and this leaves a big question about what will happen at this legendary track during the Black Hills Rally.

On a positive note, there were great anniversaries this year, with the Hamfebruary '24 - march '24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 13

sters USA celebrating 45 years, Harley blowing out 120 candles, and the Laconia Rally making it to their 100th birthday. We congratulate them all.

OUR LOSSES: Like all years, we had to say goodbye to friends and family taken from us throughout the year. Bill Blackmoore, Robbie Knievel, and Fred Fox were among them. Regarding Fred Fox, this raises some big questions for all of us. Fred was more than a pillar in the aftermarket industry. He seemed to have a crystal ball on his side. His ability to turn in the right direction and give small manufacturers their first big shot, as well as his guidance in general, will surely be missed. Of course, some names will be missing from this list. Suffice it to say, to all of you who have lost a loved one in 2023, we send our thoughts and prayers to the families of these industry greats and to all who lost a loved one through this challenging year.

HOW WE DID: Amazingly, we made it back to somewhat normal and celebrated 300 issues in 2023. The big news we promised from this same article last year came to fruition by mid-year with the release of Grease & Gears TV. We did it. After three years of hard work and a pile of support from Dennis Kirk, we launched a brand new form of media for the American Custom Motorcycle Culture with Grease & Gears TV on Roku, Firestick, Apple, and Android. While the American Newsstand continues to be a huge pain in the ass for anyone involved in print media, we have managed to forge ahead. Late in the year, we got the notice that CK Deluxe and Old Skool Rodz decided to close, Easyriders is on another up and down, but it does seem that Jordan and the boys at Hot Bike have successfully relaunched the that title once more.

As for all of you, it seems appropriate at this time in our countries state, with the state of motorcycling and just for who we are as people to remind you why we all got into motorcycling. One way or another we were all looking for a little more outta life. A little more fun, a little more community, camaraderie, a little more adventure. Well, you found it, at whatever level you want to participate in it, all of that waits for you just a few miles from your house and continues until you run out of fuel. So don’t waste another moment in regret or fear, go get it. Make today the day you will look back on and tell other people that this is the moment it all changed for me. Until next year, go do something with your motorcycle. It’s out in the garage, waiting for the next adventure.

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Article And Photos By: Daniel Donley

www.pandemoniumcustomchoppers.com

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ou would never think that someone would use household wire nuts on a motorcycle wiring…well, that is just a ‘lil’ of some of the crazy things I have seen over the years. I’ve seen everything from improperly crimped ends to multiple butt connectors in ONE wire! Or how about the good ‘ol’ twist the 2 wires together and throw some black tape at it?! For this article, I will show you how to properly solder an electrical connection and add a touch of custom to your motorcycle.

crimper/strippers, scissors, pliers, razor blade, and heat gun. These are my go-to tools for any wiring job.

rid of the colored plastic piece and throw it away. That’s all it is suitable for! The plastic piece does not allow you to see that crimp to verify that it is a good connection. Removing it will enable you to visibly confirm the crimp is good and done correctly.

Heat Shrink and quality end terminals are particularly important in any proper wiring job.

These are some of the basic tools you will need to repair or completely wire your motorcycle: A soldering gun, solder, flux or solder paste, wire

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The first thing I do when I put a terminal on the end of a wire is to get

With my wire strippers, I remove the outer sheathing that covers the wire.

Then, give the wires a quick twist so no stray wires stick out.

Cut a piece of heat shrink tubing approx. 1” long and slip it over the wire. Then, install the terminal end and lightly crimp it into place, just enough to hold it on the wire. Make sure you DO NOT over-crimp the wire. If you do, it can crush the wire and potentially create a breakpoint.

Take the bare wire you just cut the sheathing from and dunk it in the solder paste. I know that, yes, we are using rosin core solder, and most will tell you that this is unnecessary, but the solder paste helps with the flow of the solder. This will make for an excellent solder joint.

An added benefit of using solder paste is that it lets you know when the joint is ready to accept solder by starting to “boil” or bubble up. Once you see this, slowly add solder till the joint has a nice shiny silver finish.

Then, remove the heat from the soldering gun.

I like to “tinn” the end of the eyelet to give the surface that the screw bears down on something more to dig into.

I prefer using a heat gun to shrink the heat shrink tubing because it is a controlled heat. Heat the tubing enough so it shrinks to a snug fit on the terminal and conforms to it.

You use heat shrink tubing to keep water out of the soldered joint, so it doesn’t corrode and to help support the connection from the solder joint to the wire.

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Now that we have installed an eyelet, I am going to show you how I do a butt splice. I have seen all kinds of crazy shit here, from twisting wire and black tape to wire nuts! Anyway, this is how I recommend doing a butt splice.

Trim back the vinyl wire coating and fray the wire apart. Then, dunk it in the solder paste. To install a piece of heat shrink tubing, push the two frayed ends into each other. You want to take both frayed ends and twist them against each other so that they interlock. You want this to be a very nice and smooth interlock because if you have anything sticking out, it could poke through the heat shrink tube and cause an electrical short.

I like to use cloth-covered wiring because it adds a custom touch.

This is your standard vinyl-coated wire with the addition of the cloth covering over the top of it. It is available in many different colors from various suppliers.

Here are a few examples of what you can do with your wiring to add purpose and a custom touch.

The coiled wire effect is achieved by wrapping your wire around a large screwdriver. This works great for the wire that runs to your headlight. So, when the front end is turned back and forth, it acts like a spring and keeps the wire out of moving pinch areas, like your fork stops.

There are many advantages to using quality wire, terminal ends, and properly soldering and heat shrinking, not to mention that it looks nice and tidy. It is also an electrical connection that you can count on.

FB- Pandemonium Custom Choppers IG – pandemoniumc2 happydandemonium@gmail.com www.pandemoniumcustomchoppers.com

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here are some bikes that are so bitchin, and have such incredible lines that might not even be the typical style of bike you are interested in, but still stop you dead in your tracks when you see them. That, for me, is this bike right here. To start with, it’s a Twin Cam, and for whatever reason, I just overlook making them into full builds like this. In their stock configuration, they are just big squared-off blocks, and it takes a real eye to

see past that for what it can be.

Secondly, it kinda leans towards a big wheel bike, which again is fine, just not what normally trips my trigger. But all of that together in the configuration you see here, it’s so sexy and hot as F! So, of course, the special eye I was talking about at the beginning of this article is precisely what made it come to life. This build comes outta the labs of resident mad scientist Rick Bray of RKB Kustom Speed. Rick is known

for his ability to bring a unique perspective to a project. When the owner, Mike Mohoff, decided to have this beauty built, he trusted Rick to give it that flair. Starting with a 2003 Softail Standard, they took it down to the frame.

Typically, Rick starts something like this with a one-off frame, but I half think this was a challenge for him. Of course, they ditched the Softail swinger in favor of a round stock swinger custom fabbed at RKB. Despite working from

Article And Photos By: Chris Callen

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the stock frame, most of it was addressed in a better way.

All the hard corners were removed, the frame horns were cut and made into a better version of themselves, and mostly the extras were taken away. The voltage regulator was relocated and hidden in the back of the bike. He hollowed out the giant stock boomerangs at the frame where it met the old swinger. The

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oil bag was narrowed to match the seat rails exactly, and custom handmade stainless steel tank badges are the crowning glory.

These were modeled from a 59 Impala that Mike took a picture of and sent to Rick. A few hours later, he had six pieces of stainless and tin welded into the fuel tanks. Both the motor and transmission were pulled apart and smoothed out by hand before being completely polished. Wiring is never cool on a custom bike, especially not on one like this. The stock harness was removed entirely, and a custom wiring job that would keep everything hidden was created in its place.

For what is essentially a modern motorcycle, this bike has some old-school street cred. Using parts like the Sportster combo brake and sprocket for a chain final drive, the killer RKB Invader Type wheels on white walls, and the super low front springer combined with the air ride rear makes this bike low and lean. To keep it clean, Rick went with a no speedo dash approach, and only the ignition switch sticks up. A Set of pipes that reminds you of old lake bed pipes is a welcome change from the traditional Fishtails you would

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the raven TECH Sheet Owner: Mike Mohoff City/State: Fresno, Ca Builder: Rick Bray, Rkb Kustom Speed Year: 2003 Model: Softail Standard Value: Priceless Time: 1 Year Engine Year: 2003 Model: Twin Cam Builder: Jeff Montgomery Ignition: Thunderheart Displacement: 88 Pistons: Stock Heads: Stock Carb: S&S Super E Cam: Stock Air Cleaner: Eddie Trotta Exhaust: Rkb Kustom Speed Primary: Bdl Transmission Year: 2003 Make: Stock Shifting: Stock 5 Speed Frame Year: 2003 Model: Softail Standard Rake: Stock Stretch: Stock Forks Builder: Rkb Kustom Speed Type: Springer Triple Trees: Moto Iron Extension: 4” Under Stock Wheels Front Wheel: Rkb Kustom Speed Size:23” Tire: Mt90 B16 Vee Rubber Front Brake: Rkb/ Pm Rear Wheel: Rkb Kustom Speed Size: 16 Tire: 130/50 B23 Vee Rubber Rear Brake: Exile Paint Painter: Tom Rhodes Color: Black Type: Base Coat/ Clear Coat Graphics: Jake Blanco Chroming: Morenos Accessories Bars: Rkb Kustom Speed Risers: Unknown Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Foot Controls: Rkb Kustom Speed Gas Tank(S): Stock Modified By Rkb Oil Tank: Stock Modified By Rkb Front Fender: Unknown Rear Fender: Rkb Kustom Seat: Rkb/ Greenkoats Kustoms Headlight: Stock Taillight: Rkb Kustom Speed Speedo: Unknown Photographer: chris callen

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expect on this style. Of course, mid controls are another place where he went off the beaten path, opting to forego the normal forwards, and as always, this was a place for Rick to get jiggy with the mechanics of them. All in all, this is a solid build with killer styling that Mike loves. As you

can imagine, the bike gets tons of peepers whenever he manages to leave it parked for a minute.

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Article And Photos By: Jason Hallman www.cyclestopusa.com

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here are moments in every would-be mechanic’s life that one must decide: TV? (Continue to watch other people fix things) or RTV (learn to fix it themselves). When it comes to sealing up engine and driveline parts, it is important to know exactly what type of sealant you should use. In this article, I will go over when and where each type of sealant should be used when repairing your motorcycle.

When I purchased my first car (a 1978 Mustang II with a V8), the first thing I did was go directly to the JC Whitney catalog and order a complete

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chrome kit for my engine. I couldn’t wait to slap it on and drive my car to

school to show all my friends. When

the package arrived, I ripped off the old painted valve covers and slapped on my new chrome ones.

I bought gaskets and silicone from Murray’s Auto Parts and used the entire tube of silicone on the gaskets until there was a blue ooze circling every part. When I got to school and popped my hood, my buddies laughed their asses off! For the rest of high school, I was known to my friends as “Mr. Silicone.”

It’s funny now, but back in 1989, I was mortified. If only there were a place like Grease & Gears TV back then

to teach folks the ins and outs of learning new skills.

First of all, it is important to know that many different types of sealants are available, and each one is designed with a specific purpose in mind. I’ll stick to the ones I use and introduce you to a few that I keep on hand for emergencies. Secondly, there are a few terms that you need to know in order to determine which sealing surface is which and which sealant is best. I’ll go over those now.

If I said “Kleenex,” I bet you would think of a piece of tissue, right? Well, Kleenex is actually a brand name for facial tissue. When I say “RTV,” what do you think of then? Most of us would think of a tube of silicone sealant, I’d bet, but RTV is actually an acronym for: “Room Temperature Vulcanization.” Vulcanization is a term that refers to the rate of the hardening of rubber. When you purchase a tube of silicone that says “RTV,” this means that the silicone in that tube will harden at room temperature. Most of us have used RTV when we are working on our motorcycles, and [unfortunately]

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most of us have misused it too. The fact is that there are not many places where RTV needs to be used, so a little goes a long way. RTV will save your hind end in a pinch, so I always have a little around for that purpose.

It comes in different colors, and

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[usually] a different color is intended for a different purpose. Here is my short list: Black Silicone RTV - basic sealing around the outer edge of seals (like the inner primary seal to the inner primary) Grey Silicone - I will sometimes use this very sparingly on a paper gasket surface that has not been resurfaced and is prone to leaks due to thin gaskets (Ironhead or Shovelhead Rocker Boxes) or (Timing Cover gaskets) to hold the gasket on a vertical surface.

Ultra Copper High Temp Silicone I use this exclusively on all exhaust to cylinder head ports. This is critical, especially on any bike with O2 sensors. When the exhaust gases exit the pipes, they create a vacuum in the port that can produce enough suction to draw ambient air into the pipe. When the ambient air hits the O2 sensor, it shows a lean condition in the exhaust and makes the engine nearly impossible to tune properly.

Another sealant that needs to be on hand is liquid Teflon. While this sealant falls into a thread sealant

category for bolts (which we will cover in the next issue), any type of sealant used to prevent a fluid leak should be discussed. This is the white substance that you will see on drain plugs and sump plugs as well as oil and fuel line fittings and serves two primary purposes: Seal threads to prevent fluid leaks Lubricate leaks to prevent galling the threads.

Never, and I mean never, use thread tape on an engine. That stuff is designed for residential and commercial plumbing use, not on any engine, period! It takes only a tiny sliver of Teflon tape to lock up your engine’s oil pump, close a feed or return oil line, and destroy your engine in seconds.

My dad’s favorite sealant was what he called “Non-hardening No#2”. It was a mechanical version of Frank’s Red Hot…he put that sh!t on everything! I also keep a small tube of this around to bail me out of certain situations. It is more of a gasket “tack,” and just like the name implies…it doesn’t harden (vulcanize) before or while you are assembling it.

It is less common, and while I keep it around, it doesn’t get used as often now that Pops isn’t with us, but it is still handy at times. ne of my favorite sealants is called Anerobic Sealant from Permatex, and this is less than a sealant and more of a gasket conditioner.

I love using this on paper gaskets like Primary Gaskets and Inspection Covers to help hold those gaskets on a vertical surface and prevent too much oil from seeping past the gaskets. It is a red substance in a blue tube; a little goes a long way.

Interference fit is a term that indicates that there is no gasket needed. Instead of a gasket, an interference fit uses a sealant on a machined surface to seal two machined parts together like

engine cases. In this instance, there are a few sealants that are commonly used. These sealants are gray in color, and once they dry, they harden

like a rubber-like epoxy. These are fuel and oil-resistant, and once they are done and hardened, they are difficult to clean and remove.

If you are using multi-layered steel head gaskets, I am going to recommend that you purchase a copper spray aerosol gasket dressing from Permatex. This spray can be used to dress almost any gasket surface and is especially effective when you spray the copper between the multi-layers of the gasket, but in the case of any metal gasket, I like to dust some of the copper spray on the gasket surface to ensure that the gasket can seal on any imperfect machined gasket surface.

Well, there you have it! There are several different types of sealants that we haven’t covered, but we can get to those later.

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Results compiled from over 10,000 digital and mail-in ballots.

2023’ s Best Production Model motorcycle Indian Motorcyles Sport Chief Last year the other American Motorcycle manufacturer blew minds with the release of the Low Rider St. It was the fastest reaction to consumer trends that we may have seen until now. Indian must have been taking notes through that as they doubled down with their own game changer this year in the Sport Chief. Virtually a little better performance numbers at peak but more in the low end the Sport Chief is packing more punch in a slightly smaller package. It is light, agile, not hard to look at and all in all a better example of a production performance motorcycle. While this is going to be a hard one to back up, we can’t wait to see how they try. For changing the game we are proud to announce the Indian Motorcycle’s Sport Chief as the 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Best Production Model Motorcycle of the Year!

2023’s motorcycling’s ManAdam of the year Sandoval There are certainly more than a few men who contribute to the greater good of our tiny billion-dollar community, and in the past five years, Adam Sandoval has stood out. For those of you who hide under a rock, Adam is a HUGE supporter of our active and retired military Veterans and First Responders. He has dedicated most of his time to various causes to raise awareness and funds that go directly to these worthwhile programs.

When he isn’t on his motorcycle riding for the cause, he spends what little “off time” (Adam has no real “off time”) perfecting his beloved K-River Campground in Oklahoma (www.kriver.com), where Veterans can stay free of charge. Most recently, in 2023 Adam embarked on the Great American Convoy, raising over half a million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. For showing us what leadership looks like, we are more than honored to name Adam Sandoval as the 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Motorcycling’s Man of the Year!

2023’ s motorcycling’s woMan of the year Amanda Bramble If you are around the motorcycle industry long enough, you’ll likely hear someone say it is a “Boys Club.” While many spaces appear exclusive to men, social media isn’t one of them. Each year, we become more familiar with the women who are carving out a space for themselves in shops, service departments, dealerships, the custom paint world, and manufacturers across the industry. Basically, anywhere innovation happens, you’ll find strong women making their own way. Our 2023 Woman of the Year has made her own way, carving out a path in the Indian world as part of the team at Indian Motorcycles of St Paul, Twin Cities Indian, and Lloydz Garage. You can follow Amanda via her Instagram profile: @bobber_ andthe_dane For being an inspiration to other women in motorcycling we are proud to have Amanda as the 2023 Cycle Source Reader’s Motorcycling Woman of the Year!

2023’s sportsperson of the year Kyle Wyman - King Of The Baggers Racer Kyle Wyman When we look back on the 2023 King of the Baggers race series, it is no wonder our readers selected Kyle Wyman as the 2023 Sportsperson of the Year. No one topped the podium like Kyle did, and with good reason. As a factory-backed rider for Harley Davidson, Kyle has earned his stripes [so to say], and his domination of the KOB 2023 season is an excellent lead-in for the 2024 race schedule that will find Kyle with a giant “X” on his back as every other factory and non-factory backed racer will be gunning for him. We wish Kyle luck and success in 2024. Visit www.kylewyman.com for more information.For being a fierce competitor but an even more ardent embassador of motorcycling, we are very happy to announce Kyle Wyman as 2023 Cycle Source Reader’s Motorcycling Sportsman of the Year!

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2023’ s Builder Of the year John Jessup - Dream Rides Tennessee Few builders have as many things happening simultaneously as John Jessup does. Together with his Team Dream Rides team members, John manages not one but two locations [California and Tennessee]. John manages to build some killer performance Twins like the Sex Machine FXR that graced the pages of Cycle Source in 2023. John stays on the cutting edge of performance, and his bikes are examples of putting your money where your mouth is. Even though the lion’s share of his bikes are built for himself, John’s bikes always seem to sell quickly. John has learned first hand that word travels fast when you do good things! You can find out more about our 2023 Builder of the Year at: www.teamdreamrides.com. For continusly building bikes that where form and function at topnotchare thrilled to name John Jessup as The 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Builder of the Year!

2023’s Best accessory product Klock Werks iO Mount There are more cell phone mounts on the planet than we could possibly list in the pages of Cycle Source. Only one was selected as our 2023 Accessory Product of the Year. Back in the 1980s, a guy used to be in all of the Remington Razor commercials. Victor Kiam claimed that he; “liked the company so much he bought it!” That is a similar situation for iO mounts.

The Klock’s knew that iO Mounts are a great product. It just needed their leadership to make it the number one mount in the motorcycle business, and when our readers speak, we listen! Check out more about iO Mounts at www.getklocked.com. For making our ride a little easier and making a quality mulit purpose product we proudly name the Klock Werks iOMount as The 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Accessory Product Of The Year

2023’ s Best performance part Trask Performance Tornado Turbo Would you like more power than you know what to do with? Us too! Nick Trask is a New Zealand-born Arizona transplant who has been hyper-focused on horsepower for decades!

Trask released the Tornado Turbo so everyone can have a high-quality, American-made turbocharger for their street-ridden Harley Davidson and make 40% - 50% more power without breaking the bank. Our readers selected the Tornado Turbo Kit as 2023’s Performance Product of the Year! Trask’s Tornado turbo kit Pricing comes in at $5995.95 and can be found at your local Trask dealer or online at www.traskperformance.com For continuing to makes us faster and push the limits of innovation we proudly name the Trask Performance Tornado Turbo as The 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Performance Product Of They Year!

2023’s best custom product of the year Klock Werks FXRP Fairing

In case you were wondering if the FXR craze was over or not, it isn’t! The Klock family strikes gold again with a new product offering that will make all other FXRP aftermarket fairing manufacturers shake in their boots. Everyone knows if it has the Klock Werks name on it then the quality is 100% top-shelf, so it is no surprise that our readers selected the new Klock Werks FXRP fairing as our 2023 Custom Product of the Year. You can order your fairing at any Klock Werks dealer or by visiting www.getklocked.com. For continuing to blend the performance and custom worlds togethe and making sure they make quality parts so you cna make it custom we are thring to name the Klock Werks FXRP Fairing as The 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Custom Product Of They Year!

2023’ s Apparel Product of the year Odin Mfg - Heavy Hitter Gloves Odin Manufacturing must have struck a chord with our readers this year with their Heavy Hitter gloves because not only did they win handily (see what we did there?), but they were nominated more than a few times. The Heavy Hitter glove is a purpose-built glove that provides ample protection, comfortability, and solid aesthetics designed for motorcycle riding both daily and on those long hauls too. Priced well below the high water mark [$79.99] these aren’t a re-purposed mechanic or work glove. Odin MFG built these gloves with their existing client in mind. You can score your own pair of these gloves at www.odinmfg.com, and when you’re there, tell them Cycle Source sent you. Congrats to Odin MFG for being selected as our 2023 Apparel Product of the Year by you, our readers. as 2023 the Year!

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2023’s craftsman ofSean theJackson year By now, everyone has seen the artful masterpiece that Sean Jackson created that featured a crankstarted engine, a sheet metal frame, and an industrial aesthetic that lands somewhere between modern tooling, aircraft quality engineering and an heirloom quality driveline package. After earning his spot on the cover of Cycle Source, Sean Jackson was a near shoe-in for our 2023 Craftsman of the Year, or at least one would think. The truth is that the competition this year was as every bit as tough as it has proven to be since we started the annual process of selection for the Source Awards. Once all of the votes were counted, it was as close as ever, but in the end, “Axion Jackson” prevailed, and we cannot wait to see what Sean does for his next build. For letting his creativity and engineering prowess weare proud to name Sean Jackson as 2023 Cycle Source Magazine Readers’ Craftsman of the Year!

2023’ s Best event of the year Indian Larry Block Party

The Indian Larry Block Party is easily one of the most prolific events that we look forward to each and every year. Not only does the team at Indian Larry Motorcycles put on a fantastic party, but they also pay homage to their namesake, the legendary Indian Larry, who passed on in 2004. While this year will mark the 20-year passing of Larry, it is only a credit to his legacy and the determination of Bobby Seeger and the rest of the crew for keeping his memory alive while still building some of the most amazing custom motorcycles on the road today. We only hope that this event can find its way for the next two decades. For keeping the tradition alive and well into the next decade we are happy to name The SmokeOut the as the Cycle Source Magazine Readers’ 2023 event of the Year!

2023’s artist of the year Jeremy Seanor - Lucky Strike Designs I’m sure that we can all agree that an amazing paint job can literally stop you in your tracks.

Of course, you do because this year’s Artist of the Year is none other than Jeremy Seanor of Lucky Strike Designs. According to Ryan Millhouse Morton, “Jeremy made my dreams a reality by taking my ideas and building it into a full concept and used my motorcycle as his canvas”! Jeremy’s [Lucky Strike Designs] work can be viewed on his Instagram profile: @luckystrike_designs. For his ability to make someone’s vision a reality we are happy to name Jeremy Seanor of Lucky Strike Designs as the 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Artist of the Year!

2023’ s Best Media Release Of The Year Ride To Food One thing is for sure: we all have our own unique motorcycling experience. Along the way, we meet new people who become family and see new places that become etched into our memories. While we feed our souls on the open road, it is good to feed our bellies and replenish our energy along the way. While we are at it, try some new things. Ride to Food [www.ride to food.com] is a great place to discover the getaway you never knew existed and find that special out of the way place to meet the new friends you do not yet know. Ride to Food is a Blog, an information center, and a great place to start planning your next two-wheeled adventure!

Congratulations to Ride to Food for being selected as the 2023 Media Release of the Year!

For sharing her adventures, tips and tricks and inspiring others to out and ride we are proud to name Ride To Food as the 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Media release of the Year!

2023’s Best shop related product Of The Year 9 Finger Fabrication Tappet Oiler All of us love tools and the fact that they make our jobs easier and our outcomes better, given the adage that “He who dies with the most tools wins!” When a new tool is introduced, we all end up in one of two categories: the first category is the “I have to have it now guy” and the second group is the “I’ll get it later” guy.

A third category also falls into the; “I’ll let key buddy buy it and just borrow it from him when I need it” guy. If you don’t have a guy like this in your circle, you just might be that guy! Either way, the 9 Finger Tappet Oiler hit a home run with this one. If you do your own engine work, you need this tool to bleed your lifters and cut your break-in time in half. Visit www.9fingerfabrication.com to score your own, and check out the rest of Mikey’s tools. For turning makin our shop lives a little bit easier and kind on the wallet we are happy to name 9 FInger Fab’s Tappet Oiler as the 2023 Cycle Source Readers’ Shop Related Product of the Year!

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b

Article And Photos By: Jason Mook www.deadwoodcustomcycles.com

rian Klock, owner of Klock Werks in Mitchell South Dakota, is not just a great bike builder and an inventor, he is a problem solver. Brian was trying to find a way to stabilize his “Way Fast Bagger” for running on the Salt Flats, and boom, the Flare© Windshield was born! Klock may be best known for his windshields and fenders, but the Klock Werks’ product line doesn’t stop there. One of Brian’s lesser-known parts, are the “Trifecta” Swingarm Blocks for FXRs. The Trifectas centered around Brian’s love for FXRs and a conversation with the legendary Skeeter Todd about these amazing bikes. Klock noticed that stock swing arm pivot shaft blocks would allow the swing arm to flex or twist under high horsepower, 7.

Completion Time: 3 hours Difficulty Level: (Scale of 1-5)

with only two points of contact. And while there may be other solutions that may not require you to drill and slug the frame, the Trifecta is really designed to be the most aesthetically pleasing option that is also effective, sexy and functional, just like those Flare Windshields!

The Trifecta Blocks are left and right specific, so be sure you have the locator dowel for the rubber isolators in the correct spot. Use a centering punch to mark your center for drilling the additional hole per side. Second, measure the gap between the Trifecta Block and the frame at the third bolt hole. After removing the Trifecta Blocks, drill at your mark until you have a .500” hole.

We start with a 1990 FXRS Frame that has been brought down to bare metal. We bolted on the Trifecta Blocks to the existing 2 per side threaded mounting holes in the frame.

Tools & Supplies Required:

1. Assorted Hand Tools 2. Drill Punch 3.Hand Drill 4. Center Punch 5. Drill Bit Set 6. TIG Welder 7. (2) 7/16” NC Steel threaded bungs

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I use a 7/16” threaded bung that is larger than .500” outer diameter, then turn it down in the lathe so that I have a shoulder and more surface to weld it to the frame.

shouldered threaded 7/16” bung to the frame.

And the final shot of the Trifecta Block installed.

The thickness of the shoulder is the same as the gap between the block and frame I measured earlier. Also on the lathe, I made three .500” long aluminum spacers with a 7/16” through hole.

I use the Trifecta Block as the jig, so spacing the Trifecta off with the 3 aluminum spacers and longer bolts enables you to get in and tack the

Remove the Trifecta Block and Spacers to final weld the threaded bung in place. Here’s a shot of the bung final welded.

Klock’s Trifecta Blocks may not be a “bolt on” part, but I’m completely fine with that. If you’re taking your FXR down to the frame (or even not), these blocks are a great addition for increased stability, while adding a little bit of “Kustom Style” to your bike.

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1. Steve’s Garage Logo On The Wall. 2. Missing Pinstripe On The Tank. 3. Flat Underside Of Fuel Tank. 4. Non-Brass Rocker Bolts On Rear Rocker Cover. 5. Missing Holes On Rear Pushrod Tubes. 6. Extra Pinstripe On Seat Post. 7. Oversized Velocity Stack. 8. Extra Oil Line Cross Over. 9. Inverted Points Cover. 10. Extra Pinstripe Line On Front Down Tube.

NO THERE ISN’T ANY REAL PRIZE, JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE IN THE CAN.

FIND TEN DIFFERENT THINGS ON GERALDINE

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February ‘24 - March ‘24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 37

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t

wenty-four-yearold Jimmy Powers grew up loving motorcycles, literally.

As far back as he can remember (probably from the moment he could walk, he told me), he was in the shop with his Dad Jim and Uncle Ron, handing them tools and learning to wrench on custom motorcycles. By the time he was seven, he had his very own Chopper,

a 50 cc mini chopper, but a chopper nonetheless.

Around age seventeen, Jimmy received his first street bike, a 1985 HD Softail Springer that at one point had been customized into a bobber, with a custom tank, rear fender, and it had been lowered. Powers fixed it up just enough to get it rolling and rode the crap out of it.

Unfortunately, roughly three years ago, Uncle Ron

passed away unexpectedly.

Ron’s dream had always been for Jimmy to have one of his bikes. This 49 Panhead was Jimmy’s Uncle Ron’s. It was still basically stock, with rusty chrome, and half of it was literally in a basket.

A genuine basket case and it definitely needed overhauled.

Jimmy knew this build, which would be his first completely custom build,

Article And Photos By: Missi DeBord

February ‘24 - March ‘24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 39

had to honor his Uncle Ron in a way that would make Ron proud.

Ron’s favorite bikes were always those old school rigid framed custom choppers with the long front ends and flashy bright colors with heavy metal flake. Jimmy had the image of what he wanted, and he had a timeline in which to get it done. It had to be ready to go to Daytona for Bike Week, giving him about 5 to 6 months to get the bike done. As you can see, mission accomplished. Luckily, Jimmy works clearing land and cutting trees, so he has some downtime during those long Michigan winter months, which in turn equals more time in the shop.

He had two visions for the front end. He looked into both options, a Sugar Bear front end and a Denver’s Choppers by Mondo.

He had always loved the look of the Denver’s, and it was readily available, where the Sugar Bear front end was about two years out. This made his decision much easier. He went with the 25 over Denver’s Choppers and used their

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triple trees. He is happy with his choice!

Jimmy modified the stock 49 frame by raking it out 35 degrees and fabricating a new neck and all the mounts needed for everything else to bolt onto it. The rear fender, also modified, is a British ribbed fender.

The motor and transmission were kept stock. Powers also used a stock horseshoe oil tank, stock foot controls, and a stock primary, with the OEM Chain and aftermarket BDL clutch plates. He chose an S&S Super E Carb with a TC Bros chrome louvered air cleaner and single cable hand controls. He went with 1 3/4 drag pipes for the exhaust, which sounds fantastic!

Keeping true to his Uncle’s flare, Jimmy chose the perfect gold color, House of Kolor’s Candy Pigeon Gold, with fish scale graphics. And yes, Jimmy even painted the bike himself.

Jimmy and his family had the best

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gold rush Tech Sheet Owner: Jim Powers (Grumpys Custom Cycles) City/State: Lenox,Mi Builder: Jim Powers (Grumpy) Year:1949 Model: Fl Value: 30,000 Time: 5 Months To Build ENGINE Year:1949 Model: FL Panhead Builder: Jim Powers Ignition: Stock Distributor Displacement: 74 cu ,1200cc Pistons: Stock Oem Heads: Stock Oem Panhead Heads Carb: S&S Super E Carb Cam: Stock Oem 1949 Cam Air Cleaner: TC Bros Chrome Louvered Air Cleaner For S&S Super E Carb Exhaust: 1 3/4 Drag Pipes Primary: Stock Primary / Bdl Clutch Plates TRANSMISSION Year:1949 Make:Harley Shifting:4 Speed FRAME Year: 1949 Model: FL Harley Rake: 35 Degrees Stretch:0 Forks Builder: Denver’s Choppers Type: Springer Triple Trees: Denver’s Chopper Triple Trees Extension: 25 Over WHEELS Front Wheel: Lowbrows Chopper Ribbed Spool Hub Wheel Size: 21” Tire: Skinkos Super Classic 270.. 3.00-21 57s Front Brake: None Rear Wheel: V-Twin Mfg. 40 Spoke Star Hub Size: 16x 3.00 Tire: Shinko 5.00-16 72H Rear Brake: Stock Oem Drum Brakes PAINT Painter: Jim Powers Color: Candy Pigeon Gold Type: House Of Colors Graphics: Fish Scales Chroming: ACCESSORIES Bars: Tc Bros 1” Rabbit Bars Risers: None Hand Controls: Tc Bros Single Cable Throttle And Clutch Cable Foot Controls: Stock Gas Tank(S): Custom Peanut Tank Oil Tank: Stock Horseshoe Tank Front Fender: None Rear Fender: British Ribbed Fender Seat: Custom Solo Seat Headlight: 5” Chrome Headlight Tail Light: 66 Electra Glide Turn Signals Speedo: None Photographer: Missi Shoemaker

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time in Daytona, coming together to honor Ron by riding all over Daytona and the surrounding area to hit up the week’s best shows.

Currently, Jimmy is putting together a shovelhead. That was all the information he would give me when I asked what he was

currently working on, so I guess that means we will have to wait for Daytona to see what he brings?

I am sure it will be amazing, just like this clean, beautiful Panhead Chopper!

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t

here is something to be said about humble beginnings: making no claim to fame and just doing what feels natural to you without any fuss. That can certainly be said for this month’s artist, Jeff Miller of Omaha Derby Covers.

Like many artists before him, he was able to tap into his creative drive at a young age. As a child, he was always drawing, which later shifted as he discovered photography. His photography ended up being a severalyear pursuit. Eventually, that evolved into him learning graphic design work, which also moved him into learning how to create 3-dimensional sculptures.

Somewhere in his time playing creative hopscotch, Jeff received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines. Following graduation, he spent the first few years of his career trying to survive in the corporate world, but he soon discovered it wasn’t for him.

Sometimes, independence and artistic

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Article By: Killer freedom are too strong to give up.

Omaha Derby Covers was born from an unmet need. In 2005, while on a road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with his wife, he suddenly had an idea for a custom derby cover design. So, like any artist, he drew it up as soon as they returned home.

The only problem was that there wasn’t anyone around who could make it the way he wanted, so he did the natural thing and decided to make it himself.

Jeff’s inspiration to create comes from the feeling of accomplishment he gets from creating in this medium. When he looks at a completed piece and knows that it was nothing but an idea only a few months prior, for him, it’s a feeling beyond words. To be able to take an abstract thought and mold it into a sculpted piece of art is the most satisfying thing in the world for him.

Something that also moves him is our culture in relation to the definition of beauty and art.

“I believe that art, in its true form, means you are striving to achieve transcendent

beauty. You know you’ll never achieve it, but it is still a necessary goal. Even though I’m just a guy who makes custom derby covers, I apply that goal to my work every day.”

After many years of trial and error, Jeff sold his first derby cover in 2021 under Omaha Derby Covers and hasn’t looked back. Of course, all of his incredible pieces are sculpted from bronze. In his eyes, for the average Harley-Davidson motorcycle, bronze becomes a wonderful accent color and looks good on both chrome and black frames. I say that “of course, he uses bronze” because there’s something about the metal that has a certain life to it that he hasn’t found in other materials. He finishes his pieces with a range of shades, from the bright bronze on the highlights to a very dark patina on the background. The versatility and contrast he’s able to pull from it only adds more to the art itself. Jeff is able to create something entirely new with each design.

Finding a career making derby covers, it would also make sense that he’s been a motorcycle lover and rider for as long as he can remember. One of his earliest riding memories as a kid was when his family visited some friends who had a house in the country. They had a Briggs & Stratton mini-bike, and he was hooked from the moment he got on it.

“I love motorcycling and the culture around it because it is inherently honest.

It has to be. When you are riding, you are acutely connected to the immediate physical present. You aren’t just a spectator. People who don’t ride like to say it is “dangerous,” but I think that misses something. Riding is not so much dangerous as it is unforgiving. You are out there, alone, facing whatever the world decides to throw at you. It is an environment of harsh accountability. I like that.”

When Jeff looks around at the other amazing people who work in the motorcycle community, it humbles him to even be considered among them in the same breath. It should also be said that he has yet to find another artist who does what he does. As far as we know, Jeff originated the idea of using lost-wax investment casting to make sculptural derby covers from bronze, and that’s definitely nothing to scoff at.

It should also be noted that recently, he was accepted as a Resident Artist at the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha, and he should be fully moved in by the time you all get to read this. They have many artists working in a wide variety of media.

His new studio is adjacent to the bronze foundry where he’s been casting for the last year!

At the moment, he only makes derby and timing covers. However, he’s been looking at adding fuel doors sometime this year. His goal is to continue growing and developing his artistic skills. There are so many different steps in his process for making derby and timing covers. He wants to learn more and improve each one as he continues his work.

On a more personal note, he and his wife just celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary! Together, they have 7 wonderful daughters and just welcomed their 15th grandchild!

If you want to see more of Jeff’s craftsmanship or commission a piece for yourself, you can find him @ OmahaDerbyCovers on FB and IG, his website at www.omahaderbycovers.com, or you can email him directly at jeff@ omahaderbycovers.com

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w

hen John Jessup moved his motorcycle shop and his family from Stockton, California, to Maryville, TN, he brought with him his knowledge of motorcycles, his tools and parts, and his sense of community. It was that very sense of community that made this year so special for nearly 1,000 kids in and around eastern Tennessee and California this Christmas.

John Jessup, the proprietor of Dream Rides, didn’t always have it easy growing up. He didn’t have a lot of things that most kids had, but he did have dreams. Dreams that included having the independence that he knew two wheels would bring him. Dreams that, as a little boy, even though materialized, were snatched away pretty quickly for one reason or another.

Eventually, when he was old enough to make his own money, Jessup bought his own bicycle, but man, he’ll never forget the years he missed out on riding around the neighborhood raising a ruckus.

Fast forward a few decades, and John is

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Article By: Heather Callen now a grown man with a family of his own and a thriving motorcycle business in two locations, CA and TN. Despite his success, John has never forgotten those days as a youngster when he wished for even the simplest bicycle.

He remembers what it was like to watch other kids ride by as he looked out the window. Jessup knew that if he went through that when he was a kid, kids today are dealing with the same thing.

He also knew that if he could change that for just a few kids, it could change a

few lives at the same time. Enter the Dream Rides Bicycle Drive.

While still in Stockton, CA, Jessup came up with the idea to offer up a customized

Harley-Davidson as a raffle prize for anyone who brought a brand-new kids bicycle to the shop. It didn’t matter how much the bike cost or for what age group; it was just that there were bikes to give to kids in the local area at Christmastime.

For every bike someone brought in, they got the same number of entries for the motorcycle drawing. Wouldn’t you know, it worked! In fact, it was such a success that when John opened his second location in Maryville, TN, he started the same program there. They averaged a few hundred bikes per year per shop over four years… that’s roughly 800 bikes for 800 kids!

Now, five years later, and in two locations, the 2023 Dream Rides Bicycle Drive has had its51 the most successful year yet. Both Dream Rides locations were inundated with bicycles of every shape, size, and color you could possibly imagine, totaling more than seven hundred! (It was hard to keep an accurate count; they were coming in so fast.) Yes, you read that right, more than 700 children received brandnew bicycles with no questions asked.

Chris and I were lucky enough to be part of the Maryville operation this year. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. We drove down to TN with the Sprinter loaded to the hilt with over 100 helmets and just shy of 50 bicycles. We could barely fit

February ‘24 - March ‘24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 47

ourselves in the rig! Thankfully, we shipped another 40+ bikes directly to the shop.

Upon arrival, we, along with the Dream Rides team, took a fully loaded 40ft trailer to McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, where the bicycles would be assembled.

You see, bikes were sent from all over the country, and as you can imagine, based on the numbers, there was no way that the fellas would get all the bikes together in time for the kids. So, what else do you do when you need to change lives? You call upon the US Military to help, and they did. With three teams of mechanics at the ready, hundreds of bikes started going together. As I watched, I could only think, “This is what Santa’s workshop must be like!”

From there, the bikes were brought to a gymnasium at Camp Tipton. Through the efforts of the local community and churches, a notice was passed along that if you had a child who needed a bike for Christmas, all you had to do was show up. The child could even pick out their own bicycle! The line was enormous. Holiday music played as friends and neighbors stood eager to open the doors. When they did, the true spirit of Christmas rushed in. Groups of ten families were let in at a time and allowed to go through row after row of ready-togo bicycles and pick the perfect one. After making their selection, there were three stations where mechanics from Dream Rides made adjustments to handlebars and seat height and gave them one last safety inspection before moving the child on to the next station, where they got to pick out a helmet. To say emotions ran high that day would be an understatement. I watched as a Grandmother stood there with tears rolling down her face as she chose the perfect bike for her granddaughter, whose dad was suffering from severe illness. And the 6-year-old girl who said “God Bless You!” to one of the guys as a thank you for her new ride. Or the moment when I watched as a tear rolled down the cheek of the big, strong John Jessup as he realized his dreams coming true: Changing kids’ lives one bicycle at a time.

Today, John has an incredible family. His children have the things he may not have had as a kid himself. His hard work and personal accountability has made it that way for them, and that is truly a special thing to give. Perhaps the best part of what his life experience has given to all of us is a gentle reminder that we are all in this together and that if we just pay attention, there are small ways to make a big difference all around.

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s

Article By: Heather Callen Photos By: Chris Callen

ixty-three-year-old Steve Reed from is a retired engineer hailing from Wilder Kentucky and is the creator of the stellar shovelhead that graces not only these pages but also the cover of this rag too. Steve pretty much grew up in a garage helping his dad work on race cars, hotrods, small engines, and motorcycles.

In fact, Reed still has the last car his dad ever built, a 1934 Ford Coupe! It only makes sense that all

these years later, Steve still finds himself attracted to two wheels and a motor.

Like many, Reed had a minibike as a kid and just couldn’t seem to go far enough fast enough.

At fourteen, he moved on to motocross and “finally” graduated to street bikes at sixteen, precisely when he was legally of age. According to Steve, his first bike was a 1949 Panhead Chopper! Holy sh!T a 49 Panhead at 16, and a chopper to boot…

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you know he was the absolute coolest kid in school. But wait! There’s more! His first build was a 49 Panhead, too! Ok, seriously, most people spend a lifetime hoping for one Panhead, but to have two at 16, now that just seems unfair if you ask me. Granted, it was a complete basket case, but still, c’mon man.

Ok, enough of the green-eyed monster. Let’s move on to the matter at hand, Geraldine, the 1987 Shovelhead on

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which you are feasting your eyes.

If you’re a regular here at Cycle Source, then you’ve heard of the Chopper Friends Throwdown that took place in the Spring of 2023, where we found this beauty. Steve decided early on that he was going to crash the Throwdown and knew that he wanted to start with a donor that had matching numbers, but that could be molested without feeling guilty. After hitting a bunch of roadblocks, he finally found exactly what he was looking for: sitting in the back of Cherokee County Cycles. Hallelujah, he had a starting point!

Reed knew he wanted a period correct 70s style chopper and looked through loads of pictures of bikes built back in the day by legends like Arlen Ness, Dave Perewitz, and Donnie Smith. So, knowing exactly what he wanted, he went to work. Although Steve had learned a good bit about fabrication working with his dad,

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wanting to save the neck and the numbers and knowing it had to be right, Steve went to the masters, Rob Roehl, at Donnie Smith Custom Cycles for the majority of the frame modifications.

Donny Loos of Don’s Custom Cycles, aka the Shovelhead Whisperer, took care of making the motor a solid running powerplant.

Donny was also there to field Steve’s questions no matter what time of day or night. Friends like that are priceless if you ask me.

Jim Boitnott of Boitnott Customs handled laying down killer paint from start to finish, including the pinstripe and airbrush. Man, he knocked it out of the park with just the right amount of everything.

With just five short months to get the bike into running and riding condition, time was definitely not on Steve’s side. I remember correctly I heard stories of his beautiful partner CJ working on wiring in the van on the way to Arizona, and

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GERALDINE TECH SHEET Owner: Steve Reed City/State: Wilder, Kentucky Builder: Steve Reed/Steve’s Garage Year: 1984 Model: FXSB Value: Unknown Time: 5 Months ENGINE Year: 1984 Shovelhead Model: Harley Builder: Don’s Custom Cycle Ignition: DYNATEC Displacement: 80” Pistons: Stock Heads: Stock Carb: S&S Super E Shorty Cam: S&S 450 Air Cleaner: Speed Dealer Exhaust: Paughco Primary: Tech Cycle Performance Starter: 4 speed kit from Tech Cycle TRANSMISSION Year: 1984 Rebuilt Make: Harley Shifting: Stock 4 speed FRAME Year: 1984 Model: FXSB/Mod by Donnie Smith Custom Cycles Rake: 36 degrees Stretch: 2” up + 2” out Drop Seat: 3” FORKS Builder: Harley Type: 39mm + 6” Triple Trees: Harley Extension: WHEELS Front Wheel: 40 Spoke Size: 19” Tire: Firestone Front Brake: None Rear Wheel: 40 Spoke Size: 16” Tire: Dunlop Rear Brake: Dual Caliper. Wilwood PAINT Painter: Jim Boitnott/Boitnott Customs Color: Rootbeer, Gold, Silver Type: heavy flake, pinstrip & airbrush Graphics: Jim Boitnott Chroming: DuBois Custom Polishing & Plating ACCESSORIES Bars: Biltwell Risers: Speed Dealer Hand Controls: Moto Iron Foot Controls: RKB Kustom Speed Gas Tank(s): V-TwinMfg. Oil Tank & Internal Oil Filter: Anything Goes Custom Cycles Front fender: None Rear Fender: Modified Led Sled Seat: Biltwell Headlight: Emgo Taillight: Speed Dealer Speedo: None photographer: chris callen

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I clearly recall Steve laying on the ground chasing gremlins in the parking lot into the wee hours of the morning at the LaPosada Hotel the night before the ride.

Sadly, the gremlins were in full force that night, and Steve opted not to risk making the twohundred-mile ride on a bike that didn’t even have brake in miles on her yet. Who can blame him? I wouldn’t have either. However,

before the weekend was out, Geraldine lived!

Steve proudly rode his new baby in under her own power with the other Chopper Friends Throwdown builders!

I don’t think there was anything in the world that would have pried that smile off Steve’s face that day or any other time he rides it, for that matter! Hell, I’d grin from ear to ear, too, if I had built such a beauty!

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t

he Long Road marked its 15th year with the return to Smokeout and the notorious, but tasteful, Long Road Lounge! The past few years have been spent keeping the ride alive at “The Roadhouse” in Woodlawn, Va., where the Devonshire family and Planet Chopper have put together a class act accommodation. It’s complete with camping, BYOB bar and a motorcycle shop. 15 years ago, the Long Road began as a weeklong party/ride between Smokeout West and Smokeout.

With Smokeout West taken off the plate, our man Edge and some volunteers, continued the ride with a different start point every year. The overnight stops and rides averaged about 1,200 miles in five days which led up to Smokeout. Over the years, start points have included; New Orleans, Natchez, Ms., Fingerlakes, Ozarks, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Indiana.

This year’s ride took us from a mountain stream in North Carolina to the historical coast of South Carolina and the Outerbanks of North Carolina. There were ferry trips, fresh seafood dinners and rides past the classic Southern landscape of salt marshes and

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Article And Photos By: Mike Allen tobacco fields.

Our start point this year was Riders Roost, Ferguson, NC, which is an absolute gem of a motorcycle campground with its own mountain stream and camp dog appropriately named “Pal.” The timing for our stay was perfect, the weather was ideal and they were putting on a “Luau Party” as a fundraiser for an injured biker. Live music, grass skirts and a tasty buffet all added up to memorable evening.

The next day, Monday, some of us got an early start for the 300 mile ride to James Island, SC, located in the “sweet spot” between Folly Beach and Charleston. After pitching our tents and cleaning up a bit, a group of us made our way to the Ellis Creek Fish Camp on the edge of a salt marsh and just a ten minute ride from the campground.

A few more Long Roaders caught up to the group and made it feel like the “Long Road Lounge”

with better food and wait staff. As dusk crept in from the east, we finished up and added a stop for alcohol on the way back to camp.

As my good friend Dan, who lived in Charleston, used to say, “We don’t ask how you’re doing, we ask, ‘what are you drinking?”

When in Charleston…… We didn’t do any fires that night, two damn hot for that. Over some beers, we looked at sightseeing options for the next day as well as developing a breakfast plan. Breakfast was easy, I had no doubt that I would end up at “Gaulart & Maliclet French Cafe,” but the sightseeing options in the Charleston area are numerous, and the drinking options are plenty.

At mid-morning, four of us took a ride to The Battery and parked where we had a view of Ft. Sumter, where the first shots of the war of Southern independence occurred. A quick check of the map showed we were within reasonable walking distance of the French cafe where my friends Dan and Janet had taken Terre and I about ten years ago. It was nice to see that it was still open and the virus hysteria hadn’t killed it.

After Bloody Mary’s and wine with our late breakfast at “Gaulart & Maliclet’s,” Olaf, Andi, Steve

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and I checked out the “Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon.” History runs dark and deep here due to both the American Revolutionary War and the war of Southern Independence. This site was used to hold captive British troops and later it held African slaves.

The displays in the museum and tour leaned heavy on the colonial era. There was also a small case of slavery era artifacts. After the dungeon tour we met up with a few more Long Road riders and spent the rest of the afternoon in Folly Beach dive bars.

Knowing we had another 300 mile ride to catch the Cedar Island to Ocracoke Ferry and if we missed the boat, our ride would turn into a 500 mile/12 hour travel day, made us pump the brakes on our usual alcohol consumption. The two hour ferry ride across a very calm Pamlico Sound to the former lair of the pirate Blackbeard, was uneventful. “Long Road luck” has given us good riding weather again as we passed through an area hit by hurricane Idalia just a week earlier. Speaking of weather, the AC in the ferry lounge was most welcome after the 95 degrees, 300 mile ride up US 17 from Charleston.

Jerniman’s Campground, is strategically located next to a beer/liquer store and Ocracoke’s flagship bar, Howard’s Pub, would be our home for two nights.

Howard’s Pub is where a good number of locals typically gather to ride out hurricanes always with a comforting cocktail in hand.

Friday morning began the 400 mile ride to Smokeout.

There would be another ferry ride off Ocracoke and then it would be on to NC 12 at Hatteras. Setting up a significant group ride with ferry transport in the Outerbanks of NC in September is a crapshoot during the meaty part of hurricane season. I must have summoned the luck of every one of my Irish ancestors to pull this off without a drop of rain or using the “plan B” that I had kept more of a secret than Hunter’s laptop.

NC 12 is a narrow highway that connects the islands off North

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Carolina’s coast. When hurricane Idalia was moving through here just the week before, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the the ferry system had been closed for repairs or that a road across one of the islands was washed out with the shifting sands.

The Long Road riders began filtering into Smokeout on Friday afternoon.

We were all relieved to see that Jacques and Jen made it after their breakdown in Morehead City on the way to Ocracoke. Jacques and Jen have been riding from the coast of Louisiana more than ten years to join Long Road on their way to Smokeout and would have been missed.

Thanks to Chris, Heather and our man Edge, the tradition returns to having the notorious and occasionally troublesome Long Road Lounge, set up on prime Smokeout real estate.

We did get a front row view of the “Strongest Biker” competition and were near enough to the stage to enjoy the live music from our front porch. Thanks to the mobile beer cart, we were kept at a good level of hydration all weekend.

Long Road 2023 saw four more people joining the family; Carol and Mitchell Hamm rode a sweet Indian, Ayesha Berrier rode with her Long Road veteran husband Gary, and Julia Franklin rode with her father Barry on the same VW trike that Barry rode on the 2011 Long Road that kicked off at an Irish pub in New Orleans.

Between 2011 and now, a deer had demolished the front end, luckily Barry survived the hit and rebuilt it back to the original.

The highly coveted Long Road medallions are given to riders and passengers after completing their first Long Road.

The medallions now feature a raked out chopper geared up for a camping trip on one side and the “gypsy head” artwork of Richie Pan specifically made for the Long Road, on the other side.

Richie’s artwork can also be found as tattoos on several Long Road riders.

Stay tuned for info about next year’s Long Road, the 16th “running of the savages!” We’re looking at a start point in Niagara Falls then one night stops on Cayuga Lake, central Pa., central Va, The Roadhouse in Woodlawn, Va. and, of course, the fabulous Smokeout!

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f

irst and foremost, Curtis Hofmann is an individual.

As a builder, that means there have been times he’s gone entirely away from convention and gone his own way almost without considering the outcome. Hofmann Designs has become known throughout the industry for its carbon fiber parts. His role in both the big wheel bagger and now performance bagger segments, would make it seem that he is a newcomer to the motorcycle thing as far as the term old school goes. He actually has a very old-school soul and has

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Article And Photos By: Chris Callen come up in a very traditional way. Having Donnie Smith and the Minnesota custom culture as his influence growing up in his old man’s aftermarket shop gave Curtis a unique respect for where all this comes from. His background influenced the bike you see here. No one knew what he might have up his sleeve when it came to this past year’s Chopper Friends Throwdown.

I mean, the year before was indeed in his wheelhouse with the FXR build, but what would Curtis do with a chopper?

As it turns out, Curtis has more than just a new bike eye

for custom. Combine this with his roots and upbringing and blending together some of his new and old ideas, he built arguably one of the best bikes at the Throwdown. The bike would be the first ground-up hardtail build they had done out of the shop in over ten years. It is very reminiscent of the early 2000s chopper hay day bikes. It’s low and sleek with a great profile and killer stance. But it wouldn’t be Hofmann without his twist.

Curtis admits that while kickonly and choppers are beautiful, they are not his thing, but the chance to build what he would

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have done back then was a challenge.

He started with an RKB frame and a Shovelhead. Then he added uncommon items for a chopper, such as radial brakes, stainless steel mid controls, and stainless exhaust. And what Hofmann bike could roll out the door without carbon fiber? Oh yes, he did! The front and rear fenders are carbon fiber, but that’s not the only trick you’ll see here. In order to blend an 80’s drivetrain with an early 2000s chassis and incorporate today’s performance products and style, they did a lot of one-off machining and components to get everything to work together and flow the way they had envisioned the build. Incredible details like the fender struts morph old-time chopper feel into the new century. The 49mm front end with six over tubes looks perfect against the swooping downtubes of the RKB frame. It was

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finished with a mild set of bars and braking controls and it looks like it was meant to be this way. Very much in contrast to the typical less is more chopper, this one seems to fit all the pieces together in one small, perfect package. Hofmann Wheels put it all to the ground, but Lucky Strike Designs’ use of color brought it all home. Very subtle is what you might say. There’s nothing very flashy or over the top; it’s almost understated, but there is incredible detail. Add in the tasteful use of hand-spun silver leaf with a bold contrasting pinstripe line, making this a killer paint job.

Unfortunately, time was not on his side, and Curtis didn’t make the shakedown ride in Winslow this year.

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TIME CRUNCH TECH SHEET Owner: Curtis Hofmann City/State: Monticello, Minnesota Builder: Hofmann Designs Year: 2023 Model: Rigid Chopper Value: Time: 4 months ENGINE Year: 1980 Model: Builder: Hofmann Designs Ignition: Dyna Displacement: 80” Pistons: HD Heads: HD Carb: S&S Cam: HD Air Cleaner: S&S Exhaust: Sik Pipes Primary: BDL TRANSMISSION Year: 2023 Make: Baker Shifting: 6 speed FRAME Year: 2023 Model: RKB Rake: 39 degree Stretch: 4up 2out FORKS Builder: Type: Conventional 49mm Triple Trees: HHI Extension: 6 over WHEELS Front Wheel: Hofmann Designs Size: 21 Tire: Shinko Front Brake: HHI dual radial calipers,Galfer Discs Rear Wheel: Hofmann Designs Size: 18 Tire: Shinko 180 Rear Brake: HHI radial, Galfer Disc PAINT Painter: Lucky Strike Designs Color: Green & tan earth tones Type: performance inspired Graphics: polishing: Doug Baumgardner ACCESSORIES Bars: Biltwell Risers: RSD Hand Controls: Braking Foot Controls: Famous Fabricator Gas Tank(s): Custom/ Hofmann Designs 12point gas cap Oil Tank: RKB/Hofmann Designs/The Wiz Front fender: Hofmann Designs Carbon Fiber Rear Fender: Hofmann Designs Carbon Fiber Seat: LePera Headlight: Taillight: Koso Speedo: None Photographer: chris callen

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But the bike was completed and fired not too long after. Regardless of that, he has made an impact with this new direction of chopper building and one that I am certain is ‘gonna’ present itself as part of the new direction that you’ll start seeing more of.

Imagine if we had good brakes and suspension on choppers, and they became even more rideable?! We might start racing them. Hey, who knows, maybe this might be the beginning of the CRL… Chopper Racing League. Curtis would like to thank Aaron Forsythe, Lee McDougall, Marshall Starrett, and everyone who helped complete this project! As we close this chapter of the Friends Throwdown, you have to wonder what’s next. Curtis says, “Nobody knows what’s next. We can think about it, try it, maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t, but you should be excited for whatever comes next.”

In closing, we would like to thank Curtis for his time when we came up to do this shoot. We also did a great interview for a shop hopping video series that you can see shortly on Grease & Gears TV, so stay tuned.

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O

over the 35 years of the Donnie Smith Show there have been so many monumental happenings. Iconic motorcycles that have been displayed, big names from the motorcycle industry are there every year, times that the show has expanded, some years when it was postponed.

In 2023, however, there is news for this historic show that may cast a shadow over everything else before it. The format of the show will change for the fist time ever and add in an invitational component within the main show floor.

Twenty builders have received an invitation for this inaugural event and at the time we are writing this each one is getting interviewed about the experience and this honor. You can see these interviews as they come out on social media everywhere but just to keep your attention in the mean time we figured we would give you a sneak peak at the first group of them that we

Article By: Chris Callen nailed down for a conversation.

Kevin “Teach” Baas, a long time supporter of the show, and high school teacher in the region.

Kevin has brought his chopper

class to the show over the years many times and is one of the first to be invited.

Curtis Hofmann is another local to the area that has been given the golden ticket. Known for his modern styling and traditional approach, Curtis has been

a vendor at the show for a while but is thrilled to see this new chapter added to it.

Pete Nowaskey of Nowaskey Extreme Performance is a Wisconsin Native and will be rolling out the big guns by bringing in the race bikes.

Pete’s crew races both BRL and KOB and has expanded an incredible line of performance bagger parts in the pursuit of race wins.

Brock Davidson of Brock’s Performance will be on hand and, of course, everyone knows Brock, but did you know he was the first man into the seven second bracket in motorcycle drag racing. Well, he’s bringing that bike to the Donnie Smith Show for the Invitational.

There are plenty more to talk about, I suggest following the Donnie Smith Show social media pages to stay up to date!

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Y

our votes helped us compile this list and we couldn’t be happier with the results. If this happens to be your first issue of Cycle Source we do this issue once a year and we like to take a moment to appreciate what we did in the pages of the magazine over the last year. After toiling away to bring you the best bikes from the furthest reaches of the country we like to ask you, the readers, how you think we did and what you would like to see more of. After all this magazine is done for you and if we aren’t hitting the mark then we want to know. Being garage

builders at our core we know that getting a bike featured in a magazine is as good as it gets, well next to riding that bike down the road with your buddies. We want to share that experience with as many of our readers and builders as we can in a season. While this is the top ten of those bikes, we honestly can’t pick a bike from the past year that wasn’t perfectly selected and that we were thrilled to publish. These top ten also get the distinction of being invited to display in our Legends Gallery at SmokeOut. Thank you all for another great season of Cycle Source.

1. PANERTIA sean jackson

This bike was featured on our September ‘23 Cover and put a flag in the ground that will forever be known as the moment the industry was changed by Sean Jackson. For the entire year after he won the People’s Champ with it Sean tore a path across the country blowing peoples minds with it. While everyone recoginzes the bike that starts like an old airplane, few will forget a single other detail that made this build world class!

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2. PART TIMER steve Glennon

This one came to us during our Sturgis Custom Bike Show at the Iron Horse Saloon and took best in show. Steve Glennon was the builder and although it took us until the March of ‘23 Issue to bring it to these pages it was well worth the wait. Steve was another favorite and winner at the People’s Champ deal and for good reason.

This bike is georgeous and a fine example of a rideable and flawlessly executed panhead chopper.

3. BABY BLUE eric stein

Baby Blue hit the pages of our Dec-Jan ‘24 issue as one of the Lichter Exhibit Invited Builders Eric Steins builds. This Shovel started as an idea that Stein had in his head for a long time. A vision of something with attitude mixed with Chopper. From the humble beginnings of a ‘67 basket case to what you see beefore you in all it’s glory. Invader wheels, simple clean styling that Eric and his buddies rip down the road on in persuit of good times.

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4. STAR DUST rick bray

Our June of ‘23 cover featured this swoopy far out chopper from our brother RKB. This cat is on a tare and it would seem as if there isn’t a style of bike he can’t build to. With Stardust, which was a name he coined from Don Schumacher’s nostalgic funny car, he was building a bike that would be his Born Free build. This was a special entry as one of the builders who couldn’t make it after the reschudle and named Rick to fill his spot. Of course Bray wowed the crowd and we were thrilled to get it for our cover to boot.

5. KING NOTHING

josh allison

It seems from this list that the year was full of Knuckleheads and we are all lucky for it. This one in particular came on our August cover and was built by the incredible talents of Josh Allison. Josh always dreamed of building a Knuckle, so when he was picked as an Invited Builder for Born Free 10, he felt there was no better time to make it happen. He found the motor on eBay, and the real work began. His signature metal fabrication skills were slightly mashed this time in what looks like an aging petina but in truth it is a style by use of color and treatment that makes the perfect frame for this work of art..

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6. SEX MACHINE John jessup

John Jessup’s Sex Machine hit our pages in the Oct/Nov ‘23 issue and although it has only been the second bike of his to grace our pages so far it was a banner year for Jessup. Show after show, one bike build after another, this cat is on a rocketship ride to the top.

And let’s face it, this couldn’t happen to a nicer human being with his big heart and passion for the motorcycle community, it bodes well for the future. Oh the bike?

C’mon man... it’s a top shelf pink FXR custom named Sex Machine. Nothin more to say there!

7. FREAKENSTEIN brock bridges

This incredible build from Brock Bridges was in our Dec/Jan ‘23 issue and is a perfect example of this cat’s continual path of perfecting his craft. One amazing bike after another he has redefined the status quoe for his contemporaries. Freakenstein was jus tover the top and when you think of the fact that other than pouring his own cases and cylinders, there isn’t anything that wasn’t made by his own hands on the build. History will look back on him as one of the builders who defined the times.

8. SG BETWEEN 2 stephan grand

Our Jan/Feb ‘23 Issue featured Swiss builder Stephan Grand’s bike and it’s hard to believe that this is the bike he built with spare time between builds. to a numbr of shows in Europe and swept the country, of course, but that’s because it’s anything but a simple build. Like a Swiss watch, a timeless piece of jewelry, painstaking details and flawless exectuion in style. It was no surprise to see it stand out in the top ten.

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9. THE PHOENIX JAY MADEIROS

Jay Madeiros built this little Triumph bobber that was featrued in our July ‘23 issue A Lot of folks will remember Jay as part of the Choppahead Duo from when he and Truth were building bikes like this left and right. Years later Jay is doing his own thing but the story of this bike was a rags to riches tale of working in borrowed garage space at one point, which still amazes us he was able to finish the build. As with any of his work past or presnt the bike is beautiful and I’m sure will be the first of many we get to see come out of his new diggs.

10. DIGGER23 daniel heman

This little digger that looks like it could have been on the cover of Street Chopper back in the day was actually on our Oct/Nov ‘23 cover. It was built by Daniel Heman of Heman Fab and this is a young builder with an old soul. He has been putting out incredible bikes on the national level for the past few years and just blowing up everywhere he goes with builds like his M8 Chopper. This bike however indicated that he comes from good stock, a place where his passion for custom bikes has deep roots in where all this started.

pin up of the year may 2023

Model: Chelsea Photo: Mad Stork

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J

eff Gasier grew up like a lot of us, with motorcycles in his life.

His dad built him a mini bike at age 8. By age 13, he was racing motocross and, at 15, was sweeping floors in the local Honda Dealership. He started building motorcycles and cars at around 17 years old, concentrating mainly on motorcycles for the last 25 years.

So, it’s safe to say motorcycles have been a serious part of his

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Article By: Matt Reel Photos By: Chris Callen family and his life.

The beautiful Shovelhead on these pages traces its roots back to Jeff’s Uncle Jim, aka Uncle Buck. Jeff’s uncle had a 1979 FXEF in Root Beer brown with a brown seat and sissy bar pad.

“Uncle Buck” lost interest in the Shovel and passed it on to Jeff.

Jeff immediately started cleaning, changing, and riding the bike.

One day, Jeff stopped by his

buddy Brian’s house. Brian built and raced Harleys and knew a few things about custom work. Brian’s philosophy was clean, smooth, and chrome. A year or two later, the bike was turning heads and winning shows.

We all know far too well that our bikes are constantly changing and evolving. Sometimes, whether we want to or not. One day, after a ride with his wife, Jeff parked the

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Shovel in the garage. Inside, keys still in hand, he heard the bike fire up and ride away. Someone had stolen it right out of his garage.

The thief was eventually caught, but the bike was long gone.

Alright, so now you’re asking, WTH? Well, I told you the bike on these pages was rooted in his uncle’s bike, not that it was his bike. Jeff went out and bought as similar a bike as he could find and continued where he left off.

Fast forward a few more years, and another major setback struck. Jeff rear-ended a car on the replacement Shovel. After a

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broken pelvis and four months in a wheelchair, Jeff ordered a new frame and started putting the bike back together. The bike was thoroughly cleaned and painted and received new chrome during the rebuilding. Soon, it was back to prowling the streets and winning shows.

Later, an engine rebuild was due.

Since the cases were already split for the rebuild, it only made sense to polish them. With the engine together, the bike was back on the road, at least for a little while.

Leaving a bike night, a burnout went awry, and the gas tank got

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THE HEAVY TECH SHEET Owner: Jeff “Cubby” Gasier City/State: Willoughby/Ohio Builder: Cubby/Inspired by Brian Korelec Year: 1979 Model: FXEF 1200 Value: Family Heirloom/Priceless Time: 20+ Years ENGINE Year: 1979 Model: 74cu Shovelhead Builder: Dave Fisher Ignition: Dyna Displacement: 1200cc/74cu Pistons: Wiseco Heads: Red’s Heads Carb: AMF Keihin Cam: Andrews Air Cleaner: DS Dragton Exhaust: Paughco Drag Pipes Primary: Stock TRANSMISSION Year: 1979 Make: H/D stock 4 speed Shifting: Stock FRAME Year: 1979 Model: FL/FXEF Rake: +11 degree bearing cups Stretch:none FORKS Builder: Kayaba forks Type: Stock Triple Trees: Stock Chromed Extension: 2” Under Tubes WHEELS Front Wheel: Stock Triple Chrome Size: 19” Tire: Dunlop K471 Elite II Front Brake: Stock, Dual Disc Rear Wheel: Stock Triple Chrome Size: 16” Tire: Dunlop K471 Elite II Rear Brake: Stock Disc PAINT Painter: Troy Lukans Color: Special Mix (4 colors) Type: Base/Clearcoat Graphics: Stock AMF Chroming: Doug Baumgardner ACCESSORIES Bars: DS Drag Bars Risers: 3” Pull Back Hand Controls: Stock Chromed Foot Controls: Stock/highway pegs Gas Tank(s): Stock.Lowered ¾” Oil Tank: Stock Chromed Front fender: Stock Rear Fender: Stock Seat: By Dale Foote Headlight: Stock Chrome Taillight: Stock/Lay Down Lens Speedo: Stock Chromed Photographer: Gary Yasaki

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banged up. When you’re handed lemons, make lemonade. Might as well paint everything. A custom Root Beer Metallic was mixed up and applied to the tins. The colorshifting paint was polished to perfection, and the Shovel was on the road again.

The latest rendition of the Shovel has been together for eight or nine years. In 2023, Jeff was invited to display the bike at Fuel Cleveland and Glory Daze, Pittsburgh. Though the road was rough, Jeff will tell you the destination was worth it. All of this thanks to “Uncle Buck”.

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i

t’s that time of year again, the time of year that I both loathe and love: Its bike maintenance season. Every year, I spend the summer thrashing my bike, only to spend the off-season preparing it for yet another thrashing.

My list might i n c l u d e things such as repairing electrical i s s u e s , replacing w o r n - o u t parts, making improvements to comfort, handling, or performance, and other sorts of stuff along those lines. It’s not usually fun and exciting, but it is necessary.

It’s a perpetual cycle that I’ve been on for about 17 years with this particular machine. So, at this point, it just feels like second nature. What makes this possible is the expert assistance of mechanics who

Article By: Charlie Weisel know much more than I do. It’s not that I don’t know how to work on it. I do all of my own repairs of everything except the motor.

That’s where my knowledge

base and confidence level come to an abrupt halt. I am also not a welder or fabricator, so I rely on others for that work. It’s good to know your

limits and rely on the experts when necessary. It’s one thing to rebuild a starter or replace a bearing here and there, but it’s something else to tear down a motor and rebuild it in a way that will perform flawlessly for many miles under the harshest conditions.

This is where Dustin Werner comes into my field of vision.

For many years, Mark at Frontline Cycles in Longmont, Colorado, was my go-to engine guy, but he happily retired a few years back, which left me in a predicament.

When I went to him and asked who I should use in the future for this sort of work, he recommended Dustin at Werners House of Horsepower in Wichita, Kansas. At first, I cringed at the thought of having to get my bike to Wichita,

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which is an 8-hour ride across the Great Plains from where I live in Colorado, to get my motor rebuilt every year or two, but I value this process more than anything else on this bike so I decided it was worth the extra effort. That also goes to show how much I valued Mark’s opinion, a mechanic I had used for years and trusted very much. You must be thinking by now that surely there is a mechanic near me, in the Denver area, capable of a quality motor build. I’m sure there is, but one has never happened into my circle of contacts, and I make most of my motorcycle-related decisions based on referrals and experience. However, I admit that I have always been bad about involving myself in the local motorcycle community for reasons I don’t know. I think primarily it’s because when I am on the bike, I am usually headed out of town, so when I am home I don’t much feel the need to go hang out at the local bike night. I really should be better about that. Maybe this will be the year for such things. When it came time for my first engine rebuild post-Mark era, I called Dustin to discuss my needs and feel him out. My proprieties lie with finding a person who truly understands my needs. All too often, I’ll meet an engine guy who only wants to tell me about how he could make my motor put out a million horsepower and all the torque and how I’ll be the fastest guy off the line, but I’ll need to carry gallons of octane booster to make it run right, and it’ll blow up after 20,000 miles. This is all well and good, but it has nothing to do with how I ride. I don’t race, I don’t charge away from every stop light, and I’m not overly concerned about passing power. I need an engine builder who can build me a motor that will last. I could care less about horsepower or torque or how fast it accelerates from a green light. Again, I don’t race it, so dyno stats mean nothing. I need a motor built for longevity, reliability and one that will run on the worst quality and lowest octane fuel in the world, literally.

If I can’t dump three gallons of mystery fuel from a rusty can into my fuel tank and make it down the road, I will have a problem at some point. Usually, when I explain this

to someone, they tend to glaze over from lack of excitement, and I can tell they are not the person for me. When I spoke to Dustin about this, however, I could tell he understood and actively wanted to be part of it. I was sold.

Interestingly, Dustin has an extensive background in building racing motors, so the fact that he is willing and capable of shifting gears to build a quality nonracing motor says a lot about his mechanical knowledge and depth of experience. He’s also a chopper guy, which means he understands the individuality of motorcycles and doesn’t freak out about dealing with non-stock motorcycles. He just gets it. We have all walked into that shop that will only work on newer stock bikes, which just doesn’t work for most of us reading this magazine. In fact, he’s built some pretty incredible choppers over the years that you have probably seen gracing the pages of this publication and at some bigname shows around the country.

Add in the fact that Dustin is just a genuinely nice guy, and you have, in my opinion, a shop worth promoting.

I’m spending the time to write this because I firmly believe in supporting the businesses that support us. The shops that offer a quality service at a fair price and stand behind their work.

Surprisingly, that is not as easy to find as you might think. Werner’s House of Horsepower is that shop, and I highly recommend them for any motorcycle repair needs.

You can find them at 10655 West 53rd St N in Maize, Kansas. The shop number is 316-260-3377.

Don’t hesitate to give him a call.

I have no doubt that you will have the same pleasant experience I have had. Also, to be clear, he is not paying me to write this. There is no trade or expectations from him in return. There’s simply a genuine desire to promote his business based on my personal experience.

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DRAG SPECIALTIES SEATS FREEDOM TOURING SEAT

The new Freedom Touring seat features a 5 ¾” tall driver support with unique styling and is covered in high-quality automotive-grade vinyl. Seating area is contoured for maximum comfort and is made narrow up front for better leg clearance. This seat also works with our EZ Glide frame-mounted receiver mechanism to accept EZ Glide backrests. It will also work with H-D® and OEM frame-mounted backrest mechanisms and backrest pads. Available in Double diamond stitch with black, silver or red thread for 09-23 FLHR/FLHX/FLHT/ FLHTC/FLHTCU/FLHTCUTG/FLTR/FLTRX/FLTRU/FLTRK models (except 23 FLHXSE/FLTRXSE). All mounting hardware is included. Made in the U.S.A. with a suggested retail price starting at $517.95. https://www.dragspecialties. com/search;q=0801-1481;r=eJyrVkrLzClJLSpWsoqOrQUAJusFKA%3D%3D For more information, contact your Drag Specialties dealer, representative or go to http://seats.dragspecialties.com/

Led Sled Internal Throttle Led Sled Customs is proud to offer this internal throttle. It allows you to clean up your handlebar’s look by removing the external cable and routing it inside the handlebar. It features steel construction and is made in the USA. The outer diameter measures 1″. This custom throttle will require drilling and fitting to individual applications and modification of throttle cables. Instructions are included. Professional installation is recommended. Made in Ohio, USA.$125.00 https://ledsledcustoms.com/product/internal-throttle-1-inch/

9 Finger Fabrication Clutch Soaker 5000 All aluminum construction! Pre-soak your friction plates! This rack separates the plates and lets them drip off excess oil before installation. Room for 10 friction discs, including thicker M8 discs. Kit will include the Lock&Lock plastic container. $80 https://www.9fingerfabrication.com/product/clutch-soaker-5000/47?cp=true&sa=tru e&sbp=false&q=false

HYDRAULIC CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER REBUILD KIT

When you’re looking for quality replacement parts for your hydraulic clutch system, look no further than Drag Specialties hydraulic clutch master Cylinder Rebuild Kit. This kit meets or exceeds OEM specifications and includes all the parts you need to rebuild your clutch master cylinder. The kit fits all 2014 to 2016 FLHT, FLHX and FLTRX models (repl. OEM #3720096B). This kit has a suggested retail price of $32.95. https://www.dragspecialties. com/search;q=0617-0404;r=eJyrVkrLzClJLSpWs oqOrQUAJusFKA%3D%3D

DRAG SPECIALTIES 8.8MM SPARK PLUG WIRE SET

Keep your engine running with Drag Specialties 8.8mm Spark Plug Wire Set. This set is constructed with silicone throughout the jacket, insulation, and core to deliver high-temperature resistance. It is rated at SAE Class E J2031 with a continuous operating temperature of 450°F. This set works with 2018 to 2023 Softail models. It is made in the U.S.A and has a suggested retail value of $62.95. https://www.dragspecialties. com/search;q=2104-0408;r=eJyrVkrLzClJLSpWsoqO rQUAJusFKA%3D%3D For more information contact your Drag Specialties dealer, representative or go to dragspecialties.com.

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DRAG SPECIALTIES SLOTTED WIDE BLADE LEVER SETS Add style, comfort, and reliability in your ride with the Drag Specialties Slotted Wide Blade Lever Sets. These levers are made from strong, high-quality aluminum with CNC-machined slots with an attractive chrome or black finish. Fully compatible with the OEM lever perches. They fit all 2021 to 2023 FLHT, FLHR, FLHX, FLTR, FLHTCUTG, FLRT, AND FLTRT models. Both the Chrome and Black lever sets have a suggested retail price of $69.95. https://www.dragspecialties.com/ search;q=0610-2255;r=eJyrVkrLzClJLSp WsoqOrQUAJusFKA%3D%3D

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F

orty-two-year-old Brett Myhre has always been a tinkerer and a creative, which, if you ask me, is the perfect recipe for a garage builder.

Unlike many, Brett is not from a motorcycle family.

He wasn’t born with the motorbike bug. However, at twenty-five, he was bitten by it when he got his first bike. What initially started as a desire to restore a classic car turned into a 1982 Suziki GS650. Why the big leap from car to motorcycle, you ask? Well, he just didn’t have room in

his tiny garage for a car!

From his first rip around the neighborhood on his new scoot, he knew he was in love with motorcycling, and it quickly became his favorite pastime.

It didn’t take long for Brett’s creative side to kick in when it came to the GS. He quickly turned it into a little custom bobber with a hardtail, custom seat, bars, paint…the works. From that first run at custom, Myhre has since built a hefty handful of bikes, including a 1994 custom Sporty called the Gypsy, a 75

Shovelhead, 1979 CB750 café, a Yamaha XS650, and a 1979 Shovelhead.

I really dig that he has no problem crossing genres, styles, and motorfamilies.

Diversity is the spice of life, even in motorcycles!

Brett was ready for another project and had been searching for a Harman front end for quite some time when he found a frame and front on eBay. It was meant to be. How often do you find a survivor in good condition? But wait, it gets better. Brett found a piece of paperwork

Article By: Heather Callen

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HARMAN TECH SHEET Owner: Brett Myhre City/State: East Bethel, MN Builder: Brett Myhre Year: 1972 Model: CB750 Value: 7,000 Time: 3 years ENGINE Year: 1972 Model: CB750 Builder: Brett Myhre Ignition: ARD Magneto Displacement: 836CC Pistons: Heads: stock Carb: Stock carbs jetted for pods Cam: Air Cleaner: Steel Dragon Velocity Stacks Exhaust: Custom made by builder Primary: stock TRANSMISSION Year: 1972 Make: CB750 Shifting: Foot shift FRAME Year: 70’s Builder: John Harman (H&H Cycle) Model: H&H cycle Rake: Stretch: FORKS Year: 70’s Builder: John Harman (H&H Cycle) Type: Spirder Triple Trees: Extension: WHEELS Front Wheel: Gold Spoked Size: 21” Tire: Speedmaster Front Brake: Hallcraft brake & master on floating bracket. Actuated by hand lever Rear Wheel: Gold Spoked Size: 16” Tire: Speedmaster Rear Brake: Hallcraft PAINT Painter: Brett Myhre Color: Purple, Burple Type: HOK Graphics: Pinstripe - Roach customs Airbrush:Brett Myhre Chroming: JR Custom plating ACCESSORIES Bars: Integral To Harman front end Risers: N/A Hand Controls: cable front brake control lever Foot Controls: Brett Myre / Gold chain linkage Gas Tank(s): molded coffin tank Oil Tank: Brett Myre/Holds battery/oil temp gauge/Oil level gauge Front fender: N/A Rear Fender: Molded to frame Seat: Brett Myhre Headlight: vintage 70’s rectangle Tail light: vintage 70’s era tail Speedo: n/a

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that came with the frame with a name on it. After an internet search, he found that name on a random forum. Taking a shot in the dark, Brett messaged the guy. It turned out to be Daryl Boulton, the original owner!

John Harman made the frame and front end for Daryl in the 70s when he was in his 20s.

Brett has long been a fan of the crazy 70’s style choppers and found much inspiration from

Yosemite Sam Radoff (RIP), Tommy Summers, and the Honda Chopper board.

Myhre used the frame and front as he found them; lucky him! As for the rest of the fabrication, the selftaught fabricator tackled the exhaust, foot controls, brakes, and upholstery himself. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Brett said the most significant challenges throughout the project were waiting until he had the space

to paint it himself and gold plating all the hardware, which was a nightmare.

When asked if it is a rider, he says it’s a fully functional ride, but Myhre readily admits that he really built it to be a show bike, to challenge himself to build something with a lot of fine details.

After 48 months in the making, Brett finally got the bike done for the Donnie Smith Show, where he took home the award for “Best Chopper!”

Once the project was buttoned up, Brett sent Boulton, now in his 60s, pictures of the finished bike. Needless to say, he was so excited to see where it ended up and that it finally got on the road.

Long live the survivors!

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2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will hold monthly meetings with diverse stakeholders to update and modernize these key motorcycle policy documents.

We know that some state motorcyclist rights groups also have participants in the “Community of Practice” project and we applaud their involvement. Without a doubt, the work of these NHTSA-sponsored groups will be better because of their involvement. We look forward to hearing more about their work in 2024! -MRF

Hey, So, after the Climate Summit, a bunch of countries are screaming death to fossil fuels. Others report, “No, it’s just a bullshit notion.” But check this out. Even in the news in this issue, we report on several new motorcycle models and expanding motorcycle manufacturers worldwide.

Do you think it would be fair for the public to know the truth?

Let’s hit the news and find out.

News From The Motorcycle R i d e r s Foundation ( M r f ) - S i x Advocates Step Up - Six long-time motorcyclist rights advocates and Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) members were recently selected as members of the ”Community of Practice” groups, updating federal motorcycle safety guidelines. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation would like to thank these six bikers for volunteering their

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time on this project: Ron Braaksma – Iowa; Vince Consiglio- Michigan; Jay Jackson – Indiana; Gary Klinker – Wisconsin; Ed Schetter – Ohio; Imre Szauter – New Hampshire The primary focus of their work will be updating three documents: The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), Model National

Standards for Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training (Content Standards), and Model National Administrative Standards for State Motorcycle Rider Training Programs (Administrative Standards).

Between January and September

The Bikeriders Get A Release Date - Austin Butler and Jodie Comer’s The Bikeriders is Coming based on a book by Danny Lyon.

A Midwestern motorcycle club begins as a group of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes and respect for their strong, steady leader.

The film is inspired by the 1967 book of the same name by photographer Danny Lyon. The book documents the bike riders and their lifestyle across the US through a series of photographs.

The Bikeriders is helmed by Jeff Nichols, who directed Matthew McConaughey in the 2012 film Mud. New Regency is producing The Bikeriders along with Sarah Green and Brian KavanaughJones, who are co-producing it under the banner of Tri-State. Set in the 1960s, The Bikeriders revolves around the Midwestern motorcycle club and the rise of biker culture, as seen through the eyes of the members of the club. As the club gathers more members, it evolves into a violent biker gang, thereby threatening the lifestyle of the original

members.

Ohio House Passes Bill To Prohibit Internal Combustion Engine Ban Don’t Delay!

Please contact lawmakers to request their support for this bill: Overview: Ohio advances SANsupported legislation (H.B. 201/S.R. 155/H.R. 198) to prevent any state or local government unit from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including internal combustion engines.

H.B. 201 passed the House and awaits consideration from the Senate. H.R. 198 was reported out of the House Transportation Committee and awaits consideration on the House floor.

S.R. 155 awaits consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee. -SEMA News From The Motorcycle Riders Foundation-The United State House of Representatives voted to give consumers the choice of what fuel source they feel is appropriate for their needs when purchasing a new vehicle.

ABATE of Wisconsin pushed for this same type of legislation in the State. The bill that was introduced by members of ABATE would have prevented any government, or agency, from banning the sale of vehicles or equipment based on its fuel source.

Our bills in the state passed the Assembly and the Senate but was vetoed by Governor Evers.

ABATE of Wisconsin, and the over 525,000 residents in the state with a motorcycle endorsement that ABATE represents, would like to thank the Motorcycle Riders Foundation for their efforts on this important issue.

Wisconsin’s elected officials in Washington DC voted along party

lines as they did in Madison. While we were able to get all of the Republican members of Congress to vote in support of this, we were not able to convince any Democrat members to recognize how important consumer choice is in the State of Wisconsin.

We will continue to work with our friends on both sides of the isle to develop an understanding of how this piece of legislation is not an anti-electric vehicle bill, but rather an opportunity for the residents in the state to choose a vehicle with a power source that they feel is appropriate for their needs, based on

their own research and budget.

For more information go to abatewis.org or contact Steve Panten, ABATE Legislative Committee Chair at legis@abatewis. org.

MAJOR TESLA RECALL - Wednesday morning, Tesla announced a recall of more than two million vehicles over concerns its “Autopilot” system can be misused by drivers.

This announcement comes as part of a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into crashes by Tesla vehicles. As you may remember over the last few years, there have been high-profile incidents where Teslas, believed to be in Autopilot mode, collided with motorcycles, killing the motorcyclist.

In the recall notice NHTSA said, the investigation found Autopilot’s

method of making sure that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to “foreseeable misuse of the system.”

The stated objective of the recall is to “Incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever Autosteer is engaged, which includes keeping their hands on the steering wheel and paying attention to the roadway.”

This recent recall announcement is a good time to remind ourselves what former NHTSA Senior Safety Advisor Missy Cummings said this summer, “It’s very dangerous for motorcycles to be around Teslas.”

The MRF will continue fighting to ensure the safety of bikers is not ignored in the push to deploy this recent technology on our nation’s roadways. As always, Ride Safe and Ride Free -MRF Quick, Join The Ima Before It’s Too Late--The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket was created to protect the Right to Repair and Modify for Independent Bike Shops.

Plus, we are fighting for the right to utilize Internal Combustion Engines for Custom Bike Builders. You may not feel threatened, but the EPA and other regulatory agencies are attacking several states, while looking to California as leader in green movement. They are demanding Zero internal combustion vehicles sold by 2035. Zero means Zero Freedoms.

They miss the point: More carbon dioxide will help everyone, including future generations of our families.

CO2 is the essential food for landbased plants. -CO2 Coalition The only way we can combat the lies is with the truth and numbers.

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THE CYCLE SOURCE WORLD REPORT - POWERED BY BIKERNET.COM That’s why we need you to join and build the coalition of riders with the MRF and demand the truth.

As part of the MRF we are able to take advantage of their lobbyists in Washington D.C. who can get us in the door. We are fighting the good fight, but we need your support today, please join the IMA, and trust me, they are coming, just ask your buddies in California. -Bob Kay About the Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket - Founded on the principle to protect independent dealers and custom bike builders’ rights to repair and modify motorcycles, the IMA membership is determined to keep us free.

We are fortunate to be aligned with the MRF, Motorcycle Riders Foundation, which fought to protect our culture for over 40 years, has excellent lobbying efforts in D.C and is connected to state organizations all over the country.

The IMA is pro-active and working on these issues every day, but we need your support now. The attack on internal combustion engines and the freethinking values of the biker lifestyle makes support of the IMA an urgent and critical matter. Go to mrf.org/ join and click on the search button.

The MRF in the Sunshine State - The 2024 Motorcycle Riders Foundation Roadshow got off to an early start this month as President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard met with ABATE of Florida.

Hardtail shared the MRF legislative agenda including our work on Right to Repair, Autonomous Vehicles and Preservation of the Internal Combustion Engine. As part of the meeting, ABATE of Florida selected a new MRF Florida State Representative!

Expanding the MRF’s reach into Florida is critical to advancing our goals in Washington, D.C. The population of Florida has earned it twenty-eight (28) members in the U.S. House of Representatives, the third highest representation of any state. It also boasts over 600,000

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registered motorcycles, ranking it third in the nation on that list as well.

Beyond its size, Florida has become a critical state in several political battles in this country. The willingness of Florida’s bikers to support the efforts of the MRF is a huge political win for all bikers.

Thank you to ABATE of Florida for allowing the MRF to share the issues we are actively addressing.

We anticipate building a strong and growing relationship.

While Florida was the kickoff of the upcoming roadshow, it will not stop there. MRF Board Member calendars are already filling up with events for the start of 2024. Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wisconsin are

just a few places where you will see the MRF popping up. In the words of Willie Nelson, “On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again!” – MRF Harley-Davidson Announces Contingency Programs For 2024 Race Season--More than $570,000 Available for Harley-Davidson Racers in American Flat Track and MotoAmerica Mission Foods King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan Series Harley-Davidson is boosting its support of racing competitors for the 2024 season with cash contingency programs totaling more than $570,000. This will be available for qualified H-D racers competing in select classes in the American Flat Track series, and the MotoAmerica

AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship.

The Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team will compete in the MotoAmerica Mission Foods King of the Baggers road racing series in 2024 with riders Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli aboard race modified Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engines.

In addition, privateer teams racing Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the series can benefit from racing contingency and available racing parts for purchase.

Mission Foods King of the Baggers Contingency The Mission Foods King of The Baggers series offers exciting competition between American V-Twin touring motorcycles prepared for competition and equipped with stock frames and a fairing/ windscreen and saddlebags.

The 2024 King of The Baggers series is expanded to 16 races over eight doubleheader weekends held in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike series.

The series opens on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, March 7-9. HarleyDavidson will offer a $263,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the Mission Foods King of the Baggers series, with a contingency payout from first to 10th place and a $35,000 championship bonus.

Terms and conditions apply; please email contingencyracing@ harley-davidson.com for full details, eligibility requirements and deadlines.

Mission Foods Super Hooligan Contingency - New for 2024, HarleyDavidson will offer contingency opportunities for racers competing in the Mission Foods Super Hooligan National Championship Brought To You By Roland Sands Design. The road racing series features 750ccand-up high-bar race-prepared street bikes. Held in conjunction with

THE CYCLE SOURCE WORLD REPORT - POWERED BY BIKERNET.COM the MotoAmerica Superbike series, House Representative John Curtis the U.S. Senate. the Super Hooligan Championship includes 10 races over five doubleheader weekends, beginning with two races at Daytona International Speedway March 7-9.

Harley-Davidson will offer a $123,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the Mission Foods Super Hooligan series, with a contingency payout from first to 10th place and a $20,000 championship bonus.

Terms and conditions apply; please email contingencyracing@ harley-davidson.com for full details, eligibility requirements and deadlines.

News From The Mic- Government Relations Vital Legislation Introduced to Protect Public OffHighway Vehicle Access in Utah Utah motorcyclist and U.S.

introduced the Historic Roadways Protection Act in November, legislation that would prohibit

the Secretary of the Interior from finalizing or implementing new travel management plans in the state until pending litigation over historic roads is finalized. Utah Senator Mike Lee introduced companion legislation in

“Motorized access to Utah’s outdoors is critical for local economies and for recreation opportunities,” Curtis said. “My legislation simply requires that we know all valid historic routes, which are critical to understand what areas can be accessed, before (the Bureau of Land Management) makes further travel management planning decisions.”

So, we’re living in a control-freak, Zero fun society. We need to watch out, read, be as informed as possible and vote.

Freedom bells will ring again if we stay on top of the action and the bullshit.

You’re decision.

I want us to have the opportunity to ride free forever. If you want to stay on top of industry news weekly head over to Bikernet.com. Bandit

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ADVERTISERS INDEX 5 Ball Racing Leather.............95 AMCA......................................47 Battery Outlet.........................97 BikerNet.com..........................18 Choppertime...........................85 Cycle Showcase.....................59 Cycle Stop USA.......................27 DB Custom Leather................94 Deadwood Custom Cycles....35 Dennis Kirk.............................99 Denver’s Choppers................36 Donnie Smith Show................49 Drag Specialties.......................9 Drag Specialties Seats...........15 Dutchman...............................97 Feuling....................................95 Garage Built Podcast.............27 Grease & Gears TV................55 Hardcore Cycles.....................43 Hijinx Apparel........................95 Kiwi Indian...............................43 Klock Werks............................65 Law Tigers................................2 Led Sled..................................55 MC Creations..........................97 Mid-USA..................................37 Mikuni......................................29 No School Choppers..............47 Pandemonium.........................17 Paughco.............................13,79 Progressive Insurance.............5 Kiwi Indian..............................43 Klock Werks...........................65 S&S Cycle.............................100 SmokeOut................................3 SpeedKing..............................97 Spectro Oils............................25 Tech Cycles............................43 Twin Power................................4 Twisted Choppers...................19 Veritas Vintage Motors...........43

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I don’t see that it would do any harm.’ The Nun opened her habit, and the Priest enjoyed the sight of her shapely breasts, commenting frequently on their beauty. ‘Sister, would you mind if I touched them?’

She consented, and he fondled them for several minutes. ‘Father, could I ask something of you?’ ‘Yes, Sister?’

‘I have never seen a man’s penis.

Could I see yours?’ ‘I suppose that would be OK,’ the Priest replied, lifting his robe. ‘Oh, Father, may I touch it?’ The Priest consented, and after a few minutes of fondling, he was sporting a huge erection. ‘Sister, you know that if I insert my penis in the right place, it can give life.’ ‘Is that true, Father?’ ‘Yes, it is, Sister.’

‘Oh, Father, that’s wonderful ... Stick it in the camel, and let’s get the hell out of here!’

Heard A Good One Lately ?

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A

man suffered a severe heart attack while shopping in a store.

The store clerks called 911 when they saw him collapse to the floor.

The paramedics rushed the man to the nearest hospital, where he had emergency open-heart bypass surgery. He awakened from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at the Catholic Hospital he was taken to. A nun was seated beside his bed, holding a clipboard loaded with several forms and a pen. She asked him how he was going to pay for his treatment. “Do you have health insurance?” she asked. He replied in a raspy voice, “No health insurance.”

The Nun asked, “Do you have money in the bank?” He replied, “No money in the bank.” “Do you have a relative who could help you with the payments?” asked the irritated Nun. He said, “I only have a spinster sister, and she is a nun.” The Nun became agitated and announced loudly, “Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to God.” The patient replied, “Perfect. Send the bill to my brotherin-law.”

Joseph

I

urgently needed a few days off work, but I knew the boss would not allow me to take leave. I thought that maybe if I acted ‘crazy,’ then he would tell me to take a few days off. So I hung upside down on the

98 February ‘24 - March ‘24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE

ceiling and made funny noises. My co-worker (who’s blonde) asked me what I was doing. I told her I was pretending to be a light bulb so the boss would think I was crazy and give me a few days off. A few minutes later, the boss came into the office and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I told him I was a light bulb. He said, “You are clearly stressed out. Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.” I jumped down and walked out of the office. When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the boss asked her, “And where do you think you’re going?” She said, “I’m going home too; I can’t work in the dark!”

Chris

A

nun and a priest were crossing the Sahara desert on a camel.

On the third day, the camel suddenly dropped dead without warning. After dusting themselves off, the Nun and the Priest surveyed their situation.

After a long period of silence, the Priest spoke. ‘Well, Sister, this looks pretty grim.’ ‘I know, Father. In fact, I don’t think we can likely survive more than a day or two.’ ‘I agree,’ says the Father. ‘Sister, since we are unlikely to make it out of here alive, would you do something for me?’ ‘Anything Father.’ ‘I have never seen a woman’s breasts, and I was wondering if I might see yours.’

‘Well, under the circumstances,

Doc

A

woman and a man are involved in a car accident; it’s a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished, but amazingly, neither of them is hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, “So you’re a man, that’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars!

There’s nothing left, but fortunately, we are unhurt. This must be a sign that we should meet and be friends to live together in peace for the rest of our days.” Flattered, the man replied, “Oh yes, I agree with you completely!”

“This must be a sign!” The woman continued, “And look at this, here’s another miracle. My car is completely demolished, but this bottle of wine didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.” Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods in agreement, opens it, drinks half the bottle, and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man asks, “Aren’t you having any?” The woman replies, “No. I think I’ll just wait for the police...”

Missi

February ‘24 - March ‘24 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE 99