HOT BIKE VOLUME # 1 2023

KING & QUEEN BAGGERS THE PASSIONS OF FERNANDEZ & WEST

OF THE

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS

From The Editor ............................................... 10 Riding Gear........................................................ 14 From The Archives............................................ 48 Travel Tips ........................................................ 92 Tested................................................................ 94 New Products.................................................... 96 Readers’ Rides................................................... 98

FEATURES

Aluminum Artistry, Custom Works Zon’s Shovelhead Masterpiece ............................... 16 Beyond Bespoke, Denver Maddux Goes Dazzle Camo With His Arch 1s ...................... 24 Mad Maximum, Kento “Fury” Oketani’s Foray Into Sportster Desert Sled Territory..... 32 Buell X RSD’S New Concept, Is It The Performance Cruiser Of The Future? ............ 40

PROFILE

Dangerous Love, The Passions of Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West ......................... 66 Older, Wiser, Woker? Checking In With San Diego Customs ................................ 76

TECH

Beefing Up Your Suspension, Which Setup Is Right For You And Your Riding Style? ............ 56 Building A Better Milwaukee-Eight, The Collective Phoenix has the Wake Up Juice .... 62 Tech Tips From The Pros, The Motorwitch’s No-Bullshit First Service Tips You Need ........ 86

ON THE COVER A bird’s eye view of Team Saddlemen’s King of the Baggers riders, Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West: teammates, competitors…and sweethearts.

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PHOTO: TIM SUTTON

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FROM THE EDITOR

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oly shit. Holy fucking shit. Holy fuckballs, and ass. Oh, and tits. Did I say taint? “Real mature, Jordan,” I can hear my parents murmuring. No, I don’t have tourettes. I’m just in complete shock that I’m back here with you fine folks writing this column. It’s sureal. And I have a lot of pent up energy after sitting silent for so many years without an outlet to vent. After all, the world has fallen into a full-scale bizarro-land chock-full of absurdity, judgment, and overwhelming ridiculousness.

Everyone knows everything. And they can’t be told otherwise.

Since my last column (December 2018), a lot of shit has changed.

From the Hot Bike perspective, the circumstances from where I sit now as opposed to where I sat four years ago are quite different. You see, Hot Bike used to be owned by a big corporation. Then it was bought by another corporation. Then another. All the way until it couldn’t take it anymore. Poor old Hot Bike just became unmergeable. I mean, mergers were like California earthquakes. They happened so frequently

“IN MAY OF 2021 I HAD THE CHANCE TO PURCHASE HOT BIKE’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FROM MY OLD EMPLOYERS. SO I DID JUST THAT.” that people would just kind of smirk and then go about their business.

In January 2019, the corporate brass made the call to stop publishing Hot Bike, which meant I was out of a job. While I was left there standing with my dong in my hand (metaphorically speaking, of course. Not a #MeToo kinda way), all I could think was, “what the hell am I gonna do now? Go and get a real job?”

I was always stoked to have a job riding and building motorcycles, and writing about them. I wondered if the other shoe was ever going to drop. In fact, I’d dodged many merger bullets before, but I was beginning to think that maybe they forgot about me and I’d soon be moving to the basement with my red stapler. Sadly that wasn’t the case. I was laid off with a nice severance package and that was pretty much that.

While I was figuring out career next steps, my daughter Kennedy had just been born, my son, Brody, had just turned 6, and my wife was in rough shape because of some complications after Kennedy’s birth. To put it simply, my family needed me.

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Jordan admiring the treasue trove of archives—over 50 years worth— he’d recently received from the previous owners.

After a few months of down time, it was time to get back to work. I’d built a rapport with Gard Hollinger, from L.A. County Choprods back in the day through my Hot Bike experience.

Well that same Gard Hollinger went and co-founded ARCH Motorcycle Company with actor and bike fanatic, Keanu Reeves. Just as my severance was running out, they were looking for someone to fill the sales and marketing type role.

After a lengthy interview process, I was hired in April of 2019.

Working at ARCH was cool. I learned a lot—a ton, actually— and I’ll always be grateful to Gard and Keanu for bringing me on board to join the team. It was a great gig, but it just wasn’t my forever gig. This is what I know and love (whatever this is).

It’s what drives and fuels me. I’m intrigued by creativity. I get a kick out of unique creations from custom bike builders I have never seen before. I’m fascinated by two-wheeled culture in India, Vietnam or Thailand. I’m drawn to those who still shape metal by hand. I’m in awe of the meticulousness of engraving metal or pinstriping paint. I am curious as to what makes things generally function better. Simply put, I’m an inquisitive guy who is intrigued by a lot of different stuff, all relating to motorcycles.

In May of 2021 I had the chance to buy Hot Bike’s intellectual property from my old employers. So I did just that.

I focused on ARCH during the day, and Hot Bike at night and on the weekends. But it deserved more. Much more. And I decided to shit or get off the pot and do Hot Bike full time.

FROM THE EDITOR Now here we are, printing a magazine once again. Thanks to you. And a bunch of people, really. First and foremost, a huge thanks to Ashley. Thank you for believing in me, and putting up with me risking financial ruin. Thank you for encouraging me to chase my dreams. I love you. You’re the breast.

To my kiddos, Brody and Kennedy (hopefully mom scribbled out the first sentence!)… My hope is that as your father, you’re seeing that it is okay to take risks and go after what you want.

Sometimes. Thanks to my parents for always cheering me on.

Thank you to Gard and Keanu. Instead of kicking me to the curb when I told you I’d purchased the Hot Bike IP, you encouraged me and even mentored me throughout the journey.

Thank you!

Thanks to Kurt Hoy, who went halfsies with me to buy the business. Kurt is one of the best dudes I know. I’ll forever be in debt to him for taking a chance on purchasing the Hot Bike IP. Without you, this wouldn’t have happened. Thank you, sir.

Thank you to Robert Martin. When we left off in January 2019, we had so much left we wanted to accomplish when the magazine folded. Well, here’s our shot, amigo. Let’s do this. And Irene Gonzalez for rejoining the team and always keeping things on track.

Thank you to all of you who supported my hair-brained idea to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to bring the magazine back. Your support gave me the confidence and wherewithal to understand that the industry was in fact interested in seeing a quality printed magazine once again. So much so, that the wonderful advertisers you see throughout these pages, felt it was necessary to have something tangible for you to have in your hands again.

And last but not least, thank YOU! Whoever you are. If I’ve forgotten you, please forgive me. I waited to the last minute to write the most difficult piece in this issue: My column. If you’ve invested any time whatsoever to thumb through our latest labor of love. I owe you a debt. I’ve poured my blood, sweat and tears into this thing. And a shitload of money. All becuase I love this industry and I believe in this brand. And I’m grateful to you for supporting what we’re doing by subscribing to this fine publication once again. I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, or sanka, or RedBull. I say what I want, but you’ll always get the truth. I’m not trying to sell you. By bringing this magazine back, I’m honestly just trying to do my part in keeping the motorcycle industry momentum moving forward. Because it’s an industry that I grew up in. It’s all I really know. If this magazine can assist with doing that in any way, then I’ve succeeded.

I do hope that you’ll support what we’re doing by signing up for a subscription of this iconic magazine. Because we’re 100-percent indepently owned and operated by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, your support is what keeps us afloat. If you’re considering signing up for a new Hot Bike subscription, do it! I can at least promise a relatively entertaining and informative ride… Just give me a chance to earn your business. I’ll do everything in my power to keep it.

Drop me a line (info@hotbike.com) and let me know what you think of the new Hot Bike. I look forward to connecting with you.

Bye for now, Jordan 12 HOTBIKE.COM

A look back at where it all began, the summer of 1971. The first issue of Hot Bike was started by hobbyists who just wanted to go faster.

President/Editor-In-Chief JORDAN MASTAGNI Creative Director ROBERTMARTINDESIGN.COM Managing Editor IRENE GONZALEZ CONTRIBUTORS ALEX CHAPMAN, ROB FORTIER, MORGAN GALES, BRYAN HEIDEN, JACE HUDSON, OLIVER JONES, PETER JONES, CHIP KASTELNIK, TOMMY KOPPINGER, MARK MASKER, BRIAN J. NELSON, CHRIS STAAB, TIM SUTTON, MIKEY VAN, DANNY WILSON, HIROMITSU YASUI SPONSORS Hot Bike is grateful for these awesome supporters!

BILTWELL, JW SPEAKER, GALFER USA, MOTUL USA, FXR DIVISION, TORCH INDUSTRIES, KRAUS MOTOR CO., LLOYDZ PERFORMANCE, REVOLUTION SPEED, GUERRILLA CABLES, KEN’S FACTORY, LAW TIGERS, ARCH MOTORCYCLE, SAWICKI SPEED SHOP, TRASK PERFORMANCE, PAINTHUFFER METALFLAKE, FEULING PARTS, ROLAND SANDS DESIGN, SADDLEMEN “I LOVE HOT BIKE” SUPPORTERS A huge thanks to: JOHN DOE, CHRISTOPHER LEE, STEVEN SCHWARTZ, HAYDEN MCFADDEN, JAY WILBUR, THE CHRISTENSENS, SAM KIM, MATT FRICK, DEAN LUCAS, ERNIE LOPEZ

GEAR

NEW SEASON, NEW KIT Stylish Gear for Riding Season

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MENS

SEVENTY 4 PARAMOUNT JACKET $360 The Paramount seems a legit choice for a daily rider: cool western styling, removable liner and zippered vents with good airflow. It’s chock-full of pockets too: chest, lower front, sleeve, interior chest, and a CCW pocket. For protection, CE armor is standard in the elbows/ shoulders. Available in S–4XL.

SEVENTY 4 ROSWELL GLOVE $60 RSD’s Roswell features a full-grain cowhide leather construction with padded knuckle armor, a multi-layer palm and smartphone touch compatible fingertips (pointer and thumb). Available in S–4XL in black or dark brown.

SOURCES: rolandsands.com bellhelmets.com biltwellinc.com cardosystems.com 14 HOTBIKE.COM

pring has sprung. Finally. It’s been a brutal winter and we’ve been itching to hit the road.

New seasons typically mean new riding gear styles. We’ve been eyeing Roland Sands Design’s Seventy 4 collection because it’s stylish and affordable.

Rob Ramlose, director of product for RSD, says Seventy 4 was created to align RSD’s hard parts line with a more V-twin-centric apparel line with familiar styling. Seventy 4 offers a V-twin focused design in a nice hand-finished Buffalo-grain leather product with removable internal liners. Everything is CE approved for EU safety standards and you get a lot of other bells and whistles, but for a fraction of the price.

We rounded out the gear package with some other goodies from Biltwell, Bell, and Cardo and we’ll share our thoughts on our spring gear roundup in an upcoming Tested section soon.

WOMENS

SEVENTY 4 ARGONNE JACKET $320 You can’t get new gear without hooking your wife up too. The Argonne is a great all-arounder: subtle design, equipped with standard shoulders/elbows CE protection, and it’s breathable. Available in XS–3XL in black or Merlot.

SEVENTY 4 BELMONT GLOVE $55 RSD’s Belmont features a top-hand design with flex ribbing to provide articulation and armadillo shell-like protection. Available in S–3XL in black, Merlot, and Kahlua.

CARDO PACKTALK EDGE $389.95 (solo), $699.95 (pair) Cardo’s Packtalk Edge is a waterproof comm system with JBL Speakers, Dynamic Mesh Communication, and the unit is compatible with virtually any other comm system on the market. Buy two for you and your lady, and save a few bucks.

HELMETS

BILTWELL LANE SPLITTER HELMET $299.95 Biltwell’s Lane Splitter in Podium Gloss Orange/Grey/Black is a stylish, ECE-certified helmet featuring an ABS outer shell, ventilated EPS safety liner, replaceable comfort liner, and a clear anti-fog shield. Available in multiple colors in XS–XXL. BELL SRT-MODULAR HELMET $299.96–$419.95 Bell’s SRT-Modular features a lightweight fiberglass composite construction, recessed EPS speaker pockets, a broad range of sizing options and Panovision Class 1 optics via the supplied clear face shield.

Oh, and it’s especially road-trip convenient being a modular helmet and all. Available in various colors and sizes from XS–3XL.

CHOOSE FROM 9 CARRIER COLORS & 11 BUTTON COLORS

ROTORS LINES PADS

www.galferusa.com

Custom Works Zon’s HRCS Show Winning Shovel WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: HIROMITSU YASUI

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luminum isn’t new. Neither are Shovelheads. Taking an old Shovel powerplant and cradling it in an aluminum frame, though, that’s a pretty big deal. It’s also the story of what was once a ’73 Harley FLH, and what is now an extremely beautiful Shovelhead custom centered around an aluminum frame. Built by Custom Works Zon, it’s the shop’s 20th anniversary gift to itself and the world of custom motorcycles.

Way back in 2003, Custom Works Zon was opened in Shiga, Japan by Yuichi Yoshizawa. Over the next couple of decades, the shop proceeded to knock down a series of custom show victories, starting with the 2007 Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show.

In 2015, the shop was selected as one of the top five builders in Japan by Harley-Davidson, and won the Street Build Off competition for customizations based on the XG750. Come 2018, the BMW Motorrad head office requested a customization using a prototype engine, and Custom Works Zon won Japan’s Mooneyes Hot Rod Custom Show that year. Four years later, they won it again, this time with this aluminum frame Shovelhead. “I wanted to do a custom that no one had ever tried, symbolizing the 20th anniversary of Zon,” Yuichi Yoshizawa tells us. “I decided to take on the challenge of the aluminum frame because no one had tried it.”

Obviously, this bike didn’t leave the factory with an aluminum chassis back in 1973. The shop bought the FLH used, kept the engine and transmission, and set the rest aside. Coincidentally, ’73 happens to be bike owner Teruhiko Imaizumi’s birth year, so there’s that, too.

The frame is made from Japanese 7N01 aluminum, which is strong enough to be used in airplanes. If you were to throw a leg over this beauty and take it out on the road, the chassis would probably handle whatever stresses you threw at it.

Shaping the aluminum tubing into a motorcycle frame, however, was far from easy. That’s probably where Yuichi Yoshizawa figured out why he’d never seen one before, “When I bent the aluminum pipe secondary, it cracked and distorted, and I had to redo it many times. When I first started building the frame, it was a simpler frame than it is now, but I added more pipes in consideration of strength, and carefully made reinforcements at the joints between the pipes. We also paid particular attention to the tailsection, which doubles as an oil tank.”

The frame houses a ’73 Shovelhead mill that’s had a few upgrades along the way. Zon bored it out to 93ci; not an extreme displacement in the age of 117-inch stockers, but a lot more than the old Shovel had when it rolled off the factory line way back when. They also brought S&S cases, a Weber carb, and a Morris dual magneto setup into the mix. And, as you’d expect, the shop built an exhaust that flows perfectly with the lines of the bike. In this case, accentuating the BDL belt drive on the primary side and giving you an obstructed view of the engraved powerplant on what would usually be the pipe side of the motorcycle.

On the handling side, suspension duty falls entirely on a set of 29-inch girder-style front forks. No rear shocks were harmed in the making of this motorcycle. When you’ve gone through all the effort it took to get the aluminum frame built ISSUE 1 / 2023 19

“I DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF THE ALUMINUM FRAME BECAUSE NOBODY HAD TRIED IT.” right, hiding it in any way would be almost criminal. The wheels weren’t as involved as the frame but they got their fair share of fabrication work, too. The shop covered their spokes in metal for the solid look (which works damn well on this bike). Shod in skinny Firestone rubber, they rely on Kustom Tech brake systems for stopping power.

Solid wheels are something I’m used to seeing on Harley’s meaty Fat Boy but here, the solids serve to contrast and balance out the smallish gas tank and minimal tailsection instead of complementing a large tank and inverted frontend like they do on the Fatty.

Now, you’d think that a motorcycle shop commemorating its 20th birthday might go hog wild in the paint department.

In this case, though, not so much. If your focus is on ambitious fabrication with tons of details and cleanliness, flashy

bright paint may not be the best way to finish off your bike.

That’s probably why Custom Works Zon let the metalwork speak for itself by eschewing colorization. Instead, they used strategically placed engraving and pinstriping, and bare metal to tell the story.

If the first two decades culminated in this masterwork of the bike builder’s craft, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

As Yuichi Yoshizawa puts it, “From now on, I would like to always look ahead and take on new challenges. As the Coronavirus is coming to an end, I would like everyone overseas to see my custom this year. I have a lot of things I want to do. I would like to do a custom with a Henderson airplane engine, a very old Japanese Kyokutou engine, and a Matsuda CT1200 V-engine.” And hopefully you’ll get to see some of these customs in this here magazine. HB ISSUE 1 / 2023 21

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER SHOP NAME SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL FABRICATION ASSEMBLY BUILD TIME

TERUHIKO IMAIZUMI CUSTOM WORKS ZON +81-748-52-6410 CW-ZON.COM 1973 H-D FLH CUSTOM WORKS ZON CUSTOM WORKS ZON FOUR MONTHS

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE BUILDER CASES CYLINDERS HEADS ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB EXHAUST SPECIAL FEATURES

1973 H-D 93CI CUSTOM WORKS ZON S&S CYCLE H-D H-D H-D WEBER CARBURETOR CUSTOM WORKS ZON MORRIS DUAL MAG

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE CASE CLUTCH PRIMARY DRIVE FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER LENGTH TRIPLE TREES WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES FRONT WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH FRONT TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH CALIPER ROTOR REAR WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH REAR TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH CALIPER ROTOR FINISH-PAINT COLOR PAINTER

BAKER TRANSMISSION 6-IN-4 BAKER TRANSMISSION BDL BDL

2022 CUSTOM WORKS ZON 30-DEGREES

FRONT CUSTOM WORKS ZON 29 INCHES CUSTOM WORKS ZON

21×2.15-INCH 2.75-21-INCH FIRESTONE KUSTOM TECH GTS 21X2.15-INCH 3.00-21-INCH FIRESTONE KUSTOM TECH GTS

BLACK PINSTRIPING KAMIKAZE PINSTRIPE

ACCESSORIES REAR FENDER CUSTOM WORKS ZON FAIRING/WINDSCREEN CUSTOM WORKS ZON GAUGES MOTOGADGET GAS TANK/CAP CUSTOM WORKS ZON OIL TANK CUSTOM WORKS ZON HANDLEBARS CUSTOM WORKS ZON HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS ROUGH CRAFTS FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS ROUGH CRAFTS HEADLIGHT CUSTOM WORKS ZON TAILLIGHT MMM PRODUCTS SEAT CUSTOM WORKS ZON AND KUUREIYONSOKU MISC ENGRAVING BY SILVERSMITH FIN

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kensFactory_hotBikeAd_fullPage_021423v2.indd 1

2/27/2023 6:42:22 AM

DENVER MADDUX AND HIS ARCH 1s WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: SIMON HAMMERSON

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ost people will not tick the “ARCH Motorcycle owner” box in their lifetime. Not because ARCH motorcycles are too expensive (I’ve sold quite a few in the past four years), or because they take too long to build (approximately six months at time of print for a completely one-off bike). It’s because ARCH assembles beautiful, functional, and powerful motorcycles all aesthetically and ergonomically tailored to their intended owners. ARCH craftsmen take the time to ensure things are done right the first time because customer appreciation is paramount. And that ethos remains intact with the release of ARCH’s second model, the 1s.

Making its public debut in October of last year, the 1s was aptly named for its use of a single-sided swingarm, CNCmachined from blocks of billet aluminum. The 1s is loaded with plenty of other goodies too: an ARCH proprietary S&S 124ci engine is a torque powerhouse. The dual 17-inch carbon wheels make for the perfect stance. And the steel tube mainframe with billet aluminum subframe equipped with Öhlins front and rear make for an agile and dynamic handling chassis. The dual ISR six-pot calipers up front and four-pot calipers in the rear position the 1s at a standstill without activating the Boschequipped ABS system. I know all these fun facts because I worked for ARCH Motorcycle Company for almost four years.

But I digress… I know what goes into designing and building these machines. I know why they’re so special. And yes, the craftsmanship and components are second to none, but the ARCH owners are what makes ARCH truly unique.

The ARCH 1s debuted as a prototype at EICMA in November 2017. It was one of three models displayed among the global motorcycling press, joined by an updated KRGT-1 and its limited-edition sibling, the Method 143. But the 1s would be the follow-up to the KRGT-1 as more of a sport cruiser with a V-twin soul. Then the world nearly ended and COVID-19, well… COVID19’d the entire planet.

After navigating a global shutdown, ARCH pushed on as things somewhat normalized and continued working on bringing the 1s to production. In fact, ARCH had a KRGT-1 customer, Denver Maddux, who was determined to see the 1s production-ready as well.

Denver Maddux, is one of those special humans that was quintessentially destined to cross paths with Gard, Keanu, and ARCH Motorcycle overall. During his 3–4 years as an owner, he’s taken delivery of not one, not two, but three ARCH Motorcycles: two KRGT-1s (for him and his better half, Erica) and one 1s.

The design of his 1s is probably one of the most eye-catching motorcycles in ARCH’s history.

I first met Denver, who’d been frantically trying to get in touch with the sales department to buy a motorcycle (that was me) to no avail. But we finally connected. Denver, who was living part-time in Maui, part-time in Australia, was keen on buying an ARCH ASAP. When we spoke, he threatened to fly to Los Angeles the next day to place a deposit and do his design consultation. Which is exactly what he did. I liked Denver immediately. Everyone at ARCH did too. Denver and his partner, Erica became really close with the ARCH family, and he’d go on to buy another KRGT-1 for Erica, and ultimately, the 1s you see before you.

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ARCH MOTORCYCLE 1s

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SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER SHOP NAME SHOP PHONE SHOP WEBSITE/SOCIAL YEAR/MAKE/MODEL FABRICATION ASSEMBLY BUILD TIME ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER TYPE/SIZE CASES CYLINDERS HEADS ROCKER BOXES EFI/CARB AIR CLEANER EXHAUST SPECIAL FEATURES

DENVER MADDUX ARCH MOTORCYCLE 310-675-2724 ARCHMOTORCYCLE.COM 2021/ARCH MOTORCYCLE/1S ARCH ARCH SIX MONTHS

2021/ARCH X S&S S&S T-SERIES/124CI S&S S&S S&S S&S S&S ARCH ARCH 2-INTO-1 STAINLESS STEEL WITH CARBON FIBER MUFFLER 45-DEGREE DOWNDRAFT FUEL INJECTION AND AIR INTAKE SYSTEM

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE 2021/ARCH/SIX-SPEED W/ CUSTOM COMPACT HIGH-TORQUE MAINSHAFT CASE ARCH CLUTCH ARCH PROPRIETARY BANDIT DRY CLUTCH WITH COMPACT CLUTCH BASKET PRIMARY DRIVE ARCH FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER RAKE TRAIL

2021/ARCH 1S 25.15° 4.02”

SPECIAL FEATURES STEEL TUBE MAIN FRAME WITH BILLET ALUMINUM MACHINED SUBFRAME, SWINGARM, AND CHASSIS SIDE PLATES SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT DIAMETER TRIPLE TREES MANUFACTURER REAR

ARCH BY ÖHLINS FGRT 300 SERIES 48MM FORK TUBES ARCH ARCH BY ÖHLINS MONOSHOCK

SPECIAL FEATURES FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEMS OFFER ADJUSTABLE DAMPING FOR PRELOAD, REBOUND, AND COMPRESSION WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT

TYPE BLACKSTONE TEK (BST) ULTRALIGHT CARBON FIBER WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 17X3.5” TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH MICHELIN PILOT POWER 3 120/70ZR17 CALIPERS DUAL ISR SIX-PISTON MONOBLOC RADIAL MOUNT CALIPERS ROTORS DUAL ISR FLOATING DAMPENED DISCS MANUFACTURER REAR BST ULTRALIGHT CARBON FIBER WHEEL HEIGHT-WIDTH 17X8.5” TIRE HEIGHT-WIDTH MICHELIN PILOT POWER 3 240/45ZR17 CALIPER ISR FOUR-PISTON MONOBLOC RADIAL MOUNT CALIPER ROTOR ISR TWO-PIECE DISCS FINISH-PAINT COLOR PAINTER GRAPHICS SPECIAL FINISHES

ACCESSORIES FRONT FENDER REAR FENDER FAIRING/WINDSCREEN GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP DASH OIL TANK HANDLEBARS HEADLIGHT TAILLIGHT TURN SIGNALS LICENSE MOUNT SEAT MISC.

DAZZLE CAMOUFLAGE IN SATIN DPM3, RACING YELLOW, AND SATIN CARBON ACCENTS ARCH COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARCH AND DENVER MADDUX BLACK ALUMINUM ACCENTS IN SHOT PEENED BLACK ANODIZE

ARCH CARBON FIBER ARCH CARBON FIBER ARCH ARCH TFT LCD DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION

BY AIM SPORTS CARBON FIBER FUEL CELL WITH ALUMINUM BILLET ALUMINUM IN SHOT PEENED BLACK ANODIZE ARCH ARCH J.W. SPEAKER ARCH COVE-REFLECTED LED TAILLAMP RIZOMA ARCH ALUMINUM LICENSE PLATE ARM ARCH BY SADDLEMEN EACH ARCH IS TAILORED TO CUSTOMER AESTHETIC AND ERGONOMIC SPECIFICATIONS

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THAT BIKE SHOULD BE TURNING MOTORCYCLE DESIGNERS ON THEIR EAR. THEY SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE GOING ‘WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS THING AND WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT’S MORE CLOSE TO PRODUCTION?’” “I saw the 1s and I was like, ‘that thing’s an absolute smokeshow,’” Denver recalls. “That is the coolest looking sports style bike, and it has that bitchin’ engine in it. That’s the one I want. And I was like, ‘but that KRGT-1 is really sexy, too.’” Ah, decisions. This was in 2019. Yes, Denver wanted a 1s at first, but he was torn. He ended up starting out on the KRGT-1 because the 1s wasn’t in production yet, which didn’t seem to deter Denver from getting what he wanted.

Denver didn’t just place a deposit for the 1s. He paid for the whole thing up front. And since Denver knew the ARCH creative process, a quick conversation was had and something subtle was already in the works. Judging from his all-black KRGT-1 with slight tech camo accents, one of the designers was playing with Dazzle Camo, a disruptive pattern design used with WWII ships and submarines because their odd shapes would confuse enemies from far distances. More on that in a minute.

Before we dive into Denver’s design. We spoke with Gard Hollinger, co-founder of ARCH Motorcycle, to provide a bit more insight as to a customer’s creative process. “I like to give the owner some homework,” Gard says. “And the homework is to provide us with examples of things that they respond to visually. I always preface it with ‘you don’t have to focus on motorcycles or vehicles at all. It could be as far out there as simply images, or different cultures, things in nature, architecture or whatever.’” For Gard, this is where he dives into the customer’s creative brain space to gain an understanding of what they might respond to, which is exactly how he started with Denver’s KRGT-1 design.

“Denver sent pictures of three different meteorites that were cross sectioned and that caught my eye, and I thought that they were really cool looking,” Gard recalls. It was more interesting than what Denver originally asked for, which was a black bike with a brown seat, etc. “I thought it was too organic looking to just give to a painter and say, ‘hey, paint something on the bike so that it looks like this meteorite.’” It reminded Gard of camouflage. “I started to look at Tech Camo, which was much more geometric and then by putting that in the graphic on his bike—not the whole paint job—gave it a subtle look, which

he was really sort of pressing.” Essentially, you wouldn’t see anything camo from about 20 feet away. “But as you get closer, you see that detail, which is sort of what happens with an ARCH anyway, right?” Gard explains.

Denver was in love with the subtle complexity of it all. Yes, it sounds oxymoronic, or even paradoxical, but it’s the only way it can be described. Which in a way, represents ARCH. So when it came time to design Denver’s 1s, he knew it was probably going to be a pretty quick and easy process. As did Gard. But things changed when one of the ARCH designers was playing around with a Dazzle Camo treatment that they wanted to present to Denver for shits and gigs.

“We just tossed the idea out there like, ‘we’re going to do something that’s going to be out there, and loud.’’’ Gard says.

“And he’s like, ‘okay, fine. I probably won’t like it, but fine.’’’ “One had some really bright electric red, and one had this yellow, and then because of the whole camo conversation, one of the guys pitched Dazzle Camo and Denver just went totally the opposite direction than I predicted he would go.”

Denver remembers Gard and the designers going down the rabbit hole on camouflages, even into disruptive patterns.

“Actually, a disruptive theme is kind of cool because that bike, in my opinion, is a disruptive bike,” Denver says. “That bike should be turning motorcycle designers on their ear. They should absolutely be going, ‘what the fuck is this thing and why don’t more people make something like this that’s more close to production?’”

It’s such a specialized product and very unique to each one of its owners, it’s definitely not your average ownership experience. There’s a bond that forms between ARCH’s cofounders and customers alike.

And it’s not a temporary bond. Gard and Denver still speak frequently. Their relationship might be equivalent to high school buds, picking up where they left off because they share some cool history. “We became friends through the process and we have shared some really cool experiences together,” Gard says.

“That was always part of the hope and dream for the company, to share in these experiences with our customers. It really makes them feel like they are part of what we created.” HB ISSUE 1 / 2023 31

Kento Oketani goes crazy on a Sportster WORDS: MARK MASKER PHOTOS: TIM SUTTON

32 HOTBIKE.COM

“IT WAS HARD TO KNOW WHO WAS MORE CRAZY…ME…OR EVERYONE ELSE.”

K

ento “Fury” Oketani’s 1970 Ironhead Sportster here may be a few spikes short of starring in a Mad Max movie, but it’s only a few spikes short. It’s a blend of styles you don’t usually see mashed-up together. Part chopper, part desert sled, it’s definitely a stand-out custom bike. We were able to pin him down to talk about it, and rather than doing him the disservice of trying to describe it secondhand, we thought it was best to let him put it in his own words.

—MAX ROCKATANSKY, MAD MAX, FURY ROAD (2015)

house during Born Free and introduced me. Shortly after I ended up moving in. I have been living in Long Beach since.

HB: When you found this bike, what kind of shape was it in?

KO: I bought this 1970 XLH, a couple sportster frames, motors, and some parts in…2017? I kept the 1970 and sold the rest of the stuff. The bike actually looked like a fully assembled motorcycle, but I decided to take it all apart in my bedroom.

Hot Bike: Before we dive into the Ironhead, let’s talk about you. How did you come to live in the US?

HB: Why did you build the bike? What was the inspiration?

Kento Oketani: I go with Fury as my nickname. I don’t have a business or anything but you can find me on Instagram @fury36.

I am originally from the city called Kanazawa in Ishikawa, Japan.

I worked as a mechanical engineer for about five years before I moved here at the beginning of 2015. I went to school in La Verne, California for three months. I was going to go back home after that but it wasn’t enough for me so I transferred schools to one in Torrance.

Around Born Free 7 in 2015, my friend Yace (@hwzn.mfg.co) visited me from our hometown. He had been friends with Oliver Jones (@thecutrate) for a long time. So he took me to Oliver’s

KO: I took the inspiration from my friend Yace’s bike. His bike got me into custom motorcycles. He also led me in the right direction to build it, too. His is a 1956 Triumph. He imported it from the US to Japan back in the early 2000s. I remember when I saw the bike in person for the first time, 10-plus years ago. It was the first vintage scrambler I had ever seen, and it blew my mind. It’s really hard to explain it but the bike was a scrambler/chopper/desert sled.

So when I bought my bike and a pile of parts I thought it was a great opportunity to see if I could build a bike like that Triumph from a Harley-Davidson Sportster.

34 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 1 / 2023 35

“ IT WAS MY FIRST TIME WORKING ON AN IRONHEAD MOTOR AND EVERY SINGLE STEP WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.”

HB: What was the most challenging part of the build?

HB: What is/are the most interesting aspect(s) of the bike?

KO: I spent a lot of time looking at old pictures to see what the differences were between a Triumph and a Sportster.

Making the subframe, the oil tank, and the exhaust for the first time was exciting, but also challenging for me.

And I also didn’t want to build the exact same bike. I added digital gauging to the handlebars, futuristic looking switches, and a bigger battery for the electric start, etc.

Building the motor was one of the most challenging parts, too.

It was my first time working on an Ironhead motor and every single step was a learning experience for me. Also the motor I used is from a ’76 XLH I purchased in 2021. The 1976 was a hot rod motor. I had to be very careful fitting all the parts together when I was rebuilding it.

KO: The “mix-up of styles.” Desert sled, chopper, and performance; old and new.

HB: Now that it’s done, is there anything you’d change or do differently?

KO: All the fabrication work isn’t the best. The exhaust, the subframe, and the oil tank, I think I can make them better now.

HB: What’s next?

KO: I just bought a 1984 Harley-Davidson FXSB. HB

ISSUE 1 / 2023 37

SPEC SHEET BIKE OWNER

KENTO OKETANI, AKA FURY

SHOP NAME

@FURY36

YEAR/MAKE/MODEL

1970 H-D IRONHEAD SPORTSTER

FABRICATION

KENTO OKETANI

ASSEMBLY

KENTO OKETANI

BUILD TIME

4 YEARS

ENGINE YEAR/MANUFACTURER

1976 H-D

TYPE/SIZE

SPORTSTER/70.8 CI

BUILDER

KENTO OKETANI

CASES

H-D

HEADS

THUNDERHEADS BY ROBINSON INDUSTRIES

ROCKER BOXES

THUNDERHEADS

EFI/CARB

MIKUNI HS40

AIR CLEANER

MIKUNI VELOCITY STACK

EXHAUST

CUSTOM

SPECIAL FEATURES

S&S FLYWHEELS/VENOLIA

PISTONS/ANDREWS V-9 CAMS/ROLLER ROCKERS

TRANSMISSION YEAR/MANUFACTURER/TYPE CASE

1976 H-D

STROCIEK ENGINEERING TRAP DOOR/ANDREWS GEARS

CLUTCH

STROCIEK ENGINEERING

PRIMARY DRIVE

KARATA BELT DRIVE

FRAME YEAR/MANUFACTURER

1970 H-D

RAKE

STOCK

SUSPENSION MANUFACTURER FRONT

H-D 33.4MM FORKS, SHAVED

LENGTH

4 INCHES OVER

TRIPLE TREES

H-D

MANUFACTURER REAR

BETOR 14.5-INCH SHOCKS

WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES MANUFACTURER FRONT-TYPE

21-INCH SPOOL HUB SPOKE

WHEEL MANUFACTURER REAR

18-INCH STOCK HUB SPOKE WHEEL

FINISH-PAINT COLOR LEFTOVER PAINT THAT MY FRIEND KRIS HAD IN HIS SHOP PAINTER

MITCH FROM KELLY & SON, THE CRAZY PAINTERS

GRAPHICS

PINSTRIPED BY HOTDOG KUSTOMS

ACCESSORIES REAR FENDER

RIBBED FENDER

GAUGES GAS TANK/CAP

MOTOGADGET WASSELL STYLE TANK WITH PANGEA SPEED

FUEL FILLER

OIL TANK

KENTO OKETANI

HANDLEBARS

KENTO OKETANI

HAND CONTROLS/GRIPS

KENTO OKETANI

FOOT CONTROLS/PEGS

KENTO OKETANI

HEADLIGHT

SWAP MEET

TAILLIGHT

LUCAS STYLE

SEAT

SADDLEMEN

38 HOTBIKE.COM

OF THE

THE

Buell and Roland Sands Design’s Super Cruiser Concept WORDS: MORGAN GALES PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BUELL MOTORCYCLES

40 HOTBIKE.COM

BUELL X RSD SUPER CRUISER

E

rik Buell was not long for cruiser design. He was hired at Harley-Davidson directly from engineering school in 1979 and despite being heavily involved in both the FXR chassis design and H-D’s fabled Project Nova, would leave H-D only three years later to spend the rest of his career focusing almost entirely on V-twin racebikes and high-performance sport machines under the name Buell Motorcycles. But with Erik Buell now retired and the Buell Motorcycle name in new hands, the famed American sport manufacturer is returning to the cruiser world in a way that might just make Erik proud.

In February of 2023, Buell’s new owner, Bill Melvin, unveiled a 450-pound motorcycle concept built by Roland Sands Design, capable of delivering 175 horsepower in a cruiser stance with cruiser trim. Powered by an 1,190cc liquid-cooled V-twin, the Buell Super Cruiser sports tall risers, mid-mounted foot controls and a rounded gas tank with a centrally mounted gauge. A familiar rear fender shape and a triangle underneath the rider’s seat harken back to the iconic FXR, but with a new monoshock peaking through. It’s a balance of new-school chassis design, engine technology, and this newly revived brand paying homage to the iconic H-D model that its namesake helped create.

When Buell relaunched in 2020, the goal was to produce 10 new motorcycles by 2024. But since the announcement of the RSD-made Super Cruiser, demand for a production version has been incredible. In just 45 days since the announcement, Buell has seen nearly 2,000 deposits made by customers hoping to put a Super Cruiser in their garage. Melvin says the goal of producing

“YOU CAN RIDE IT EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVELY AND IT DOESN’T GIVE YOU ANY SKETCHY FEEDBACK, WHICH IS A NEW FEELING FOR A BIKE THAT SITS THIS WAY.” 10 new models has not changed, but for now, it’s all hands on deck to get this single model into production. But it’s a lot easier to build one concept bike than it is to manufacture this level of high-performance machine for the masses.

“When you’re riding an FXR, you’re still riding a bike that feels a bit loose,” said Roland Sands, sitting in his Long Beach office, leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk. “The Super Cruiser is rock solid. The bike doesn’t do anything strange. It’s not going to wobble on you coming off a corner. You can ride it extremely aggressively and it doesn’t give you any sketchy feedback, which is a new feeling for a bike that sits this way.”

42 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 1 / 2023 43

44 HOTBIKE.COM

OLIVER JONES The Cutrate

Let me start by saying I am currently, and have been a Buell fan for a long time. To be honest, when I had my first couple of bikes (old Yamahas) I went into a Harley dealership and was one bad credit score away from buying a Buell XB12CG. Fast forward a few years and I ended up with a XB12SS. Something about Buell spoke to me. I was getting into motorcycles and felt like an outsider. I felt like Buell was similar in that they were Harley engines but sport bikes by definition. Compared to other mainstream sport bikes of that time they were not really in the same conversation performance-wise. However, they always got a pass because in the Harley market (where they lived) they were still way above the rest in terms of performance. Now I feel like the tables have flipped. This Super Cruiser is for all intents and purposes a sport bike, in a market of mostly outdated cruiser platforms. So again, I’m attracted to it. Obviously the numbers speak for themselves.

The real question to me going forward is how close to the bike we all saw will the production model be? Clearly the concept bike was built to be just that, conceptual. Some of the parts used were even actual modified FXR parts, and I get that. That market is the focus, I just hope this all morphs into something a bit more “stand-alone” and not just a hybrid child of motorcycle cousins.

Only time will tell, but there has to be room in the cruiser market for something good other than H-D, without trying to look like H-D. Performance is the name of the game today, and I think this bike will deliver that.

ISSUE 1 / 2023 45

BUELL X RSD SUPER CRUISER But the bike that Sands rode is the bike that was built in his shop, not the production model that will eventually roll out of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Buell’s current home base). We were naturally skeptical, but Sands assured us that roughly 75-percent of the parts used on the Super Cruiser came from Buell’s existing lineup. From the fork to the swingarm, 17-inch wheels and braking system, even the buttons at the handlebars—these components from Buell’s supersport lineup mesh seamlessly with the RSD-built trellis frame. The new parts visible on the concept model, like that hand-built tubular steel frame, do still need to be made and manufacturing processes for those parts still need to be developed.

“We’re not going to rush it.” said Melvin. “We want to make sure that when it does come out that it’s right, it’s safe, it’s high-performance, and it has all the styling and coolness that everybody wants—that they saw in the concept bike.”

Experience has taught us that it’s a long road from concept motorcycle to a street legal and fully homologated bike for the masses. But Melvin assures us that his leadership team has what it takes to build the bike they need to, in the quantities that they need to. While certain adjustments will need to be made to deliver a 50-state legal motorcycle, Melvin says that there will be race-only options for the customer that wishes to take his or her Super Cruiser to the track, and deliver a machine as close to this RSD-built concept as possible.

But with so many deposits taken, and delivery dates initially set for 2025, price and availability are yet to be announced.

“When they do roll off, they’re going to roll off, you know, in the normal OEM roll out quantities,” said Melvin. “And then as we see that all of that quality is to the level that we want for all the customers, we’ll speed it up.” And for pricing? All Melvin can say for now is that “It’s gonna be in the twenties…”

What is for certain is that if Buell manages to make 2,000 2025 Super Cruisers priced in the $20,000’s, it will change the face of performance cruisers in America, which is just fine with us. HB

CHRIS STAAB FXR Division

As FXR aficionados, it is impossible to miss the heavy FXR styling queues incorporated into the soon-to-release Buell Super Cruiser. From the gas tank and dash assembly, to the triangulated frame, and even the the styling of the rear fender (however we question the overall aesthetic of that portion of the bike, as it looks like the rear fender is being held on by two toothpicks, and would like to see some changes in that regard). All in all, it appears to be the modern-day FXR that we have all been waiting for! Where the retro look stops, all of the performance upgrades take over.

From the inverted frontend, 17-inch sport bike style wheels, massive six-piston radial mount brake with a gigantic perimeter front rotor, to the 175 hp water-cooled engine and SC Project Performance exhaust, and onto the monoshock rear suspension and chain-driven maindrive, we can’t wait to see how this bike will perform.

We only hope that there is a little more to offer in the rear brake and rotor department, prior to release. In closing, we didn’t hesitate to drop $50 for a pre-order. We are looking forward to final pricing and a release date!

“WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT DOES COME OUT THAT IT’S RIGHT, IT’S SAFE, IT’S HIGH-PERFORMANCE, AND IT HAS ALL THE STYLING AND COOLNESS THAT EVERYBODY WANTS”

46 HOTBIKE.COM

PAST

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The

1970s HOW IT ALL STARTED

48 HOTBIKE.COM

T

he ’70s were a much simpler era. Humans befriended rocks (Pet Rocks that is…), sock styles were all time (anyone still sporting red, white, and blue knee-highs?), and chopper guys were starting to take an interest in performance. If you weren’t aware, Hot Bike literally spun off of Street Chopper Magazine, as a performance motorcycle enthusiast magazine that focused on all things horsepower. In fact, chopper builders were also starting to follow suit, like the eventual King Of Custom, Arlen Ness. Originally a chopper guy, Arlen would take his talented eye for style and blend in some high-output components and voila, wheelie-machine choppers were born!

ISSUE 1 / 2023 49

PAST

FROM THE ARCHIVES

50 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 1 / 2023 51

PAST FROM THE ARCHIVES

52 HOTBIKE.COM

ISSUE 1 / 2023 53

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BEEFING UP YOUR SUSPENSION TECH

WHAT SETUP IS RIGHT FOR YOU? WORDS: JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: JORDAN MASTAGNI, ÖHLINS USA

H

igh-tech suspension is all the rage these days. Riders are

says the first thing you need to ask yourself is: What is your riding

paying top dollar for remote-reservoir rear shocks or front

scenario? Are you riding solo? Are you riding solo with a ton of gear/

fork cartridge kits instead of dropping a dime on a set of

luggage? Are you more of a two-up rider? Do you and your passenger

chrome wheels. But are they taking advantage of all the tunable

travel frequently with a lot of gear? Should you be riding a bike at all

benefits of these tricked out suspension components? Or is their

or should you be visiting Dr. Now? Your suspension choices should

purchase based on current market trends? Either way, we wanted

be dictated by these criteria. And more importantly, this information

to take some time to provide a bit more of the basics on how

determines how you’ll fine-tune your new equipment. “If the rider is

suspension works, and how to fine-tune your setup based on your

300 pounds and the passenger is 100 pounds versus the rider being

riding scenario. You paid good money for that new shock or fork

200 pounds with a 150-pound passenger, that makes a difference,”

setup, you might as well take advantage of dialing it in properly!

Joey says. After that, Joey will recommend some options and which

We called up our old pal and suspension expert at Öhlins USA,

adjustments to make from there.

Joey Subrizi, for his advice. Joey is an ex-road racer that has been

The other crucial component to making suspension work best is to

working with Öhlins USA for over 13 years. He knows suspension.

set it up for your riding style. “Is it being used for more performance

And he knows how to make it work, no matter the scenario. We

type riding or more for comfort?” Joey asks. “If you’re heavy and you

asked him some questions to hopefully help you understand things

ride a majority of the time two-up and your passenger is also heavy,

a bit more clearly, and to make the overall suspension topic a little

and you ride with everything on the bike, including the kitchen sink,

less intimidating.

then I’m definitely going to recommend the hose mount reservoir

When you’re ready to take the suspension purchase plunge, Joey 56 HOTBIKE.COM

shocks (HD 044) because not only are they rebound adjustable, com-

P

pression adjustable, but they also have the most stroke available.”

key is when you sit on the bike itself, Joey recommends that the rider

Once a customer chooses something based on their scenario and

sits in one-third of the stroke. This means you have two-thirds of the

style, they’ll have a better idea what products are right for them. Once

stroke to deal with bumps, and the other one-third of the stroke to

you’ve installed everything and it’s time to go for a ride, there is one

deal with the rear end being unweighted.

crucial component that often gets overlooked when riders equip their

“Let’s say you get on the front brakes really hard and the rear end

motorcycles with new suspension products: Setting the rider’s sag.

wants to be unweighted. We want the shock not only to compress

“What is supercritical is setting the preload,” Joey says. “And the

when it hits bumps, but also to extend when it goes through a dip,”

preload is the collar above the spring, determining how much you’re

Joey says. “In turn, we’re setting it up based on the weight that’s on

preloading that spring.” Basically, how much pressure you’re applying

the motorcycle to be able to conform to whatever the road throws

on that spring to compensate for the weight that’s being put on the

at the shocks. So setting preload is super critical as well on the rear

motorcycle. When you’re setting up a motorcycle’s suspension, the

shock, especially on something with a 1:1 ratio.”

REAR SHOCK: We have a 2022 Low Rider ST and we wanted to update our suspension with some new Öhlins products. For the rear they recommended Öhlins HD 504 ($1,049) for 2020–2022 Harley-Davidson Softail Low Rider S, which features a large 46mm main piston, an internal gas reservoir within the main body of the shock, length adjustability, and a hydraulic preload adjuster.

With adjustable damping, you can change the behavior of the shock to suit your taste. This shock features a length adjuster that allows for a ride height change without compromising suspension travel. The hydraulic preload adjuster allows you to make changes without a tool to accommodate weight variations. And it does look pretty damn cool, too.

FRONT FORK: For the front fork, they suggested the Harley NIX 30 Cartridge Kit ($1,049) for 2020–2022 Harley-Davidson Softail Low Rider S (and now ST). Also known as the FKS 508, the Öhlins NIX 30 Cartridge Kit features compression damping in the left leg and rebound damping in the right leg. This allows for more precise function and stability. Adjustments are made at the top with the spring preload. Öhlins offers a service where you can send them your factory fork tubes, and they’ll install the NIX 30 Cartridge Kit for you. Because of the specialized tools you or your mechanic would need, I’d highly recommended going this route. And if your dealer is doing the swap, make sure they know what the hell they’re doing. Öhlins has an online preload adjustment calculator for bagger models, which factors in rider weight, passenger weight, cargo weight and then calculates how to fine-tune your preload. This is only for certain bagger models at the moment, but Öhlins is working on adding other Harley models soon.

Our riding scenario is essentially solo (180 pounds including full-face helmet, leather jacket, riding boots, gloves, and full of piss and vinegar) with about 10 pounds in the bags.

ISSUE 1 / 2023 57

TECH BEEFING UP YOUR SUSPENSION SETTING SAG Since Öhlins doesn’t have an online calculator set up for Softail models yet, we went with the more traditional approach for setting the sag on our 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST. I grabbed my 10-year-old-son Brody to help me with the measuring. He’s handy to have around!

1.

With the bike on a scissor lift to unload the rear shock, Brody measured the distance between the bottom of the rear axle and the bottom of the rear fender (12-½ inches).

2.

We recorded this as our “unloaded” distance.

3.

Then I sat on the motorcycle in my normal riding position with all of my gear on while Brody measured the distance between the bottom of the axle and the bottom of the rear fender (now 11-½ inches).

4.

We recorded this as our “loaded” distance.

5.

Then we subtracted the loaded distance from the unloaded distance to get the amount of suspension travel used by my scenario: solo with riding gear and minimal shit in the bags. We ended up with exactly a 1-inch difference from unloaded to loaded, which is where Joey said we should be. Anything more than an inch, we’d remove preload. Anything less than an inch, we’d add preload.

6.

Adjust the preload on the rear shock to achieve the desired sag percentage. Our preload adjuster is a remote knob that we mounted on the right side cover.

7.

Our preload was just right, but if you needed to, you’d turn the preload adjuster clockwise to increase preload and reduce sag, or counterclockwise to decrease preload and increase sag.

8.

Repeat the measurement process and adjust the preload as necessary until the desired sag percent age is achieved.

It’s important to note that the front fork sag should also be set to match the rear sag. This can be done by adjusting the preload on the front fork springs in a similar manner.

Once the sag is set, the rebound and compression damping settings can be adjusted to fine-tune the suspension for the rider’s weight and riding style. It’s recommended to consult the owner’s manual or a qualified technician for specific instructions on adjusting the damping settings.

58 HOTBIKE.COM

The amount of compression that occurs on the suspension system when the rider is sitting on the motorcycle. Proper sag is essential for good handling and control of the motorcycle. Too little sag can cause the motorcycle to feel harsh and uncomfortable, while too much sag can make the motorcycle feel unstable and difficult to control.

Suspension preload is the term used to describe the amount of tension or load placed on the suspension system of a motorcycle when it is at rest, without any rider or cargo on it. In other words, it’s the force that is required to compress the suspension from its fully extended position.

Preload is typically adjusted by changing the length of the spring in the suspension setup. By increasing or decreasing the length of the spring, the amount of tension on the spring can be adjusted, which in turn affects the sag of the motorcycle.

To adjust the preload on a motorcycle’s suspension, the spring is compressed or extended using a preload adjustment tool. This adjuster is typically located on the top of the fork or on the shock absorber. In this case on our 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST, our preload adjuster is a remote dial that increases and decreases spring preload via a hydraulic knob. By turning the adjuster, the length of the spring can be increased or decreased, which changes the preload.

It’s important to note that preload should be adjusted according to the rider’s weight, riding style, and the intended use of the motorcycle. A qualified technician or the owner’s manual should be consulted for specific instructions on adjusting the preload for a particular motorcycle.

Compression damping is a suspension tuning term that refers to the resistance a shock absorber provides when the suspension compresses due to an impact or load. Compression damping helps to control the rate at which the suspension compresses, and it is adjusted to match the rider’s weight, riding style, and the road or terrain conditions.

When a motorcycle hits a bump or pothole, the suspension compresses to absorb the impact. Without compression damping, the suspension could compress too quickly and cause the rider to lose control or bottom out. Compression damping helps to slow down the compression rate, which allows the suspension to absorb the impact in a more controlled manner.

Compression damping is adjusted using a damping adjuster located on the shock absorber or fork. Turning the damping adjuster clockwise increases the compression damping and slows down the compression rate, while turning it counterclockwise reduces the compression damping and allows the suspension to compress more quickly.

Proper compression damping is essential for a comfortable and safe ride on a motorcycle. If the compression damping is too soft, the suspension will bottom out easily, causing the rider to lose control. If the compression damping is too stiff, the suspension will not absorb bumps and impacts effectively, leading to a harsh and uncomfortable ride. Please consult the owner’s manual or a qualified suspension technician for specific instructions on adjusting compression damping for your particular motorcycle.

Rebound damping is a suspension tuning term that refers to the resistance a shock absorber provides when the suspension extends after being compressed due to an impact or load. Rebound damping helps to control the rate at which the suspension extends, and it is adjusted to match the rider’s weight, riding style, and the road or terrain conditions.

When a motorcycle hits a bump or pothole, the suspension compresses to absorb the impact. Once the compression phase is complete, the suspension extends back to its original position. Without rebound damping, the suspension could extend too quickly and cause the rider to lose control or experience instability.

Rebound damping helps to slow down the rebound rate, which allows the suspension to extend in a more controlled manner. Proper rebound damping helps to keep the tire in contact with the road or terrain, improves handling and stability, and reduces rider fatigue.

Rebound damping is adjusted using a damping adjuster located on the shock absorber or fork. Turning the damping adjuster clockwise increases the rebound damping and slows down the rebound rate, while turning it counterclockwise reduces the rebound damping and allows the suspension to extend more quickly.

Proper rebound damping is essential for a comfortable and safe ride on a motorcycle. If the rebound damping is too soft, the suspension will extend too quickly and cause the rider to lose control or experience instability. If the rebound damping is too stiff, the suspension will not extend effectively, leading to a harsh and uncomfortable ride. It’s recommended to consult the owner’s manual or a qualified technician for specific instructions on adjusting rebound damping for a particular motorcycle.

AFTER TALKING WITH JOEY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH ÖHLINS, HE HIPPED US TO SOME COOL COMPANY FUN FACTS: 1.

ÖHLINS SUPPLIES SUSPENSION COMPONENTS TO 98% OF THE RACE TEAMS FOR MOTOGP.

2. IN FORMULA 1 RACING, SCUDERIA FERRARI USES ÖHLINS PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVELY IN ITS RACE CARS. 3. HERE IN THE USA, EVERY SINGLE RACE CAR RUNNING IN NASCAR RIGHT NOW IS EQUIPPED WITH ÖHLINS SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. ISSUE 1 / 2023 59

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592 RACE SERIES

CAMCHE KIT

- 27% more pressure and scavenge gear volume - 42% more scavenge volume - 68% more oil volume to the crankshaft & rod bearing - 15-25 degree cooler engine temperatures - 15-30 degree cooler oil temperatures - 10-30 more PSI of oil pressure FEULING #7264 // DRAG #0925-1268

DIRIBUTED BY:

TECH

BUILDING A BETTER

MILWAUKEE-EIGHT PART 1

TAPPING THE 114’S HIDDEN POTENTIAL WORDS AND PHOTOS: ROB FORTIER

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The factory throttle body and plastic intake manifold had to go. We opted for a billet aluminun HPI 62mm thottle body and intake instead.

ABOVE: The factory camplate would be replaced by a new blue billet aluminum S&S camplate and S&S oil pump. BELOW: Danny made quick

work of removing the factory unit to make way for the new components.

k, I’ve been a self-admitted Evo guy for as long as I can recall…not so much because I love them, so to speak, but because I’ve come to understand and tolerate them. But after 20-plus years of tolerating, I finally decided to bite the bullet and join the M8 Softail crowd, as begrudging as that was at first.

When the first Low Rider S was released a few years back, I had the “pleasure” of riding an off-the-floor model…and I’ll admit, I was beyond impressed. But because I wasn’t ready to make the jump at that time, I put that experience in the back of my mind. Fast-forward to this past summer, and not only did the opportunity to purchase a previously owned S-model arise, but one with a load of upgrades—for a killer price. I quickly put my beloved FXR on the market (I know…I know) and snatched the bike up. At first, I was just as impressed as I was after my first test ride, but it didn’t take long for me to discover some of the 114’s subtle shortcomings.

First and foremost was the lack of a decent rear brake, but after a phone call with my good friend Chris Staab from FXR Division, that issue was pretty much rectified with their adjustable linkage. And during our phone call, Chris asked me what I thought about the performance of the bike, and I quickly told him I felt there was some untapped potential in the M8.

Unbeknownst to me, he was just preparing me for what I was about to have done that, ultimately, would wake the bike up… and then some. Chris told me, “Hop on that thing, ride your ass out to Arizona, and we’ll get you taken care of!”

Together with Danny Wilson, Leading Edge V-Twin (which, along with Justin Coleman, Torch Industries, comprises Collective Phoenix), FXR Division has developed what I’d consider the entry-level solution to the M8’s subtle performance shortcomings. It’s a package deal that included a Fuel Moto stainless 2-into-1 pipe with a custom-ground Wood Performance .480-lift cam, S&S cam chest upgrade with adjustable lifters, HPI billet aluminum intake manifold (to replace the stock plastic one, which was leaking) and 62mm throttle body (up from the factory 55mm Mikuni), and a custom tune by the Motor Witch himself, Danny Wilson.

“The Woods 777XE cam is a great bolt in cam.” Danny claims.

“It has a broad powerband that provides linear power delivery and substantial gains even with a stock top end. When used in conjunction with high-flow heads and more displacement and compression it will produce even more power.”

So, one cold-ass January morning, I hopped on my Softail and made the four-hour ride out to Phoenix from SoCal (it normally takes around five, but I find a nice harmonic balance with the M8 right around 100mph, so…). Upon arriving that afternoon, Chris and I went over the whole package that Danny would be installing the following morning. Knowing how long it takes me to do an oil change, I assumed it would be a two-day job (I’d planned on being in Phoenix Wednesday–Sunday anyway).

I went about some business the following morning (Thursday), and just after lunch, Chris texted me a pic of my bike on the lift with the new pipe and HPI air intake on, with the simple caption: “Done. 127 hp.” Not only had Danny installed the pipe and new fuel system but finished the entire cam swap and dyno-tuned the bike…she was ready to go. But I wasn’t!

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TECH

BUILDING A BETTER MILWAUKEE-EIGHT: PART 1

1

2

3

4

5

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THE HOT BIKE MILWAUKEE-EIGHT 114: PART 1 ■ Max power = 127.63 hp at 6,110 rpm

■ Max torque = 119.27 pound-feet at 3.640 rpm

140 120

Power (hp)

Torque (pound-feet)

100 80 60 40 20 0 2

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

Engine rpm (rpm x 1,000)

THE 114 “WAKE-UP” RECIPE: 1. S&S Billet Aluminum Oil Pump 2. S&S Billet Aluminum Camplate 3. S&S Precision Tappets/Tappet Cuffs 4. Fuel Moto/Wood Performance WM8 777XE Camshaft (.480 lift) 5. HPI 62mm Throttle Body, Billet Intake Manifold, V2 Air Cleaner 6. Fuel Moto Contender 2-Into-1 Stainless Exhaust 7. Power Vision Tuner (Custom-Tuned

by Danny “Motorwitch” Wilson)

After Danny spent some time on the dyno with the “Wake Up” recipe installed, he was able to pull 127hp at 6,700 rpm and 120 lb-ft of torque at about 3,600 rpm from the updated Low Rider S... all in a few hours time!

I spent the next couple of days blasting around Phoenix with Chris and Justin (FXR Division/Torch Industries)…and despite AZ not having the same lane-splitting luxuries CA does, I quickly came to fully appreciate what that M8 now had to offer! But, it wasn’t until my ride home Sunday that I fully appreciated what it was capable of, without a single hiccup the entire 300-plus miles home (it ran so much better than before, with such a noticeable increase in power). Chris and Danny wouldn’t let me leave without “tempting” with their next level package: the Leading Edge 129ci top-end kit! So, the next time you hear from me, it’ll most likely be from Collective Phoenix once again! For now, I’m more than stoked with the 127 hp/120 lb-ft…a substantial increase from the stock 114ci numbers.

I’m told that the new “wake-up” recipe comes alive even more with Danny’s recommended clutch setup. I’m itching to try it out, so the next time I head to Phoenix, I think I’ll be opening up the M8’s primary too. Stay tuned! HB ISSUE 1 / 2023 65

DANGE 66 HOTBIKE.COM

EROUS THE PASSIONS OF FERNANDEZ & WEST WORDS: PETER JONES PHOTOS: TIM SUTTON, ALEX CHAPMAN, BRIAN J. NELSON

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his just isn’t right. Since when were women allowed to compete heads up against men as pro motorcycle road racers? And what’s up with a married couple racing against each other? And, for sure, baggers weren’t created to be race bikes. All of this is just wrong, I tell you. Also, people wonder, what’s in those racing bagger’s bags anyway?

Those bikes are silly fast.

That is the type of doubting confusion that married couple Patricia Fernandez-West, and Cory West hear far too often. As far as they’re concerned, they’re just living life. Fully. To the max. As fast as possible. Both race in two Pro Racing classes: MotoAmerica’s Mission King of the Baggers and Mission Foods Super Hooligan. This year they race Harley-Davidsons and in keeping it in the family, they both ride for Team Saddlemen.

When Patricia and Cory are not racing, they relax by riding motorcycles on the street, off-road, and leading adventure tours for Froggy’s Moto Tours through the picturesque and fun-to-ride Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas. Cory created Froggy’s in 2016 and he also takes time off from his ambitious schedule to instruct riders at Colin Edwards Texas Tornado Boot Camp.

Patricia and Cory met at the racetrack. They aren’t just fast, 68 HOTBIKE.COM

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“I KNOW AS A RACER HE RESPECTS IT. BUT AS A HUSBAND, HE HATES ME DOING THOSE RACES ON ROADS BECAUSE IT IS SO DANGEROUS. though, they’re also a very cute couple. Cory is the faster of the two, being a Pro Race champion contender many times in many classes, but don’t believe for a second that there aren’t a bunch of guys finishing well behind Patricia. Outside of the MotoAmerica program she’s also won races, capping that off with a championship in the Bagger Racing League.

Patricia is a racer through and through. She told us, “When I first started racing, I wanted to be a real racer. I was fortunate and hooked up with Jason Pridmore early in my career. Everyone at the time asked me if I was there to race motorcycles or there to chase boys? I didn’t care about boys, I cared about motorcycles, and being competitive.

“We’re both very competitive and there are only two times when Cory didn’t have a mechanical or crash when I beat him— and I do keep track of these things—one time he was joking saying he’d give me the turn, so I cussed him out. I told him, don’t you ever treat me differently than you would a man in front of you. If you’re going to stuff me, you stuff me. I don’t want you to take it easy on me. That’s not the type of girl I am.”

While Cory came from a racing family, Patricia came from a family that told her she could get a motorcycle only after she moved out of the house. So, she did, taking out a loan when she went to college to buy a Suzuki GS550F with a banana seat.

“I thought I was Steve McQueen. I remember taking it up to my parent’s house and my father said that was the only time I had ever disappointed him in my life because when I rode up, I wasn’t on a Harley.”

Patricia found her way to the racetrack when friends started doing track days. She looked up what that was and decided it was for her. So, she saved money, eBayed a suit, boots, and helmet. Her first track day was—as she’ll never forget—April 10, 2010 at the Summit Point Shenandoah track. “From the first moment I did it, I was addicted. It was just an amazing sensation to go fast, or what I thought was fast in the beginner group.”

Cory grew up around motorcycles and is a fourth-generation motorcyclist. His great uncle Leroy Winters is in the AMA Hall of Fame for being a pioneer in the off-road lightweight two-stroke era. His father, Denton West, raced in the Battle of the Twins and in AMA Superbikes back in the days of handlebars and number plates, racing a Kawasaki KZ1000 in the early 1980s.

Cory started riding when he was four-years-old, but it wasn’t until his early teens that he took racing seriously. “When I was 13, I started riding again and started racing when I was 14. I got my pro card when I was 16 and have been racing ever since.”

Cory has been competing in Pro Road Racing for over 15 years, finishing second in the Daytona 200 in 2011, taking the checkered flag .029 seconds behind the race winner.

On top of the risk of racing mentioned so far, these two take risks that even normal road racers are unwilling to take. Cory 70 HOTBIKE.COM

has raced up Pikes Peak, while Patricia has raced at the Ulster Grand Prix six times, and Northwest 200, both run in Northern Ireland on public roads that feature bumps, jumps, curbs, trees, stone walls, and… But, as Patricia points out, it doesn’t have any bottomless cliffs because Pikes Peak has hogged all of those.

Cory competed in the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in 2019, finishing tenth overall, fifth in class on an electric bike, earning the production electric bike lap record. For those who don’t know, Pikes Peak is a hill-climb time trial with one person attacking the mountain at a time. “So, I’m not battling bar to bar with somebody trying to overtake people up the mountain. I’m there by myself, just me and the mountain and my motorcycle.”

Cory shared that before his run, he went up the mountain about five times in his head. After doing that a couple times he put a stopwatch to it and went through all 156 corners in his head then hit stop. So, he was thinking he’d have a pretty good time in his actual run.

“Any kind of racing like that comes down to how much preparation you put into it. You must do your homework. It’s the only way you’re going to feel comfortable about the situation you put yourself in. At Pikes Peak you never get to link the whole mountain as one until it’s time to race. You practice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, have Saturday off, and then Sunday is the race. Sunday morning you don’t even get a warm up, it’s just, ‘Hey, it’s your turn’, and it’s for all the marbles. It was fun. I would totally do it again.”

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Getting the new Harley-

Davidson Pan Americas ready for qualifying at Daytona Speedway. Teammates Patricia Fernandez-West and Frankie Garcia planning their attack. Cory West providing feedback to Darkhorse Crankworks/Hoban Bros’ Owner, John Dahmer. Patricia taking a quick lap around Daytona International Speedway aboard the all-new Pan America for the first time.

Patricia has been competing overseas in road races since 2014, racing in the Ulster Grand Prix six times, the Race of Legends twice, and the Northwest 200 twice. She earned the title of World’s Fastest Female Road Racer when she set the female lap record in the Ulster Grand Prix, which is said to be the fastest of all road races. “I’ve tried some really amazing things over there and it’s terrifying and amazing. I’m grateful for my accomplishments. It’s just a totally different kind of crazy.”

Pikes Peak and the Ulster Grand Prix are not like closedcourse road racing because the risks are far greater. Asked about their shared ultra-high-risk racing experiences, Patricia said, “This is an argument between us that will never end. There will be no winner.

“Cory still doesn’t accept that I do it. I understand that. It’s a complicated situation. I was a racer before he met me, I was racing before we started dating, and I think he respects that. This is what I want to do. I know as a racer he respects it. But as a husband, he hates me doing those races on roads because it is so dangerous. He’d like me to stay home and be safer, but he’s respectful of me and my decisions. He understands.”

Then there’s the flip side of how Patricia feels when Cory takes great risks. “To be fair, I understand too. When Cory raced

Pikes Peak I went as his racer girlfriend to support him. It was terrifying because when I’m a racer I’m in control. But to let your loved one go and not see them for hours until they come back after…forever, it’s tough. It’s not like when you’re on a circuit. On a circuit you have segments and lap times, and you see them and they’re never more than two miles away. Roads are a totally different story and with the weather and everything that can happen. So, when I went to Pikes Peak I freaked out.

“We have respect for each other, so we don’t say anything negative or freak out until it’s all done. We don’t want to mess up each other’s mindset. But when it was all done I explained to him how scared I was and he said, ‘That’s how I feel when you race overseas.’ It was enlightening. But at the same time, I have so much love and passion for it, I can’t give it up. I feel like that would make me sad.”

About Patricia doing the road races overseas, Cory told us, “It’s a stressful deal. It’s usually a stressful couple of weeks while she’s gone. It’s crazy. I tell her, the speeds are not nearly as fast at Pikes Peak. What’s better, hitting a telephone pole with hay bales in front of it while going 190 mph, or falling off a cliff at 60 mph? I mean, pick your poison. I only hit a top speed of 124 mph at Pikes Peak.”

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And Patricia responds, “But you fall off the side of a cliff if something happens. To be fair, we’ve had this argument. Pikes Peak is set up for cars, not motorcycles. So, there would be more safety measures if it were a motorcycle event. At the Ulster GP and the Northwest 200, yes, the top speeds are significantly higher. But they are motorcycle-only events. All the safety is set up for motorcycles. So, I feel like…we argue…this is one thing we always argue about.”

What we have here is a conflict of passions. It’s a magnificent conflict to suffer.

Not only are the closed courses Patricia and Cory race at in the MotoAmerica series safer than street races, at those circuits they’ve solved their stress issues about each other being a racer by being in the same races with each other. When racing, there is no time to think or worry about anything else in the world, which is a significant attraction of racing for every racer. Nothing else exists when racing, outside of where you are headed with the motorcycle and trying to pass that annoying rider in front of you. It’s a nearly egoless activity. These two hadn’t planned this, but they heartily embrace it.

Even so, last year at the Laguna Seca round Cory fell and Patricia came by afterwards seeing his bike lying off track. She had to turn to try to see if he was up, even though she was racing.

After she saw he was up she says she thought, “Sweet, I earned one more spot. We do love each other, we do truly support each other. We’ve been able to share one podium together the time I got first and he got second, but he was still very proud of me.

“It would be way more stressful if we were in separate races.

If I was in a different class and Cory raced before or after me, I’d want to check on his races. So, it would be like double duty. I’d not just be a racer, I’d also be a wife. We have a very heavy relationship, so we do check on each other, before and after. We get dressed at the same time; we talk to each other, what are your thoughts, just have fun, we kind of go through just being a racer and a partner at the same time. Yes, it makes it easier to race in the same races.”

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Cory agrees about how well it works when they’re both on the track because they can’t think about each other. But still, if there’s a red flag his first instinct is wondering where Patricia is.

“Last year she had a big get off in qualifying at Road Atlanta. I see the red flag and as I’m going into turn one, I scan the track all the way around, wondering where’s Patricia? Looking down at the last corner and I see she has crashed. God it is so tough.

But racing in separate classes would just be twice as much stress.”

For full disclosure, Patricia was in a relationship with racer Dane Westby prior to Cory. Westby was killed in a street bike accident, no fault of his own, causing Patricia to lose her partner and Cory to lose a good friend. So, they are not blind to the real risks of what they do.

Patricia admits she was struggling with a lot of emotional issues after Westby passed away. She shared that Cory was patient and understanding and never pushed her. “It was a process for both of us, both being in the paddock, and it was crazy. Some people were really happy and some said some negative things that were extremely hurtful. It was a really hard process. Even when we did really start dating there were a lot of obstacles we had to overcome to be together. Today I couldn’t imagine anything better happening for me. There are so many benefits to being a racer and understanding another racer. I believe the support system we have for each other is why we’ve been successful together.

“Another benefit of me being here racing with Cory is to make sure no other women are trying to talk to my husband.”

Patricia has convinced Cory to do the Northwest 200 this year.

She has, as she put it, brought him to the dark side. Cory will be doing the race in the twins class, learning the track before deciding if he wants the risk of higher speeds. Stay tuned.

As you might have guessed from reading this tale, Patricia describes herself as hot headed, strong willed, a talker, and a potty mouth. “If I’m going to do something I’m going to do it. A lot of men can’t handle that, Cory is calm, cool, patient and kind.

He calms me down and knows when to tell me to put my crazy away, or when to unleash my crazy. He’s a balance to my personality. Some days he gets sick of me, but every other day he loves me. He’s the Yin to my Yang, he’s the chips to my salsa.”

You can follow the adventures of these two on Instagram @lady_racer926, @corywest13, @froggy_moto. For a fun touring adventure check out froggymoto.com. The MotoAmerica calendar, results, and such can be found at motoamerica.com. HB

BAGGERS RULE Patricia Fernandez-West, and Cory West race in the MotoAmerica series for Team Saddlemen, which is supported directly by Harley-Davidson. In the Mission King of the Baggers class Patricia and Cory race 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited motorcycles powered by Screamin’ Eagle TwinCooled 131ci Milwaukee-Eight powertrains. In the Mission Foods Super Hooligan class they race stripped-down and highly modified Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250s. Their bikes in both classes feature Saddlemen’s latest carbon fiber race bodywork.

Patricia and Cory are joined by two other notable racers at Team Saddlemen, Frankie Garcia (#14) and Jake Lewis (#85). To have four top competitors as part of Team Saddlemen for the 2023 King of the Baggers season definitely ups the odds of podium spots for Harley-Davidsons overall.

Saddlemen’s sponsors include Harley-Davidson, Screamin’ Eagle, Mission Foods (That’s who makes the chips and salsa Patricia mentions.), Darkhorse Motor Company, Suicide Machine Company, Motul, NAMZ Custom Cycle Products, and 4SR. Hoban Brothers Racing facilitates the team’s racing effort at the racetrack.

The Mission King of the Baggers class limits motorcycles to those man-

ufactured by Harley-Davidson and Indian. The baggers are highly modified road-racing machines with improved ground clearance, race suspensions, aggressive ergonomics, and numerous engine mods resulting in crazy performance. There is a minimum weight limit of 620 pounds, and the motorcycles must maintain touring fairings and bags, but they can be made of carbon fiber and other exotic materials.

The Mission Foods Super Hooligan races are only featured at four rounds—Daytona International Speedway, Ridge Motorsports Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Circuit of The Americas. The class is open to as many brands as possible and features air-cooled, water-cooled, and electric motorcycles, making it an entertaining mishmash of mayhem.

Racing can be watched live for a fee on the MotoAmerica Live+ app, but being there in person is best. When you stop by to see Patricia and Cory be forewarned that they are a show within the MotoAmerica show, having a huge following that includes the highly respected Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA) among many more fans. Arrive early at the autograph sessions.

ISSUE 1 / 2023 73

CHECKING IN WITH

Older, Wiser… Woker?

WORDS: CHIP KASTELNIK, JORDAN MASTAGNI PHOTOS: MIKEY VAN, ALEX CHAPMAN, AND JORDAN MASTAGNI

f you’ve been following anything performance related in the custom Harley scene for the past decade or so, then you’ve definitely heard of San Diego Customs. In fact, they’re kind of responsible for the overall FXR and Dyna craze that took the world by storm. Buying up old FXRs and turning them into street-eating rippers with fuel-injected Twin Cams, and all the top-shelf suspension and braking components was definitely not a thing that was happening around the world. But it definitely was a thing happening at San Diego Customs pre-FXR craze.

We’ve had a long relationship with the crew at San Diego Customs and wanted to stop by to catch up with co-owners, Chip Kastelnik and Mikey Van, since it had been quite a few years since we’d seen what they’ve been up to. Let’s just say quite a lot has changed while quite a bit remains the same.

the same shit I do everyday. Fighting the powers that be, trying to maintain the goal of getting into the future.

Hot Bike: Heya Chip, it’s been a while…what you been up to, old pal?

CK: It seems the industry has taken on a new identity. In this era of inclusion and wokeness, in which the idea of actually doing your own thing and being original has been replaced with doing

Chip Kastelnik: Hey guys! Long time for sure. I’ve just been doing

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HB: Are you excited that Hot Bike is back? Why? CK: Super stoked, glad to be a part of the new team. It’s refreshing to see the resurgence of print. It’s always nice to look at something other than a phone. Hot Bike has been a staple of the motorcycle industry for over 50 years, and its history holds the truths as to how the industry got to where it is today, and who got us all here.

HB: In the past four years since we last featured one of your bikes, what’s changed in the industry since then?

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CHECKING IN WITH SAN DIEGO CUSTOMS

“OUR CUSTOMERS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY THINK THEY WANT UNTIL WE GET GOING AND COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS THAT HAVE YET TO BE COPIED BY OTHERS. BEING ORIGINAL IS ORIGINAL.” near nothing, making nothing, and having no originality. Coupled by the acceptance of stealing other people’s ideas and intellectual property for monetary gain, it really puts a new light on the V-twin side of the motorcycle industry. New companies that are made up of people who see this industry as a quick way to get cash and an identity through social media while offering half-ass, copied parts that are made in China, or sourced thru Alibaba. It’s really bizarre to watch and moderately funny at times, but overall very annoying.

I mean c’mon…axle caps and captive washers are now a required performance component? Next it will be bedazzled leather vests and Oakley blades required for all racers and wheelie bros. What happened to less is always more? Most of these new companies don’t even understand the back end of how to do actual business or this industry, let alone have product liability insurance or any sort of business model other than how they can get a part on an influencer’s bike for a pic of a wheelie for social media. They all seem like goofballs that won’t last when the trends change.

are really looking forward to the launch. We got arrested during the pandemic due to the shitty neighborhood we work in and the antics that occur in it. That was a fun day. I’m not sure if you ever had to deal with a SWAT team raid but it’s not like TV. Shit gets out of control quickly. We got flooded recently, yet somehow we manage to keep on keeping on, doing what we do. We moved into the CNC world as part of our plan to become a vertically integrated company. Having the ability to take an idea and turn it into a concept, then a prototype, and finally a finished part, all in-house, is a huge step for us as it’s really hard being a smaller company and relying on other people to get things done. If you want it done right, do it yourself.

HB: What is SDC focusing on at the moment? Parts? Bikes? Parts and bikes? All of the above and then some?

CK: We are consistently trying to step up everything we do to push the limits and advance into the future. Our customers really know what they think they want until we get going and come up with new ideas that have yet to be copied by others. Being original is original.

CK: We have been busy since our last interaction, knocking out high output bikes, developing and releasing new parts and accessories, hooked up with Saddlemen and did a seat collaboration that far exceeded our projections and took on a life of its own. We look forward to our next release with them. We still are a part of the Born-Free Show which is going great and is now in its 14th year. Each year it grows and our performance area gets larger, and is filled with some of the best bikes on earth. We have been working with Harley-Davidson for the past few years doing custom bikes for the show and for their anniversary activations.

That has been a wild ride as we all know how we love to deal with corporate bullshit. In 2023, we will be launching a new collaboration with Kraus Moto. We have a great product line set up and

HB: The bikes in these pages are all rad representations of what you guys have done since we went away. What are you guys cooking up in the future? Similar styling? Anything totally different than what we might expect from SDC?

HB: You and Mikey have always had a really cool relationship with your audience. How do you keep guys stoked on what you’re doing?

CK: Dogs. We love our dogs. Everywhere we go, we like to hang out with dogs. Mike and I have very similar outlooks on a lot of things which makes our friendship and work relationship pretty fucking solid. We both enjoy motorcycles, we both can’t stand what the world is becoming, we both love the manufacturing process and nuances surrounding it. Most of the time we aren’t ISSUE 1 / 2023 79

CHECKING IN WITH SAN DIEGO CUSTOMS stoked on this industry as it’s sometimes, fake as fuck. It’s the times when we get stuff accomplished that hasn’t been done yet that revitalizes the desire to continue doing what we do. We are super grateful for all the support we get from people who like what we do, run our parts or just enjoy our day-to-day antics.

Not many motorcycle shops have to deal with what we do on the daily, so each day is a new beginning or a possible end, and we appreciate all the support.

present point of the V-twin motorcycle matrix, we are in a weird wormhole of those who do and those who do not. There are a lot of fakes and culture vultures doing battle against a handful of original, trustworthy companies who helped shape the current state of the motorcycle industry. It will be interesting to see what the future holds on the battlefield of bike life.

HB: Chip, one of the things we love most about you is your brutal honesty. What are your thoughts on how the industry has changed from where it was to where it is now?

CK: Well, they are stupid. Ego driven, want to be internet celebrities that can’t seem to grasp that in our world, there is a huge difference between being influential and being an influencer.

Unfortunately, this is a glitch in the matrix that came into being with the super lazy Gen Z and their Millennial counterpart crew, with their horrible work ethics, silly pronouns, woke ways, vocoded mumble rap music, goofy political views, and ludicrous social ideologies. These people will be the reason gas powered things go away, and the dumbing down of society is being accepted.

CK: The motorcycle industry was, is, and always will be going through different phases and trends and changes like the seasons. What is cool and required today to be up to whatever standard has been imaginarily set, may not be so cool in a day, week, or year by the current standard at that time. At the

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HB: What’s your take on social media “influencers”?

CHECKING IN WITH SAN DIEGO CUSTOMS

“LIVE FAST, DIE LAST. STAY ARMED. BE HAPPY. NOTHING REALLY MATTERS IN THE END.” HB: You’re seeing more and more options out there with events and now magazines that are starting to come back. Are you excited to see things shift away from just social media?

CK: I think the power of social media has yet to be defined. It’s still in its formative years and look how it’s going. It’s already part of politics, and there are rules in place to make sure your content is what they want you to see. Having a print resource is a great option due to the fact that outside forces can’t influence what gets printed as they can with social media platforms.

They are all full of shit and have a plan. That plan is not our plan. Social media is a great tool if used properly, but as we all know it is being abused and contorted to fit the new world agenda. Go woke, go broke, that seems to be the newly accepted business model these days.

HB: Got anything else you’d like to add?

CK: Thanks for allowing us to be a part of the new Hot Bike era, we are super stoked! Buy American. Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. Live fast, die last.

Stay armed. Be happy. Nothing really matters in the end. Check out sandiegocustoms.com for all your custom parts needs. And FTW. HB

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Ravi Savage Since 2006

www.biltwellinc.com @biltwell

HOT BIKE MAR 2023 RAVI.indd 2-3

3/1/23 11:31 AM

TECH T PS

FROM THE

PROS: WITH DANNY WILSON

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DIY MILWAUKEEEIGHT FIRSTSERVICE TIPS WORDS: DANNY WILSON PHOTOS: BRIAN HEIDEN EDITOR’S NOTE: For 25 years, Danny Wilson has been a master-certified Harley-Davidson technician, five of which he spent training overseas technicians how to be better technicians. Danny is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to Harley-Davidson functionality and has some great tips when servicing your motorcycle yourself, or at the very least, how to ensure the work your local dealer performed is up to snuff.

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elcome back to the first print issue of Hot Bike magazine. To celebrate that historic occasion, our first tech article is going to walk you through how to perform the first service on your Harley-Davidson big twin—more importantly, your Milwaukee-Eight Harley. Or M8 to most of you.

Before we get into the details of what to do, let’s talk about the importance of making sure the scheduled maintenance is performed on time and correctly. Oftentimes people will go to their local dealership or reputable shop and are shocked at the pricing.

Then that shock is usually followed up with, “why is an oil change so expensive?” Here’s the thing, when done correctly it’s not just an oil and filter change.

The engineers that designed and tested your bike found that after countless hours and multiple miles of testing the points at which things needed to be changed out and checked. If all you do is change your oil and filter your engine might do just fine, but that leaves your transmission, primary, forks, and hydraulic fluids at risk, which could lead to the worst case scenario: a hard part failure. Not to mention things coming loose and shit falling off your motorcycle…Well, there’s always that too.

The first scheduled maintenance interval for your Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight is recommended at 1,000 miles. After that, the services pick up at 5,000, 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 (I think you get the idea). Some services are more involved than others, and not all three drivetrain fluids are changed at every service.

On my personal motorcycles, I change all three fluids every 5,000 miles. I also recommend this to my customers that come in to have me or anyone at my shop perform the work. From a mechanical standpoint, the primary fluid is lubricating the primary chain, the compensator assembly, and the clutch. It is an oil bath, so it does not circulate. The clutch is a series of friction and steel plates stacked in a specific order. As the clutch deteriorates from normal use, that friction material winds up in the primary fluid. It is essentially an abrasive that accelerates wear on the metal parts in the primary. You get a similar situation in the transmission too. The Harley-Davidson 6-speed transmission is a constant mesh gear stack, consisting of a main shaft and a counter shaft with all of the gears. These shafts are supported on either end with bearings. As the metal gears cycle at high-speeds on each other there is always an aspect of wear involved. This constant friction also creates heat. Heat and friction break down any lubricant over time. Just like the primary fluid, the transmission is an oil bath so it is not circulating or filtered in any way. Worn out transmission fluid with debris in it will accelerate the

Touring primary oil drain plug.

Touring transmission oil drain plug.

Motul USA’s Twin line with Esters was formulated specifically for V-twins. The Synthetic 20W–50 Engine Oil, Synthetic Primary Chaincase Oil, and Synthetic 75W–90 Gear Oil are a great choice for the Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight.

Touring engine oil drain plug.

Softail primary oil drain plug.

Softail engine oil drain plug.

Softail transmission oil drain plug.

wear on all the gears and bearings. In layman’s terms, if you change all three of your powertrain fluids every 5,000 miles you don’t have to keep track of what you did or did not change last time you worked on the bike. And obviously it will extend the life of your motorcycle.

As with most things everyone has an opinion on what fluid is good and what fluid is junk. That isn’t the point of this article. You need to run a quality engine oil with the proper viscosity, as well as a quality gear oil for the transmission. Primary fluid is specific due to the fact that it is lubricating the clutch pack so make sure it is actually primary fluid, not gear or engine oil. The only other consideration on the primary fluid is if you have an aftermarket clutch, certain manufacturers call for the use of automotive style ATF. If you have an aftermarket clutch check to see what they call for on the fluid.

So let’s get into the service itself. The factory maintenance plan is available online, and is also in every printed service manual if you have one for your model. So we aren’t going to go through every single step, the whole plan is about 2.5 pages long. We are going to give you the major steps, and the crucial things to look for. Basically we’re going to set you up for success if you decide to do this yourself.

If you decide to have a dealer or shop do it, you will know what is involved and what to look for to check the work.

The first thing you will want to do is fire up the bike and let it warm up. This will get the fluid temperature up and allow it to all drain out. Having said that, don’t do this right after you ride 60 miles, it will be hot and burn the shit out of your hands as you perform the work. After the bike is warm you need to get it securely upright on a motorcycle lift, flat jack, or center stand. I always pull all three drain plugs first. This allows me to do all the other checks and inspections while the fluid drains.

We have provided images for where the drain plugs are located on a Milwaukee-Eight Touring model as well as a Softail since they are not in the same location for both families. While the fluid is draining, check out the rest of the bike. If you are working with the service sheet from the manual it will outline every step. In this article we are going to hit the big ones.

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TECH T PS DIY HARLEYDAVIDSON MILWAUKEEEIGHT SERVICING 1.

You want to check your tire pressure, this gets overlooked by a lot of riders, and it has a huge impact on the way the bike handles as well as how the tires wear.

2.

While you’re at the tires check the brake pads. Visually inspect that there is plenty of material on the pads, and that the pistons on the brake caliper are pushing at the same rate on either side.

3.

Turn on the ignition and verify that all the lighting is working properly, and that all of the switches on the hand controls are working.

4.

Remove your seat and verify that your battery terminals are secured properly, a loose battery terminal will cause all kinds of issues.

5.

Leave the seat off for now because we will come back to the battery. Depending on the model you’re dealing with you might have had to remove some extra parts to access the battery, leave those off too.

6.

Inspect your rear drive belt for damage and verify that the tension is set properly.

7.

There are some items listed in the service manual that need to be lubricated, so look at what your model calls for and lubricate those items.

8.

Clean and inspect your air cleaner, and while it is off wipe any oil from the throttle body that might be present.

Check your tire pressure! This is one of the most commonly overlooked safety checks. Tire pressure affects how the tires wear, but also how the bike handles.

While you’re down there, check the tread.

These are the major critical fasteners you should inspect at every service (your Harley service manual provides a table of torque specs).

•

Engine mounts

•

Front and rear axle

•

Front and rear brake caliper bolts

•

Spark plugs

•

Switch housing screws

•

Clutch and brake perch screws

•

Riser clamp bolts (if exposed)

•

Fuel tank mounts (if you hear a weird buzzing noise, that’s why)

•

Front triple tree pinch bolts

•

Exhaust flange nuts and exhaust bracket hardware

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Opt for a reusable FLO billet aluminum filter (left), or go with Harley’s disposable Milwaukee-Eight-specific oil filter. With either, don’t overtighten!

Always, always replace your drain plug O-rings, people. Unless you like leaky bikes in your garage or driveway.

“ON MY PERSONAL MOTORCYCLES I CHANGE ALL THREE FLUIDS EVERY 5,000 MILES. Again there are more items to inspect but these are the most common to come loose.

Now that we’ve handled all those items, grab your three drain plugs. There is a black O-ring on them. This needs to be replaced on all three. The factory part number is 11105. Clean Check your brake pads with a flashlight. It helps to give the lever a squeeze to the drain plugs and install a new O-ring. There will more than ensure the caliper pistons are pushing at the same rate on both sides. likely be some material stuck to the magnet on the end of the plug. This is normal unless it looks like a science project growing off of it. As discussed previously, things wear and these magnets on the end of the drain plug are designed to grab any ferrous metal that is in the fluid.

Now that the plugs are clean and have a new O-ring installed you’re good to re-install them. All three plugs are the same so don’t worry about which one goes where. The torque spec is 14–21 foot-pounds.

Now remove your oil filter. This is going to leave a bit of a mess no matter how careful you are, so have some brake cleaner ready to clean the area up. Take a new oil filter and pour some motor oil in it. Also take some oil on your finger and wipe it on the seal. This will keep the filter from binding to the filter mount. Please do yourself a favor, and whoever might work on the bike next. Don’t over tighten the filter! It doesn’t have to be crazy tight, once it makes contact give it a half or threequarter turn, and call it good.

At this point install new fluid in the engine, transmission, and primary.

The engine calls for five quarts. Install 4.5 for now. The transmission and primary call for one quart. Clean up after yourself and double check your work.

We’re going to go back to the battery we discussed earlier.

Take a meter and check the battery voltage. Now fire up the bike with everything still hooked up. The oil pressure light will stay on for longer than normal but make sure that it turns off.

Once that happens check the battery again with the meter and To check the charging system, hook up a multimeter and fire up the bike. verify that the charging system is working. Shut off the bike and At rest, the battery should read around 12.8 volts. With the engine started, reinstall the seat, and any other items that had to be removed voltage should jump up to around 14.5. That’s how you’ll know it’s working. to gain access to the battery.

Again, double check that everything is good and you aren’t leaking from any of the drain plugs or the oil filter.

Go take the bike for a short test ride. When you get back, check the engine oil level. It might require a little more fluid to get to the full hot mark on the dipstick. If so, top it off with the remaining half quart. At this point you’re good to go.

Check out the video if you need some help doing this yourself on the Hot Bike YouTube channel. Thanks for reading. Until next time, ride safe. HB

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

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RIDING T!PS

GEARING UP FOR THE LONG HAUL TRAVEL TIPS FROM ADAM SANDOVAL

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e first met Adam Sandoval and his furry sidekick, Scooter, on the 2018 Hot Bike Tour. Adam was riding cross-country raising money for Veterans’ charities. He ultimately rode 88,000 miles and visited 720 Harley-Davidson dealers and donated over $300,000 to Veterans.

Adam is set to embark on The Great American Convoy (greatamericanconvoy.com), from April 22 to July 14 to visit and raise funds from as many dealerships in the lower 48 that he can hit until he makes his pilgrimage to Milwaukee for HarleyDavidson’s 120th Anniversary Celebration. Since Adam just recently started The Convoy we felt it would be wise to get some travel tips before he heads out: what to pack, any helpful tips, basically any advice for motorcycle touring this year. “My first trip, which I did over 88,000 miles and visited 720 Harley-Davidson dealerships, I got rid of half the stuff I packed.” If there’s one takeaway you can employ from Adam’s wisdom: Pack light and enjoy the journey.

CLOTHING

“For packing clothes, I do laundry once a week because on the bike you’re just so limited on space,” Adam says. Laundromats are quick, cheap, and you can get it all done and have a place to hang for an hour or so. He also says he’s had a lot of luck just reaching out to the two-wheeled community in general. “If you put it out there that you’re on a motorcycle going through town, chances are somebody knows somebody who is into motorcycles in that area and they’re going to help you out,” Adam says.

Because it will get cold, Adam likes to layer up. “I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so dressing warm was three quarters of my year,” Adam says. “I’ll wear a base layer, then I’ll usually put a t-shirt on over that, and then a flannel. My favorite right now are Dixxon flannels. They hold up, you can wash them, they last, they’re thick and warm. They’re just a good flannel.

• 2 PAIRS OF JEANS • 7 T-SHIRTS • 7 PAIRS OF UNDERWEAR • 7 PAIRS OF SOCKS • 2 HATS • 2–3 DIXXON FLANNELS (If it gets very cold, Adam will wear base layers underneath these items)

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“YOU’D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE OPEN THEIR DOORS FOR YOU.”

NECESSITIES

When it comes to the necessities, Adam once got stuck in the middle of nowhere after his GPS steered him to an abandoned gas station. With no fuel or provisions in any direction, he and his two riding pals arrived at the vacant station with nothing. They ended up cozying up in one tent to stay warm, but long story short, Adam vowed to always bring a woobie (military-issued blanket that packs easily, dries easily, and is durable), and a few other necessities no matter where he’s going. “I usually keep a thing of sardines, a thing of nuts, a bottle of water, a blanket, and a rain tarp or fly or something,” Adam states. “If I have to sleep outside in the weather, I can get underneath something dry.

Those are necessities. Whether I’m hotel camping or staying with friends, it doesn’t matter, I always have those things on my bike because you never know when plans are going to change, right?”

RIDING GEAR • 1 FULL-FACE HELMET • 1 PAIR OF COWBOY BOOTS OR BOOTS WITH RUBBER SOLES (preferably not leather soles)

• 1 THICK JACKET OR RIDING VEST (weather permitting) • 1 HARLEY-DAVIDSON HEATED JACKET • 1 PAIR HARLEY-DAVIDSON HEATED GLOVES (Adam says, “if you can keep them hands warm, you’re going to go for a long time.”)

• 1 PAIR OF GLOVES • 1 SET OF RAIN GEAR (jacket and pants)

TOOLS

Most riders pack a toolkit, and Adam is no exception. “I don’t try to eat up a lot of space with tools or a lot of weight with tools,” Adam says. “If I’m using tools, it’s just to get me somewhere. I’m not going to do major repairs on the side of the road. I would end up calling for service at that point and relying on my food and blanket.”

SMALL MEDICAL KIT

Adam says he also carries a small emergency medical kit. “I took a motorcycle first responder’s class with the Law Tigers, and they provided me with this medical kit, including tourniquets and all that stuff,” Adam says. “I carry that because, man, accidents happen and a kit like this could be the difference of saving someone’s life, or even possibly somebody else saving yours.

BIKE UPGRADES/ACCESSORIES

For The Great American Convoy, Adam will be riding a 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Anniversary Edition, complete with Heirloom Red and Gold badging. “It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful paint job Harley’s ever put out,” Adam says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a factory paint job I like more than this one, so I’m pretty excited about it.” And after he received the new steed taking him on the road for the next few months, he definitely has established some must-do upgrades prior to the trip with certain things to make it that much more of an enjoyable riding experience.

• LOWER FAIRINGS (factory H-D) • LEGEND SUSPENSION REVO-ARC REAR SHOCKS W/REMOTE RESERVOIR • LEGEND SUSPENSION AXEO CARTRIDGE FRONTEND KIT • ASR SEAT BY CIRO (a signature Adam Sandoval designed seat made for long-distance riding and comes with gel)

• UPGRADED HANDLEBAR SETUP (varies, but has had luck with Kraus and Fly)

• D&D 2-INTO-1 EXHAUST • THUNDERMAX FUEL TUNER • LUGGAGE VARIES, BUT DEFINITELY WATERPROOF AND MOST LIKELY ROLL-TOP STYLE. Adam also likes the pliability of this type of luggage where he’ll run it on his passenger seat and luggage rack. He definitely recommends RokStraps and cargo nets for securing anything else in place. Adam has some ideas of designing his own luggage one day. After all, he’s pretty much tested them all and might know a thing or two about what actually works!

SHOESTRING BUDGET SUGGESTIONS:

If you’re looking to do any motorcycle travel where you won’t be frequenting the Ritz, hit up your homies within the motorcycle community. “You’d be surprised at how many people open their doors for you,” Adam says. If you’re looking for somewhere to sleep, Adam suggests rest areas, churches or rural areas— anywhere that has land for sale. “If I could find a ‘for sale’ sign or something on the road, I figured nobody lived there and I’d just pull back behind the tree line and set up a tent and sleep.

For showering and grooming, look into large corporate gym memberships before you hit the road. “Typically they have multiple locations throughout the US any given day within 50 to 100 miles,” Adam says. “For a $20 monthly membership that means you’re showering all month for $20. And you can even get a workout if you’re so inclined.” HB ISSUE 1 / 2023 93

HOT BIKE TESTED Bell Race Star DLX Flex, Starting at $819.95

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: JORDAN MASTAGNI Sena 50S Mesh Intercom Headset, $359

THE HELMET TRIFECTA?

’ve worn a lot of helmets in my days. For the past six months, it’s been the Bell Race Star DLX Flex (in Tantrum 2 Matte/Gloss Black/White). I just grab it without thinking. It’s my buddy, ya know? We’ve grown close. Especially with Sena’s handy 50S Mesh Intercom Headset. Having a comfortable lid you feel confident in while being entertained, well, as Roy Munson would say, “That’s sweeter than Yoohoo.”

The Race Star took some getting used to at first. I’d just come off a Shoei X-Fourteen and was very pleased with its overall fee and reduced sound penetration. It did however feel a bit heavy (3 pounds, 7.9 ounces), especially after long rides. My neck and shoulders would get sore. When I first slipped the Race Star over my head (3.3 pounds), I immediately noticed a weight reduction, which I liked. The cheek pads were kinda stiff at first, but after about a half dozen rides—some long, some short—the Race Star felt like it was made just for me. The venting is adequate, too. Nothing more, nothing less. It works fine. But the ProTint visor, now that’s something to talk about. It works exceptionally well. It adapts to changing light conditions, providing enhanced vision during any ride. Tinting comes on smoothly without even knowing it. When the sun drops, the visor goes back to clear. It’s that simple.

The Sena 50S Mesh Intercom Headset works pretty well with the Race Star. I remembered how much I appreciated Sena’s jog dial technology from my older 20S. “That was a great unit,” I thought. “The 50S must be even better.” While the 50S is pretty damn good, I wouldn’t say it’s that much better. In fact, maybe a little bit over-engineered in my opinion. Mesh is cool and all, but if your firmware isn’t up to date, then your unit can definitely be glitchy in group rides. And nobody wants to stress about making sure their firmware is up-to-date before a group ride with their buddies. And if you don’t have your laptop and USB-C cable on hand, then fuhgettaboutit.

With that out of the way, typical headset functionality works seamlessly. I can take or make calls (with voice activation). And music pairing is as easy as it ever was. But the speakers in my 50S aren’t great. What’s strange is phone call audio volume is ample. Even at speed. Intercom volume works fine too. But music? Not really. When I listen to a Spotify playlist I can barely 94 HOTBIKE.COM

EarPeace Earplugs, $39.95

hear shit. I checked Spotify’s output levels and it’s set to loud.

I’ve even checked the levels in my Sena Utility app, and it’s also set to max. So what’s the deal with music volume? I know I’m not alone because Sena is now offering upgraded speaker kits from Harman Kardon. I’ll try to get my hands on an updated speaker kit and report back soon.

After months of riding with the Bell Race Star and Sena 50S, I saw a review on these Moto PRO earplugs from EarPeace and wanted to give them a shot. I used to have a pair of molded earplugs that I absolutely loved. I got them around 2006 at a bike rally from one of those Ear molding gypsies that shoot some goo in your ear and in about 20–30 minutes you get a set of molded plugs. Well, I had them, I loved them, but one day my damn dog ate them. Literally. And I haven’t gotten another pair since. Nor have I worn any other type of ear plugs while riding since…I think I just kind of forgot about the idea of wearing them.

I chose the Moto PRO ear plugs (High - 20dB (Clear)): Great for track racing, shorter rides, and situations where communications equipment is used extensively. The technology is cool in that these earplugs offer next-level filter technology and comfort to replicate sound at a safe volume while reducing wind noise and fatigue.

Most importantly, the EarPeace Moto PROs are designed to block out ambient noise, while streamlining quality audio directly to your ear. So if you’re listening to music, a podcast, or having a chat with someone on the phone or via intercom/mesh, you’ll be able to hear them more precisely and clearly. Not so much the chaos happening all around you that you’re trying to tune out.

We received a cool little cylinder carrying case (one might mistake this as a place to store blow), two sets of Moto PRO earplugs in standard and large sizes, one set of PRO filters. Overall we really like how clear the audio is while riding. I swear it even made a difference with the Sena 50S volume levels. HB SOURCES: BELL HELMETS: bellhelmets.com SENA BLUETOOTH: sena.com EARPEACE: earpeace.com

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NEW PRODUCTS BILTWELL WORK GLOVES 2.0 $59.95 Less flash, more durability and comfort, Biltwell’s Work 2.0 Glove raises the bar for style and construction. Featuring an elasticated cuff, suede cowhide palm protection, and 100-percent goatskin construction, the revamped Work 2.0 is a great all-around glove. biltwellinc.com

FEULING OIL COOLED OILING SYSTEM FOR M8 Contact for Price Feuling’s Oiling System Kits combine all the needed components to finish your Milwaukee-Eight engines oiling system as one handy setup.

Available in HP+ or Race Series (shown) the Feuling Oiling Systems increase oil pressure, oil volume, engine oil flow and return oil scavenging. feulingparts.com

FXR DIVISION SPORT TOURING KIT Contact for Price FXR Divison’s new Sport Touring Kit comes with everything needed for a direct replacement setup for 2009–later Harley-Davidson Touring Models. You get fiberglass P-style bags with hinges and latches, fiberglass side covers, aluminum strut covers and bag spacers, and all necessary mounting hardware. fxrdivision.com

TRASK PERFORMANCE BILLET ALUMINUM CLUTCH BASKET $469.95 In the world of performance engine mods, don’t forget about your clutch. Trask’s billet aluminum clutch baskets for Milwaukee-Eight Harleys were designed to handle engines making 300-plus horsepower and strongly recommended for anyone with 100-plus horsepower. traskperformance.com

J.W. SPEAKER ADAPTIVE 2 HEADLAMP $583.95 J.W. Speaker’s Adaptive 2 Series headlight factors in lean angles and provides ditch-to-ditch lighting to eliminate dark corners on sharp turns and a punch of light 1,500 feet down the road to give you a safer and more confident ride to master the corners. jwspeaker.com 96 HOTBIKE.COM

31 STATE BLOCK-OFF PLATE FOR ROKFORM CASES $149.95 Have a hole in your dash after relocating your gauges? Kill two birds with 31 State’s block-off plate made to hold your RokForm-equipped phone in place, all with built-in vibration dampening technology.

31state.com

PAINTHUFFER HOK SPRAY CANS $21.99 each Painthuffer’s new House of Kolor Spray Cans feature premium show quality colors, now in a handy dandy spray can. Available in the industry standard 7.5-ounce cans, these are only available in the USA (shipping restrictions). painthuffer.bigcartel.com

KRAUS MOTOR CO. WOLF ONE PRO KIT FOR ROAD GLIDES $2,119.95 The Kraus Wolf One Pro Kit for Road Glide models replaces your factory top triple tree with a new Kraus billet aluminum bagger top triple tree, but also includes a Road Glide billet gauge bezel, 10-inch Kraus Kickback Isolated Risers and a 1-1/8-inch FM Fly Moto Style Black Bars. krausmotorco.com

KEN’S FACTORY NEXT LEVEL X RISERS (STRAIGHT)

GALFER USA CUSTOM ROTOR PROGRAM

$599.95

Contact for Price

The Next Level Risers from Ken’s Factory feature an 8-inch rise with 1-inch mono-piece top clamp that reinforces stability when you’re hammering on the throttle. Made from billet aluminum and anodized black, the Next Level is also available in pullback too. kensfactoryusa.com

Galfer not only makes top-notch braking components, but now they give you the option to customize rotor carrier and rotor button colors to match whatever color combo you’re after. galferusa.com

TORCH INDUSTRIES STEELOW FRONT/REAR SOFTAIL FENDERS $689 each

SAWICKI SPEED SHOP STRAIGHT CARBON HEAT SHIELD $100–$125 Upgrade your heat shields with a lightweight and sleek new carbon fiber option from Sawicki Speed. Don’t have a Sawicki exhaust?

Sawicki’s straight carbon fiber heat shield will likely work for whatever exhaust you choose. sawickispeed.com

Torch’s Made-in-the-USA Steelow front and rear fenders are constructed from 14-gauge stamped steel to fit Evo and Twin Cam Softail models with pre-drilled holes to take the mounting guesswork out. Non-drilled Builders’ Series kits are also available for custom applications. torchind.com

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READERS’ RIDES

HARBOR TOWN HARLEY Joe Ruelle from Harbor Town Harley-Davidson in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, stopped us at the Drag Specialties NVP Show in Louisville this year to tell us how much he loved Hot Bike and how excited he was that the magazine was coming back. We definitely wanted to share our gratitude by featuring Joe’s bike in the very first Readers’ Rides section back as a printed magazine.

Joe’s 1986 Harley-Davidson FXRD is one of those bikes that looks how it’s supposed to come from the factory. But it’s far from it.

The FXRD Grand Touring Edition is a rare one from the ’80s. In fact, Harley only manufactured them in 1985 and 1986, and they were only sold in 1986, so to have one in this kind of shape is a rare thing. Joe has done several mods to his bike, and rides it all over the Milwaukee area come riding season, which should hopefully be right about now, right Joe?

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

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

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