Free Departments

This is one of Bob Le Pera's original Banana seats from the early '70s. He still makes them today. If you check out the spec sheets for custom bikes in about any mag, and you come upon the seat section, chances are you’ll find Le Pera listed as the manufacturer. Motorcycle seat = Le Pera, […]

Click to see morefrom Lucky Devil The old pipe to oil tank tab.My first move began with a correction. I removed the exhaust pipe tab welded to the oil bag. The oilcan is rubber mounted, the exhaust pipe generated severe heat and the pipe system needs to be solidly mounted. It had to go. Actually

Brembo has a solid worldwide reputation, and I ran into a hot looking Brembo representative at an illustrious bike function and decide I’d give them a try. They’re hot and ready to rock. The only items I needed were the locking nuts for the back of the rotors bolts and the springer axle spacer. This

Here we go. I’m relunctantly behind the eight ball, or more likely the 5-Ball in this case. The bike is nearly complete and I haven't caught up with the articles. For the most part I was working at Primedia on the bike mags and didn’t have time to breath. No fucking lame excuses. Let’s hit

Having the right tool makes all the difference. No matter what job you plan, the first question is do I have the knowledge and experience to handle it myself, or even with the help of friends? The second, do I have the tools? If the answer is yes, you are good to go. Some people

It's all about choice, and these days we have more to choose from than ever before.Some truly talented people are creating original, mind blowing frame products. Aaron Green's Softrigid, Roger Goldammer's BTR3 frame that's now available in a production rigid (cheers from #4)and Maximum Metal works are just a few that really stand out in

This is how you can finish a seat using one of my PANS FOR LIFE pans (PFL) First Thing is to cut the center out to fit the inner edge of a PFL pan. Tracing:Next step is to lay the leather on the PFL and tape it in place. Next step is to trace the

Built and photographed by Cyril Huze. One of the Ten Commandments of custom bike building is “Keep it Clean,” an overall philosophy that also figures into the design concept that greatness is in the details. Another commandment is “Keep it Functional.” Both concepts are well apparent in the internal handlebar controls offered by Custom Cycle

This is the Big One, my first tech tip on Bikernet. In the process we got to add more chrome to Bandit’s Road King, that he’s worked so hard to blackout. This product was so straight forword, I’ll just jump into what you need to get the job done. Dish Soap Needle Nose Pliers 13/32

Click to see morefrom Lucky Devil Pay attention, guys.Recently we received the following letter and immediately followed up. “We have developed a Gerotor oil pump that bolts right onto evolution engines,” Bret Barker said, “to give them twin cam style oiling. We have just run it on our test bench atthe shop. We are getting

The Halibrand Special by Conder CustomIt started life as a 2006 Softail Springer with the 200mm back tire, provided by House of Thunder Harley-Davidson in Morgan Hill CA. Outfitted with the first set of Conder/Halibrand Hot Rod wheel adapter hubs and Halibrand Sprint wheels.17×6 rear and 17×5 front, chevy bolt pattern. Sheetmetal, bracketry, overall modification,

Just before rolling out and leaving for Sturgis I check my plugs in the only stock item left on the 93-inch House of Horsepower/S&S hot rod Shovelhead—the early heads. Unfortunately every time I attempted to unscrew the short reach plugs the threads and heli-coil came with them. I rode to Sturgis without ever checking the

Click to see morefrom Lucky Devil Well it all started as a little whisper from the Devil, “You need to see this new 5-speed kicker that bandit has, It’s from Germany.” ”Hmmmm,” says I, a kicker for the chop. I’ve been toying with the idea for the past couple of years, but I haven’t heard

The famous Dewey “Yellin’” Jelen. He’s a big Mo Fo.A few months back, I was sitting at the computer when I noticed an e-mail from The Bandit. I blindly opened it expecting nothing more than a “Hey, where you at kid?”What I got was a little more peculiar.“Hey kid, write a feature on a buddy

You never know what snippets of gold you might come across when you're snooping around your local bike shops. I was wandering around “Rollies Speed Shop” in Brisbane ( well known to Queensland bikers) about a month ago and there they were, four volumes of “Easyriders Tech Tips & Tricks”. I couldn't believe it, man

Illustration by David Mann.Many people have asked and seem stuck with the problemthat the spool hub wheels are only available for 5/8-inchaxles. There is a fairly quick and easy way to solvethis problem. The short answer is: 1. Replace 5/8-inchbearings with ¾-inch axle bearings. 2. Replace 5/8-inch center bearing support sleeve with new one of

This is a US Chopper Trike. Tripod Trike KitsStandard and chopper trikes are here. http://trikekits.tripod.comEditor’s Note:Bikernet receives regular questions regarding bikes for disabled riders due to accidents (whether on motorcycles, on the job or in cars), or natural disabilities. Jaqhama, one of our esteemed Australian correspondents responded (volunteered). He should have known better. I asked

The real Bobbers from the ‘40s from Bob T.Scott Long and Darin Morris, Central Coast Cycles, Inc. of Santa Cruz, CA shared their gas tank building experience with Jeff Najar of Horsepower Marketing.Many motorcycle builders regard the gas tank as the center piece of a custom motorcycle. It’s crucial to the style of the motorcycle

Todd's Cycle have came up with new products to save Builders time, plus create form and function. If you’re in Orange County come over to the shop and check it out.Call us at 714.901.4516 or visit us at http://www.toddscycle.com SPRUNG SEAT MOUNTSSpring seat mount, this mount is just under 1 ½-inch long and can be

Xtreme frame order form.Yeah, some of us have been ordering and modifying frames for decades. After you read this you’ll understand why many builders stick with the same frame manufacturer and configuration forever. I’m writing this, because I recently faced this dilemma while ordering a frame from Paughco. I picked up the phone, asked for

Departure Bike Works on Hull Street in Richmond, Virginia recently celebrated their 33rd birthday. Lee and Brenda Clemens have lived by the Code of The West (so they're in the South), and the Chopper code for over three decades. They’ve built a family within the shop, a family of customers on the outside and a

Can I get you a beer before you start reading?Bandit,Been reading your shit almost as long as you have beenwriting it. Decided to build another bike, so Idismantled my daily commuter. It’s a '97 Buell M/2cyclone, probably one of the most RIDEABLE cycles to reside in my garage in 40 years of riding. I guess

Here’s one for you guys who have a little lathe at home and would like to expand your home bike building capabilities. Sprocket spacing can allow for quick and easy chain alignment if you are running wide tire sizes or mismatched tranny configurations. Because the sprocket receives an enormous amount of torque, it is important

This tale will hit home for builders all over the globe. It’s basically an artist’s efforts to delicately touch the waters of an industry he’s dabbled in for years. Japanese Jay, as I call him, has been around Bikernet for over six years representing various Japanese custom motorcycle magazines from Easyriders of Japan to the