Another crazed Bikernet week. Each day we set specific goals then the day shattered all to hell and we didn?t accomplish shit. Yesterday the plan was to catch up on Sturgis Shovel articles, then publish the a full-length feature on the Amazing Shrunken FXR?it?s for sale. Then a guest arrived, Mistress Marylin on her 1993 Sportster. She just flew over the country 3,500 miles and her brakes were dragging. First clue to a mechanical problem?what did you work on last. As it turned out she had the worn rear tire replaced in Texas, or was it Alabama?
The caliper bracket wasn?t spaced properly and rubbing on the rotor. We pulled it apart on my spare Kendon lift and discovered that her rear brake pads were toast. A run to California Harley-Davidson was required. Late into the evening we tinkered, thinking that the pads were the problem. I spoke to members of the Bikernet Editorial Board, Lee Clemens of Departure Bike Works and Kent Weeks, president of Lucky Devil Metal Works in Houston. They confirmed my thinking. ?Drink Jack Daniels and don?t work on stock Sportsters.?
Apparently the last mechanic lost the correct spacer and went with something that worked but jammed the caliper bracket against the rotor. We fixed it, but I didn?t touch the Shovelhead until 11:00 pm. I?ll report on that later. Let?s hit the news:
DIVE BAR STYLE–Roll up sporting Top Shelf Customs Dive Bars on your ride and you?ll bring some pretty righteous attitude and character wherever you go. Curved 16-inch uprights, Dive Bars are designed to fit motorcycles with Springer or conventional fork riser widths. Anyone can bend a bar but Top Shelf Customs decided to take 1-inch DOM steel tubing and machine a billet webbing gusset, then weld the bar that connects the grip and control areas as well as capped bar ends for a super clean finish.
Available in chrome or black powdercoat. For more information, contact: Top Shelf Customs, (714) 903-8052, www.topshelfcustoms.com.
IRON HORSE GRAND OPENING IN DAGO– It was a beautiful day in sunny SoCal. Warm, without a cloud in the sky. Beautiful babes, impressive bikes, Casino games, food and a live band cranking out the tunes. What could be better? That was the scene when Mike Shannon and Ted Jenzen held their official Grand Opening of San Diego Iron Horse. Texas Choppers for people who know that bigger is better. I?ll take a Tejas and make mine black please.
The bikes lined the street as I walked up to the new dealership. The crowd filled the parking lot. There were radio station personalities, give away?s and one radio station, Rock 105 is even giving away an American Iron Horse motorcycle. Damn! When these boy?s open house they really lay out a great spread. No matter where you looked there was eye candy. Whether it was two wheeled or two legged, it was there.
The store is nicely laid out with lots of AIM bikes (40!) as well as offerings from Hell Bound Steel and American Performance Choppers. They have all the AIM apparel you could ask for from T-shirts to leather and hats. For the Grand Opening San Diego Iron Horse is giving 20% off on all parts and $1000 off any bikes. But that only lasts until June 30 so get your ass down here!
The service department is large and ready to step in, if the need ever arises. I mean they do install upgrades. That is if you can find something to upgrade! The American Iron Horse bikes have it all. The standard engine is an S&S 111c.i. that comes with a 2 year factory warranty, and it has the Super Stock heads. Not enough big guy? How about a 117c.i. or 124c.i. motor? Ya, now you?re smiling. All come with various length factory warranty?s. The transmissions are 6 speed right side drive units and the bikes all have the fat rear tires. They use a jackshaft to align the belt. The rest of the bike? If it?s aluminum the name starts with Billet. Nuff said.
The bottom line, friendly knowledgeable people who want to help you get the bike you really want. This place is sure to be around for some time. But why wait? They?re open tomorrow.
The bikes range in price from the $20?s to the $30?s and can be financed for up to 9 years.
Don?t tell them I sent you. They don?t know who the fuck I am.
–Rebel
S&S PRESIDENT, BRETT SMITH, RECEIVES THE WISCONSIN ERNST & YOUNG ENTRPRENUER OF THE YEAR AWARD–MILWAUKEE, WI (June 16, 2005) S&S President, Brett Smith, was honored tonight being named winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Consumer Manufacturing category for Wisconsin.
Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP announced today the winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Wisconsin. All of the winners were selected by a panel of independent judges.
The recipients of Wisconsin’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year are:
Business & Consumer Services – Craig B. Adelman, Adelman Travel Group (Milwaukee)
Commercial Manufacturing & Distribution – Dr. Gary L. Kramer, Badger State Ethanol (Monroe)
Communication & Marketing Services – John Charleston & Lyle Orwig, Charleston/Orwig, Inc. (Hartland)
Consumer Manufacturing – Brett Smith, S & S Cycle, Inc. (Viola)
Consumer Products & Retail – Craig Culver & Lea Culver, Culver Franchising System, Inc. (Prairie du Sac)
Transportation – Randy Marten, Marten Transport, Ltd. (Mondovi)
Turnaround – Robert Arzbaecher, Acutant Corporation (Milwaukee)
“Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and determination necessary to achieve success,” said Jim Andreucci, Jr., Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director. “Ernst & Young is proud of its history recognizing and supporting these outstanding leaders and their companies.”
TWO NEW FRAMES AND ROLLERS FROM KC CREATIONS–Overland Park, Kansas- The Top Gun Chopper, by KC Creations, is a 6 up and 6 INCHES out frame with a 42? rake that will fit a 280-300 tire with a belt or 330 tire with a chain.
This chopper frame was recently unveiled along with their new 2-Lo Magnum frame. ?These frames will fit the biggest and most badass tires that you can find in the market today!? states Kim Suter, President of KC Creations/Big Inch Bikes. ?I believe that each one of these frames will be extremely successful because of their unique versatility and styling?, Suter concluded.
The 2-Lo Magnum frame is 0 up and 5 inches out with a 40? rake and will fit the same tires as the Top Gun Chopper frame. Both of these frames can also be fitted with the new 260/18 Metzler tire. The 2-Lo Magnum Softail frame and the Top Gun Chopper Softail frame retail for $2995 and the hardtail versions retail for $1995. You can also buy either of these frames as a complete roller which include the following parts and accessories: frame, swingarm, gas tank, fenders, wheels, front end, handlebars, seat and oil tank. Both of the softail versions retail for $10,500 and the hardtail versions retail for $9,500.
http://kc-creations.com/pages/bib_01.htmlKim Suter has become one of the nation?s premier custom bike builders and has been featured in every major motorcycle magazine. Big Inch Bikes Mfg, is the custom/production bike series from Kim Suter and KC Creations and produces a variety of models that cover the gamut of motorcycles. From a super long chopper to an old school springer, Kim Suter’s Big Inch Bikes can provide you with the look you crave.
For further information, please contact KC Creations at (913) 642-3279, (800) 821-9560, or via fax at (913) 652-6712. To see the complete product line from KC Creations/Big Inch Bikes, please go to www.kc-creations.com.
NEW BLACK AND CHROME HYDRAULIC CLUTCH KIT–
Reduce Clutch-Lever Effort on Touring and Softail Models
MILWAUKEE (June 15, 2005) ? Ease through traffic with the new Black and Chrome Hydraulic Clutch Kit (P/N 46448-05, $419.95) from Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories, designed to reduce clutch-lever effort by up to 30 percent as it delivers a smooth clutch engagement. The kit complements the original-equipment hand controls and includes a black clutch master cylinder, polished clutch lever, chrome slave cylinder, and all necessary installation hardware. It fits 1999-2004 Touring models and 2000-later Softail models. Installation requires the separate purchase of the appropriate hydraulic clutch line.
WEST HOLLYWOOD ATTACKED BY SAFETY NAZIS–Now, not that many of youse guys ride thru West Hollywood (largely gay/lesbian demographic, not that there’s anything wrong with that)…..but I remember naggin’ ya’ll in one of my articles about that phrase they coined in New York, “Quality of Life” (as if there’s such a thing in big cities such as NYC, OR West Hollywood) and now you see the same crowd has brought the politically correct phrase out west to mess with California in the neighborhood where they maintain a second home. You’ll notice the actual “Quality of Life” phrase used in this article…
And I REALLY like this line; “Replacement of a legal stock muffler can cost as much as $1000” as if that’ll scare people. Good one!
Keep the Pipes, Rev Responsibly, Keep the Pipes.
~Splatt
I’ll post this in the news Thursday. I had a strange experience. I tore up Long Beach one night on a very my touring chopper. It was loud. The next week Long Beach announced a zero tolerance on Loud pipes. Then I was pulled over by a cop on Palos Verdes Point, north of Pedro, who said that I couldn’t ride through his town with a beanie helmet, although he rode a Softail in his off hours. I was trapped in Pedro. I can’t ride in Huntington Beach, and now I can’t ride in West Hollywood. The world is closing in on us bikers.
City of West Hollywood to Crack Down on Excessive Motorcycle Noise within City Limits; Legal and Illegal Motorcycle Muffler Noise Demonstrations at News Conference Today, 5 p.m.– The City of West Hollywood will hold a news conference to announce the implementation of its new zero tolerance policy on excessive motorcycle noise within the city limits Today, June 20, 2005 at 5 p.m. in front of West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The zero tolerance policy will be put in place to improve the quality of life for West Hollywood residents and visitors, many of whom have complained over the years about the bothersome motorcycle noise generated from motorcycle mufflers.
Although new motorcycles are equipped with legal mufflers whose noise limits are in compliance with the California Vehicle Code, some motorcycle owners replace the stock mufflers with illegal mufflers that are lighter, create more horse power and generate excessive noise. Demonstrations of legal versus illegal motorcycle noise will take place immediately following the press conference with motorcycles that are equipped with stock and non-stock mufflers. West Hollywood Sheriff’s deputies will aggressively cite any motorcycle riders who are not in compliance with the California Vehicle Code.
The first infraction will be a fix it ticket and any subsequent violations will be infractions. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, West Hollywood Station will maintain an updated data base of all motorcycle noise violators. Replacement of a legal stock muffler can cost as much as $1000.
NEW PR0-SERIES SUSPENSION KIT FOR BUELL XB MODELS–
Improve Balance and Feedback to Rider for Racing or Track Days
MILWAUKEE (June 15, 2005) ? The new Pro-Series Suspension Kit (P/N 48083-04Y, $76.95) from Buell Accessories is designed to enhance the handling performance of 2005 Buell XB models and provide better rider feedback than the stock suspension. Intended for use in racing applications or for riders fine-tuning a Buell XB for track-day riding, the kit includes a 12 percent stiffer rear spring and 6 percent stiffer fork springs.
The Pro-Series rear spring is a single-rate spring that compresses at a constant rate throughout its travel, unlike the progressive-rate stock spring that is rather soft on initial compression to provide a smoother ride on public roads. The Pro-Series spring will deliver a stiffer ride and is not recommend for carrying a passenger. The stiffer rate of the Pro-Series spring also provides a broader range of pre-load adjustment for heavier (over 200 pounds) riders.
The rates of the front and rear springs are more closely tuned than the stock springs to provide more consistent front-to-rear balance. The springs are designed by Showa, supplier of the stock suspension systems, and will work well with the existing adjustable dampers, which make this a more affordable performance upgrade.
For additional information on Buell Accessories, see your local Buell dealer or visit the Buell website at www.buell.com. To find a dealer near you, call toll free 1-800-443-2153 in the U.S.A. or Canada.
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