At the end of those two years Michelle graduated, sold the RV, and has returned to the nation’s highways as a massage therapist/holistic health practitioner.

I’ve never seen her happier.
Michelle can be contacted at Facebook via Michelle Hope, and her numerous drifter stories are also available online in the Gypsy Bikers section of hdopenroad.com.

Though I’ve known this man the longest and once even stayed a night at his house, our many encounters have often been brief and it’s quite possible that, of those depicted here, he’s who I know the least about. So I’ll just relate what I do know…



Brother Speed is now nearly 80 years old.

For most of us, when considering the actual pursuit of what may to date have been considered only a dream, the mind will often invent the usual excuses and fears such as: I’m too old; I don’t have enough money; I’m to weak; I’m a girl; It isn’t the responsible thing! (like going out to enjoy the life God gave me isn’t the most responsible thing I can do with it); You might break down! (I’m sure that’ll be the end of the world); Something terrible could happen! (but never at home right?); You’re not gonna have a good time anyway (as if the mind’s already been there and knows all about it.); etc. etc. Yet in the face of all these imagined concerns, and against what might even be considered insurmountable odds by the standards of many, the men and woman portrayed here have instead taken easily to the reality of their dreams. For me, their stories offer a powerful message: It would seem that, for those who dare to dream of the highway’s freedoms, or possibly any other passion for that matter, 85% of the real obstacle lies in the mind, while only 15% constitutes the material part of such a venture.

You can spot a vintage Indian board tracker racer a mile away thanks to its drooping handlebars as well as spindly “hardtail” bicycle type frame and narrow 2 ¼ inch tires. With clutchless ferocious motors and minus brakes, you counted on your feet when trying to come to a stop after 100+ mph. A splinter lifted up from the well-hammered timber boards could wreak havoc with bike and rider not to mention spectators.

There were two controls, a spark advance and a kill switch both used to control speed while leaving the throttle wide open. Of the “splinter” machines that carved their way across high-banked (65 degrees), oval wooden race tracks in the U.S. circa 1913-1930, they stand out as perhaps the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.

Sometime in 1900 George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom sat down for a chat that led to the signing of the company’s founding contract on the back of a paper envelope, their goal to design a “popular motorbike.” Of the two founders of the company, it was Hendee who came up with the name Indian and in 1904 also chose the now famous red and gold color scheme. From their single cylinder models, the world’s first to feature twistgrip controls for both throttle and ignition, Indian then debuted its new V-twin in 1907.

By 1909 the Indian ‘F-head’ (inlet-over-exhaust) single was available in three different capacities: 19.3ci (316cc), 26.96ci (442cc) and 30.5ci (500cc). In 1910 Oscar Hedstrom, battling the up and coming Excelsior racers, decided to design new engines that would keep Indian as top dogs in the popular motordrome (board track) racing. In order to keep one lap ahead of the competition, so to speak, Indian departed from its ‘F-head’ arrangement, upgrading to overhead valves and using four per cylinder to keep the large valves cool. The enlarged port area also benefited the engine by better breathing.

Indian debuted the new 8-valve single cylinder motor in 1911 and quickly clinched their number one spot on the board track, in 1920 setting a world record of 114.17mph.

In response to Indian’s 1-2-3 win at the 1911 Isle of Man TT, the first ever victory for a “foreign” machine, the Springfield, Massachusetts factory went from producing some 20,000 machines annually to 60,000 by 1914, their machines sold through over 2,000 worldwide dealerships.

Fast forward to 1915 and another significant year for Indian as the production line saw some “firsts” as well as “lasts.” It was the last of the Hedstrom F-head engines in a cradle-spring frame. The list of “firsts” included the addition of Schleber carbs and customers could now opt for either the standard 2-speed or the new 3-speed gearbox with a stouter clutch and dual controls. Weighing in at 370lb. the Standard 15 hp Big Twin could transport its passenger to 55mph in considerable style.

It was Indian’s chief designer Charlie Gustafson who in 1916 came up with the 986cc side-valve v-twin engine. Indian sent Cannonball Baker to Australia in that same year where he established a world record of 1027 miles in 24 hours on a Powerplus. The first women to travel coast to coast in the U.S. were sisters Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, both on the Powerplus. In 1917 and the U.S. entry into WWI, most of the entire production of the machines “joined” the army.

Seen here are undoubtedly two of the “holy grails” of motorcycling including the exceptionally rare Hendee Indian 1000cc factory board track racer and the Indian Big Base 8-valve powered racer.

1915 was the first year Indian produced the 61 cubic inch 42 degree “Big Twin” a purpose build competition engine far more powerful and much quieter than previous designs and which garnered Indian multiple racing wins on the wooden motordromes of the time.

The Big Twin remained in production until 1924, which was quite a long production run in a period when engine technology and development was moving forward at a blistering pace.

The stellar Indians were meticulously restored by Serge Bueno, two of some 100 complete restorations he’s completed. For some 20 years he’s been pursuing his passion for 1910-1950 vintage bikes of all kinds with a specialty in racing machines. He was literally famous across Europe for his work at his Paris, France shop appropriately named Famous Motorcycles. His passion for motorcycles literally saw him scouring the planet for machines of interest including the hunt for the many semi-unobtainable parts he needed to complete their restorations.

But after visiting Los Angeles and sampling not only the year-round riding weather but also how well vintage iron held up in the dry climate plus the overall motorcycle fever of SoCal, he decided to move lock, stock and Manx barrels to L.A. He then set to work building his own shop, Heroes Motorcycles, literally from the ground up, “restoring” a grungy car repair shop into a world class restoration center and a “salon gallery” suitable for the display of his many rare machines…American, British, French, Italian…and within six months had sold 15 of his restored beauties, attracting a growing clientele of vintage bike fans who wanted the very best.

His bike building technical skills stemmed from his early training as an engineer working with a variety of metals…steel, aluminum, magnesium, etc., and he also mastered the old school painting methods, painting with rare pigments and finishing without applying the standard clear coat, instead polishing everything by hand thus creating their correct original appearance and including striping the tank graphics. Serge keeps his work area in “NASA clean room” condition; even his carefully stored vintage tools appear as works of art along with much of the artwork he created appearing on the shop’s walls.
Looking toward the future, Serge would like to see his garage gallery become a motorcycle focal point in L.A. enjoyed by visitors from around globe.

Contact Info:
Heroes Motorcycles
1210 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles CA
3223.424.3162
www.heroesmotorcycles.com

While hurtling around the track at 100 mph, the rider had to adjust the spark advance and compression on the left hand grip to keep the timing spot on or else excess burning petrol would gush out of the short exhaust pipes. Note the “torpedo” tank used on the earlier models.

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8-Valve Wonder

Serge Bueno and the 1932 “Moto Ball” 350cc single he restored, one only 11 made by the French company Koehler Escoffier. Bike was used in 1930s for French sport of soccer on motorcycles…we kid you not.

1210 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles CA

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Summer is almost here and that means you’ll be sharing the road with more motorcyclesin the months ahead. We encourage you to stay sharp and to follow the safetytips we’ve previously published here.

Tohelp with that, we’d like to share an interesting graphic we ran across from ABATEof Wisconsin, the statewide motorcycle riders organization. It shows somecommon hand signals riders use to communicate with each other, especially whenriding in groups. Observing and understanding these hand signals may help youanticipate what a group of riders will do and keep everyone safer on theroad.

 
Speaking of safety, the NMA’s “7Sensible Signals” for communicating important information to other driversmay come in handy this summer as well. 

1. Apology 
 
In abrief lapse of attention or judgment, you unintentionally inconvenience,irritate, or endanger
another motorist. You feel embarrassed and the otherdriver is angry. Neither state of mind produces safe, courteousdriving.
 
The “Apology” signal can defuse the destructive anger andfrustration that follow these unfortunate encounters. To signal an apology, holdtwo fingers in a “V” position, palm out.

2. Slow Down, DangerAhead

You see an obstacle in the road and would like toalert other motorists to the
potential  danger. The “Slow Down” signal will warnothers of an accident, obstacle, or any dangerous condition.
 
To alerttraffic approaching from the opposite direction, turn your headlights off andon.
 
To alert traffic approaching from the rear, activate your brakelights or extend your left arm and motion downward.
 
If you see the “SlowDown” signal from another motorist, heed thewarning.

3. Lane Courtesy (Please Yield LeftLane)

While traveling on a multilane highway, you wish topass another vehicle that is
in the left “passing” lane. The “Lane Courtesy” signalwill alert the other motorist of your intention.
 
Signal your intentionby turning the left directional light on and off, 4 to 6 Lane courtesy blinks ata time. If the slower vehicle does not respond to the left turn signal, brieflyflash your headlights to gain the attention of the other driver.
 
If yousee the “Lane Courtesy” signal from the motorist behind you, check the adjacentright lane, pull over when it is safe to do so, and let the faster vehiclepass.

4. Pull Over ForProblem

You come across a vehicle about to have a flat,or lose luggage from an outside rack or
litter the highway with skis, bicycles or furniture.The “Pull Over For Problem” signal helps you alert the other driver.
 
Toalert another motorist of a problem with his or her vehicle, first point in thedirection of the problem (up for loose roof rack, back for trailer problem,etc.),  then signal “thumbs down.”
 
If you receive this signal fromanother motorist, pull over and check your vehicle.

5. Light Problem (Check YourLights)

The directional lights on another vehicle have beenunknowingly left on. You see a vehicle with a burned out headlight or taillight.You would like to alert the other driver of the problem. To signal a motorist to”check your lights.” open and close your hand touching the thumb and fingertipstogether.

6. Need Assistance

You are pulled over to the side of the road and needhelp. Most passersby are unsure what help, if any, is needed. You need to signalfor help without conveying panic.
To signal for assistance, make the sign ofa “T” by crossing one hand above the other.
If you see the “Need Assistance”signal, you must make a decision whether you will stop, phone for help, orignore the appeal.

7. I Understand (Thank You, I Understand)

It all started with our 5-Ball Racing search for our trike streamliner name, which quickly centered around the “Salt Torpedo.” Then the Prince stepped up from his mountain top castle and said, “There’s only one artist on the planet capable of this lofty task.”

When I asked, “Who?” he suddenly disappeared on a bike show rampage at over a dozen locations around the country. We couldn’t reach past his vast and unrelenting staff for a moment of his precious time until the snow thawed and the show season culminated in a grand finale somewhere in the Himalayas. He sent a small donkey–riding Sherpa out of the hills with his response etched into a dark chunk of lava rock. It said, “Speak only to Mrs. Atomic.”

The next thing we knew, during a top secret Bikernet and 5-Ball Racing editorial meeting a fax caught fire as it buzzed and squeaked from the antiquated staff fax machined and drifted to the deck in flames. Several members stomped the singed paper into the pure white pearlescent carpeting and handed the remnants to me. Here’s what it said:

“No one speaks to Mr. Atomic and I can’t speak to him unless I’m naked,” It was signed by Mrs. Atomic. No wonder the fax caught fire.

Another fax sizzled from the rusting machine:
“I’m Mr. Atomic’s wife and president of Atomic Dice Studio Arts LLC. I am very excited to hear about this opportunity. We can talk on a conference call with Mr. Atomic, and me to make sure we get all the information for the drawing, timeline, and we can review cost.

“Are you available this afternoon around 4:00 p.m. for a phone call? I expect it to last around 15-20 minutes. Our workload this weekend is light and we believe we can get started on the project ASAP.

“I have a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership and I’m helping The Atomic Team with business details, so he can focus on what he does best, his extraordinary artistic talent.

“I think a redhead with big tits will be a lovely asset to the bike, but I prefer blondes. Ha-ha-ha!

“Mrs. Atomic to you, pal.”
www.atomicdicecustompaint.com
Cell – (330) 581-7501

The entire Bikernet staff stood at their gold-leafed milk crates and saluted. We were impressed, but that was just her initial letter.

The next day after I FedEx’d a small bag of gold to the Atomic Ivory Towers, I started to receive sketches. The Atomic Team rapidly became the most responsive art team I have ever had the privileged to work with. Sketches flew in, from rough concepts, to minor and major detailed adjustments. We discussed position and backgrounds, and Mr. Atomic never hesitated to try something new.

Within a couple of days he inked a final, but I had a question about the girls helmet and sunglasses. “I dig the character of our mascot, but was her whacky sunglasses and helmet position intentional?”

Mrs. Atomic chimed in immediately. Then a memo flew in from the mountain where Mr. Atomic’s father resided in his high-security, most secret art studio. A vote was taken and the girl’s features aligned for the final drawing.

Color was added and we were ready to rock. I was so impressed with the team, the art and the speed of delivery, we immediately started on the next Salt Torpedo artistic hurtle—a concept drawing.

Again, the masterful Mr. Atomic started to hit the nail on the head, but we need something more with a lowrider flair, and stealth like. Watch for the full report in the very near future.

–Bandit

Bob McElroy

Atomic Dice Studio Arts LLC

10985 Johnson Rd

North Benton OH 44449

To get in touch, please use my online form or call

(330) 277-9279.

It had been at the Florida, Leesburg rally early last year that I’d met a man who said he’d recently retired with a small pension and would soon be moving onto his motorcycle. I had taken this talk in stride; for I’d heard it before. Yet it had been some months later that—aboard an old BMW—he’d met up with me in Idaho and we’d spent most of a month together, 10 days of which had been touring the hot springs of those Rocky Mountains. Later, we’d hooked up on Texas too. To date, he’d been one of the happiest road-dogs I’d ever known. Well, Tom had also chosen to winter in Florida and we’d agreed to spend time together there as well.

As the road left the panhandle to begin its southward decent along Florida’s west coast, the weather began to warm. What a wonderful sensation, for I was sick of long underwear and and having my balls sucked up into the heat of my body.

I pulled into Sarasota, which sits 2/3rds down Florida’s coastline. Tom and I would rendezvous here. Soon the old Beamer showed up loaded for bear. After re-acquaintances, we hung in Sarasota and soon learned of a local motorcycle rally that would grace the town this weekend. Of course we’d attend, for the weather was now fine and time was, after all, of no concern.

Heavily loaded motorcycles, especially old ones, attract far more attention than everyday machines and a couple guys soon stopped to bullshit. Mark and Bruce both resided in the same RV park; which resided some distance into the nearby countryside. Once conversation had dug in it became apparent that we all got along pretty good. Finally Mark invited us to stay at the park. He said there was plenty of woods behind in which we could make camp. I generally like to stay closer to a town and therefore gave little credence to his offer. We did however, hang together all afternoon. It was a fun little rally and the weather was just so warm.

A few days after the rally I, having spent two months in Sarasota a previous year, was ready to leave. But where to go? As an excuse for travel I’d learned of another motorcycle rally located in Gibsonton or “Gibtown”, some short distance north. Little did I suspect what an uncommonly unique experience that place would be. Problem was that the event didn’t take place for almost two weeks. Well, Mark had sent a few texts urging us to come; so we decided to accept his offer.

Warm sunshine beat down upon our faces as the Highway gave way to smaller roads, then to tiny ones. Here thickly tangled forests of incredible green hues, the likes of which grow only in tropical places, lined either roadside. These forests often offer exotic trees of varieties I’ve seen no where else, and it was good to be among them again.

Cut into the forest, the RV park sat alone and at least ½ mile from the nearest structure. Beautiful in its construction and immaculate in its maintenance, this place was obviously an upper crusty affair. As the two rag-tag motorcycles putted slowly past the million dollar motor homes, one could not help but feel the stares of so many wealthy retirees as they scrutinized our passing.

Momentary lost, we stopped to call our host. But we’d managed to park near Bruce’s place and, hearing the Harley, he quickly showed up to make re-acquaintance. Unrefined by nature, and like myself, Bruce would probably fair better in some cheap low rent neighborhood and I wondered what he was doing here. So did he; and said as much.

We were in invited to Mark’s RV and his wife Linda offered dinner. This week we’d eat there a lot. Tonight however, the conversation carried on for hours.

So we stayed in the spectacularly green beauty of this place for a week and came to know our new friends better. Bruce had a little bike shop in a nearby storage unit and I did some motorcycle maintenance there. Back at the park our wealthy neighbors seemed to get used to our presents pretty quickly and there was no more trouble. A few even stopped by our camp to nullify their curiosity. One afternoon they even had a little party in the rec-room while Tom and I ate their grub and made ourselves at home. One night Mark and I took his truck to see a band in town. Trippy place. There was hardly a person under 60 in attendance and the vast majority of these were women. Mark thought it was funny, and I was thoroughly entertained. Did plenty of dancing that night.

It was late afternoon when the fabled “Gibtown” came into view. Although I know nothing of Gibtown’s history, I’d recently been told that carnies come from all over the country to winter here and they pretty much own the place. This seemed fascinating for I’d worked a few carnivals in those early road-years and even spoke a tiny bit of the language. Gibtown seemed a little beat up (a characteristic I kinda like) and I noted the carnival equipment, both new and old, that sat in fields and yards as we passed.

The road was tiny and at its right a long chain-link with large open gate guarded a big building and parking lot full of motorcycles. Across the street was a long field with a few motor homes standing in it. All was surrounded by thick Florida forest. Tom soon learned that camping in the field was free. I should have guessed. Carnies are, of course, road dogs like us and undoubtedly understand the need of land on which to make camp. And this event, as we’d soon learn, is organized and run completely by them. After scouting the field we set up in the far back against a treeline that would block the annoying breeze blowing from nearby Tampa Bay.

Upon the long wall I noted scores of pictures depicting scenes of ancient caravels, their people, and events. There was also a plaque and from it I derived that this building was built and owned by and for, carnival people. It seemed they are a unique entity unto themselves.
Running into a few vendors I already knew, we spent time bullshitting then went to watch the band for a while before ultimately wondering off to bed.

Having noted that this rally offered Harley demo rides I talked Tom the “BMW guy” into taking one by stating that these things are free and they’d even buy the gas. We both tried out brand new full dressers. At the ride’s conclusion the salesman asked, “How’d you like it?” I answered, “Very nice. No rattles, great brakes, and I love the big engine and extra gear. But you know, there’s one thing that all motorcycles have in common…they do exactly the same thing: get on here, go there, dismount. Except mine does it without payments.”

Just inside the building’s second entrance stood a hamburger stand with three carnies working. A thought dawned, and I figured these road people must certainly have one. So I asked the burger flipper, “You guys got a shower here?” “Sure,” he replied while pointing, “Around that corner.” It was there of course, so I used it.

Tom’s GPS was useless as I pulled tiny back roads from the map, and the road grew ever warmer with every mile left behind. With the security of all our possessions aboard these motorcycles, a few bucks in our pockets, and only the unknown country ahead as company, there was not much to think about on this beautiful day and my mind soon settled into the quiet state of wonder that all relaxed, long distance riders are apt to enjoy often.

 

 Add style to your stock saddlebag with a new latch cover from J&P Cycles. Replacing the stock latch cover is a relatively quick and simple install that only requires a couple of tools. In this video, Patrick walks you through the correct way to install your new latch covers.Tools needed:t10 torxt15 torxFind these saddlebag latch covers and more at http://www.jpcycles.com/motorcycle-sa…. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe and like it. Now, go work on your motorcycle.

Editor’s Note: The following tech was written and photographed by the Lucky Devil Metal Works crew who are primarily responsible for the Salt Torpedo build. Kent Weeks and his wife Holly did a helluva job at documenting this process.

I have installed a few gear sets but I think no matter how many times you have done it it’s always a good idea to check out the instructions before getting started. Some manufacturers products are slightly different from each other and sometimes changes have been made to the install process so if nothing else a quick read though never hurts.

JIMS recommends that you have a good manual for the bike as well as a 2002-2005 big twin service manual and parts book for reference, even if you’re a seasoned mechanic this will provide torque specs and exploded views in more detail than a service manual or product install instructions.

With this project we are using a new 2000-2005 FL Harley-Davidson Transmission case, so there was no disassembly required, if your replacing a stock gear set just follow the instructions in the proper H-D service manual.

Normally, when I am installing a gear set in a used case still in the motorcycle, I clean it out with solvent to remove as much oil residue as possible to help the tape stick and make clean-up easier, but this time I went straight to covering all the areas mentioned in the Fat Five instruction manual.

After tape prep was done and I installed the drill plate in the proper location (easy to do with the light engraving notice “this side out”) I used some shop rags to line the inside of the tranny case to catch all the shavings, even though with a dry case it is easier to clean up the mess. As per the instructions I drilled out the shift fork shaft starting with a 3/8-inch drill bit and ending with a ¾-inch drill bit, from there I used an aluminum rotary file in a die grinder to clean up the rest of the material right up to the drill plate.

Once the drill plate was removed I took the edge off the area where the work was done, and while I had the inside taped up, I went ahead and cleaned up some slight casting flaws in and around the shift drum opening to smooth it out.

It is extremely important to take some time with the clean up because it doesn’t take much to trash a new set of bearings! Once I carefully removed the shop rags I used a little solvent and compressed air to blow it out, before removing the tape and basically cleaned it again to be sure there is nothing left behind. Because we are using a new case on a bench it was possible to roll it around and get it right next to godliness, as they say.

Because we are using a 2001-2006 FL tranny case the top cover does not need to be modified for additional clearance, though just for grins I always like to check it anyway just to make sure. It has never hurt me so far, ha-ha!

I did not need to push in a new main drive gear bearing because new Harley cases come with one installed, but if you are working with a high-mileage case you will need to make sure you get this part of the job done right.

(As you might imagine JIMS has just the tool for the job # 35316-80)

For some reason, I have gotten into the habit of installing the shifter shaft before the main drive gear, backwards from the directions and in this situation the countershaft bearing has already been installed at the Harley Factory. To install the Main seal use JIMS tool No.95660-85 with tool # 95660-42 following the service manual instructions, for the drive gear use JIMS tool # 35316-80. The instructions are also covered in the service manual.

For the next step I set the 3rd gear fork and 4th gear into their proper shift rings and laid them down towards the countershaft, so they can clear the case on the way in (the last shift fork is installed after the gear set has been installed into the case).

To get ready for the next step I installed the trap door gasket over the dowel pins on the tranny case and put a little lube inside the main drive gear. The main-shaft has a protective cover over the splines to help protect the seal as it is being installed through the main drive gear, so making sure it was in place until you’re ready to install the clutch basket.

With the gear set installed and trap door in the case and torqued to specs, the last shift fork gets to find it’s way home through the top cover opening and into the proper shift ring. Now the extended shift fork shaft can be installed though the hole in the trap door, all three shift forks and into the left side of the tranny case. It is important to make sure the shift fork shaft has about .020 end-play when you install and tighten the set screw.

Because we have not determined the offset and tooth count for the main drive sprocket yet, I will not finalize the install at this time however I did install the quad seal and main shaft seal spacer. I also fitted the shift drum in place even though I will pull it out to torque the main drive gear in place once we’ve got the right one in hand.

To do so with the shift drum removed, slide all three shift rings so they all engage into mating gears to lock the tranny and keep the gears from turning while the sprocket mounting nut it torqued to spec. From there, the clutch throw out rod assembly and primary drive can be installed followed by the shift drum assembly and side cover.

We’ll get to that later. Also, we have yet to determine if we’ll run a cable or hydraulic actuator to operate the clutch so there will be more to come on this part of the project as shit flies together.

Hang on!

JIMS USA

Paughco

Lucky Devil Metal Works

This is a strange one. I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of numerous businesses in the Chopper Kingdom in my 45 years of drinking Jack Daniels, riding choppers, and chasing redheads. I’ve seen the changes, felt the pain of losing brothers, and watched the Chopper world crumble again in 2008.

Now we look at a used, flashy, billet, Big Dogs with distain, as if they came from another planet. And those 330 rear tires are now replaced with 30-inch front tires. After the economic crash over 75 percent of all aftermarket motorcycle shops died. Okay, so no negative waves. We are still alive to ride another day.

For a glimmering example of the purely positive, a few motorcycle diehards flourished, and Scott Jacobs was one of them. Like a very select group in our niche of niches industry Scott and his family exploded their art business.

In motorcycle circles the mantra isn’t upscale, it’s lowdown and cool, while everyone is struggling to survive. Scott did the same in 2008 and came up smelling like a rose. I’ve blithered his story to many artistic friends, as if I was Tony Robbins giving an upbeat business seminar.

Some will pop open beers and say, “Yeah, so what.” But there is a concrete message here. Scott will admit he’s not the only or the best master motorcycle artist on the block. This story is rampant with several interesting artistic and business success scenarios. Young folks are searching for direction and inspiration. Middle-aged bros who make mistakes, or faced too many divorces, search to redirect their lives. And then there’s the terrible truth for older cats who find themselves in their ‘60s without a pot to piss in and maybe out of work.

Family plays a major part, there’s no denying it. Scott is still married to the beautiful VL queen, Sharon, who along with his entire family, including nephew, Todd work for Scott Jacobs Studio.

Scott became the first H-D licensed artist in 1993 and for 23 years, he is one of the longest running licensees for HDMC. He is now reaching customers in over 90 countries around the world and buys his originals back because he can’t paint them fast enough!

So, he stayed the course with his art, his family and his solid relationship with Harley. When the economic downturn hit, he took it upon himself to explore a new market painting still-life’s of wine bottles and flowers. This new genre lead to a relationship with wineries and ultimately to a series of wine tasting locales, like cruise ships.

He now sells at art auctions on 110 cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Regent, Carnival, and Princess Cruises. It isn’t unlikely for Scott to sell 25-30 originals on each cruise ship he makes an appearance on. Not a bad gig.

His beneficial and supportive attitude includes affording customers the opportunity to enjoy his art originals, limited edition giclees, posters, tin, signs, postcards, t-shirts, and refrigerator magnets. With this mantra in mind he sells hundreds of art pieces of various sizes, shapes, mediums, and prices a month.

Scott is one of Park West Gallery’s, the largest gallery in the world, artists that travel the world every month. He is also involved in 360 auctions a week, including Barrett Jackson Car Auctions. He is represented by Park West Gallery who have 1.4 million customers. Plus Scott and his wife run a Framing Business.

While we toured his home and various facilities, we came across more than 50 originals in progress, one of them being the massive Harley-Davidson 75th Anniversary Sturgis Painting where his daughters, Olivia and Alexa posed on late model Twin Cam Dyna Glides. The demand for Scott’s work has become so great that there is a two-year waiting list for an original. He has 3.5 weeks into the Sturgis Anniversary painting and more detailing time to come.

“The majority of my pieces are motorcycle oriented,” Scott said. “I like painting vintage motorcycle art with a patina over fully restored bikes.”

Here’s another positive thinking business seminar element: Scott is constantly spreading his wings to other mediums, like watercolors, pen and ink, and copper etchings. One of his newest pen and inks was a close up of fellow Cannonball Run racer, Buzz Kanter’s ’36 Harley-Davidson VL tank. To make one-of-a-kind prints, he reprints the original at a smaller scale, then hand watercolors each one for a specific customer.

Since the motor company licenses him, he attends functions at dealerships around the country meeting his fans and teaching the staff how to sell fine motorcycle art to their customers. He also attends several annual events including Sturgis, Daytona, and Arizona Bike Week.

His new efforts at copper etchings are handled the same as the pen and ink drawings, with printed reproductions, hand water colored. It takes 1.5 hours to produce an etching before the color is even added.

“I want to learn every aspect of fine art,” Scott said.

Just about the time I thought we had seen the entire creative spectrum, Scott showed us his mask collection, something primarily for women. These Marti Gras styled mask paintings are hand-painted and airbrushed for soft skin tones. Then they are hand-embellished with gold and silver leaf, glitter, and jewels, which add a unique flash of texture; an interesting twist.

So, there you have it. A 25-year creative soul, family business model for success. Someone said recently to do more than educate, but inspire. I hope Scott’s lesson does just that.

But wait, there’s more. Scott plays drums for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, and a couple of other groups. He’s an avid motorcyclist, active member of the Hamsters USA, and he recently became involved in the Motorcycle Cannonball Run.

Here’s Sharon Jacob’s story:

In 2010, a good friend of mine, Chris Sommer-Simmons was doing a vintage motorcycle race across the country on a 1915 Harley. I didn’t know much about it then, but thought it sounded like an incredible adventure. In 2012, my husband, Scott Jacobs decided to do the race himself, and I figured I would ride along on my new Harley.

Not only had I never ridden a foot clutch or tank shift bike before, I had never ridden any bike 4000 miles at one time. When I saw and felt the bond between the riders, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it next time. We started looking for bikes meeting the criteria for 2014, and found not one, but two 1936 H-D VLH bikes. I chose the 3-speed instead of the 4- speed, and after having it completely restored, I learned how to ride it. That was the easy part.

Day 1 – Seized my pistons! Day 2 – Replaced the pistons with over .070s in an .080 bore, and managed to finish that day! Day 3 – Seized my pistons!!! Yes, really. Thankfully, because we had the other ’36 at home, we stripped the top end, and overnighted it to the hotel. My mechanics changed everything out within 3 hours.

Unfortunately, I had lost two full days because we had to wait until Monday to ship, so although I was out of contention, I wanted to finish what I started.

I crossed the finish line after 17 days, (the last 12 days with a perfect score) and not only was it a physical accomplishment, but also an emotional and personal victory!

When Lonnie announced the 2016 Century Race, I started looking for the next machine to conquer this feat. Watch me in 2016 where I’ll be riding a 1915 Harley-Davidson F11 with my wonderful and supportive Cannonball Family. Can’t wait!!!

SO Excited!!!

–Sharon
Scott Jacobs Studio
Art Gallery & Framing
www.scottjacobsstudio.com
FB: Scott Jacobs Studio
760-510-9913

The word giclée was adopted by Jack Duganne, a printmaker working at Nash Editions. He wanted a name for the new type of prints they were producing on the IRIS printer, a large-format, high-resolution industrial prepress proofing inkjet printer they had adapted for fine-art printing. He was specifically looking for a word that would not have the negative connotations of “inkjet” or “computer generated”. It is based on the French word gicleur, which means “nozzle” (the verb form gicler means “to squirt, spurt, or spray”). 

This is a strange one, but then the light went on. Shige owns MOONEYES USA and Japan. He’s a busy guy. He’s owned MOONEYES for 23 years and is active in the custom car and motorcycle market. He’s in the process of taking one his vintage dragsters and hauling it to the salt flats.

“I’m not builder, sorry,” Shige said. “I love bikes since I was 16; since then, I always have some bikes with me. However, I’m car guy too, mainly a car guy who loves motorcycle.”

MOON EQUIPMENT COMPANY INFORMATION:
Mooneyes products and logos are an indelible part of Hot Rod nostalgia, easily recognizable to gearheads and novices alike. “We take pride in producing high quality products that look great and get the job done right,” said Shige.

“Mooneyes produces Moon tanks, Moon discs, and valve covers right on site in our Machine Shop. We also supply various parts and accessories for hot rods, rat rods, and kustom creations, as well as an expanding line of motorcycle products.”

Located in the same place since it all started back in the 1950s, MOONEYES remains in Santa Fe Springs, California.

www.thefactorymetalworks.com

“This bike was built for a featured builder spot in the Hot Rod Custom show Yokohama 2012,” said Lucas, from The Factory. They specialize in very sharp custom Triumphs.

“Shige and I have been friends for awhile,” Lucas continued. “Mooneyes carries some of our parts in their store and catalog. I consider Chico and Shige family. They have been big supporters of my company for awhile now.”

“We basically only do Triumph and BSA bikes. We have about a 40 percent international clientele. I build bikes for customers all over the world.” 

“We usually don’t take in basket case bikes to finish. We build complete bikes from scratch then sell them. I won’t take on a project. I try and only work with things we have assembled or built.”

“I met Lucas some time ago,” said Shige. “He is well skilled builder specializing in Triumph. I asked him to build a unit motor with hardtail equipped Triumph, but I wanted the hardtail shorter than what you see on the market. To me, it’s too long and not good balance. He did a super job and made a nice, clean, sleek Triumph we called ‘MOON Machine’.”

“This is the style I like; not too fancy, not like original but look original,” said Shige.

“I asked Lucas to cut the original fuel tank and make it skinny, but still maintain the original styling.”

The paint was done by the legendary painter, Bill Carter. “Design was initiated by me,” said Shige, “ and he painted it based with my design, including my colors.”

“No immediate goals for me. I just want to do what I like,” said Shige. “I just never end or stop. That’s my goal.”

GENERAL

Owner: Shige Shuganuma
Machine name: MOON Machine
Fabrication: The Factory Metal Works (TFMW)
Year/Make: 1964 Triumph 650
Builder: Lucas Joyner, owner of The Factory Metal Works
thefactorymetalworks@yahoo.com
1-888-308-6641
291 spring st sw
Concord, NC 28025
Model: 650 Tiger
Assembly: The Factory Metal Works

Shop info:

MOONEYES USA, Inc.
10820 S NORWALK BLVD
SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA 90670
USA

Telephone:
Toll Free: 1-800 547-5422
International/Direct Line: 562 944-6311
Fax: 562 946-2961

Year/Model: 1964 Tiger
Rebuilder: Bob Donabedian
Ignition: Pazon Electronic Ignition
Displacement: 650cc
Lower end: Stock
Balancing: Stock
Connecting rod: Stock
Pistons:. .040 over
Cases: Polished

Heads: Polished Single Carb Tiger
Rocker Arms: Stock
Rocker Covers: TFMW Alloy Covers
Cylinders:stock .040 over
Cam: Stock
Lifters: Stock
Pushrods: Stock
Valves: Stock
Valve Springs: Stock
Carb(s): Amal 930 Polished
Air Cleaner: Bubble Velocity Stack

Pipes: TFMW Rippled Drag Pipes

TRANSMISSION

Year: 1964
Shifting: 4-speed
Modification: stock
Clutch: stock
Primary: chain

Molding: Bill Carter
Painter: Bill Carter
Color/Type: Black
Special Paint: Designed by MOONEYES Studio

Year: TFMW 2012
Type:tfmw Stock Style Repop Front Loop
Modifications: Stock Style
Swingarm: Bolt on 3 Stretch and 3 Drop TFMW/MOONEYES Version Hardtail

Bars: TFMW T140 Style Chrome 1 inch
Handlebar Controls: UK Style Levers Chrome
Risers: Built in to Bars
Grips: White Vintage
FrontFender: None
RearFender: Barons Speed Shop 5-inch Wassell

FenderStruts: TFMW Chrome Struts

Headlight: MOONEYES/ Cole Foster
Taillight: Red Bullet Taillight
Dash: None
Meters: None
Electrics: TFMW

Foot Controls: Rippled TFMW Stock Repop Chrome Pegs
Pegs: Barons White Foot Peg
Gas Tank: Narrowed Stock Triumph Tank with Ribbed Center

Oil Tank: MOONEYES / TFMW Original Vertical Triumph Oil Tank Polished
Oil System: Morgo Pump
Seat: TFMW Vintage White
Sissy Bar: None
Mirrors: None

Type: Triumph Pre-Unit Conventional Dropped 3 inches with TFMW Rippled Fork Covers
Maker: Triumph
Builder: TFMW
Triple Tree: Stock Triumph

FRONT
Type: 21 Chrome Laced to a Chrome Tiger Cub Hub
Size: WM1 rim
Tire: 2.75×21 Avon Speedmaster
Brake Discs: None
Brake Caliper: None

REAR
Type: 19-inch Chrome Rear Laced to a Stock Triumph Spool Chrome Hub
Size: WM2
Tire: 3.50×19 Avon Speedmaster
Brake Discs: None
Brake Caliper: None