Book Review: Honda Enthusiasts Guide Motorcycles 1959-1985
By Bandit |


The Skeleton Board Track Custom
By Bandit |
This is an interesting feature bike built by Hiroyuki Hirata from Japan. I see it as another unrideable board track styled bike, and he sees it as a skeleton with wheels. Interesting.
Let me know your thoughts on board track styled bikes. I love them from a purely artistic side. They are the coolest custom motorcycle configuration on the planet. They represent history, style, speed, and performance, but they are not exactly rideable. This summer I flew out to Milwaukee for the Biker Pros custom bike show at the 110th Harley-Davidson celebration, just outside the Harley-Davidson Museum. The show was packed with board track styled customs, but the majority of the spectators were stock H-D riders.
I was curious. It was like two worlds under a tent. I wondered if these riders could, or wanted to relate to this custom configuration? What do you think? I love the board track configuration from a purely simplistic artistic standpoint. Bobbers you can ride, and brothers rode choppers for years, but you won’t see a group of board track race styled customs meeting at the bar. Hell, some don’t have headlights.
If you’re like me, you dig the cool factor. I asked Hiroyuki a few question. We sent the questions to Japan, where he answered each question carefully in Japanese, and then we had to translate his answers. I hope we got ‘em right?
Tell us about your shop with some history and your goals for next year?
It was established in 1990 as a body shop. Around 1998, I started customizing Harley-Davidson motorcycles and in 2000, I also established BB as a separate company. At this time, we are specializing in customizing motorcycles as well as old American cars. We want to continue working like this. My goal for next year is to present a motorcycle in a show in America again.
How is the chopper world in Japan from the lifestyle and business sides?
It seems that Japanese youth prefer “chopper style” and “bobber” New shops are being opened by young people/generation but old shops are getting closed.
How did this bike come about?
It came from customer’s order/request
It seems to be a mix of board track, billet, metallic, and swoop. What was the design driver?
I saw a design that is common for T-shirts, etc., the design/painting of a skeleton holding a wheel. I liked it so I made a motorcycle – the idea is that the skeleton has a wheel attached to its hands and legs.
What’s happening in Japan from the design and style side?
The main trend is HOT ROD or bobber style. But the trend comes back/changes, so I think it will change again. I’m thinking Digger design and Chopper design, which is classic, will come back in style again.
What’s the future for this bike?
Will be with a customer who will take good care of it!
What’s on your plate from a builder’s standpoint?
I make my motorcycles based on what I see in everyday life. I get my ideas and inspirations from things that have nothing to do with motorcycles sometimes.
There you have it. He made a good point. Everything changes constantly, so get ready. So don’t sweat the small stuff, it’s all gonna change anyway. Have a good time, enjoy the creative spirit and build whatever you want, whenever you want.
BIKERNET EXTREME AKIRA TECH CHART
Owner: Akira Tsukagawa
Address: Tokyo, Japan
Website: http://customfactorybb.com/
E Mail: cfbb@go8.enjoy.ne.jp
The Skeleton Board Track Custom
Make: Harley Davidson
Year: 1947
Model: FL
Type: Knucklehead
Year: 1947
Fabrication: Custom Factory BB
Finish: Custom Factory BB
Time: 6 months
Hardware: Custom Factory BB
Assembly: Custom Factory BB
Assembler: Hiroyuki Hirata
Value: $100,000
Clutch: OEM Rebuild
ENGINE:
Type: Knucklehead
Displacement: 1200cc
Year: 1947
Horsepower: Untested
Heads: OEM
Valves: OEM Rebuild
Pistons: OEM Rebuild
Cylinders: OEM Rebuild
Camshaft: OEM
Lifters: OEM Rebuild
Pushrods: OEM Rebuild
Carburetor/Injection: Linkert
Air Cleaner: Custom Factory BB
Transmission: OEM
Ignition: DynaS
Exhaust: Custom Factory BB
Mufflers: Custom Factory BB
Finish: Custom Factory BB
Fasteners/Hardware: OEM Rebuild
Frame:
Type: Custom Factory BB Original
Year: 2009
Builder: Hiroyuki Hirata
Shocks: Springer Front, Rigid Rear
Modifications: Almost everything
Forks:
Type: W&W VL Springer Fork
Year: 2009
Builder: Hiroyuki Hirata
Finish: Custom Purple/ Black paint
Wheels
Front:
Rim: Arlen Ness
Size: 23-inch x3.5-inch
Hub: 360 Degree Brake
Builder: Arlen Ness
Finish: Polished Aluminum
Fender: None
Tire: Avon
Brake: 360-Degree Brake
Rear:
Rim: Arlen Ness
Size: 23 x 3.5-inch
Brake: 360-Degree Brake
Builder: Arlen Ness (Custom Assemble Requested)
Finish: Polished Aluminum
Fender: None
Tire: Avon
Hub: 360-Degree Brake
What Connects you to the bike:
Handlebars: Custom Factory BB
Risers: None
Headlights: Drag Specialties
Taillights: Custom Factory BB Original
Turn Signals F/R: None
Speedometer: None
Tachometer: None
Gauges: None
Electrics: Custom Factory BB Original
Seat: Cherry Kobo
Footrest F/R: Custom Factory BB Original
Oil Tank: Custom Factory BB Original
Fuel Tank(s): Custom Factory BB Original
Paint, Chrome:
Colors: Pearl Purple
Special Paint: Wild Man Isshi (Pin Striper)
The Painter: Custom Factory BB
Address: 8-9 Kanonhonmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, Japan 733-0037
Chrome: Kurokawa Chrome
Powder Coating: Custom Factory BB
Color: Black Powder Coating
Work by: Hiroyuki Hirata

NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS for December 2013
By Bandit |






NEW YORK ULTIMATE BUILDER SHOW REPORT–Lights, camera ACTION!
By Bandit |

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Results from the 2013 Ultimate Builder in NY.
ABATE’s New Orleans Toy Run
By Bandit |












Scooter Tramp Scotty Visits the French Quarter in New Orleans
By Bandit |
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Sturgis Museum Find: A Classic ’38 Chop
By Bandit |
This 1938 Knucklehead was put together with lots of found parts – some of which were original. Gillette, Wyoming builder Gary Garlick purchased the ’38 EL motor in Idaho where it was also rebuilt. Gary and his children and nephews then went to Green River Wyoming to purchase an early model Knucklehead frame and oil bag.
The transmission was from a 1953 Panhead. The 2003 FL Springer was purchased off of E-Bay from a man in California, and the Speedometer was an original purchased from a meticulous collector out of Canada.
The gas tank petcock 1973 valve is an OEM part from Harley’s AMF years. Gary’s two children, Hanna Rose and Arron James spent many hours helping their dad put the bike together – and occasionally listening to him rant about the trouble he was having with it.
This project is actually a three-generation project since Gary’s mom Dora Jean – who now owns the bike – handled the lettering on the tank. Besides family, Gary says he had lots of assistance from friends and professionals who helped make parts fit, did painting and contributed nuts, bolts and wiring harnesses.
In all, the project took two years to complete.
The Derringer Cycle Dream Needs a Kick Start
By Bandit |

EDITOR’S NOTE: I stumbled into a little classy shop on Melrose, in Hollywood one day a few years back. It contained a half dozen Whizzer-styled bicycles with two-stroke motors attached. The bikes were designed to look like something out of the ‘30s. They had a style Whizzer missed, details, and looked very clean. The shop contained elements of art-deco styling, and although the brand and the products were not antique, they gave you the sense of classic motorcycling history.
This scenario smacked of a couple of life’s experiences. Like a guy who took a very plain stock car from the ‘60s, stripped it some, lowered it, and changed the wheels. Suddenly, he drove a cool sled. The other scenario involved performance, sorta like the cool board track show bike. It’s cool, but it won’t function much. So, there I was, standing in this cool shop on one of the major shopping boulevards in Los Angeles. I knew I wasn’t likely to ride one of these impractical puppies more than a couple of miles, but I wanted one. I tried to make a deal with the owner, since I wasn’t about to pay $4000 for a spindly bicycle with a Chinese engine strapped in it. Hell, I could make one in an afternoon.
The owner/designer, Adrian Van Anz, didn’t bite on my deal, and I didn’t have four grand burning a hole in my pocked. Hell, with four large, I could buy a complete Harley Evo or aftermarket driveline and build a motorcycle I could ride for a couple of decades. I was still intrigued, so I tripped out when I ran into Derringer motorcycles in the back of the new ARCH motorcycle facility near the LAX airport. The Derringer company had been taken over by a new group. Here’s their history:
Derringer was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles. Early models featured two-stroke engines, classic springer forks, Brooks saddles, and frames with a classic beach cruiser look. The bikes were very popular, since buyers could design their own color scheme and choose from a variety of components to get a one-of-a-kind bike.
With the next generation, we moved to four-stroke engines with a centrifugal clutch and pull start to make it smoother, quieter, more fuel efficient, and more user friendly. Next, we moved to an in-house designed frame with elegant flowing curves, welded-in engine mounts, and custom machined pistol shaped dropouts. The rear sprocket was redesigned and machined from billet aluminum.
We have done bikes with hand-leafed copper and custom-made tanks, matched bikes to customers’ cars, and even built a bike to match a customer’s yacht. Bikes have been shipped all over the world, from Switzerland to Taiwan. Many of our customers asked about an electric version, since it would involve very little maintenance and be more friendly to those that are less mechanically inclined.
A couple years ago, we built two one-off electric bikes, one based on the look of the gas version, and another with a stretched frame and more board track style tank. While they were a good start, I wanted something that was between the two. I adapted the frame from the gas bike and designed a custom housing for the battery that sits under the top tube of the frame, and is styled after the board track fuel tanks. I wanted it to be as clean and clutter-free as possible, so I hid the motor controller in a box styled like the oil tanks and tool boxes on some board track racers. We want to keep as much of the production in the US as we can for now.
If we can successfully fund the Kickstarter, production should be in full swing by April. Once we finish delivery on all of the Kickstarter bikes, I have a few ideas for other models that I’d like to build. We have quite a bit of interest in Europe, so we might look to start manufacturing a model specific to the European market with a partner over there.
Now they are on this mission to build a hot-looking, efficient electric bicycle. A lot of their previous customers were like me. He or she wanted one for the artistic value and the cool antique look without spending $50,000 to a million on a true classic motorcycle. So where does that customer go when it comes to electric?
I spoke to Bryce Casey, the man who hopes to be building these bikes for years to come. He doesn’t own the company, but he’s Geppetto, the guy who devoted his life to the success of Derringer bikes, and he believes in them. Here’s their pitch from the Kick Start effort. We wish them the best:




The motor controller resides in a vented enclosure styled after the rear-mounted oil tanks and tool boxes on early vintage motorcycles. For Heritage and Signature Series bikes, the battery and controller housings will be fabricated from a combination of glass fiber composite and aluminum in San Diego, CA, and painted to match the powder-coated frame. Bespoke Series bikes feature enclosures with full aluminum construction, made in Santa Rosa, CA, and available with a brushed or painted finish. The Derringer Electric also incorporates a classically styled chromoly springer fork with an IS disc brake mount and a 1 1/8” threadless steerer for a wide range of component options.

•Range estimates are based on a 170-lb rider traveling on flat ground at a constant speed of 20 mph, without pedaling. Many factors will affect actual range, including: rider weight, hills, and speed.
•Power figures are maximum system output at the nominal battery voltage. Many things will affect actual watts, including: rider weight, hills, battery state of charge, and speed.
Component Supply – We rely on our suppliers for a constant supply of components that can keep up with production. If some key parts go out of stock, this has the potential to delay some aspects of production. We are working with all domestic suppliers to ensure that there is always plenty of information on stock, and so that potential problems can be dealt with in a timely manner by experienced individuals.
Bryce Casey
Derringer Cycles
Main: 323.813.1920
3100 Donald Douglas Loop North #202
Santa Monica, CA 90405
New Women’s Clothing from Bikers Choice
By Bandit |
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- Fully-lined leather vest features a zip front closure
- Nubuck accents give this vest a timeless look
- Power stretch panels at the waist provide a more comfortable fit and freedom of movement when riding
- 2 front, on-seam pockets give room for essentials
- Includes 2-year manufacturer’s warranty


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- 2 front shoulder intake vents and 2 vertical rear exhaust vents allow maximum air flow
- The removable, insulated, fully-sleeved warm liner has a built-in pocket for most mobile device
- Waist side tabs offer an adjustable fit
- Snap closure tab collar provides a secure fit
- 1 Zippered placket pocket inside allows easy access to important contents
- Includes 2-year manufacturer’s warranty



- Cocona® waterproof breathable shell
- D3O® T-5 Evo Pro armor at shoulders, elbows and back
- Waterproof zipper treatments throughout
- Inner cuff wrist gaiter


Harry’s Oldstyle Bikeshow, Mount Alford, Queensland, Australia
By Bandit |
















