Mark Fiedler got his first motorcycle, a Kawasaki dirt bike, about 15 years ago, but he’s getting older now and he’s looking for something a little more comfortable – and unique.

So he set out to build his own custom motorcycle.

That, whether you know it or not, is a time-consuming and expensive proposition.

Fiedler, 39, a machinist by trade, bought what he called a straight-up chopper frame from a licensed frame builder in Florida. The frame, he points out, has an MSO number – that stands for manufacturer’s statement of origin.

He picked out the kind of engine he wanted, and the transmission. He had to fabricate some of the body parts himself.

After a year and a half and about $20,000, he had a completed motorcycle with a candy tangerine paint job, all kinds of chrome and lots of custom made pieces.

“Nobody else has that style,” Fiedler said. “It’s unique. I just wanted a cruiser, the kind of thing that would turn heads.”

In a way, despite all the time and money he put into the bike, Fiedler got a bargain of sorts. Big Dog, a motorcycle maker, would charge $25,000 for a bike like his, he said, and some other makers might charge up to $60,000.

“It’s cheaper to build it yourself,” he said.

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People from various backgrounds got a glimpse into motorcycling history on Saturday, April 13th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Bikes of Days Gone By, a vintage motorcycle show was held in Historic Downtown Melbourne and featured antique motorcycles dating from 1978 and earlier.

 The show is put on by Jim Kuhman and is co-sponsored by Sinclair Law Offices and Matt’s Kasbah. –Rogue

A classic:

Hot Leathers Rolls into Florida for the Leesburg 17th Annual Bike Fest April 26-28 and Laughlin NV April 24-28

Hot Leathers rolls into Leesburg, FL as an event sponsor for Leesburg 16th Annual Bike Fest. With a hot three-day weekend packed full of events and activities April 26-28, 2013, you can be sure that Hot Leathers will have all the gear you need. Come join Hot Leathers and Leesburg Bike Fest for another great year of outstanding riding in central of Florida. Leesburg is very close to the breathtaking Ocala National Forest and between three of the region's most picturesque and welcoming lakes, making it a great place to ride.

Hot Leathers is proud to be a sponsor of this renowned bike festival, and this long weekend is sure to be an amazing experience for bikers from all over the U.S. You'll also find a full slate of entertainment, including an impressive array of bikes, poker runs for charity, and bands, including Stephen Percy, Candlebox, The Outlaws and Nova Rex. Take in the tattoo expo, some classic biker games, hot body contests all weekend or visit great spots like the Rat Hole's Custom Bike Show.

Leesburg Bike Fest hours are 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday thru Sunday. Admission to events and entry fees for participation in competitions vary. Motorcycles only on the downtown streets during the event, and Park N' Ride services will be available.

In addition Hot Leathers is ready to roll into the Regency Casino in Laughlin, NV. With five days packed full of events and activities April 24-28, 2013, you can be sure that Hot Leathers will have all the gear you need. Come ride the historic US Route 66 and take in all the sites in and around Laughlin, NV.

Hot Leathers' impressive selection of merchandise will be showcased at Leesburg and Laughlin so bikers can find great merchandise and ride in style everywhere they go. So if you're planning on heading to Florida for all the festivities, or Laughlin make sure to keep an eye out for the distinctive and sizzling styles of Hot Leathers one-of-a-kind merchandise.

Be sure to "Like" Hot Leathers on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/hotleathers. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/HotLeathers.

Stop into the new Indian Motorcycle dealership just south of the North 27th Street exit on Interstate 80 and you might still see some remnants of the space's former tenant, a Quizno's sub shop.

For instance, General Manager Justin Vandevort has his office in the former drive-through window.

"You've got to have a sense of humor," Vandevort said, joking.

The shop, which used to be at the Nebraska Crossing outlet mall in Gretna, had to move at the end of December because the mall is being torn down so a new one can be built.

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Careless motorists as well as riders get special scrutiny

The City of Norwalk, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department are conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur. Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes. They will be cracking down on both those operating regular vehicles and motorcycles who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, making illegal turns, or any other dangerous violation.

Motorcycle fatalities saw a phenomenal drop of 37 percent from 2008 to 2010, but rose nearly 18 percent in 2011. Operations like this are aimed at curbing any more rises in motorcycle deaths and sending the numbers back downward.

In the City of Norwalk, there were 16 motorcycle-involved collisions in 2011, with one fatality and 15 injuries. In 2012, the number of collisions rose to 21, but the number of fatalities dropped to zero, with number of injuries dropping to 13.

California collision data reveals that primary causes of motorcycle-involved crashes include speeding, unsafe turning and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs.

The Norwalk Sheriff’s Department is also reminding all motorists to always be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and changing lanes.

As the economy turns upward, there will likely be more miles driven by all vehicles, plus more novice motorcycle riders who are untrained and unable to handle the power of today’s motorcycles. The message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: share in the responsibility and do your part by safely “sharing the road.” Riders can get training through the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at www.CA-msp.org or 1-877 RIDE 411 or 1-877-743-3411.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The AMA "Fuel for Thought" lobbying day will be held Wednesday, June 19, in Washington, D.C.        

E15 is a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol by volume, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hasn't approved its use in motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles. The EPA has approved its use in 2001-and-new light-duty vehicles, which include cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles, however.

 "We've repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and ATV engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15, which is now becoming available at gas stations," said Danielle Fowles, AMA grassroots coordinator.

Freedom Friday is a special call-to-action to alert motorcyclists about important issues that pose a threat to motorcycling freedoms. Riders can take part in a contest related to the issue and win prizes. Each week's Freedom Friday photo contest asks AMA members to send a photo of themselves, preferably with their bike, near a symbol of the current topic. 

The issue that kicks off today is E15 fuel safety and the "Fuel for Thought" lobbying day on June 19 in Washington, D.C. The issue can be illustrated with a photo of a motorcyclist near a gas pump or station that sells E15 or, if not available, other blends. Photo(s) and the AMA member number should be sent to grassroots@ama-cycle.org to be entered in the contest. For entry details, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/riding/goride/contestdetails.

 Freedom Friday contest entrants have two chances to win. Two photo winners will be announced and each will receive an AMA gift bag and a BikeBandit gift card. Contest entrants will also be entered in a month-end drawing with great prizes, including a Shoei helmet, Tour Master Intake jacket, and Cortech tank bags, courtesy of AMA partner Helmet House.

 The "Fuel for Thought" lobbying day is modeled after the AMA's highly successful Capitol Hill Climb kids' dirtbike lobbying day held on Washington, D.C. on May 26, 2011. The AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb brought hundreds of young motorcyclists, their parents and concerned riders to Washington, D.C., to meet with their lawmakers. The event was a strong demonstration of public opposition to a ban on the sale of kid-sized dirtbikes and ATVs and helped overturn the ban.

 "It's very important for motorcyclists who will be attending the "AMA Fuel for Thought" lobbying day to let us know that they are coming so that we can arrange meetings with their lawmakers," Fowles said. "That will also help us get needed information to participants, such as where to park at the Capitol."

 Go to www.americanmotorcyclist.com and www.facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist for more details about Freedom Friday and the 2013 AMA Go Ride! Month.

According to Polk data, in 2012, for the fifth straight year, Harley-Davidson was the number one seller of new street motorcycles (all engine sizes) in the United States to young adults ages 18-34, women, African-Americans and Hispanics, as well as Caucasian men ages 35 plus. The newly available data shows that Harley-Davidson experienced a double-digit market share gain from 2008 to 2012 in the U.S. with these customer groups.

Harley-Davidson Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer attributes the company's success to its unique purpose. "We don't just build motorcycles. We fuel personal freedom," said Richer. "The desire for individual expression draws customers from all walks of life because it's a universal, human value that transcends cultures, generations and history."

A DIVERSE FAMILY OF RIDERS

In 2012, sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew in each of the company's key U.S. customer segments. Altogether, Harley-Davidson's U.S. sales to young adults, women, African Americans and Hispanics grew at more than twice the rate of sales to Caucasian men 35 plus.

According to the Polk data, for street motorcycles (all engine sizes):

   — Harley-Davidson attracts more U.S. young adults, ages 18-34, than any 

      other motorcycle brand in the U.S., and in 2012 sold nearly twice as many 

      new street motorcycles to young adults as its nearest competitor. 

   — The company sold more new street motorcycles in 2012 to women in the U.S. 

      than all other brands combined. 

   — Harley-Davidson sold nearly half of all new street motorcycles purchased 

      by African-Americans and Hispanics respectively in the U.S. in 2012. 

"It's more than an adage that almost no two Harley-Davidson motorcycles are alike," added Richer. "The same is true for our customers. Members of our community come from all different cultures, backgrounds and generations, and their shared attitude about life is the tie that binds."

 

We threw the ’68 in the back of his ’53, and drove for miles on unpaved hilly roads until we came into a little town strewn with ‘50s stucco homes, on ½ acre plots containing big shop buildings, some tin, plopped behind. On the winding way, the mountain introduced himself as JD George, and said he made a living restoring rare old Harley-Davidsons, along with a few other makes most people haven’t heard of in a100 years.

I listened intently as George pulled into a neighborhood of single story clapboard and stucco homes and deep lots. He wasn’t kidding when he said old. The first thing in the shop he showed me was a pair of 8-valve heads he reproduced based on Bill Ottaway’s design for early teens Harley-Davidson factory racers. From there it was just a string of older, and older Harley parts until we came upon a complete ’06 Harley motor George, and his friend Chuck reproduced almost entirely from scratch.

Second to watching the perky blonde jiggling braless under a shorty top, the thing that really grabbed my distracted vision was the array of customized old JDs parked everywhere. When I asked George what the story was, he chuckled, and said he built the bikes from slightly blemished parts his ultra-finicky vintage customers wouldn’t begin to consider putting on their immaculate show restorations. George went on to say because he could build the JDs any way he wanted to, they were an enjoyable form of expression.

JD finished the blue ’29 JD with spray cans and did a helluva job with the 86-inch stroker. To get the big inches, George trued up a set of early ‘20s Harley-Davidson factory cheater wheels for the bottom end. He made offset rocker-arms, and towers for the punched-out top end, giving it a more radical rocker-arm ratio.

For ignition a Fairbanks Morse magneto he snagged a ’59 XLCH unit was adapted. Also sourced from the ’59 Sporty are the fenders, with a ’34 Dodge fender light housing the basis for George’s custom Tombstone mount on the rear. The JD springer front end is also a JD George special custom adapted with an Earle’s style leading-link fork. The advantage to the Earle’s fork is the front end lifts under hard braking instead of diving—crazy.

Moving onto the green ’26 JD flat-tracker it’s a replica George built around a frame he built from scratch. He fabricated the Jawa front forks to resemble a Merkel racer. The wheels, tires, and sprocket are also Jawa. George bought them new from Cody Racing Products in Garden Grove, California. For power George built a 61-inch JD motor to racing specs.

The not so faithful reproduction of the Captain America bike is a ’21 JD, George built it with previously modified parts he scrounged up. (We are hoping Krylon will kick loose with a photo.)

The next morning George swapped me a good 65A, 12-volt generator for the tired generator my ’68 fried, and I was on my way — right after I spent over 5 bucks a gallon for gas that is, and took one more longing look at the bubbly blonde.

— Krylon John

 

We threw the ’68 in the back of his ’53, and drove for miles on unpaved hilly roads until we came into a little town strewn with ‘50s stucco homes, on ½ acre plots containing big shop buildings, some tin, plopped behind. On the winding way, the mountain introduced himself as JD George, and said he made a living restoring rare old Harley-Davidsons, along with a few other makes most people haven’t heard of in a100 years.

I listened intently as George pulled into a neighborhood of single story clapboard and stucco homes and deep lots. He wasn’t kidding when he said old. The first thing in the shop he showed me was a pair of 8-valve heads he reproduced based on Bill Ottaway’s design for early teens Harley-Davidson factory racers. From there it was just a string of older, and older Harley parts until we came upon a complete ’06 Harley motor George, and his friend Chuck reproduced almost entirely from scratch.

Second to watching the perky blonde jiggling braless under a shorty top, the thing that really grabbed my distracted vision was the array of customized old JDs parked everywhere. When I asked George what the story was, he chuckled, and said he built the bikes from slightly blemished parts his ultra-finicky vintage customers wouldn’t begin to consider putting on their immaculate show restorations. George went on to say because he could build the JDs any way he wanted to, they were an enjoyable form of expression.

JD finished the blue ’29 JD with spray cans and did a helluva job with the 86-inch stroker. To get the big inches, George trued up a set of early ‘20s Harley-Davidson factory cheater wheels for the bottom end. He made offset rocker-arms, and towers for the punched-out top end, giving it a more radical rocker-arm ratio.

For ignition a Fairbanks Morse magneto he snagged a ’59 XLCH unit was adapted. Also sourced from the ’59 Sporty are the fenders, with a ’34 Dodge fender light housing the basis for George’s custom Tombstone mount on the rear. The JD springer front end is also a JD George special custom adapted with an Earle’s style leading-link fork. The advantage to the Earle’s fork is the front end lifts under hard braking instead of diving—crazy.

Moving onto the green ’26 JD flat-tracker it’s a replica George built around a frame he built from scratch. He fabricated the Jawa front forks to resemble a Merkel racer. The wheels, tires, and sprocket are also Jawa. George bought them new from Cody Racing Products in Garden Grove, California. For power George built a 61-inch JD motor to racing specs.

The not so faithful reproduction of the Captain America bike is a ’21 JD, George built it with previously modified parts he scrounged up. (We are hoping Krylon will kick loose with a photo.)

The next morning George swapped me a good 65A, 12-volt generator for the tired generator my ’68 fried, and I was on my way — right after I spent over 5 bucks a gallon for gas that is, and took one more longing look at the bubbly blonde.

— Krylon John

Okay, once in a while we stumble across something beyond cool. In this case it's all about JD Harley-Davidsons and someone who makes old parts sing again.

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