The 9th Annual David Mann Chopper Fest glistened in the California coastal sunlight December 9, 2012 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California. From the very first Chopper Fest held December 12, 2004, shortly after David passed away on September 11, earlier that year there has always been an exhibit of David Mann’s original, and reproduced artwork included with Chopper Fest celebrations.



The format for 2011’s 8th Annual Chopper Fest David Mann Art Exhibit varied slightly with an invitation sent to one of David’s close friends to exhibit his original abstract art inspired by his relationship with David Mann’s work. This slight deviation from the schedule of years past sparked the beginnings for an exciting new addition to Chopper Fest 2012. The 9th Annual Chopper Fest will embrace an invitational art exhibit featuring America’s best known motorcycle lifestyle artists, and photographers including Tom Fritz, David Uhl, Eric Hermann, Michael Lichter, Kim Peterson, Jeff Decker, Jack Knight, James Bondo with the original Ghostrider bike, and John Gilbert.



Each artist exhibiting at Chopper Fest has a unique style, with an equally different story about how they got started. In the first of a Bikernet series on the artists exhibiting at Chopper Fest we got a chance to interview Jack Knight the artist best known to Bikernet readers for his centerspread paintings in Supercycle.



Bikernet: Jack, thank you for taking the time to share with Bikernet readers the story of your art. I guess the first question would be when did you start painting, and what was the subject matter that you liked to paint the most?

Jack Knight: I do not remember ever not painting or drawing. As a child I drew everything I could. The biker stuff was really popular in grade school and we drew a lot of that. I was very into the Sci fi art in my younger years. Subject matter is not important. It is more about the challenge for me to make it interesting, whatever it is I am painting. It is all about putting paint down on canvas, panels, metal etc., whatever I happen to be working on at the time.



Bikernet: Yeah, I think a lot of us gearhead types with an artistic bent drew flames, or car stuff on our schoolwork as kids. After grade school did you pursue a formal art education, or are you completely self-taught?

Jack Knight: I went from high school into college studying art without any thought of anything else. While in junior college I worked in a factory, so I had the experience of working in a spray booth with a whole range of industrial coatings and equipment. I learned a lot about plastics, mostly resins and such. I was very intrigued by all the different paints, lacquers, urethanes, epoxies, etc. To this day I try and stay up with the variety and numbers paint formulas, which seems to be constantly increasing.



Bikernet: Have you been able to support yourself through the years with your art alone, or have there been other jobs — I’m thinking like how actors work at whatever jobs they can get until acting pays off, and they can focus purely on acting.

Jack Knight: Painting and Illustration is all I have ever done up until almost two years ago. I currently teach painting classes at a number of Michael’s stores in Aliso Viejo, Buena Park, Huntington Beach, Orange and Santa Ana through Grumbacher. I also do a number of painting events, my own and through Grumbacher for places like Art Supply Warehouse and various Aaron Brothers which are a whole hell of a lot of fun. I find it extremely satisfying to share the thing you love most with others.

In January with the aid of a grant through the Picerene Foundation I am starting an Art Program at the Goals Organization in Anaheim catering to the needs of the poorest members of the community, who would otherwise not have the exposure to a more formal art education.



Bikernet: Canvas, panels, metal, it sounds like you have worked with all kinds of media. Have you ever custom painted a tank frame and fenders for a motorcycle?

Jack Knight: Tanks and Fenders yes but never a frame, a few Cars, a bus for the city of Huntington Beach, a motorcycle parts trailer, a couple of boats and even a Helicopter once, and also along with several odd bits here and there over the years. I like to think that if it stands still long enough I can find a way to paint it.



Bikernet: How did you come across the opportunity to paint centerspreads in Supercycle? Do you remember what year you started with Supercycle?

Jack Knight: I did a couple of Illustrations for Big Bike which was being revived (it only lasted a short time). I was also painting covers for a computer magazine called Hard Copy and artwork for a mail order leather shop, plus bumper stickers (which I thought would never sell ) but were all over the damn place.

Steve saw that stuff and contacted me. Since I also had a background in Architectural Illustration , it was an easy matter for me to do the technical illustrations for the parts business. That was about 1981.

Those were fun, if busy times. I always got along well with Steve and we have remained good friends up until this day.



Bikernet: Hustler’s Larry Flynt started Hustler Biker and tanked it, and then went on to buy Supercycle from Steve Nelson, and then Flynt tanked Supercycle? Do you recall those times and if so can you share any memories with us?

Jack Knight: Steve sold out to Flynt and was supposed to continue on as an advisor, but I don’t believe the new editor Elliot was on board with that. I was doing freelance work with Hustler in those days and did a few centerspreads before they cut me lose. I still did a lot of work for the Nostalgia Cycle Riders guide. They got rid of the writers and photographers, and the circulation dropped so the magazine was killed by Flynt. Flynt continued to handle the distribution for the Nostalgia Catalog.

After Flynt tanked Supercycle the magazine’s remnants were scooped up by Paisano Publishing and then rolled into Easyriders’ sister publication Biker, turning Biker into Biker / Supercycle. Did you produce work for Supercycle while Flynt, or Paisano owned it?

Jack Knight: I did work for Biker for a while. I continued to do work for Nostalgia up until Steve thought he would retire and sold that too.



Bikernet: I’m not sure if most people realize it, but there’s a tremendous amount of detail that is lost when art is reproduced for something like printing a magazine centerspread. That said, we’re really looking forward to viewing your art live at the 9th Annual David Mann Chopper Fest art exhibit, and thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us.

A few years ago, Bryan Vander Laan found a 1910 Indian single motor and started thinking about what he might be able to do with it. Bryan builds and restores all kinds of old motorcycles, and he wanted to make sure this great original motor went into something unique.

He scrounged around for additional original parts to complete this build, and managed to find original handlebars, seat, rear wheel, luggage rack, red pedals, and various linkages. What he created is this 1910 Tri-Car. The front end and frame are reproduction parts.

Indian did make tri-cars in those very early days – some were delivery vehicles, while others had a seat on the front end so a passenger could ride there. Imagine riding in a seat in front of the rider of this old Indian rumbling down a pitted dirt road.

Bryan has been considering all of his options for finishing off the front of this tri-car and has recently decided that a classic box is the way to go. We’ll all be interested to see what he comes up with, but we know it will be very special and in keeping with the era.

Originally, Bryan planned to ride this tri-car in the first Motorcycle Cannonball in 2010. It fit the criteria for the ride, and Bryan thought it would be great fun to ride it across the country, while the other riders were all on two wheels.

In 2012 many important decisions have been taken in Brussels which will impact motorcycling and the motorcycle industry, for which FEMA has played an active role.

The new European regulation on the approval of two-wheelers, which has recently been approved by the European Parliament and by the Council, is bringing safer and greener bikes to European customers as from 2016. FEMA has reached acceptable compromises regarding issues like vehicle tampering, the accessibility of repair and maintenance information and durability requirements for pollution control devices, while supporting the introduction of stricter emission limits.

New on the Brussels agenda is the proposal of the European Commission to introduce periodic roadworthiness tests for all powered two-wheelers in Europe along with short testing intervals. FEMA rejects this proposal as it is expensive and ineffective in terms of motorcycle safety.

Talking about the safety of motorcyclists, FEMA has organized and participated in a series of events this year in order to keep the issue of “friendly” road restraint systems (also referred as crash barriers) high on the political agenda. Next to the publication of an elaborated manual for road authorities, FEMA has launched a website to promote and inform about motorcycle friendly road restraint systems already available on the market: http://www.mc-roadsidebarriers.eu/

RIDERSCAN, FEMA’s EU co-funded project, has gone public at the European Motorcyclists Forum held this year at INTERMOT. A pan-European survey on motorcyclists and motorcycling safety will enable FEMA to draw the right picture of motorcycling in Europe: http://www.fema-online.eu/riderscan/-Answer-the-survey,28-?lang=en

Available languages currently include English, French, German and Norwegian. Besides, interested riders are able to contribute to the project by providing relevant motorcycle safety resources for the project to consider: http://www.fema-online.eu/index.php?page=support#panel

We are looking forward to the challenges of 2013 as FEMA and its member organizations are committed to continue the successful promotion of motorcycling in the European Union.

Let me personally take this opportunity to warmly thank you for your support and wish you all the very best for the end of the year’s celebrations and this coming New Year.

Ride Safe
–Aline Delhaye
General Secretary of FEMA

BRUSSELS ADOPTS TYPE APPROVAL REGULATION

The regulation on the approval and market surveillance of powered two-wheelers has been approved in first reading by the European Parliament and the Council. Motorcyclists welcome the agreed compromises. The regulation is setting new rules and technical requirements for manufacturers who sell motorcycles in the European Union.

Three weeks after the European Parliament, on 11th December the Council has approved the type approval regulation of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles. As from 2016, Member States of the EU will no longer have the option to restrict the maximum power output of motorcycles to 74 kW. New motorcycles with an engine capacity exceeding 125 cm3 (sub-categories A2 and A3) will have to be equipped with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) while light motorcycles (sub-category A1) between 51 and 125 cm3 will have to have at least Combined Braking Systems (CBS).

Measures to prevent tampering of the powertrain are going to be installed on all new powered two wheelers with a performance of up to 35 kW (sub-categories B, A1 and A2). The riders organizations represented by FEMA successfully managed to exclude A3 motorcycles and sidecars from these measures. Similarly, special schemes for the approval of individually built motorcycles remain in place, which means that the possibility to exempt custom motorcycles from some of the strict measures of this regulation remains.

Emissions limits for motorcycles will become stricter in two stages. In 2016 EURO 4 and in 2020 EURO 5 applies for new types of motorcycles (A1, A2 and A3). FEMA had called for high durability requirements to guarantee that emissions remain on a low level throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. The European Parliament has now decided that manufacturers will need to prove the durability of pollution control devices for a mileage of 35.000 kilometers.

In order to increase competition and to help especially small and independent workshops, manufacturers will have to provide easy and unrestricted access to maintenance and repair information for their products. At the same time access ports to On-Board Diagnostic systems, whose installation will also be required as from 2016 for new motorcycles, are going to be standardized.

The details of the regulation, laid down in delegated acts, are being developed by the European Commission until spring 2014. FEMA and the motorcycle manufacturers will closely follow this work.

 

RIDERSCAN – THE EUROPEAN PROJECT ON MOTORCYCLE SAFETY

The RIDERSCAN project was publicly launched at the European Motorcyclists Forum (EMF) on the 3rd of October 2012 during the INTERMOT fair in Cologne.

RIDERSCAN is a project co-funded by the European Commission aiming at gathering the existing knowledge on motorcycle safety in order to identify missing information and good practices, and provide guidance to national and European road authorities.

Among its objectives, the project aims at providing an accurate picture of motorcycling throughout Europe. A pan-European survey on motorcycle safety was set up aiming at mapping the motorcycle community across Europe. The survey is currently available in English, Swedish, German, French and Norwegian, and has been formerly launched in in Sweden, in partnership with MC-Folket. Further translations and country launches are planned throughout 2013: http://www.fema-online.eu/riderscan-survey

Beside the survey a contribution tool is available online and allows anyone with an interest in motorcycle safety to submit relevant information, success stories, data and other achievements for further consideration by the project team. European motorcyclists are invited to provide any relevant information for motorcycle safety: http://www.fema-online.eu/riderscan/contribute?lang=en

Among the coming public activities of the project, the project team is looking at the launch of an intelligent application enabling motorcyclists to quickly report on good and bad infrastructure practices anywhere in Europe. The European Motorcyclists Forum will take place in Brussels, sometime clos to December, and will focus on ICT/ITS. Further reporting activities aiming at gathering the existing knowledge from the motorcycling community are currently being considered for dissemination at national level.

MEMBER STATES REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OF PROPOSED REGULATION ON PERIODIC ROADWORTHINESS TESTING

EU member states have drafted significant changes to the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on periodic roadworthiness tests. Following their Council meeting they suggest to turn the regulation into a directive and, partly in response to the pressure of motorcyclists’ associations, to continue to leave it to the discretion of a member state to require periodic roadworthiness tests (RWT) for motorcycles.

In a meeting beginning of December the member states of the European Union have again expressed their discontent with the proposal of the European Commission to further harmonise and increase the minimum testing intervals for vehicles and to include all powered two-wheelers into periodic RWT regimes.

While the proposal for this new regulation is currently being revised by the Transport Committee of the European Parliament – Parliament needs to take an official position on the dossier previous to the Council – the member states have already indicated that they can only approve the draft if it is amended considerably.

First of all, member states aim at turning the proposed regulation into a directive, which would leave them more leeway for the later implementation of the legal act into national law. Furthermore, the Council does not see the necessity to force all member states to include all kinds of powered two-wheelers into periodic RWT regimes. Only Romania and the Czech Republic seem to have reservations and Italy would like to mandate RWT in Europe for all mopeds and scooters up to 50 cm3.

In opposition to the Commission, Member States propose less strict RWT for vehicles which are hardly used on public roads, such as historic or competition vehicles. The Commission originally proposed annual checks as a minimum requirement for all motor vehicles older than six years. According to the Council, the minimum test requirements for cars should be four years after the first registration and thereafter every two years, the following annual requirement has been deleted.

FEMA is happy to see that the campaigns of its national organisations, especially in those countries where there is no RWT for motorcycles, seem to be successful. The Commission had argued that the inclusion of motorcycles into RWT along with the tightening of testing intervals would have significant positive safety and environmental impacts but could not support these arguments with sound statistical data.

Follow the issue on the dedicated FEMA website on RWT: http://www.fema-online.eu/index.php?page=rwt

Join our dedicated facebook site which is about to reach 1000 followers: http://www.facebook.com/NoToUselessMandatoryInspections

UPCOMING EVENTS

ACEM, the association of motorcycle manufacturers organises its 9th Annual Conference on 22 January 2013. Under the topic “Motorcycling Matters!” the conference will explore the contribution of mobility, sports and tourism to EU policy goals http://acem.eu/index.php/events/conferences/123-9th-acem-conference

On the 1st and 2nd of February 2013 FEMA will hold its annual meeting at the Elefantentreffen in Thurmansbang, Germany http://www.bvdm.de/et.html

The Big Bike Show in Essen, Germany will take place from 10th-12th May 2013 http://www.bigbikeeurope.com/

FEMA – Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations
Rue des Champs 62
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel +32 2 7369047
Fax +32 2 7369401
Mobile +32 484 976170
www.fema-online.eu 

I met Mark Daley during my Easyriders years, at a show. He was obviously a very talented young builder with an artistic eye and amazing fabrication capabilities. It was a pleasure to run into him at the 2012 Las Vegas Bike Fest Artistry in Iron show. Times have changed and the dragon slayer-styled chopper doesn’t draw the attention it once did. The crazy-looking vintage bobber has snatched spectator attention from the angular high-tech chopper of ten years ago.

At 6 foot 5 inches, I can’t ride some little mid-control cute flat track scooter, but they do draw your attention. But there’s a side of me seemingly determined to witness wild choppers rule the world once more. They represent all the biker strength and machismo on the planet. So when I saw this tough-looking bastard sizzling on the carpeted concrete next to a Kiwi Mike Vintage Indian with a jab at Harley-Davidson, I was intrigued. It was surrounded with dinky flat trackers, old school frisco’d chops, and bobbers, as if it was the chromed galaxy security guard wielding a massive silver sword from the 14th century.

I had to recognize the chopper gods, the craftsmanship and the tribute to the chopper’s final era, until it returns to rule the earth once more. It was terrific to make Mark’s acquaintance again. As it turns out, we share some history. I may have known his dad, Pat Daley, in the ‘70s on the streets of the San Fernando Valley, during a time when strolling into a saloon didn’t mean you’d leave standing.

His dad ran the streets with the clubs, and ultimately didn’t make it out of one of the Valley bars. Mark’s mom witnessed the twinkle in Mark’s eyes as he watched SFV choppers rumble in and out of the family Canoga Park driveway. She had enough of the whiskey and meth-soaked, cracked asphalt streets of Los Angeles. She packed up Mark and drove to Medford, Oregon.

In 1995, Mark opened his, 2500 square foot shop in Medford and offered Harley maintenance to local riders, but he contained something extra, the fire to build choppers, and he couldn’t stop. With limited equipment, including an overhead belt-driven lathe from the ‘40s, he went to work fixing bikes and building choppers.

A couple of years ago, he displayed one of his creations at a Portland Easyriders show, and a potential customer, John Geer, approached him about building his dream bike, something flowing and tight, without bling, and little flash. Mark has an uncanny formula for building bikes. He doesn’t commission concept drawings, like we do with new projects.

“I draw components rarely,” Mark said.

He starts with a set of wheels, in this case Ego Tripp Ruelers. “I set them up on a lift,” Mark said, “and I leave them for days, while I visualize each element of the build.”

He didn’t go to schools for fabrication like Wyo Tech, or the MMI. “I just started beating on metal,” Mark said. “I’m sure, with the proper training, the process would be quicker.” John brought him the Rolling Thunder Softail frame and Mark went to work.

Over his 17 years in business, Mark acquired planishing hammers, English wheels, numerous ironworker tools, shot bags, and a Bridgeport Mill. He set up the stretched frame, figured out the front end, and whether he would build forks or purchase something. In this case, a Mean Street springer fit the formula perfectly. From that point, he could set the ride and the platform. “The seat section of a Softail frame is the toughest element to allow suspension travel. I use Legend Air so I can drop the bike for shows.”

Mark’s abilities with sheet metal are amazing, and each element is hand-formed, such as the gas tanks, which must be mimicked from side to side. “I try to work the metal so very little body filler is needed,” Mark said. He has been invited to the Vegas Artistry in Iron five times, and this time won the Bikernet Editor’s Choice award. In 2009, he won the prestigious Artistry in Iron award, but compliments from other builders move him more than trophies and awards.

Mark worked in a 3D element into his fender design and the air dam oil tank, oil cooler form on the down tubes of the frame. Many of the 3D elements included multiple pieces cut, shaped, and welded into place. The air dam took four or five pieces to form the shape, the oil tank, and the oil cooler, plus they afford air circulation to the engine.

He was disturbed by the space above the engine, so he developed the intake runners to the massive Dellorto Carburetor, and then handmade velocity stacks. Under the seat, he made another shapely piece out of 16-gauge steel to form an electrical compartment housing the coils, battery, and circuit breakers. He replaced the backbone of the frame to allow the structural shape he needed for the dual tanks to form-fit with the frame. And he shaped recessed panels around the seat area to contour the seat.

“My customer just let me roll with it,” Mark said. This bike looks just as good from underneath as on top. Mark doesn’t stop with the obvious, but follows his design elements through to every element of the bike.

In addition to the baked-on ceramic coatings, he used heat wrap on the pipes and tunnel rams to add texture to the finish. “I don’t name a bike before I start, but wait to see what floats to the surface during the build,” Mark said. And Overkill was the operative word ultimately.

Recently, after a televised build-off, a Bikernet reader complained about builders who don’t handle engine work. Mark builds his own engines and transmissions, and offers rebuilding services to his customers.

When Mark returned to Medford after Bike Fest Las Vegas and the Artistry in Iron, we worked with him on the photography for this feature. At this time of the year, the annual 18 inches of rainfall takes place, and we had to wait for a clear day to roll Overkill into the light for the final shots. Fortunately, Mark collected numerous shots of the bike being built, so you have a mixed bag of shots, but it’s worth it to see both the build and the final product.

You get to witness Mark’s level of craftsmanship, his attention to detail, and his design and fabrication capabilities. But we’re not going to stop here. He built a bike a couple of years ago, which inspired John to approach Mark about this project. Fortunately, Mark has copious shots of that build, and sometime in the next couple of months, we will show you how Mark designed, fabricated and built this machine, on Bikernet. Hang on!

Owner: John Geer
Bike name: Overkill
City/state: Medford, Oregon
Builder: Mark Daley
Company Info: Thunderstruck Custom Bikes, Inc.
Address: 3670 Dodson Rd, Medford, OR
Phone: 541-779-0340
Web site: www.ThunderstruckBikes.com
E-mail: TeamThunder@earthlink.net
Fabrication: Mark Daley, Thunderstruck Custom Bikes
Welding: Mark Daley
Machining: Mark Daley

Engine

Year: New
Make: S&S
Model: Super Sidewinder
Displacement: 124-cubic-inch
Builder: Mark Daley
Cases: S&S
Case finish: Flat black ceramic coating
Bore: 4 1/8-inch
Pistons: S&S
Barrel finish: Flat titanium ceramic coating
Lower end: S&S
Stroke: 4 5/8 inch
Rods: S&S
Heads: S&S
Head finish: Flat Titan7ium ceramic coating
Valves and springs: S&S
Pushrods: S&S

Cams: S&S
Lifters: S&S
Carburetion: Dellorto
Air cleaner: Mark Daley, hand made intake and velocity stacks
Exhaust: Mark Daley
Mufflers: none

Transmission

Year: new
Makes: Baker
Gear configuration: Torque Box

Primary: Thunderstruck Custom Bikes
Final Drive: Tsubaki chain

Frame

Year: 2012
Builder: Rolling Thunder/Thunderstruck
Style or model: Softail configuration
Stretch: 5 inches out, and 5 inches up
Rake: 45 degrees
Modifications: Plenty

Front End

Make: Mean Street
Model: Springer
Mods: Black and Titanium Ceramic Coatings

Sheet Metal

Tanks: Mark Daley Thunderstruck Custom Bikes

Fenders: Mark Daley
Panels: 411 sheet metal panels with metal molding by Mark Daley
Oil tank: Mark Daley

Paint

Sheet metal: Bobby Star Auto Body
Molding: Bobby Star
Base coat: PPG
Graphics: None

Special effects: Two Tone flat gun metal and silver with gloss clear coat
Pinstriping: None

Wheels

Front

Make: Ego Tripp
Size: 21 by 3.5
Brake calipers: Hawg Halter
Brake rotors: Ego Tripp Rueler
Tire: Metzeler 120/70/21

Rear

Make: Ego Tripp Rueler
Size: 17 by 12
Brake calipers: Hawg Halter
Brake rotors: Ego Tripp Rueler
Sprocket: Ego Tripp
Tire: Avon Venom 330/30/VR17

Controls

Foot controls: Accutronix
Finish: Ceramic black and gun metal two tone
Master cylinder: Accutronix
Brake lines: nylon

Handlebar controls: Joker Machine
Finish: Ceramic black and gun metal two tone
Clutch cable: none
Shifting: Jockey shift
Kickstand: Two of them

Electrical

Ignition: Compu-Fire
Ignition switch: Toggle with a push button
Coils: Compu-Fire
Regulator: Compu-Fire
Charging: Compu-Fire/Spyke
Starter: Compu-Fire/Spyke
Wiring: Mark Daley Thunderstruck Custom Bikes
Harness: Mark Daley
Headlight: Arlen Ness
Taillight: Drag
Battery: Harley-Davidson

What’s Left

Seat: Bitchin Seat Company
Mirrors: none
Gas caps: Drag
Handlebars: Mark Daley Thunderstruck Custom Bikes
Grips: Accutronix
Pegs: Accutronix
Oil Filter: Pro-Flow
Oil lines: Stainless hard lines
Fuel lines: Stainless hard lines
Throttle: Joker Machine
Throttle cables: Custom made by Thunderstruck
Fasteners: Chrome

Specialty items: Custom built intake with a Dellorto carb from a car, with custom built velocity stacks, custom built oil tank it front air dam. All hand made sheet metal, fender, gas tank, body barts all fabricated to blend together. Custom dual exhaust, by Mark Daley. Dual belt drive, with custom jockey shift hand made skull shift knob.

Credits: Special thanks to Jesse Ruiz at Legendary Coatings, Rich at Bitchin Seats, and Star Auto Body for all their hard work.

The bedroom was plush, and the luxury it offered undeniable. I sat alone at my desk poking at computer keys in an effort to produce something worthy of print.

The servants would be knocking soon. By now they knew how I took coffee and eggs and no longer had call to inquire before delivery.

Dressed in shorts on this warm January day, I stood and walked through the sliding-glass door then passed a hanging rout-iron bench before stopping at the third-floor porch-rail and pausing to look out. The three-story house had been built with each floor stepping neatly back up the mountain. The first floor was only a garage that held one late model BMW motorcycle, two SUVs and my 1988 Harley- Davidson, Electra Glide, safely behind electric gates. This garage roof acted as a deck for the second story above. The deck, with its umbrella-covered tables and metal chairs set beside a small swimming pool, served as a fine lounge area for the parties that often took place here.

I looked beyond…

The city that fanned away from the mountain’s base was spread out widely and in its midst the narrow streets that ran between tall buildings were filled with auto and motorcycle traffic. Beyond this, the vast desert seemed to go on forever. On the street below me, two oxen pulled a homemade cart and its passengers slowly past. Behind them a man and two young girls acted as shepherd to a large herd of goats. I thought then of the flattened mountain peak that sat a half-mile up and behind the house and the 1,600-year- old Mayan city located there that now offered only a silent mystery to the tourists who visited.

The old Harley and I were a long way from home.

How did I, a rag-tag, wondering scooter gypsy, end up here? It had all started some months back….

The little potholed road had alternated between a landscape of desert, beachfront, mountains, and dense tropical jungle for a couple thousand miles and had brought an almost endless procession of strange sights. In typical fashion, I’d made camp in any spot I’d cared to along the highways of this strange land. Often I’d slept in vast banana or mango forests and had truly enjoyed the unabashed contrast of this, at least to my western eye, strangely surreal world.

Eventually I found myself in the high-desert city of Oaxaca, and not far from the boarder of Guatemala. Hungry to hear clean English, and hoping for a nice place to stay for a while, as I’d grown tired of travel lately, I’d settled among the trucks and RVs that inhabit the city’s only campground. This sparsely occupied place held mostly Americans and Canadians with a sprinkling of Germans, Frenchmen, Australians, etc. One was an American girl named Eve. She’d been here for a month and was traveling solo to the country of Belize in her old van. Eve was 72-years old.

My days soon became a routine of working on this computer by morning then hangin’ with the other campers, or tramping around the city by afternoon and evening.

All towns of this country have a central park that’s used for a variety of events or just hanging out, and it was there that I’d met a group of young local guys. Some spoke a little English and I was quickly accepted into their crowd. These boys hooked up every night to cruse the city in search of parties and women. They knew all the places and I was repeatedly led through the back doors of bars and parties to enjoy a buffet of experiences the likes of which few tourists are privilege to encounter.

The Central Saloon’s a main local hangout and it was there that I leaned against a wall looking out through the fog of dimly lit cigarette smoke. To the rock-n-roll of a powerful sound system the dance floor moved in a blur of color as beautiful women, often dressed to the nines, danced with—or ground against—their men. Tonight was standing room only.

Caught in the moment, I moved to the music while eyeballing the floor for a prospective dance partner. An older woman who appeared American moved methodically through the crowd. She was alone. As she danced past I purposefully bumped into her. After turning to investigate this offence, she smiled and pulled me onto the floor. Momentarily I said, “You’re American.”

“No amigo,” she replied, “Mexicano.” I did not believe her.

Throughout the night she returned to drag me onto the floor. Later, she showed up with her 27-year-old son in tow.

“What’s your name?” he said in broken English.

Introductions went around. I’d been wrong, Martha truly was Mexican. At his mother’s direction, Bernardo invited me to their house for the night—if I cared to come. It was an opportunity I could not pass up. So the old Harley had followed the Mexican’s brand new SUV to this big house and I had stayed the first night.

Although it started as a sexual thing, very quickly Martha and I had realized that we liked each other very much and within a week’s time she’d driven that fancy SUV down to the campground and moved me into her home. It was a typical “poor-white-boy meets rich-Mexican-girl” story. Over a month had passed since that night and still I stood upon her top deck looking out over the city.

Hearing a familiar sound, I looked down in time to see a late-model Softail pass—an unusual sight in this place. There are those who ride Harleys here, of course, and a few motorcycle clubs even sponsor a variety of biker events. This far south however, one finds himself immersed in “Old Mexico” where the motorcycle is generally considered a utility vehicle. The average bike is 125cc two-stroke (economical and simple) and it’s not uncommon to see a man riding with his wife, two kids, and groceries, aboard.

The sound of Martha stepping onto the deck interrupted my thoughts. Turning to look I was again rewarded with that same warm smile I’d come to expect of her. I smiled back. Her family business was real estate. Although all took part in the business, Martha herself had built this modest empire from the ashes of poverty long ago, and she alone retained the status of Land Kingpin. Her personality was one of easy expectance and fun loving gaiety.

Martha was a hard person not to like.

Her desire had been to study English, as was my own to learn Spanish, and we’d spent many hours talking. In time we had come to understand one another pretty well.

Once Martha’d learned that I could drive a car (an activity she cared little for) I had become a “chauffeur” of sorts and had escorted her about town on business and pleasure ventures in the SUV.

I’d been living as a favored person among a prominent Mexican family and this strange circumstance had taken me far across the barriers of language and culture. I’d been led through a plethora of back doors as restaurant owners locked their late-night entryways keeping only one table open as they joined my hosts while offering the most unusual of cuisine for my western appraisal. Martha allowed me to pay for absolutely nothing—ever! A great many fiestas had taken place at the house as the “American celebrity” had been introduced to a host of unusual people. Some of these spoke clean English and often translated for me. Servants cleaned and cooked as I lived the easy life of Riley. It was totally weird—and wonderful—to say the very least.

But Martha had come to ask a favor and she took a seat beside. “My sister and I have to survey a piece of land today and we’ll be meeting with a bunch of men who’ll do the work.” she said. “The thing is that we must pay them with booze. It’s what they want. It will be only myself, my sister, Lulu (the sister’s 16-year-old daughter), and a bunch of drunken men. Bernardo’s out of town and cannot be there. So…will you come along to keep an eye on things for us?”

Now how could I say no?

It was the afternoon of that very day that, at Martha’s direction, I parked the SUV beside the tiny dirt road that resided some miles out of town. It was a lonely piece of desert with few trees and many weeds. Soon Nancy (Martha’s sister) pulled her little red economy-car in and killed the motor. Lulu was with her. For a time we all stood to laugh at each other’s jokes and wait. For what exactly, I didn’t know. I never knew what was going on in this mysterious country. But I didn’t much care anymore; I’d simply take the mystery as it came and see where the road to weirdness led next.

Today I’d not be disappointed.

Before long a beat up Datsun police truck pulled in and a bunch of dudes jumped from the bed. The hatches of both our vehicles were then opened to reveal the fabric of an alcoholic’s paradise.

The booze began to flow.

All, except Lulu and I, began the process of getting plastered. Soon—measuring tape and beer bottles in hand—the huarache clad survey crew plodded off across the field. All seemed friendly as I smiled and did the watchdog thing. But I soon tired of this game and took to giving the teenaged Lulu driving lessons in her mom’s car.

When the work was finished, I again took the driver’s seat as Martha grabbed the passenger’s side. Turning to a disturbance, I noted the three rough looking hombres who piled drunkenly into the back seat. I looked to Martha. She only shrugged and pointed onward.

I drove.

Soon I was ordered into the dirt driveway of an obscure restaurant as Nancy’s car pulled up the rear while carrying three more drunk-dudes in her backseat.

Everyone piled out.

Our large party…and I do mean party…cruised inside and plopped around a big table. The chicks began ordering food as they bellowed loudly and matched drink for drink with their so-called amigos.

I had no idea what was happening.

But the food came anyway…great piles of it…as did the beer and tequila shots. And the party raged on as I smiled in attempt to conceal bewilderment. Eventually Martha turned to say, “You know Scotty…we’re sitting with the City Counsel.” I appraised the dudes anew. But they’d caught Martha’s Pidgin English and all stared at me. Yea… But there they were, faces work dirty, old worn cloths and soiled sandals—the City friggin’ Counsel.

I grinned to acknowledge their prestige and, after a toast to commemorate, the fiesta resumed. Martha whispered to me then, “It is necessary to party with these men, for if they consider you friend your paperwork will go right through; but if they do not then no amount of money will save your business from permanent postponement. I kid you not.” I noted then how Nancy would turn her laughing party-face from her hosts and throw me a comically despairing look of indignant boredom. I tried not to laugh.

In a while, the sun set upon our little party.

Later, both vehicles approached the courthouse steps where we sought to deposit our amigos and say goodnight. But much to the girl’s dismay we were made to come inside as the men produced their own stash of Tecate…and the party continued. So I sat in the courthouse and watched huarache clad feet draped over desktops as this strange exhibit of Mexican politics continued. I was having a blast!

It was late when finally we returned home.

I snickered at Martha’s hangover as she swayed dizzily over morning coffee. She retorted with a dirty look then changed expression as she sought yet another favor. “I must move a sum of money from the bank today Scotty. Will you come along again please?” The bodyguard job continued.

The money was in a small suitcase as we crossed the mall from bank to the café Italiano (the Mexican Star Bucks) to meet Nancy. We sat before fancy latté drinks as the girls counted their money. There was a lot.

The following day both Martha and her ever-jovial sister were hangin’ at the house. So I said to them, “You know, if you girls liked to party more you’d be even richer.”

“What?” they giggled in confusion.

“Well”, I continued, “what I see is that if you party real hard tonight then tomorrow you’ll have a suitcase full of money!”

They laughed till their guts ached at that one. But that’s what I saw.

While in Oaxaca Martha had a local dentist fix my teeth. Then came the day my motorcycle needed a tire and we took a three-day SUV trip to the distant city of Puebla to retrieve one. New rubber could have been procured in Oaxaca but Martha loved the big city and wished to visit the street famous for its 30-something bars and bands. But again she was afraid to go alone. Back to the chaperone job I went.

After better than two months in the lap of Mexican luxury, my feet again grew itchy. It was time to go. Hoping to avoid commotion I changed my oil and otherwise readied the bike with measured discretion.

After many appeals to stay, I finally lit out in a north/easterly direction across the Sierra Madre Mountains. It would take an entire week and one crazy flood to finally reach the boarder. But then that’s another story….

–Scooter Tramp Scotty     
605-430-8801 cell.
scottykerekes@yahoo.com

Mexico is a biker’s paradise featuring a rich variety of natural landmarks, metropolitan cities, historical monuments, and many more exciting motorcycle travel destinations. From volcanoes and beautiful beaches to vast stretches of desert, Mexico offers tourists the opportunity to experience every type of attraction. The best way to see the sights of Mexico is while traveling via motorcycle. Climb on a Harley-Davidson motor bike and head to Cancun and take a swim in the Caribbean Sea or tour the Maya Ruins. Feel the wind in your hair as you ride around the Island of Cozumel making a stop at the famous Hacienda Antigua for a tequila tour.

EagleRider is the leading motorcycle rental and tour company in Mexico. Offering a variety of late-model Harley-Davidson motorbikes for rent or hire, EagleRider offers Mexican adventure enthusiasts the ability to embark on the road trip of their lifetime. EagleRider has also developed many motorcycle tours for those travelers looking for a pre-planned and all-inclusive motorcycle vacation. Our staff can assist you with GPS navigation rentals and airport and hotel transfers with your motor bike. Whether you are renting a bike in Cozumel for a weekend getaway or taking a three week motorbike tour down Baja California, EagleRider has a Harley rental ready for you.

Mexico offers motorcycle riders endless places to visit and experience. From EagleRider, you can hire a Road King, Fat Boy, Heritage Softail, and many other Harley models, and ride to San Miguel and spend time shopping at the Playa del So. Spend your holiday cruising around Cancun and the 80 mile strip of white sand beaches off the Riviera Maya. No matter where you decide to visit during your Mexican holiday, EagleRider has a Harley-Davidson rental ready for your trip. Contact EagleRider today make a reservation for your next Mexico adventure.

Tail Gunner checking in! Well it’s winter again, so I thought I’d give my old Softail a face lift. She’s been a good old gal, a survivor of many a road trip. But the years are starting to show, paint chips, fading and rock dings everywhere, plus the old pin stripping is looking a little ragged. This will be a hard decision for me, she’s been black from the beginning and what’s cooler than black! Well first let’s get her dismantled and I’ll think about the color as I go. Up on the lift she goes,

Rear fender is more involved, but nothing the average mechanic can’t handle. Get the wheel out of the way, or jack the bike, and a few bolts and it drops right out with a little sweet talk.

Disconnect the wiring harness and disassemble the turn signals and lic. plate bracket after the fender is removed, it’s easier that way. You can sit the fender in your lap and remove everything, vs. trying to do it on the bike.

For the front fender I did the same, removed it as a whole, then removed all the hardware for the running light and emblems while it’s off the bike.

Reassembly will be the same, after the paint has cured, install all the lighting and brackets prior to installation. For the fuel tank, first remove the dash panel and disconnect all the wiring harness connections and set it aside.

I did some research and found the color code, now I need a painter! Through word of mouth, I located a painter and custom car builder Daron Ray in Lancaster Ca..

–Tail Gunner out for now!

We have a goofy Shovelhead in the Bikernet shop called the 1928 Shovelhead. It has 21-inch wheels front and rear in a Paughco rigid frame, but some 1928 elements were used, including the re-pop semi-flat sided tanks, the rear fender and perhaps the seat. The bike was conceived by Bandit the bastard, built by the crew at Rick Fairless’ Strokers Dallas, with the help of Randy Simpson who manufactured the handlebars.

The bike has contained a couple of hiccups and hasn’t been ridden much. Recently, one of Bandit’s friends needed a ride, so Bandit shipped this puppy to Washington. Richard Kransler installed new Avon tires and took it out for a spin. Unfortunately, the early Rivera-Primo belt, stuffed into the semi-stock inner primary, snapped and the 1984 Shovelhead was garaged. More recently, Richard concocted a deal with Bandit for a van in exchange for his Sturgis Shovel, and returned the 1928 Shovelhead to the headquarters, where the gang went to work on it.

With Richard’s info, and after consulting with Ben Kudon at Rivera-Primo, a plan was put into motion to make this wild puppy more rideable. We needed to add an oil filter, rerun the oil lines to reduce heat, fix the sumping problem, replace the primary drive, and then we discovered a loose valve seat, but we’ll get to that.

This is also a two-part tech. We first installed the Brute II Extreme Belt drive with a 1 ½-inch wide 11mm belt with electric start in the closed primary. Then we will install the most magnificent Rivera-Primo Pro Clutch. Since this is a jockey shift, it will be interesting to test both the stock clutch against a new clutch system that’s state of the art. We will forward all of our extensive reports directly to the boss and all Bikernet readers.

We discovered immediately that the front Brute II pulley was larger than the previous model, which was disappointing because it called for more clearance in the case, which weakened one of the primary fastener locations. Not a big deal, so we went to work with a pneumatic cut-off blade and emery wheels.

It’s critical to disconnect the battery, especially while working on the inside of any Shovelhead primary. It’s too easy to bump or pull on the starter solenoid, and you could lose a finger pronto. Fortunately, we have a selection of JIMS tools and pullers for this operation.

Here’s the fine print from Rivera-Primo: Primo Belt Drives are designed and engineered to correctly fit stock Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Aftermarket frames, primary covers, engine shafts, or clutch hubs may cause installation problems. Also bent frames, sagging motor mounts, worn transmission mounts, and other defects may cause shortened belt life due to incorrect pulley alignment.

If you have a stock system being replaced, here’s the dope: Remove the front pulley, chain, compensator and chain adjuster. Remove oil lines to primary and plug or clamp to prevent leakage. Cut the chain oiler hose 3 inches from the oil pump and permanently plug it. All belts must be run completely dry, without lubrication of any kind. Therefore, remove all oil from inside the primary covers.

The spacer behind the front pulley should be removed before installing the belt drive. This spacer may or may not be required to correctly align the pulleys. If a spacer is needed for alignment, various sizes are available from your local Primo-Rivera dealer (part number PX-1, is a package of various sizes).

We discovered a very tight belt. We had to carefully install the belt in the case first. Then the front pulley was installed onto the main shaft, but just slightly to afford us some flexibility with the clutch hub. We re-greased the bearing on the clutch hub and inside the clutch shell. With the handle of a plastic hammer, while prying it with a large screwdriver, we were able to drive the clutch shell over the hub with some gentle persuasion.

We tracked the belt, and installed the same spacer from the last system behind the engine pulley. With the bike jacked and the plugs pulled, we turned the engine over to test the running direction. We made sure to run the engine over in a forward direction. It’s not a bad idea to use a straight edge at first to make sure the pulleys have the proper spacing.

“Spacing the motor pulley outward will cause the belt to track towards the outer primary cover,” said Ben. “If spaced too far out, the belt will rub on the inside of the clutch shell.

Then we attempted to install the outer, aftermarket tin cover and discovered a significant problem. It rubbed against the clutch shell. So far, our inner primary clearance adjustments worked.

We were concerned about the tightness of the belt. It seemed severe to us, and to Bandit. According to the Brute II directions, the belt requires a minimum of ½-inch up and down play at the center of the belt, and up to ¾-inch. We barely encountered ¼-inch of tough play. “Free play is critical,” Ben said, but when Bandit questioned him, he muttered something about ¼-inch being okay, since the belt was so stiff.

The crew even considered replacing the system with a stock chain, to avoid issues. We took the system apart and studied each element, and investigated. I looked into a longer belt, or installing the earlier unit again, which had its benefits with the smaller engine pulley and tapered clutch shell that fit in the primary. We installed the belt again and tested the flex—still tight. We cut a hole in the tin primary, eliminated that problem and affording us tremendous venting. We live and breathe by the Optimist Creed, sort of code of the west. We are hoping once the belt settles in and warms, we will encounter additional flex and no stress on the engine and trans bearings.

“This is a much stronger, more technically advanced belt over the previous 14mm belt,” Ben assured me. We will give it a shot. Venting is a critical element. Primo recommends venting enclosed belt installations to allow cool air to circulate into and out of the primary case. This will keep heat expansion to a minimum and extend belt life.

Special Note: Big Twins from 1969 require a #16657 motor seal. Next we will install the new Pro-Clutch from Rivera Primo and test it, so we will be in and out of this primary case and reporting back on our findings.

In the meantime, we rerouted the oil lines, added an oil filter mount, and an oil pressure gauge for more capacity, cooling, and cleaner oil. We worked on the sumping problem, and then discovered that a valve seat was loose in the rear head. We pulled the heads and delivered them to Branch O’Keefe for repairs.

Our shop intern and overall handy-man, Kyle Olsen, our official Bikernet electrician, will test this bike. We are determined to make it a solid rider, and Kyle will bring us reports and handling complaints in the near future.

We modified the jockey shift and added the 5-Ball for easy shifting that’s out of the way of our thighs at stops.

And Bandit has a code, a good one. All bikes need rear chain guards, and this bike doesn’t have one. We will remedy that. Plus we have a brand new set of Nology plugs and plug wires to install. Hang on for the next report.

Everyone has seen images of 569 Quincy Avenue, Staten Island representing a post-Sandy devastated home. Owner, Michael Taurozzi’s house is the FIRST of the 200 homes scheduled for demolition Monday, January 14. Taurozzi finally signed “right for entry” papers with the City Friday 1/11/13 at 4:30 pm.

You may remember the Page One story the Wall Street Journal on Taurozzi and his next door neighbor James Rossi, who died in the storm on November 5th: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203846804578099212607165222.html?KEYWORDS=Wave+of+Death+Hit+New+York+Enclave

Now fast forward two months… The City had held a meeting of all the agencies involved in the demolition of Taurozzi’s “RED TAGGED” home, Thursday 1/10/13 (Taurozzi was not invited to attend), but he was called and advised that the papers needed to be signed on Friday.

Then without any notification, Friday 1/11/13 at 11 am the DOT under instructions from OEM and the mayors office “towed” the Taurozzi’s daily work truck off his property, without his knowledge. When Taurozzi arrived at 7 pm Friday evening to begin work removing his final belongings from his property he was stunned to find his truck missing, so he called he police to report it “stolen.”

The police responded and after three hours of waiting in the rain they concluded that due to the pending order of demolition in addition to a neighbor seeing a tow truck come take the truck, they refused to take a stolen vehicle report and suggested that it was “FEMA’s fault. Although they had NO RECORD of a tow order, they instructed Taurozzi follow up himself in the morning with FEMA.

 After standing guard for the remainder of the night, sleeping in his car, he was awakened by the delivery of large demolition equipment owned by “Gateway Demo.”

At 9:00 am Taurozzi called Gateway Demo, owner Joe, who in turn made a call to OEM… Taurozzi’s truck was located and after 4 hours was returned by a DOT tow truck and driver Tom, who had picked it up the previous morning. After doing an inventory approximately $500 of Taurozzi’s tools were missing from the truck. He then filed a police report with the 122 regarding the missing tools. No one had any answers, apologies, or restitution.

Taurozzi, a NYC MTA train operator, lost his home, three vehicles and it’s entire contents of his home in Superstorm Sandy, he still awaits his insurance company to settle and because he HAS flood insurance FEMA did not pay out… and now this!

On January 4th, the city also entered Taurozzi’s property without his authorization and did an asbestos abatement prior to the “right of entry”. The subcontractors entered his property moved and destroyed things on Taurozzi’s property; they broke the main water main and left it running. Taurozzi came home to find 4 feet of water in his basement, the things he was trying to salvage strewn around the yard. (New garbage cans were found under the leaking area) He called every department listed on a notice stapled to his house but each office denied wrongdoing and passed the buck ignoring his complaint!!! At that time the City DID NOT HAVE signed documentation for “Right for Entry.”

THIS is how the city is handling Sandy Victims. I put in a call Governor Cuomo’s office, and spoke with Ronnie Cohen of Mayor Bloomberg’s Special Sandy Task force. Neither offices have plans to have representatives present as the homes are demolished nor do they have plans in place to support victims who’s homes are being demolished.

It sickens me that the City has no liaison teams or advocates working with residents who are suffering though an indescribable experience.

Who will stand next to Taurozzi on the day his home falls to the ground? Who? Or will Taurozzi’s “knock a man when he’s down” experiences be the taste that will remain with him forever regarding how he feels about how the City and State of New York’s handle Sandy victims?

So, regardless if the City has just violated the last bit of tolerance this hard working, tax paying young man has… the clock ticks and the bulldozers are coming whether Taurozzi can get his final belongings out or not!

Here’s a note from the January 18, 2013 issue of The Week Magazine:

The House of Representatives approved a $9.7 billion relief package for victims of Hurricane Sandy last week, but waited to consider a request for another $51 billion in federal aid. The approved funds will replenish the National Flood Insurance Program, which will help residents of storm-ravaged New York and New Jersey. But many House Republicans are skeptical of the larger bill up for a vote on Jan. 15, complaining that the Senate loaded it with pork-barrel spending for other areas of the country. Speaker John Boehner was lambasted last week by lawmakers from New York and New Jersey, including Republican Gov. Chris Christie, for failing to schedule a vote on Sandy relief in the last session of Congress, thus delaying funding vital for recovery. This, said Christie, is “why people hate Washington.”

Artists of one kind of another, whether they brush on colors or chip away at marble, or for that matter, design custom motorcycles…often fit into that description…and the world a much more interesting place for it.

Case in point Don Nowell. His name pops up frequently on the Internet because he’s made his mark in a number of areas…as a prototype designer, a race engine builder, a motorcycle builder and most recently a creator of what he terms “engineered art.”

Don’s next step was a big one, entering the world of CanAm and building race motors for none other than international renowned McLaren Racing, prepping the parts here and sending them to England for final assembly. In 1968 he was there when they building the first M8 McLaren 427 aluminum engines in Van Nuys. By 1969 Don was dialing in TransAm motors for the industry famous Jerry Titus Team. He was off to Bonneville and hanging with the guys from Hot Rod magazine, literally tearing up the performance world on four wheels. “I saw a lot of interesting stuff going on and was always interested in learning more,” says Don. “That included racing of all kinds…cars and bikes, boats and sprinters, you name it, if it had wheels and burned rubber, he was there.

In 1973 he went two-wheeling, designing and building his vision of a dirt bike, scratch building his own frame, and making it super light for blasting off-road trails, the nickel plated chromemoly frame and swingarm weighing in at only 18 lbs. Says Don, “The bike was powered by a big bore 386 short rod stroker that I built that spun to 10,000 RPM. The whole bike came out ringing wet, ready to fly, weighing 220lbs.” Don then went on to build hot rod custom street bikes for various customers, including some celebrities, for example a flat tracker 750 Hatley-powered Triumph for Bobby Carradine.

You could say he “downsized” in the 1980s, taking an entirely different track, when he began prototyping and building specialty model trucks for the famous toy company Smith-Miller Toy Trucks, a relationship that lasted 20 years. He was taking a bite out of all kinds of design areas, even working up design projects for dental tool companies. If you could point at it, Don could envision it, draft it and build it. “After building the toy vehicles, it opened my eyes to the world of modeling. I had seen some of the super high-end car models built in Europe, but since I was working on bikes, I decided to build a ¼ scale model.”

The project, formulated in 1994, took a year to complete, the bike then debuted at the Petersen Museum in Los Angles on the occasion of the opening of its Harley-Davidson Room. The meticulously crafted models, including some 152 handmade miniature screws, garnered the attention of the Milwaukee Motor Co. as well, one of Don’s bikes now on display at the Harley-Davidson Museum. While they were initially modeled after the Evo motor, Don linked up with The Replica Motor Co. who were building fully running scale model Knucklehead motors which Don proceeded to plumb into one of his bikes he designed as a chopper. It was a match made in motorcycle scale model heaven. Today only 14 of Don’s “mini-bikes” exist, as rare as you can get, and now they can be found in the collections of international connoisseurs of craftsmanship.

Don’s next foray was into “classical art” but with a new approach to sculpture infused with his years of engineering and design experience. Says Don, “ I decided to step out of my 50 years as a gearhead and try a whole new venture….learn something new and do something entirely different. I wanted everything machined like an aircraft part…a piece of sculpture that in fit and finish would satisfy the perfectionist.”

As for the choice of materials, Don says, “You can’t ask for anything better than Mother Nature’s finest… gold…and the trickest woods available. There’s nothing like seeing the gold and woods together…it’s the best of the best.” Toward that goal he opted for 7075T6 billet aluminum, the hardest you can get but also the best for acquiring the 24K highly polished gold plating. The choice of woods offered include Maple, Walnut, Burbinga burl, Tasmanian Resin Vein Eucalyptus, Buckeye burl, American Redwood and others, all finished to perfection. Several pieces are currently available as well as those by commission.

If you’re interested in investing in art that grows in value every day, to www.donnowellart.com or call Don at (818) 363-8564.