Were you at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally twenty years ago? Do you recall some of the great events of that year, or do you even have any memories of that year? One thing is for sure, about 100,000 people attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that year, and the Rapid City Journal worked hard to document some of the great events that happened each day. For many years, the Rapid City Journal has published the Rally Daily – a special pull-out section of the newspaper. While the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum doesn’t have a complete set of the Daily’s from every year, there are some years we do have in our archives: 1992 is one of those.



From Sunday, August 2 through Friday, August 7th, the Rally Daily reported on happenings around the Black Hills. The Rally Daily featured articles on tattooing, entertainers who were headlining at various venues throughout the Black Hills, calendars of events, and even some world news. In ’92, headliners included Waylon & Willie, Cheap Trick, Edgar Winter Blues Band and many more. Venues for the concerts included the Buffalo chip, Bentshoe and the Rapid City Civic Center.





The lead story in the first Rally Daily was about a new name for the event – in 1992, the name of the event was “Sturgis Rally & Races” for the first time. Prior to that year, the event was the “Black Hills Motor Classic.” Organizers of the event felt that while “Black Hills Motor Classic” had some recognition, it did not have the universal recognition of “Sturgis.”



A few other events that were new in ’92 included a Governor’s Tour led by then-governor George Mickelson, the first trade show that featured first-time exhibitors, a vintage bike show, some poker runs and a (believe it or not) Medieval Festival with knights in armor, beggars, musicians and story-tellers.



With everything that goes on at the rally each year, it’s really very interesting to look through these old papers to see what’s changed and what hasn’t over the last 20 years.

The 12th edition of the Thunder Valley Rally recently boomed into Cottonwood, AZ and surrounding scenic areas, attracting several thousand enthusiasts from local counties and neighboring states to this former bootlegging stronghold.

Pouring in from the north end of Old Town and corked at the south by a mega sound stage, Main Street was turned into a biker walk flanked by vendors, restaurants, coffee shops, antique stores, a trading post or two, a multi-class bike show that lined both sides of the street, and a growing number of wine bars and tasting rooms, a burgeoning industry in the area. Hard liquor of questionable Prohibition-era ingredients has been replaced with a grapey glass of sophistication and upturned pinkie.

These days, it’s rare to find a town brave or solvent enough to host a motorcycle rally, especially right on Main Street. We’re usually segregated, pushed off to some tar parking lot outside of town or a dirty, dusty, saddle-tramp loving livestock fairgrounds, away from decent, law abiding citizens.

Now and then, though, even bikers get lucky. Local officials of Cottonwood Parks & Recreation deemed the fun and economic boost was worth the risk of a horde of hooligans invading their quiet, tranquil community. Braced by an open-minded local government, reasonably priced accommodations, reasonable law enforcement officers who do not treat visitors as revenue, ideal riding conditions and countless miles of spectacular scenery in every direction, the Thunder Valley Rally may become a model for many events to come.

The rally almost met its demise last year. For the past decade, the event was organized by Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, located some 15 miles southeast in Camp Verde. The casino backed out last year due to staff layoffs, according to a spokesman, leaving its official cancellation only a formality. But in a bold and manly move, the city of Cottonwood rolled the dice, rescued the event and plunked it down smack in the middle of town. Like a mini Sturgis or Daytona, Old Town was turned into a big block party, offering a much more fun and festive vibe than any parking lot or barnyard.

Cottonwood, in the heart of Arizona’s picturesque Verde Valley, is about two hours north of Phoenix and three hours south of the Grand Canyon. It is set near the red rock wonderlands of Sedona, the old mining town and motorcycling mecca of Jerome, the prehistoric ruins at Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle, and other natural and historic attractions and national monuments unique to this diverse region.

The town was founded in 1879 by ranchers and farmers, but within a couple of decades developed a reputation for welcoming ne’er-do-wells, misfits and undesirables. Moonshining was prevalent during Prohibition, and it’s rumored none other than Al Capone personally traveled from Chicago to bail out a bootlegging buddy from the Old Town jail, and check out the area’s operations. Good to see some things never change.

Attendance for the three-day event was up this year, according to town officials. Surprisingly, however, some Old Town shops and eateries didn’t stay open late, or apparently didn’t open at all during normally closed days. Some that did, did not appear to make much of an effort to offer motorcyclist specific goods or services. A greater entrepreneurial spirit would be welcomed.

A number of wineries and tasting rooms have sprung up in recent years, leading some to speculate the area will become the next Sonoma Valley. Fittingly, the rally kicked off with the Barley and Grapes Ride, which snaked through the scenic Verde Valley, visiting vineyards and old saloons along the way.

A poker run up Oak Creek Canyon, one of the most spectacular rides in the country, followed the next day, as did the popular D&K Cycle & Service Bike Show, which offered thousands of dollars in prizes spread over several classes. Continuous live music was offered by well-respected local and regional bands, such as the Cadillac Angels, Aces & Eights, Rudy “Boy” Experiment, Dog of the Moon, Major Lingo, Redland, Hardride, 74th Street band, The Mods, Hotel California Tribute Band and others.

“We want to continue to improve the event, make it more fun, add activities and attractions, and keep growing,” said a spokesman for Cottonwood Parks & Recreation. “We also would like to attract more builders and will offer them a free space because we believe that’s what people want to see.”

For more information regarding Cottonwood and the Verde Valley, as well as next year’s rally, expected to be held again the third weekend of September, contact the Cottonwood Parks and Recreation Department at 928-639-3200; http://cottonwoodaz.gov/parksrec/thunder-valley-rally/

What the hell? I called Ryan Robinson who was rolling away from his 17-year-old shop on the outskirts of Toronto, in Guelph, Canada, a city of 121,000. It was a calm 28-degree night as he sliced his way home through 91 percent humidity. He spent a regular 12-hour day at his small service shop, RNR Custom Cycles, when I reached him. The first words out of his mouth were, “My daily mentor to this day is Bob McKay.”

Bob is a Hamster and owner of McKay’s Cycle Creations in Kingston, three hours away from Ryan’s shop. I’ve known Bob for 30-some years. He owned Bob McKay’s Harley-Davidson with his wife, Dianne, from 1986 until he sold it in 2002. I immediately mentioned about my knowing Bob and that he’s a Hamster. “So am I,” said Ryan. “I came around under Bob’s wing and became a Hamster in 2009.”

I scratched my head and muttered, “So am I. Class of ’87.” The conversation took on a new and colorful level at that point. For years, the Hamsters were known for their Easter-egg shell colored customs. I was one of the few outlaws of the bunch, but the club was made up primarily of guys who scratched-out their livings building motorcycles or motorcycle parts. Some were more successful than others, but the mantra was all about enjoying the passion of building custom motorcycles and having fun.

For a stretch, Hamsters were frowned on by some riders as being rich flashy bike builders who didn’t ride much, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, it goes beyond just the non-riding assumption. How many guys do you know who build bikes from the ground up, and then ride them to Sturgis or across the country? In the case of the Hamsters, that’s often the metal flake scenario.

As the Evo took hold, custom dressers became popular. Where the hell did the pseudonym “bagger” come from? They were all called dressers until Eric Ellis became the editor of Hot Bike Baggers. Then he changed everything. Anyway, we started to ride custom dressers, Victory Visions, and brothers started to bitch that they weren’t custom bikes. Paul Yaffe, another Hamster, put an end to that debate when he quit building choppers and created an entire line of products for baggers.

With each custom touring machine came another long-distance Hamster. “You’re right,” Ryan said. “Just a couple of years ago, I rode my bagger from home to Lansing, Michigan to hook up with Dave Bell’s son (also a Hamster), Graydon, to ride to Sturgis.” When he arrived, he asked Graydon when they planned to leave and how far they would ride the first night.

“We’re leaving now and riding straight through to Deadwood,” Graydon said, and straddled his bike in the service area of his dad’s dealership, Capitol Harley-Davidson in Dimondale, a suburb of Lansing. They peeled out for the 1350-mile ride. As they entered Chicago, rain forced them to the side of the road under an overpass, where Ryan donned his rain gear and a full-face helmet.

Ryan looked over at Graydon, who stood shivering in a wet t-shirt and popped open one of his saddlebags. It was empty. “What the hell?” Ryan said.

“All my clothes are at my Dad’s house in Deadwood,” Graydon said, and borrowed a sweatshirt. They hit the road once more.

In the Dakotas, the temps dropped to 60 degrees and it rained throughout North Dakota while the Hamsters peeled along interstates at 85 mph.

The next year, Ryan rode back from Sturgis with the notorious Shadley Brothers, Mark, Paul, and Jim. They were headed back to Whitman, Massachusetts. “Man, they ride fast,” Ryan said of the Hamster trio. They hit it out of Spearfish, South Dakota, Thursday afternoon, just after the annual Hamster barbecue. The clouds were ominous, but they were confident they could skirt the dark front and make it through.

“We didn’t pass through Rapid City before it started to rain,” Mark Shadley said, “but we kept rolling.” At just over 150 miles east on Interstate 90, the weather got the best of them. In the wind-swept downpour they passed overturned 18-wheelers, travel trailers blown over, and upside down citizen sedans. “We had to escape this hurricane.” They were headed directly for the epicenter.

They peeled off the interstate, heading north for another 200 miles, until they were clear of the storm and cut east on small two-lane highways through North Dakota and into Minnesota, where they shut down in a small town hit so hard by the passing storm all the power was still out.

The next morning, they were up and on the road by 9:00. “That was the longest day I ever spent riding,” Mark said. “We rode in the rain most of the day, and rode until 2:00 in the morning and covered only 900 miles.” Ryan rode a hopped-up Road Glide, and Mark a Victory Vision. Brother Paul rode a Victory Cross Country, and brother Jim a 95-inch Road King. All the bikes held fast, breakdown-free, as they rolled through Wisconsin and into Michigan.

At Salt Ste. Marie on the St. Mary’s River, between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, they hid from the rain and bedded down. They wanted to awaken early, take break and a ferry ride around the Great Lakes, but couldn’t muster in time for the 6:30 launch. Crawling out of the sack, the soggy Hamsters straddled their scooters once more and rode 450 miles across the border into Canada, skirting the North Channel, then the Georgian Bay and headed south for Ryan’s ranch outside Guelph, 75 miles west of Toronto.

The next morning, the Shadley brothers loaded up their damp gear and headed home toward their shop of 40 years in Whitman, Massachusetts, another 500 miles in the rain. “It only let up on us for 20 stinking miles,” Mark said.

That year, the Sturgis Hamster riding season began with Ryan and the Shadley Brothers riding from their hometowns to the west coast, then back to Sturgis, then home. That’s two cross-countries in a month for the furry beasts. Can’t say they don’t ride.

So, what about this Softail? Buck Lovell shot the photos in Sturgis a couple of years ago. Ryan picked it up in Canada as an insurance job. “It was barely scuffed,” Ryan said. He hauled it to RNR and went to work. “I could have repaired and restored it to stock, but I wanted to try out some new PM and RSD components.” It turned out to be the perfect easel for the application of custom parts. “I only modified the fenders; the rest was bolt-on and paint.”

It’s a hell-of-an example of how a handful of PM and RSD components, and Rollie’s custom paint can transform a stock Softail into a stock configuration, agile, reliable custom bike.

Ryan’s shop maybe just over 5,500 square feet, but it’s constantly cooking with standard service work, bike builds like this one (with six to eight lifts busy all the time), bagger renovations, and he currently has eight engines on his clean-room bench lined up for rebuilds.

So there you have it. The life of a Hamster is all about riding, building, and living the custom motorcycle dream. “For Bob McKay, it began as a hobby, then he became a class A motorcycle mechanic,” said Ryan, “which he built into a world class business, sold it, and now it’s a hobby again. I aspire to the same goal.”

Owner(s): Ryan Robinson

Model: Softail
Fabrication: Ryan Robinson
Chrome: Plating House

Bike’s name: Danger Zone
Brand name: Ultima
Build time: 1 month
Assembly: RNR Custom Cycle Ltd

Engine SPECS

Year: 2005
Manufacturer: HD
Model: Softail
Displacement: 95
Rebuilt by: RNR Custom Cycle ltd
Lower-end: H-D
Balancing: H-D
Ignition: Race Tuner

Pistons: WISECO
Cylinders: H-D
Exhaust: Supertrapp – Xpipes Paul Yaffee

Year: 2005
Model: 5-speed
Trans. sprocket/pulley: 32
Primary drive: H-D
Transmission Case: H-D
Manufacturer: H-D
Shifting: H-D
Drive side: LEFT
Sprocket/pulley: PM-Gasser Contrast Cut
Gears: H-D

Year: 2011
Model: Softail
Suspension type: Softail
Motor mount type: solid
Manufacturer: Ultima
Stretch: stock
Neck rake: stock

Fenders: RSD
Gas tank: RSD
Oil tank: RSD

Paint – Mark Swift,
Pinstriping – Rollie Guertin

Year: 2005
Manufacturer: H-D
Model: H-D
Style/type: Springer
Travel: Stock
Extension: None
Handlebars: H-D

Grips: Avon
Risers: H-D

FRONT
Size: 21
Hub: PM?
Tire: 90/21?
Brake Rotor(s): PM-Gasser Contrast Cut
Wheel:PM-Gasser Contrast Cut
Brake Caliper(s): H-D

Size: 150
Hub: PM
Tire: Metzler ME880 150/70/18
Brake Rotor: PM
Wheel: PM-Gasser Contrast Cut
Brake Caliper: HD

Headlight: H-D
Taillight: Sparto
License plate mount: Sparto
Horn: Custom

Mirrors: Ness
Seat: RSD
Oil lines: H-D
Foot controls: PM
Footpegs: PM

 

            The Harley in the Barn is the follow up text to The Vincent in the Barn by Tom Cotter. Bikers love their stories and what better way than to have them in book form. Subtitled More Great Tales of Motorcycle Archeology, Cotter brings together tales from across the motorcycle community about the great finds bike collectors have made. My favorite is the two thousand dollar Harley.

 

Author:

Tom Cotter

Foreword by:

Pat Simmons

Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages

Item: 194723

ISBN: 9780760342343

Publisher: Motorbooks

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS DELIVERY
This year’s national Christmas Tree is being delivered to Washington, D.C. in a specially-decorated Mack truck driven by former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a long-serving member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF) and member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

As an avid motorcyclist, Campbell was one of motorcycling’s staunchest allies in Congress, representing Colorado from 1993-2005.

“It is a privilege to drive the tree for the U.S. Capitol from Colorado this year,” remarked Campbell, who still has his commercial driver’s license. The 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree tour began Nov. 9 in Meeker, CO where the 73-foot Engleman spruce was harvested, and will take nearly a month to reach the Capitol with scheduled stopovers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

ARIZONA TO ELIMINATE ANNUAL MOTORCYCLE EMISSIONS TESTING
Maricopa County is the only place in America that requires emissions testing for motorcycles, but it won’t be for much longer according to a recent report from MMA of Arizona Lobbyist Bobbi Hartmann, who is also a member of the NCOM-Legislative Task Force; “The EPA is about to APPROVE the ADEQ’s State Implementation Plan (SIP), requesting the ELIMINATION OF EMISSIONS ON MOTORCYCLES IN MARICOPA COUNTY!!!” Emphasis included, so you can read into it the emotion and thrill of success after ten years of effort to eliminate the last motorcycle emissions test in the U.S.

After the Kentucky Motorcycle Association (KMA/KBA) successfully removed motorcycles from their state’s emissions testing several years ago, Arizona was the lone state to still require it, but testing was limited to only Maricopa County (Phoenix) after motorcyclists successfully lobbied to end emission tests for motorcycles in Pima County (Tucson).

Hartmann reports that she recently received a call from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), stating that although they had been expecting a “Disapproval Notice” from the EPA due to revised ozone levels at the federal level, their D.C. headquarters issued a Reversal of Opinion and approved their request for elimination of yearly motorcycle emissions in Maricopa/Pinal County (AREA A).

“ADEQ expects the proposed EPA action to be signed this week and published in the Federal Register within 2 weeks,” explained Hartmann. “That starts the approximately 30 day Public Comment and EPA response to Public Comment period. Once that is complete, the EPA will sign the final action and then have 2 weeks to publish that in the Federal Register. The entire process should be FINAL and EFFECTIVE 60 days from that time frame, so the elimination of yearly emissions on motorcycles in AREA A should be effective by the end of first quarter of 2013 or before. It seems that all of our efforts from 2002 until now, have finally paid off!!”

CONGRATULATIONS to the motorcyclists’ lobbying team representing a coalition led by ABATE of Arizona, the Modified Motorcycle Association (MMA) of Arizona and the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (ACMC).

NOW HEAR THIS!
A flurry of scientific and medical studies lately have identified an inordinate amount of hearing loss in motorcyclists, due not to “loud pipes” but rather to air rushing past our ears at deafening intensities at highway speeds. After accelerating, most of the sound that a rider hears isn’t engine noise, it is wind noise, and audiologists admit that even helmets do not provide much protection against hearing loss caused by wind buffeting in and around a helmet.

Indeed, acoustical engineers say that audible wind noise inside a helmet can reach rock-concert levels as high as 115 decibels, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warns that exposure to noise at 100 decibels is safe for only 15 minutes and permanent hearing loss can result from prolonged exposure — so motorcycle riders in particular should pay attention to the warning signs: a ringing sound in the ears immediately after exposure, and hearing voices and other sounds as muffled.

Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t reversible, but it is preventable. While even the most expensive helmet won’t provide significant protection against noise, an inexpensive pair of foam earplugs, readily available at drug stores, can reduce sound levels by 20 to 25 decibels.

However, this simple solution may also be illegal.

Even though riders have come to recognize that noise can be a serious health issue, many U.S. jurisdictions prohibit the use of earplugs, and one long road trip could take a rider through numerous changes in state and local laws.

Just ask Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney Ralph C. Buss whose client, a truck driver from Michigan, was pulled over while riding his motorcycle in Ohio and given a ticket for wearing protective ear plugs!

The rider contacted ABATE of Ohio seeking assistance, and while ABATE looks into modifying the existing law to make allowances for motorcyclists to wear ear protection, they referred the motorcyclist to attorney Buss regarding the citation, which is a moving violation that in addition to a fine carries a 2 point penalty that could put his CDL and livelihood in jeopardy if he’s found guilty.

Although some states like California have changed their laws to allow riders to use hearing protectors, and Maryland allows custom-made earplugs only, most passed such laws years ago to thwart the use of stereo headphones while driving. The codes do not distinguish between earphones and earplugs; one being used for audio equipment and the other used for hearing protection — so without case law to establish legislative intent, obsolete laws like Ohio’s need to be rectified, which according to Buss “is exactly why motorcyclists need organizations like ABATE to not only watchdog the legislature, working to pass pro-motorcycle laws and prevent anti-bike bills from passing, but also to clean-up old laws that need to take into consideration both motorcycles and motorcyclists.”

GEORGIA RIDES TOLL FREE
HOT lanes are replacing the HOV lanes on some interstates in Georgia starting with I-85, and will require a toll for their use by all vehicles except those which are exempt. Fortunately, just as motorcycles are able to use the existing HOV high occupancy lanes, they will be also permitted in the HOT lanes toll-free as exempt vehicles, but will need a Peach Pass device.

Peach Pass devices are available from Georgia’s State Road & Tollway Authority at 1-855-PCH-PASS (724-7277), or you can find more information at www.peachpass.com.

CALIFORNIA RESTRICTS PICKETING AT FUNERALS
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation restricting protests at military and other funerals.

Senate Bill 661, by Senator Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, prohibits picketing a funeral within 300 feet of a burial or memorial site beginning one hour before a funeral and ending one hour after, having been amended to comply with a 2011 Supreme Court decision regarding protests of military funerals by members of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for its anti-Semitic and anti-gay views.

“Since time immemorial, society has respected the dignity and sacredness of putting the dead to rest,” Lieu said in a prepared statement. “This bill recognizes the sanctity of funerals by placing reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on disruptive protestors.”

MOTORCYCLES REMOVED FROM NTSB MOST-WANTED LIST
Although the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called upon states and the federal government to pass motorcycle helmet laws for all riders, this year’s annual “Top Ten Most Wanted List” of the agency’s most important safety priorities no longer lists any motorcycle safety concerns.

After making the hit list the past three years, which are recommendations to government bodies that are often put into place through further laws and regulations, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman indicated that “Safety areas are dropped from the list when meaningful progress has been made.”

COULD YOUR NEXT BIKE TALK…TO CARS?
Could your future Honda motorcycle converse with the car coming out of the side street up ahead to alert the driver that you’re approaching?

Well, only if they are each fitted with technology that can communicate with similarly-equipped vehicles to keep each other out of harm’s way, according to the picture Honda painted at the 19th World ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) Congress, held in Vienna in October.

The “Motorcycle Approaching Indication” application is a connectivity system that warns both driver and rider when it detects that there is an obscured vehicle potentially approaching their direction of travel. Honda first proposed such a system in 1999, and demoed a version in 2008 on a Gold Wing. It has since refined ITS for more compact bikes, and so far warning systems for the two most common types of car-bike collisions – T-boning and being cut off by a car turning left – have been demoed successfully.

ITS could potentially also communicate with roadside infrastructure, warning of hazards in the road.

WEIRD NEWS: BIKE THIEVES CRASH INTO ONE ANOTHER
Two heads aren’t always better than one, as TWO bike thieves have landed up in the hospital after crashing their stolen motorcycles – into each other.

The bungling bikers collided and crashed on a roundabout in Sussex, England, after the two stolen bikes were seen being ridden at high speed together shortly before the collision.

DON’T SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
New Jersey residents may not have much to smile about in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, but that’ll make it easier to comply with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s ban on smiling for driver’s license photos.

That’s because, according to the National Motorists Association (NMA), drivers showing off their pearly whites apparently confuses the new facial recognition software New Jersey launched earlier this year. The stated aim of the system is to prevent people from acquiring driver’s licenses under alternate identities by comparing photographs in the database.

New Jersey is not alone in its integration of facial recognition into the driver’s licensing process. According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, most states use some form of driver’s license facial recognition.

Welcome to the world of biometrics — the use of unique physical or behavioral characteristics to verify an individual’s identity, and as surveillance cameras become ubiquitous and capable of recording finer detail, tracking of individuals (whether they’re in their cars, or not) will become easier and easier.

In the wake of 9/11, policymakers called for stronger national standards to verify the identity of driver’s license applicants. This led to the Real ID Act of 2005 which established requirements for a national identification system based on the driver’s license. Among the 18 benchmarks the states must comply with is the implementation of facial recognition.??Despite being enacted seven years ago, Real ID has not been fully implemented. Many states, citing a range of privacy and budget concerns, have rejected the act through statute or legislative resolution, or have simply refused to comply.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The price of freedom of religion or of speech or of the press is that we must put up with, and even pay for, a good deal of rubbish.”
~ Robert H. Jackson (1892-1954), US Supreme Court justice

How to Rebuild & Restore Classic Harley-Davidson Big Twins 1936-1964 by Rick Schunk from Motorbooks Workshop series gives their attention to the venerable Knucklehead and Panhead in this how to restore book.

While nothing short of an encyclopedia would cover every aspect of restoring these old bikes this book gives a solid effort on the big picture and some of the details. It’s packed with hundreds of color close up shots and tips on taking these old parts apart and putting them back together again.

There are two good sections on removing broken screws and studs and a really detailed look at rebuilding a Linkert carburetor using close up photographs.

There are literally hundreds of small tips and advice in the book. This is a highly informative guide to restoring these old classic Harleys.

Author: Rick Schunk
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
Item: 194921
ISBN: 9780760343401
Publisher: Motorbooks

2AZZ1 (pronounced “two as one”)

Their new album “Shiny Side Up” http://2azz1.com/index.php

Both Craig and Mary grew up riding dirt bikes Southern Michigan. They loved the open land and trails in Michigan. Lakes, hunting, fishing, skiing, boating, snowmobiles and of course motorcycles are “the way of life” in Michigan. But as musicians, they both headed to LA for the music business in the 80’s. They came individually, not together, although they knew each other in Michigan and came to California for different reasons about 3 months apart. They hooked up a couple of years later here in LA.

Pursuing a music career in LA didn’t leave much time or money for motorcycles. Eventually Craig purchased a Harley and a few months later Mary also picked up a Harley and joined her husband on the road. “Once we “hit the saddles” we were hooked again! We believe that a Harley is truly an extension of us. We also believe that our bikes are a vehicle to bring “good” everywhere we go…and we love to ride!”   They encourage other couples to embrace the love of biking. We have a strong faith and have recently been ordained in the Free Methodist church as deacons and are licensed to “marry people”.

Their band called 2AZZ1 (pronounced “two as one”) that plays a High Energy Rock to contemporary funk/blues with jazz influences. Theyve played for a variety of biker events including Glendale HD’s 35th Anniversary celebration.

They are obviously both very talented musicians. Craig is an excellent saxophonist and their recordings and songwriting are world class. Mary’s voice is rich and she can rock. She’s been compared to Bonnie Raitt and, yes she can sing that well, and how often are the Ministers at the wedding also your Band! Check out their music.

Their new music video “SHE’S GOTTA RIDE” http://youtu.be/WbwWSH-JARw Website  http://2azz1.com/index.php

New CD  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shiny-side-ep/id519742383

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2AZZ1MUSIC

 

 

With the holidays around the corner, Bikernet sponsor J&P Cycles offers a comprehensive video tour of cool motorcycle luggage items they carry. Check it out!

 

Whether preparing for a cross-country trip or just looking for a place to stash a few things for an afternoon on the road, this video will help you find the right luggage to meet your needs.  The goal is to show you the options out there, so you could decide what will work best for you. While the products featured here are great examples of the different types of luggage J&P Cycles offers, you can shop ourentire selection of motorcycle luggage and read the reviews. If you ever have any questions feel free to ask the experts here at J&P Cycles.

Products Featured in this video:

Eagle Leather Windshield Bag

T-Bags Windshield Bag

Kuryakyn Traditional 3-Pouch Fairing Bag

Willie & Max Raptor Collection Throw-over Saddlebags

Saddlebag Support Brackets

Mustang Plain Hard Saddlebags

Kuryakyn Studded Saddlebag

River Road Spectrum Series Travel Bag

Kuryakyn Ultra Tour Bag

Kuryakyn Transformer Backrest