Here’s a link to the last chapter: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXRs_Part_8_Wiring_World.aspx




What a year, and we’re cranking on so many two-wheeled fronts. Both Mudflap Girl bikes are running and one is in the wind, but I’d better back up. You’re going to love this tech, and the ending.

I took the Mudflap Girl bike to Saddlemen during the holidays, at just the wrong time. They faced the holiday schedule, then dealer shows, including the Easyriders V-twin show, then Daytona, before the dust settled and the shop was calm enough to focus on a couple of custom seats.



Sure, the economy sucks, but you wouldn’t know it if you stumbled into their brick manufacturing facility in a Los Angles industrial community. The shop is cooking, building twice as many seats as last year, and adding 420 new seat part numbers. Tom Seymour, his partner, Dave Echert, and Avery Innis have stepped into the luggage arena for touring bikes, cruisers, and sport bikes. They designed a line of bag inserts, sissybar pads, tank and fender trim, you name it. If you’re going for a long ride, they have the product for you.



That’s just the tip of the chrome and leather iceberg. The Saddlemen team will attend 78 shows, and events this year, from Sturgis to flat track racing, with the marketing director, Ron Benfield in the lead. The family atmosphere in their facility started to impress me after a couple of visits. I met 25-year team members and their sons and cousins. In fact, Avery kindly took a liking to an old Bikernet buddy, Buster Cates, and offered him a position on the team. Buster owns and rides our Shrunken FXR to work every day.



Let’s cut to the seat-building chase. The Saddlemen team turned motorcycle seats into an engineered art form. They don’t just make cool seats but poured engineering into the mix for comfort and long-ride ability. They studied the use of medical gels, then the spinal relief channel, lumbar support, and foam and fabric functions. Now they make heated seats, and the heels-down seats for shorter riders. Several of these elements add time and substantial cost to the seat manufacturing process. Plus they always attempt to make their seats fit better than stock.



Saddlemen has a team of custom seat builders who carefully design seats for special applications, race bikes, and sometimes, ultimately production seats. I was impressed with the myriad of seat manufacturing processes and how the team handled each one. Jose, the senior custom seat designer, worked with us through the entire process. First, he verified the position of the seat and the position of the frame rails, which are not always entirely symmetrical. Then he determined the center of the fender. He carefully masked off the entire seat area, and then began to hand-form a sheath of 1/8-inch wax. It performs a couple of functions. First, it molds perfectly to the frame, and second, it affords a 1/8-inch clearance for fabric to fill during the final stage.



“Every motorcycle has a seat,” Avery said, “but there are multiple body styles.” Avery is the engineering, design, and customer relations guru. He worked for Suzuki and Honda for years, and rides touring bikes and enduros. “All body styles don’t fit the same seat or style of riding.”



The wax helped the seat to locate itself on the frame perfectly. With wax strips, Jose formed a small channel on the inside of the wax seat pan to allow for fasteners not to protrude. The channel is about ½-inch wide and 1/8-inch thick. When the channel was placed securely, Jose filled the wax-to-wax edges with clay to prevent resin from seeping under the wax channel.
















After the first sheet of fiberglass was carefully laid over the wax and carefully coated with resin, we cut a dusty trail and planned to hook up the following week.

















Day Two:



We returned to the shop. The doors open at 6:30 in the morning and shut down at 3:30. I found the timing to be very civilized. The staff can enjoy a comfortable afternoon at home. We didn’t roll into the shop until 10:00 and Jose was already cutting and shaping the fiberglass seat pan, with the seat hook brackets molded into the bottom of the pan. Fiberglass contains amazing strength, yet adds flexibility. They are the official seat maker of the AMA pro racing/flat track, and now road racing classes, and they make all of Steve Storz café racer kit seats for Sportsters. They also sponsor dozens of flat track racers, the 5-Ball Bonneville Racing team, the Jordon Race Team, and Lotus.











With the seat pan shaped perfectly for my goofy Mudflap Girl ignition key system, we peeled out once more, and returned the next week for foam shaping.








Day Three:

“This is the most impressive aspect to making a custom seat,” Buster said of the foam shaping process.




“The driving force is style,” Avery said, “then we add performance with the gel, the spinal relief channel, and lumbar support.” Initially, I shot for the coolest, cleanest design to feed my chopper soul, but realized I needed a long-distance rider for my future Sturgis runs. When the discussion of lumbar supports surfaced, my lip zipped tight. I didn’t want to step into the middle of the comfort engineering mix.






My goofy key position worked perfectly into the channel design. Jose cut and shaped the 1.5 inches of foam with highly sharpened kitchen knives and coarse emery discs. Avery and Jose discussed the sketches for the position of the channel and the gel. One inch of gel represents 3 inches of foam.








Here’s the company’s gel description: Almost two decades ago, Saddlemen was the innovator of SaddleGel for motorcycle seats, bringing over a gel technology widely used in medical applications.




Without question, SaddleGel is the most important breakthrough in motorcycle seating technology in decades. This amazing product will increase the amount of time you spend on your motorcycle, creating the comfort necessary to ride all day. Every type of riding is more enjoyable, from touring to dual sport, canyon carving to street cruising.




When it comes to motorcycle seat comfort technology, nothing compares to a Saddlemen seat with SaddleGel. The proprietary SaddleGel technology was gleaned from the medical industry with specific origins in wheelchair pads and hospital beds. The gel was used (and still is) to prevent bedsores for those confined to beds for long periods of time and for people in wheelchairs—some for their whole lives. Know anyone that rides as much as a person confined to a wheelchair?




In the early ‘90s, the experienced riders at Saddlemen figured out a way to incorporate all the benefits of gel into a motorcycle seat and quickly learned it was far more comfortable than standard seats for a variety of reasons. For one, SaddleGel isolates engine and road vibration, a common cause of rider fatigue. SaddleGel is a molded solid with fluid-like properties that will not slide to one side or move around in your seat like air or water in a plastic bag. Instead, the proprietary design eliminates pressure points at the hip bones and tail bone by evenly distributing your weight across the surface of the seat. Otherwise, pressure points or hot spots can hinder blood flow, causing pain and discomfort. Normal circulation is never lost on a seat with SaddleGel. It keeps your rear end comfortable on a long ride, and ready to respond quickly as road conditions change.




Saddlemen SaddleGel is extremely advantageous, but we were able to maximize its benefits by developing a seating comfort system around it. Our integrated seat designs include a selection of materials that work together to make our seats as comfortable as possible, while still giving your bike show-quality style.



Avery has a product formula he learned from the president of Suzuki in 1990 at a business philosophy conference. “Every product must be evaluated for styling, performance, and value,” Avery said. We discussed business notions and the alignment of the stars while Jose carefully shaped foam.




Day Four:




While I was missing in action, Jose refined the shape, inserted large segments of gel, and made a custom aluminum channel section. They need something to apply the upholstery to, and then fasten it to the bottom of the seat pan. Nothing is as easy as it seems. Then he added a final lather of breathing foam, only about ¼-inch thick, and we started to decide on the fabric and pattern.




“In the past, we all thought leather was the ultimate fabric,” Buster said, “but not so.” Learning the Saddlemen ropes fast, Buster discovered new, more resilient fabrics, stronger materials, and more comfortable weaves. Avery chose a long lasting carbon fiber weave for the front of the seat panels, then a brushed aluminum vinyl for the channel center and the lumbar region. They even planned to scan a Mudflap girl and embroidered her into the seal. The rear seat tab was positioned during the second layer of fiberglass. Avery chose another black vinyl for the back of the seat. It’s tough, has the delicate touch of skin, and will last.







Jose marked lines for fabric patterns, and next he would drill and counter-sink the custom aluminum panel before upholstery and placement down the center of the pan. He ensured that the gel was properly glued with their coveted water-based adhesive, used for all foam application. The thin layer of porous headliner foam acts as a visual detailing source for seat shaping and adds breathing, but it’s not long distance comfort foam. The Saddlemen-designed progressive foam and gel handled the tough job.




Here’s the Saddlemen description regarding the spinal channel system: Our Gel Channel line of seats for sport bikes are designed specifically for the rider that needs a seat that can do everything—canyon carving, track days, or commuting.

They feature Saddlemen’s Gel Channel (GC) technology (patent pending) that incorporates a split piece of SaddleGel and a channel in the base foam to relieve seating pressure on the perineal area, increase blood flow, and keep the rider in the saddle longer.







While another week sped past, the Saddlemen staff sewed the pattern pieces together with marine grade nylon and polyester, colorfast thread for sun tolerance and lasting durability.




I never imagined so much thought, engineering, product testing, selection, and creativity would go into a goddamn seat. But when you think about it, you’re almost as involved with the seat as you are with any other aspect of a motorcycle.










The call came: “The seat is finished and fine,” Buster said. “Come and get this puppy.”



We grabbed the new license plate, a new Aeromach mirror, a Bandit’s Dayroll packet full of tools, and peeled out. This wasn’t within the mantra of the Eddie Trotta break-in procedure. The well-organized Saddlemen facility was located about 10 miles from the Bikernet Interplanetary headquarters. We ran the driveline through several heat cycles, but it never felt the clunk of the BDL clutch allowing the JIMS 6-speed transmission drop into gear, or the Metalsport mag wheels and Avon tires skid across any dusty asphalt lanes.






The Mudflap Girl resided in the asphalt driveway, out front, as we pulled up to the Rancho Dominquez facility. For the first time, I swung my leg over the carefully detailed Saddlemen seat, and sat down, as if about to cut a dusty trail. I immediately felt at home.



While the Saddlemen gang hung out around my Mudflap Girl in their driveway and we warmed the H-D Evo engine, we tightened the leaky fuel filter, adjusted the position of the clutch lever, and then I dropped it in gear. It shifted so smooth, I didn’t know I was in first. I was slightly nervous as I rolled out of the driveway. The seat was amazing, but would I survive the virgin ride home?





Next, we will cover my son’s final build aspects, adjustments, and first ride. Hang on.





Spitfire


D&D Exhaust

Biker’s Choice

JIMS Machine




MetalSport


BDL/GMA


Wire Plus




Branch O’Keefe


Bennett’s Performance


Custom Cycle Engineering


Saddlemen


Bub


Progressive Suspension

Tail Gunner here. This month I decided to give the old ’03 Softail a little more top end. After extensive research, I decided the most economical way to go was just swap out the transmission pulley. The stock final drive ratio for my 2003 FLSTC is 32/70 (32-tooth primary pulley) and 70-tooth rear belt pulley.

For years I wished for a sixth gear, so when Harley came out with their six-speed transmission, I knew it was time for an upgrade. By changing out the primary pulley from a 32-tooth to a 34-tooth, you change the final drive ratio from 3.37:1 to approx. 2.95:1. In simple terms, you’re dropping your RPMs approximately 240 at 60MPH.

Now this might not seem like a lot, but believe me, it made a huge difference at freeway cruising speeds. The bike no longer over-revved at 75-80 mph, it just pops right up there, and has plenty left to give when I need it. You’ll need a few items before you get started. The Pulley (34-tooth) I ordered from JP Cycles. You’ll also need a “Main shaft Sprocket Pulley Locknut Tool” (1 7/8-inch EBay motors or JIMS), a 1 3/16-inch socket and a 1 ½-inch socket.

Also, a primary side gasket set. I spent a grand total of $251.99 for everything, way less than a six-speed transmission. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to install a sharp six speed transmission, just can’t justify the cost right now, so this mod is next best thing.

Let’s get to it, it’s really not as bad as it sounds, you’ll need to remove the floorboard and mount, and the shift linkage. Drain the primary oil, and remove the outer primary cover.
Remove the OEM gasket, loosen the primary chain tensioner, and let it drop all the way down. Remove the clutch adjusting plate snap ring, and pull the plate out.

Then remove the rod that runs through the transmission to the clutch throw-out bearing. Now use the 1 ½-inch socket on the compensator nut (FWD) and the 1 3/16-inch socket on the clutch basket nut. I used an air impact gun at 110psi shop air. The compensator nut is right hand thread, the clutch basket nut has left hand threads. Use the impact gun on both and they spin right off.

Now you can remove the compensator, primary chain and clutch all at once, just slide them off.

Next use a 5/16-inch wrench and remove the starter motor Jackshaft and plate; the plate has a lock tab you’ll have to bend to loosen the 5/16-inch nut. Pull the jackshaft out carefully and set aside. Make sure you disconnected the battery, prior to this operation.

At this point, remove the two starter motor screws. The motor will sit in place if you’re careful, so you don’t need to remove it all the way. Now, bend the lock tabs on the eight bolts that hold the inner primary case, and remove the bolts and case.

You can leave the stator in place; the inner case slides right over it so there’s no need to remove it. Bingo, you are now at the transmission pulley. Remove the two screws and lock nut plate on the pulley, and use your main shaft sprocket pulley locknut tool and remove the pulley nut using the air impact, remember, left hand threads. Now loosen the rear wheel axle and run the axle adjusting screws all the way loose. This will give you enough slack in the belt so you can slip it of the drive pulley. This mod will also allow you to use the stock belt. Install the new 34-tooth pulley and reassemble in reverse, nothing to it!

–Tail Gunner out, till next time!!

Resources:
Primary 34-tooth Pulley– JP Cycles P/N 601-384 $126.99
Primary Gasket kit– JP Cycles P/N 610-119 $64.99

Total Investment: $251.97

Saddleman seats have been the choice for me since back when I was riding rigid frame motorcycles. They were one of the rare, primarily, comfortable components that allowed me to ride and enjoy a lot of miles in a single day.

When I got a new Harley FLHT in 2004 the factory seat was okay but nothing to write home about, and that turned out to be the same with the 2009 FLHTC.

When the opportunity came up for me to do this article on a Saddleman seat, I jumped at it. Those of you who know I live in Florida, may wonder why I wanted a heated seat and the answer is simple, my lifestyle takes me to a lot of cold weather states and the thought of a heated seat would make these chilly trips seriously more enjoyable. A major feature of this seat is that the heat controller has a five (5) level adjustment that can be removed when it is warm and adjustment is no longer needed.

Installing the seat is straight forward, but I did take the time to read the instructions and suggest you do so as well. We also spoke to Ron Benfield, the marketing manager at Saddlemen.

“The seat is called the Explorer, it’s a re-designed version of the seat that put Saddlemen on the map,” said Ron. “It is our top-of-the-line touring model with large bucketed sitting areas, lumbar backrest and heat in both driver and passenger seats.”

I removed the factory seat and put the new seat in place to see how it fit. Good. Next, I installed the rear seat bracket followed by the power cord linked to the wires coming out of the underside of the seat.

There are a couple of options while installing the Fused battery lead. I could hook it directly to the battery which means you need to remember to turn the heater off when you turn off the motorcycle. I thought this could be an issue for me, due to me faltering memory. I decided to hook it to a source I turned off power when I turned off the motorcycle, for instance the lights, or the brake light circuit, or the speedo circuit.

There were wires available for my tourpack available for an accessory I was not currently using. This allowed me to mount the fuse out of the elements, and should I ever need to change a fuse it would be easy to get to. I decided to use connectors as opposed to soldering and made sure they were connected in a secure manner, so as not to become improperly connected. It made for a neat and easy solution, plus I made sure the wires would not be in a dangerous position, rubbing against anything. I routed the front wire out by the saddlebag guard, and all were secured with plastic ties so they would not move.

“It uses 34 watts, which is approx 2.8 amps,” said Ron. “There are no special wiring considerations.”

Using Velcro on the back of the rear controller, I mounted it to the tourpack. I made it easy for my wife to use while seated on the motorcycle rolling down the highway behind her man. The controllers come with a clip for those who prefer to have the controller on their person. I opted to use the clip to mount the front controller to the pouch mounted on the saddlebag guard.

I then turned the motorcycle on and checked each controller for proper operation.

Nice Easy Installation. It actually took me longer to shoot the photos than install the seat.

As I sat in the seat, I noticed it had a gel pad installed and the design supported my back better. Life was looking good.

My wife Doris and I went riding later in the evening, and though it did not cool down much, the temperature did drop enough for both of us to try out the new heated seat. It definitely did the job and the controllers were easy to reach.

You can’t imagine what a difference heated seats or grips make to the comfort level of any chilly ride–it’s amazing. It will be much more enjoyable to ride on cold nights with this Saddlemen heated seat.

–Rogue

Moral of the work

In War: Resolution
In Defeat: Defiance
In Victory: Magnanimity
In Peace: Good Will
–Windston Churchill

Pierre sat in a pastry shop as the rain pounded the cobblestone street outside the leaded windows. He was a stout, 5’10” young man in his mid 20s who was politically lost. It was 1939 and a good portion of the French government was negotiating with Hitler for survival and wealth. After WWI, many European countries adopted a treacherous political mantra. They experienced the devastation of a World War, and it would never happen again–or so they thought.

Some countries destroyed weaponry under false pretense. After eight months of inactivity on both sides, the British and the French, the Hitler inrush of a vast offensive, led by spear-point masses of cannon-proof or heavily armored vehicles, startled the world. They broke up all defensive opposition, and for the first time for centuries, and even perhaps since the invention of gunpowder, they made common artillery almost impotent on the battlefield.

Pierre, with his beret, dark bushy hair, and wiry mustache, sipped a small cup of espresso in the Cambria coffee shop, and tapped the mahogany table relentlessly. He was terrified and didn’t know which way to turn. His Peugeot motorcycle waited in the rain at the curb, dripping with impatience. A messenger was due to arrive, but who could he trust?

In this sector, however, the Siegfried Line, with its well-built concrete pillboxes mutually supporting one another and organized in depth with masses of wire, was in September 1939, already formidable. By the third week in September, the Polish campaign had ended. The fleeting French numerical superiority in the West was passing. Poland was lost and France wavered.

His girl resided in Paris some 100 miles to the south. He contacted her and convinced the beautiful little redhead, Michele, to meet him in a small coastal berg and make shipping arrangements. He was determined to reach England, and one man who was certainly trustworthy, Winston Churchill. He had read much, and just this man, a WWI admiral, was determined to waken the spirit of determination in the free world.

Why did the French remain passive until Poland was destroyed? In 1938, there was a good chance of victory while Czechoslovakia still existed. In 1936, there could have been no effective German opposition. In 1933, a rescript from Geneva would have procured bloodless compliance.

Pierre’s mind was cluttered with confusing thoughts. The French resistance wasn’t formerly established. He was just a lone rider with a mission, an uncertain one. A fellow concerned Frenchman, a school yard boyhood friend, contacted him the week before and told him of some information he encountered near the frontier defenses on the border of France and Belgium from a Belgium soldier who recently returned hurriedly from the front lines between Germany and Belgium. He didn’t know what to do with the military information, but in Pierre’s heart, his fate was determined.

Pierre’s dire thoughts of Michele consumed him. He read underground reports of Jews being mistreated by the Nazis in Germany. There were overt threats, and chest pounding about the destruction of Jews, and lots of negativity about the Jewish faith and heritage. Michele’s mother was part Jew, and Pierre loved her too much to allow her to stay in harm’s way. He had to convince her to take the voyage across the English Channel with him.

The rumble of another single-cylinder motorcycle broke his doldrums. Alain rode up to the quiet café and dismounted in the driving rain. He was thin as a rail, and his wirey features were soaking wet and gaunt. Pierre ordered a fresh brewed cup of steaming coffee and a croissant for his childhood friend, but they didn’t speak. His friend’s brilliant blue eyes darted around the small empty café, then came to rest on Pierre’s sea green gaze. He wrapped his wet leather gauntlet gloves around the hot cup of coffee and shivered as he lifted it to his lips.

When he was sure they were alone, he slipped Pierre a note in a small envelop from inside of his heavy leather coat. Pierre carefully opened it and read the type-written words: By September 18 Germans had mobilized at least 116 divisions of all classes, distributed as follows; Western front, 42 divisions; Central Germany, 16 divisions; Eastern Front, 58 divisions. Germany had in all from 108 to 117 divisions. Poland was attacked by 58 of the most matured.

There remained 50 to 60 divisions of varying quality. Of these along the Western Front from Aix-la-Chappelle to the Swiss frontier, there stood 42 German divisions. Hitler was sure that the French political system was rotten to the core, and that it had infected the French Army.

The words made him shake in abject fear. War was so close, eminent, and he knew only one thing. He needed to find his girl and escape to England for help.

He touched his friend’s hand and stood. With a nod of encouragement, the best he could muster, he folded the thick Manila paper, stuffed it in the small folded envelope and slipped it deep in one of his thick leather leggings. He departed the leaded glass café doors, donned his leather riding attire, his thick cream-colored cashmere scarf, and kicked his motorcycle to life. It was already freshly refueled and he knew he could reach the outskirts of Paris on the 20-horsepower engine without refueling. Then with another tank, he could almost make it to the small seaport town of Cherbourg, where he would collect Michele and secure passage on a small vessel across the English Channel to Plymouth or Bournemouth.

Hugging the motorcycle as if it was a sick dog, he rumbled along the rough cobblestone and sand roads on crude tires at just over 40 mph. His single headlamp was dim and the weather obscured visibility as he crept along slippery roads through small villages. He had no notion of the famous French underground, resistance, or Marquis forming in the years ahead; he just had a single mission to reach someone who believed in freedom.

As he spotted the lights of Paris ahead, he noticed another light sparkling off the polished stones around him, and then he heard the cadence of another flathead engine firing in counterpoint to his own. He had no rearview mirror, no gun, just a short stiletto knife tucked in his coat. He was cold to the bone, and tucked as close to the 1930 P107 248 cc motorcycle as possible. In his icy, fearful state, he was frozen to the rectangular gas and oil tanks, and vibrating handlebars of the motorcycle. It was all he could do to turn the mechanical throttle and increase his speed to the maximum, 88km/h (55 mph).

As best he could, he sped along the rough roads looking for his turnoff to head northwest toward the Colline de Normandie. With each slippery turn, he sensed the following motorcycle bearing down on him. He pressed the throttle harder and his single roared in the night. The following motorcycle could be a twin, with much more power. It seemed to track him as if pushing him to his limits.

With the lights of Paris on his left, he spotted a petrol station at a highway junction, and took the chance to slip under the flapping awning in the midnight wind. The other motorcycle sped past, and he was relieved. In the driving rain, low lights, and limited visibility, he could only make out a darkly painted frame, a tucked in rider, and flames pouring from his countryside open exhaust. It was truly a two-wheeled locomotive. It disappeared into the night.

“Je ne suis pas du coin, c’est bien la route de Cherbourg?”

The attendant responds: “Oui, continuez dans cette direction. La côte est à 250 miles à l’ouest. Soyez prudent.”
“I’m not from around here, is this the road to Cherbourg?”

The attendant responds: “Yes, you’re on track, just follow this highway 250
miles west to the coast. Be careful.”

He gassed up, kicked the single to life, pumped an extra lubricating blast of oil into the system, and straddled the quivering machine. He released the clutch and steered the frail frame in the same direction as the rider who had passed him moments ago.

Soon he was roaring along the highway toward Cherbourg in the driving rain and against the wind. He wasn’t sure his gas capacity would take him 175 miles to the coast. He tucked in as close as he could and was relieved to ride along without the ominous presence of the cyclist who had been following him.

The road through rural hillsides wound into an open valley, then wove into some soft hills where the twists and turns became more severe. He struggled to keep the flimsy motorcycle upright as it entered slippery turns paved in cobblestones stuck together with sandy grout. The stones were intensely slick, and the sand was like oil on soft rocks.

He crested a mild rise where the road straightened, and twisted the mechanical throttle; suddenly he faced a treacherous decline. His goggles fogged and he pulled them aside. He blinked his eyes to clear the moisture and sand for enhanced visibility, but didn’t dare apply his feeble mechanical drum brakes.

At the bottom of the hill, he came face to face with a hairpin curve and felt himself slipping into the oncoming lane. Unexpectedly the road narrowed and he spotted the glint of something metal in the road’s center. It was the brass sleeve around the hub of a wooden spoked wheel. A large wooden vegetable cart, with massive wooden wheels on either side rolled to the center of the street. He had no time to react, brake, or find an alternate route. He yanked his Peugeot single sideways, and down. He slid against the cobblestones sideways toward the rear of the massive wheel wrapped with cast iron strap at over 45 mph. Sparks flew.

He experienced a sense of calm as he collided with the steel strap. The cart rattled and his motorcycle spun like a pinwheel against the wet stones. He pushed away from the screaming machine as it launched itself off the road and into a deep ditch alongside the road. He dove for the low shrubbery on the other side of the ditch. He tucked and rolled in the tall grass. As soon as he stopped, he checked his limbs for breaks, then wanted to know immediately the condition of his machine.

As Pierre scrambled to his feet, he heard something moving in the grass. He spun as best he could, while still in shock, and discovered a man coming after him, then he heard a shot fired and saw the flash from the mussel. He dove back into the grass, and scrambled in no determined direction.

He heard footsteps charging, when he came across something in the grass, a motorcycle wheel. He yanked it free from it’s muddy grave, turned and tossed it in his previous path and covered, then crawled quickly a few more feet, before he ducked behind a fallen tree trunk in the thick weeds.

He listened carefully above the noise of the driving rain and whistling wind for the boot steps in the soft grass. They kept coming, then stumbled, and he heard a squeal, pulled his dagger, and jumped out from his hiding place. He had no formal close-quarters training except a self-defense class from and older gentlemen, an American, who taught him a couple of moves.

A lesson Pierre always remembered was to attack, get close, in order to gain some level of control. He charged almost blind in the dark, and ran into a dark form. They scuffled in the grass and mud. He heard the hammer of the weapon move and the cylinder rotate. It was that close. He drove his dagger into the form at waist level. The gun went off, but as he twisted the blade, he felt the other man weaken and collapse.

Pierre moved away quickly, and winced. As he scrambled to find his bike and get the hell out of harms way, a pain shot through his left thigh. He reached down and felt warm liquid. He couldn’t see in the rain, under the cloud-covered sky. He found his motorbike in the weeds, minus his mangled front wheel and pulled it towards the road’s edge. He ran his gloved hand along the girder front end and discovered a broken tube. He couldn’t ride the single. His heart sank, but the pain in his leg awaked his drive, and he backtracked until he found the road.

In the dank shadows, he spotted a nearby tree and discovered the twin 1933 Peugeot 515 behind it leaning against the tree. Peugeot developed the first 500cc double-overhead cam-driven twin. The diminutive key was still in the ignition behind the handlebars. He discovered a way to keep rolling and calmed. He returned and searched around his bike, feeling in the dark, to retrieve his leather-pocket tool kit.

He could feel the hole in his pant leg and wrapped it with his long cream-colored cashmere scarf. It was painful, but he couldn’t tell how much damage was inflicted or how deep the projectile protruded below the flesh. He thought about the attacker. The man was desperate to stop Pierre’s progress. Did someone know of his mission? He returned to the body, retrieved the Sauer 38H, a small semi-automatic pistol made in Nazi Germany from 1938 by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, then based in Suhl, Germany. He immediately noticed it was not a French pistol. The “H” in the model number denoted “hammerless”—the pistol used an internal hammer.

He searched the man for papers or identification. He discovered he was a Gestapo agent, the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police. Most “H” pistols were distributed to various German police agencies. These pistols were stamped by those agencies and Pierre discovered the small clip-on leather holster and an additional magazine. Sauer 38H pistols presented to Nazi officials often featured custom engraving, ivory grips, and often gold inlay.

Pierre discovered a tin can beside the road. He siphoned the gas from his motorcycle and topped off the twin fuel cells. He carefully primed the carburetor and prayed this motorcycle was unharmed. He kicked it twice, nothing, and then noted a small flash of light. The sparkplug wire was disconnected and arched across his cast iron cylinder. He reattached the copper wire, and kicked it again, and again. In the dark, he scoured the bike for additional mechanical maladies. His leg throbbed, but he kept searching.

Then he remembered what an old mechanic told him about flooded cylinders and to allow the chamber more air to mix with the fuel. He pulled the throttle wide open and kicked, nothing, but on the second kick, it roared to life. He couldn’t wait to get away from the scene, plus his girl was waiting. He advanced larger clutch lever, ground the foot shifter into first gear and the bike started to roll.

He was tentative at first. He didn’t know this motorcycle, but it was newer than his, and this model was capable of 118 km/h. His leg pounded with pain, and he might have killed a man. He just knew one thing. He had to share his information with someone who cared about the future of France.

He roared along, trying to carefully judge every moving part on the 6-year-old motorcycle. Transportation advanced significantly since his 1930 motorcycle was new. Each year, the motorcycle industry improved with more cylinders, transmissions with additional gears, generators, and electrical lighting. He could swear this popping exhaust note was louder. The twin felt more balanced and much faster. As his confidence grew, he sped up.

His mind whirled with thoughts of his petite redhead. Michele was short and cute as a polished marble button, with bright eyes, and a never-ceasing drive for whatever she desired. She graduated early from a Paris culinary institute, and went to work for a sue chef in a fine floating river restaurant immediately. It motored quietly beside Notre Dame de Paris (French for Our Lady of Paris), also known as Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris. The cathedral treasury housed a reliquary with the purported Crown of Thorns.

Michele was also terribly concerned about the future of her country, and determined. When she heard from Pierre, she immediately jumped at the chance to be proactive. She carefully investigated small shipping vessels, and then at a party she met a girl who dated the British ambassador to France. She spoke very highly of him, so Michele took a chance.

“Can I meet him?”
“I’ll set it up,” the woman said and took Michele’s phone number.

Careful to judge the ambassador’s political position, she approached him with caution when she was summoned to the embassy.

“How do you feel about the attack on Poland?” Michele asked.

“I’m concerned for our survival,” the ambassador said.

“If someone could help, can they come to you?” Michele asked cautiously.

“Anything,” the ambassador returned. His eyes brightened, and then he looked toward the door to his reception area.

“I need a boat to England,” Michele said, “But I can’t tell you anymore.”

“I understand,” the Ambassador said. “I suggest we go for a ride.” He motioned for her to follow him.

She was petrified, but had no choice. She previously researched all she could about the ambassador, but his staff members were not as cooperative. The receptionist seemed fearful, huddled over her vast carved oak desk. Her blue eyes barely made contact with Michele, then darted along the marble floor.

A burly assistant stood immediately outside his office door, and stared intently at Michele. He was big, muscular, blond, with hard features. They were chauffeured in his official limousine away from the government building.

“I can’t speak at ease in the headquarters,” the ambassador said. “The Vichy government has forced me to use their staff members. I don’t think we will man the British Embassy much longer. I may follow you shortly.”

He hand-wrote some instructions on a sheet of paper and slipped it to Michele. His eyes were firm but sincere.

“I would suggest you move as quickly as possible, and speak to no one, except the captain of this vessel. You will be met at the dock in England and immediately escorted to a safe place. I will see to it.”

“I can’t take you home,” he said and motioned for his driver to pull over. Michele stepped out onto a damp street.

“I’m not sure it would be wise for you to go home, at this point,” he said and shut his car door.

Pierre pushed his new motorcycle as hard as he could along another rainy, winding road. His tank would take him under 100 miles. He watched his time closely. At two hours out, he slid into a petrol station on the edge of Lisieux and refueled. It was a quiet town. He respectfully rolled out of town as quietly as possible. The unceasing rain didn’t back off, but the gray clouds seemed like heavily laden pillows filled to the brim with moisture. Pierre could not wait for daylight. He pressed on.

It was after midnight when his tires slipped in the mud, and sparked all his senses back to full alert as the mud from the rain-soaked hillside escaped to the rough road’s surface in a torrential mudslide. It grew colder as he rolled into the town of Caen, the capital of the Basse-Normandie region, just 15 km (9.3 miles) from the English Channel. He passed a small ceramic sign announcing the distance to Cherbourg at 200 km (124 miles).

Up ahead in the dim light along the road’s edge under a lone street lamp, he could see a small form standing under the rain-shrouded glow and waving. As he neared, he discovered it was Michele, tightly wrapped in an overcoat holding a tin gallon can of gas. She stuffed a Thermos of coffee, a couple of croissants and a chunk of cheese in her coat.

Pierre slid to a stop, and they embraced as if they would never have seen each other again. He stared into her sparkling hazel blue eyes, as if her gaze eliminated all the evil in the world, all the cold, and hunger. Suddenly, he was no longer soaking wet, or chilled to the bone; he was warm and dry.

“There’s shelter up ahead,” she said, hugging him.

“Why didn’t you meet me in Cherbourg,” Pierre aked?

“I was scared,” Michele said. “I didn’t want to go without you. It could be very dangerous.”

“Get on,” Pierre said and rode the Peugeot under a dark wooden bridge. She held him like a damp rat grasping a log in a swirling river.

The discovered a small hidden shelter, tucked the motorcycle behind it and shared a hot cup of warm espresso.

“How much time do we have?” Pierre asked.

“We must be on board before 3:00 a.m.”

Then she spotted his blood-soaked scarf tied around his thigh. As Pierre filled his gas tank once more, she dressed his wound. It was already 1:00 a.m. She didn’t ask, but the projectile had already worked its lead weight close to the surface. With the point from a broach pin, she removed the 7.65 mm bullet, cleaned the area and made a bandage pad from her small cotton handkerchief, holding it in place with the long scarf once more. He nearly passed out from the pain.

They climbed aboard the Peugeot twin once more and peeled toward the coast. This twin model beat the world 24-hour record on the Montlhéry circuit, with an average speed of 118.747 km/h (nearly 75 mph) in 1934. Pierre quickly calculated that he could arrive in Cherbourg in a tad over 1.5 hours, but he was packing the lithe Michele. He put her 100-pound weight out of his mind and twisted the throttle.

They sensed the nearby English Channel as the offshore salt air picked up and the rain seemed to slice sideways. Pierre pulled on the throttle, leaned the motorcycle against the wind and hard on the tanks, and Michele held on for dear life. The land flattened and the wind whistled over stone hedgerows separating fields from sheep grazing lands.

An hour passed blazing through fields, and suddenly he could see the lights of Cherbourg in the distance. The glow made him pull on the throttle even harder. The twin felt completely different from the single, hammering out its compression not like a hammer against a 16-penny nail. It was tough and determined, where as the twin was a team of pistons creating balance in the crank. The torque was smooth and strong, almost like the sound of a single piano on stage versus a quartet.

Cherbourg resided on the Contentin Peninsula, and was conquered by Vikings around 1066 and became a port. With each mile, Pierre familiarized himself with this new machine. It felt organized and strong. The levers worked seamlessly and the clutch felt secure. But as the road lifted slightly and he overlooked the town, he realized that he had no notion of the port’s location, but he kept moving along the two-lane highway, until he noticed a shipping truck looming ahead. When it turned off the highway, Pierre followed and spotted a Porto ceramic sign. He was on the right track.

The truck rumbled slowly and spewed diesel exhaust, then the single brake light illuminated in the downpour and the lumbering vehicle with the tarp cover slowed. Pierre pulled to the side and discovered a roadblock entering the port. His mind whirled with options as he scanned the concrete block guard towers, the armed guards, and the pivoting barrier. He had no papers and no documents on the motorcycle.

Michele tapped his back and thrust her slender wrist in front of his gaze. Her dripping tiny watch held to her delicate wrist was partially covered by her soaking wet thin leather glove. She pulled the gauntlet flap aside so Pierre could read the face dripping with moisture. The delicately thin nickel-plated hands indicated 2:45.

Pierre gunned the motorcycle and dropped the clutch lever as the gate arm rose for the truck. He sped around the truck and under the striped steel arm. With one hand on the throttle, and Michele hanging on for dear life, he reached in his jacket and pulled out the Gestapo identification and flashed it at the guard.

“Gestapo!” He shouted, and blazed into the port.

He had no notion as to the affect his overt announcement would have on the guards, but he had no time to consider his options. He attempted to sound official, but there was no way he could sound German. He needed to find a ship, but what ship? Just then, Michele tapped on his shoulder again and whispered in his ear.

“We need to find the Bibi,” Michele whispered. “Hurry!”

He didn’t know where to go, the layout of the port. It bustled with activity, truck traffic, carts, pallets, and longshoremen in rubber rain gear darting in front of him. The streets were lined with a spider web of train tracks. He had to sense the direction to the docks by the movements in the streets, but as he passed a warehouse, a black sedan pulled in front of him and slid to a stop. The rear suicide doors shot open and to massive gangster types stepped out of the vehicle and cocked MP35 (Maschinenpistole 35, literally “Machine Pistol 35”). It was a submachine gun (SMG) used by the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS and German police both before and during World War II.

“Halte!” The tall trench coat wearing angelo shouted. He looked like he could be a Gestapo officer. The vehicle he sped at faced to his right, and he had no notion of which way to go. He weaved, leaned hard to the left and his rear tire slid on slick wet and oily railroad tracks. He thought the motorcycle was going down as it screamed toward the agent. It startled the man and he jumped on the floorboards of the vehicle and the automatic weapon spit rounds into the sky.

Pierre weaved around pallets, trucks, carts, and dockworkers, looking for the Bibi as the sedan turned around and sped after them, bullets whistling through the air. He was terrified for Michele holding firmly to his torso. He had to find the Bibi quick, plus he was rapidly running out of time. He passed one pier, then another, then he could see the end of the road ahead as he was forced to turn left or right, or end up in the shallow Cherbourg port water. Michele studied each pier, each vessel for a sign.

Pierre weaved on the wet tar soaked lumber, when he heard another burst from the machine gun, and a dockworker stumbled and fell beside him.

“There it is!” Michele shouted, and pointed to the right.

A bullet sliced through her arm and it went limp, and she screamed. With his left hand, he grabbed her arm and held on tight as he kicked the motorcycle down one gear and leaned the motorcycle as hard as he could to make the right turn onto the pier.

The ship’s stern line hit the water, and Pierre’s heart sank, but his determination didn’t wane. The Peugeot motorcycle handled the turn and darted behind a shipping truck, which blocked rapid-fire bullets. He could see the large BiBi letters on the stern and line handlers dropping the large hemp line eyes from the mammoth horn cleats from the pier into the briny sea. The ship’s steam horn announced its departure as Pierre sped along side the rusting cargo ship housing multiple cranes.

Then he spotted a final cargo gangplank rolling toward the pier’s abutments.

“Michele,” he hollered still holding her left hand with all his might. “Lift your right leg as high as you can!”

At that moment he kicked down on his rear brake and the bike slipped immediately into a sideways slide and Pierre kicked away from the motorcycle, which slid to the end of the pier and spit, tumbling into the bay.

Pierre reach, and grabbed the gang plank railing, but couldn’t hold onto the railing and Michele. He spun passed, grabbing at the underside of the heavy steel structure made from I-beams and wooden planks, just as the ship pulled away from the dock. The gang plank was hoisted off the creaking dock toward the main deck.

A long burst of 9×23 mm bullets pepper the side of the thick iron ship, and the crew retrieved the gangplank automatically with a manually operated ship’s hoist. Members of the crew hiding behind bulkheads peered over the side for the two folks off the motorcycle in the water, but they were nowhere to be found.

The ship sounded one final blast from its steam powered horn and motored toward open sea of the English Channel. Outside the port, the captain hurriedly stepped down his metal stairs to the main deck and approached the gangplank on its secure carriage over the steel cargo hold doors.

“Michele?” he asked tentatively.

“Captain Lamboeuf?” A slight female voice whispered in the dark.

The couple rolled out from under rusting gangplank.

“Permission to come aboard sir?” Pierre said and saluted.

“You are most welcome,” the captain said. “Mr. Churchill is extremely anxious to meet with you on Downing Street. It will take us just three hours to reach Portsmouth, and a car will be waiting.”

He then noticed Pierre’s crimson leg bandage and the wound to Michele’s upper arm, but both smiled broadly.

“May I show you to sickbay?” the captain said leading the way.

How the English-speaking peoples, through their unwisdom, carelessness, and good nature allowed the wicked to rearm–Winston Churchill

Hang on! We’re taking two bikes, maybe three to Bonneville for the Bub’s 2012 International Speed Trials. We got our asses handed to us in 2010, but we learned a few new ropes and rules, and we’re headed back with a vengeance.

The 124-Inch 5-Ball Raycer

Our Bonneville dedicated 5-Ball Raycer is powered by a Randy Torgeson- prepared, high-performance, 124-inch turbocharged twin cam engine. Our power booster is an Aerocharger Series 66, built by TurboDoc in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s a variable vane exhaust-driven turbo that feeds air, passing through the inner-cooler/ice chest, and the air plenum, into a 62mm HPI throttle body, a polished intake manifold, and a set of free breathing Stage 5 R&R Cycle Billet heads. R&R rollers open the high flow valves, S&S .640 lift gear-driven cams and finally out to the salt through a one-off Tedder-built exhaust system.

Our drive train consists of a Sharp Eye JIMS 5-speed transmission, H-D FXR inner and outer primaries fitted with a large carrier bearing, Primo-Rivera Pro Clutch, E-Z pull, Primo adjustable weight lock-up, a chain drive primary with old style shoe adjuster and a Fisher harmonic balancer. We’ll run a Spyke starting and charging system.

The closed-loop computer we run is a Daytona Twin Tech that performs flawlessly.
Ron Williams and his crew at Hardtailz in San Jose, CA. have this unit dialed in perfectly. We ran this same set up in Ray Wheeler’s Dyna, coast to coast for thousands of miles, including the last 5,000 miles with the turbo.

Rick Tedder out of Salem, Oregon is modifying and building a one-off frame that was conceived and engineered by Jim Bartlett in Beaverton, Oregon.

Mr. Bartlett, now in retirement, is one of the Northwest area’s best kept secrets and has built frames for over 50 years.

Rick is modifying and mounting the Air Tech fairing in the quest of the perfect salt flats aerodynamic bullet. Added ballast plates will be bolted and safety-wired directly to the underside of the frame for the maximum benefit and the lowest center of gravity if traction is hard to find.

We will be prepared and eligible to enter one or all of the following classes. Ya never know what might happen.

3000 cc A-PBG record 146.246
3000 cc A-PBF open
3000 cc APS-PBG record 167.069
3000 cc APS-PBF open

We’re after red hats and a membership in the 200 mph club

1940 45 Flathead Bonne Belle

We are working with Lee Clemens of Departure Bike Works, our engine builder, and Paughco on an all-new Bonne Belle Chassis. This 45 flathead will have a K-model top end, a 5-speed transmission, classic Performance Machine wheels and brakes, and a Spitfire slim as silk fuel container.

The Bonne Belle will now be ridden by my grandson Frankie Ball, also a tattoo artist. The tall 18-year-old is already working in the Bikernet shop once a week, on the Bonne Belle, his dad’s FXR, and on his XS Yamaha bobber.

This bike will be capable of competing in the following classes, some of which we haven’t figured out yet. We’re not sure if we’ll get cut some slack for running a flathead, so we reached out to Drew Gatewood, a AMA, Bub official:

The AMA class(es) your machine would fit into are as follows.
750/A/AG
750/A/AF
Plus, the same engine classes with APS

There is currently no allowance for larger displacement with a flathead engine according to the AMA supplemental rules (e.g.- 750 flathead in the 500 classes).
–Drew Gatewood
tele/fax: 219-926-5647 (IN)
email: gears55@frontier.com
www.gearswebsite.com

It’s going to be tough on the 45. We need that puppy to beat 150 mph records.

Follow us on this 2012 salt flat odyssey. You’ll see every move on our builds monthly on Bikernet, in national magazines, right up until the day we unload our bikes on the salt and even beyond with event coverage and features. Below is our program. We could use all the help we can get.

2012 Bikernet Bonneville Sponsorship Program

Don’t Miss A Chance to Be Involved in this Bonneville Racing Action

By joining the team, you will become part of an elite group that broke two records and is aiming to get it done this year. Your help is much appreciated! At least monthly, we will feature reports, tech articles and updates on Bikernet.

$50 Rider Sponsor Level

* Name in the racing department
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate suitable for framing
* Signed 5-Ball Racing Team photo
* Name printed on our 5-Ball racing banner in Bonneville
* Team patch

$100  Bronze Sponsor Level

*Name in the Bikernet racing department
*Bikernet 2012 Bonneville certificate suitable for framing
*Patch and t-shirt
*Autographed picture of 5-Ball Racing Team
*Name printed on banner in Bonneville

$500 Silver Sponsor Level

* Mention and logo in the Bikernet 5-Ball Racing department
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate suitable for framing
* T-shirt and patch
* Autographed picture of 5-Ball Racing Team
* Logo posted on racing signage at Bonneville

$1000 Gold Sponsor Level

* Bikernet Bonneville mention and logo in the racing department, and in 5-Ball Racing tech articles.
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate suitable for framing
* Patches, T-shirts, and team ball caps
* Autographed picture of 5-Ball Racing Team
* Logos on banner at Bonneville
* Logo on Bikernet Race vehicles and on bikes

$5000 Platinum Sponsor Level

* Mention and logos in the Bikernet Bonneville racing department
* Banner run in every 5-Ball racing tech article.
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate framed
* Patches, T-shirts and Ball caps
* Autographed picture of 5-Ball Racing Team
* Logo on banner at Bonneville
* Large logo on Bikernet race truck
* Logos on bikes

$25,000 Semi-Title Sponsor

* Full sponsorship on Bikernet for two years.
* Mention and logos in the Bikernet Bonneville racing department
* Mention in every article on Bikernet or in magazines
* Article devoted to Semi-Title Sponsor on Bikernet.
* Company prominently featured with Bikernet in all Bonneville-related press releases.
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate framed
* Your company name/logo will be featured prominently on all 5-Racing vehicles and bikes
* Your company logo will be significantly placed on the 5-Ball Racing Team photograph and you will receive a signed copy, and copies for your use.

$50,000 Title Sponsor

*Full sponsorship on Bikernet for five years, on all Bikernet web sites.
* Top position with logos and banners in the Bikernet Bonneville racing department
* Mention in every article on Bikernet or in magazines. Mentioned any time 5-Ball Racing is mentioned
*Plenty of 5-Ball t-shirts, Ball caps, and patches, with your company name incorporated
* Article devoted to title sponsor on Bikernet.
* Company prominently featured with Bikernet in all Bonneville-related press releases.
* Bikernet Bonneville certificate framed, with your company prominently displayed alongside the 5-Ball racing logo
* Your company name/logo will be featured prominently on all 5-Racing vehicles and bikes as title sponsor
* Your company logo will be significantly placed on the 5-Ball Racing Team photograph and you will receive a signed copy, and copies for your use.

Phone 5-Ball Racing World HQ: (310) 830-0630

Harley-Davidson fans in India include people across the demography of this vibrant diverse country. Erstwhile, these big bad-boys of Motorcycle Kingdom were exclusive to the elite and rich who could pay the ridiculously exorbitant import duty to get the Harleys into India, mostly through Asian dealerships in Dubai (UAE), Hong-Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. Now, this symbol of freedom and liberty is here to stay – in the land of the largest democracy – INDIA!

This was not easy for the Harley-Davidson, USA to do. The Japanese bikes came into India more easily through local partnerships with Indian companies and since they were ready to start manufacturing the bikes in Indian factories to make various low-end models and superbikes accessible to the common man. But the ultra USP of a Harley-Davidson, the passion for all things American, the incredible attention to detail – that comes only from the promised, guaranteed and timeless quality tag of “Made In America.”

So the main obstacle was to make these high-end bikes accessible to more people in India at affordable rates. Enter – Mangoes! Yes, Indian mangoes, the King of fruits helped bring in the King of Motorcycles. The US and Indian Governments cut a unique deal. India gets to export its unique tropical delicacy, the mango, to USA and the Americans get to send in Harley-Davidsons to Indian market. I say, well done to both parties. Mangoes are made perfectly ripe in Indian climate and soil, hence unique to India – and Harley-Davidsons are exclusively made in USA and thus a prized unique product for export.

Harley-Davidson India started operations in India in the second half of 2010. They brought in their best known, successful bikes, and made sure the pricing and marketing was just right for making their presence felt in the market. This was a limited lineup, tailor-made for Indian market. So, though you cannot get the choice of the entire range in Harley-Davidson USA lineup, you get the best ones at a competitive price.

Motorcycles in India:
To understand why Harley-Davidson entry is a giant leap in Indian two-wheeler market, you need to understand the market here for two-wheelers. Almost every adult who learns to drive, starts by learning to ride a two-wheeler, i.e. a motorcycle or a scooter. Among teenagers and college students, the popularity of motorcycles is unmatched comparing it to the West. Every boy wants a motorcycle, and of course it is more intimate to have a gal hanging on to you in the pillion seat than driving a car which a college-dude here can’t afford anyways. Scooters and gearless scooterettes are popular among females, both young and the adult employed ones.

Public transport such as local trains and buses and taxis are the most common mode of travel for a majority of people in India. But those who wish to have a transport of their own for convenience and flexibility, they buy a two-wheeler. So, it is very common to see motorcycles on the streets of cities, villages and every highway in India. After all, it is an all-terrain vehicle and with the roads like those we have in India (tar, dirt, rubble, gravel, potholes, strange speedbumps, etc.) you would choose a motorcycle willingly for daily transportation needs.

But these two-wheelers are nothing like the ones you see in the West. They are 50cc to 100cc engine bikes mostly. In cities the boys will go in for 150cc or 180c or 220cc motorcycles. So, of course, these are cheap and affordable with prices starting from Indian Rupees (INR) 30,000($606.30) to INR 80,000 ($1,619.74).

In this market Royal Enfield established itself as a premium segment motorcycle with prices for their 350cc and 500cc engine motorcycles starting at INR 110,000 ($2,227.95) to INR 165,000 ($3,342.19).

Now imagine the entry of Harley-Davidson at a base model of 883cc with base model price of INR 649,000 ($13,121.23).

Stealing the crown:
So the main competitor for Harley-Davidson India is not the big superbikes from Japan, but the homegrown behemoth – Royal Enfield motorcycles. Both have a rich history and both have die-hard fans with burning passion for their favorite brand. Royal Enfield dates its first motorcycle to 1901 in England. Now the company exists only in India and is successful at exporting unique models to Europe, USA, and Australia. Their new engines and upgrades have raised the prices of these premium bikes but their best bikes still cost a fraction of the Harley-Davidson base model. Tough going in a developing nation, if you want to go by sheer numbers.

So how will Harley-Davidson position itself in such a market? I will tell you how – BY DOING NOTHING! They don’t need to. The brand sells itself. It is that big worldwide. No need for expensive TV campaigns or movie-tie-ins. Ask anyone what a Harley-Davidson is and they know what you are talking about. Such is the penetration of this American brand even in Asia.

In India, Harley-Davidson is lead by the able leadership of Mr. Anoop Prakash (Managing Director, India) reporting to Matt Levatich (President and COO, USA). Anoop Prakash previously served as Senior Executive Service appointee in the administration of former President George W. Bush. He served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the US Department of Housing & Urban Development. He has worked as Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development at the US Small Business Administration. Anoop Prakash has actively participated in US-India trade promotion as a vehicle for US and India economic development and growth.

Previously he held senior private sector roles in strategy, marketing and business development including Vice-President of Strategy & Business Development at LexisNexis, Director of Business Development at Siebel Systems (acquired by Oracle Corp.) and Consultant at McKinsey & Co.

Anoop Prakash is a former U.S. Marine Corps Officer with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics and Public Policy from Stanford University. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served on several non-profit boards in Washington D.C. including the Indian-American Leadership Initiative and Brainfood.

Seven Islands Harley-Davidson, Mumbai, India:
Launching operations in August 2010, Seven Islands Harley Davidson is the only authorized dealership in Mumbai catering to the Western region (States of Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and other bordering States). It was named after the Seven Islands that formed the ancient city of Bombay (now known as Mumbai). As in any business, location is everything. Mumbai city is the financial capital of India. Its residents pay the highest amount of taxes annually. The wealth and real estate is comparable to Manhattan, New York.

Situated bang opposite the Company Showroom of Royal Enfield, the Showroom of Seven Islands Harley-Davidson stands taller and wider with a vast regal personality. By this location alone they have announced their arrival loud and clear. This is in the prime and hip area of Mumbai known as Bandra. Here the wealthiest and most popular drive around in their Jaguars, BMWs, Mercedes and Ferraris. This area is the crest of the upper-class. If you want to spot a celebrity, any of the pubs and hotels here will give you a direct glimpse into the world of glamour and stardom.

Here stands the majestic Seven Islands Harley- Davidson showroom with a spacious ground floor full of their India range of motorcycles. The first floor is even more popular as it hosts a wide range of merchandise which is craved by tiny tot,s to the youth, to those seniors who can afford the top range motorcycle models.

Mumbai’s Seven Islands Harley-Davidson is lead by self-confessed ‘petro-head’, Mr. Arjun Bafna. A keen motor enthusiast, Arjun’s definition of unwinding after a long day is riding his Ultra Classic Electra Glide. Having a passion for automobiles since his younger days, Arjun further indulged in cars and bikes when he moved to Boston where he completed his B.Sc in Marketing and Management from Bentley University. The rigorous and demanding studies could not stop Arjun from traveling to Canada to take part in two F2000 (2007 and 2008) racing series, where he had two top-three finishes.

Arjun belongs to the gen-next club of young entrepreneurs whose zeal for driving and craving for speed are not at the expense of safe driving. He is now looking to ride with Harley-Davidson owners in Mumbai, and take them on his favorite ride towards Ambi Valley – a route with a blend of flat and winding roads that demand the motorcycle and rider to perform at their best. To give his Ultra Classic Electra Glide company, Arjun is now looking forward to adding the Harley-Davidson Street Bob and the Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special to his garage.

January 2012:
So, I ride my Enfield and politely park it outside the Royal Enfield showroom. Most big establishments are closed today – it’s a National Holiday celebrating the formation of Republic of India (26th January 1950, not to be confused with Independence Day 15th August 1947). So this Republic Day, I walk across the road to the Seven Islands showroom and see all gates and shutters down. But the watchman welcomes me. He shows me the back entrance to the world of Harley-Davidson. Inside, Mr. Manan Patel, Sales Manager at Seven Islands is waiting for me along with his colleague, a girl named Heta Gala who is riding a Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide.

As I open the door and walk in, Manan smiles and greets me. I had introduced myself over the phone the day before and I tell him again about the popular Bikernet.com magazine whom I was representing at the moment. The lights are on inside and it is all quiet. The motorcycles, all polished chrome and metal, shine like constellations in a whole new galaxy I am about to discover.

Ujjwal Dey (Dey): Thanks for seeing me at short notice Manan and being here on your day off.

Manan Patel (Manan): Most Welcome!

Dey: When was this showroom launched?

Manan: All the showrooms of Harley-Davidson in India started operations around the same time in August 2010. We are known as Seven Islands Harley-Davidson and similarly the other dealerships have names highlighting their host city’s uniqueness.

Dey: Tell me more about the models you have on sale at Seven Islands.

Manan: In India, we have a select range of models available. All the motorcycles launched in India by Harley-Davidson can be found at our dealership as well as in other dealerships in India. Each of them have the full India range for sale.

Sportster family: XL 883L Super Low, XL 883N Iron, XL 1200X Forty-Eight.
Dyna family: Street Bob, Super Glide Custom.
Softail family: Fat Boy, Fat Boy Special, Heritage Softail Special.
VRSCDX family: Night Rod Special.
Touring family: Road King, Street Glide.
CVO: Ultra Classic Electra Glide.

Dey: What is the starting range and the top-end model for H-D in India?

Manan: The Base Model is the Sportster XL 883L Super Low costing INR 573,276 ex-showroom price, at INR 648,695 on-road price (includes taxes, octroi, motor vehicle registration, service charges, insurance, etc.).

The Top-End Model is the CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide costing INR 3,584, 498 ex-showroom price and at INR 3,937,689 on-road price.

Dey: So tell me Manan, what is the most popular Harley in Mumbai? Which one gets picked the most?

Manan: Because of the pricing, the entry level base models of the Sportster family namely, Super Low 883 and Iron 883 are the most popular. But the most famous model is the Fat Boy. That’s the most popular model in the whole world.

Dey: Any particular reason why Fat Boy is so popular among Harley fans?

Manan: Its looks, shape, the big twin engine, more chrome parts, and of course it was prominently featured in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Terminator 2.

Dey: Yes, yes, that’s the most popular way in which a person outside USA gets introduced to the Harley – the Fat Boy in Terminator 2.

Manan: Its suspension is also good for Indian roads. The ground clearance is good.

Dey: Yup! Ground clearance. Now most Harley Davidsons have low ground clearance compared to the other motorcycle brands here. How does that impact the riding and the choice of the customer? What has been the feedback on riding on Indian roads?

Manan: In a few models the ground clearance is an issue. They are at 100 millimeters. But we have a solution for that. Front and rear suspension, inner dampers can be modified to raise the ground clearance. So it enables to increase the clearance by 2.5 centimeters. That is more than enough for the Indian roads including potholes and weird speedbumps.

Dey: Any experience of customers you can share on ghats and uphill or bad roads outside city limits?

Manan: One of our customer has been to Ladakh. He reached Khardung-La which is the highest motorable road in the world, smack in the lap of the Himalaya mountain range. He went there from Mumbai and rode back from Ladakh on a Fat Boy, no issues. This was in July (2011) when the roads to Ladakh are opened by the military stationed there.

Dey: That’s a difficult trek on any vehicle. Any specific problems he faced there?

Manan: None at all! No roads there, mud, rocks, gravel, snow, icy brooks. But no problems, he enjoyed the whole way on his Fat Boy.

Dey: These are beautifully coloured bikes you have on display here. What are the colour options offered by H-D in India?

Manan: There are 2 to 3 colors available for all the bikes. For example Black is popular & common with every model here. Other popular ones are Scarlet Red on the base models and Amber Red on the Toruing ones. For the base models, Black and Scarlet Red are the stock colours available. But every bike’s paint job is customizable. We order the parts from USA. They are painted in USA and imported here; then we simply replace the parts as per the customer’s choice in colours. The whole colour scheme changes.

Dey: So not even any painting is done over here. Good! The quality of the paint job speaks for itself. So then what is the kind of service offered here by the Authorised Workshop of Seven Islands Harley Davidson?

Manan: The warranty of the bike is two years or unlimited kilometers. That is what Harley-Davidson offers in USA and elsewhere also. The service center for Mumbai showroom is in Andheri (East). It is a full-fledged service centre. The mechanics are trained for three months. All of them undergo this three month training. They are highly trained and can service any of the bikes offered in the Indian market. The Mumbai workshop is the best workshop in India. They can resolve issues that go unresolved in other service centres in India.

Dey: When a customer or rather a prospective customer walks into this beautiful showroom – what do they look for in a Harley? I mean what do they look for in a motorcycle that starts its range with a price of INR 650,000

Manan: Number one is the cost. It needs to be affordable. Number two concern is the ground clearance. Number three is the fuel mileage.

Dey: Yes, in India no matter what vehicle you buy, whether it is a 2-wheeler ot 4-wheeler or 18-wheeler, people will certainly want to know fuel efficiency. Petrol at INR 73 per litre with high octane fuel starting at INR 82 per litre, it is indeed a cause for concern.

Manan: We match these requirements. Everything you need is there in these bikes. If I compare a 1500cc Harley engine with a 1500cc Japanese engine, this Harley engine can give you better torque and better mileage.

Dey: Yes, so no horsepower (Indian market concept), its torque, how much is it for the base model?

Manan: 20 Newton Meters of Torque for the base model 883cc engine and 3500 RPM.

Dey: What about the petrol usage?

Manan: We recommend 93 Octane which is commonly found in cities as Bharat Petroleum “Speed” or Hindustan Petroleum “Power” or Indian Oil “eXtra Premium” brands.

Dey: That’s good for the cities, but in the highways in India you will never find high octane fuel. The vast majority of motorists in the country use ordinary unleaded petrol.

Manan: Yes, if you have a Japanese superbike, you have to use a high octane fuel, no choice. But in a Harley it is no problem at all. So you can use the regular petrol.

Dey: Yes, tourers will never find a high octane petrol pump outside metro cities plus there is even contamination. Like the Fat Boy rider who went to Ladakh will definitely find poor quality fuel on the roads there.

Manan: No issues. The ordinary petrol sold here is good enough for a Harley.

Dey: So talking about fuel, what kind of mileage is promised by Harley-Davidson on city roads and on the highway?

Manan: In an 883cc engine you will get 18 kmpl in the city and 22 kmpl on the highway.

Dey: Which engine oil you guys recommend?

Manan: We only use synthetic oil. It consumes almost 4 litres of oil.

Dey: What do you guys promote here as your best model – the Fat Boy or the Sportsters?

Manan: Because of the pricing the base models Super Low 883 and Iron 883 are bestsellers.

Dey: But if a person walks in and says to you that he knows a Harley is the best bike there is, and he is willing to shell out any amount for the perfect ride – what would you recommend?

Manan: We just speak with them. Share their experiences, past rides. Then we come to know what kind of a rider he is. We see his body structure, size, weight, finances. Accordingly we suggest him the model that suits his personality. We give him two to three options in that. So soon enough we finalize the product right for him/her.

Dey: Perfect! Also, these bikes look so heavy. I ride an Enfield and that was the heaviest bike on Indian roads till these bad boys showed up. Compared to an average Indian bike these are 3 times their dry weight.

Manan: A Royal Enfield motorcycle is around 180 kg. The lightest Harley-Davidson we have is 251 kg, the base model.

Dey: That’s yet another plus point for the low-end bikes of Harley.

Manan: Yes, that one is just 70 kg more than an Enfield Bullet motorcycle. The heaviest bike we have is 430 kg – the top-end bike – Ultra Classic Electra Glide.

Dey: Wow, hahaha! So how many Ultra Glides have you sold in India?

Manan: From this showroom we have sold two Ultra Glides in one year. It is a limited edition bike and only 99 were ever made. It costs INR 4,000,000 ($81,059.27) on road.

Dey: And how would you mark Fat Boy sales?

Manan: Fat Boy is growing now actually. We used to sell 20 units in one year and now in last 3 months we have sold 20 Fat Boys from Mumbai showroom alone. Its on-road price starts at INR 2,173,444 and goes up to INR 2,285,460 ($46,298.26) excluding any customizations.

Dey: So the low-end must be selling…….

Manan: ……..One booking everyday!

Dey: Everyday!?!

Manan: One delivery everyday! All Western region sales from Mumbai showroom. It’s a hotcake.

Dey: What is the waiting period for a Harley-Davidson compared to a Enfield Bullet for any model?

Manan: Bullet is 9 to 10 months. For a Harley its 4 to 5 months. That’s the maximum anyone has had to wait.

Dey: That’s still quite a wait for such a high price tag!

Manan: The base models, i.e. the Sportster family, waiting is around 4 to 5 months. Top-end bikes are available readily – within 2 days we can deliver it. Sportsters are CKD – Completely Knocked Down units assembled in Haryana State, India. Others are CBU – Completely Built Units are imported fully built units from USA.

Dey: Road King is my favourite model and why is it not so popular in India? To me it’s simply majestic.

Manan: It looks very heavy, lot of traffic on Indian roads so not easily maneuvered by the average rider. People have a fear of riding that large a bike. It is my favourite as well. It is very easy to ride.

Dey: So what is so special about these large bikes in the Touring family – the Road King and the Street Glide?

Manan: They are pure tourers. Also known as baggers. Pure highway riders prefer these bikes in India and across the world. Businessmen, actors, celebrities prefer these big bikes as well.

Dey: So many people were waiting for Harley-Davidson to come to India and now it is here. But the big sales liability is you cannot manufacture it here. And to compete with the pricing of Japanese big bikes you need to manufacture in India. The very USP is “Made in America” tag and the American culture that it represents. How do you foresee the competition?

Manan: Right now many models come directly from USA known as CBUs. Some are assembled in India, called CKDs. So CKDs are cheaper. The Sportster family bikes and the Dyna family bikes are CKDs. Rest all are CBUs.

In 4 years Ducati has sold around 50 to 60 bikes in India. Seven Islands Harley-Davidson Mumbai showroom alone sells 30 bikes per month.

If you combine Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki fans and owners all together is one-third of the fans and owners of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles in India at least.

Even if you see the popular Discovery Channel show on Choppers, you will only see Harley engines. No custom superbikes get promoted.

Dey: Talking of customization, what are the accessories available in India?

Manan: You can change the whole bike. Everything! You can change performance parts, the paint job, the seat, the handle, tyres, rim, taillights, headlights, mufflers, everything. No two Harleys are the same. That is another USP. There are themes, skull, eagle, etc.

Dey: These in the showroom I am photographing are all stock bikes, right?

Manan: Yes all the showrooms in India display only the stock bikes.

Dey: Royal Enfield faced a problem in India with noise and emission controls. They met the pollution norms by discontinuing the iron engines and introducing the modern aluminum engines. Any problems for Harleys in India?

Manan: No, no, these are all meeting Euro 3 norms.

Dey: Which is the most popular custom with riders in India?

Manan: The Harley riders change the mufflers and raise the sound. The warranty of the bike doesn’t change with that and it is street legal. Almost 80% of the customers change the mufflers. They put in the Screaming Eagle mufflers. Other changes are air filters and the spark plugs which improves the performance of the bike.

Dey: Anyone asks for seating customizations? Two reason s why I ask this – one is that most will use it for touring. Second is that the height of the bike gets changed while raising the ground clearance.

Manan: For each model we have around 10 options. 10 seat options, 10 handle options, 3 to 4 headlight & taillight options, 10 to 15 paint options. The customizations, each are in INR thousands but as soon as you buy and start customizing your bike your customization cost will reach at least INR 100,000.

Dey: Another problem in the Indian market is that the average height of an Asian is much lower than the average height of an American. So the regular Harley with the 100 millimeters ground clearance is perfect, but it won’t clear the roads in India. So you raise the ground clearance and then an average rider may find himself short and unable to handle these big bikes.

Manan: Now, Fat Boy is a big bike. The customer who has been to Ladakh and Khardung-La is only 5 feet 4 inches tall. We have different seat options for short people. We have different seat options for tall people. He put a seat called “reduced reach seat”. His ground clearance was stock at 130 millimeters. No problem at all for a 5’4” guy. Even for a 6’4” guy we have a different seat. So the seat and suspension can be changed to increase or decrease the height. All this before delivery itself which no other brand in India is offering at the moment.

Dey: True! Customization itself is a unique concept introduced by Harley-Davidson in the Indian market. So what are the aspects which absolutely cannot be changed in India?

Manan: In India you cannot change or replace the engine. The cubic capacity cannot be changed. The chasis number and the engine number has to match always as per Indian laws; unlike USA. This law is common for all vehicles in India and not just for Harleys.

Dey: For a person who walks in here with the intention to buy, how many buy it outright and how many go for an EMI option?

Manan: 90% of the customers go for a loan. Customisation is not covered under loans; that they have to spend from their own pocket just like the down-payment.

Dey: Wait a sec, even for the ground clearance, a genuine Indian road problem, the customer has to shell out?

Manan: Yeah, yeah, that’s customization!

Dey: Now a naughty question for you! You have a beautiful ground floor with really premium bikes. You have a spacious first floor as well with a full range of merchandise. Jackets, helmets, shades, boots, tee-shirts, keychains, wallets, gloves, wall-clocks, belts, etc. What sells more, the bikes or the merchandise, LOL?

Manan: (Grins) Both! Both! As soon as a guy buys a bike he starts buying all the range of merchandise. That’s the kind of brand image that Harley-Davidson projects in customer’s minds. And if anyone is planning to buy a Harley they always start with a tee-shirt or sunglasses, etc. Tee-shirts and helmets are the highest selling merchandise.

Dey: Tell me, how many people are employed here in Seven Islands Mumbai?

Manan: Combining accounts, merchandise, marketing, sales, workshop personnel, it is around 30 people working full-time here.

Dey: At the workshop, how many mechanics are there for the servicing?

Manan: There are 6 mechanics and the workshop manager and one advisor.

Dey: If a person wants to bring his ride in for servicing, what is the waiting period for him?

Manan: He has to take an appointment. Entire Western region gets serviced by us, so a lot of bikes come in. The waiting period is 2 to 3 days. Not more than a week. You give the bike in the morning by 10 am, you get the bike by 4 pm for a full servicing.

Dey: You guys ran a very good campaign of EMI at INR 399 per day this month to own a Harley. How has the response been to that?

Manan: Superb response. Many phone calls, many bookings. We got a 10% jump in sales in Mumbai alone. Very good response after that full page advertisement.

Dey: So that is for all models right?

Manan: The rate INR 399 per day EMI was for base models. It changes with the higher end models. For an Ultra Classic Electra Glide the EMI is INR 2,131 per day for 5 years. Fat Boy is INR 1,732 per day.

Dey: Still not so bad! Tell me more about these rallies – Independence Day and Republic Day rallies.

Manan: We are doing this regularly since this showroom has opened. All HOG members gather at the showroom and we decide on a venue beforehand. We ride, then enjoy and share our experiences. This time it was within Mumbai city, last time it was in neighbouring Pune city.

Dey: Tell us also about the trips organized by HOG.

Manan: We organize trips once every month. As soon as you buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle you are a HOG member, no fees, no dues. We send our service vehicle along for these rides – one technician and one driver. We have around 50 to 60 bikes participating for each ride. For the Republic Day ride today we had 65+ HOG members who showed up. HOG is the largest motorcycle group easily in the world.

Dey: What is the average age of a Harley-Davidson owner in India?

Manan: Around 35 years would be the current average. Individual owners are above 25 years for sure.

Dey: Tell me who is the youngest and the eldest HOG member from Seven Islands.

Manan: The eldest has a Road King, Mr. Chaturvedi, he must be around 65 years old. And the youngest is 18 years old, Mr. Sahil, riding a Sportster 1200X Forty-Eight.

Dey: So now that I am here, tell me about test rides. I definitely can’t afford to buy one right now, but I don’t mind test rides.

Manan: Hahaha, as soon as our clients ride the bike, they always like it. They start planning how to buy one. A few of them have problems handling these bikes since they are lot bigger than your average Indian bikes that are 100cc to 150 cc. College students for example who want the experience without the price tag. But we have never had any accidents in such trial rides. We take the clients to Carter Road, we have to give a 5 km test ride to a person. We prefer it in the morning till 4 pm to avoid traffic.

Dey: Talking of traffic, people think an Enfield is heavy and difficult to ride in traffic, what do people say about riding a Harley in Mumbai bumper-to-bumper traffic?

Manan: We have here Ms. Heta Gala, the only female sales consultant for a Harley in India. She rides a Harley. It is very easy, you need to be confident to ride any bike, not just a Harley.

Dey: Doesn’t the engine heat up in this incredibly hot climate with bottleneck traffic?

Manan: These are air-cooled engines. You will feel the heat on your thighs but you will get used to it in some time. You should wear denims always, riding shoes, helmets.

Dey: So it is manageable. Since I ride an Enfield in this heat and traffic, I can ride a Harley?

Manan: Yes, this is cast aluminum with 4 to 5 alloys in it. Perfectly safe!

Dey: What are the kind of safety features offered in a Harley? You know, keeping the promise of international standards in India.

Manan: All these bikes have front and rear disc brakes since this is a heavy bike and it needs it (In India drum brakes are popular). Few of the models have ABS – Anti-lock Braking System in it. We can put crash guards (leg guards).

Dey: How many people go in for these safety features?

Manan: We always suggest our customers to go for a crash guard. It protects the bike as well as the rider. People put a fuel cap with lock. In India all bikes have a lock and key for fuel caps but in a Harley-Davidson you need to change the fuel cap to add a lock to it. Base models are single seaters so all of them add another seat for the pillion rider. You can keep the front seat as it is and add another one or you can put a one-piece double-seater.

Dey: What else is offered on safety – any anti-theft mechanism – these bikes are too expensive to not be without such a feature.

Manan: Yeah, we also have auto-cop in it. Known as the FOB. Few of the bikes are keyless ignition (like ones in cars). You just have to keep the key in your pocket, the range of the sensors is around 2 meters from the bike. If the key is not near the bike it won’t start. If someone tries to play with the bike, the alarm will go on.

It has a handle lock and an ignition lock, for all bikes (base model to top-end models).

Dey: Are all safety/ security features available for all the bikes?

Manan: For entry/ base models – the additional security features are optional (FOB, fuel lock, crash guard, pillion seat). The anti-theft device costs around INR 20,000 to INR 30,000, depending on the type of kit. Keyless option is not available for entry level bikes. Keyless option is available from Fat Boy models to the higher end models only.

Dey: Last question Manan, the working hours – for this showroom.

Manan: From 9:30 am to 07:30 pm on all seven days except public holidays….

Dey: ….such as today, LOL. Thanks so much Manan and Heta for your precious time and effort. I look forward to having Seven Islands Harley- Davidson prominently featured on Bikernet.com on a regular basis. Thanks also for the ride photos. 🙂

Conclusion:

Special Thanks to Manan Patel (Sales Manager H-D India)