It’s a fascinating story of motorcycle love, business survival and toughness. But if you mentioned this to Larry, he would tell you to, “Fuck off.”

Every time I asked Larry to open up about the shop or this bike, he’d frown and tell me to read the tech chart he prepared.





I’ve known and worked with Larry off and on for 18 years. As a young man, he started his motorcycle career at Lomita Harley-Davidson from 1970-75. The dealer faced tumultuous times, and as a 20-something, Larry tried to take over the dealership. But he didn’t have the financial acumen to pull it off, so he opened Settle’s Custom Cycles down the street on 259th in the back of a single strip industrial group of shops. He’s been there mostly running the dank, lackluster shop solo for 45 years.





Lomita became California H-D in Harbor City and is still a couple of city blocks from Larry’s shop off Pacific Coast Highway.





He turned 70 about a month ago and some of the riders won’t go near his shop. “He’ll bite my head off,” one of them noted. After plenty of years running a small, hole-in-the-wall shop by himself, Larry’s patience grew thin. He needed to cut to the chase and see through bullshit or he was just burnin’ daylight. Occasionally, the boot-tough proprietor needed to point out the error of your ways, not mine. I’m cool.





Although Larry’s exterior has the scars of wars and bike accidents, he is way more than a grumpy thug. His heart and intelligence are profound. Just recently, he graduated from Long Beach State College. He helped a friend build a beautiful Puka Bar nightclub in Long Beach and struggled with it as long as he could.





Behind the scenes, he restores an old Harley from time to time and is currently working on a 1922 twin. He is also invested into building three complete Knuckles from the ground up. But he always wanted to build a Turbo bike.





This puppy started as a ground up in ’01. In ’04, he got a wrecked frame, modified it severely and moved the new ’01 Dyna engine he bought from Glendale H-D, the home of the Love Ride. At the time, it was a 95-inch Twin Cam with a 5-speed transmission and he rode the shit out of it for 14 years.





When he switched out the frame, he also installed a later, stronger swingarm but left the drivetrain alone. Then two years ago, a customer who tried to build a Jesse James bike gave up and sold Larry a new 2012, 103-inch Twin Cam and Larry went to work creating a Turbo bike.





For years, as he rode the Dyna constantly, he kept upgrading the suspension to prepare for a performance monster. Initially, he tossed around building his own turbo kit using Trask Turbo component. After working and quizzing the Trask team, he decided they did their homework. “Trask did such a beautiful job, I couldn’t improve on it,” Larry said.



I asked him about preparing a bike for this level of upgrade and he gave me that look. “Check the chart,” Larry said. “I covered all the elements.” He started by lowering the engine compression with 9 to 1 forged pistons and improving the heads with the help of Branch Flowmeterics and their titanium components. There are also the 60-spoke wheels for stronger road use.








He ran stiffer rubbermounts and upgraded the forks and rear suspension. A turbo motor is not only more powerful, but unlike stock engines it spins faster. “It runs like a raped ape,” Larry said. “I’m always fucking with it.”





But unlike most projects in Larry’s shop, this one stuck with him over 17 years. It’s not an investment to turn over or a customer project. This bike may stick with him for the long run. And don’t get me wrong. If you have an intelligent question or a project worthy of the master, don’t hesitate to stop by.

–Bandit












Engine

Model: 2012 103-inch
Flywheels: Balanced and welded
Left case: Timken bearing conversion
Pistons: Forged 9:1 compression
Heads: Branch O’Keefe rebuilt, ported and polished
Cams: H-D 255
Oil pump: High-volume
Cam plate: Billet
Pushrods: Adjustable
ECM: ThunderMax by Zippers
Turbo: Trask Engineering complete system




Frame

Year: 2004 Dyna
Stretch: 1.5 inch in backbone
Rake: 36 degrees
Modifications: by owner
Swingarm: 2010 H-D
Shocks: White Power adjustable reservoir



Forks

Type: Inverted forks
Suspension: XR1200X fully adjustable compression and rebounding





Fender brackets: Custom Made by Larry
Trees: Modified Buell



Model: H-D 2013 6-speed
Clutch: H-D slipper
Compensator: BDL
Clutch operation: BDL hydraulic actuator
Final drive: Chain w/ 51-tooth wheel sprocket



Paint

By: Chris Morrison Custom Paint
Color: Black with Silver striping



Art: by LRS



Wheels

Front
Size: 21/3 60-spoke wires





Size: 17/5 inch
Tire: 180/70/17
Caliper: FLT Brembo w/modified FLT bracket.



Electrical

Wiring: 2006 H-D Dyna Loom



Accessories

Handlebars: Modified T-Bars
Grips: Performance Machine



Sources:

Peformance Machine


Trask Turbos


Brembo Brakes
http://www.brembo.com/en

BDL


Branch



Zipper’s

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 BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

NEW ‘A BIKER’S GUIDE TO MAKING LAW’ BROCHURE AVAILABLE FROM NCOM
The latest in a line of “BIKER’S GUIDE” brochures was recently unveiled during the Mock Legislative Session at this year’s NCOM Convention in Mobile, Alabama. Conducted by the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists’ Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF), the seminar was a hands-on demonstration of passing legislation, providing a perfect opportunity to unveil the new “A BIKER’S GUIDE TO MAKING LAW” educational brochure of similar topic.

The new tri-fold brochure was produced by the NCOM-LTF to explain how to get a bill introduced and lobby for pro-motorcycle legislation, and is being provided free of charge to any Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO), Confederation of Clubs (COC), NCOM Member Group, club or organization, through Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester.

“The Biker’s Guide was well received,” said Frank Ernst, Chairman of the NCOM-LTF following the mock session on May 12th. “After we passed them out, many attendees came up and asked if they could have additional copies, and most agreed it is a valuable tool and will give people help on how to get started in the process.”

A BIKER’S GUIDE TO MAKING LAW joins previous titles in the educational series which includes; RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, COMMUNICATING WITH GOVERNMENT, and NEWS MEDIA RELATIONS, and for free copies for you and your motorcycle group, call A.I.M./NCOM at (800) ON-A-BIKE (800-662-2453).

Nationwide motorcycle traffic fatalities dropped by 5.6% from 2016 to 2017, a new report shows. The Governors Highway Safety Association released a report in May showcasing preliminary data on last year’s motorcycle fatalities by state. Per the report, U.S. motorcycle fatalities dropped by 296 deaths — from 5,286 in 2016 to a projected 4,990 last year. That’s coming off a 5.1% increase in such road fatalities from 2015 to 2016, the report states.

The figures reported are projections based on preliminary data provided for 2017 from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Compared with 2016, motorcyclist fatalities are estimated to have decreased in 30 states, remained the same in two states, and increased in 18 states.

U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (R-GA) and Lois Frankel (D-FL) have introduced the bipartisan “Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act of 2018” to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand consumer awareness on how to safely use fuel containing more than 10% ethanol.

Since motorcycle and ATV engines are prohibited from using fuel with more than 10% ethanol content, namely E15 (fuel containing 15% ethanol), improved labeling, fuel pump safeguards, and education outreach are key to protecting consumers. E15 fuel is sold at many retail gas stations, and currently 63% of consumers assume all products sold at these stations are safe for their engines despite the fact that high ethanol fuel blends can damage smaller engines and void manufacturer warranties.

With the full support of all 28 member states, the European Union will impose “rebalancing” tariffs on U.S. imports ranging from Harley-Davidson motorcycles to Levi’s jeans beginning in July in retaliation over President Donald Trump’s decision to put duties on European aluminum and steel. After failing to win trade concessions, on June 1 the Trump administration withdrew exemptions given to imported metals from the EU, Canada and Mexico from global tariffs imposed in March, citing “national security” interests.

Harley-Davidson has warned of a “significant impact” on its sales from reprisal duties, saying in a statement; “We believe a punitive, retaliatory tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in any of our major markets would have a significant impact on our sales, our dealers, our suppliers and our customers in those markets.”

The Milwaukee-based Motor Company claims such tariffs on raw materials would inflate its costs by an additional $15-20 million this year.

Likewise, India is countering the Trump tariffs by proposing an increase on import duty on 30 American products, including “specific motorcycles imported from the U.S.”, by up to 100%.

The Motorcycle Industry Council, in coordination with the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus, hosted a briefing on “Intelligent Transportation Systems and Automated Vehicle Applications Impacts on Motorcycle Safety” on May 22. Caucus co-chairs, U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) addressed the Caucus’s mission to support riders through education and awareness, the potential for technologies to improve the riding experience and bring in new riders, and why the discussion on how motorcycles will factor into a connected and autonomous world is so important.

The briefing, moderated by Callie Hoyt, MIC’s manager of federal affairs, featured a panel of industry and research experts: Sam Campbell, BMW Group; Gary Higgins, American Honda Motor Company, Inc.; Shane McLaughlin, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute; and Eric Teoh, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“Visibility on the road can equate to life or death for motorcyclists, and human error is a major factor in that equation. If emerging connected and automated technologies are developed to correctly detect and respond to motorcycles, their deployment holds the potential to considerably decrease motorcyclist injury and fatality rates,” Hoyt said.

Panelists discussed how connected and autonomous applications relate to motorcycles, how the applications can supplement one another, and the overall effect that widespread connected and automated technology can have on motorcycling.

Both the House and Senate have been developing legislation that would establish the first federal regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies. The briefing recognized the importance of ensuring that the needs of everyone on the road — particularly motorcyclists — are addressed in AV legislative and regulatory landscapes, as well as in real-life applications.

Advanced technology will also affect motorcycle rider training programs, and the panel talked about the need to train riders on how to interact with connected and automated vehicles.

It’s not only cars and trucks: automated tech is starting to show up wherever there are wheels, and companies are starting to focus on making motorcycles safer with automated-driving technology. Exposed to the elements and operating on two wheels instead of four, motorcyclists are particularly defenseless in the event of a crash. Yet there’s been little innovation in the motorcycle safety industry until recently.

Earlier this year, major auto parts supplier Bosch announced it was working on driver-assistance systems for motorcycles, like adaptive cruise control, which accelerates and decelerates to avoid potential collisions. Before that, a Canadian startup called Damon X Labs also launched with the intention of creating a similar system for motorcycles.

Now, Israel-based startup Ride Vision is also working on rider safety features for motorcycles, creating an alert system that uses relatively inexpensive front- and rearview cameras to give a 360-degree view of the motorcycle’s immediate surroundings. The system uses lights attached to the motorcycle’s rearview mirrors to alert the motorcyclist when there is a chance of collision — whether there’s a car passing or if the rider is leaning too hard.

Skully Technologies, an Atlanta-based wearable tech company, is introducing a DOT certified motorcycle helmet that has augmented reality and artificial intelligence features including a heads-up display, rearview camera, Smart Phone and Bluetooth integration, with hands-free control and other smart technology.

While some of the self-driving sensors and systems are the same between cars and motorcycles, it’s a notably different product says recode.net; “While the mechanics are different, the automated motorcycle industry will likely move in a similar direction as the autonomous car industry. Startups and suppliers alike will rush to partner with major motorcycle manufacturers to begin testing and then eventually producing vehicles with this technology.”

Motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints first appeared in New York in 2009; functioning like sobriety checkpoints, motorcycle-only checkpoints (MOC) allow law enforcement to pull over motorcyclists without cause, for an on-the-spot safety, license, and helmet inspection. Since then, these so-called safety checkpoints have popped up across the country and have spiked controversy as opponents claim invasion of privacy and discrimination against motorcyclists over the operators of other motor vehicles.

Nineteen states now bar such roadblocks either through legislation or judicial proceedings (AK CA IL ID IA LA MD MO MI MN NC NH OR RI TX VA WA WI & WY), and in 2015 Congress banned the use of federal funds for MOCs as part of the FAST Act highway bill. Yet they continue to be a problem for bikers in some states.

Although in 2011 New Hampshire became the first state to prohibit the use of federal funds to conduct discriminatory motorcycle-only stops by police, the “Live Free Or Die” state recently enacted Senate Bill 516 to prohibit motorcycle-only checkpoints outright.

Signed by Governor Chris Sununu on May 30, 2018, effective immediately; “No law enforcement officer or agency shall establish or conduct motorcycle-only checkpoints.”

Senator Grace Poe of the Philippines has recently filed a resolution in the Senate to look into legislation and ordinances that lead to the discrimination of motorcycle riders. The resolution notes the prevalence of, “stricter checkpoints specifically targeting motorcycle riders and the latter are now perceived by the community as reckless riders and/or prone to criminal activities.”

It cites the following activities as discriminatory to riders: “a. irregular PNP checkpoints; b. national laws that penalize motorcycle riders excessively; c. high fines being imposed against motorcycle riders; and d. local ordinances that have overlooked the income of minimum wage-earning motorists.”

The resolution is hoped to review current legislation, ordinances, and law enforcement practices that specifically target motorcycle riders. Riders of the Philippines recently united several groups to ride in protest of such discriminatory practices, and drew several thousand attendees.

The resolution, filed on May 28, 2018, ends with the statement, “that while it intends to substantially bring down the number of accidents and crimes involving motorcycles, the State shall not do so to the detriment of the rights of motorcycle riders who seem to be treated with automatic disdain and “Harassment” at times.”

Motorcycle racing is in danger in the U.K. and across Europe as new insurance rules loom, and the Motorcycle Industry Association (MIA) has called on EU member governments to reject the latest European Commission proposals, which have the potential to end all competitive motorsports across England…”Even if this means defying Brussels.”

The EU directive amends aspects of the Motor Insurance Directive, responding to the so-called ‘Vnuk’ judgment from 2014 which ruled that all mechanically propelled vehicles must have third-party insurance, even if they are only used on private land.

The insurance industry has already made it clear that it would be difficult to provide such insurance given the risks involved with racing and that doing so could be incredibly expensive and lead to “catastrophic damage inflicted on motorsports across the board if this ruling becomes law,” according to the MIA. In other EU countries where this has already been applied, premiums have risen dramatically making many events unsustainable.

The proposals represent a complete U-turn from the European Commission’s previous position in 2016, when it proposed to exclude vehicles not being used ‘in traffic’. This would have made all forms of motorsports exempt from the impact of the ruling, impacting around £11 billion ($14.6 billion USD) to the U.K. economy alone.

~Henry David Thoreau (1817-62), American Essayist, Philosopher

After a 24 hour van ride to a galaxy far, far away (aka New Jersey), we entered the new dimension in motorcycle events that just might be the savior of American motorcycling. My best bud and partner, Berry Wardlaw (“the engine guy”), side kick Dana Peters, Spike Johnson, and I set out to behold the Annual The Race of Gentlemen (TROG) in Wildwood, New Jersey. The event is a result of the vision of founder, Mel Stultz, and fellow members of the Oilers’ Car and Motorcycle Club. It was billed as a “multi-day celebration that pays tribute to the early days of racing”. Antique cars and bikes were gonna lay it all on the line to blast down an 1/8th mile beach track on the south Jersey shoreline. Naturally aspirated time machines would battle for bragging rights and maybe a trophy or two. Racing…I’m all in. Antique racing…that’s just stupid cool and worth any trip that we had to make.

–Renegade

Over the last decade a community of alternative custom motorcycle builders has begun to form. With design teams and industry leaders from Ducati, BMW, Yamaha and Harley Davidson constantly watching and collaborating with these custom builders they have begun to create their own Custom Revolution.

Custom Revolution brings together the most avant-garde and influential custom built motorcycles in this one of a kind exhibit showcasing artistic style and craftsmanship.

BMW ” Alpha”

Meet the BMW “Alpha” by Mark Atkinson and Mehmet Doruk Erdem. Based on the BMW K75 Triple, this collaboration between Turkish designer Mehmet Doruk Erdem and American machinist Mark Atkinson resulted in a bodywork design inspired by great white sharks.

T-500 Cross

Meet the T-500 Cross, custom built in Indonesia by Indra Pratama and Barata Dwiputra of Thrive Motorcycles. This fully customized Yamaha bike was inspired by a “grey area” that exists between good and evil.

See more customs beginning Friday, April 13 at our opening reception for Custom Revolution featuring live entertainment, food and a panel discussion with curators, builders and, influencers.

Members of the Petersen receive a special rate. For additional information or to sign up for membership visit our website or contact our membership department at 323-964-6366 or at membership@petersen.org.

Can’t make it to the opening reception? Custom Revolution opens to the public Saturday, April 14.

2 Stroke Attack (2015)
Built by Roland Sands – Los Alamitos, CA

The “2 Stroke Attack” is a mashup of Roland Sands’ two loves: racing and building customs. It has an air-cooled 1974 Yamaha RD400 two-stroke motor on a 1997 Grand Prix Yamaha TZ250 chassis. While a mix of Yamaha parts seems like a natural fit, the motor and chassis are from wildly different eras and built for totally different purposes. Sands sourced parts from World Champion Kenny Roberts’ shelves and his own pile of racing bits, and he built the fairing out of carbon fiber and the seat of hand-pounded aluminum.

Style: Road racer
Original Manufacturer: Yamaha
Year & Model: 1974 RD400 / 1997 TZ250
Frame: Yamaha TZ250 GP
Bodywork: Yamaha TZ tank, handmade aluminum set
Motor: 400cc straight-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated expansion chamber

Ago TT (2016)
Built by Deus Ex Machina – Venice, CA

Founded in Australia with locations in California, Bali and Milan, Deus Ex Machina is a bona fide institution in the alt. custom world. At their Venice, California “Emporium of Postmodern Activities,” Design Director Michael “Woolie” Woolaway builds Deus’ signature custom motorcycles. The “Ago TT” is Woolaway’s homage to Giacomo Agostini and his amazing record of wins at the Isle of Man TT—considered the ultimate road race for its complication, length and danger.

Style: Café racer / road racer
Original Manufacturer: MV Agusta
Year & Model: 2017 Brutale RR
Frame: MV Agusta
Bodywork: Handmade aluminum tank and seat
Motor: MV Agusta 3-cylinder 800cc
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Asymmetric Aero (2014)
Built by Alp Racing & Design – Los Angeles, CA

The “Asymmetric Aero” is the fastest unstreamlined pushrod-engine motorcycle in the world for all capacities under 1000cc, but its speed is not why it has been included. The “Aero” was 3D-sketched as a unit with a rider, an approach which resulted in a minimized frontal area, eliminating dead-air pockets and reducing wind resistance. It meant pulling builder and rider Alp Sungurtekin’s body into a gapless bond with the chassis, where he positioned his head, arms and torso a bit to one side in an asymmetrical reflection of the motorcycle itself.

Style: Dry lakes racer
Original Manufacturer: Triumph
Year & Model: 1950 Thunderbird
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 650cc twin-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Beezerker (2010)
Built by Speed Shop Design – Boston, MA

The highly finished construction and interesting surface textures of the “Beezerker” reveal builder Christopher Flechtner’s experience as a silversmith. Every detail is precisely crafted, with almost everything apart from the 1965 BSA A65 motor imagined and fabricated by Flechtner himself.

Although unusual looking to traditionalists, its dropped handlebars, rear set footrests and humped seat nonetheless identify the “Beezerker” as a café racer.

Style: Café racer
Original Manufacturer: BSA
Year & Model: 1965 BSA Thunderbolt
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 650cc twin-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Black (2011)
Built by Falcon Motorcycles – Los Angeles, CA

Among the designers building new-generation customs, none rose as quickly into superstardom as Ian Barry and his Los Angeles-based Falcon Motorcycles team.

The execution of each Falcon is so detailed as to defy belief. The “Black” began as a 1952 Vincent Black Shadow, a machine of legendary performance and the fastest standard motorcycle in the world for decades.

Falcon made it faster, better and technically more intricate with a totally new chassis bristling with innovative modifications sensitive to the bike’s heritage.

Style: Café racer
Original Manufacturer: Vincent
Year & Model: 1952 Black Shadow
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 1000cc V-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Blue Monday (2017)
Built by NYC Norton – Jersey City, NJ

After leaving the publishing industry, NYC Norton founder Kenny Cummings turned to restoring motorcycles and building custom Seeley-framed race and road bikes. “Blue Monday” was built specially for “Custom Revolution” and is representative of NYC Norton’s racing bikes, which differ only slightly from their road bikes. Cummings’ race-oriented but vintage-inspired work is a bridge between the classic café racer era and today’s alt. custom scene, as it fits comfortably within both camps.

Style: Road racer
Original Manufacturer: Matchless
Year & Model: 1962 G50
Frame: 2015 Roger Titchmarsh Seeley
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 500cc single-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

BMW Alpha (2016)
Built by Mark Atkinson – North Salt Lake, UT

If there is a “vaporware” star in the custom motorcycle design scene, it is Mehmet Doruk Erdem—a Turkish industrial designer whose computer-generated motorcycle studies spread quickly on the internet. His sketches are so convincing it is difficult to tell whether they are photographs of real objects. Erdem’s designs typically remain images, but his “BMW Alpha” concept became reality via a Bonneville Salt Flats regular named Mark Atkinson, a dedicated professional machinist and motorcycle builder in Utah who saw the promise of Erdem’s design.

Style: Salt flats racer
Original Manufacturer: BMW
Year & Model: 1991 K75
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Handmade carbon fiber
Motor: BMW K75
Exhaust: Custom stainless steel

Crapshoot (2018)
Built by Alta Motors – Brisbane, CA

Of all the current e-bike builders, San Francisco’s Alta Motors has the most buzz because they focus on building extremely competitive off-road machines. The “Crapshoot” has just enough traditional drag-bike styling to seem vintage, but the motor is a versatile stock 50 horsepower Redshift electric underneath the fairing. The “Crapshoot” is among the first electric customs to excite traditionalists by showing respect to the best builders of the past while incorporating contemporary “green” technologies.

Style: Dragster
Original Manufacturer: Alta Motors
Year & Model: 2018 Redshift MXR
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: Alta Redshift electric

Dirty Pigeon (2017)
Built by Heiwa Motorcycle – Hiroshima, Japan

Built around a 1971 Triumph TR6 engine, the barebones, elegantly-reductive chassis of the “Dirty Pigeon” took top honors at the annual Mooneyes Custom show in Yokohama in December 2017.

It is the premier bike from the foremost custom motorcycle show in Japan, and its success instantly amplified Heiwa’s visibility outside builder Kengo Kimura’s home country. Its perfected style complements its tightly conceived construction, both of which contribute to its popularity as much as the accolades the “Dirty Pigeon” has received.

Style: Bob-job
Original Manufacturer: Triumph
Year & Model: 1971 TR6
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 650cc twin-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

E-LisaBad (2017)
Built by Krautmotors – Heidelberg, Germany

The “E-LisaBad” is nearly silent, but like most electric bikes it is also extremely fast. Most exciting about “E-LisaBad” is the mashup of the origami-like “dustbin” fairing with the bare metal of the exposed battery pack.

They are opposite textures, but the creative mix works and makes for a unique and unusual motorcycle. According to builder Rolf Reick, “designers want to be revolutionary. They want to break out of the box, cause a stir or attract attention. I think this project does all that. It will inspire many more new ideas.”

Style: Dragster
Original Manufacturer: BMW
Year & Model: 2017 C-Evolution
Frame: BMW
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: Electric

J63 Schwantz (2014)
Built by Revival Cycles – Austin, TX

Revival Cycles’ founders Alan Stulberg and Stefan Hertel are the geek squad of the custom scene, reveling in their love of technical details and enthusiasm for design, fabrication and technology.

The “J63 Schwantz” began as a Ducati 900SS SP, an aged design with modest performance and “plastic-bike” looks. Pushing their skill set, the Revival team designed their first custom frame for this project, which Stulberg sketched on a napkin and Hertel translated into metal.

Style: Café racer
Original Manufacturer: Ducati
Year & Model: 900SS SP
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 900cc L-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

L-Concept (2018)
Built by Bandit9 Motorcycles – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

While the motorcycle industry in the West has grappled with attracting non-riders onto two wheels, Vietnam’s Bandit9 has had much more success. Bandit9 takes utilitarian bikes and transforms them into striking and thoughtfully-designed motorcycles. Resembling a jet or pistol in profile, the ultralight, 297-pound “L-Concept” has a top speed of 68 miles per hour and is powered by a 125cc, four-speed, air-cooled, four-stroke engine.

Style: Retro-futurist
Original Manufacturer: Honda
Year & Model: 1967 Super Sport 125
Frame: Honda
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 125cc four-stroke single-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Mission One (2009)
Built by Mission Motorcycles – San Francisco, CA

In February of 2009, a dramatic next-level electric sport bike was unveiled by Mission Motors of San Francisco—the “Mission One.” It looked like the future of motorcycling then, and it still does. The shape of the “Mission One” was developed by Fuseproject, the studio of international industrial design celebrity Yves Béhar. While Béhar had never before designed a motorcycle, he captured the zeitgeist of the “green revolution,” stylishly combining silence with speed.

Style: Café racer / sports bike
Original Manufacturer: Mission Motors, San Francisco, CA
Year & Model: 2009 Prototype, Mission One
Frame: Built by Sandy Kosman of Kosman Specialties
Bodywork: Designed by Fuseproject (Yvés Behar)
Motor: Mission Motors proprietary

Mission R (2011) (On display exclusively at the opening event, 4/13)
Built by Mission Motorcycles – San Francisco, CA

The “Mission R” is Mission’s second-generation prototype production-intended electric motorcycle, developed in 2010 after the “Mission One.” With a new chassis by James Parker, styling by Tim Prentice, and a newly developed Mission-designed powertrain capable of 100 kilowatts (135 horsepower), the “Mission R” dominated a 2011 TTXGP/International Motorcycle Federation electric motorcycle race, winning the eight-lap race by nearly 40 seconds. The motorcycle was marketed as the “Mission RS” but never put into production.

Style: Road racer
Original Manufacturer: Mission Motors
Year & Model: 2011 Mission R
Motor: Electric

Musket 2 (2017) (On display exclusively at the opening event, 4/13)
Built by Hazan Motorworks – Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles wunderkind Maxwell Hazan rapidly fixed his star in the custom motorcycle space with his impeccable design sense. He is a rare builder, earning near-universal admiration among both jaded observers and online critics; it seems everyone loves his “silver machines.”

His “Musket 2” is a custom twice over, built from a limited-production engine by Aniket Vardhan (called the “Musket”) with a chassis fabricated wholly by Hazan. The “Musket 2” has an appealing schematic quality, one of the reasons Hazan’s creations are among the most sought-after.

Style: Bob-job
Original Manufacturer: Musket
Year & Model: 2018 Musket
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 1000cc V-twin by Aniket Vardhan (Musket)
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Needle (2005)
Built by Chabott Engineering – Los Angeles, CA

Shinya Kimura’s 2005 “Needle” was on display at the Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance in 2006, where it sat humbly in a display of extravagant, enormous customs from then-dominant television star builders.

Unlike the others, the “Needle” was built around an unpolished vintage Triumph engine with a bricolage chassis assembled from blackened scraps and metal oddments, with rustic, hand-hewn aluminum bodywork in strange shapes. Kimura’s discerning and artistic aesthetic set the tone for the coming alt. custom generation.

Style: Dry lakes racer
Original Manufacturer: Triumph
Year & Model: 1957 TR6
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Handmade aluminum tank and seat
Motor: 650cc twin-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Oishi Yoshio (2015)
Built by Ronin Motorworks – Denver, CO

Like the mythical phoenix, Ronin rose from the ashes of a dead motorcycle brand, Buell, and emerged a transformed manufacturer. The “Oishi Yoshio” is a radical-looking motorcycle, matching the Buell’s equally radical cast-aluminum frame. The “Oishi Yoshio” was built around a Buell racing motor to compete at the Pike’s Peak Hillclimb, where it took second place against a field of factory-backed racing machines. While “ronin” means “leaderless samurai,” the unusual name of the “Oishi Yoshio” was derived from a powerful samurai leader.

Style: Road racer
Original Manufacturer: Buell
Year & Model: EBR 1190RX
Frame: Buell with Ronin forks
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 1190cc Rotax V-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Petardo (2015)
Built by El Solitario MC – Vigo, Spain

Anyone who understands motorcycles is intrigued by the “Petardo” and how it resolves the “list” every motorcycle must address—where is the fuel, how is the rider placed, and how does s/he interact with the machine?

The “Petardo” answers such fundamentals in a radically different way, and as a result looks like no other motorcycle. It is truly El Solitario’s first masterpiece, a paradoxically mature expression of David Borrás’s vision. The word “petardo” means “firecracker” in Spanish, and like its namesake, the “Petardo” must be noticed.

Style: Scrambler
Original Manufacturer: Ducati
Year & Model: 1993 900SS
Frame: Ducati
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 900cc L-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Rondine (2013)
Built by Medaza Cycles – Cork, Ireland

From a small town near Cork, Ireland, Medaza Cycles grabbed the traditional custom motorcycle world by the nose, winning the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building in 2013.

The single-cylinder Italian motorcycle had prevailed against the long legacy of V-twin-based customs, planting the flag of the alt. custom movement at the heart of the old custom world. That the “Rondine” was voted the winner by a jury of its bike-building peers speaks volumes about the changes in the global custom scene.

Style: Café racer
Original Manufacturer: Moto Guzzi
Year & Model: 1974 Nuovo Falcone
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 580cc single-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Sleeper (2007)
Built by Chabott Engineering – Los Angeles, CA

If one person represents the origin point of the alt. custom movement, it must be Shinya Kimura. Working since 1992 in Japan with Zero Engineering, Kimura developed a highly personal chopper aesthetic that became known as “Zero style.”

All his work includes his distinctive style of bodywork of hand-hammered aluminum, but the “Sleeper” also incorporates a totally custom-fabricated frame that is built around a vintage motor. In this respect, both the “Sleeper” and “Needle” are especially unusual in Kimura’s artistic oeuvre.

Style: “Zero style”
Original Manufacturer: Excelsior
Year & Model: 1914 Twin
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Handmade aluminum tank and seat
Motor: 1000cc V-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Speedster (2015)
Built by Ehinger Kraftrad – Hamburg, Germany

While the Ehinger Kraftrad “Speedster” appears to be the most traditional and the least alt. custom of the group, in some regards it is the most high-tech machine in the “Custom Revolution” exhibition.

The high-tech part of the “Speedster” came in crafting the engine, using 1937 UL crankcases and modified Knucklehead top ends.

These parts do not really mix, as their unconventional pushrod angles attest, but Ehinger’s computer simulation proved it could be done. He considers engines the heart of his creations.

Style: Speedway
Original Manufacturer: Harley-Davidson
Year & Model: 1937 UL
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom
Motor: 1000cc mix of Harley-Davidson UL and EL motors
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Suavecito (2013)
Built by Sosa Metalworks – Las Vegas, NV

Cristian Sosa is a metalworking veteran even in his mid-30s, having taken his high school metalwork training to a job at Count’s Kustoms for 12 years. This led to an early brush with celebrity as the shop was the focus of the custom car TV show Counting Cars.

After branching out as an independent shop in 2012, Sosa has made his own name, garnering big-brand sponsorship and appearing at the 2013 Mooneyes show in Japan with this highly modified 1940 Indian-based “Suavecito” (“smooth” in Spanish).

Style: Board track
Original Manufacturer: Indian
Year & Model: 1940 Scout
Frame: Custom-fabricated
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 750cc V-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

T-005 Cross (2008)
Built by Thrive Motorcycle – Jakarta, Indonesia

The remarkable Indonesian team of Thrive has managed a rare feat: their builds are simultaneously a hit on both motorcycle and haute-design blogs. The global alt. custom scene is borderless and digitally propagated, and an Indonesian brand exciting such interest is proof. The bike stamping Thrive’s reputation—the “T-005 Cross”—is the darling of a hundred design pages and shares something with Vietnam’s Bandit9 in being crossover-ready to a non-motorcycling public.

Style: Scrambler
Original Manufacturer: Yamaha
Year & Model: 2008 Scorpio 225
Frame: Yamaha
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: 225cc single-cylinder
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

White Phantom (2015)
Built by Kingston Custom – Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Dirk Oehlerking’s “White Phantom” began as a BMW R80RT. Viewers first notice the striking bodywork of the “White Phantom,” characterized by a white parallelogram with curved ends arcing in consonance with the wheels.

The fairing hides a powerful 800cc turbocharged engine, and Oehlerking carefully installed Formula 1-appropriate insulation to protect the rider.

Style: Dragster
Original Manufacturer: BMW
Year & Model: 1986 R/T
Frame: BMW
Bodywork: Custom-fabricated
Motor: Turbocharged 800cc flat-twin
Exhaust: Custom-fabricated

Being an explorer is an inherent part of the biker spirit along with the need of freedom. In its heyday Route 66 satisfied these two basic needs for many Americans. Because of the nations desire to grow and prosper the interstate highway system was devised as a way to increase commerce and speed people to their destinations. The problem is that it put the focus on the destination and took the joy of the journey out of the equation. This started the decline of two things, all the small towns along Route 66 and people’s ability to enjoy the journey and not replaced it with the need or instant gratification.

As a child I traveled Route 66 with my family, in fact we lived only a short distance from the famed road. We frequented Springfield and Joplin Missouri and some of the attraction on the route. Now my childhood was at the end on an erra and I am sure much of the glory had already vanished. But I do remember some of the locations and sites that Drew Knowles captures in this book.

Drew provides a treasure map for exploring Route 66 and as with most treasure maps it leads you close to your destination. The problem with the route is constant change, whether it be roads or landmarks. Ask any farmer for directions and he will tell you to go down the road until you come to the brown cow on the right side of the road by the red barn then turn at the next intersection. My luck is the cow just died so I ramble on way to far and end up lost. To help out in this day of technology Drew has provided some GPS coordinates. Along with his excellent directions I have no doubt you can find all the hidden gems of Route 66.

It was a pleasure reading this book and discovering that many of the locations I have been to along the route are still there and I was at the right place. He provides some photos and maps to aid in your journey. I’m including some of my photos of the route and locations I have enjoyed discovering.

My recommendations that this book is a guide for your journeys and allows you to discover a little of the nations history. Get on your bike, stay off the interstate and discover Route 66.

 

Route 66 Adventure handbook: High-Octane 5th Edition
By Drew Knowles
Santa Monica Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-59580-091-6

— David “Dangerous Dave” Campbell
Earl’s Garage – Motorcycle, Hotrod, and Event Photography
www.earlsgarage.co www.facebook.com/garage_photos

One of the iconic bikes produced by Triumph was the Tiger Cub. Mike Estall has gone through great effort to record the history of this fine machine for posterity. He has researched the history of the bike and all the trials and tribulations that have been apart of its past. In this book you will find the history of the bike from both a personal and technical view. Covering the individuals that brought this bike to life and how they struggled to make it a success, Mike brings the story to life.

Early customer service is defined by how Triumph dealt with the growth of its fledgling bike. To make sure issues were addressed Triumph published “Lightweight Service” for its dealer and service network. The document covered the 23 most common faults with the Tiger Cub.

— David “Dangerous Dave” Campbell
Earl’s Garage – Motorcycle, Hotrod, and Event Photography

Biker poetry is a movement of poetry that grew out of the predominantly American lifestyle of the Biker and Motorcycle clubs following World War II. Biker lifestyle is what refers to the changes in society through what was Biker Culture.

Famous Authors such as Hunter S. Thompson are credited with writing biker poetry, playing no small part in the genus by making biker culture well-known to average citizens with his Hells Angels novel. It introduced a literary movement that focused on the biker culture when he released the first novel about bikers for non-biker readers of books – bringing biker culture into mainstream media. Biker Magazines came much later.

Some say Biker Poetry came into mainstream publishing focus on a farm in Colorado in 1975, which was attended by an assortment of bikers and hippies and a young Hunter S. Thompson and Sky. Since then, biker poetry is a genre getting a revival while the beatnik poetry that shaped them are still etched in our memories.

Biker poetry often embraces form, and may include fixed verse, free verse, folk song, concrete poetry, poetry slam and even “Baiku”, a form of Haiku.

Notable biker poets include Diane Wakoski, who authored a collection known as The Motorcycle Betrayal Poems. Writers such as Colorado T. Sky and K Peddlar Bridges work with experimental poetry, however the biker genre tends to work with form, especially rhyming verse.

Groups such as The Highway Poets Motorcycle Club have an international membership. The inspiration for HPMC was on a farm called Baldspot near Mullen, Colorado – with all the usual suspects combining hippies, locals, bikers were present. James T Sky later met up with beatnik legend Allen Ginsberg who said that the Highway Poets MC could be what Beat Poets were for his generation.

Only in 1990, The Highway Poets Motorcycle Club was formally officially founded and named at Cambridge, MA. Since 2002, they have grown in international membership widely.

The Biker Poem genre was a regular feature in many motorcycle magazines and motorcycle rallies through the 1970s.

Biker Poetry is similar to cowboy poetry in that it can reflect a romantic American lifestyle. Verse will often focus on the loneliness or camaraderie associated with motorcycling, the day-to-day affairs of maintenance on the motorcycle, personal problems within a family that lives a biker lifestyle as well as substance abuse and its relation to bikers.

Other popular themes include “the freedom of the road”, outlaw clubs, interactions with cars and trucks (also referred to as ‘cages’), biker values and practices, and the conflicts and tragedies associated with highway incidents.

Biker poets often use pseudonyms. These include “The Holy Ranger” (Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum), “Wild Bill, the Alaskan Biker Poet” (William B Rogers), “Ironhorse Writer” (Laurence P. Scerri), “Gypsypashn” (Betsy Lister), “Biker Jer” (Jerry Sawinski), “Renegade” (K. Randall Ball) and “Joe Go” (Jose Gouveia).

The use of pseudonyms is mentioned by qualified anthropologist Daniel Wolf in his book published by University of Toronto Press. His research bridged the gap between image and reality by becoming an insider. He suggests that – the image of the outlaw biker is widely recognized in North American society but the reality is only known to insiders.

Daniel R. Wolf teaches anthropology at the University of Prince Edward Island. His Biker pseudonym was “Coyote.” As a member of Rebels MC he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with 20 fellow members at a parking lot to brawl with 40 members of the Canadian Airborne Regiment, elite paratroop fighting force. Just to defend their social territory, which was a bar called Kingsway Motor Inn. Coyote was concerned his PhD dissertation would fail by being absent at University if the fight led to him being in a prison.

Daniel R. Wolf is now a psychological anthropologist who has worked at the University of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, among other gigs. He is the only anthropologist ever to choose an outlaw motorcycle club as the topic of his doctoral study. Coyote — the pseudonym given to him by his Rebels brothers was because he wore a coyote pelt over his helmet.

Wolf was brought up on the streets of a lower-class neighborhood. Instead of being shot down like his childhood best friend, he worked in meat-packing plants for thirteen hours a day and put himself through university. He also bought himself a British-made Norton motorcycle. He later switched to a 1955 Harley-Davidson Panhead and then a ’72 Electraglide.

While other PhD candidates itched to study Maori tribesmen, Wolf’s love of motorcycles and his life background drew him to the “Harley tribe.” His resulting dissertation was the first of its kind. The biker culture had never been ethnographically explored.

Wolf eventually turned it into a book, The Rebels, which reads like a cross between Hunter Thompson’s Hell’s Angels and Lionel Tiger’s Men in Groups.

Despite being outnumbered 40 to 23, the Rebels prevailed over the Airborne that day. The paratroopers came with nunchaku, a steel bar attached to a chain, a blackjack, a baseball bat, and more. A few Rebels had chains and tire irons, but most were unarmed. One wielded an old motorcycle battery. But the Rebels attacked together, “with the viciousness of cornered animals,” in Wolf/Coyote’s words.

The Airborne, soldiers trained in unarmed combat, weaponry, and riot control, dispersed when they saw a number of their fellows being beaten. Said Wolf: “They had not yet endured and shared enough to cement those ties of comradeship that resulted in members presuming, and acting upon, a principle of self-sacrifice. The Airborne may have been the finest in discipline, but they had not yet learned to look out for each other under fire” — thus proving biker brotherhood is worthy of anthropological research and reading.

An interview with Daniel Wolf can be read here:
http://omnimagazine.com/join-outlaw-bike-club/

You can buy Daniel Wolf’s book The Rebels: A Brotherhood of Outlaw Bikers published by University of Toronto Press at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802073638

Wild Bill mentioned earlier has a webpage with links to biker poetry well know to bikers at
http://wildbill.tripod.com/biker.html

Wild Bill’s website is an education in Biker Culture with curated list of biker books, performance videos, culture news, blog, guest authors. His Biker Links page has a long list of biker groups, forums, magazines, parts & service, biker art, etc.

Wild Bill is also a former Co-Publisher and Editor of Midnight Sun Rider Magazine with his wife Terri.

Bikernet.com is mentioned in his list of magazines as – “Bandits Bikernet: Some of the bro’s from Easyriders (but not the mag!).

Folks should also read the 2009 article on “The History of Biker Poetry” published on Bikernet.com itself – by well known Biker Poet “Renegade” whom you folks know as “Bandit”.

The History of Biker Poetry
The Whole Sordid Tale In Rhythm by Panhead Josh with photos from Bob T.
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/The_History_of_Biker_Poetry.aspx

“The perfect man? A poet on a motorcycle. You know, the kind who lives on the edge, the free spirit. But he’s also gotta have the soul of a poet and a brilliant mind. So, you know, good luck.” ~ Lucinda Williams

Music also welcomed Biker Culture. Lucinda Williams is a critically acclaimed Country Music Singer and Songwriter. She has won three Grammy Awards and influenced many songwriters.

Bob Seger is also a wonderful songwriter who is adored for his “life on the road” songs such as “Turn The Page” with the words –

In 2012, MarySusan Williams- Migneault founded the organisation – “Road Scribes of America”. The organization has a Charter and Mission to promote Biker Poetry but also foster creativity of any Biker member whether Scribe, Poet, Photographer, Minstrel, Musician, or Creative Artist of the literary or art community. Road Scribes of America is not associated to any outside agency, club, or organization. It is a subsidiary of Roadhousepress.

Their website: http://roadscribesofamericatm.com/

Though a serious poet, “Wild Bill” Rogers in his book “Bikers Got Culture! Poetry for the discerning biker!” takes readers into the humorous side of a biker lifestyle that is as unique to America as the “Cowboy” or “Harley-Davidson” and a culture that is largely misunderstood.

It will revive your memories of JJ Solari reciting poetry in the Easyriders Studio.

“Rubber Side Down” – is a wonderful anthology of poetry, essays and photography about the biker community.

Contributors to “Rubber Side Down” book include motorcyclist Jose “JoeGo” Gouveia head of the “Highway Poets Motorcycle Club”, Allen Ginsberg, Thom Gunn, Diane Wakoski, and a host of writers from the motorcycle press, including Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum a biker culture historian with many speculating if he was named by Harley-Davidson company as their Poet Laureate or not, Susan Buck, and K. Peddlar Bridges. In addition, a special photo section has been provided by celebrated motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter.

“The Motorcycle Betrayal Poems” by Diane Wakoski describes biker life as “… just being so joyfully alive/ Just letting the blood take its own course/ In intact vessels/ In veins…/ – the motorcyclist riding along the highway/ Independent/ Alone”.

Shirley Dent is communications director for the Institute of Ideas, and development editor of Culture Wars, the institute’s reviews website. In her Guardian newspaper column she says, “There is precise science in the recklessness of both riding a bike and writing a poem. A good Biker Poet is taking life on, in all its mad, fast-paced complexity, and turning out something that is precise, clear, true.”

She is referencing Hunter S Thompson who in his classic essay “The Song of the Sausage Creature” stated that, “But when we ride very fast motorcycles, we ride with immaculate sanity”.

You can read the wild crazy essay “The Song of the Sausage Creature” here – it mentions the Ducati 900 and Vincent Black Shadow with his typical trademark Gonzo journalism.

http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html

“Vincent Black Shadow which would outrun an F-86 jet fighter was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time.” – Hunter S. Thompson

Shirley Dent says, “Motorbike and Poem defy the physical and scorn utilitarian demands. SUVs and car manuals get you from A to B. As Frederick Seidel knows, the motorbike and poem take you out of yourself.” (Frederick Seidel is a widely published Poet, winner of the Lamont Prize and the 1980 National Book Critics Circle Award.)

Fans of Poetry are inspired and adopting the Biker Culture and Biker Poetry. One fan from North Yorkshire, United Kingdom describes himself as:

“I’m husband, father, writer, published poet, motorcyclist, novice horse rider, limited chef and mediocre musician, one-time art curator and collector of bohemians. I’m a Palace fan in exile, Gulliver with one foot in the north and the other in the capital, an opinionated bastard and occasional drunk, an actor without a stage and a member of the audience, a rocket scientist and a fool. Where convention goes I’ll generally walk the opposite path, preferring Outside, slipping under Milk Wood, hightailing it to Neverland on a Ducati with Wendy riding pillion following Peter pulling wheelies, there to live among the pirates and eat crocodile stew.”

One American Biker took a popular Biker Poem published in Easyriders magazine published in the 1970s and sang it as a song with a guitar solo. You can watch it on YouTube here:

“Road Rash Blues” a Poem by Gypsy, Converted Into A Song
https://youtu.be/SheJMleKtug

Phil Cromer aka “Gypsy” is the author of “Whispers in the Wind” a compilation of his work such as this Biker Poem.

Robert M Pirsig enlisted in the United States Army at age 18 years in 1946 and was stationed in South Korea until 1948. He was an incredible student since childhood with an IQ of 170. He attended Banaras Hindu University in India, to study Eastern philosophy and culture.

In his philosophical book ” Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values” (1974), he described the central character, thought to represent himself, as being far from a typical student. The book develops around Pirsig’s exploration into the nature of “Quality”.

The book in a first-person narrative based on a 17-day motorcycle trip he and his young son Chris took from Minneapolis to San Francisco, is an exploration of the underlying metaphysics of Western culture. This book is punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions, on topics including epistemology, ethical emotivism and the philosophy of science.

Pirsig represented the biker culture without the intent to do so and without realizing it. Because he was basically writing about feeling like an outsider who did not like the society’s conformity and un-questioned acceptance of all things considered normal. His work is known as one of the best in American philosophy and it represents the fight for “Freedom” by the Bikers and their Biker Brotherhood.

Robert M. Pirsig states – “The study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself. Working on a motorcycle, working well, caring, is to become part of a process, to achieve an inner peace of mind. The motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon.”

Ed Pliska AKA “Sorez the Scribe” – a veteran of Biker Poetry starts his poem titled “Man Of The Cloth” with the words that all men recognize as the eternal search for truth, meaning of life, purpose of existence –

– and then Sorez ends this poem with the defining words –

You can read some good “Sorez the Scribe” Biker Poetry here:
http://roadscribesofamericatm.com/index.php/sorez/

The body and mind still come together today in motorcycling – whether it is to watch out for city roads with its many perils or a long empty stretch of U.S. Route 50, The Loneliest Road in America.

Give it some thought when you ride your motorcycle next time. Give it poetry. Give it hell. Stay on the saddle, ride on in all weather, be a man free of anything except the “Self”.

–Ujjwal Dey
wayfarer@bikernet.com

SMOKE-OUT 19 June 15–16 2018

It was that time of year again when the SMOKEOUT rolls into Rockingham North Carolina like a plaque of straight pipes against the humid lands. My son Zach and myself rode down; we even had a chase vehicle, my wife Vicki and our good friend Kris. The temperature was soaring into mid to upper 90s!!!! Sizzling to say the least!

I always look forward to the SMOKEOUT. This year was a very special one for me. Edge contacted me about being a Bikernet bike show judge! I would pick a bike to be featured on BIKERNET! For me this was a GREAT honor! I think highly of Bandit. He’s always been my mentor, although he lives with a redhead in a bottle of whiskey.

We rolled into Rockingham around 10:30 am Saturday morning. It was already hot. The crowds started to gather at the variety of venues, from the drag strip to the bike shows and vendor village. I had about 3 hours to kill before the judges’ meeting, so I checked out vendors and the myriad of parked bikes scattered around the massive raceway complex. There were some amazing bikes to see. Flatheads, Knuckleheads, Shovelheads, Evos, and even twin cams and a few Indians sprinkled in along the way.

Unlike the Born Free Chopper Event on the West Coast, the SmokeOut has few rules. You can camp, wear your colors, park anywhere on the ground, walk around naked, paint naked women, dance, drink and do the hutchie coo, you name it.

The painted ladies booth is always a stop on the walk around. Amazing what can be done with body paint! The bands set up and fired up and the stage area quickly became congested.

SMOKE-OUT 19 would prove to be different, no Horse magazine participation. The Horse ran afoul of bad business, bad economy and bad blood. But different situation would prove not to be a bad thing. Edge the commander of the SMOKE-OUT and his crew did an outstanding job organizing and putting this event together as usual. A controlling cloud lifted from the grounds and smiles seemed broader, more sincere and lest restricted. They gleamed as a local did a wheelie between booths.

As the clock ticked down to 1:30 pm I headed to the bike show area for the judges meeting. Jeff “the Prince” Najar organized the Garage built bike show. He did a great job with his Biker Pros history of show organization, and it went off without a hitch.

There were close to 60 bikes entered in the show. The competition was as hot as the weather! It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to pick the BIKERNET winner. I narrowed it down to three. A slick silver Sportster from Ohio, a Speed King Shovelhead and a ‘41 Knucklehead. I went back and forth between these three contenders numerous times.

Finally I picked the ‘41 Knucklehead owned by Randall Shaffer. The bike has a great father and son story behind it, very fitting since it was fathers day weekend! There were nine awards presented by nine magazine publications. Stay tuned to BIKERNET for the feature on the garage, family-built ‘41 Knucklehead!

A little side story: My wife, Vicki and Kris were my photographers. We were are all at the bike show tent sharing notes and plans for the afternoon and Vicki disappeared? Kris and I slave away in the heat sweating our asses off and still no Vicki? Vicki strolls in right when we finish and we come to find out she went back to the hotel and laid out at the pool??? Thanks Vicki!

The Smoke Out is way more than a motorcycle event. Edge has a mantra to have two or more events or contest happening throughout each day. There are over four shows, wet-T-shirt contests, Tattoo contests, painted lady contests, drag racing all day, Long Road Rides, Cross Country Rides, mini-bike races, bands, award ceremonies, cherries marinated in white lightening, corn on the cob, and the action never stops. The party doesn’t end at a designated time with security guards leading you to the gates. This puppy runs all night long.

Well another SMOKEOUT is in the books and it was definitely one of the best! I am looking forward to next year’s SMOKEOUT 20, the massive celebration of the 20th anniversary of the wildest event on the planet, maybe the galaxy. There are already secret meetings underway for making highly classified plans and stunning activities for next year! If you have never attended the original SMOKEOUT, the 20th will be the one to attend!

In closing I would like to thank Bandit and Edge for giving me the opportunity to be a bike show judge. I had a blast, hopefully I will get asked to do it again?

Until next time, RIDE!

–Stealth