Who needs to see another goddamn Jack Pine tree. We experienced one of the quietest Sturgis nights ever this past August. Itmight have had something to do with the temperatures sinking down into thelow 40s setting a lowest temperature known since the late 1930s.
Theexact night was either Tuesday or Wednesday. Instead ofheading for the sack with the constant rumbling multitudes of twin exhausts reverberating in thethe chincy motel walls, there was only the occasional blast of a lone rider searching for thewarmth of a shared sleeping bag in some outlying campground or maybe aclose-by motel room and a hot shower to release the chill from his or her bones.
The entire week was one of cool temps over the Badlands, hot chicks and bitchin’ bikes. Addedto the overall experience was a new show touting the top 50 custom bikes inthe country, sponsored by Legend Air Suspension and held intheir parking lot down in Rapid City. The Journey Museum also housed a new exhibitcalled “Bob is Back” featuring Dave Mann art work and a plethora of bobberstyle bikes, the Journey Museum is also in Rapid City just east of theconvention center where H-D displayed their new line of ’05 bikes andaccessories.
We're not messing around now. You've read about the shows, downtown, Buffalo Chip bands, politics and a couple of ride stories, let's cut to the chase. Here's the best bike and babes I was fortunate enough to capture with this long-assed lense.
We ran across this trick shovel at the Top 50show at Legend Air Suspension’s facility, there are a ton of handmade partson this bike such as the truss mounted rear fender and modified pistonheadlight. Check out the VL I-beam front end, handmade footboards, controls,and the oil tank set into the top of the gas tank. The engine is sporting anearly style L-series S&S cab with a handmade velocity stack.
S&S Cycle from Viola, WI had founder George Smiths dual carbPanhead on display at the Journey Museum show. This is a true period bobberwith cut down fenders homemade foot peg mounts, buckhorn handlebars and ofcourse, some go fast goodies in the S&S motor. The most distinctive feature isthe dual DC Linkert carbs bolted to the modified heads. S&S was one of thefew companies that modified stock H-D heads for dual carbs. The story goesthat George Smith melted down broken fins from other heads to make weldingrod to weld up the stock intake ports and make new ports facing out the leftside of the bike.
This Indian Chief bobber was one of Steve McQueen’s bikes fromhis extensive collection of old motorcycles. This bike is a true era bobber,stripped of the huge fenders the bike takes on a racy look. The muffler hasbeen removed with the head pipe left open to announce the bikes arrival.
Ted Tine of Essex Motorsports, in CT, was buzzing around Sturgis onthis bright green metal flake Softail. All of the bodywork is metalconsisting of close fitting panels easily removable for service. More metalsculpting is seen on the rear fender with frenched turn signals, licenseplate and seat area.
From the Sucker Punch Sally shop, in Ohio, comes this tight littleShovel with high mount Sportster gas tank, Moon oil tank and two-into-oneexhaust system with “cocktail shaker” muffler. No front brake but dual rearcalipers provide enough stopping power. We shot these photos at the Metzlershow held in the parking lot of the Journey Museum.
I spotted this rigid frame Sportsterat the Metzler show, not inthe show but parked at the curb. The Ironhead engine fits the rigid frameperfectly. The round oil tank, abbreviated rear fender with the shorthandhold fender brace looks clean. An early aftermarket springer front endwith a spool front wheel and only the original drum rear brake probablymakes for an interesting ride. The seat appears to be a Bates mounted to theframe and the air cleaner looks handmade.
Out in front of the Journey Museum was a great line-up of bikes,Indian Larry’s Discovery Channel bike, Jeff Decker’s CFL, Big Chris fromNY’s new Panhead project and a couple of bikes from WCC.
Keino, out of Indian Larry’s shop, in Brooklyn, NY just got his newbike up and running. We really liked this Panhead with the single down tubeframe, midmount controls, high straight pipes and handmade gas tank. The oiltank is in the rear fender and the late model narrow glide front end adds tothe sleek lines.
Check out all the drilled holes for reducing weight, even thereinforcing rails welded to the front down tubes of the frame. We couldn’tfind out what size the engine was but it breathed through an S&S two throatcarb into a set of trick knuckleheads. Check out the hand shift and footclutch along with the adjustable height rear foot pegs.
Matt Hotch of Hot Match had his Biker Build Off winning bike ondisplay at the Top 50 show where it always had crowd huddled around it. Witha unique air suspension system front and rear, people were on their handsand knees looking for air under the frame.
Talk about a long bike, we spotted this guy riding around theLegends show toward the end of the day. The bike is a big twin with every goddamn thing handmade The frame is a mono-shock set-up with the shockmounted down and behind the solo seat. The bike sports a right hand drivetransmission and a decent size nitrous bottle just forward of the rearwheel.
This evo rigid looks as if it rolled out of the late60s or early 70s. The gold plating hidden fender supports, sissy bar andreverse paint job elements are wild. The give away that this bike was newlyconstructed is the right side drive transmission, 3-inch belt drive and whatappears to be 80-spoke wheels. No matter when it was built, it is still asharp bike.
We caught this Sporty cruising down Lazelle Street. The springerfront end with what looks like an early K model front hub, fits therigid framed Ironhead, so does the coffin tank and the long rear fender. Thebattery sits on the side of the frame behind the primary with a big twin oiltank mounted beneath the seat.
There is something about this Shovel that made our eyes follow ittill it was out of sight, it may have had something to with the blonderiding pillion. A stock 4-speed frame with a cone motor shovel, loweredfront and rear suspension and a nice mix of new custom parts such as theside mount plate holder, mirrors and tapered turn signals on the rear fenderstruts. The triple trees are billet, the tanks have been extended and thefenders are custom.
Just a couple of guys having fun on Main Street in Sturgis. TheEvo Softail closest to you is a nice clean road-bike in basic black with anice mix of custom and performance parts. The Thunderheader and S&S aircleaner lends one to believe it moves out smartly, while the 80-spokewheels, custom fenders, extended tanks, t-bars, and headlight enhance thecosmetic image. The red bike in the back of the photo appears to be a custombuilt unit with a big inch S&S motor and inverted front.
There were plenty of good-looking Indians in town, this is butone. The ape hangers look comfortable, and the black paint with flames andupswept fishtail exhaust were right at home in Sturgis.
That's all you're gonna get outta me this year. The finest bikes I could find from Wyoming to Rapid City. That's my job, and I can't wait to do it again.
–Frank Kaisler
