I needed an oil tank for this build that would be rather unique. It had to hold a full size battery from a late model electric start Dyna or Softail as my large high compression stroker motor would need all the starting power it could get. It had to completely hide the battery because […]
Doug Coffey’s RetroMod Panhead Part 3 Read More »
It took a while before the call shook the receiver on the wall. “We’re ready, finally to move onto the next stage,” Eric said, and I slipped across congested Long Beach on Pacific Coast Highway to the base of Signal Hill, where the clean offices of Bennett’s Performance and Branch O’Keefe reside in an
Bennett’s Performance Dyna Build, Part Two Read More »
I started building my gas tank with a King Sportster tank shell available from Paughco. In this picture I have already cut the ends out to receive the tunnel in the bottom. In this picture I have already started building the bottom from a flat piece of sheet metal I cut out
Doug Coffey’s RetroMod Panhead Part 4 Read More »
Well here she is, finally complete and out for her last shake down run. We stopped at a scenic area and shot a few pictures before I have to hand her over to the owner, Tim. I took my buddy Sal along. He’s the only one I have available to kick start this old gal.
Timbo’s ’64 FL Restoration (Part Five) Read More »
Back in the sixties the movie Wild Angels came out shortly followed by a soundtrack album with a great cover One of the bikes on the cover caught my eye. The one to the right of the lead bike has a set of low rise Zee style handlebars. Try as I might I
Doug Coffey’s RetroMod Panhead Part 5 Read More »
I wanted rear belt drive on my new retro modern chopper. All the old rigid framed bikes from the factory were chain drive and they were messy and always need adjustment. After doing a little research I chose the shortest belt available. It was 123 tooth and had been used on the very first rear
Doug Coffey’s RetroMod Panhead Part 6 Read More »
It all started when my mother ran over my metal- flaked Honda 55 Super Cub with a single shotgun pipe. She stormed into our tiny stucco house in Long Beach and announced, “Get that damn thing out from under my car.” Her car was a massive ’59 Ford station wagon. It was 1964 and
What the Hell is 5-Ball Racing? Read More »
Editors note: The following is an introduction to a 5 part tech series which will document the processes used at Bare Knuckle Choppers to transform the J&P Roller with an S&S X-Wedge motor into a street pounding machine to be given away at the 2015 J&P Cycles Open House Rally. Clocks dictate so
J&P Cycles Giveaway Bike – Part One Read More »
It all started when a brother was desperate for cash and I bought a basket case Dyna, and with the help of JIMS machine turned it into an FXR. I started to build it for my son, Frank, the tattoo artist, around an old Kenny Boyce-styled pro street frame. Making progress on this build, with
The Mudflap Girl FXR Saga Read More »
Today, J&P Cycles shows you how to replace grips on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. From removing your old grips and adding new grips watch the entire process take place.In this video they use a 2013 Harley Davidson Softail Slim for demonstration but the process will be very similar for all motorcycles that utilize dual throttle
How to replace grips on a Harley-Davidson by J&P Cycles Read More »
After months of planning, my 1933 Harley-Davidson build officially started on Black Friday. That’s when I made the long trip up to Replicant Metals (www.replicantmetals.com), located a mere 7 hours north of me in Pennsylvannia. Owner Tom Feezer was waiting for me with a set of matched 1933 VL cases when I
Rebirth of an American Classic: The Build Begins Read More »
“A man’s got to know his limitations”-Dirty Harry Out in the country roads of Moriah, NC., people pick their own tobacco, run their own stills and gut their own deer. At Widowmaker Custom Design and Repair, Hank Thibodeau brings that same self-reliant determination to the design and fabrication of custom motorcycles. Hank has been
Bikernet Project: Charity Bike, Widowmaker Style Read More »
Bennett’s Performance touts being the performance test bed for all-things big twin performance and handling in Long Beach, California. The team is also very involved in Bonneville Land Speed Record efforts. Unless the California Air Resources Board decides to shut down every California custom or performance shop, they will be burning rods, turning lathes, and
Bennett’s Performance Final, Maybe Read More »
We are back at the Widowmaker Custom Design & Repair shop for final assembly of our bike. Everything has come back from paint, powder coat, etc. Now comes the patience part of our build, reassembly. At this point you need to have a plan of attack. Hopefully you took note of how you removed
Bikernet Project: Widowmaker Charity Build, Part 4 Read More »
Before the engine could be rebuilt, the cases needed some additional work to repair a damaged portion of the front baffle. It appears that an unknown piece of debris was wedged between the backside of the baffle and the flywheel which eventually knocked a hole right through the baffle. Since HD
Rebirth of an American Classic: Case Repairs Read More »
This bike represents an upbeat era when choppers were kings and the Discovery Channel made it so. We are going to attempt to tell the story of the bike, the shows, and the esteemed owner, Hugh “The Chopper” King, the producer/director. Hugh actually worked for Easyriders, as the video editor/director, while I watched over the
THE CHOPPER OF CHOPPERS FOR SALE Read More »
My 3-speed transmission started out very similar to my engine, an empty case and a pile of parts, all in need of cleaning. So the first step was to break everything down into individual pieces and perform a thorough inspection of each piece, to see which parts just needed cleaning and which parts needed
Rebirth of an American Classic: Transmission Rebuild Read More »
Once upon a time there was a bike built called the Shrunken FXR. Keith “Bandit” Ball, of Bikernet and other assorted fame, built it. By a stroke of good fortune the bike became mine through the generosity and trust of Keith Ball. This bike was my daily commuter for a handful of years. It was
The Amazing SHRUNKEN FXR Updated Read More »
I recently rambled about never giving up. This tech is an example in not giving up, and looking for opportunities for success. James Simonelli recently went to work for Biker’s Choice and it’s a company constantly looking for opportunities to succeed. They continue to expand and James is working hard on the Twin Power line
Biker’s Choice TWIN-POWER Ignition Tech Read More »
Oncethat trailer gate hit the driveway back at home I could see tired ol’Betsy begging for another chance at life! As I walked aroundthe trailer she lay resting after the 1500 mile journey back. Iassessed the impending task of making this Ol’ girl right again. “Rode hard and put up wet,”
Bikernet Bike Build: BETSY’S REVIVAL STORY Part 2 Read More »
1964 was an interesting year for Harley. it was the last year of the 6-volt electrical system, and last year for the kick-start only. In 1965 they stepped up to 12-volt system and the first electric start and massive batteries started to appear. So let’s get started, I removed the primary, to my surprise it
Timbo’s ’64 FL Restoration (Part Two) Read More »
Here’s the link to Part 12: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXR_Part_12She_meets_SS.aspx Okay, so my Mudflap Girl FXR was running fine and I enjoyed every ride with the bare chassis, but I got a hair to treat the frame and powder coat some parts, but the corrosion treatment made the frame look almost black, and I didn’t want to build
Mudflap Girl FXR Part 13 New Paint and More Read More »
After the engine was removed from the frame, I mounted it on an engine stand and clamped it to a work mate. This worked perfect, as I have limited working space due to all my daunting, ongoing projects. I got lucky with this engine, as I later found out it had recently been rebuilt
Timbo’s ’64FL Panhead Part 3, Engine Read More »
Well, here we are, past the point of no return. In this chapter I cover the reassembly of the 1964FL restoration. I have been working on this classic for the past nine months. I know it says frame above, but the frame was bone stock, no dings, or mods. The customer requested paint over powder,
1964 Pan Head part 4 (frame) Read More »
