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I've learned a lot about building handmade exhaust systems for the last couple of months. I flat screwed up the first tech on tools, but returned to Home Depot, found the correct parts and went back to work. I picked up a couple of 4-inch C-clamps, and the proper diameter goofball plumbing clamp. I'm still […]

I couldn't bore you to death with only John's technical jargon. Here's a couple of his bikes and, of course, girls. We wouldn't have it any other way.Last week at a local watering hole, I overheard two Bikers debating whether to install a Single-Fire ignition on a new machine, that one of them was building

The stock tranny linkage cut to work as our brake linkage. A week ago I worked on the brake controls with some success. After fabricating a mastercylinder bracket and actually drilling the holes in the proper location, it wouldn’t work. I needed to turn the master cylinder upside down. I called Frank Kaisler to confirm

We're going to take you through this New BDL installation from start to finish. Generally belt drive installations are straight forward. There's a couple of key issues: The inner primary is your guide to a proper running, aligned belt drive. If it's square to the engine and tranny, all else is golden. This new drive

Laser Alignment-How it Came To BeThe following was written by Mil Blair, the co-founder of Easyriders, custom bike product designer since the '60s, Bonneville racer and now the designer of this alignment tool.Since '58, when I got my first real motorcycle, A '47 Knuckle I was amazed at how a bike worked. I lined up

We've known Dewey Jelen for ten years. He designs and machines his own line of Custom Machined Aluminum Billet Footpegs, Billet Handgrips, “Heel Hammer” Shift Levers and Billet Aluminum “Rammer” Air Cleaner Covers all for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.But recently he told us about his Porting Service, “The first thing I found out about my 2002 TC88

Big Twin Harleys were equipped with four-speed transmissions from 1936-86, 50 yearsin all. These are damn rugged transmissions, and can last forever when taken care of properly. The greatest source of trouble for four-speed transmissions are oil leaks. The idea of a bike marking its spot is bullshit. Oil is meant to be kept on

I've only got three pictures of the back of the bike, but here's the details. It's a '72 frame with round swing arm. The spread is the same as a square unit. I used a 160 tire on a 4 X16-inch rim, '73 up. I needed a 1/4-inch offset trans mount plate and a 1/4-inch

Click to see more from Lucky Devil Nicci (left) and Denise at Jack's in Austin waiting to Rigid Frame Richard to return from the Lucky Devil Shop. They're still smiling…I returned, this time, from my hometown of Houston. Kent at Lucky Devil Metal Works informed me earlier in the week that Bradley Da Polisher &

This was actually one of the easiest bikes I’ve ever wired. It’s not a bad notion to sketch out a wiring diagram with consideration for the placement of the components. Think about it long and hard, then take your time. Below this mess I ran the Hardcore Choppers basic wiring diagram and tips on wiring

It’s time to feature the 1928Shovelhead and American Iron said theywould take it on. They’re the only bookthat accepts antique bikes. I’ve writtenabout four features for them on rare, very coolhistoric models. No the ’28 Shovel doesn’t fallinto that catagory, but what the hell, it’sgot class. We needed to complete a couple ofdetail mods before

This is Big Boar's custom battery of choice. It's capable of providing 350 Cold Cranking Amps in a relatively small package. The coolest bikes have always been the stripped down. Whether stock or custom, the less crap the better. So long as the engines weren't too big, or you were running a kick-starter, you could

Lucky Devil girl Sheryl from RFR Here's a sneak preview of the paint. Okay, onto the rear fender. It's also our 14 gauge stamped seamless fender blank (both front and rear fenders are available on line, on our website, now). I like to weld and mold the rear fenders into the frame on every Lucky

You made up your mind. It wasn’t easy, but you’re ready to pull the trigger and write a check to get a new bike this week. You’ve done a ton of research and soul-searching to decide on exactly what kind of motorcycle you want to buy. First you thought you wanted to buy a Harley,

Little Pia in the Devil's workshop. It's a Thursday night after a harried day of grappling with the news. I'm pissed and waiting impatiently for a glass of Jack and a single ice cube. The phone rang and hot breath and a wispy evil tone shattered my melancholy mood. “Where's the second segment on our

Routing the oil lines from the oil tank to the engine is simple task. There are only three oil lines needed to make your bike run: the feed from the oil tank to the oil pump which is located on the engine, the return line from the engine to the oil tank, and the breather

You dream it, Kevin will create it. Baas metal craft is a unique company specializing insmall or large production of unique custom made steelitems per the customers request. Cool businesssigns, custom bike parts, unique steel furniture areall possible with the CNC plasma cutting technologyBaas metal craft incorporates. Owner Kevin Baas is ahigh school Technology Education

Helluva weekend. Anytime there's lots of motorcycle carnage,sex, whiskey and writing, I'm all for it. Maybe it's Valentines Daycreeping up. Make a note. Here's the deal on the Sturgis Shovelhead. Sincethe engine was in and mounted I went to work on the exhaust system,then seat mounting, position and played with the bars. I made a

This is the second part of modifying the exhaust system on my 2004 Electra Glide. It started off with wanting to change the mufflers and I was so impressed with the Bassani Reverse Cone Megaphone mufflers that I decided to try their True Dual system as well. The benefit of this system over some of

Here's an update on the Shovelhead. I picked up the engine from Phil's Speed Shop in Anaheim. He rebuilt the battered heads and lifter stools, installed new JIMS lifters, S&S roller rockers and CCI Black Diamond Valves. He welded and repaired cracks and exhaust manifold threads. Old used Shovelheads can be fragile. I installed studs

The oiling system on overhead valve (OHV) big twin engines from 1936 through 1999 depends on an externally mounted, gear driven oil pump. The oil pump is located in the same spot on the rear, vertical face of the right-hand engine crankcase and as long as it is given a diet of clean motor oil,

A few installments back, I felt like I had run the gamut of topics for these Tech-Tips. I hit the bottom of the barrel with my highly informative, How to Tie a Doo- Rag tip, and figured the powers that be over at the mega-conglomerate motorcycle publishing empire in San Pedro would just cut me

This will begin the ongoing bike build for Kevin Baas’s 2005 Class Build here on Bikernet.com. I’ll be posting updates from Kevin so check back periodically for the progress and help out if you can by donating any old parts.CHOPPER CLASS WITH MR. BAAS 2005 The Kennedy Manufacturing Technology students atKennedy High school in Bloomington

We've developed a working relationship with S&S, and I was concerned about the 105-inch Shovelhead Richard Kranzler scored for my Sturgis Chop project. His motorcycle ran like a raped-ape, but the 105 tore the livin' shit out of his old school chassis. The mirrors became frisbies, the footpegs vibrated lose and ditched him at 125