What a crazy year. We’ve been scrambling in several directions. Plus, once I sent all the parts to Kent Weeks at Lucky Devil MetalWorks, in Houston, Texas, the project took on a long distance relationship. Distance can create obstacles and distractions as you will see. I’ve been working with Kent Weeks for years, almost a […]
5-Ball Racing 2015 Chapter 4 Read More »
And it’s amazing, and with anything artistic, motorcycle, or quality configured endeavor there’s a story. Here’s the heartfelt story behind the company Une Belle Vie: Early in 2009, entrepreneur Mike Jamali was touched by a story on the national news about the growing need for custom, artistic urns. He and his son, 21-year-old Eric, began
The URN of a Different Color Read More »
I’m a nut about regulation. I see it as a negative to the human spirit. Others see it as dollar signs, control issues, power struggles, all in the name of safety, or in this case, saving the planet. The most recent regulatory threat is climate change. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to
GLOBAL WARMING: ANOTHER LOOK AT THE GLOBAL THREAT Read More »
You can view Part 2 here. Jeremiah wanted to change out the rear shocks on his 2009 Dyna upgrade to some Progressive units. Progressive recently contacted us about their Monotube front end cartridge solutions and Jeremian decided to upgrade his front and rear suspension. There are a couple of significant factors playing in this riding
Progressive Suspension Mono-Tube Cartridge Kit Installed Read More »
It had been weeks since my arrival in New Orleans and by now waking at camp in the tiny bamboo infested backyard of B.B.’s little house in the French Quarter seemed perfectly normal. After the coffee she’d soon bring to my tent-door on this sunny morning I’d laze a few hours away before walking through
THE FLAVOR OF NEW ORLEANS WINTER, Part 2 Read More »
When it was time to give the KZ440 bobber the superior airflow and superior performance it deserved, Todd built a carbon fiber topped dual flange K&N air filter of his own design K&N Air Filters employee Todd White transformed a run-of-the-mill 1981 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD into a Ryan Villopoto inspired bobber taking Bikernet’s Editor’s Choice
K&N’s Todd White Built a 1981 Kawasaki KZ440 Read More »
A March 25, 2015, story informed the public that anyone who has registered a motorcycle in the United States between 1994 and 2015 has been placed on a classified FBI gang list. The reasoning behind creating such a list is the fact that motorcycle owners are 67 percent more likely to be involved in
Which Gang Do You Belong To? Read More »
It all kicked off at a local shop, McQuiston’s Custom Cycles. We’ve featured Ryan and his gang a couple of times in Cycle Source Magazine. They are as close to the notion of an old school shop as possible in this age of over regulation and vast and unrelenting technology. Ryan still bangs away
The Magnificent Jessica Fife Comes to Bikernet Read More »
An old friend, who I wrote a book about recently, Terry the Tramp, just rebuilt an Evo Engine and we made sure to incorporate some S&S products including the cylinders, the pistons, and the lower end. Plus, it was fitted with an S&S Super E carb. Recently S&S kicked off Viola V-Twin, which fits into
TERRY THE TRAMP S&S EVO ENGINE BUILD Read More »
You know it, I know it, the whole two-wheeled world knows it. Motorcycle oil takes a real beating. Especially motorcycle oil used in air-cooled engines. Especially motorcycle oil used in air-cooled engines when you’re riding through the Mohave Desert in mid-July and the red mark at the three-story high thermometer in the middle
Lucas MC Oil Stabilizer Hikes Performance Of All Oils, Even The Best Read More »
Where does inspiration come from? It’s all around us. What encourages someone to push the boundries of what is the norm? I continually look for those opportunities. A few years ago, a very special customer walked into my life who had a vision of a bike that did not fit the norm. I still remember
The F3 ROCKETEER Bound for Shanghai Read More »
The changing tides didn’t mean a thing. The moon was as gloomy as ever. The dark skies were darkening ever more as the monsoon clouds converged. The faint chirping of the sparrows in dusk were muted by the patter of rain against palm leaves. My slippers dragged on, its rubber inner-sole slapping against my foor
A Tourist in Paradise–Fiction Read More »
Paternalism is a control over others, like a father attempts to control his children (Pater; Latin for father). Some control and protection are necessary because children sometimes lack the ability to make rational choices. As we mature, we learn life lessons that will hopefully protect us as adults. In other words, we take control of
Government Paternalism Read More »
Like California, the city of Bombay gets pretty high temperatures. I was looking for an all purpose leather jacket which I can use everyday for most of the year. With denims already providing basic protection, I was looking for a real a good deal on leather for rough highway and country riding. The Crank &
Crank & Stroker Hardball Vest Read More »
It all started with a Redondo Beach school district employee and a wife who said, “Pick one.” Ron (who wouldn’t give up his last name) lived in Santa Clarita with his three kids and his soon to be gone wife. He worked on bikes in his garage and for the school district, 50 miles away,
In the ultimate expression of human creative skill and imagination, custom motorcycle builders create incredible beauty, sweeping lines that beg for the wind paired perfectly with precise feats of mechanical engineering. The Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s 2015 Motorcycles as Art Exhibition presents famed photographer Michael Lichter’s “The Naked Truth – 35 Customs / 35 Years
Michael Lichter’s Naked Truth Exhibit Comes To Buffalo Chip Read More »
What is the price of freedom? First you have to define freedom. You have to strip away all the rules and regulations, all the bureaucracy and start with one man by himself in the wilderness. He can hunt, fish, grow his own food. He will only take from the land
UNCLE MONKEY ON FREEDOM Read More »
Photos: Brian J. Nelson, Harley-Davidson, Ben Lamboeuf Positioned between the entry-level Sportster line and the wildly popular touring bikes, Harley-Davidson’s Dynas include models like the Street Bob, Lowrider, Wide Glide, and even a touring bike in disguise, the Switchback. Another notable member of the Dyna family, the Fat Bob we tested for Bikernet features a
Road Test: 2015 Harley Fat Bob Read More »
When you need a pro, you need a pro. There is no part of a motorcycle that can be overlooked if you truly want to go “custom”. A real builder knows when a job requires an outside craftsman held in high esteem. Randy Aron from Cycle Visions needed someone he could count on to
SPEED MONKEY PANHEAD Read More »
The more I study shocks, the less I know. I find the entire notion of ride control daunting. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds and you design the perfect shock to handle running over a 2-by-4 at 30 mph, will it work at 50 mph, and what if you gain weight? I had a
The Progressive Shock Doctrines Read More »
Recently, one of my best friends called to ask if I would help him choose a defensive handgun. Now, we’ve been friends for years, and more than once I have brought up the topic of defensive firearms to no avail. He had no interest in owning a gun. So, needless to say, I was surprised
GUN NUT SPECIAL REPORT–SELF DEFENSE Read More »
Fred “Krugger” Bertrand is not a new player in the world of international motorcycle builders. At the age of five he had his first motorcycle and started racing at seven. At nineteen he ended his racing carrier and then started an apprenticeship in coach building. This included sheet metal repair, metal shaping, and painting. After
QUICK, an Interview with the World Champ Fred “Krugger” Bertrand Read More »
