Tech

I get tired of talking about the 2008 economic downturn and how it devastated the motorcycle, sailing, and many other industries. I wish I could say we are cured and walking proudly down the yellow brick road to metalflake Nirvana. It just ain’t so. But there is hope and there are quality American companies trying […]

We started with a new BDL diaphragm clutch plate install and the series mushroomed. It actually started long ago, about ten years, when we started to install BDL products. I’ve run BDL primary belt drives and clutches for over a decade. The spring operated pressure plate allows the rider to set his own spring tension

    We all jump into a professional paint job sooner or later. It’s a mystery to most of us, an expensive mystery. As a young builder I hated to let any of my parts out of my rickety garage, even for an hour. I rebuilt engines, brakes, welded frames, rattle-canned my sheet metal, and if

There’s this shop in Houston run by the Devil and the lovely Holly who danced with puppets at the Houston Renaissance fair, half naked, while the Devil and I discussed this chopper. Everything about Kent Weeks, the Devil, Holly, and their shop nestled in a residential district surrounded by tall chain link fences and snarling

Jeremiah bugged me for months. He wanted a new bike, a dresser, no an FXR, maybe a Dyna. He ended up with an insurance settlement from his FLH accident (guy pulled a left directly in front of him) and decided dressers weren’t for his youthful city dweller, hot rod, self. He bought a very low

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

I stumbled into a meeting with Scott Murley, Steve Yatzke, the boss, and Grady Pheiffer from GH Marketing, in Scott’s new office digs next to the BDL R&D department. We started discussing new products and Bikernet techs. The BDL family is exploding. BDL took on GMA brakes some time ago, but then they grabbed Jamar

Nothing lasts forever and motorcycle batteries are no exception. The original equipment battery on my 2012 FLD Dyna Switchback had been dragging occasionally, after enduring a couple of summers and bad-ass winters in northern Virginia, plus another sweltering summer in the Conch Republic of south Florida. So I was pissed but not surprised when it

Editor’s Note: We’ve worked with JIMS staff for maybe 30 years, maybe longer. Jim Thiessen has one of the most solid companies in the industry. When the custom world is on fire JIMS keeps rolling along. So, when we decided to create something completely nuts for Bonneville in a Belly Tank configuration I discussed it

A few years ago Paul Aiken, out of Charlotte needed something to do. He loved motorcycles, was a machinist, and had a creative nature, so he bought a very small parts company called Aeromach. Paul’s shop was akin to Geppetto’s workshop in a storybook. It was dinky, but now contains two state of the art

Reposted from the J&P Cycles Blog Required Tools: DC voltmeter or battery tester As a general rule, modern charging systems are efficient, reliable and maintenance free; however, there are exceptions to every rule and few problems will leave you stranded as quickly as charging system that’s gone kaput. Fortunately keeping tabs on the system is

CV carbs have a strong reputation in the industry. Years ago, I did an article with Trock on his mods. I finally ran his modified CV on my Mudflap Girl FXR and it was terrific. I experienced sharp throttle response and almost 50 miles to the gallon out of the box. Then I tore the

Recently a Bikernet Contributor screamed at me in all caps, “Goddammit Bandit get off your ass and write something, give us a tech. Do something even if it’s wrong.” An easy assignment albeit daunting. For some reason the last couple of months scrambled like a holiday on meth. What happened? Hell I don’t know? So

  Here’s the latest hot shoe upgradefor Twin Cams from S&S. This tech included four element groups beginningwith the S&S Big Bore Kit, an updated Hybrid billet cam plate and enhancedHigh Flow oil pump from Harley-Davidson, an S&S Super E carb, and a set ofBub exhaust pipes. We could have wrapped up this operation and

If there’s anything that is worse than being stranded with a flat tire, it’s being stranded with no way to repair it. Picture it: you’re out on a beautiful Sunday morning, the bikes purring like Tony Bennett crooning I left my heart, and all of sudden the tire loses pressure. What moments ago was a pristine

This handsome ribbed Cam Cover for ’91 to ’14 Sportster applications was designed by the folks at EMD to mount on top of your existing cam cover. Why ? Because they wanted you to be able to make your engine cool without having to mess with your camshafts blocks and have to bore and align

We ran into a section of the S&S display in Cincinnati at the V-Twin Expo, called Viola V-Twin and we were immediately curious. We met with Bruce Tessmer and discussed it briefly. Here is the official description: S&S Cycle is extremely pleased to offer a selection of high quality service parts for Harley-Davidson and other

This just in from Brass Balls Cycles. They recently created a custom LED headlight for the bike market. “I wanted something containing LED technology,” said Dar Holdsworth, the boss of Brass Balls. “The light they throw out is amazing in a couple of respects. Not only does it light the road like never before, but

Howard Knight of Rocking K Customs is creating a Bug Out Bag aka The B.O.B. that holds all the essentials… Bourbon, Cigars, HelmetLok, sunglasses, and credentials. Howard Knight of Rocking K Custom Leathers worked hard designing and hand fabricating the ultimate leather container for all the essentials you need for day tripping. And The B.O.B.

    A motorcycle battery never gets a day off. The service experts at Harley-Davidson® point out that even when a motorcycle is parked the battery discharges continuously in small internal loads called “self-discharge.” Self-discharge speeds up drastically as the temperature rises – for example in a hot garage in the summer – and accessories

There I was at the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati in February wandering the isles, when I came across the LePera booth. Bob LePera built his first custom motorcycle seat in 1961 and the company has grown ever since, but it’s now taken over by the kids, Christine and Bob. I knew Bob for 30 years,

  Secure Cap locking systems are designed for all Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycles manufactured after 2000, including Deuce, Fat Boy and Heritage models. Secure Cap is available in black, chrome and pink finishes.   Vandalism and oil contamination are problems that every motorcyclist faces. Now, there’s a proven, cost-effective solution for deterring vandals and keeping oil

Samson builds the first fishtip mufflers for Polaris Indians. Just recently we received a flash announcement from the new Samson factory in Sturgis, South Dakota. Here are the specs, and the story behind the R&D effort: These puppies are 4×34 ½-inch Longtail mufflers with baffles. They Fit 2014 Indian Chief Classic, Indian Chief Vintage. “As