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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
“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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 Mudflap Girl Part 11: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXRs_part_11_The_First_Road_Test.aspx My son’s Mudflap Girl FXR is running and partially broken in. I even, finally, dialed in the Wire Plus Speedometer, and it’s working. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong, but that puppy works like a champ. I enjoy the tightness of the display
Mudflap Girl FXR Part 12—She meets S&S 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 »
Hang onto your asses. This is going to rock your boat, or your solo seat springs. We are building a bike just for you. That’s right. A Cycle Source or Bikernet reader will own this one-off custom at the end of this year. No, I’m not kidding. This world-class team of builders, lead by Prince
Bikernet/Cycle Source Sweeps Build, Part 3, Sponsored by Xpress Read More »
Mudflap Girl, chapter 10: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXRs_Part_10_Suspension_Tuning_and_Le_Pera_Seat.aspx I can’t make it to Sturgis this year. We are focused Bonneville builds, like mad starving dogs, and the two events are only separated by two weeks. Ray is tuning and I still don’t have an engine, but we’ll cover that later. The engine could be running today, in Richmond,
Mudflap Girl FXRs, part 11: The First Road Test 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 »
The Sturgis Shovel has seen its share of LA Harbor town back alleys in the eight years of pounding the streets around Wilmington, California. The exhaust is really starting to show the effects of the road and weather. Originally these hand fabricated pipes were painted with barbeque paint found lying around the Bikernet Intergalactic
Sturgis Shovel Gets A Wrap Read More »
Mudflap 8: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXRs_Part_8_Wiring_World.aspxMudflap 9: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Mudflap_Girl_FXRs_Build_part_9.aspx I’ve been riding and tuning Mudflap Girl FXR for a couple of months. We finally dialed in our rear shocks, maybe. David Zelma, from Progressive taught me the ropes regarding spring pressure and travel. We will get into that. We have also been monkeying with my Spitfire Girder shocks. Again,
Mudflap Girl FXRs, Part 10, Suspension Tuning and Le Pera Seat Read More »
Check the last episode: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/BikernetCycle_Source_Sweeps_Build_Part_5_Sponsored_by_Xpress.aspx This process is amazing. Not only are Gary Maurer, Kustoms Inc., and Julie, the lead builders, but they dragged this roller in various stages to over eight shows and events. It’s actually set up at the Broken Spoke in Sturgis right this fuckin’ minute. When I interviewed Gary, while Jules
Bikernet/Cycle Source Sweeps Build Part 6 Sponsored by Xpress Read More »
Not too long ago, my good friend Timbo approached me with a proposition, restore his 1964 Harley FL, I agreed. Problem was, it’s in a box, literally! So after a brief discussion on exactly what we wanted to do, how much it would cost and the possible value at the end of the rainbow, I
Timbo’s ’64 FL Restoration (Part One) Read More »
Don’t miss the last episode: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/BikernetCycle_Source_Sweeps_Build_Part_4.aspx I’ve never had so much fun building a bike, and it’s not for me. This one-off custom, art object, long-run bobber, chopper, will be awarded to either a Cycles Source subscriber or a Bandit’s Cantina subscriber on Bikernet.com. There’s always a growing buzz around building any bike. The vibe
Bikernet/Cycle Source Sweeps Build Part 5 Sponsored by Xpress Read More »
You’ve been watching this sweepstakes bike come together for four episodes. A terrific chopper industry team was established to build you a one-off, world-class custom motorcycle. What could be better? Just fill out a coupon or subscribe to Cycle Source or Bandit’s Cantina on Bikernet, and you could enjoy this puppy forever. This segment
Bikernet/Cycle Source Sweeps Build Part 4 Sponsored by Xpress Read More »
