The problem was, we were all on motorcycles and there wasn't really a good place to strap on a couple bundles of wood.
We did some engineering and math calculations / roshambo to see who would carry the wood. In the end, Tyler lost and we loaded the wood up against his sissy bar and risked it possibly ripping a hole in his seat. Luckily we were only a couple miles from camp.
Two bundles of fire wood in not the ideal place on Tyler's Panhead.
With that scenario in mind, the new Moto Luggage Rack was born. These Moto Luggage Racks are made right here in Ohio, consisting of three piece construction with gussets and are incredibly beefy. There is an array of holes spread out on the rack as well to allow easy use of bungees and cargo nets.
There are two variations of the Moto Luggage Rack where you can mount it either on the left or right side of your motorcycle. They are made for three models of bikes, 1994 - 2003 Sportsters, 2004 - 2022 Sportsters, and 2006 - 2017 Dynas. Oh, and did we mention they are all incredibly easy to install?
In this video Tim from Fiorucci Fabrications walks you through the features of the Moto Luggage Rack and shows you how easy it is to install a right side Moto Luggage Rack on our 1994 Harley-Davidson Sportster. He even gives you a sneak peak at the new Skateboard racks that are available.
Let's Go!
Theres two bolts on your struts that need removed.
Remove the two bolts on the struts. We supply new bolts with the Moto Luggage Rack that are longer, but you can re-use your nuts and or if you have the inner fender bracket that has nuts welded on it for install. The longer bolts allow you to continue use of your Gasbox sissy bar or other stock sissy bar.
*Note you will have to remove your stock turn signals before installtion of the Moto Luggage Rack. They will not work.*
Left new supplied hardware, right add blue loctite when installing.
With the supplied bolts, put a dab of blue loctite on each and mount the rack up to the struts.
Inserting each bolt through the Moto Luggage Rack, sissy bar mount and strut.
Reusing the original nuts that were on the bike and securely fastening both bolts.
Once the rack is securely bolted up to the motorcycle you will want to look on the inside of the fender and confirm you will have ample tire clearance. A good rule of thumb is if the bolt is flush with the nut you are good to go. If it's passed the nut you might want to add a washer or two to the bolt to make it flush.
Passed the nut, No bueno. Flush with the nut is what you want. This important because last thing you want is to hit a bump, your shocks compress and your side bolt punctures your tire.
*Bonus* If you want to run aftermarket Turn signals there are mounts on the rack to do so.
Thats it! You are good to go travel the world. So get after it you wild and crazy kids!
Bam! It's installed and ready to haul some crazy SH*T!
]]>This rack was designed not only to securely mount any style of board to the side of your motorcycle but also too keep it out of the way of hauling a bag or even a friend on the back seat or sissy bar. By combining the capabilities of riding your motorcycle to the skatepark or favorite street spot just takes both passions in life to the next level.
In this video Tim from Fiorucci Fabrications walks you through how easy it is to install a skateboard carrier rack on our shop 1994 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Tim also walks you through how easy it is to take on off your skateboard from the rack utilizing a bungee cord that is provided with the kit.
This rack will mount on the left side of your motorcycle.
You can run this skateboard rack with your sissy bar, but we suggest removing your turn signals.
Remove to bolts from strut on fender. Save nuts and or stock back plate with welded nuts and reuse with install.
Using supplied hardware in the kit, put blue loctite on both bolts.
Insert bolts into the skateboard carrier rack.
Put bolts into strut mounting holes and used saved nuts or stock backing plate to secure the skateboard rack to the motorcycle.
You want to make sure you have ample side wall clearance to the new bolts. If your bolts are passed the nut and rubbing, add washers to the outside of the bracket to take up space of the new bolts.
After final tightening of the bolts, Tim checks clearance to the sidewalls of the tire.
Your rack will have a rubber triangle bumper that comes in the kit, install this onto the top hole as seen above. This bumper allows the board to rest with out making a ton of noise and your grip tape won't rip up the rack.
With the supplied bungie cord loop the hooks into the side mounts and pull the bungie up, it will kind of look like a bag handle.
Slide your board into the rack, grip tape side in.
Pull the bungie cord over the top and secure to each mounting point on the bottom of the rack.
Adjust the board to desired way it sits.
Now that your skateboard carrier rack is installed you can see it saves you room to put a passenger on the back or even a bag. No more scratching up your seat or having a big wind sail on the back of your bike. You are now read to conquer the skatepark and ride there in style.
Tim showing how you can have a passenger and the skateboard is not in the way.
A perfect place to mount a board and still have a bag or passenger on the back.
1994 Sportster.
Pairs well with the Moto Luggage Racks.
Let's go shred the gnar.
]]>
I started Lowbrow in 2004 in a spare bedroom and one car garage in a Parma, Ohio duplex. My main purpose with starting Lowbrow was to make some money so I could buy motorcycle parts, get tattooed, and travel. I never anticipated what was to come, but here we are.
2024 is a big year for Lowbrow Customs, marking our 20th anniversary.
We aim to celebrate in various ways during this anniversary year, and one way we wanted to build some excitement and give back to our customers is with the Lowbrow Golden Tickets.
There will be 20 tickets made and given out this year. Each ticket holder will get a $1000 Lowbrow gift card, plus, they get to keep the super cool ticket itself.
Golden ticket 01 of 20 just went out in a random order on January 29th, 2024! It has begun...
These 2 pound, sand cast 'tickets' (more like a gold bar) were made for us by the fine folks at Martian Machine. They are cast in 'Nordic Gold', which is a mix of aluminum and copper, and then polished up and stamped with an individual number.
We are putting a Lowbrow Golden Ticket in one random order each month, as well as award some out at various motorcycle events we are at around the world. For your chance to win, just be a Lowbrow supporter, and every order counts as a chance to win!
If you win and want to share a video or post of you and/or your bike with the Lowbrow Golden Ticket, please tag @lowbrowcustoms and #lowbrowgoldenticket so we can share the stoke!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this, and all of you who have been Lowbrow supporters over the years. I know we have some customers who have been with us since the beginning as well. We wouldn't be here doing what we love without all of you. Thank you. And here's to 20 more??
Congrats to Nicholas B. for becoming the first ever Lowbrow Golden Ticket winner. He found Ticket #1 out of 20 in his Lowbrow order he made to help with his Evo Chopper build. Looks like he's got some help on his next couple orders, snagging a $1,000 gift card! Congrats again Nicholas on the big win and we can't wait to see how your bike comes out.
One of our goals at the Mama Tried Show this year in 2024 was to find someone, or a family of moto enthusiasts, to award with a Golden Ticket. Throughout the weekend we met countless people all who were rad and awesome... but when ya know ya know.
John Jr. and his 14 year old son, Calvin, from Finnimore, Wisconsin came up to the booth and asking about chopper parts. *DING John then says we have an inspired chopper builder here as he pointed at his son. *DING a new and young builder. We asked what kind of bike and Calvin said he just got Yamaha XS650 and he wanted to make his own fender for it and make into a chopper.
We asked both John and Calvin if they have ever ordered from us before and they said no. So in that moment we said, "Well, we need to change that!" Here at Lowbrow we are firm believers in helping and teaching the youth about choppers and carrying on the legacy of custom two wheels.
To see a father so stoked to help his son and want to work on building a project together, this Lowbrow Golden Ticket giveaway was a no-brainer. Congrats John Jr. and Calvin on taking home the #02 Lowbrow Golden Ticket!
Golden Ticket #03 is going into a random Lowbrow order... soon!!!
It's Todd's turn to select a winner of a random order and he's doing on Leap Day of a Leap year none the less. Who did he choose for golden ticket #3? Well we can't tell ya, cause that would ruin it for the person who's order is going out the door today! Stay tuned to find out in the coming days!!! And keep putting in those orders because who knows, you might be next to win a Lowbrow Golden Ticket!
And there he is Jessie V. from Allen Park, MI taking home Lowbrow Customs Golden Ticket #3. Todd picked a Triumph hardtail and some Weld-on seat spring bungs at random because you all know Todd, he loves Triumphs. Well Turns out Jessie who ordered these parts, not only was this his first time ordering from Lowbrow Customs but this order was to start a new legacy build to honor his fathers first bike a 1969 bobber.
A super cool story and we are really stoked that Jessie is getting $1,000 Lowbrow Gift Card to help get this build rocking. Congrats again Jessie! Keep your eyes peeled in your next order, who knows you might be the next Lowbrow Golden Ticket winner!
]]>Getting my hands on a Knucklehead always felt like a distant dream. They're rare, and owners usually hang onto them like gold—or if they decide to sell, the prices are through the roof.
1947 Harley-Davidson FL Knucklhead B-side
One Sunday morning, I was chatting with my buddy Rob Hultz and casually mentioned my struggle to find an affordable knuckle project. Maybe he sensed the desperation in my voice, but he mentioned that he had a 1947 FL roller just sitting around.
He's a collector, so I never expected him to offer up one of his projects to me but the stars aligned that following Wednesday when I brought home the core of this bike—a 1947 FL with matching bellies and a '49 Transmission.
It came with OEM 1947 gas tanks that are now proudly hanging on my wall, an offset springer, and a freshly rebuilt Linkert M74B. I swapped out the 16" rear wheel for an 18” that I snagged from Davenport.
Skinny, lean, and mean.
I instantly fell in love with the motor's patina—rust, flaking paint, and all—so I decided to match the tins using a painting technique I found online. My son pitched in, laying down some lines to give it that extra flair.
The original intake ports were shot, and I couldn't get it to run right. So I carefully removed and replaced the plumber-style intake ports with O-ring type. With the PCP Panifold, this bike is now running like a dream.
I raised the oil tank to get rid of the gap under the frame, which meant some fabrication work to extend the inner primary tab. The rear fender brace is salvaged from a hinged fender that I bent around the top of the fender.
The Knucklehead at Mama Tried 2022 Photo by Mikey Revolt
The bike has been in MamaTried 2022, Fuel Cleveland 2022, and a few local shows in Milwaukee and Chicago.
In the field at Fuel Cleveland 2022 - Photo by: Shane Spencer
I've always been fascinated by Kiyo's knuckle featuring those sleek 3.5-gallon tank shift narrow split gas tanks. Initially, I considered seeking assistance from friends who work in fabrication, but I wanted to learn how to TIG weld.
Taking matters into my own hands, I proceeded to cut the tanks. Unfortunately, I overlooked the importance of the bottom clearance curves. To address this, I used one of Pangea's tracing techniques using masking tape and my fingers to outline the cutout shape.
Split tanks
The inner panels were from sheet metal, trimmed with an angle grinder, and refined with a ball-peen hammer to minimize gaps. Eager to master TIG welding, I purchased a welder setup and practiced for 10 minutes before diving in—a decision I later deemed a big mistake. In retrospect, starting with thicker gauge metal would have been wiser, as I spent months chasing pinholes.
close up of the gas tanks
To retain the stock mounts, I strategically spaced the tanks, ensuring accessibility to the backbone brackets. With the raised tanks, I added a mounting point to the country bar for increased stability. I then added a petcock bung to the left tank, centered between the jugs, positioned at the lowest point.
I welded barbs to the bottom/rear of each tank to equalize the fuel. Following a recommendation from my friend Matt Landman, I applied three coats of RedKote to seal the tanks. After drying, I pressure-tested the tanks to confirm pinholes are gone.
The jewel is off a belt buckle
I decided to run a modern ignition coil, I discreetly positioned it behind a late model coil cover, embellishing it with a jewel from a belt buckle gifted by my wife years ago.
I made the shifter and shaped a wheel spacer with an angle grinder, creating a knob with a curve that allows me to hook a finger when shifting.
Words and photos by Ken Carvajal
1947 Knucklehead
General
Owner: Ken Carvajal
Year/Make/Model: 1947 Harley-Davidson FL
Fabrication: Narrowed 3.5 gallon gas tank, Fender Strut, 7/8 handlebars, head and tail light, hand shift lever and knob, mounting brackets, relocated petcock bung.
Build Time: 1 year
Knuckle
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1947 Knucklehead, 74 cubic inch
Carburetor: Linkert M74B / Phares Cycles PSP intake manifold
Exhaust: Gasbox exhaust pipes: Knucklehead upsweep shotgun
Air Cleaner: Linkert Bird Deflector
Repop straight leg knuckle frame
Frame
Year/Type: Repop Straight leg knuckle frame
Rake/Stretch: Stock
Off set springer
Front End
Type / Brand: OEM Style off-set Springer with springer cover plate.
21" front - star hub, drum brake
Wheels
Front Size: 21 inch star hub, Avon Speedmaster tire
Rear Size: 18 inch star hub, Avon tire with 18” moon disks.
can you say patina
Finish/Paint
Paint by: myself - DIY Patina. Pinstriped by my son Aden Carvajal.
Custom leather mud flap
Accessories
Front Fender: None. Custom leather mudflap by Drybrook / Leadfist Cycles
Rear Fender: Throttle Addiction repop K model fender
Gas Tank: Narrowed 3.5 gallon gas tanks and relocated petcock bung - centered between jugs. Pangea petcock with PCP O-ring Panifold by Jason Phares
Handlebars: 7/8’s Stellings style bars by Lovecycles, narrow angled Stellings & Hellings style top clamp by Arie Vee with Abel Brown angled risers.
Grips: Leather wraps
Mirrors: Nope.
Hand Controls: Super Pratic throttle
Foot Controls: Lee style foot clutch by Troels Madsen (Denmark)
Headlight: 4 1/2” swap meet special, modified to fit LED bulb, mounting and toggle switch.
Taillight: Guide bullet light modified to run dual filament LED bulb. Another swap meet item.
Turn Signals: Nope.
License Mount: Hose clamps.
Seat: Rocky solo leather seat.
Charging System: Cycle Electric DGV-5000L
1947 Harley-Davidson
Gasbox upsweep shotgun exhaust
Through the bars
Leather grips
Oem Replica Offset Springer
Rocky solo seat
Detail shot of mud flap
Floorboards
Dogbones
4 1/2" swap meet find on the headlight
Throttle housing
Perfect place to hide a guardian bell
split tanks
Manifold
Rear fender
One lonely taillight
Custom Jokey Shifter
Another look at that coil cover
handlebar setup
In this video, Tyler shares his thoughts on the companies and individuals who copy other's motorcycle parts for the sheer gain of money. Using Kustom Tech controls as a prime example, he shows how two different companies have replicated Alessandro of KustomTech's hand controls design to a T; but that's where the copies end. In all other areas these knockoffs lack in quality and craftsmanship.
At Lowbrow Customs (and before Lowbrow even existed) we have always believed in supporting real artisans and craftsmen. In this video you will also see the comparisons on how close these knockoffs are to the originals, but take note and spot the differences in quality. Also if it doesn't have a K for Kustom Tech labeled on it, it's not the real thing.
Alessandro sent us some photos from his almost 40 year history of customizing and building bikes, in addition to designing and manufacturing parts that can be found on top notch custom motorcycles world-wide.
Alessandro and his 1975 Moto-Guzzi T3 fully customized in 1986.
My first bike, Moto Guzzi T3 year 1975, I bought this bike for little money, but it was in terrible condition, this was my first customization in 1986.
I hadn't yet started my business with motorcycle accessories, at that time after finishing school with a specialization in machine tools, I was working in a mechanical workshop as a turner and milling machine.
Alessandro making custom tank for his 1975 Moto-Guzzi.
You can see a few early custom parts and stylings that represent Kustom Tech style today in this Moto-Guzzi.
After this bike many friends asked me to make accessories for their motorcycles, in Italy there were still no shops or distributors that sold custom motorcycle accessories, and there was still no internet, so it was very difficult to find accessories to customize the motorcycles, after 2 years I participated in a rally in France with a little stand and some products, after this show I started to have many requests especially from Northern Europe, Germany, Holland, Sweden and Norway. So, in January 1988 I started my business and my first company with the name of OMP which means Officina Meccanica Pacelli, in English (Mechanical Workshop Pacelli) Pacelli is my surname.
Some OG OMP catalogs! OPM catalogs, when there was no internet, it was the only way to publicize the products.
In 1995 things were going well and the demand for accessories was always growing, so together with 2 other friends we created a society and we got a bigger factory because the work had become a lot, this company continued until 2002 when our relationships broke down, we had different ideas, and I decided to leave the company and start with a new project called Kustom Tech, OMP continued for about 3 years and then stopped, from 2005 OMP no longer exists, luckily my new project Kustom Tech went well and things are still going well.
I think these are the things that maybe you and other people don't know.
Prime example of Kustom Tech high quality parts and accessories
Kustom Tech set up at a show in Verona, Italy.
Here's Alesandro and a friend in Verona with his ironhead digger.
Mock up stages of the digger before paint. look at al the metal work. An incredible eye for detail.
A really beautiful show bike that shows off Kustom Tech's parts and Alessandor's talents.
Mock up of a build Alessandro calls "Kosmik"
Expect nothing less than beauty and wild design. Look hard at "Kosmik", it has so many details.
Mock up of incredible Triumph called "Peppermint".
Nothing but perfection.
different styles but yet you can tell the designs are from Alessandro.
B side of the red knucklhead chopper
Kustom Tech a intricate touch on design.
Hunter Kelly, founder of Unity MFG runs a small operation out of his backyard garage based in Columbus, Ohio.
He focuses on making high quality specialty tools that help with working on Harley-Davidson motors and transmissions. Hunter also has his finger on the pulse of the motorcycle scene and produces some pretty cool parts like his "TUFF Rotors" with he goal in mind to make everyone feel a little tougher when riding their bike.
Learn how easy it is to adjust your pushrods with Unity MFG's Pushrod Wrench Set for Solid lifters and Hydraulic lifters. Hunter Kelly owner of Unity MFG, walks you through what comes with a wrench set and how to adjust the pushrods on his 1975 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. With this wrench set you will never have to struggle trying to make normal wrenches work again.
In this video Hunter walks you through his manifold intake leak testers for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He makes two versions. A 2 bolt intake leak tester for Shovelheads / Ironheads and a 4 bolt Linkert leak tester for most Knuckleheads / Panheads.
Learn the importance of checking your manifold and have some fun while doing it. These made in Ohio tools will help keep your bike running smooth and far away from running like "DooDoo".
In this video Hunter walks you through his Tuff and Solid Style brake rotors. Learn the differences between these US made 420 Stainless Steel rotors and what benefits they can bring to your ride. From 10" to 11.5" you can put these bad mofo's on the front or rear or your custom chop and look tougher then ever and stop on a dime. Even if you aren't tough, at least your bike can be.
Installing a new 4 speed clutch basket on your Harley-Davidson or are you trying to replace your chain. Well fear not garage dwellers, Hunter from Unity MFG has a killer tool he wants to show you. The Unity Manufacturing 4 Speed Clutch Lock Up Tool for BDL / Pro Clutch and Stock.
While working on his own bike one day, he couldn't find anything to lock up his clutch hub to his basket so that he could remove his transmission main shaft nut. It got him thinking, "Well, If I need this, then other people will to." So he designed a tool that would work for BDL / Pro-Clutch and stock setups. Utilizing his lock up tool with some Lowbrow Customs primary drive block tool this US made stainless steel tool works like a dream.
Ever try torquing down your cylinder bolts or head bolts? Its a real pain in the you know what. Well, Hunter has done it again for everyone. With his Dogbones - Torque Wrench Adapter Set you can torque down your cylinder and head bolts with ease and with precision accuracy.
In this video get a first hand look at his Dogbone torque wrench adapter set that works for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and learn how to use them properly. Another high quality US made product from Unity MFG.
]]>For a motorcycle engine to run you need four key ingredients; compression, spark, fuel and air. If one of those key ingredients are missing from the equation, then you know you have got a problem.
If you have a problem with your stock ignition, a Dynatek 2000i Electronic Ignition System could be a better-than-stock option that will cure what ails you. Featuring single fire operation down to 0 RPM for easier cranking and kicking, the Dyna 2000i offers many benefits (for reliability as well as performance) over a stock ignition.
In this video you will learn how to install a Dynatek 2000i electronic ignition system from start to finish on the Saturday Sportster from Season 1. Now don't get scared, this one is only gonna take 3 wires to install on this bike.
This could vary depending on what you are running on your motorcycle but Dynatek gives you a bunch of wiring diagram scenarios to help guide you along the right path. We know wiring can be intimidating but by the end of this video, we hope you will feel confident in doing this job on your own.
Follow along and learn how to install the proper Dynatek 3 Ohm coil that is recommended for this ignition system. Determine the proper wires to use by looking at the wiring diagram.
Learn how to remove the stock ignition unit and terminals and install the new ignition unit. You will become a shrink wrap, and ring terminal crimping master by the end of this video. Todd also shows you how to static time the bike and where to get all oily by using a timing light. Then he starts it up to show you it all working.
As always, Lowbrow Customs has the parts you need! We also offer up free motorcycle technical support, so you can always reach out to us if you need help getting your bike dialed and back on the road!
]]>
Cold and wet morning run to the Catskills with Endjis and Julie.
Look, we get it: Some folks love riding in the cold, and don’t mind the freezer-burnt hands, numb feet, and rosy cheeks that come with the territory. Personally, we’ll take the sweaty arse, blazing blacktop, and occasional sunburn over cold alternatives anyday, but if you’re gonna ride in the heat, you’ve gotta come prepared. Here’s how to go about that.
Julie full leathers when it's cold. Burrrr
Motorcyclists are constantly exposed to the elements, which means you should approach riding a motorcycle in hot weather the same as any outdoors activity when it comes to hydration.
Jen after a long ride getting some water in her Lowbrow Customs Stay Hydrated water bottle out of her Carrier 2.0
With zero air conditioning to speak of, a hot engine underneath you, and (hopefully) a full suit of protective gear on, you’re going to sweat, no two ways about it. There are a few things you can do to minimize the drip, but the simple fact is that your “swampier” regions are going to cry big salty tears constantly throughout the day.
Stay hydrated people!
Your first line of defense here is to drink plenty of water both before your ride and throughout the day. Drinking water before you ride (aka “pre-hydrating”) is important because if you wait until you’re thirsty to drink, you’ve already lost the battle and will be playing catchup for the rest of the day.
Thats some high quality H20
We recommend guzzling a good 20 oz/600ml or so of water before starting out (about 3ml per pound of bodyweight is a good benchmark here), and continuing to drink at regular intervals throughout the day. Staying hydrated keeps your body’s natural cooling system in good working order, and also prevents the sort of fatigue and exhaustion that can lead to unsafe riding conditions as well.
Kat is the queen of layers. She always wears a T-shirt, wool flannel and a jacket and if she gets too hot, she loses a layer.
This may sound counterintuitive, but wearing layers under your riding gear is just as important in the hot months as it is in the cooler ones. Specifically, you want to wear base layers that are moisture-wicking and fast drying.
Kyles pretty darn good at layering up too.
That means sticking with garments made from either synthetic fibers (like polyester) or natural, non-cotton fibers like merino wool. Wearing wool base layers while riding motorcycles in hot weather may sound like a recipe for heat stroke, but a thin merino wool shirt is arguably the most comfortable thing you can have sitting on your skin. Wool also happens to be naturally odor-resistant, which means you’ll smell less like a gym locker room after a long ride.
Andy rocking an undershirt long sleeve button up and a vest for comfort along with a bandana on his neck to keep the sun off it.
Regardless of which materials you choose, base layers like these pull sweat from your skin and boost your body’s natural ability to regulate temperature through evaporative cooling. As an added bonus, full-length base layers also protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, so anywhere you’re covered by a base layer, you don’t have to worry about applying (and re-applying) sunscreen.
Kickstands up at 8am or Bill will leave your ass.
As anyone who’s ever done yard work in the summer can attest, the sun is at its worst in the afternoon. Specifically, between the hours of 3pm and 5pm. For this reason, it’s best to start your summer rides as close to daybreak as possible.
7am coffee and bike packing.
If you stop and think about it, early starts are a win-win scenario from any angle. Getting out and riding early often means having the best stretches of road to yourself, having plenty of time to stop and enjoy the scenery, and having the perfect excuse to plan for a late lunch when your favorite restaurants aren’t overcrowded. With that being said, we aren’t recommending riding non-stop from sunrise to 3pm either, which brings us to our next point.
Not all riding is physically demanding, but regardless of what you ride (and how you ride it), taking regular breaks is always a smart idea when the temperatures climb. You’ll get a chance to catch your breath and take in your surroundings, but that’s not the only reason why stopping is important when riding a motorcycle in hot weather.
Pro tip: On a super hot day, if the ice chests are open at a gas station, put your helmet in there for a few minutes and or your whole body... "I want to live in here" - Julia
The first and most obvious reason why regular breaks are important is that whole hydration thing we mentioned earlier. Sure, you can always keep a hydration pack within arms reach, but most riders don’t and even if you do, taking your hands off the bars to grab regular sips is inconvenient and even a little sketchy depending on the road.
Ah, the best kind of break, an ice cream break. Kyle knows!
Your second reason for stopping is for snacks. Most of us don’t need an excuse eat as many snacks as possible throughout the day, but when you’re on a pristine 100-mile stretch of road, stopping just feels wrong. As we stated above, riding in the heat is sweaty work, and if you’re sweating, you’re burning calories and shedding electrolytes.
Stopping to “put a little fuel in the tank” helps keep your energy levels up throughout the day, and just like water, helps to prevent exhaustion and fatigue. We recommend sticking with salty snacks like trail mix, as sodium keeps your muscles functioning properly and helps regulate your body’s natural balance of water and minerals.
We’ll put this plainly: Riding in shorts, a t-shirt, and (god forbid) flip-flops is always a bad idea. Look, we get it: Riding in inappropriate clothes for the sake of comfort is tempting, but so is wearing Crocs in public (or anywhere, for that matter), and neither choice is worth the cost.
What not to wear on your motorcycle adventure. Thanks Kyle for modeling.
For this reason, rather than leaving the gear at home, we recommend investing in some good hot-weather gear. Here are the cliff notes on how to go about that.
Flip flops on a motorcycle equal no bueno But hey least they are having fun.
One of the most helpful hot weather motorcycle riding tips we can share is to dress for the occasion: Lucky for all of us, the motorcycle gear market has grown to Triumph Rocket-sized proportions over the last decade or so, and hot weather safety options are as diverse as they are abundant.
When it comes to hot weather helmets, you’ve got two main choices: Full face helmets, and everything else.
Get yourself a comfortable helmet for yourself. Tyler loves the Biltwell Gringo S for the versatile use of flipping the shield up when it gets too hot which allows for maximum air flow but can be flipped down in the rain or on a highway.
In the latter category, you’ll find both half and three-quarter helmets, which, due to their open-face layout, are going to flow more air than pretty much anything else on the market. Three-quarter helmets are arguably the smarter choice between the two as they beef up the safety factor around the back and sides of your head, but remember safety isn’t a strong suit of either choice.
Many riders are willing to swap some coverage for style points, and to each their own on that count, but keep in mind asphalt and your face aren’t going to mix well should things go sideways.
A 3/4 does allow you to wear a hat underneath, well some of them anyway.
Full-face helmets, on the other hand, offer greater protection at the cost of some airflow. For that reason, we recommend shopping for full faced models with as many large vents as possible, both in the front and rear of the helmet. Both intake and exhaust vents are important here, as the intakes pull in cool air from outside and the exhaust vents suck hot air and moisture out from inside the helmet.
Julia rocking a Bell Bullet and Kyle with a Biltwell Gringo. Two polar opposites of helmets in comparison of comfort and noise levels but both full face helmets nonetheless.
Hot weather motorcycle riding tip: Two popular alternatives are modular helmets and dual sport helmets, and both are smart options. Modular helmets are nice because you can flip them up (when stopped) to keep your face from cooking when there’s no air flow.
Dual sport helmets are great for riding motorcycles in hot weather as well because they allow you to wear goggles with an open visor, which dramatically increases air flow into the helmet while also protecting your eyes from sun, wind, and debris.
Pro Tip: Wet down a bandana with cold water and tie it to your head to cool off in the shade. Snake knows best!
Leaving your riding jacket at home can be a tempting proposition in the hotter parts of the year, but again, it’s not worth the risk. Instead, we recommend looking for a breathable mesh jacket that allows for maximum airflow without sacrificing protection.
Tim has a really nice kevlar jacket lined with padding to protect him if something would ever happen and he went down.
One of the best things about mesh motorcycle jackets is that they’re among the least expensive options on the market. Pretty much every major manufacturer nowadays from Klim to Dainese makes a mesh jacket with CE-certified safety chops for under $200, which takes most of the sting out of spending money on a jacket that only works for a few months a year.
A leather jacket does protect from elements, road debris and help protect your body if you were to go down.
Hot weather motorcycle riding tip: Regardless of how much or how little you spend, remember that even the most expensive summer jackets on the market will hurt both your body and wallet less than going to the hospital for skin grafts, and that’s money well spent in our book.
There’s a fair amount of debate out there about whether anyone actually needs riding pants, but if you’re asking us, the same rules that go for jackets apply here: Better safe than sorry. Fortunately, just like summer jackets, mesh motorcycle pants are typically much cheaper than their heavyweight counterparts, and there are plenty of options out there for well under $200.
Waxed canvas pants help with the rain.
A few things to look for when shopping pants for riding motorcycles in hot weather: First, look for options that feature as much mesh/textile as possible without sacrifycing their CE safety certification. Padding and/or armor in the knees and hips is ideal here. Second, look for pants with adjustable vents, preferably on both the front and back of the legs. Just like helmets, dual vents like this help the pants to “breathe” out on the road, giving fresh air an easy entrance and hot air and moisture an easy exit.
Hot weather riding footwear mainly comes in two flavors: Ventilated mesh and perforated leather. Both materials serve the same purpose, (maximizing airflow while preserving abrasion resistance), so it’s up to you (and your pocketbook) to decide which works best.
Tyler 1.0 with some high top boots with venting.
Personally, we’re a fan of riding shoes for general warm weather use, as they combine a lighter and more breathable design with some casual style that works on and off the bike. The best options include impact protection on both sides of the ankles, reinforcements at the heel and toe-box, and soles with rigid shanks to keep your feet from going “full pancake” in the event of a crash.
Lastly, we arrive at riding gloves. You’ll find no surprises here, as ventilation is still the name of the game, but you’ve got a dizzying array of options for summer-friendly gloves. Our main advice here is that whichever mix of materials you choose, make sure your gloves have “the good stuff” where you need it.
Tyler rocking some MotoStuka shanks, these gloves are good all year around.
The main focus here should be on the palms of your hands, which are the most slide-prone area in the event of a crash. Our ideal hot weather gloves use full grain (non-perforated) leather throughout the underside of the glove, and also include additional reinforcements (whether that’s hard sliders or leather-wrapped padding) at the heel of your hand. Additional protection along the knuckles and the ends of your fingers is an added bonus, but again, it’s the underside that does the lion’s share of the work here.
A nice pair of gloves can dampen the shake of the motorcycle, keep your hands clean and also safe if something were to go down.
Hot weather motorcycle riding tip: Hot weather motorcycle gloves are one of the least expensive pieces of gear you’ll buy, and there are dozens of options out there. The cheaper models often use layers of synthetic leather (also called Clarino) along the palms to cut costs, but full grain leather is always preferable.
We recommend dropping an extra $10-$20 on a pair with full leather palms whenever possible, as it beefs up the slide protection without adding a ton of bulky material between your hands and the controls of your bike.
While wearing a full face helmet the face shield will cut down the UV rays, keeping you cooler, and helping avoid sunburn. Tinted shields are available, and the norm, on most helmets. That being said, packing a pair of sunglasses for those hot weather rides can prove very useful.
You may want to double up with sunglasses in addition to your helmet, depending on the level of tint, should you be riding somewhere particularly sunny and bright. Also, at gas stops, while taking breaks during your ride, or while simply enjoying the destination, don’t forget to bring along a pair of sunglasses to keep your eyes protected while not wearing a helmet!
If you follow these tips you will be able to handle riding in hot, sunny weather with ease. Be sure to protect your body, stay hydrated, and take frequent rests (which are good for your body as well as your motorcycle!). A bit of preparation and thought will keep your ride just as it should be… enjoyable!
]]>For the second consecutive year in Courchevel, France the show organizers have tried to better structure the organization around this mountain resort.
This year there was a new builders camp, new live music stage, new choppers place...
And they executed it flawlessly! Sadly, the dreadful weather on Friday & Saturday, with many rainy periods, ruined quite a bit of the party...
Rain never makes for a great motorcycle event but two bike shows still prevailed. One was a Chopper show and the other a Clubstyle that still took place.
The rain also gave a great excuse nonetheless to rock'n'roll, party with friends and talk about motorcycles. It turned out to be a really fun and exciting weekend none the less.
Fortunately for everyone, the sun came back for one of the highlights of the weekend: the Chopper run & Clubstyle run, a ride up the mountain.
Around 70 Choppers / Custom motorcycles rode 35 minutes on winding roads from the resort to the Courchevel Altiport. Once again, it was a beautiful and stunning show.
Punta is a free event with different custom contests during the weekend (Clubstyle, Choppers, baggers, gas tank paint contest) and a few awards such as best bobber, best chicano, best chopper, best paint and more happen.
Punta Bagna has been here for 14 years and the chopper scene has been here since the 60's. The custom culture is still very much alive. It's obvious that the custom culture is constantly reinventing itself, thanks to the new generation of builders and brands launching custom bikes inspired by the 50's, 60's and 70's.
BMW, for instance, had a big stand set up and a contest with their new K18.
Young generation builders specifically came forward for this one, such as Sebastien Grolière for instance who built a beautiful blue & gold shovelhead chopper or Charly M. as well, with a black & purple Ironhead chopper inspired by the 70's.
Many people here know about Vivi, who arranges each year the girl's run. It wasn't an easy one this year with this awful rain, but a small group of ladies enjoyed the mountain's crooked paths in spite of it all. Kudos to them and can't wait to see more and more ladies next year on choppers!
Winner winner!
Rollin on a show winner.
Winner of the master European Builder: DMC Toys 4 Men, from Italia with a incredible Shovelhead. Second place: South-Riders, from France, with a spectacular motorcycle "Purple Run" with chopper, racer, dragster and digger inspirations. Third place: Bike Farm, from Germany, with an Indian "Purple Haze" engine and brand-new technology inside the chopper.
Winner of the amateur Punta open contest, Karim Asghari, with "the Silver surfer" Shovelhead: he won a Harley-Davidson 1000 xls!
Purple Haze
Once again this year, professional and amateur contestants showed a high level of commitment and quality!
Next year The Punta Bagna turns 15 and will be held on the July 5th, 6th and 7th . This event is not one to miss so that’s why it’s time for you all, all over the world to put those dates on your calendars and come to the French Alps to enjoy the party!
-Words & Photos by: Mike Maurice
Best Paint.
Best Chopper
New year, new location, same event! As always, one of the coolest things about Punta Bagna is that all bikes in the show must run, and be ridden up the mountain to the airport at 2,008 meters (6,587') elevation.
12 years after the first edition created by Wild Magazine and ATM in two different French resorts (Valfrejus and Valloire), Punta Bagna has a new location at the heart of The French Alps: Courchevel.
One of the most iconic French mountain resort, famous for its ski frenzy, it's big mountain biking tracks, and known to be quite trendy.
But for this first weekend of July, it's not Gucci, Dior, cocktails and spas that take the spotlight but Choppers, Clubstyle, Mountain & Rock'n'Roll !
Since the early stages of the festival, the Punta Bagna has perpetually reinvented itself to now propose a European Clubstyle area and more and more partners with big brands such as Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycles and BMW.
Along with the exhibitors and artists who are located all over main street, there are 3 bike shows : Master Builder Chopper (for professionals), Open Bike Show and Clubstyle.
Each participant must display the fact that it's a bike that is fully operational. No fake bikes are allowed there! And each bike must register to ride from Courchevel resort to the Courchevel Altiport.
The judges (W&W cycles, CustomChrome, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Zebuth Garage...) then give them marks with the ultimate measuring stick: The Mountain Run!
After a few hours of sleep, on Saturday morning, everyone wakes up with a beautiful sunrise that says everything. "It's going to be a perfect day for the Mountain Runs!
First in line: Choppers. Imagine, at least 45 show bikes, from the Knuckleheads to the Evo engines, riding on winding roads and crooked paths, trying to reach the Altiport culminating at a height of over 2,000 meters. What a show!
And the payoff when one eventually reaches the altiport: an incredible view, surrounded by mountains. Fun fact, The Courchevel airport has one of the shortest runway in the world, with a gradient of 18,6%.
Big thanks to the Punta Crew for this experience! Every Builder had smiles on their faces and their smartphones in hand to capture those unforgivable memories.
At the end, every bike managed to reach the top and were eligible for the award ceremony on the following day.
Same thing for the Clubstyle with one extra rule, which was probably hard for some riders to commit, but no burn outs and no wheelings were allowed during the Run.
Last but not least, it was time for the Girl’s run. For many years, Vivi has organized a funky ride only open to ladies which seems to be getting more and more female riders participating over the years.
At the end of the day, it is time to party, live music, food, drinks with friends and builders/artists surrounding you. It's pretty much impossible not to have a good time!
On Sunday, everybody loads their sissy bars to go back home, ready to leave the Punta Bagna right after the Awards ceremony.
The best in show for the Open Bike Show went to the Belgian Steve Drieghe with his red knucklehead digger. He won an S&S engine by W&W cycles!
Best in show for the European Master Builders went to Stephan Grand of T4 Motorcycles with the "SG5". An incredible Panhead with a lot of details and home made parts.
He won some little gifts, just as all others final builders, but also a 1968 Ironhead Chopper Survivor imported from the USA. Congrats to all the builders!
This year we saw the first European Club style contest. It was something new and more popular with the new generation which. It was really cool to see so many Dyna, FXR and custom Sportsters that came out.
After such a presentation, you can only check the pictures, book a trip to France and prepare your bike to come to the party next year !
Remember, it's a free event, encompassed by huge mountains, with friendly people from all over Europe. Hope to see you at the next one!
-Words & Photos by: Mike Maurice
Head to the Pittsburgh area on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 for the Glory Daze motorcycle show put on by Pittsburgh Moto! Entry is $10 per person, and the show is Noon until 7pm. You can pre-buy your wristband and get all the nitty gritty details at the Glory Daze official website.
Glory Daze is a creative explosion of motorcycles and good vibes that takes place at a national historic landmark in Pittsburgh. The annual show features a curated invitational exhibit with artistically crafted vintage and custom bikes from builders both local and throughout North America. Embrace your passion for two wheels, and join us for this one-of-a-kind party in the Steel City!
Mikey went off to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania back in September 2019 to meet up with Kurt and Alexa Diserio of Pittsburgh Moto Magazine and check out the very first Glory Daze Custom & Vintage Motorcycle Show.
He also brought his '77 FXE Shovelhead Chopper and Kyle's '67 Triumph land speed record setting bike with him. In this video, Mikey gets the lowdown from Kurt why they created the show and what it's all about for them.
There were over 100 motorcycles in the historic Carrie Blast Furnace Building and each had their own and beautiful story to tell as well.
So sit back and relax and take a quick look at the first Glory Daze show, which has become an annual most-go show for Midwesterners.
Check out the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. Click here to subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel and stay in the know!
Mikey's Sportster Chopper at Glory Daze in 2022.
I’ve always wanted to build a chopper by myself, not a show bike, but a motorcycle I could ride. I've always been fascinated by the culture and music of the west coast 60s, but when I started thinking about my project I realized the bike had also to be rational and smart. And these feelings belong to Japan.
So I followed the path of simplicity, without exceeding trying to walk between psychedelia and efficiency. But being Italian, I couldn't resist and had to contaminate the recipe: I grew up in Venice where glass is a timeless art.
I thought that somehow this bike should have a bit of my personal history and I managed to create some details with a very special glass effect. Plus my old dad’s bicycle controls.
Photos by: @flashblesst
1997 XL Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster
General
Owner: Alex Pi
Year/Make/Model: XL 1200s 1997
Fabrication: Harley Davidson
Build Time: 600 Hours / 2 years
b-side - You could eat of this motor.
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1200cc heavily tuned - 116 BHP
Carburetor: Mikuni HSR 42
Exhaust: Handmade pipes
Air Cleaner: Handmade velocity stack from solid epoxy (glass effect)
Custom full frame.
Frame
Year/Type: handmade 2021
Rake/Stretch: 32 degrees rake
2 over front end with shaved lowers.
Front End
Type / Brand: HD sportster standard 1999 +2”
21" front wheel.
Yamaha XS650 drum brake done beautifully.
16" rear wheel.
Wheels
Front Size: 21”
Rear Size: 16”
Those flames doh.
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Alex Pi
Plating/Polishing: full hand polishing and chrome
Powdercoating: n/a
Accessories
Front Fender: none
Rear Fender: handmade
Gas Tank: handmade
Handlebars: Pangea Speed
Grips: Three Miles
Mirrors: Lowbrows
Hand Controls: Ripper Custom
Foot Controls: STD
Headlight: Electroline 54 original
Taillight: Ford Glide
Turn Signals: none
License Mount: custom
Seat: handmade
Pangea Rabbit Ear Handlebars and Lowbrow Customs Mirror.
Custom & Special Details or Accessories:
Vintage Italian bicycle controls to pull air choke and starting motor.
Sandblasted flames on fuel tank under chrome.
Epoxy velocity stack and its mounting both handmade.
Yamaha 1969 XS 650 Front drum brake.
Full aluminum polishing.
Custom Velocity stack and points cover.
Extremely clean Sportster Chopper.
Another angle of that custom velocity stack.
"I think everybody should like everybody" - Andy Warhol
Custom gas cap matches the points and velocity stack.
Pingle Petcock keeping that high flow.
Really neat custom shifter knob.
Moons primary cover.
Sissybar to the sky!
Electroline headlight.
Open plug wires for that classy but shocky vibe.
Gas tank has a killer shape.
B-side looking just as good as the A-side.
Shiny oil tank!
Got Gas?
Choke on, ignition on, lets ride.
stylin...
1997 Sporty Chop.
Our buddy Tim Statt @Gigastatt has organized his 3rd annual Offroad Sportster Ride, this time called The Happy Valley Rally, and slated for June 7th - 9th, 2024.
You can also visit the official Happy Valley Rally 2024 event page here over at ChopShit!
[nerdy-form:1181]
This link is for the BDR-X website. You can view the route on an interactive map, download the GPS route, Learn how to upload the maps to your GPS, they have a packing list, and frequently asked questions page. As of now there is not a Butler Paper Map available for the BDR-X.
We will be staying at the Penn Wells LODGE ( 4 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 60901 ) the night of June 6th. Last year we stayed at the Penn Wells Hotel, the same owners have a lodge down the street that features a POOL!
There is a bar across the street and a steakhouse too that we both visited last year and both were great. The group ride will officially leave the hotel at exactly 9:00am on June 7th. If you have never ridden with Tim Statt, 9:00am means 9:00am. Feel free to make a reservation at the hotel or one close by!
This year we are going to run the Backcountry Discovery Routes X - Pennsylvania Wilds, again! The neat thing about this BDR in particular is that it is a loop, so the start will also be the finish. This will make it very easy for riders to drive a truck in and leave it at the start if that is what they choose to do.
The route runs mostly on dirt and gravel roads through Pennsylvania State Forests with short stretches of pavement at the start, in between the forests, and at the end of each section. We had such a blast on this route last year and we cant wait to do it again!
Anyone with an Evolution, Ironhead, or RevMax Sportster! BUT, be warned, you and your friends as riders are ultimately on your own. Hotels are listed out where each stop will be every night but outside of that, there is no additional support or chase vehicles.
If you get separated from the main group they will not be waiting up ahead, make sure you come equipped with maps or non cell service navigation to get back on course. If other riders choose to stop and help you that is on them, but don’t rely on that or get mad if someone passes by without stopping. Make sure your bike is dialed in, bring extra parts, bring tools, don’t be negligent.
Most of the riding will be remote and away from civilization so make sure you pack food and supplies with the expectation of hitting one or zero gas stations throughout the day. The terrain on the last trip was relatively easy to navigate but riding 500lb motorcycle all day long for days on end will wear you out. We learned a lot during previous trips and it's better to be over prepared.
If you are ready to be resourceful and endure some hardships, weather, breakdowns, or anything else that can arise on a trip like this, we welcome you to come. If that sounds like a lot to deal with, this trip may not be for you. Make friends, make groups, make sub groups with people who share your riding style, get the most out of this trip that you can!
This event is for Evolution and Ironhead Sportsters only. Buell Motorcycles are not allowed on the trip. It's not an elitist thing, we like Buell and other ADV bikes, but for the parameters of this trip your bike has to be a steel frame Sportster. It's a fun platform to build a bike off of and we want to see how many different ways riders will convert their bike into an offroad machine.
There will be everything from bone stock Sportsters with dirt tires to fully decked out race machines, and everything in between. You do not need to throw a bunch of money at your bike, in fact we would rather you spend that money on maintenance items, charging systems, ignitions, batteries, to make sure your bike is as reliable as possible. Make racks to carry all of your gear, bring spare parts, tubes, and tools.
Memorial Day Weekend in the United States is a time for reflection but also a time for families and friends to get together for cookouts, open up pools, and spend quality time outside on one of the first warm holiday weekends of the year.
Back in the winter of 2021 Tim @Gigastatt had his own idea for a Memorial Day Weekend that involved much more adventure and much less relaxation when he first invited 10 friends to try and tackle the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR) on homegrown Evolution Sportster “Dirtbikes”!
Who says you can't make a Sportster into a dirtbike?
There are currently 14 Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDRs) and we learned a ton on our first stab at trying to conquer the MABDR in 2022. Later that same year the BDR-X Pennsylvania Wilds route was released which features a loop through some of the most scenic parts of the state!
Tim quickly decided that this new route would be the best possible fit for our trip and allow even more people to get in on the fun without having to travel great distances from the start to the finish and then all the way back home.
Getting the bugs out before the start of the trip.
On Thursday, May 25th I pulled into the postcard perfect small town of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania and grabbed a room for Rob @Thecrazygentlemen , Brandon @Badfishkustoms, and myself at the historic Penn Wells Hotel & Lodge.
This was our designated meetup spot and where we would be leaving from at 9:00am on Saturday morning. Throughout the course of the day more and more parking spots were getting filled with Harley Davidson Sportsters and no two bikes looked even remotely alike!
Tim's Sportster rocking a Lowbrow Hooligan Exhaust and Skid Plate.
Tim’s Sportster is all business, featuring one of his own Corsair inverted front ends, Biltwell seat recovered and double foamed by Counterbalance Cycles, RWD rear shocks, and of course a few goodies from Lowbrow Customs like a Supermeg 2-1 Hooligan exhaust, Lowbrow Customs Sportster skid plate and Biltwell EXFIL-18 saddlebags.
Jeff @Elhefe68 from the SCVM crew ran a 79 ironhead with a full CRF-250/450 front end, Rob ran a full plastic dirtbike tank, we saw custom fixed fairings, sissy bars, one guy even showed up with rigid struts and rode like a champ! For the 2022 trip I went with a YZ250F front end and 14” Progressive rear shocks and all of that ground clearance proved to be major overkill for the terrain we were traveling.
This year I did a 180° spin and loosely stylized a bone stock 1994 XL1200 into a 60’s era XLCH. Pull off the perfectly functioning 39mm front end in favor of a 35mm? Sounds like a GREAT idea - not! Running a buddy seat actually did wonders for my ass all weekend but running stock 2 piece bars in cast riders (that I was too lazy to weld in for safety) had an extra few beads of sweat rolling down my forehead when the going got tough.
Lowbrow Customs provided us all with Fuel Reserve Bottles and holders which relieved us all from the stress of running out of gas especially when the gas stations got fewer and farther between.
Everyone who registered for the trip got some Lowbrow Swag for participating.
All smiles and ready for some miles.
We loaded up at the complimentary continental breakfast and with a bit of a late start it was time to finally get the show on the road. We had 18 riders cross the starting line with about half of those being new faces eager to put their creations to the test!
There are still plenty of gravel roads still in America
We were very lucky again this year weather-wise especially after the 90°+ heatwave in ‘22. Clear skies and temps hovered around 80° but the region hasn't seen rain in a while, meaning it was dusty. Very dusty. The fast group made quick work of the gravel trails rolling on average around 40+ mph bringing visibility at the back of the pack down to mere feet if you didn’t space yourself out far enough.
A few minor low sides happened on the trails before the dust officially claimed its first victim! Tim found himself on top of his Sportster as it slid over 60ft down the mountainside, eventually digging in deep enough to come to a halt!
Remarkably he wasn't injured and was able to get back up the mountain under his own power. It took 7 riders on top of the trail and 5 more down below to pull the bike back up to the road with a heavy duty tow strap! Very thankful someone decided that was a must-have in their pack!
OPE!
Thank god for the tow strap.
Tim and the bike unscathed from the mountain fall.
Half of our group, including myself, called the day short around 4pm and made the 2 hour trip straight to the hotel. The remaining riders took back off into the woods and planned on doing another 2 hours before calling it for the day.
The gravel-ridden trail took a few more small bites out of their group before a deep narrow rut at the very end of a trail sent Dave R into the ground shattering his collarbone, at the very least. It takes a crisis like this for the illusion of safety to dissipate only to be replaced by the clear and present danger of what we’re actually up against, even just a few hours outside of the nearest city.
While we were out on the trail, we almost never had cell service. I had great results using the GAIA GPS app on my phone with uploaded BDR-X GPS tracks but that was of little use outside of providing our location when it was time to call an ambulance.
Rob hit the road and was able to get cell reception outside of the woods and made the call to 911, luckily the paramedics arrived before sunset because that would have added quite a layer of complexity on top of the injury, as we would have had to figure out what to do with Dave’s motorcycle that's now very far away from the hotel, and even further from home. The woods crew did great and got the situation under control, then made moves and got back to the hotel for a much needed night's rest.
Day 2 prep.
Day 2 was much less eventful in terms of crashing and accidents, I believe that everyone decided for themselves that playing it safe on the trail wouldn't take away any of the fun from the journey we were on. If you ever needed a reminder you could simply look over your right shoulder and see the drop off in between you and the forest floor 50 feet below!
While the terrain itself was decently easy to navigate, the real battle was stamina. The new breed of Hooligan racers make offroading look easy but when it's time for average riders like myself to start throwing around a 500lb motorcycle and gear all day long in the woods, it takes a toll on ya! We powered on through and saw plenty of the amazing scenery that the Pennsylvania Wilds have to offer before stopping for food and gas, then decided to set our sights on State College, PA.
The crew took it easy through the endlessly winding roads, single car bridges, and new beautiful scenery as we made the trek south. A burst of energy and excitement came after cresting a hill and having a picturesque view of the massive Beaver Stadium. Needless to say the group's pace started to pick up as we rolled into town!
Rob having a wheelie good time.
The people of State College were sharply dressed in shorts and short sleeves while our oil-leaking motorcycles and dirt-covered riders wearing overalls and jackets took over the sidewalks of downtown, it was quite a sight to see!
The hotel we stayed in was equally as posh and we couldn't stop laughing at making the hotel guests stand shoulder to shoulder with our dirty, sweaty, vulgar friends! State College provided a night on the town that none of us will forget and the downtime made it possible for us to solidify those new friendships we made on the trails and really enjoy the adventure we had thus far.
This stop, in my opinion, changed the trajectory of this trip and future trips to have those nights of teambuilding and fun. We all signed onto the Sportster Summer trip as a challenge, especially in 2022, but this year we left with a different perspective and philosophy of what this trip is and means to us, and how to improve upon it in the years to come!
I joked with the group that the theme of this recap would be “Hardships make the best Friendships” but it wasn't much of a joke at all, that was the reality of the journey and I find myself very fortunate to have played a part in the fun!
Rocking and rollin!
The official trip came to an end and we all said our goodbyes, but sometimes bad ideas get the better of us… How about a litttttle bit more adventure before we head back home?
One last jaunt through the woods, a couple glamor shots, maybe a few wheelies for flavor, what could go wrong? Apparently a lot! Roughly 30 miles outside of town in the middle of the woods we found a scenic tree-lined trail that would be great for a few drifts, wheelies, and otherwise.
We had a few close calls and then @bungo_industries looped out a full 12:00 wheelie and launched straight into J Kenney’s (@Jkenney319) sportster! Brandon, Rob, and I told the boys to take 5 and we dropped our tool bags and got straight to work fixing both bikes. Throttles, levers, missing pegs, a bent front wheel, and smoked forks were all menu items and we did the best we could to straighten everything out with haste.
Kody ate the fall like a champ, saddled back up and rode his bike 2.5 hours back to the starting line with us, if his front wheel sat in the 12:00 position his bars were a quarter past 2 for sure, I have no idea how he went the speed and distance with such a jacked bike! Couldn't have had a more rowdy end to an already wild adventure.
Tim and some of the bois.
On behalf of Tim Statt and myself, thank you to all of the riders for building their bikes and getting involved with this year's Sportster Summer trip. We look forward to seeing you on our 2024 trip to experience the elements that make traveling on motorcycles so great!!
Words & Photos by: Rick, Chicken Fried Choppers
Sky high, lets ride.
riders came from far and wide to ride this wild run.
Some last minute maintenance.
Sportster Summer coming into full effect.
Classy on all cylinders.
She didn't stay clean for long.
And they are off.
Water break.
Somethings up.
Cedar mount rd.
Sportster hangs.
What lyes behind us.
Gassed up.
Them overalls are whats up.
Pack like you may need it.
Trade ya.
Till next year. SEEEEE YA!
Get all the details on The Sportster Summer run below, and if you are planning on coming be sure to register below to help the organizer's keep tabs on how many people are rolling to PA to rip it up!
To check out a couple of really cool off road Sportsters (including Sportster Summer originator Tim Statt's bike he built for last year's run) check off the Off Road Sportsters: Garage-Built Harley Sportster Adventure Bikes.
Another tip, tires make all the difference, a set of Bates Baja tires would be a solid choice for this run.
Click here for all the info on the Sportster Summer run, and check out @gigastatt on Instagram for the most up-to-the-minute news and updates.
Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-29th 2023. We will be staying at the Penn Wells Historic Hotel ( 62 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 60901 ) the night of May 25th. The group ride will officially leave the hotel at exactly 9:00am on May 26th.
This year we will be doing the Backcountry Discovery Routes X - Pennsylvania Wilds! The neat thing about this BDR in particular is that it is a loop, so the start will also be the finish. This will make it very easy for riders to drive a truck in and leave it at the start if that is what they choose to do. The route runs mostly on dirt and gravel roads through Pennsylvania State Forests with short stretches of pavement at the start, in between the forests, and at the end of each section.
We learned a lot on last year's trip and it's better to be over prepared than under prepared. If you are ready to be resourceful and endure some hardships, weather, breakdowns, or anything else that can arise on a trip like this, we welcome you to come.
If that sounds like a lot to deal with, this trip may not be for you. Make friends, make groups, make sub groups with people who share your riding style, get the most out of this trip that you can!
Over the last century, many motorcyclists have ridden to and across Death Valley each year. Death Valley is an unforgiving place with temperatures reaching well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the scorching summer day.
Yet, it still attracts visitors from around the world for its beauty and the feeling of the vast isolation where elevation dips under sea level.
100 plus choppers show up to a bar on the way to Death Valley
Troy Critchlow was one of whom were attracted to this landscape among many others. Troy decided to take few of his friends into Death valley on rigid choppers over a decade ago to show his friends why he was so attracted to this desolate corner of earth.
Since Troy's first Death Valley Run (DVR), it grew year after year in numbers of choppers from a small group of few good friends to where you meet like minded people.
Unfortunately Troy passed on few years back, but the tradition continued. Every year, the route slightly changes and so does the faces.
Groups meeting up before taking off towards the desert.
The ride itself becomes a test for your chopper in the boiling heat, arduous climes, and limited resources. Tools, parts, roadside repairs, helping hands and sharing knowledge are all part of this run like any other runs.
I personally like the runs rather than shows or events where you park your bikes and talk about them. I like to see them run, hear, and even experience the troubles. Through these runs I've made many friends although I may see them only once a year or fewer, I do remember them more.
Thats a lot of oil in them cups!
Riding in the blazing sun!
With 360 degree views of absolute isolation to night sky full of stars, shadows appear from the full moon that lights up the desert like daylight. A shower of shooting stars rain on us not allowing any sleep. Before you know it the sun comes back up.
The road extends as far as you can see like a ribbon laid down on earth. The sky and the mountains bears a hue that you will not see anywhere else, while the deafening silence pierces your senses. Every year leaves a mark in your memory.
Ryan Grossman's Harley Panhead just before nightfall at camp.
Photographing here in Death Valley, though it sounds very cliche, there is something really special about it. The said scenic advantage, plus there is always something going on or about to happen.
Most of the time I am not quick enough to capture the good stuff but here are my late-to-scene images. I am hoping you can feel the dry breeze in Death Valley from my images and inspire you to roam to where you have never ridden.
Spring is here. Change your oil, grease your wheels, get your ride going. I recommend getting together with your friends or alone and hit the road to see this absolutely beautiful country. There is so much to see out there.
Film Photography & Words by Ken Nagahara
In Wichita, Kansas there are Martians living in plain sight. Well, not real Martians because they are from this planet, but their last name is Marr and they have a custom motorcycle parts company called Martian Machine Co... so close enough.
Tyler, Amity and Timmy Marr take pride in being different and try to think up wild and fun parts to keep choppers and motorcycles interesting and fun. Each Marr has their own unique skill set that they bring to the table making for a real team effort. Which has led to them creating an incredible small business with high quality products that everyone is falling in love with.
In this video Tyler and Timmy take us on an MTV Cribs type tour of their shop. We sit down with the three and learn more about how Martian Machine came to be, where the name comes from, where the business is going, and the most important thing everyone is dying to know about those penis pegs.
Tyler also walks us through the sand casting process and we get to see how Timmy TIG welds a fresh set of their rabbit ear handlebars.
This full feature video is filled with humor, fun and a bit of inspiration on starting your own business. So, come crush some beers with Martian Machine Co. in this in depth look into their business and lives.
Sportster project for a customer and R&D work / storage.
Timmy stoked o the bars, get wind from a leaf blower, riding in the wind.
"They say not to put your finger in anything you wouldn't put your dick in, but we put our dicks in a lot of saws around here." - Tyler
The Ironhorse trailer.
"ever see a Chevy with the buttafly doors" - Timmy
Explaining the female soft jaws they had to sand cast to help machine their infamous penis pegs.
1200 degrees molten aluminum going into a sand casting pattern box.
Seriously that shits hot.
Welcome to the chop shop!
A 1200 blacked out Sportster that had some familiarities to my chopper I had just finished. I asked Cory who's it was and he said, "That's Josh's, let's go check it out!" He points out the open primary, which you don't ever see on a Sportster.
Josh's bike in the Parts And Labor show.
My eyes then wondered to the rear, and immediately noticed it was a 19" front wheel converted to a rear. I noticed the tight little mid controls, the stance, the handlebars, the brake, the foot controls, and holy shit, the brake! I just got super excited.
At that point I knew we had to roll it outside and get some better photos of this beast so we could share them with all of you!
With rain in the SoCal forecast all day long, the weather was dewy, and a misty type rain. I felt right at home. It's not really rain but more of a cool crisp condensation build up all around you which made for some really interesting shots of Josh's bike.
Josh shared with me the story behind the build and all of the ideas that translated into it, but rather you guys hear what I had to say, I thought it best come straight from the source. So here's Josh with the story of "The Bwack Widow".
-Mikey Revolt
19" front, 19" rear, 6 over tubes, custom exhaust, and so much more.
As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to build a Sporty Chopper. Sleek, slim, and sketchy little rippers are just so much fun and visually pleasing to no end, so when our shop (TrackerDie Motorcycles) took a crusty 90’s Paughco frame in on trade, I jumped at the chance to make my girl-bike fantasy a reality.
I first approached my wife with classic “Listen, I can get this thing up and running for about $3k, have some fun with it, and one day waaaay down the line we can tear it down and do a full build on it.”
That lean though!
“Up and running” came and went, while the project rocketed straight to full build. I originally had plans for a high and tight, chrome-to-the-max 23”/18” spoke setup with a ton of flash, but I had trouble finding a front hoop that got my tail wagging, and with an impending crank-up motor build (that would end up fully blacked out) on the horizon, the decision was made to push for a leather-clad Judas Priest bad boy “performance” sporty chop.
Influence was taken from my home base, and a TrackerDie 19”/19” front to rear mag conversion was utilized on a couple of Timken 9-spoke mags, mated with tracker tread pattern rubber for a little hint of Mad Max aesthetic.
An 8” over front end by way of +6” tubes and TrackerDie extended dampers, paired with a set of cleaned up legs (cuz if you’re gonna go to the dance, you gotta shave ‘em, ladies), and she finally had that gangster-lean stance I had been longing for since I first laid eyes on her.
She's just one long ripper!
The powerplant was torn down to the cases and Mikey at Kings Cycle went to work on the high compression rock solid 1200 crank-up build that left no stone unturned when it came to new components. The decision to keep the stock engine size was made with “practicality” in mind; I wanted to enjoy the ride, and not just survive it stuck on the side of the road.
With a Supertorque starter, Antigravity battery, and a manual compression release, the motor was set to fire up every time without hesitation. A full powdercoat job had the engine looking so nice, surely something could be done to spruce up the “B” side. Enter Evolution Industries.
Killer Evolutions 2" open primary concept with ridges for your foot on the top.
I ran across Evolution’s 2” open primary and was immediately smitten. I couldn’t shut up about how rad it would be on the build. The guys at TrackerDie took notice and surprised me with a package, it was a little out of reach for my bike budget, but the team consensus was that it belonged on the bike, and I personally think they just wanted me to stop talking about it already.
Things were really starting to come together!
Lowbrow Customs Frisco Sportster tank, Manta Ray Fender. She's got the goods.
When it came to sheet metal, lean and mean was the only way to go for me. A Lowbrow Customs Super Narrow Frisco style 1.6 gallon gas tank and a 4 3/4" Manta Ray rear fender were sourced and fit the bill perfectly, complimenting the attitude of the bike.
Steve at TrackerDie got moving on a Bung King “build your own” oil bag kit to line up a filler neck with the one-off cutout in the frame that was there from the bikes original build from who knows how long ago, and I’m so happy we decided to keep it.
I first spoke to friend of the shop Andrew “Bondo” Babish about the project and mentioned I wanted to go with a classic Harley Vivid Black, but wanted it to look like it was ten miles deep. He told me he had just the trick and proceeded to bury the black base coat with a series of black tinted clear coats to achieve the abyss of a paint job that feels like looking into the eyes of a stone cold killer.
Vivid Black paint with a side of misty rain.
Just a taste of Harley’s Twisted Cherry with the same tinted clear was applied to the underside of the tank and fender, providing a subtle surprise of color to anyone taking the time to appreciate the meticulous details, while the casual glance would surely overlook this.
Yeah, that's the foot set up and brake. WHA the!?
Now comes the time to start cramming all this awesome into a very tiny package (that’s what she said). Anyone can see fitting all these components was going to take some serious finesse. Cory at TrackerDie took the reigns on 3D printing a one-off ignition switch mount and brackets to hide the taillight wiring as well as laser cutting and engraving the pentagram points cover.
From tucking a license plate frame into the open primary standoff posts, frenching the Gasbox battery box into the seatpost tube, all the way to an unorthodox Thrashin Supply Co. bagger brake pedal that became a mini floorboard, it truly took a village of brainstorming to pull this entire thing together in a cohesive way.
More ARP bolts than I ever knew existed (and some that didn’t) alongside carefully placed AN oil lines and fittings, as well as some chrome punk spikes and way too many “finishing touches” are all overboard. These details were executed in a seamless way that seemed hidden in plain sight, the bike feels almost too simple to have as many easter eggs as it does.
California sun is right around the corner this beast.
I’m looking forward to making my rounds this season, enjoying the ride and getting into some back roads with a big silly grin on my face, this bike gives me the same feeling I had the very first time I threw a leg over a Harley.
She gets tons of attention (that I wasn’t really looking for, but I’m also very happy to see others enjoy it), so stop and say hi if you see me at the shows this year!
A TrackerDie Exclusive.
This is my first chopper, and I can hardly take credit for it outside of ownership and vision (which I share with my team). This entire project was headed up by Steve at TrackerDie Motorcycles, without whom none of this would be possible.
Countless friends and family talking me off the ledge, providing insight and rationale, keeping me on track (or leading me way out in the woods to help me put a bad idea to rest).
Thank you to my Team at TrackerDie (Steve, Cory, Jermaine, Jose) even Ben “The Nerd”, and everyone that took interest, you guys kept the project going. Big thanks to Mikey for the awesome photos and everyone at Lowbrow for giving the bike a chance to be seen, I’m super proud of her!
- Josh Boehling
Photos by Mikey Revolt
Take it all in, she's a real thing of beauty.
General
Owner: Josh Boehling
Year/Make/Model: 1999 XL1200S “The Bwack Widow”
Fabrication: Steve Blalock (TrackerDie Motorcycles)
Build Time: 2 Years (off & on)
From clapped out and wack, to hold my beer this thing will rip your face off in a hurry.
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1999 XL 1200 High Compression (Crank-Up Build by Mikey @ Kings Cycle) Feuling 505/515 Cams, Evolution Industries 2” Open Belt Drive
Carburetor: Mikuni HSR 42
Exhaust: Custom-bend Polished Stainless 2>1 with modified 90’s BUB cap
Air Cleaner: S&S Stealth Paughco frame with the windowed neck.
Frame
Year/Type: 90’s Paughco Rigid
Rake/Stretch: 35 Degree rake
6" over tubes with TrackerDie's extended fork tube dampers making it 8" over.
Front End
Type / Brand: HD Shaved legs, +6” tubes (+8 with TrackerDie Extended Dampers) Race Tech Springs w/ gold valve emulators, Lowbrow Customs Fork Caps/Stem Bolt
On the front a 19" Stock HD 9 spoke mag wheel with a 19" Dunlop K180F tire.
On the rear a 19" stock HD 9 spoke mag wheel with 19" Shinko SR267 Tire.
Wheels
Front Size: 19” Harley-Davidson 9 Spoke Mag Wheel - 19" Dunlop K180F tire.
Rear Size: 19” Harley-Davidson 9 Spoke Mag Wheel (with TrackerDie 19” Front to Rear Mag Wheel Conversion) - 19" Shinko SR267 tire.
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Bondo (HD Vivid Black/ Twisted Cherry & Smoked Clear under tank & rear fender
Plating/Polishing: New Year Metal Finishing
Powdercoating: 8Zero Powdercoating
Some custom bars with internal throttle, 1 finger short throw clutch and Vans / Cult ODI Grips
Accessories
Front Fender: Nada
Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray
Gas Tank: Lowbrow Customs Frisco Mount Super Narrow 1.6 Gal
Handlebars: Custom built with LA County Choprods Internal Throttle
Grips: ODI x Vans Cult 1" Black
Mirrors: What are those?
Hand Controls: Modified 1Fngr Short Throw Clutch Lever
Foot Controls: Custom Machined “Stomp Pad” on Open Primary Guard/ High and Tight Custom Right Side Mini Floorboard with Mini Brake Pedal
Headlight: Standard Top Mount with Trackerdie Barebones Headlight Mount (Custom Bend for Rake)
Taillight: Prism Supply Co. Box Chopper Taillight (Anodized Black)
Turn Signals: Nope!
License Mount: Prism Supply Co. mounted to Open Primary
Single Seat: 90’s Scorpion Solo
Just the perfect solo ripper.
Doom and gloom in Delmar made for some really nice lighting.
S&S Stealth air cleaner on a Mikuni carb, yeah she's dialed.
Standard top mount headlight utilizing the TrackerDie Headlight mount.
Prism Supply tail light customized black.
Custom rounded off oil tank with filler under the seat.
Another look at that crazy foot control brake setup.
Stainless custom blend 2 into 1 exhaust.
TrackerDie Chain conversion rear sprocket.
Custom fork stabalizer.
tight fit with the oil tank, anti gravity batter and license plate.
Through the bars.
Earl's petcock
90's scorpion seat.
Stance check, yup still killa.
B-side never looked so good.
Criss cross will make ya Jump Jump.
Curly q's with Lowbrow 16 gauge wire.
One spike for the punks.
Another look at the TrackerDie Headlight mount and Lowbrow Customs fork and stem caps.
Race shit.
Bwack Widow, peace out!
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A MOTORCYCLE IS OFTENTIMES A REPRESENTATION OF ITS BUILDER.
While it might look simple from one perspective, this 1968 Triumph T-120 Bonneville has a uniqueness far beyond its straightforward appearance. Originally a barn find, the bike began its transformation with the goal of becoming a salt flat racer until the pandemic altered those plans and shifted the direction to what you see here.
The builder, Jessika Janene, also went through quite a change during this time period, beginning a transgender journey that would completely reshape her life in many ways. This experience had its share of twists and turns, but her love for custom bikes remained. Jessika was kind enough to share the story behind this recent Triumph build, the transition, and her ongoing passion for vintage motorcycles.
Simple yet elegant lines with a lot of Lowbrow Custom parts for Triumphs.
Jessika Janene: This Triumph was won on an eBay auction. The seller said it was stored in an Ohio barn since the 1970s but was originally from Indiana. It still has the original registration and inspection stickers on the frame’s downtube. I was looking for a pre-oil-in-frame bike with a unit engine, and 1968 was a good year for the Triumph Bonneville.
The raw finish gives off a beautiful look.
JJ: My plan was to buy a low-cost 1960s 650cc Triumph and create a race bike to run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah in 2020, totally self-supported, with only the help of my partner, Adrienne. I was set on participating in the AMA’s Run Whatcha Brung amateur event. This was also an all-motorcycle event, which is cool.
The trials are AMA-recorded and regulated. I wasn’t interested in clocking an official record like other sanctioned events, I just wanted to accomplish the goal of making a solid run on a bike that I built–an old bike at that. Then the pandemic hit, and my plans were altered in myriad ways.
Aggressive race stance and controls.
JJ: The race history of the Triumph bikes was the draw for me. The salt flat racers I love are the spindly framed old bikes, mostly Triumphs or English in origin. I liked the pure mechanical old-school engineered DIY mentality. I don’t build pristine, showy bikes that are not meant to be ridden. This was my first build designed for a specific task–just racing on the salt.
Lowbrow Customs bolt on hardtail.
JJ: The frame was modified with a Triumph hardtail section from Lowbrow Customs. I wanted a simple, light, strong, and easy solution for a stretched-frame bike, and this provided almost four inches of length. I never intended to go with the bobber seat, headlight, or brake light–they were added after COVID scrapped my plans.
I figured that I’d ride it on the streets, so I needed to keep it legal. My race seat would have been a handmade, low-profile “pad” that mounted to the rigid rear frame and mudguard.
Chopper or racebike or both?
This bike has the original proportional forks on purpose, which I rebuilt with all new internals and roller bearing headset. They were the right weight and had more than enough performance for these needs. The twin leading shoe front brake is a classic and has amazing stopping power. Plus, it looks crazy old-school.
The beautiful thing about a bolt-on hardtail is you get to keep the stock front loop which has your vin, motor mounts etc. Keeps everything easy and legit.
The paint on the front cradle frame is original, as far as I can tell. I touched it up a little bit but wanted to keep the OG paint and the vintage Indiana inspection stickers from the 1970s. All parts except the cradle and triple tree are raw steel or aluminum, oiled to keep the rust away.
The raw finishes keep clean and rust free with some oil rubbed in every now and again.
JJ: The engine is a .05 overbore with high-compression pistons, ported and flowed head with proper race springs, Black Diamond valves, new motorcycle seats, and bronze guides. The cams are stock with a special re-grind that focused on duration. DiStefano Speed did that specialty work. I installed all new bearings and seals everywhere on the entire engine, even new main bearings on the reground crankshaft expertly sorted at Pittsburgh Crankshaft.
I wanted to avoid a battery, like most race bikes, and my hatred of points ignition and crappy coils sent me on a quest for a magneto. I found the proper one at Electrex. It has a small single-phase alternator that puts out almost 50w and a tiny regulator/rectifier converts it to DC for use on the LED lighting with wattage to spare.
I installed new Amal 930 MK1 Premier carbs with open velocity stacks–vying for the classic Brit-looking power plant. To finish it off, I used British Standard raw steel upswept exhaust pipes, an original P-Nut gas tank, and a canister oil tank.
1968 Triumph 650 Unit motor
JJ: I started my transition in November of 2020 amid the chaos of the early pandemic and my work-from-home hamster wheel lifestyle. This revelation hit me like a sucker punch. My egg cracked, a term used in the transgender community to define the moment of revelation.
I wasn’t a person who knew all of my life that I was living as the wrong gender. I was not hiding it from others or repressing it due to societal or religious pressures, but once it was revealed to me, I swore to myself that I would not live in the shadows. My life will be the same, if not better.
When I told my closest colleague and friend I was in transition, he said, “Wait, you are the most “guy” guy I know. Are you kidding me?” I have become the woman I was meant to be and still remain a passionate motorcyclist and gearhead.
Being transgender and living my truth makes all of the other parts of my life more special. Knowing who I am let me stand even more firmly on the foundation of what I believe, love, and enjoy.
"I have become the woman I was meant to be and still remain a passionate motorcyclist and gearhead. Being transgender and living my truth makes all of the other parts of my life more special." - Jessika
JJ: As a trans woman in motorcycle culture, I want to be visible and contribute to bringing all transgender people up. Sometimes it’s a one-on-one conversation, a magazine interview, or a public speaking event.
I don’t need to wear it on my sleeve, I just live it. To me, that’s the most powerful way to be in a culture that is mostly cis men. I’m just me, I’m a woman.
Jessika and her 1968 Triumph rolling down the road.
JJ: I transitioned because there is no other option for me—living my truth is not negotiable. The proverbial Genie cannot be put back in the bottle. I am, and perhaps always was, a woman. When I was young society taught me to suppress anything feminine, we didn’t have options in my small world during the early 70s.
Transgender was not on the radar, and a transition was unthinkable! I wasn’t born in the wrong body, this is my body, and I have affirmed it. In moto-terms, I guess you’d call me a Restomod.
1968 Triumph T-120 Bonneville
Clip-on bars are awesome from land speed racing. You can change the angles easily. Also has a tethered kill switch also common with land speed racing.
Shiny, bold, and just a really incredible build.
Avon tires.
Lowbrow Customs 4 3/4" Stingray Fender.
A real good look at those forks.
Lowbrow Customs Dimpled Steel Triumph oil tank utilizing Lowbrow Customs rubber mounting brackets.
The Original Deep tunneled P-nut Tank.
Emgo Alloy Brake & Clutch levers.
A clean and tidy engine, wiring and oil lines.
Lowbrow Customs bolt on hardtail for Triumphs.
Just a super clean and beautiful Triumph.
All class.
In Saturday Sportster Season 2, follow along with Tim Fiorucci as he turns a 1969 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLCH into a ground-up custom chopper!
The first episode premiered on Saturday, March 25th, 2023, with a new episode following every-other Saturday.
You can view the YouTube Playlist for Saturday Sportster Season 2 right here for easy viewing. Be sure to subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs channel so you know each time a new episode drops!
Also, like our videos, leave a comment and let us know what you thought of the episode, every bit of interaction helps us get our videos out there more!
WHAT IS THE SATURDAY SPORTSTER VIDEO SERIES?
The Saturday Sportster video series was born of our desire to share the knowledge we have about building bikes with the rest of the world. Taking a stock motorcycle and turning it into the custom bike of your dreams, using your own hands, skills and knowledge, is a wonderful feeling that sticks with you, potentially life-long.
The Saturday Sportster Season 1 with Todd Muller was a big hit. In season 1, Todd built a hopped-up, 1250cc scrambler out of a stock 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883.
We are super excited to release Season 2, and we are already about to start filming Season 3!
Interested in how to build a custom Ironhead Sportster, and what parts to use on your build? Well, you made it to the EXACT right place :)
Watch the Saturday Sportster Season 2 and follow along! You can find all the parts used when building the Saturday Sportster in this season right here.
For Saturday Sportster Season 1, we picked up a 2003 Harley-Davidson Anniversary Edition 883 Sportster for relatively cheap.
For Season 2, we started with a frame and engine, and gathered up some stock wheels and other parts we needed for the build.
Whether it is a complete, rideable bike, or a pile of parts, we are no strangers to buying used motorcycles. In this Video: Guide for Buying a Used Harley Sportster, Todd walks you through the entire process he personally uses when evaluating a used bike he is interested in buying.
Whoa! It's another season of Saturday Sportster, and this time it is a hardtailed Ironhead Sportster edition! Tim Fiorucci of Fiorucci Fabrications hosts our latest build series, walking you through how to build a 1969 Harley-Davidson Ironhead custom chopper from start to finish. It is absolutely jam-packed with great info, how-to, and good times.
Starting off with just a motor and frame, Tim utilizes a ton of Sportster chopper parts from Lowbrow Customs to show you how to build a killer chopper all by yourself, and for yourself, on a series of Saturdays. This series does step up the fabrication a notch, but never fear Tim walks you through exactly what to do.
So break out those tools, grab your favorite beverage and let’s get after it! It’s Saturday Sportster Season 2 - Lets Go!
Roller status here we come! It's only the second episode and this Ironhead is already a hartailed roller! In this episode Tim walks you through how to assemble the front end, including some really trick Fork Co. narrow handlebars and risers. They not only look great, they also allow him to push the bike around the shop easily!
Tim also fights an old chain breaker tool as he walks you through how to cut and install a 530 drive chain so it is just the right length and fits perfectly. Now what to do about the oil tank? Oh Gasbox makes a horseshoe oil tank that bolts directly on, with ease. Tim shows you just how easy it is to install.
Saturday Sportster Season 2.... Lets Go!
Awwww yeah, break out those welders because it's time to get some fabrication goin on this build!
Luckily for you, Tim has countless builds under his belt. He shares his knowledge, tips and tricks on how to make that fender sit perfectly and secure over the rear wheel.
Tim walks you through step by step on how to mount a rear fender utilizing a Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray 4-3/4" fender, fender tabs, bungs, and a Gasbox DIY Chopper Sissy bar.
Saturday Sportster Season 2.... Lets Go!
There are many different ways to mount a gas tank, and in this episode Tim Fiorucci will show you his methods on how to mount the perfect gas tank.
Walking you through step-by-step, this in depth tutorial will teach you the right (and wrong) ways to mount a custom chopper style gas tank utilizing some of Lowbrow's threaded steel tophat bungs and a Cycle Standard Narrowed Axed Gas tank.
There is also a bonus tip at the end to show you how easy it is to quickly and securely mount your battery using Gasbox Universal Battery Box and a set of Ironhead battery box adapter mounts made specifically for Lowbrow's Ironhead Bolt-On Hardtails!
Saturday Sportster Season 2.... Lets Go!
Seats... the options for setting your booty on that chopper are endless. But making sure your ass stays on the seat and not riding on the frame rails is key!
Tim walks you through how to install a sprung solo seat... but not any old sprung seat! This is a River Seat Company 'Dayten Cobra' seat.
Most people do not mount this style seat correctly, as a rigid mount and springs do not go together (at least not long-term). Tim shows you helpful tips and tricks on how to mount this seat properly, a method that also works on other styles of seats, including custom motorcycle solo seats.
So, break out them tools, your notebooks, and welders and let's get rolling on the next episode of Saturday Sportster.
Saturday Sportster Season 2.... Lets Go!
It's exhaust time! First Tim shows you how easy it is to install a Gasbox XLR drag pipe system on the project with just a few clamps and some hand tools. If you don't know how to weld or don't have the time or money to hire someone to make you a custom exhaust there are lots of cool Harley Sportster exhaust options.
Taking it a step further, Tim decides to use some exhaust fabrication tubing to make a custom set of upswept pipes. This takes a bit of time so the exhaust is broken into two episodes (episode 6 and the upcoming episode 7).
In this episode, in addition to the XLR drag pipe install, you will learn how to look for the radius and take precise measurements. Tim also shows you how to mark and cut your pipes accurately so they will go together with ease and look incredible once welded!
Let's get it going, its Saturday Sportster Season 2. AWWW YEAH!
In the last episode, we left you hanging as Tim started to make a custom exhaust from scratch using DIY exhaust tubing bends and straights sections.
In this new episode Tim finishes the fabrication for a killer upswept exhaust system for our Saturday Sportster project!
Tim shares tons of tips and tricks on how to cut the tubing at just the right angles so that your pipes look flawless when smoothed out and chromed.
The sky is the limit! With the right tools, Tim's knowledge to guide you, and your own creativity, you too can create an incredible set of custom exhaust pipes for your motorcycle!
Break those tools out and get ready for a jam packed episode of Saturday Sportster! This one's a doozie...
In this episode Tim shows you the final steps to wrapping up your custom handmade exhaust with weld-on universal exhaust mounting slides that he designed. With the exhaust full mounted properly, Tim decides on the length of the pipes and shows you a neat trick on how to cut it evenly by using a shop towel.
After the exhaust is all tacked up, Tim moves onto the rear section of the motorcycle and shows you how easy it is to mount a license plate mount and a custom motorcycle tail light to the sissy bar. Using a ruler, a laser eye, some pistol style clamps and a welder, he gets that together in a jiffy.
Bonus Tips: Tim shows how easy it is to mount a headlight on the stock front end utilizing a Gasbox 35mm headlight mount. He also talks about the plan for the brake light switch, and where the wires will go through your fender both top and bottom. It’s those little details that make all the difference when it comes to final assembly...
Let's get it going, its Saturday Sportster Season 2. AWWW YEAH!
Welders, grinders, drills, oh my! Come party with Tim as he finish welds up the mocked up Saturday Sportster in all the places he can reach before disassembly.
Everything that he can't reach will get pulled off the bike and finished on the workbench. Tim shares his techniques on welding and tips on how to make everything look like a professional as we take an extensive look on this process.
The motor gets pulled out of the frame and we are back to square one. Tim also shows you his way of preparing the frame and rear fender for some pretty tricked out ways to hide the wiring.
So, break out those welders, and all of your tools and lets tare this bike down and get it ready to send to Joe Koenigsmark at Angel Dust Cycle Paint!
With the hardtail motorcycle frame and tins back from Angel Dust Cycle Paint you get a first look at the killer paint job Joe Koenigsmark laid out for this season's Saturday Sportster. Tim also shows you safe and effective ways to remove paint in areas that will need to bolt together. For instance, motor mounts, fender bungs, and axle plate slides. Having clean bolt-on surfaces are key to having a bike stay together permanently all while keeping you safe!
Tim also shows off some off the finishes we chose for the bike and how it looks when it starts to all come together. This jam-packed episode is full of helpful tips and tricks on keeping that paint fresh (and not dinged up). It should get you pumped... this project is even closer to being on the open road.
LET'S GO!
Take a ride with Tim as he shows you the last step in mounting the motor. Remember those hokey stacks of washers he used in mock up? Well no more of that nonsense, Tim shows you how to measure the correct size spacers needed for the top motor mount and then shows how it's made on the lathe.
After the motor is fully secure, Tim jumps a head and bolts on a few parts you have seen in previous videos. Remember the loctite!
Next, Tim shows you how to make a custom brake rod for the project. Why do we have to make that you ask? Well the bolt-on hardtail is a longer than stock and the stock brake rod just wont work. Using the his lathe as a fixture, Tim shows you an easy way to cut threads and figure out how long you need to make your brake rod.
You will also learn in this video how to properly set up your rear drum brake. Don't skip these steps. Especially if you are only running that one brake like we are...
Because... Choppers.
Saturday Sportster Season 2 - Episode 11, Let's Go!
Oh man, episode 12 is here and it's a fun one... Oil lines! Ok yeah, oil lines doesn't seem that fun, but it is a vital part of building a motorcycle and making sure you don't blow up your engine!
Tim walks you through some really important info on how to run your oil lines and do it in a clean and professional manner. It's extremely important to understand what lines hook up to what fittings on the motor and oil tank. The last thing you want is to cross a line and starve your motor of oil. Wasting a fresh motor build and blowing it to smithereens.
So break out that plumbers tape, cutters, safety wire and pliers and let's get to it!
Saturday Sportster Season 2 - Episode 12, Let's Go!
OH, Man! It's almost time to get this bad mama jama wired up. But first there are a few things that need buttoned up, like the generator, regulator and finding a cool place to mount some circuit breakers. All these things need hooked up and on the bike before the wiring madness can begin.
In this episode Tim shows you how to clean your generator's armature and how to install a Cycle Electric CE-500L Regulator to it. He then show you how easy it is to install on the bike. Make sure to be careful around that fancy new paint though!
Tim then also walks you through how to make a custom circuit breaker mount using the backing plate from The Gasbox Horseshoe Bolt-On Oil Tank for Ironhead Sportsters. He shows you his methods of measuring to complete and beautiful accuracy when it comes to laying out any kind of project like this. There's more than one way to skin a cat, but this way seems pretty bulletproof.
Oh man, everyone's favorite... wiring a motorcycle! Why are those stock wiring diagrams so freakin' hard to understand!?
Well never fear, we will show you a few solutions on how to make it easier. Once you understand the basics of what parts go where, the rest comes easy.
In this episode Tim shows you how to make clean ring terminal connections. He also runs wires through the frame and shows some neat tricks on how to do it frustration-free.
Tim also shows you how to wire in the headlight and why you should ground it directly to the frame, and not the front end. A bit of an oversight when mocking up the bike on our end, but he shows you a clean way to drill into your brand new painted frame and not mess it up.
After the headlight is wired up, Tim walks you through the Lowbrow Customs Weatherproof Starter Ignition Switch and all the functions it has. Then he wires up what he needs to the ignition switch. Once the ignition switch is installed, he tackles mounting the coil and wiring that up as well.
Break out your wiring tools, solder guns, crimpers, and heat guns and lets get into this wiring. No rats nests, ya hear, just clean and classy!
Here is the 2nd part of wiring this 1969 Harley Ironhead chopper (check out Episode 14 for Wiring Part 1), getting close to hitting the road!
Tim shows you how to sort out your tail light, which wiring is running light and brake light, and how to wire it through the fender. There's also a neat little trick on how to discreetly secure the tail light wires to your license plate bracket using safety wire.
After the rear wheel goes back on, Tim starts working on the battery connections using 12 gauge wire and a 30 amp breaker. Loop the tail light and brake light switch in with cloth covered 16 gauge wire, and then on to hooking up the generator.
Tim then shares his tips on how to secure the tail light lightbulb and stop from busting filaments on the road using some Shoe Goo... What!? You'll see.
After the Goo settles, there's just a few last connections to button up. Then Tim does an overall review of the wiring, and wiring diagram.
Lastly Tim tests out the lights...
Do you think we got it down OR do we gotta start over!? HA! Let's Go!
Holy hell! We are getting really close now, boys and girls. In this episode Tim walks you through hooking up the distributor and timing it correctly. He then not only installs the S&S Super E Carburetor but even walks you through the recommended jetting for this particular motorcycle.
After the carb is installed, he tops it off with a Gasbox Dogdish Air Cleaner. Tim then hangs the exhaust on, hooks up the clutch, the throttle cable, and finally installs the battery. All that's left to do now is to fill the oil tank, put in some fork oil, primary oil, and put gas in her and she will be ready to fire up... But you got to wait till the next episode to hear her roar!
Tim does talk a lot about S&S Super E Carburetors in this episode and mentions a really nice tuning guide to set up your carb if its the first time ever being installed on a bike. This easy to follow guide will help you get the bike started and then fine tune the carburetor and really get it dialed.
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She makes you dream, she makes you dizzy... Blue Haze was born in a small
town in Italy called Latina by the hands of custom builder Mirko Marinelli and commissioned by Lorenzo Cisi.
It’s an aggressive yet elegant chopper built using a 1978 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead 1340cc engine.The inspiration comes from 1960’s psychedelic designs and the work of builders such as Tom Fugle.
Starting from a blank Pauchgo frame Mirko worked intensively to shape the lines of the bike, creating unique molding features directly onto the frame, gas tank, oil tank and fender. All has been achieved using only but pure metal.
The result is a stunning design which features lines that reminds the ocean’s waves and manta rays. The build took around 9 months and was completed only a day before her first appearance at the Eternal City Custom Show held in Rome.
Lorenzo testing out some bars and how the controls feel. Mirko Marinelli getting ready to install the oil tank.
Installed an S&S oil pump onto the motor.
Right after the Italian show Lorenzo rode the bike from Latina, Italy all the way to London where she attended the Helter Skelter 101 show in Margate, taking part of the ride out from Margate.
During COVID Lorenzo relocated to the Canary Islands and rode Blue Haze all the way to Lanzarote (in the Canary Islands) and crossing from north to south the entire country of Spain.
Blue haze enjoyed burning rubber on incredible coastal roads and volcanic landscapes of Canary islands for almost one year and took part of an awesome ride out happening every year in Gran Canaria called: “Deal After Death”.
In the sun that blue pops into a teal.
Rolling heavy in the Canary Islands.
Lorenzo relocated to Los Angeles recently and couldn’t live with the thought of not having Blue Haze in his garage, so he immediately flew to Canaries, brought the bike back to Rome and shipped his machine to California where finally she can enjoy the coast and desert roads she’s meant to explore.
Now, Lorenzo’s dream is to ride with Blue Haze the entire Route 66.
Check out more of builder Mirko Marinelli's work on his Instagram feed here!
Photos by Lorenzo Cisi (unless otherwise stated)
25,000 miles and still rolling strong.
GENERAL INFO
Owner: Lorenzo Cisi
Year/Make/Model: 1978 / Harley-Davidson / FLH
Fabrication: Moto Mirko Marinelli
Build Time: 9 months
1340cc Harley-Davidson Shovelhead Engine. Photo by Mikey Revolt at Parts and Labor 2023 show.
ENGINE
Year/Type/Size: 1978 / V-Twin HD Cone Shovelhead / 1340cc
Carburetor: S&S Super E
Exhaust: Fishtails Custom Made
Air Cleaner: Velocity Stack Custom Made
Look at all the metal molding on this frame, its insane. Photo by Mikey Revolt taken at Parts and Labor 2023 show.
FRAME
Year/Type: Year N/A – Paugcho
Rake/Stretch: 30 degrees rake / Zero Stretch
The handmade springer by Mirko is incredible. Photo by Mikey Revolt at the Parts and Labor 2023 show.
FRONT END
Type / Brand: Handmade springer by Mirko Marinelli
Rear wheel 18" with a Shinko Super Classic 270 Tire. Photo by Mikey Revolt at the Parts and Labor 2023 show
21" front wheel with a Avon Speed Master Tire. Photo by Mikey Revolt at the Parts and Labor 2023 show
WHEELS
Front Size: 21” front wheel / 21" Avon Speed Master Tire
Rear Size: 18” rear wheel / 18" Shinko Super Classic 270 Tire
In the paint booth.
FINISH/PAINT
Paint by: Federico Miliucci
Plating/Polishing: Mirko Marinelli
Powdercoating: N/A
That custom made Italian leather seat, high class! Photo by Mikey Revolt at the Parts and Labor 2023 show.
ACCESSORIES
Front Fender: N/A
Rear Fender: Custom Made
Gas Tank: Custom Made from stock wassel tank
Handlebars: Custom
Grips: Found on Ebay
Mirrors: N/A
Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Deluxe Clutch Lever and Throttle Housing
Foot Controls: Custom Made
Headlight: Found on Ebay
Taillight: Found on Ebay
Turn Signals: N/A
License Mount: Custom Made attached on Sissy bar
Seat: Custom Made in Italy
Prime example of how the whole frame was custom molded with metal.
All molding has been done with metal, no fiberglass used to create the shapes. Risers were custom made. We used a Nissin Piston caliper for rear brake and a Kustom Tech Mini Rear Master Cylinder.
The engine mount was custom made along with the oil Tank. There's also an S&S Oil pump in the motor and a Prism Supply Petcock for the gas tank.
Custom made Wassel gas tank.
A rolling work of art.
Theres no bad angles.
Extremely clean lines.
Seat fits perfect in the molding.
Snake bite exhaust tips just add to the flair of the rear fender and axle plates.
Even with miles put down this beauty is clean.
One kick, let'r rip.
Golden hour with the Blue Haze.
the tiniest tail light. Photo by Mikey Revolt
The coast of England.
Glowing in the sunlight.
In the middle of nowhere.
Seeing the vast nothingness.
In Sioux City Iowa, famously known as Tom Fugle’s hometown, there is another chopper builder who stays true to the old school traditional way. I have heard his name “BILL MIZE” many times over the years through conversations, magazines, and I've been lucky to see his one of his builds that has forever been burned into the back of my head.
It's rare that Bill ever shows up on any media, and he doesn't have much of a presence on any social media either. But somehow Bill is responsible for pretty much bringing back the 60's style choppers into the norm. He's a bit of a mystery to me at least, so I decided to drive 1700 miles to Sioux City to pay him a visit and find out his philosophy towards building his bikes and who he is.
Bill Rolling to his house on his 1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead.
I met Jason Phares about 15 years ago when I still lived in Oakland. A very talented guy, Born Free invited builder, and one with a heart of gold. Now he resides in Belle Plaine, KS, with his family and continues to custom build bikes and develop parts.
When I visited him this past fall, somehow the name “Bill Mize” came up in conversation. Jason has known Bill for years, “Bill’s isn’t very visible but his style and taste on everything is choice” said Jason. I've always wanted to meet and photograph him. So, Jason hooked it up and got me the introduction I needed to go visit Bill Mize in Iowa.
Bill's house
It was 4 years since the last time I visited Sioux City. When I arrived at the address I was given, I pulled up to a yellow normal looking house. In the distance I heard a motorcycle. As it got closer I could see a guy on a beautiful all original stock Panhead.
He pulled up and just smiled, I could only assume it was Bill. Just looking at him smiling as he said "You must be Ken!" you could tell right away his old school attitude /vibe, his sense of style and good sense of humor.
Some skateboarding photos of Bill when he was a kid in an old album. In 1972, Bill got his first skateboard. In the 80’s he headed out to Southern California to get the full experience of the skateboarding world. The many photos Bill took includes famed skate spot, pro skaters. They are kept in his house safely along with his memories.
Bill was born in 1960, 60 years old. He started skateboarding in the 70’s, and got his first motorcycle, SUZUKI 125cc, when he was 17 years old and both things changed his world.
This is when Bill Mize”s motorcycle life started, but at the same time he was deep in the skateboarding world. When he was 18, he drove alone to Southern California, and lived there on and off to be in the skateboarding world.
Bill with a friend and Tom Fugle on thier way to Sturgis.
Bill met Max and Jason in 2003 when he rode his Harley evo chopper in Paso Robles, since then I have heard his name through them often with their admiration. In another time Jason and Max visited Bill to go to the world famous Davenport swap meet together.
Since then, their friendship continued, now that Jason Moved to KS, they have been collaborating on bike builds and fabrication. In some magazine’s I interview, when Bill was asked what he wanted to be when he grow up, he answered “Jason Phares”.
Bill’s first Harley was the 1959XLCH he got it in the 90’s and he was hooked. Since then it has been non-stop but his specialty is the 60’s style choppers. Learning from the past as well as creating his own aesthetics. Details and choice of parts is subtle yet thought out, and bill does not get swayed by the fad, because he is the fad.
Bill might not be the most famous chopper builder in the US, but he is responsible for reviving the 60’s style old school choppers. He's an extremely humble man who never self-promote himself, and wouldn't accept most magazine interview offers he received over the years.
I was very happy that I have finally got to meet Bill Mize. It was a real honor to have the chance to photograph some of his creations and really observe this chopper monk in his own surroundings.
Bill in front of where Tom Fugle's house once was telling a story of something that happened in the street.
December 18th, 2016, chopper world’s forefather Tom Fugle passed on. The house that Tom lived for decades is only a few minutes drive from Bill’s house. The last time I was there, I was with my editor Gonz from Tokyo.
We visited Tom in October of 2016, exactly 2 months before his passing. When I got there with Bill, the house was already demolished by the city this past fall in 2020. I felt as if there was a hole in this universe where once Tom’s house stood.
A cool photo of Tom in one of Bill's old albums chillin at a gas station having a full throttle.
The garage below Bill’s house is where he keeps and builds his bikes. When he needs to weld or machine stuff, he goes to the machine shop where he has been renting a space in downtown Sioux City.
There he has an access to much bigger tools. On the wall, there is a photo of Bill racing on his SUZUKI at the track minutes before he crashed. Bill’s favorite El FORASTERO, young “pegleg Dave's" photo with his autograph.
The small garage under Bill's house.
A really great photo of Bill racing.
Bill in the back corner of his garage.
In Bill’s garage, glass case, shelves and on the wall there are filled with bill’s treasures and trophy items. AK47 on the coat rack, Dave Mann’s shades, and badges and trinkets he made with Tom.
David Mann's shades!
The rest of Bill’s house which he shares with his wife Mollie and their two cats are furnished with mid century modern pieces with style. Bill is also fluent in Japanese, he can say “NEKO(cat)”, and “KONEKO(kitty)”. Bill has been passionate about road racing on his bicycle over the years, he still trains for races continuously.
Bill and his wife Mollie.
Bill and Mollie have some really nice Mid-century pieces.
When Bill was growing up in Sioux City, he used to see EFMC members riding around town and at service stations. He had been around them as an adult since the early 90’s, especially Tom Fugle.
These photos were taken when Bill, Tom and other guys rode together to Sturgis one year. Bill and few other guys were riding Panheads, Tom on an Evo chopper. Tom didn’t care and did 90mph the whole way leaving Bill and the guys in the dust, making them having to play catch up to Tom.
Tom in the badlands.
On any given day, Tom would call Bill to his house and say, ”what are we doing today? Should we make a belt?” Or anything else over the years. Those days would go for years, but one time Tom was concerned about what legacy he would leave behind, having his whole life devoted to building and riding choppers.
Last ten years of his life, the younger generation had learned about Tom Fugle, and his devotion to choppers were recognized around the world. He was invited to shows all over US, Europe and Japan so at the end, I think Tom was happy.
Tom was the founder of the El Forasteros.
While I was shooting Bill, he showed me where Tom went to high school, the house where Tom grew up. There is another house behind Tom’s house, which Tom’s family rented it to Tiny’s family. That is how Tom met Tiny, and that led to starting EFMC together later on.
On the same property facing back to the alley there is Tom’s old garage where he probably kept his first Panhead in there. Amazingly the old man who owned the Harley dealership who sold Tom’s first Harley is still alive in Sioux City.
Bill at HRCS in Yokohama in 2006 with his Panhead chopper.
In 2006, Bill was invited to HRCS in Yokohama, Japan with his Panhead chopper. Bill’s taste in paint has evolved from colorful paint jobs to recent simple troublefree black paint.
Here's another Ironhead Sportster build by Bill.
Another shot of the green Panhead that got to go to Japan.
This 48FL narrow bike reflects Bill’s style the best. F21/R18 wheels set up sets up a good balance on the overall narrow aesthetics, along many details to see. Choice parts is selected on this bike without being standing out alone, especially Tom Fugle’s seat and pipe with s that Tom would say “blow minds”.
Bill's 48FL
Bill's favorite year motor and his main ride, the 48 quartet.
That skinny seat.
In the past 30 years, Bill built many different HDs. Where he arrived was the black Panheads in a wishbone frames.
Nowadays the world of custom choppers is dominated by old school choppers, but back then in the early 2000s is was so called new school, Hi-tech, or those fat tire bikes. They were celebrated by TV shows and media in general who vacuumed more money into the industry to create more crazy expensive custom bikes.
Around the same time, the old school choppers were a thing of the past besides from the support from a small fraction of believers. Around that time in Sioux City, Bill hung with EFMC members and in his garage he quietly faced his builds. In 2006, he was one of the first custom builders that got invited to the Mooneyes Yokohama show with his custom Harley Panhead chopper.
Near Tom Fugle's old school.
This split tank creation was inspired by Kiyo’s Garage’s knucklehead. It uses a 1948 genuine wishbone frame with a VL fork. The F19/R16 wheel setup and the black split tank create the silhouette. Jason Phares helped with the fabrication and the seat is from River Seat Company. Bill said the concept of this build was a crossover between a stocker and a chopper.
Simple and classy
Very clean and the styling is on point.
Those split tanks are really doing it for this bike.
Front end.
You guessed it another 48 panhead.
This 48FL also has an OEM wishbone frame along with an I-Beam fork. It’s the narrowest build out of Bill’s four 48FL. The wheels are F21/R19 with 7/8 handlebars and Schwinn risers. Another mind blowing pipes reminds me that of the XLCH high pipes. The tuck and roll seat is by River Seat Company. It’s a bike built for long trips.
Two into 1 high pipe.
Each Panhead a little different then the last, its own flair, and its own iconic look.
Crusty in all the right places.
Bill's gotta thing for cats.
Doing it before anyone else.
This 48FL Special Sport Solo still has factory original paint called Brilliant Black.” The spot lamp, the windshield, the wheel caps and the saddle bag were made by Lock-Tite, a factory that made genuine accessories from 1945 to ’48.
One kick and let'r rip.
All original paint.
Just an incredibly beautiful stock Panhead.
Runs like a top.
even has the OG warning label.
Photos and words by: Ken Nagahara
What looks like a small garage outside, is spacious enough to hold all 4 of Bill's 48's and he still has room to add some.
A treasured patch in Bill's glass case.
Bill's an avid cyclist. He loves anything two wheeled.
Let's roll.
Coming out into the daylight.
Some of Bill's decor in the garage.
More on the walls in Bill's garage.
A closer look at the trophy case.
Having some coffee and chatting about some memories.
More of Bill's Mid-century Modern design in his house.
Bikes from all over the U.S. are making their way to Bisbee, Arizona March 16th, 2024 for The Prowl Motorcyce Show! The show is from 10am - 5pm but the party in the Gulch goes all night! Ride that old bike and you could win $750 in cash for Best Chopper or Best Vintage bike from Lowbrow Customs, the Chris Moorehouse award and the Bad Mamma Jamma award! Vendors, food, drinks. Live music by Shelby Cobra Country and Gas, Grass or Class!
On March 18th, 2023 the small town of Bisbee, Arizona was taken over by a large chopper show Matt Romero & Chris Huber call The Prowl. This was the 2nd year of The Prowl, and it is growing fast. It evolved from a show called The Howl & Prowl that had been going on in Bisbee for some years prior.
Bisbee is an old mining town. When the big local copper mine was closed in the 1970's, artists and hippies found it's charm and slowly took over the time.
During that time bikers would come from all over making the pilgrimages to party in this quirky haunted town that is built nestled into the mountains. And the tradition still lives on today. ..
Tyler, Kyle, B, Greg, Andy, Jeff, Dan, Kat and myself made the trek out to Bisbee, Arizona to see what all the hype was about.
Rumors of the haunted town, the crazy stories of sitting on the border wall to party in Naco, the amazing food, and the killer choppers that show up to the show had us all intrigued and wanting to go.
We brought 6 bikes with us and a ton of optimism as we got out of snowy Ohio and made our way west to Sunny AZ.
Outside the Gay 90's Bar.
March 17th, St. Patricks day we made our way down to Naco, AZ / Mexico boarder where we were throwing the official Pre-party at the Gay 90's bar. The bar is really called that and its not 1990's themed, this was a bar started in the 1920's to celebrate the great times of the 1890's... enough said.
Lowbrow hired a Mariachi band to serenade everyone, the lucky leprechaun Weirdo came to hang out for a while and there was just tons of good vibes all night long. Oh and Lowbrow picked up the Taco tab for everyone at the party!
Choppers lined the streets, all the way to the wall.
Listen to some "La Bamba" in the video from the Mariachi band.
The day of the show, we all woke up super early to get to "The Gultch" to set up our merch booth and bikes. As the sun started to warm up the cool AZ morning air, hundreds of choppers and motorcycles flooded The Gultch. It was quite a sight to see.
Part of the parking situation in "The Gultch"
While walking around and filming I noticed there were quite a few bikes with our parts on them and it got me extremely excited to see. Almost 2500 miles away from home and seeing Lowbrow parts all over bikes in the show.
While staring at a flamed out Shovelhead I met one of our Top 300 customers, Nick Turner and he gave me a few minutes of his time to talk about his killer Shovelhead and what Lowbrow parts he used.
Nick Turner pointing at his Sidekick Mikey who pained his bike.
Lowbrow front wheel, trailer fender, headlight, gascap, bungs, tabs, Gasbox oil tank and so much more. Just a tough as nails Shovelhead.
After chatting it up with Nick, I ran into Chris Huber one of the founders of the show. He was kind enough to take a couple minutes out of his hectic day that was beginning to give me a small recap of what was in store for the show.
The man, the myth, the legend, Chris Huber
As I made my way through the Gultch and into the city park I found countlessly insane and beautiful choppers throughout the show. Ran into some old friends and made a few new ones along the way.
This panhead was insane.
Ran into Mike Ellis' old scoot. Always cool to see this one in person.
This was a really neat Evo Chop.
Classic Shovelhead with Magneto, what a beautiful bike.
Couldn't stop drooling over this Panhead.
As the day was winding down I asked my wife what her favorite bike was in the show. She told me about a Sportster in the city park that was teal and she could just tell it was something special. As we walked over to go see it, I noticed right away it had our hardtail on it and our good friend Nichole aka Chicken and a Biscuit painted the tank.
I asked the booth next to the bike if they knew who built it or owned it and sure enough they gave Katie Loftus a call and she came over and chatted on camera with us for a bit. She was a fascinating woman, a cancer survivor, and a fearless person who's main goal was to inspire more women to build choppers. Couldn't have met a nicer person.
Katie Loftus and her "Freda Machine" Sporster.
Absolutely love anything Chicken and a Biscuit paints.
One of the biggest challenges for me this show was to try and capture it all and utilize a new tool we just added to my bag of photography tricks. We picked up a DJI Pro 4 Drone on the cheap before the show.
I've never flown one in my life until this tip and I just kept telling the guys beforehand, well "I guess it'll be a crash course in flying, HA!" I think I did alright and it really gave a great sense of where we are in the video.
Bisbee, AZ from the sky.
All in all I would say The Prowl is definitely one of the coolest shows to go to based on location alone... oh, and the time of year! To escape the Ohio in the middle of winter and get some miles on our choppers is worth the trek in itself.
Add a lot of rad, like-minded people, incredible bikes to drool on, insanely good food everywhere you go, and a party that never stops all weekend long. It's a for sure one you got to put on your list not to miss next year!
Do you love doo-rag vendors, endless crowds and riding in slow formation with thousands of motorcyclists who only kind of know how to ride?
Neither do we!
That is why Lowbrow is headed down to hang with our friends at The Prowl in Bisbee, Arizona on Saturday, March 18th, 2023.
The whole town is a party, with music, bikes, weird vibes, good times, spicy jokes and cool drinks.
That's the whole pitch. Just show up and hang out with us and a bunch of other people having a regular, old-fashioned, really good time. FTW!
Another reason to make your way to Southern Arizona in March...
Lowbrow is presenting the pre-party down in Naco on Friday night before The Prowl!
It is Friday, March 17th, 2023 which happens to be St. Patricks Day...
Party is at the Gay 90's Bar in Naco, just south of Bisbee...
It is right on the border, park your bike with your tire right against the border wall...
Tacos...
Beer...
Mariachi Band...
Yeah, get on it, this is going to be a REALLY good time.
2022 was the first year of The Prowl and unfortunately we missed it. But, hey don't fret, our dudes over at Biltwell Inc. were there and they rolled in heavy. Geoff Kowalchuk, their staff photographer took a ton of incredible photos and we were lucky enough to get our hands on some to share with all of you. Get inspired, pack your bags, and get ready to roll down to Bisbee, AZ for a hella good time.
Meeting up at Chris Hubers to ride down to Bisbee. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
South on a 83. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Rollin, rollin, rollin. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Stunning views on the way south. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Little group stop to Tombstone, AZ on the way. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Wouldn't be a proper chopper run with out a breakdown or two. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Wick the throttle... Carb tuning on the side of the road. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Tunnel love... Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The feeling when you made it. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Welcome to The Shady Dell! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff KowalchukThe Shady Dell has some interesting vintage trailers to stay. The choppers fit right in. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
In the weeds of cacti lies a Shovel and a trailer. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Everything is just so rad at The Shady Dell. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Who knew choppers and old trailers went so well together. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Little margarita, some choppers, and a whole lot of fun. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Droning, The Prowl takes over the entire town. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
They even got the wall of death set up for the day! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The streets were filled. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Rollin in with the party on a CB750. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Check out this killer Ironhead chop. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Lots of cool little bars in Bisbee and there were a ton of people at the show. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Chopper parking only! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The conezone. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Theres also a vending village surrounded by more bikes! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The wall of death is always a good time! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Take that money! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
A sea of choppers. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Genuine smiles for miles. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The coolest town surrounded by mountains. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
So many great choppers at this show! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
The Prowl, taking over Bisbee, AZ. Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kawalchuk
Getting wild with this trike! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kowalchuk
Hope to see you all there! Photo courtesy of Biltwell / Geoff Kawalchuk
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Sitting in our weekly marketing meeting back in the coldest month of December, Tyler brought up that he had to take a quick trip out to San Diego, CA to do a business to business Q&A panel at the up and coming Parts & Labor Motorcycle Expo put on by our friends at Biltwell.
All I heard was San Diego in January. "Can I tag along?" I uttered out excitedly.
The thoughts of getting out of the snowy Ohio hell for a few days was the only thing on my mind. Without hesitation, Tyler replied back "Yeah man, we can get a killer lunch somewhere and soak in some sun."
The guys getting ready for the B2B talk on the Parts and Labor Stage.
As the time came to boogie to San Diego, we jumped on a plane to Denver just escaping a snowy blizzard that hit the Cleveland area pretty good. Delayed in Denver for a while we finally made it to San Diego on Friday the day before the show and the day Tyler needed to do is B2B talk.
Before we made our way to Del Mar fairgrounds where the show was being held, we had to handle the first order of business, that lunch Tyler promised. We got some bitchin Modern Mex type food right by the ocean in Del Mar and met up with our new guy Jeff who was already out there.
Portrait of Tyler on the Parts and Labor Stage.
Once we arrived to the Del Mar Fairgrounds and walked in the doors of the Parts and Labor show I felt this familiar feeling in the air. A yellow dingy fairgrounds building filled with tons of motorcycle vendors and custom killer motorcycles lined up in the center of the building.
We used to do our Lowbrow Swap & Meets at the Medina County Fairgrounds and it definitely had that vibe. We were greeted right away by Bill, McGoo, Otto and a few others from the Biltwell crew, followed immediately by some other California friends we haven't seen in a long time. It was a really great feeling to catch up.
Otto making jokes.
This year there was something new on Friday evening, toward the end of setup. It is an industry talk with panelists talking about what they are doing new in 2023, and answering questions from the audience.
The panel consisted of:
Tyler Malinky / Lowbrow Customs
Bill Bryant / Biltwell Inc
Brian Klock / Klockworks
Stephen Edgar / Speed-Kings Cycle
Matt Martelli / Mad Media, Mint 400
As the time came for the business-to-business (B2B) talk to start, the guest panel took their seats on the Parts and Labor stage and each talked about where the started and where they are today.
They then took questions from other business about how they do marketing, business, social media, and their opinions on where the custom motorcycle world is heading. A real inspirational couple hours to those in need of advice and help with their next venture.
It seemed to go over super well and you can tell people were really engaged in the conversations being had. Well everyone but Julia, Tyler's wife. She kept trying to mess him up when he was talking, making faces and different hand gestures all in the name of fun.
The show full throttle.
The next morning we jammed back to the Del Mar Fairgrounds on foot only to find a line of hundreds of show goers waiting patiently to get their first dibs on the scratch and dent sale Biltwell was about to have. Who doesn't love closeout motorcycle parts?? As 10am hit the doors opened and we watched a sea of people storm the Biltwell fenced in area.
After tons of discounted helmets, parts, and grips where scooped up and brought back to attendees cars, they made their way back inside to check out the other vendors and show bikes in the building. There were close to 60 bikes in the center of the show from all different styles, makes and models.
I want to say there was round 50 or so vendors lined up on the left and right of the bikes. You could definitely spend the entire day in there and most did because SoCal was getting a ton of rain that day.
Tyler's pick for best chopper. Built by Lorenzo Cisi
Tyler's other job he had for the weekend was to pick Best Chopper in the show. After looking over all of the choppers in the show, it came down to this incredible 1978 Harley-Davidson FLH Shovelhead built by Lorenzo Cisi of Italy.
He built this bike in 2020 and rode it from Rome to London, he took it to the Canary Islands and then shipped the bike here to the States. It actually arrived in the states the day before the Parts and Labor show.
Lorenzo's next planned adventure for this bike is to ride the iconic route 66 from start to finish. Just a really killer build, with a ton of miles on it, and still looks like a show bike.
Panheads, Knuckleheads, Oh my!
The show went from 10am-5pm and had a pretty steady flow of foot traffic all day long. With the buckets of rain falling, the Del Mar Fairground's building made for a great escape to still get everyone's motorcycle fix in for the weekend.
It seemed like everyone had a wonderful time and the building was full of smiles. If you are looking for an escape from the cold, a discount on a helmet, some new motorcycle shirts or parts, or hell even if you are just looking for a motorcycle fun filled day in Cali.
Biltwell's Parts & Labor Expo is definitely one you should put on your list to go to. It seems to be growing fast and I am sure it will end up in bigger and bigger buildings at the fairgrounds as it goes on. I'm super grateful I got the chance to bogart Tyler's trip, get out of the cold, see some old friends, and finally attend.
Words and Photos by: Mikey Revolt
Here's some photos from the show and what bikes and details on bikes stood out to me in the show.
This 1962 Harley-Davidson FLH Panhead Chopper was built by Tommy Gonzalez
The paint on that Friscoed P-nut, sheesh.
Oh and Kit picked up the Salt Ghost for us to show off as well. Always good to see that bike back in person. We will be bringing her back to Ohio very soon.
This Zero Frame Knuckle with our Stingray fender and Frisco Sporty tank looked killer. Build by: Matt Lyons
Lots of Kustom Tech bits on this build too.
This 1976 Ironhead was rad as hell. Build by Fury
Just a really amazing piece of machinery.
So much detail in the motor.
Check out this 2003 Sportster Chopper by Michael Uelarde.
The rear Sprotor threw me for a loop.. What a cool ass idea! This bike also rocking a Led Sled Invader 21 Wheel on the front! This is a really rad bike.
Also had a custom FNA Custom Pancake Headlight.
Steady crowd through out the day.
Vendor village had lots of diverse small businesses and some large ones.
I got to hang with my friend Rob from MotoStuka for a bit. Always good seeing him.
If you don't have a set of his gloves yet, you should probably get on that.
Here's a sick tracker with our Tsunami Fender on it.
Take us to the cone zone! John Mulldoon's 1978 FXE chopper is fire.
Forever 6 wheels.
Sean Mazza's 1967 FL is really amazing. In love with the small brake lights on the bottom of the axle plates.
Sacred Steel's crazy digger. The etch work on the motor was insane.
'69 dudes!!!
Zach Gosteli 1969 FLH chopper was one of my top favorites. Classic styling and tough as nails.
Loved the patina paint job on Tod Petty's 1950 Panhead Chop.
Even the left over gas rules.
A little Honda in your life never hurt nobody.
More of Lorenzo's sweet Shovel.
Would ya just look at it. The molding is so rad.
The devil in blue.
A real piece of rolling art.
Bionic Dogo!- Davin Wirtanen's shovelhead.
You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Yeah thats right, thats a goldwing motor in a dyna frame.
In the last installment of Knoble Tech Tips, Steve showed how easy it is to inspect and change your own Sportster brake pads. In this segment, learn how to properly change your brake rotor while you are at it!
It's hard to imagine a brake rotor wearing out or going bad, but they do! Over time you apply your brakes over and over again. The pads gradually wear themselves down and also wear down the rotor too.
The rotor gets grooved over time from use. If you don't replace your rotor when it is grooved, those swanky new brake pads you just installed can't do their job properly...
Those new pads are now only riding on the top of the grooves and not catching the entire surface of the rotor. This leads to not utilizing the maximum amount of breaking ability you could have on the new brake pads.
So, take a good look at the rotors on your bike, and if you need a replacement Harley rotor, we have you covered!
Steve Knoble of Knoble Moto walks you through how easy it is to remove a front brake rotor and install a new one on a 2012 Harley-Davidson Sportster. The process is similar on different year models but be sure to get yourself a service manual for your year bike to have accurate torque specs.
First things first, jack the bike up just enough so the front wheel will freely spin.
Free wheelie! Make sure it can rotate freely up in the air.
You then will need to remove the front fender so the bolts are gone and the tire can clear when removing it from the front of the motorcycle. Put it in a safe space.
Goodbye old front fender friend, see you when we are done with this tech tip.
Next break each bolt free on the rotor while the wheel is on the axle. It helps to hold the spokes and pull up on the wheel as you lefty loosen those suckers.
Grip it and rip it. Make sure to loosen all five bolts.
Next up, remove the brake caliper. You will need a 10mm 12 point socket or wrench to remove the two caliper bolts from the trees.
These are the two bolts that hold on your brake caliper.
Remove the two bolts and slide the caliper off of the rotor. Place the caliper carefully out of the way.
Now comes the fun part. Take a thick allen wrench or screwdriver and stick it in the axle hole on the right side of the bike. Use a 15/16 socket to loosen the axle nut.
See the hole in the axle, this will help you keep it steady as you break loose the axle nut.
Next loosen the pinch bolt that keeps the axle tight on the bottom of the right side leg.
Using a 5/16" allen and a 9/16" socket loosen the pinch bolt.
You can now use a soft faced blow hammer to hit the axle free on the axle nut side and getting moving.
Hitting the axle nut with a dead blow will get the axle moving and not risk damaging the threads.
Remove the axle nut and spacer and set off to the side.
Next, lift up on the wheel and pull the axle out. Note there are two spacers, larger one is on the left side of the motorcycle and the smaller one on the right side. If it helps you remember, put the spacers back on the axle in the correct order.
You can tell its an axle cause of the way it is.
When you pull the wheel hold onto the spacers and note the larger is on the left of the motorcycle the smaller one is on the right of the motorcycle.
Now it's time to remove the rotor. Aren't you glad you loosened those rotor bolts.
Remove all 5 bolts from the rotor.
Take a tap and clean out the holes from any thread locker, rust, corrosion or residue that could be built up in the threads. Use an air nozzle to blow the holes of any possible leftover debris from the tap.
Running in a 5/16 - 18 tap. to clean out any thread locker, rust, corrosion, or residue that could be in the holes.
Take some scotch bright and clean off the face of the wheel where the rotor bolts on. Sometimes dirt, grease, corrosion and or rust can accumulate in that area. If you bolt the new rotor without cleaning that area properly the rotor could be sitting up a little in certain areas and could rock back and forth which could cause your bolts to fail.
Clean off the face of the wheel and the back of the rotor before installing it.
Now you can bolt on the new rotor. This year sportster has a counterbore on the rotor which faces out on the wheel.
See the counterbore? That faces out on the wheel.
Use a blue loctite on your bolts and install them till they are snug. You will torque them when on the motorcycle.
When snugging up the bolts do it in a cross or star pattern.
Note the wheel never moves and you can see how to tighten in a cross or star pattern.
Take your spacers and line them up with the races of your wheel. Again the large spacer goes on the left side of the motorcycle (caliper side) and the smaller one goes on the right side of the motorcycle.
It helps to put the spacers in when moving the wheel into position. Putting a small dab of grease on the spacers and sticking it to the race can help keep them in position.
Next make sure your axle has a good coat of grease and or some never cease and then slide it through the legs.
Install the axle from the right side of the motorcycle.
Next put your washer and axle nut on and snug it down.
Putting the washer and axle nut on.
Next torque your axle nut, use an allen wrench or screwdriver to hold the other side of the axle tight.
Use an allen wrench or screwdriver in the hole of the axle to hold tight while you torque your axle nut to spec.
Now tighten your pinch bolt screw and torque it down to factory spec.
Torquing down the pinch bolt on the right leg that holds the axle in place.
Now it's time to torque your rotor bolts. Push down on the wheel while pulling up on your torque wrench and torque each bolt to spec. Again do it in the cross or star pattern.
Remember torque each bolt in a cross or star pattern.
Clock your bolts. It's good practice to draw a line on each bolt facing towards the axle. When you inspect your bolts and notice one of your lines isn't facing towards the axle its a good indication you might have a problem and or need to re-torque your bolts bud.
A paint marker or sharpie is good insurance to keep an eye on your torqued bolts.
Now you can reinstall your caliper. Spread your brake pads apart and slide the caliper over the rotor. Install the bolts and torque to factory spec.
Sliding the caliper over the rotor and installing the bolts.
Torque the caliper bolts according to your workshop manual specs.
Now you can grab your front fender and reinstall it.
For nuts and bolts hold on your fender, get that sucker on there.
Lastly because we had the caliper off of the rotor its a wise idea to pump up the brakes a few times and make sure they are working.
Pump those brakes up!
Thats all folks! You did it!
]]>I found this bike thanks to a friend about three years back. My pal Nick Miller can find any type of bike without any hesitation. I don’t think it was even a full 24 hours from when I asked him to keep an eye out for a Shovelhead project, to us driving an hour outside of Pittsburgh to pick up the bike.
The bike was mostly stock with a small amount of motor work from the previous owner. There was a five-speed transmission which we kept, but other than that, we practically changed and customized everything.
Single down tube on the frame.
The single down tube idea came from seeing a few other bikes that looked paper thin when you looked at it from the front. I was always a big fan of the up and raked outlook.
I got with my longtime friend Josh Howells and we spent a good year spitballing ideas. We both have similar taste in motorcycles so it was easy to get on the same page.
When sizing the frame, Josh extended to fit my size. Being 6’4, it's easy to look goofy on a motorcycle. From there, we slowly started to piece the bike together.
Check out that springer!
I wanted a long springer front end, which took some time to find. I really enjoy digging and finding parts from basements or swaps. There's no better feeling than when you find something that missing piece for your build.
I found a lot of parts at Cycle Warehouse in Butler PA, about an hour from Pittsburgh. That place is multiple levels with parts and bikes everywhere.
After a few trips, I was able to locate the springer in the basement. Didn’t have too much info on it, but it was long and didn’t look like it would fall apart, so I snagged it up.
The paint by TE Customs
From there, we had a solid roller together and added the remaining pieces. The motor was torn apart and new seals and gaskets added. Thankfully when we cracked open the motor, there was no damage and all the work done by the previous owner was done very well.
The bike was then sent out to paint in April of 2022 to Tyler Elliot of TE Customs. Tyler has been a friend and painted my last chopper. He is always down for custom jobs, no matter how crazy it gets. From the start I knew I wanted to have a chopper that stood out from the others.
Hey that's the Pink Panther!
I’m a big history buff when it comes to MC’s and motorcycles. One day I was reading a book and it kept mentioning how a couple of the guys had pink- and neon-colored choppers. They talked about doing things to stand out from the norm, and I wanted to bring that back.
When I got with Tyler initially about doing a pink chop, he didn’t hesitate and was immediately into the idea. We spent the day looking at every color pink possible, but I ended up settling on “Pink Panther Pink”.
Oddly enough at the time I was trying to think of a few ways to pay homage to my dad who passed away a few years back. As a kid we always watched and loved The Pink Panther cartoons together, so it all started to come together.
Narrow Alien Tank with custom fuel sight gauge rocking this wild TE Customs paint job!
From there I wanted to add leopard print on the bike to match the seat. Tyler messed around with a few ideas and ended up adding them into the flames which I haven't seen before.
He once again exceeded all my expectations and wildest dreams with the paint on this bike. He even added a little pink panther drinking a martini on the rear fender to keep it classy.
The Pink Panthers chillin' on the rear fender.
Overall, this bike came together by the help and hard work of my friends and I. That’s what is going to stick with me over the years.
At times this build was frustrating, but that’s a given when going through the process, but knowing that some of my best friends (some I’ve been friends with over 20 years) had a hand in this build means the most to me. Everyone gave it their all and used all their talents to help make the bike what it is today.
I’m hoping to take this chopper all over the country next spring to see some friends and enjoy some chopper events. Want to thank the guys below who had a massive hand in getting this build completed.
Words by Ed Jankoski
Photos by: Joe Bonanno
Glistening in the sun.
General
Owner: Ed Jankoski
Year/Make/Model: 1980 Harley Davidson FXE Shovelhead
Fabrication: Uptahn Metalworks Pittsburgh PA
Build Time: A year and a half
Check out that Paw kicker pedal!
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1980 Harley Davidson FXE Electric start (changed to kick only)
Carburetor: S&S Super E
Exhaust: Custom Exhaust by Uptahn Metalworks
Air Cleaner: Trident mini lunch box
Frame
Year/Type: Custom single down tube frame fabricated at Uptahn Metalworks.
Rake/Stretch: 50-degree rake, 8.75” up.
If it aint long it's wrong.
Front End
Type / Brand: 12 over Springer front end. No markings or serial numbers. Basement find at Cycle Warehouse in Butler PA. Spring rebuild kit by Iron Springers
Lowbrow Customs 21" Spool hub wheel with Avon Speedmaster 21" tire.
18" Hardline Wheel with 18" Dunlop K70 Vintage Tire
Wheels
Front Size: Lowbrow Customs 21" Spool Hub Chopper Wheel / 21" Avon Speedmaster tire.
Rear Size: 18 Inch Hard Drive American Spoke Wheel / 18" Dunlop K70 Vintage Tire
Just killer paint work from TE Customs
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Tyler Elliot from TE Customs. Pittsburgh PA
Plating/Polishing: None
Powder coating: None
Dixie sqaure headlight from the basement.
Accessories
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Lowbrow Customs Manta Ray fender that was cut and welded to hug the 18-inch rear wheel
Gas Tank: Narrow Alien gas tank
Handlebars: Custom 6 bend bars from Uptahn Metalworks
Grips: Lowbrow Customs Fish Scale Grips
Mirrors: Clamp on Chrome mirror
Hand Controls: Drag Specialties black clutch lever
Foot Controls: Stock forward controls
Headlight: Dixie Square headlight. Basement finds.
Taillight: 33 Ford Replica Taillight. Keystone cover plate added by Uptahn Metalworks
Turn Signals: Nope
License Mount: Custom by Uptahn Metalworks
Seat: Seat pan by Uptahn Metalworks. Lining and covering by Diego Galarraga (@mrcomfy)
Classic meets wild, a horseshoe oil tank, pink with leopard flames.
That kicker pedal doh.
Trident Mini Lunch Box air cleaner is super rad.
Super skinny and long.
Even put Pink Panther on the belt drive.
33 Ford Tail Light replica with a custom PA cover from Uptahn.
There seems to be a dinger on your motorcycle wheel sir.
More PA goodness from Uptahn
Full cheetah print seat.
Open primary
Good look at the carb and Trident min box air cleaner.
Choppers man!
What did Jon, a French tattoo artist and owner of this 500 Triumph, have?
The willingness to learn and the creative juices flowing inside him... Plus, thanks to COVID, he had a whole lot of extra time on his hands.
He wanted to customize his Triumph into an iconic chopper that screamed 1960's style. And, well... he did it!
Perfect stance and super clean lines.
2020 / 2021 has been a difficult time for a lot of people. A truly sad period with pandemic, lockdown and sickness all over the world but despite of all this shit, some things were positive and some things never stop.
With so much down time it did allow for some real creativity to come forth when building building motorcycles. Sharing knowledge between friends and not only teaching but learning from one another different skills when it came to motorcycle building.
1970 Triumph T100 Chopper
One of the most important parts of the project was finding the perfect hardtail frame. Having one shipped over from Lowbrow Customs, was surprising fast and Jon couldn't have been more stoked on the quality of the frame.
Plus being bolt-on it allowed for easy installation and not a lot of fabrication needed to build the bike.
Fork Shrouds making this front end look proper.
With the hardtail installed, the next step was figuring out what handlebars, gas tank, rear fender and oil tank to run. Yet again an easy chose to get everything from Lowbrow Customs, well everything but the handlebars.
Jon ended up finding an old set of BSA bars that he repurposed for the build which look extremely good on this bike. For the rear fender Jon went with the-3/4" Stingray fender.
The Lowbrow Customs Domed oil tank for Triumphs was an easy choice, along with a P-nut Wassel Style gas tank that fits these old Triumph chopper parts perfectly and really set the tone and the style Jon wanted to achieve.
Pearl Green paint and white pin striping by Jon.
After the bike was painted pearl green, Jon used his drawing and tattoo skills to lay down some white flames on the gas tank and rear fender. A real personal touch that makes the bike just pop.
With some help from a internet friend Kevin @chopper.district the bike got a super clean wiring job, a lower front end and some other fine small details that really just brought this bike to the next level.
Photos and words by: Mickael Maurice
It has that classic 1960 chopper vibe.
General
Owner: Jon Kerkhove
Year/Make/Model: 1970 Triumph T100
Fabrication: Kevin @choppers.district
Build Time: 2 Years
500 cc Triumph T100
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1970 Triumph T100 Unit 500cc
Carburetor: AMAL
Exhaust: Stock
Air Cleaner: Stock
Lowbrow Customs Bolt-on Hardtail is extremely easy to install and allows to keep all original motor mounts.
Frame
Year/Type: 1970 Stock front loop + Lowbrow Custom Triumph 500cc Bolt-on Hardtail
Rake/Stretch: Rake Stock / Stretch 4" Drop 2"
Would ya just look at!
Front End
Type / Brand: Stock
Wheels
Front Size: Harley 21” - Tire: Avon Speedmaster 3.0 21"
Rear Size: Harley 18” - Tire: Shinko Classic 270 4.50 18"
Hand pinstriped.
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Jon Kerkhove
Plating/Polishing: N/A
Miller Seat attached using Lowbrow Customs Triumph Solo Seat Hinge
Accessories
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Lowbrow Custom 4-3/4" Stingray Ribbed Steel Fender
Gas Tank: Lowbrow Custom 1.8 Gallon Deep Tunnel Peanut gas tank (Wassel Style)
Handlebars: From BSA
Grips: Swapmeet
Mirrors: Nope
Hand Controls: Stock
Foot Controls: Stock
Headlight: Unknown
Taillight: No taillight now, work in progress
Turn Signals: hands
License Mount: work in progress
Springer Seat: Miller Seats
Talk about night moves
That orange headlight glow
Pinstriped flames are sick
That deep tunnel Peanut, clean as hell. Check out that wiring!
Motor is super clean and rocking the stock foot controls. Remember Brakes on the left on the ole' Triumphs!
has such a nice stance.
No troll toll here.
Skinny as hell.
Streaking.
Dig Mikey's Sportster chopper, and want to know exactly how he built such a good-lookin' machine with a killer stance? Well, you made it to the EXACT right place :)
You can find all the parts Mikey used to build his 2000 Sportster chopper right here.
In May of 2018, Gorgeous Greg and I took a very short van ride down the street from the shop to a really nice couple's house here in Brunswick, OH. They had a listing on the ole' craigslist for a gently used fully stock 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL for a cool $3,500.
The bike had just over 5k miles on it and seemed like a promising candidate for becoming my new chopper project. The motor was extremely clean, and it had lots of chrome bits on it that I could pull off and resell.
Before shot of the 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster, freshly purchased and in front of the shop.
Using what I recently learned from Todd on what to look for when buying a used Harley Sportster, I brought my cash, my questions and my business face. When we arrived Greg and I did a thorough investigation of the bike.
The ad said it was an 883 but much to my surprise when looking at the jugs it had a 1200 stamp on it. I asked the gentleman selling the bike if it had been converted to 1200 and he said, "Yeah, my brother in-law is a mechanic. He did the conversion on it so it would be a bit faster for the wife, but she just likes to ride on the back of mine. Hence why we are trying to sell it."
Everything was super clean and in way better shape then the previous 2 bikes I had looked at that week. Next came the negotiation where I failed miserably but still got a fair deal in my opinion. $3500 is a fair price but its always nice to get a little more off of any deal, if you can. I offered $3200 and the guy wouldn't budge, he said "I'll just keep it, $3500 is the number."
In the end I shook his hand and gave him his full asking price. It was just too clean of a motorcycle not to pay what he was asking. Greg and I loaded the bike up and took it the shop.
Stripping the bike down was a lot of fun for me and I learned a lot about where everything was located and how it goes together.
The plan for the bike was to ride it stock for the summer and make sure it ran well, then strip it down and get the rolling chassis and motor over to The Gasbox for some extensive research and development. I think I rode it maybe a month and Jesse was getting eager to get his hands on it.
David Bird had retired around that time and there were no high quality hardtails being made on the market. Tyler and Jesse wanted to change that and needed the bike to develop Lowbrow's weld-on hardtail for 1986-2003 Harley Sportsters.
So, I stripped the bike down to the bones right after our Fuel Cleveland show that July and took it to The Gasbox. There, the bike became the guinea pig for the next 3 years making way for a slew of innovative parts, many oif which you can see on this motorcycle.
In April 2019 the first Lowbrow Customs hardtail was born.
As I was saying the R&D work took almost 3 years. First came the hardtails within the first year, then slowly The Gasbox developed more and more parts off of my bike. It was cool to see the developments being made every time I stopped into The Gasbox, but yet at the same time I realized the bike wasn't getting anywhere closer to being a finished chopper.
Life, work, projects, Fuel Cleveland shows, and the pandemic took a tole and I feared this project was never going to get done. Then one day in early 2021 Jesse called me up and said "Hey man, come get this thing, it's taking up space in the shop! The fab work is done, and now it's all on you now to finish the mock up, pull it a part, and do all the finishing details, paint, wire it etc."
Lowbrow Customs first oil tank that fits perfectly with the hardtails.
Feb. 2021 near the final mock up. At Tyler's house we filmed the 'I cut my bike in half, now what?' video
With the fabrication done it was time to figure out what I wanted to do for paint, the handlebars, the seat design, sissy bar, wheels, and all of the little odds and ends. In my opinion you can really make or break a bike with a few key things.
If the paint is bad, the bike is ruined, if the seat isn't done with taste, it can throw the bike off. If the tires and wheels aren't right, it can make the bike look ugly. So with all of that in mind I looked to some of my own photos of bikes I've taken in the wild, the good ole' internet, and some inner locked memories for so much needed inspiration.
Tyler saying, "Now what"
For the paint, I wanted my friend Joe Koenigsmark to handle it. He's a master in old hot rod techniques and I knew he could lay down the ideas in my head. I remember the first time I saw Warren Heirs' gold leafed Knucklehead at Hoodbush back in 2013.
It had my attention the minute my eyes laid on it and I knew right there and then that one day I would build a black and gold leafed chopper. I also had this distant memory in my head of a time when I was really little. My step dad Carl would smuggle H-D cigarettes by the cartons from South Carolina to Ohio, he would drag me and my mom along from the extremely long car ride. We would see some of his family down there and then he would load up the car and make our way back north.
Joe's line work is incredible. I love the line that goes from the tip of the hardtail all the way up and through the tank continuously flowing, it's just beautiful.
When we got home he would sell those bad boys for triple. The guy would do anything to make a buck and help keep our family a float, for that aspect of him I will always be grateful for. Though this was highly illegal, he didn't give a shit and it just made me think he was such a bad ass.
Well, it just so happened that those Harley cigarette packs he used to smuggle had a gold eagle emblem stamped on them. The lightbulb went off when I was thinking about the paint scheme of gold and black and I knew that had to be the design for the top of the tank.
The old Harley-Davidson full flavor cigarette packs, what they used to look like. I remember them so vividly as a kid.
A gold leafed eagle, I even wanted to keep the funny bar and shield saying. "Harley-Davidson Custom Blend". My step dad Carl passed last year of stomach cancer at the young age of 52 and I figured this paint job could be a little tribute to him.
He loved motorcycles and but never could afford a Harley, so it felt fitting to do something and pay my respects in my own way on the tank of a Harley. Our relationship wasn't always the best, but there were some good times, and this was a memory I wanted to keep with me forever.
Custom Blend, Harley-Davidson bar and shield was laid in gold leaf by Joe Koenigsmark and then Chris MacMahan from Aerographix laid the hand painted outlines on the top to form the eagle.
The custom paint took about a year for Joe to complete, if you are doing the math we are at year 4 on this ever ongoing project. Wild to think but, when I got the paint back I couldn't have been happier. I mean just look at the gold leaf and hand painted orange pinstripes that tie it all together. It's just a thing of pure fucking beauty and it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.
Joe also surprised me with a couple hidden gems. One was a hand painted orange flying dinger by my seat post hole. It's hidden under the custom motorcycle seat. A pretty funny inside joke between Joe and I. At Bonneville he's always drawling dingers on Kyle, Tyler, and other people's bikes and taking photos of them while he's drawling them is hilarious.
Lowbrow Customs Oil Tank for hardtail Sportsters sporting beautiful gold leaf detailing.
He also buried a tobacco brown metal flake deep into the black so when the sun hits it just right, the bike shimmers. Keeping true to the cigarette theme, I was beyond blown away by that intricate detail. The last surprise on the paint, Joe hand painted a small heart with my dog's nickname Kiki in it, near the bottom of my tank. She had passed just a couple days before I had planned to pick up the paint from Joe's Shop.
He said with a tear in his eye as he handed me the tank, "So she will always be riding with you." and then gave me a big hug. I'm not going to lie, I got pretty emotional, it was such a kind and thoughtful gesture. I'm truly grateful to have a friend like Joe in my life.
Kioshi Mercedes aka Kiki, I miss her every day.
While the paint was going on I had to figure out another piece of the puzzle which was the front end. I knew I didn't want to run a front brake, well because choppers, duh. So, I ended up pulling my 39mm front end apart and sending my lowers off to my best friend Chris Drew in Buffalo. He shaved them down for me and did this killer 4 stripe design on the top of them. We just kept it simple.
I knew immediately when I saw them done they had to be powdercoated black. With that decision made, it would have been funny to keep the trees in their metal finish, so those were sent off to the powdercoater as well. Rubber boots always give off this tough guy look vibe on front ends, so I went with a pair of those too.
For the headlight, there was an old bates square boy from an old front end I bought off Tyler years ago that was just sitting in my garage waiting for this project. It was the perfect compliment to the front end once Fiorucci Fabrications made a one off mounting bracket for me.
Front end has just the right amount of chrome and black mixed. 13 spoke mags look killer with no front brake.
For the wheels I kept picturing black to match the paint and give the lucky 13 spoke mags a subtle pop. Those got sent off to the powdercoater as well. The one thing I learned very quickly from this build was, make sure your tires are the ones you are going to run before the fabrication process starts. I'll never make that mistake again.
It was a bitch finding vintage style tires that would fit this build that were as close to stock tire size, since that's what I had on there during fab. I ended up going with some Shinko Classic 240's, 19" on the front and a 16" on the rear. They are a bit squared off but give off that vintage aggressive look that really makes the bike look right in my opinion.
13 Spoke stock mag wheels. Shinko Classic 240's 19" front, 16" on the rear.
Ok, let's talk handlebars for a second. Initially I wanted to go with my gut and run Rabbit Ear handlebars. I've basically run those on every bike I've ever owned because they are comfy, but for this one something just said to me keep it tough. So after going back and forth, pulling bar after bar off the Lowbrow shelves to see which one spoke to me, our 10" T-bars took the win.
For the longest time I had this idea in my head to run clean bars and run a suicide shifter on my next bike, so the first plan of action was to run an internal throttle. I worked with my close friend Tim Fiorucci and we did a cool video showing us cutting down the set of T-bars and how to install a Kustom Tech internal throttle to use on this bike.
I still don't have a suicide shift for it though. I've been waiting on Pat from Led Sled to make me one of his killer mid control clutch set ups forever now. One day it'll go on here, but until then I ended up using a black Kustom Tech Clutch lever on the bars. With the internal throttle, it still gives a super clean look.
The Cole Foster signature grips are my all time favorite, so you know I had to run those. Tim also hooked me up with some Joker Machine throttle cable line re-locaters that I tapped and drilled into the back of the T-bars. A trick little part that really cleaned up the bars. Oh and the cherry on top of it all and still keeping the bars minimal was using a Pangea Speed 851 mirror. It's extremely small, keeps you legal, and it's actually functional.
Lowbrow Customs 10" T-bars, Kustom Tech Internal throttle & clutch lever, Cole Foster grips, Joker machine throttle clamps, and Pangea Speed 851 Mirror.
As I was saying earlier another big component for me that makes or breaks a bike's style is the seat and sissy bar. Ginger McCabe of New Church Moto is the only one I go to and who I trust 100% will kill it every time. She's the seat master, hands down.
With Jesse at The Gasbox developing the perfect cobra style seat pan for this hardtail frame fender combo, it made life easy sending it off to Ginger. We came up with together a half diamond half "V" style pleated design and I couldn't have asked for a better seat. Its functional, cool looking and fits the paint paint and flow so well.
It's really comfy, seriously!
As for the sissy bar its like pulling teeth to convince Jesse a tall sissy bar is cool. I absolutely need one though for my camera gear and constant travel on my bikes. Eventually Jesse gave in and made me a stainless, round top, 36" tall sissy that fits the bike just right.
To make it legal and a bit safer then some of my other bikes I've owned, we slapped the Prism Supply Co. Box chopper light and their license plate bracket right in the middle of the sissy bar too. Extremely good visibility for traffic behind to see when stopping.
Custom stainless sissy bar by The Gasbox, Prism Supply Co Box chopper light and license plate bracket, and Red Fox orange reflectors.
Once I had everything back from the powdercoater and polisher/chromer I started the final assembly on a few blankets laid down on the ground in the middle of my garage floor. One of my good friends Joe Banks came over and helped me carefully put the motor into the frame.
After we secured the motor we put the, front end together, then we installed the wheels and the kickstand so it could move freely in the garage and be able to be parked when not working on it. Putting the motor in the frame is definitely a two man job, I'm not sure how most people do it by themselves with out scratching the hell out of their paint.
Pro tip, lay the motor on it's right side on the ground and lay the frame over the motor from the top, it makes it so much easier than trying to lift the motor in the frame upright and will save your paint. Use lots of blue masking tape as well.
OoooooLala that motor is shiny!
After a couple small hiccups and some broken fittings here and there I ended up getting most of the bike together with in a couple weeks before this year's Glory Daze show but it led to one problem left. Wiring, which I'm not gonna lie, I've never done before.
I called on the help of my Lowbrow co-worker andfriend Clayton Donofrio who's a wiring wizard. With a full Saturday we were able to make a custom wiring harness from scratch and hide almost all of the wires internally through the back bone of the frame. It looks so clean and I couldn't be more grateful for his help and guidance on the project. I would have been totally lost with out his help.
With the goal of firing it up and taking it to Glory Daze in Pittsburgh, I just made the deadline. The first time I fired it up, it ran on only one cylinder. Confused I looked at my wiring diagram and realized that my ignition was not the same as the diagram we had used to wire everything to and I must of had a wire crossed and or missing.
Luckily for me, Clayton left the elusive blue wire I needed right at the top of our custom made wire harness. After pulling the tank off, all we had to do was pull the wire a bit and the blue wire came out dancing out. We switched the colors needed shown on the correct diagram and it fired right up both cylinders.
I've never screamed a Todd type "WOOOO" so enthusiastically and loud until that day in my life. It was a huge feeling of accomplishment to get that bike running.
She's super clean.
This bike was a huge learning curve for me and a major accomplishment in my book. It not only taught me patience and new mechanical skills I've never had before but I think most importantly, it gave me the confidence in myself that I can work on these machines.
If you break something, don't worry it can be fixed, nothing is truly fucked. I learned how to problem solve, find solutions, be resourceful and also know that it's ok to ask for help to friends from time to time. I could go on forever and ever about this bike and the cool shit that is on it but I'm just going to end it here by thanking everyone who was involved with helping me on this build.
Clayton and me after firing it up and it running correctly for the first time!
A huge thank you to Tyler Malinky for the support and the parts to make this bike a reality.
Big thank you to Jesse Basset at The Gasbox for all the hard work on developing so many great parts on this bike for me and the fabrication.
Thank you to Tim Fiorucci for all the expert advise, time wasted on the phone talking about this dumb thing, fab work, and finishing touches.
Thanks to Joe Koenigsmark for the extremely well thought out paint job, it's worth every penny.
Thanks to Ginger McCabe for the incredible comfy seat for my tush.
Huge thank you to Mark at Colony Machine for all the shiny fasteners one man could ever ask for to make this bike look shiny and new.
Thanks to Chris Drew for the precision shave of my lower legs.
Big Thanks to Joe Banks for the muscle, hanging out, the help, jokes, and moral support.
Thanks to Clayton Donofrio for all the wiring help and guidance.
Thanks to Dan Dellostritto for all his advice and help over the face-times.
And last but certainly not least big thanks to my soul mate and wife Kat Arnold for being my rock, keeping me calm and sane, motivating me to finish this thing, and believing in me always.
- Words and Photos by: Mikey Revolt
You can also check out more photos and coverage of this bike in an up coming issue of Choppers Magazine.
Kat, my Pomeranian Dante and me at Glory Daze. Photo by Alexa Diserio
General
Owner: Mikey Revolt
Year/Make/Model: 2000 Harley-Davidson XL
Fabrication: The Gasbox and Tim Fiorucci
Build Time: 4 and half years
1200 conversion kit, Gasbox 007 Air cleaner, Gasbox custom exhaust.
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 2000/ 883 HD XL Motor with 1200 conversion kit
Carburetor: CV Carb
Exhaust: Modified custom set of Gasbox upswept shotgun pipes and WRTT ends
Air Cleaner: Gasbox 007 stainless air cleaner
Frame is stock with a Lowbrow Customs Weld-on hardtail for 86-03 Harley-Davidson Sportsters
Frame
Year/Type: 2000 Stock with Lowbrow Customs Weld-on 86-03 Harley-Davidson Sportster Hardtail
Rake/Stretch: 0 Rake / 3" Stretch 1" Drop
39mm, stock length, and cycle standard boots.
Front End
Type / Brand: Stock HD 39mm Showa
19" 13 Spoke Mag front wheel, Shinko Classic 240 - 19 tire.
16" 13 spoke mag rear wheel, Shinko Classic 240 - 16" tire
Wheels
Front Size: 19" Stock 13 Spoke Mag - Tire: Shinko Classic 240
Rear Size: 16" Stock 13 Spoke Mag - Tire: Shinko Classic 240
You can see the tobacco brown flake thats buried in the black in this shot.
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Angel Dust Cycle Paint - Joe Koenigsmark and Chris MacMahan from Aerographix
Plating/Polishing: Custom Chrome in Cleveland
Powdercoating: Ace Powdercoating
Cycle Standard gas cap with some customization. I found this broach in Tombstone, AZ at an antique store back in May of this year and cut the pin off with a Dremel. I then used good ole JB weld to secure it to the top of the cap.
Accessories
Front Fender: NOPE
Rear Fender: Gasbox 16" Rear fender
Gas Tank: Lowbrow Customs Frisco Mount Sportster 2.1 Gallon Narrow Bayonet Filler
Handlebars: Lowbrow Customs 10" T-Bars
Grips: Lowbrow Customs Cole Foster Signature Grips 1"
Mirrors: Pangea Speed Shop 851 Mirror
Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Internal Throttle, Kustom Tech Clutch Lever
Foot Controls: Speed Merchant Foot pegs, stock controls
Headlight: vintage bates
Taillight: Prism Supply Co. Box Chopper light
Turn Signals: My Arms
License Mount: Prism Supply Co
Seat: Custom New Church Moto by Ginger McCabe
This bike is super skinny, mean, and aggressive on the road. Lane Splitter fo sho.
Big fan of the K&N oil filters with the ratchet end.
Lowbrow Customs Rear Caliper Bracket, Mid USA Caliper, and Goodridge Brake line / fittings.
Lowbrow Customs Battery Box & Fender Mount with Gasbox Battery Box for YTZ Electric Start Batteries.
That view doh.
B-sides, I tried to keep the orange and black going with the wiring and spark plug wires.
Cole Foster Grips on the Kustom Tech Internal Throttle.
Custom Blend...
Gasbox 007 Air Cleaner, Lowbrow Custom Extended Float Bowl Screws and breather bolts.
This points cover actually came with the bike when I bought it. Felt it should stay.
Incase the key switch faults, got a solenoid starter switch.
Just a killer view.
Choppers man, choppers
Some really cool details Joe Koenigsmark laid down on the rear fender.
Cleveland has such beautiful views.
Crisp lines.
Speed Merchant pegs.
Thought this was pretty trick, little pig Q on the positive rapping around the negative wire for the headlight.
another angle of that Pangea Speed 851 Mirror
Lowbrow Customs 39mm low profile fork caps and Radius Steering Stem
another view of the comfiest seat around.
She's a ripper.
A pickup truck pulls up in the spot next to us with a bike in the back and at a glance I could see it was something cool. We walked over to take a look.
That's how we met Shane Waters and the rest of his motley crew. We got to know them better over a few days of racing, grilled brats and beers.
We were stoked to see one of our KR-style Bolt On Hardtail Frames (also available for 1967 - 1978 Harley Sportsters!) on such a good looking bike, and even better, a race bike. Racing is a very thorough way of testing products, and we are glad to see our parts put through the ringer!
Looking forward to the 2023 race season and hanging with the Rabbit Foot Racing crew at Bonneville!
"I’ve been going to the Bonneville Salt Flats with my dad, brothers and friends for the past 5 or 6 years.
Land speed racing has become another way to have fun with old bikes. My brother Zach holds a couple of records on a Knucklehead, and we are shooting for some more.
The idea of this bike started on a late night at "the Bend in the Road" with my brother Luke.
(Editor's Note: Bend in the Road is literally 'the bend in the road' before the road ends, and you enter the Bonneville Salt Flats. It is a popular place to camp during race events)
We were discussing the state of the world over a few dozen Busch Lights and figured we needed to add another bike to the Rabbit Foot Racing team. In the past few years, I have seen the light and realized that flatheads are vastly superior to those overhead valve contraptions that Harley started messing with so many years ago. I am even starting to get my dad, Wet Wally, warmed up to flatheads.
After a bit of research, I started searching for a Harley K Model to modify to race at the salt flats. I ended up coming across this engine that looked like it would fit the bill. With the help of some great friends and family, we quickly went from an engine under the Christmas tree to a running, riding bike that following April.
We went to Blytheville, Arkansas in April 2022 to start to dial it in, but had some technical difficulties and didn’t get to make a run. I came back home and tore down for paint, as planned, and fixed the other issues.
My wife and twin daughters are not the biggest gear heads, but support my ambitions 100%. The girls helped in the garage when they were needed, but their influence was not fully seen until it was time for paint.
The color combo was a family decision and paint design was on the girls. My 11 year old daughters each designed the graphics for one side of the gas tank, giving the bike some curb appeal.
No one notices the long hours in fabrication or Jim’s perfect welds, but that gas tank really pops!
I have a lot of people to thank in helping me get this bike where it is today. We made it to Bonneville 2022, but did not get to run due to weather. We had a strong support crew (The Zoo Crew) out there ready to race, but we just had to go into full time party mode, instead. A good time was had by all, and that is what it’s all about, anyway. We hope to see you out on the salt next year!"
Words by Shane Waters
Photos by Mikey Revolt
Shane and his dad.
General
Owner: Shane Waters
Year/Make/Model: 1966 Harley-Davidson KR
Fabrication: Jim’s Choppers
Build Time: 1 year (and counting)
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1966 45 cubic inch flathead KR
Carburetor: Dual Mikunis
Exhaust: KR straight pipes
Air Cleaner: Fabbed backing plate to fit Harley (K&N) oval
Frame
Year/Type: 1956 K model frame with Lowbrow hardtail
Rake/Stretch: Stock neck – Rear is 2” stretch utilizing a Lowbrow Customs KR Style Bolt-on Hardtail
Front End
Type / Brand: 39mm Harley
Front Wheel 19" Morris 7 Spoke
Rear Wheel 18" Morris 7 Spoke
Wheels
Front Size: 19” Morris 7 spoke
Rear Size: 18” Morris 7 spoke
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Jayda & Jayci Waters
Plating/Polishing: Owner
Powdercoating: n/a
Accessories
Front Fender: None
Rear Fender: Air Tech
Gas Tank: XR 750 replica
Handlebars: clip ons
Grips: Rubber
Mirrors: Nope
Hand Controls: HD
Foot Controls: Modified HD
Headlight: Nope
Taillight: Nope
Turn Signals: Nope
License Mount: Nope
Seat: In progress – Leather work by my brother, JR Watson
]]>
By purchasing a Biltwell item from Lowbrow Customs during Black Friday - Cyber Monday sales, you will be automatically entered for a chance to with an EXFIL-80 stuffed with goodies (a $500+ value), or a 2nd or 3rd place prize!
This offer is valid 12:01 a.m. Friday, November 25th through 11:59 a.m. Monday, November 28th, 2022 (EST).
This is on top of getting 15% Off All Biltwell Products during this Black Friday weekend!
The winners will be randomly chosen on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 and will be notified by email and/or phone. Good luck!
The 3rd prize winner can choose a Biltwell Gringo S helmet in their choice of color and size, and it will come with this prototype Biltwell Pinlock shield!
]]>There was an old fella', a local legend really, who I'd made friends with in my travels. Supposedly, being invited to pick through his stash meant you were pretty much family to him.
His prize possession was his '25 Indian Chief, somewhat complete, which lived in the mans bedroom. He'd joked that someday I'd probably end up with it, because he'd love to see it turned into something really special.
Fast forward a few years later and his health started to decline. He stopped into the shop one day to tell me he had something for me, and that I needed to come see him at his home. I had no idea what it could be. As I'd thought about the conversations we had years earlier all of it was just a pipe dream...
When I arrived, sitting there in the front yard, was his grail, the Indian Chief waiting to be loaded. He hadn't much to say, as he never did, and I usually obliged by not saying too much either, but I understood completely.
Now that I had the Indian in my possession, I felt like it was gonna have to be some of my best work, something that would make him proud, and something that wouldn't bring too much attention to him... Just the way he liked things...
It wasn't until after he has passed on a short time later that I was able to get started, and I regret he never got to see it finished.
Photo by David Carlo
The bike was missing a lot of parts, though what was there had survived nearly 100 years without being altered. I couldn't bring myself to cut anything, so i decided to use the powertrain and build from scratch my version of an Indian Chief.
I've developed a habit over the last few bikes of drawing inspiration from early race bikes, hillclimber, board trackers, speedway racers etc. I came across a wall of death bike that was used in Germany back in the 30's that just spoke to me and decided that would be this builds inspiration.
Immediately, I had two personal obstacles to overcome, leaf springs and red paint. The way I see it, I've never really been a fan of either but an Indian needs both.
The first thing I had to design was a leaf sprung front end that I could live with, and in doing so it sort of gave birth to the color and metal finish scheme I'd hoped to achieve. The polished billet front end would blend from modern and shiny to a more traditional and patina look as you move your eyes to the rear.
The paint was easy, I like black, so I googled "black red" and it turned out to be a standard color on the RAL color chart....done! I made the tank from aluminum as well to help continue the contrasting finishes. Most of the other parts I plated with electroless nickel followed by gun blue and then a with a quick rub with a scotch brite pad.
Some other things I'm proud of on this bike are the dual rear drums, with cutaway back plates to reveal all the working parts, the swinging rear axle dropouts, which were based on a bicycle design, and the ratcheting shifting, which uses a few Triumph parts mounted on the top of the case.
I was also able to stuff an entire electronic ignition, including the coil, inside of the original magneto housing. The continuation of the seat onto the tank is part of the Wall of death design, giving a place to sit or stand and give off a thrill.
While building my own version of such a bike, I couldn't help but think of my friend, Charlie Ransom. Right around this time, I'd learned Charlie had left the spectacle of wall riding to live a quieter life... and it seemed no one had noticed.
Charlie to me is a living legend, a walking, talking piece of American history... and one of the few truly Genuine people I've met in this life. Charlie has left a mark on me and my family as well, and he belongs in a hall of fame somewhere, but seemed to have slipped away nearly unnoticed. When the time came, I whipped out some gold leaf and alphanamel to pay tribute to Charlie in my own way by putting his name "Ransom" right on the tank.
Words by Jeremy Cupp
Photos by Kyle Shaub
Photo by David Carlo
General
Owner: Jeremy Cupp
Year/Make/Model: 2022 one off
Fabrication: LC Fabrications
Build Time: A long time
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1925 Indian Big Chief
Carburetor: Dual Amal 600 Series
Exhaust: One Off byLC Fabrications
Air Cleaner: One off byLC Fabrications
Photo by David Carlo
Frame
Year/Type: One OffLC Fabrications
Front End
Type / Brand: Billet Leafer byLC Fabrications
Rear wheel 19"
Front Wheel 19"
Wheels
Front Size: 19"
Rear Size: 19"
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Lc Fabrications
Plating/Polishing: DGM Chrome / Lc Fabrications
Powdercoating: Defensecoat RVA
Accessories
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Nope
Gas Tank: One off LC Fabrications
Handlebars: LC Fabrications
Grips: LC Fabrications
Mirrors: Nope
Hand Controls: LC Fabrications
Foot Controls: LC Fabrications
Headlight: LC Fabrications
Taillight: Lc Fabrications
Turn Signals: Nope
Seat: Lc Fabrications
4 cell Antigravity Battery and LC Fab Battery box
The integrated foot controls in the floor boards are so cool!
Check out that custom headlight.
Lots of stuff jammed in that magneto, 12 volt electric ignition and coil.
Beautiful custom grips
"Ransom"
]]>
Here at Death Co. we've been making shitty t-shirts for shitty people for a very long time; we decided it was time to make rad bikes for rad people. We specialize in 1986-2003 Harley Davidson Sportsters but also dabble in 1970-1999 Big Twins.
When the opportunity came up to start this latest endeavor for Death Co., only one parts company came to mind; Lowbrow Customs. Their parts have been used on almost every project we've done for the past 15 years, it only made sense to continue that relationship. Somewhat local to us here and top quality parts that can't be beat - as well as great customer service.
That stance.
The frames we've been using for all of our Sportster builds are the Gasbox 3" up full rigid frames. These things are a work of art and Jesse over there really has made life easy for builders with the frames accepting OEM spacing that is basically plug and play on the rear section.
Pair that with a flawless horseshoe oil tank, shorty sissy bar, rear fender, tidy battery tray (all by Gasbox) and you're in business. They really couldn't make it much easier for the DIY builder. Whether you've been doing this stuff for years or are just starting out, with a little creativity and attention to detail, your next build could look just like ours or even better. Check out all the parts from Lowbrow Customs that went into this 1987 Harley-Davidson Sportster Chopper #1 build.
Words by: Dan Dellostritto
Photos and Video by: Mikey Revolt
We took a quick trip down to Columbus, Ohio to visit our good friend Dan Dellostritto and hear all about his latest venture. We've been seeing some of his killer builds on social media since Death Co. Choppers was born a few months back.
Dan has long been known for Death Co., his t-shirt brand, but building bikes for others is a newer endeavor. Death Co. Choppers' sole purpose is to bust out killer, Midwest, tough-as-nails Sportster builds all while utilizing Lowbrow Customs as his main source for parts.
Love Dan's build, and want to know what parts he used to put together such a beautiful machine? Well, you made it to the EXACT right place :)
You can find all the parts used when building the Death Co. Sportster No. 1 right here. In addition, we also have a great line of Harley Davidson Sportsters Accessories for you to explore.
General
Owner: Dan Dellostritto
Year/Make/Model:1987 HARLEY DAVIDSON
Fabrication: N/A
Build Time: 2 MONTHS
XLH 1100 topped off with some really nice pipes by The Gasbox.
Engine
Year/Type/Size: 1987 XLH1100
Carburetor: S&S Super E
Exhaust: The Gasbox Upswept Shotgun
Air Cleaner: Plumb Cycles
Gasbox 3" up full frame for 86-03 Harley-Davidson Sportsters
Frame
The Gasbox 86-03 Sportster 3" Up Rigid Full Frame
Year/Type: N/A
Rake/Stretch: 32 degree Rake, 3" Up - 4" Stretch, 2" Drop
4" over works really well with this 3" up frame.
Front End
Type / Brand: Harley 39mm Narrow Glide with 4" over fork tubes and shaved lowers
19" front 9 spoke mag wheel.
18" rear 9 spoke mag with Lowbrow Customs Chain Conversion Kit
Wheels
Front Size: 19" 9 spoke powder coated mag
Rear Size: 18" 9 spoke powder coated mag
Tank painted by Time Bomb Kustoms
Finish/Paint
Paint by: Trey Guidry - Bike / Gas Tank by Time Bomb Kustoms
Plating/Polishing: Powder coating:
Zylstra Cycle Bars and Pangea Speed Mirror
Accessories
Front Fender: Nope
Rear Fender: Cycle Standard 5 1/2" Smooth Radius
Gas Tank: Lowbrow Customs 1.6 Gallon Super Narrow Firsco Mount Sportster Tank
Handlebars: Zylstra Cycles
Grips: Cycle Standard HD Factory Style Grips
Mirrors: Pangea Speed
Hand Controls: OEM
Foot Controls: Trimed Down Drag Specialties Rubber Pegs
Headlight: OEM
Taillight: Jegs
Turn Signals: Nope
License Mount:
Seat: Custom B & C
Custom seat...
If looks could kill.
"Car, Game OFF!" - Waynes World.
1.6 Gallons will get ya somewhere.
One of the coolest Air Cleaners by Plumb Cycles.
Shortened pegs.
Lowbrow Customs Horseshoe Oil tank. Dan integrated a weather proof ignition switch in it as well.
Cycle Standard 5 1/2" smooth radius rear fender.
Lowbrow Customs 39mm Low Profile Fork Caps and 39mm Radius Steering Stem Bolt.
S&S carb.
Pumpkin spice and everything nice.
She's pretty damn skinny.
The Gasbox Coil relocation and top motor mount with Lowbrow Customs Spark plug wires.
Just a little classic HD branding.
The Gasbox Battery box housing an Antigravity 12 cell battery.
The man himself DeathcoDan....
Midwest tough.
Choppers man, choppers.
On paper, the plan Biltwell co-founder and OG Lowbrow supplier Bill Bryant cooked up four years ago seemed easy. Build a mil-spec monster truck, kit out some choppers for all-terrain abuse, enlist a team of similarly masochistic bike riders, then head to the Arctic Circle for four weeks of bikes, beers, bears, and mayhem.
What could go wrong, right?
With a tight plan conceived and the prep team assembled, Operation Numbnuts kicked into gear in the summer of 2019, with a jump-off date of August 2020 carved in stone.
In hindsight, and thanks to an overlanding animal named Yeti, Biltwell’s in-house wrench Rouser Rob, and master fabricator JD Sansaver, configuring Biltwell’s decommissioned US Army LMTV to do chase on the company’s Arctic assault was the easy part.
As Barnacle Bill and his right-hand man Josh Gilbow learned the hard way during multiple shakedown runs prior to their Alcan adventure, keeping “The Pig” running was more difficult, and required an engine swap to make things right
Fortunately, the global pandemic that made passage through Alaska and Canada in 2020 impossible gave Biltwell the extra time they needed to whip their porcine troop truck into shape.
The Pig
In another coup during that delay, Biltwell marketing manager Otto Deutsch convinced Harley-Davidson to loan a few Pan Americas for the adventure.
It took several thousand man-hours and an EXFIL-80 sized sack of loot to tie up every loose end, but The Pig and its cargo of food, bikes, parts, and gear drove onto a ferry bound for Alaska in August of this year.
The four-day ferry ride from Seattle to Fairbanks gave the hardy fools on Operation Numbnuts plenty of time to consider all the crazy shit that laid ahead of them.
On some Harley-Davidson PanAmericans
When your company slogan is “Ride Motorcycles. Have Fun,” trips like this are practically mandatory. The seeds for Biltwell’s latest two-wheeled adventure were sown in 2018 when Bill and his wife Carrie camped and kayaked out of their Toyota Tundra for a month along Alaska’s Alcan Highway.
Four doors, HVAC, and a custom camper with toilet and queen-sized bed made that overlanding family getaway downright luxurious.
Aboard Panheads, Shovelheads, and a well-used fleet of Harley media mules, Operation Numbnuts was less glamorous and way more unpredictable.
The Pig helped out a ton. In the middle of no where how else could you do a weld fix?
Despite everything—the blown motors, bear scat, ornery border officers, broken transmissions, dead batteries, faulty electronics, hot tempers, and cold feet—after nearly 3,500 miles no one spent the night in jail or hospital.
If that seems like a low bar for success, you haven’t ridden across Alaska on a 65-year-old motorcycle. Bill and the Biltwell crew have, and lived to tell their tale on Instagram, TikTok, and the Lowbrow blog.
Camp Biltwell
Congratulations and thanks to Biltwell for showing all of us how to ride motorcycles and have fun. You can see more photos and read more about the story on the Biltwell blog.
Photos by: Geoff Kowalchuk