Check out these Vans V-Twin Lock-On 1" Grips. Sure to keep locked on your bars for good and give you one hell of a nice ride all while looking like the bottom of your favorite shoe tread, VANS!
In this video you get to hang out with your favorite Moto Tech Guru, Todd, in the Lowbrow Customs' workshop as he shows you all the cool features of these Vans V-twin Lock-on Grips. After you get the lowdown on all the coolness, he then shows you how easy it is to install on our purple rigid Harley Sportster.
Follow along and lets have some fun!
Those are some nice looking grips.
First things first, loosen the non throttle grip torx screws.
In the box they supply this torx bit wrench.
Just loosen the screws, don't remove.
Next slide the grip onto the left side of the handlebar.
The fit will get firmer and harder to push the farther it slide up the bar.
First thing you want to do is de-adjust your throttle cables giving them the most amount of play so that you can fit the cables onto the throttle tube.
De-adjust your throttle cables. Break the lock nut free and give yourself the most slack on the cables that you can.
While you have your throttle cables exposed. Give them some lube. You'll thank us later.
Next hook the cables onto the throttle tube. It's sometimes easier to do this off of the bars at first, but be careful. Those pesky chinga-dingas that go over the ball ends of the cables are super tiny and if you drop them, good luck finding them. You've been warned!
Fit the chinga-dingas on the balls and set in the throttle tube with the throttle wires resting in the groove of the throttle tube.
Loosely install your throttle housing on top of the throttle tube.
With the grip on the bar, push it all the way until it hits the end of the bar and then pull the grip back just a smidge before tightening down your throttle housing. This will prevent your throttle from sticking or dragging.
Pulling back the grip after it hit to prevent drag.
Now its time to adjust your throttle cables. Take the slack out of the cables and test the throttle as it gets tighter. You want to have just a little free play in your throttle. When you go to wick the throttle back it should move a little freely before starting to pull the throttle cables and giving you some resistance.
Adjusting the cables. Once you find your adjustment is right make sure to use the locking nuts to keep your settings.
Don't over crank your throttle housing but make sure its tight!
Use the long end of the torx wrench to tighten, use the short end to give the final wammy.
WOOOOOOO!
That's it, your new Vans V-twin Lock-on cable throttle grips are installed. Now only one last thing to do... GO FOR A RIDE! Wooooohooooo!
Made in the USA. Awe yeah!
Check out them details. These are super rad!
Learn how easy it is to install Vans Lock-On TBW Motorcycle Grips with Mikey Revolt as he works on his 2017 Harley-Davidson Dyna Lowrider S in his personal garage. TBW stands for Throttle By Wire, BTW (which stands for By The Way).
Not only does he walk you through what makes these grips so great but shares with you what comes in the box.
Mikey then shows you how to remove your old grips and install a new set of Vans TBW Lock-on grips with ease. Break out the tools and let's get rocking!
Them grips are off the wall! HA!
We are going to install these gum color grips on this 2017 Dyna Lowrider S
First things first, you want to remove your grips off your handlebars if you haven't done so already. I've got some Lowbrow Customs AMF grips on here right now and should be easy to take off, however I do remember glueing the clutch side so we might just cut that off right away.
Cover your tank with a towel if you want to protect it from possible falling things like bolts or sockets etc.
Use a razor blade to cut the throttle side grip off, or you can use air and blow into the grip if its not glued on.
Remove bolts from throttle side housing using a T27 and T25.
Removing control housing cover.
Remove the clamp thats holding on the brake lever.
Pull housing and brake lever away from throttle tube.
Slide your throttle tube off. Make sure your TBW control stays in the bar and not with the throttle tube. The tooth should line up with the notch on the bar.
If the two bolts on the lock-on grip are tight, loosen them up first before sliding onto the handlebar.
Slide the Vans V-twin Lock-on Grip onto the bars. As it gets further up the bar you will feel it getting firmer and harder to push.
Use the supplied T15 Torx wrench to tighten down the clamp on the grips for a secure fit.
Make sure your clamp is secure on the throttle tube before sliding on the bars. Mine was a little loose.
Slide the throttle tube onto the handlebars and feel it hit the end and lock into the throttle by wire control, give it a wick or two to make sure it is sitting properly on the bars.
Introduce the control housing and brake lever to the new throttle tube.
There is a small tank on the control housing that meets up with a notch on the brake lever, these must line up to be put together correctly.
And it should look like this.
Put your clamp that holds the brake lever back on loosely.
Then secure your cover for your housing.
Then torque everything down.
Thats it, good to go. give'm a squeeze, they are sooo nice.
"OOOoooOOooo Guuurlll, those feel nice"
As Todd always says GO FOR A RIDE!
Hella dope.
Snow snow go away so I can rip these bad bois on the road!
Check out our latest and greatest accessory / tool that will make your life so much easier. We got tired of using sh*tty harbor freight straps in the trailer when going to shows with all our swag and a few bikes. So we decided to make a proper set of tie downs that are made specifically for hauling motorcycles.
In this tech tip quickie Todd shows you all the great features on these new Deluxe Ratcheting Tie Downs with Soft Straps and shows you how to properly secure our newest EFI Sportster Build to a trailer. Yeah buddy! Not only see how these bad bois work but also you are getting a sneak peak at some new stuff coming soon on our EFI Sportster Chop! WOOoooOOoooOO!
Have you ordered a drive chain for your Triumph motorcycle and it started rubbing on the case or top motor mount? You more than likely grabbed a Harley chain. Surprisingly a Triumph drive chain and a Harley drive chain aren't the same width. Watch this video and Todd will tell you all about it.
We do have a 530 Triumph drive chain available if you need one. Check out the British Standard 530 Drive Chain 130 links.
Not sure what British Fuel Valve to get for your Triumph, Norton, or Bsa Motorcycle? Well, don't you fear, Todd is hear to take all those worries away. He explains all the differences and how they work and install into your tank.
He also explains how new Amal carbs only come with a single banjo fitting and if you are running a dual valve on your TR6 or a dual carb set up on a Bonneville you will need to get yourself a dual banjo fitting for each carb.
In this tech tip quickie Todd helps you determine if you have a good or bad coil for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The only thing you need is a trust and inexpensive voltage meter and a couple minutes of your time.
This tip could help save you hours in finding an electrical gremlin you might not really have. It just might be your coil. But if comes back ok and it's not your coil, at least you now have piece of mind and one less thing you have to mark off the list to check.
Time for another Tech Tip Quickie but Todd hands the reigns over to Tyler on this computer wizardry. Are you in need of a replacement part but not sure how to make sure it will be an exact match for what you need on your model? Well there is a simple tool that will make your life so much easier. It's called the Harley-Davidson Service Portal.
With this HD service portal you will be able to find service manuals, and parts books for ever single Harley-Davidson model. These are helpful because the exploded diagrams give you every OEM number. That OEM number is an identification number of an exact part you need that guarantees fitment for that year and model.
Tyler shows you how easy it is to find your make/model of your motorcycle and look for the parts you are looking for on an exploded diagram. He then shows you how to copy and paste that OEM number into lowbrowcustoms.com and find exactly what you need. A very valuable tool indeed.
We carry a wide variety of NPT fittings in fuel valves, hose barb fittings, and plugs for your chopper building needs. In this video Todd walks you through the different styles of NPT (National Pipe Thread) fittings and shows you why they never fully engage all of the threads when installing in a gas tank, oil tank, etc. He also shows you a nifty chart that helps you gauge the size NPT you may need for your project.
Todd gets this question quite a bit. "I'm installing my new Louvered Air Cleaner on to my S&S Super E Carburetor and the mounting bracket is blocking my float bowl vent. What do I do?
In this super quick but informative tech tip Todd shows you there is another "optional" float bowl vent that you can remove from your carb with a simple T-handle allen wrench. Boom your venting again and you are rocking one killer air cleaner cover!
Did you just get a new headlight or taillight in from us and not sure what wires go where? Are you asking "Why does my headlight not have a black wire? Which one is the ground?" "Hey, this new taillight only has two wires... What gives!?" Well never fear builder extraordinaire, Todd is here to the rescue.
In this video you will learn from Todd how to determine what wires control the high beam, low beam and ground on a headlight. You will also learn how a taillight with only two wires grounds using the chassis. He also shows you how to determine which wire is the running light and which is the brake light. You soon too, will be a moto lighting guru after watching this video.
]]>Fitting the right amount a gear on a custom motorcycle can sometimes prove to be a real challenge. Trying to keep your bike looking stellar while also being a workhorse can be a tough balance.
Sometimes you need to haul some gear, and it is ideal if your bike is already set up so you can do so with ease. Making it look good is another thing...
Hell, putting a set a saddlebags on a chopper or a slimmed-down, performance-based Dyna seems sacrilege at times.
Well, fear not my friends!
Biltwell has come out with some killer motorcycle luggage options for your choppy bob and Dyna bois that keep them looking hella-good while carrying all your junk on the road. Pair your EXFIL bags with some saddlebag support brackets for a bullet-proof setup that is a breeze to install.
Function, style, and ease. The Biltwell EXFIL Utility Bag series makes everyones life easier when traveling on two wheels.
In this video Todd teaches you how easy it is to install Biltwell's EXFIL-18 Motorcycle Utility bags on the Saturday Sportster Tracker utilizing Drag Specialties 1994-2003 Saddlebag Support Brackets.
With some patience and a few hand tools, this job is a breeze and a lot of fun, because Todd's on the job!
Versatile functionality with a compact look gives you just enough space to enhance your adventure no matter what motorcycle you put these bags on.
The compact size of these bags, the adjustable throw-over main mounting strap, and all of the molle webbing mounting points let these EXFIL-18 bags be mounted on pretty much any motorcycle!
In this video you will see how easy it is to install the Biltwell EXFIL-36 Motorcycle Utility Bags on ay 2017 Harley-Davidson Dyna Lowrider S using a set of Drag Specialties 1991-2017 Dyna saddlebag support brackets.
With only a few hand tools and a few minutes of your time, you can throw these bags on with ease and get read to go on your next adventure.
And fear not, If you don't have a Dyna, these EXFIL-36 Motorcycle Utility bags still fit a wide variety of other motorcycles. Featuring universal mounting strap and velcro adjustment straps, these bags are easy to throw over any rear motorcycle fender and get them secure.
With the wide range of mounting points, the basic principles of this video install still apply to most any motorcycle. You just need to make sure to find and install the correct saddlebag brackets for your model bike, if needed to keep them away from the tire or chain / belt.
"We are going to get these bags on here in no time!" - Todd
Do this part one side at a time and use a scissor lift style jack under the bike to make sure the shock eyelet holes stay in line. Make sure to not remove both shock bolts at the same time, with out a scissor lift you will be in a world of hurt, trying to get your bike back into position to put the shock bolts back in.
Here is where your shock bolt is located and behind that is the first strut mount that will need removed.
Note how the shock is not lined up to the hole of the strut.
Using a scissor type jack lift will help you line up your shock to the hole in the strut properly.
Todd's removing the front strut mounting bolt.
Use red loctite on the shock bolt. Make sure to reuse any shock mounting hardware like spacers if was used beforehand.
Red loctite those shock bolts.
Don't fully tighten the shock bolt until you get the rear strut bolt in. This will help align everything and make sure it finds its home.
After both bolts are loosely tightened make sure to torque them to spec that your workshop manual for your model recommends.
*Repeat step on other side of the bike.*
First use the supplied velcro and set them up on each bag's back lowersides to how you want them to sit on the saddlebag rails.
Install velcro straps onto the bags. Then separate the middle velcro larger strap from the bag to get ready to put on the brackets.
Install bags onto the saddlebag mounts. Once slipped over, press firmly on the middle of the back to connect the large strips velcro.
Remove your seat so that the two velcro straps will link them together. Align them in the way of your choosing and then put your seat back on. Tighten the bottom rail straps to desired location.
Remove the seat.
Pull the right middle bag strap up then the left bag strap overtop and secure how you would like. Here's the time to step back from the bike and make sure it looks pleasing to your eye.
Reinstall your seat.
Fasten all four bottom velcro straps to the saddlebag support bracket. you can roll them around to hide the connections and keep a snug fit.
"I'm going to show you how easy it ist to install Biltwell's EXFIL-36 Motorcycle Utility Bags" Say that five times fast.
Do one side at a time. Remove fender strut bolts. If you remove all 4 fender strut bolts at the same time your fender could drop onto your tire. This could also make it more difficult, juggling the fender, say a sissy bar if you have one and other stuff while installing the saddlebag brackets.
Remove your fender strut bolts.
The front bolt is held in by a bung / long thin bracket that holds turn signal wires away from the tire. The rear bolt you will want to use a nyloc nut. The nyloc takes a 9/16" wrench and the bolts provided in the kit takes a 7/32" allen wrench. I used a long extension as well to keep from hitting my shocks and other parts on the motorcycle.
7/32" Allen wrench for the bolts. 9/16" wrench on the nyloc nut.
The saddlebag support bracket we are using is a Drag Specialties brand bracket made to fit 1991-2017 Dynas. Insert the bolts into the bracket and put a dab of blue Loctite on the front bolt.
Here is the Drag Specialties 1991-2017 Dyna saddlebag bracket that you need to purchase separately from the bags.
Use blue Loctite on the front boi because it goes into the bung on the thing inside fender bracket that keeps the turn signal wires off the tire.
Loosely install the saddlebag bracket front and back evenly before torquing them down. This will ensure you properly aligned the bracket to the holes.
Installing the saddlebag bracket.
Bam side one bracket installed! Now repeat this step on the other side of the motorcycle...
On the back of each bag there are loops that you can feed the provided velcro straps into.
These two areas on the bottom of the bags work best for the saddlebag brackets on this bike for me. There are multiple options and you can utilize these in many ways.
Next, pull the large middle strap on the back of the bag to open the velcro. Slide the strap under the bracket rail and then firmly secure the velcro. Then attach the bottom smaller velcro straps loosely so you can adjust the bags height when put together with the middle bags straps.
Do this on both sides.
On the top middle of each bag is a long velcro strap. Pull the left bag on the left side of the motorcycle up towards the fender first and then the right bag towards the fender and affix the velcro together.
Pulling up from the left bag then the right bag.
You will then want to adjust the height where needed to make them sit evenly and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Once at desired position tighten the bottom velcro straps on each side.
Move left or right and or adjust the middle velcro strap to lower or raise the bags do desired position. It helps to take a few steps back and really look at the angle of the bags to the bike.
These bags are rad!
All we have left to do is put your seat back on.
Check out that Lepera Kickflip seat. Super comfy on the hiney.
And there you have it.
Bam we are ready to rock and roll.
Brian Radmond from Geared Science has a new swing arm Shovelhead project he's been plucking away at in his garage. He thought it be cool to show everyone how easy it is to install a Gasbox Horseshoe Oil Tank for 1965 and later, 4 speed, swingarm frames.
The Gasbox oil tank, which also has an integrated battery box, replaces the stock Harley oil tank as well as the stock battery box. The end result is a custom oil tank that flows with the lines of the bike and gives a clean, simplified look.
With just a few stock mounts to cut, this Gasbox oil tank bolts up with ease and takes care of that stock lunchbox oil tank and square battery box.
Sleek, styling, and a classic look this tank even offers a beefy solution for the cable guide. A classy, heavy-duty, USA-made oil tank with beautiful form and function. Check out the full line of Gasbox motorcycle parts here.
Yep. Remove the oil tank and battery box from frame.
Cutting off the cable guide leaving the bottom part of the bracket.
Cut off the side mounting bracket and cable guide on the back down tube. Use a grinder to smooth out the bottom of the bracket you leave on.
Cutting off the back bracket on the left side of the frame from the battery box.
Cut off the battery box bracket on the back part of the frame. It may help to take your fender off if you have it on and also to hammer the mounting bracket away from the frame. You can then grind and smooth out where you cut.
Smoothing it out.
Take the cable guide bracket and mount it to the bottom of the oil tank.
There's a beefy cable guide mounting plate that you need to bolt to the bottom of the oil tank.
Depending on the year of your frame you may have to use this mounting bracket on the top or bottom of the mounting tab on the down tube of the frame.
Place the back bracket on the cross tube. It just hangs.
Hang the backing mounting plate on the cross tube of the frame.
Mount the tank on down tube bracket and hanging bracket.
Using the hanging bracket from the cross tube and the mounting bracket on the down tube, mount the tank.
Bam!
Here's another frame with the tank mounted in as well from the other side.
General maintenance is key to keeping a bike running and happy for a long time. If you have a motorcycle from 1980 to current, you most likely have a belt drive on your bike, instead of a chain.
Steve Knoble of Knoble Moto walks you through some easy steps on how to inspect, check and tighten your rear drive belt all while keeping the rear axle aligned. With the proper care and adjustments there is no reason why your belt can't last the entire life of your motorcycle.
Steve shows you how easy it is to inspect and tighten a rear belt drive on a 2008 Harley-Davidson Street Bob. He also shows you how to keep your axle aligned while tightening the belt. This general inspection and adjustment process is similar on most Harley-Davidsons.
Welcome to another Knoble Tech Tip with Steve Knoble.
This special tool helps you determine your deflection of the belt with 10lbs of pressure added to it.
Most newer Harley's have a belt guard on the bottom of the belt with a window where you can measure the deflection. If you took it off or dont have one you can use a tape measure.
Applying 10lbs of pressure to the belt in the window of the lower belt guard you can determine if the belt is within spec for your model. Check your service manual for this specification!
If you don't have a 10lb deflection tool another way to determine if your belt is loose is seeing if goes passed 45 degrees when pulling up on it left or right.
To adjust your belt you will have to loosen your axle nuts first.
There is an axle adjuster bolt on each end of your swing arm.
When tightening the axle adjuster it will pull the wheel back towards you. Think of your wrench as a clock. Start from the bottom at 6 o'clock and tighten to 9 o'clock that is a 1/4 turn. Then do that same thing on the other side. If a pipe is in the way you may have to do to 1/8ths of a turn to equal 1/4 turn.
You can see here Steve stopping at 9 o'clock equaling a 1/4 turn.
After tightening each side evenly and checking your belt tension is to the spec you need. Use a coat hanger and a zip tie or get a fancy tool on line that you can stick in your swing arm holes and measure your axle on each side. You can also use a tape measure. Measure from the hole in the swing arm to the center of the axle bolt on each side and make sure they are the same.
Measuring the other side with the locked in brass piece. Looks like Steve did a spot on job.
Check the deflection again if you had to adjust your alignment of your axle.
Torque down your axle nut, add on your axle clip or safety wire and you are ready to ride!
Unleash your (potentially unwilling) inner motorcycle detailer and turn heads with your gleaming machine as you cruise down the road.
If nothing else, cleaning your bike can help locate loose bolts, cracks or other hazards, so it is a good thing to practice now and again!
Dirt, grit, grime, and cloudy paint are all signs your bike needs washed.
Properly cleaning a motorcycle is not rocket science, but it does require some knowledge and experience. In this article, we will discuss some motorcycle cleaning tips and tricks and what to avoid when washing your motorcycle.
Before we dive into what to avoid when washing your motorcycle, let's first discuss how to clean a motorcycle properly. Cleaning a motorcycle can be divided into five main steps: preparation, pre-washing, washing, rinse and drying.
Gather your supplies and make sure your drying and waxing cloths are clean. Put your bike in a shady area.
Before washing your motorcycle, it is essential to prepare the necessary supplies, including a bucket, mild soap, microfiber towels or a soft sponge, a hose or low-pressure washer, and a drying cloth. Make sure to park your motorcycle in a shaded area to prevent the soap from drying too quickly.
Pre-washing, give your bike a good rinse. Use a hose with a nozzle or just open and push your finger on it. DON'T USE A PRESURE WASHER!
The pre-washing step involves removing loose dirt and debris from the motorcycle. Use a garden hose to rinse the motorcycle thoroughly. Make sure to cover all areas of the motorcycle, including hard-to-reach spots such as under the fenders and between the wheels. Avoid using a high-pressure jet directly on the motorcycle as it can damage the paint or strip off the wax. For this reason, we recommend avoiding using a pressure washer.
Fill your bucket with soap and add water. Get a nice soft sponge for the job.
After the pre-washing step, it's time to wash the motorcycle thoroughly. You can use a bucket of soapy water and a sponge or a dedicated motorcycle cleaner. Make sure to use a cleaner that is specifically designed for motorcycles or automobiles, as it will not damage the paint or other parts of the motorcycle. Apply the cleaner to the motorcycle and use a sponge to scrub the dirt and grime off.
Fill that bucket and get it real soapy!
Be diligent but soft handed and scrub everywhere with your sponge.
Spray additional cleaner in areas that are tougher to get into like wheels and or under the bike.
Be gentle and avoid using abrasive materials that can scratch the paint. Pay special attention to areas such as the wheels, exhaust pipes, and chain. Use a soft-bristled brush for hard-to-reach areas, like wheels or engine parts, to remove dirt and grime buildup without damaging the surface.
Rinse her off baby! Get all the soap off from all areas and sides.
Use a hose or low-pressure washer to rinse your motorcycle thoroughly. Make sure to start from the top and work your way down, as this will prevent dirt and grime from running down onto clean surfaces.
Use a puffy micro fiber cloth that soaks up water to dry off your bike.
Once you have washed the motorcycle, it's time to dry it. You can use a chamois or a microfiber towel to wipe off the water from the motorcycle. Make sure to dry all areas of the motorcycle, including the hard-to-reach spots. Leaving water on the motorcycle can cause water spots, which can be difficult to remove later.
Starting your bike and going for a ride will also help of course, and the heat of the running engine will be sure to evaporate any residual moisture in hard-to-reach areas.
Having multiple towels or an extra set of hands can help make sure you get all the water dried up to avoid spots.
Now that we have discussed the five main steps of cleaning a motorcycle, let's look at some motorcycle cleaning tips and tricks that can make the process easier and more effective.
After the bike is dry, use a microfiber wax applicator and high end car wax is clutch.
Now that we have discussed some motorcycle cleaning tips and tricks let's talk about what to avoid when washing your motorcycle. Avoiding these common mistakes can save you from damaging your motorcycle and keep it looking new for years to come.
As mentioned earlier, using a high-pressure jet directly on the motorcycle is best avoided. High pressure can force water where you don’t want it (failing ignitions switch and electrical components, carburetor etc) as well as damage the paint or strip off the wax. Use a gentle stream of water to rinse the motorcycle.
Avoid using hot water, as this can cause paint and other surfaces to warp or crack.
Avoid using abrasive materials such as steel wool or rough sponges to scrub the motorcycle. These materials can scratch the paint and leave swirl marks, making the motorcycle look dull and aged.
Don't let the soap dry!
Allowing the soap to dry on the motorcycle can leave soap stains and make the cleaning process more difficult. Make sure to rinse off the soap as soon as possible.
Using a dirty sponge or towel can transfer dirt and grime from one part of the motorcycle to another, causing scratches and swirl marks. Always use a clean sponge or towel to clean the motorcycle.
Leaving water on the motorcycle can cause water spots, which can be difficult to remove later. Make sure to dry the motorcycle thoroughly after washing it. This is best done with a combination of using a dry, clean towel, as well as starting your bike and taking it for a ride!
Your bike too, can look as good as this if you take the time and do it right with no shortcuts!
And so, my fellow road warriors, we've reached the end of our thrilling journey through the wild and wonderful world of motorcycle cleaning. So, go on, pamper your prized possession with these tried-and-true tips and tricks. Your motorcycle will purr with gratitude, and who knows, it might just share some of that gratitude with you in the form of an extra horsepower or two (but actually, no it won’t). Happy cleaning and even happier riding!
]]>"When's a good time to adjust your clutch?" you ask. Well, take for instance if your clutch lever feels super loose, or when you're shifting your motorcycle doesn't easily go into higher or lower gears. Hell, it is also time to adjust it if you are having a really hard time finding neutral!
These are telltale signs that your clutch cable needs a bit of attention. It is an easy task that can be completed in your home garage (or driveway) with some basic hand tools, and we show you how to do it below!
"But, how do I do that?" Don't worry we got you covered with another great Knoble Tech Tip from Steve Knoble.
With a few quick steps and a couple hand tools you can get this tackled with no problem at all on your own. Steve gives you a few helpful tips and things to look for when adjusting your clutch and you will soon become a pro.
If you are in need of a clutch cable, we have you covered. Not only do we carry standard clutch cables for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, we also have great prices on extended +4" length cables should you want to install taller handlebars, and 'blacked out' cables with black adjusters for that 'look how tough and black my bike is' look. Wink. And don't forget the matching Harley throttle and idle cables.
Most newer Sportsters have these little clip dodads holding the clutc cable to the frame, remove those to get the clutch cable free.
Pull up on the rubber "slinky" boot and expose your adjuster.
With two wrenches break free the locking nut and move it down to give your self room to adjust the cable.
Turning the adjuster clockwise tightens the cable, turning it counterclockwise loosens the cable.
Watch the gap in your clutch lever as you turn the adjuster clockwise. Stop tightening the clutch cable once the clutch lever gap is gone.
Pull on the clutch lever and feel if there is any play or if it extremely stiff after loosening the adjuster a little.
Tighten the lock nut and lock the adjuster without changing your adjustment.
Test your clutch lever and make sure it still has the same play as when you adjusted it. Make sure you didn't mess up your adjustment when you tightened the locknut. If you did, loosen the locknut and readjust, repeating step 2, 3, and 4.
Slide your "Slinky" boot back over your adjuster and clip your cable back onto the frame and or use zip-ties. That's it you're ready to go for a ride!
Your brake pads are very important inspect and replace when needed. Worn out brake pads are a safety hazard should you need to stop fast when out riding. Conveniently, changing your own Harley brake pads is an inexpensive and easy task you can take on yourself. In the video below, we show you how!
Steve Knoble of Knoble Moto walks you through how easy it is to visually inspect your front brake pads. He also shows how to remove and replace them on a 2012 Harley-Davidson Sportster. The inspection and replacement process is the same on many different years and models.
These two bolts hold on your caliper.
First thing, loosen and remove the two bolts that are holding on the caliper with a 10mm 12 point socket or wrench.
Remove the two bolts holding the caliper and slide it off of the rotor, be careful and don't allow the caliper to fall down and pull on your brake line.
Once the caliper is free from the bike, remove the flat head set screw cap that keeps the brake pad pin in place.
You can see after the flat head cap was removed there is a hex head. Removing this hex head pin will allow you to separate the brake pads from the caliper.
Be sure to hold your brake pads when removing so they don't fall out.
This is what the friction material looks like that you will be inspecting on the brake pads.
The area you want to inspect is the raised, coarse material that makes contact with the brake rotor. If your pads are .040 of an inch or less it's time to change your brake pads.
A good way to check if you don't have a caliper handy is measure your brake pad thickness with a dime, which is .050 of an inch.
Holding a dime up to the backing plate can help you measure the friction material on your break pads and determine if it is time to change them or not. This one in the photo has lots of meat left and should be good to go for a while.
If your brake pad friction material is at or less then the thickness of a dime, its time to change those bad boys!
These pistons inside the caliper are what press your brake pads onto the rotor.
The pistons are 'pucks' that push the brake pads against the rotor when you apply the brakes. As time passes, and your brake pads get thinner, the pistons take up more and more of the slop.
These pistons must be compressed back into the caliper before installing the new brake pads or the caliper will not fit over the rotor properly.
You can use a c-clamp or a skinny flat piece of metal bar or even your old brake pad. You can use anything that can fit inside the caliper and lay over the pistons to help you compress them back into the caliper.
Using a c-clamp you can put the end on both pistons and compress slowly, it doesn't take a ton of force. Watch them compress down and become flush with the wall of the caliper, don't over do it.
Make sure the friction material is facing on the inside of the caliper, so it will contact the surface of your brake rotor.
Also check that the holes are in the proper position to engage the locking pin.
Make sure to inspect the little spring on the end of the caliper. That spring keeps tension on the brake pads and if they are loose or bad can cause your brake pads to squeal.
Here is the location of the spring that keeps tension on the brake pads.
Again the friction material goes on the inside of the caliper. Notice the tang on the top of the pad, that goes on the right and the hole goes on the left of the caliper. Same with the second one. The friction material goes on the inside, the tang to the right and the hole to the left.
Holding the brake pads open with your one thumb while inserting the pin can help locate the pin in each hole easily. Tighten. You don't have to crank it down excessively.
Reinstall the flat head cap on top of the pin.
Here is the location of where the flat head cap goes.
Slide the caliper over the rotor and reinstall the two bolts into the lower fork leg. tighten down both then torque to factory recommended specification.
If your caliper isn't sliding on to the rotor easily, you need recheck your pistons are pushed in all the way in you caliper.
Torque to factory specifications stated in your workshop manual. You have a workshop manual for your bike, right?
Marking your caliper bolts at 12 O'clock is just a reassurance on making sure your bolts stay in the same place
Pump those front brakes up until the handlebar lever gets hard. Before you go for a ride, hold your front brake and try and push your bike and forth to make sure they are properly working.
Last thing you want to do is find out the pistons weren't compressed all the way and you flew through a stop sign trying to stop.
You are now ready to go for a ride!
Mark your caliper bolts at 12 o'clock with a paint marker or marker. This gives you a quick visual reference point to check before going for rides. If those dots aren't at 12 o'clock, you have a problem and you want to investigate and re torque those bolts.
Pump up the jams, pump it up, keep on pumpin!
Now you are ready to get out there and ride!
]]>
Yamaha Bolt can be a really inexpensive and nice first bike
Some Harley's are a big comfy couch with two wheels.
This guide to buying your first motorcycle doesn’t guarantee everything will work out with your first bike – but it will help you avoid some of the common problems that can make a new rider’s first months or years of riding more challenging than they need to be.
Some people's dream bike is a slabside shovel chopper with a springer front end. Trey Guidery's is to drool over, but it doesn't mean its an ideal candidate for your very first bike.
Of all the tips for buying a first motorcycle, I can’t stress this one enough. Yes, that gorgeous Suzuki Hayabusa or Indian Challenger you saw on Facebook may look great, but you don’t need to have your dream bike to start riding.
Brand new Harley in the dirt... No bueno!
One of the most common critiques of new riders who want to find the perfect bike for their first motorcycle is how often newbies drop their bike. Most every motorcycle rider has had their bike tip over on them – a lot of times while they’re sitting on it in a parking lot or in slow traffic. Often, this happens in the first year or two of riding. I’ve heard experienced riders ask newbies, “Do you really want to be heartbroken when you scratch up the paint or chrome on your dream bike because of a rookie mistake?”
This dude is having a blast on a relatively inexpensive slightly modified Honda, Style for miles and most likely he didn't break the bank.
For me, the more important issue for this tip on buying your first motorcycle is attitude. If you’re more worried about how your bike looks or how fast it can go than how comfortable you feel on it and what kind of mechanical shape it’s in, you need to reevaluate why you want to get into riding.
Leila on her Honda Rebel 250 having the best time on her first bike.
Motorcycling is one of the most uplifting things I do – it’s the only experience I’ve had that’s exciting and relaxing at the same time. But it won’t be that way for you if you’re worried about what other people think instead of focusing on how to become a proficient motorcyclist. Your first bike is an instructional instrument you’ll use to learn how to ride: it’s not meant to be used to prove anything to anyone.
Well size doesn't always matter, but ask yourself what do you want to do with your motorcycle. This two stroke wont take you cross the country but it will get ya bar to bar and be hella fun while doing it.
Next on the list of what to know before buying your first motorcycle is what size engine is “too big” for a newbie rider. In some foreign countries, new riders must start riding on a certain-sized motorcycle (such as 50cc or 100cc) before they can progress to riding bigger-displacement motorcycles. In the United States there are no such regulations (that I’m aware of anyway), but there are some general guidelines you’ll want to consider.
This cb350 has a ton of get up and go! Photo by: Geoff Kowalchuk
What makes this issue much more important with motorcycles than cars is traction. If you’re a new driver and get a Dodge Viper for your first car and give it a little too much throttle, the rear end may slide a bit but often little harm will come of it. Try giving a 1,000 cc sport bike or a big V-Twin Harley-Davidson or Indian too much throttle and you could get ejected from the bike or end up in a roadside ditch very quickly.
A Yamaha xs650 is always a good candidate for a first bike.
You don’t need to find the smallest displacement bike you can for your first bike, but single-cylinder or twin (two-cylinder) motorcycles that are 650cc or less or three-or-more-cylinder models smaller than 600cc are generally a safe bet. Motorcycles with engines within those size ranges will offer enough power to get you moving without having too much on tap that could cause a situation to quickly spiral out of control.
Amity Marr on her Cm400 keeping up with the big twins and Sportsters just fine.
And if you’re worried about needing a big enough bike to keep up with your friends who ride, that shouldn’t be a concern. If your friends are safe, conscientious riders, they’ll slow down and help you develop the skills and confidence to go faster. And if they don’t, ride by yourself until you feel your skills have reached the point where you can comfortably ride their pace.
Noah is a little short for this bike's height, as you can see he's leaning on one leg to keep the bike up, not ideal for comfort.
In addition to engine size, how a motorcycle “fits” you is very important when buying a first motorcycle. Worry less about how you look on the bike and more about how comfortable you feel on it.
Kat had a small challenge riding on this dual sport in Vancouver. She's 5'4" and had to tippy toe the entire time. For a new rider this is not ideal, luckily for Kat she's had a lot of experience riding a ton of different motorcycles.
Some motorcycles – such as true dirt bikes, dual-sport and adventure bikes – have very high seat heights (33 inches or more), and it’s recommended that new riders be able to put both feet flat on the ground. The first time you go to put your foot down at a stoplight or stop sign and your boot slips on wet or oily pavement, this advice will make a lot more sense.
Nothing wrong with a sport bike, but you could find your self uncomfortable in long distance trips. Again what do you want out of your motorcycle.
Maybe you got into motorcycles by watching MotoGP or MotoAmerica and want a sportbike for your first motorcycle. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you have a tall, lanky build, you need to actually sit on a potential first bike to make sure you don’t feel too cramped. Sportbikes tend to have the rider in a compact position that can require putting a lot of your upper body weight on your wrists instead of onto the seat.
Having to go and see a potential first motorcycle in person can be one of the most frustrating aspects of looking for your first bike. You love what you see in the online ad and the bike appears to be mechanically sound, only to sit on it and determine it’s not a good fit for you. That’s OK, and with each time you look at a bike you’ll learn a little more about what’s going to fit you best. Just remember – what's slightly uncomfortable for a few minutes can become unbearable after just a couple hours of riding.
Just cause the price is good doesn't mean the bike is.
Buying your first motorcycle can be a significant financial decision, and it’s best to bring a second set of eyes with you when you go to look at a first bike. When you decide a motorcycle is worth seeing in person, you’re already sold on it to some degree. Seeing all the things you like about that bike can cause you to miss potential issues that could cost you big money down the road. It’s best to bring someone along who doesn’t have a financial stake in the bike and may spot things – for the better or worse – that you may miss.
Probably not worth investing in this kind of project as a first bike if you don't have the mechanical skills to get her going. You want to learn to ride not wait another couple years while you figure out how to put this wild project together.
Ideally, this friend has some riding and motorcycle maintenance experience, but any second set of eyes is better than none. It doesn’t take a master mechanic to spot a small oil leak, worn out tires or a loose chain.
There’s no need to require perfection when buying your first motorcycle. Some new riders opt to only buy a new bike to avoid any potential issues – or at least have a warranty for the first year or so to help mitigate any problems. There’s nothing wrong with approach – aside from many new riders not being able to afford a brand-new bike.
Todd showing what to look at on the Saturday Sportster when buying your first bike.
For those who decide to look at used motorcycles for their first bike don’t let a few small blemishes or worn out wear-and-tear items dissuade you. If the chain is a little loose,the tires or brake pads are worn down, that’s OK. Those are things that must be replaced from time to time, and having to replace them shortly after buying the bike isn’t a big deal. And it will give you a chance to learn more about your bike by having to do those maintenance items early on.
The Saturday Sportster was purchased for $3000 and was rough around the edges, had some dents, some rust, but it had really low miles and a clean engine. A perfect candidate to learn on, drop and then customize down the road.
If you think the key to finding a good used motorcycle is low mileage, that isn’t a guarantee of a trouble-free first motorcycle experience. Let’s say you’re considering a late 2000s motorcycle that has 5,000 miles on the odometer. For certain maintenance items (which are discussed in the next section), low mileage can be a good thing. But if that little-ridden machine has been sitting for 10 or more years, a bunch of the rubber components – namely tires – are likely to be in need of replacement. The fuel in the tank may be old as well -- which could mean varnish in the tank and fuel delivery components. And the brake fluid could look like Guinness when it’s supposed to look like Crisco.
In addition, if you are interested in buying a used Harley-Davidson motorcycle as your first bike, we also have a detailed guide on what to look for when purchasing a used Harley-Davidson Sportster for you to learn more about it.
For some maintenance items, mileage is a key factor and it’s important to know what maintenance has been done and when. Chief among these are oil changes and valve lash adjustments. If a bike’s oil hasn’t been changed at specified intervals, everything may feel and sound good on a test ride but the engine and transmission internals could be prone to premature failure. And if the valve clearances haven’t been checked and adjusted at the specified intervals, the engine’s valves could start to burn and you’ll have to have the cylinder head replaced or rebuilt – which is not cheap.
If you’re looking at a potential first bike that’s more than a year or two old, make sure to ask for maintenance records. Some bike owners take their motorcycles to dealers for even the smallest maintenance tasks. In those cases, either the owner will have receipts, or they can get the shop(s) to provide copies of the work orders. For owners who do all their own maintenance (like myself), they should at least have written records of what they did and when, as well as dated receipts for the parts they purchased.
Once you’ve bought your first bike and have gotten it home, the first thing you’ll want to do is some preventative maintenance. Unless the bike is new off the showroom floor, it’s best to change all the fluids including the engine oil, brake fluid, coolant (liquid-cooled bikes only) and transmission and final drive fluid (if applicable). If the motorcycle is chain-driven, give the chain a good cleaning and check the chain tension. You’ll also want to change the oil filter when you do the oil change, as well as get a new air filter.
Fresh oil never hurt nobody. Doing an oil change on your new purchase not only will teach you a little more about your bike but also give your new bike a step in the right direction of proper care. Who knows how long the bike has been sitting?
Even if the previous owner said that they changed everything “recently,” that‘s nice. Change them anyway. It’s best to start fresh with simple maintenance items like fluids and filters.
Always a good idea to check the brakes and replace if its an older bike, You can see here a comparison of new and old pads. Old on top, new on the bottom.
This also is a good time to start a maintenance log for your new ride – which can be as simple as a spiral-bound notebook you buy at a dollar store. Just be sure to include the date and mileage for each entry. That way, when another newbie rider who’s read these tips for buying a first motorcycle comes to look at your bike, you’ll have improved your chances of making that sale.
Once the initial maintenance is done, it’s time to get riding – a lot. Try to spend as much time in the saddle as you can right after you buy your first motorcycle. Need to run to the post office? Put your package in a backpack and take a ride to your local USPS branch. Heading out to dinner with friends? Ride the bike and give them their first look at you with helmet hair.
No matter what it is get out there and ride!
The more you have to use and develop your riding skillset early on, the better a rider you will become. It’s also important to become familiar with your bike. If you know what the bike is supposed to feel and sound like when it’s running properly, it becomes a lot easier to tell when something is amiss mechanically.
Even after reading all these tips on how to buy your first motorcycle, you may choose a bike that doesn’t end up being something you want to keep long-term. You need to be OK with that before you make the purchase. You’re getting into something completely new, and there’s lot more to motorcycling than anyone can fit into one article. You may own your first bike for a few months and realize you’re into a different kind of riding than you thought you’d be.
Andy Cox on his Norton, aggressive and crouched stance.
One of the keys when buying a first motorcycle is to make sure it’s something you can get out of quickly if you decide you want a different kind of bike. If you haven’t spent a lot buying the bike and accessories, you usually can sell the bike for close to what you bought it for and use that money to get something else.
Kyle on his dyna in the middle of our cross country trip.
When I got into riding, I wanted to be a canyon-carver sportbike rider. Now, most of my riding is long-distance touring. Your riding habits will change with age, experience and possibly if you relocate to a different part of the country or the world. Don’t let a so-so first motorcycle experience dampen your enthusiasm for the sport.
Dirty hands Kev laid back on his shovelhead chop. Everyone has their own style and riding position.
There’s more to buying a first motorcycle than just the machine itself. It’s just as important to get quality gear and rider training before you start looking for your first bike. Any list of what to know before buying a first motorcycle needs to include what options there are for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course (or something similar) in your home region. Many such classes allow you to take your motorcycle endorsement test as part of the course, and I can attest to how the instruction I received helped me avoid crashing several times in the first couple years of riding.
Mike Ellis wearing his gloves, leather jacket, boots and Biltwell Helmet. Even with the temps at 80 plus degrees in California, he still wears his gear to protect himself from the elements and also the possibility of a crash.
Having the right motorcycle riding gear is as important – arguably more important – as having the right first bike. You’ll probably own your first riding gear longer than your first motorcycle, and it’s important to make sure you have a properly-fitting motorcycle helmet and eye protection, a motorcycling-specific leather or textile riding jacket and quality pairs of boots and motorcycle riding gloves before you begin looking at potential first motorcycles.
It's a bit colder in the Catskils but still the same gear applies.
For some, buying a first motorcycle can seem like a daunting task. For others, figuring out how to buy a first motorcycle gets over-simplified. The above 10 tips for buying a first motorcycle that may help anxious or over-enthusiastic motorcycling newbies feel more confident about shopping for their first bike.
]]>The first step to getting the right parts and modifications done to your motorcycle, is knowing what you have. If you have ever walked into your local auto parts store, you know this to be true. As soon as you ask for a particular part, the clerk behind the counter starts the rapid-fire questions that help determine what you actually have.
For modern cars this is pretty simple. Look inside your driver’s door and you will find all kinds of information. A motorcycle is stamped with codes. For Harley-Davidson these codes, and their locations, have changed over the years.
Kevin Spence's 1953 Panhead build
This article will give you the information you need to properly identify your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. For more information on the 'Harley alphabet soup' and understanding the model codes, check out our article on Deciphering Harley-Davidson Model Designation Codes.
Thanks to Willie's Harley Parts and Abby's VIN Decoder for their previous work which was a major source of data while compiling this article!
The very early models 1903-1909 did not have a stamping for identification. The very first Harley Davidson models were simply identified by what they were. It’s not like today’s world where you are sifting through a variety of different models.
Danny McGill's 1910 Harley-Davidson as seen at Fuel Cleveland - Photo by: David Carlo
In 1910 the practice of stamping the motor was implemented. The bike model was identified by the 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6E and then the series number which was a range between 4200-7600.
This was the first year to have the belt idler and the HD bar and shield logo with the word “trademark”. This same method was used for all the bikes moving forward until the late 1960’s.
In 1962 Harley-Davidson started stamping anti-theft numbers on the left side of the neck, in addition to other places such as triple trees, and transmissions. The anti-theft number starts with a letter and is followed by four numbers. These were tied to a VIN and were an effort to help identify stolen motorcycles or parts, however, they are not a VIN themselves and are not used for titling a motorcycle.
1970. The 1970 model year motorcycles were the first that had a matching VIN number on the frame that corresponded to the VIN found on the engine of the bike.
Chris Vaccaro's Harley-Davidson 1936 RL at Fuel Cleveland. Photo by: David Carlo
From 1930 to 1969 the VIN’s on Harley-Davidson Motorcycles were sorted as follows (from left to right):
The first two numbers designated the year of the motorcycle. The following letters represented the models, and the last numbers are the production numbers.
Models built from 1930 to 1969:
G , GE - Servi Car Side valve 45 cubic inch three-wheeler, 1932 to 1972
E , EL - Overhead valve 61 cubic inch
F , FL - Overhead valve 74 cubic inch
K - Side valve 45 and 55 cubic inch
U , UL - Side valve 74 or 80 cubic inch
V , VL - Side valve 74 cubic inch made prior to 1936
W , WL - Side valve 45 cubic inch made 1934 to 1952
In 1970, things get little more complicated. The addition of new models and the involvement of the government pushed Harley to come up with a different system that includes codes that represent a model.
These 9-character alpha numeric VIN codes are stamped on both the engine and the frame. The first two characters represent the model code. This is a number and alpha character.
This 1972 XLCH 1000 you can find the vin on the right side of the frame. 4A19006H2
4A = XLCH-1000
19006 = production number
H2 = 1972
1970 - 1980 Harley VIN Model Codes - First Two Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
1A | FL/FLP-1200 | 5D | SX-175 |
2A | FLH -1200 | 6D | SX-250 |
3A | XL /XLH-1000 | 7D | MX-250 |
4A | XLCH-1000 | 9D | FXE - 1200 |
4A | GE-750 | 4E | XLS-1000 |
6A | SS-350 Sprint | 5E | FXEF-1200 |
7A | SX-125 | 6E | FXEF-80 |
8A | M65-S | 7E | FLHS-1200 |
7B | ERS | 9E | SS-250 |
8B | MSR-100 | 2F | FXS - 1200 |
2C | FX -1200 | 3F | SXT-125 |
3C | SX-350 Sprint | 4F | SS-175 |
5C | MC-65 | 6F | SS-125 |
6C | SR-100 | 7F | XLCR-1000 |
1D | LE Sidecar | 2G | XLT-1000 |
2D | X-90 | 3G | FLH-80 |
3D | Z-90 | 5G | FLT-80 |
4D | XLA | 6G | FXE-80 |
The next 5 digits represent the production numbers, and the last two characters represent the model year. This is an alpha numeric code. This is the system that was used from 1970-1980.
1970 - 1980 Harley VIN Model Year Codes - Final 7 Digits | |||
Code | Year | Code | Year |
H0 | 1970 | H6 | 1976 |
H1 | 1971 | H7 | 1977 |
H2 | 1972 | H8 | 1978 |
H3 | 1973 | H9 | 1979 |
H4 | 1974 | J0 | 1980 |
H5 | 1975 |
NOTE: In 1979 there was a small collection of bikes that were produced with non-conforming engine numbers. The factory caught the issue but not before some of the bikes were out on the market. The production range from 1/9/79 to 2/7/79 has VINs in the range from 43000H9 through 48199H9. These were the only exceptions during this time period.
In 1981 Harley moved to a 17-digit VIN code. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine. This code and sequence remained unchanged through the year 2000.
An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1BFK11BY127956
Stacey Hearn's 1997 Sportster, see the abbreviated version of the vin is stamped on the motor. Photo from Fuel Cleveland by David Carlo.
1981 - 2000 Harley VIN Model Codes - 5th & 6th Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
AA | FLH 80 | AK | FLHS - 80 |
AB | FLHP 80 Police Chain | AL | FLH - 80 Shrine Belt |
AC | FLH 80 Shrine Chain | BA | FXE – 80 Superglide Electric Start |
AD | FLH Classic | BB | FXEF - 80 Fatbob |
AE | 1981 FLT | BC | FXS – 80 Low Rider |
AF | 1981 FLTC | BD | FXB – 80 Sturgis (Belt) |
AG | FLH Classic with Side Car | BE | FXWG – 80 |
AH | FLHP - 80 Police Belt Deluxe | BF | FXSB - 80 |
AJ | FLH 80 Heritage | BG | FXDG - 80 |
BH | FXST Softail Standard | DS | FLTCU Ultra Shrine |
BJ | FLSTC Heritage Classic | DT | FLHTCU Ultra Shrine |
BK | FXSTC Softail Custom | EA | FXR Rubber Mount Super Glide |
BL | FXSTS Springer Softail | EB | FXRS - FXR Sport |
BM | FLSTF Fat Boy | EC | FXRT - FXR Touring |
BN | FLSTN Nostalgia | ED | FXRP Police windshield |
BP | FXSTSB BadBoy | EE | FXRDG |
BR | FLSTS Heritage Springer Softail | EF | FXRP Police Fairing |
BS | FXSTD Softail Deuce | EG | FXRS-SP Low Rider Sport Edition |
BT | FXSTB Night Train | EH | FXRD Disc Glide |
CA | XLH | EJ | FXRC |
CB | XLS, 81 - 85 | EK | FXRP Police C.H.P. California Highway Patrol |
CC | XLX, 81 - 85 | EL | FXLR Low Rider |
CD | XR1000, 83 - 85 | EM | FXR Conv |
CE | XLH 883 Hugger, 87 and up | FA | FLHS Electra Glide Sport |
CF | XLH 883 Deluxe, 88 and up | FB | FLHR-I Road King Injected |
CG | XLH 1200 Custom | FC | FLHTCU-I Ultra Classic Injected |
CH | XLH 1200 Sport | FD | FLHR Road King |
DA | FLT 82 – 83 Rubber Mount Dresser | FE | FLTCU-I |
DB | FLTC Rubber Mount Dresser Classic | FF | FLHTC-I Injected |
DC | FLHT Electra Glide Standard | FG | FLHTCU-I with/SideCar Ultra Classic Electra Glide |
DD | FLHTC | FH | FLHP-I Police |
DE | FLHTC W/sidecar | FJ | FLHP Police |
DF | FLHTP Police Fairing | FL | FLHTCU-I Shrine Ultra Classic Electra Glide |
DG | FLHTC Shrine | FM | FLHTP-I Police |
DH | FLTC W/sidecar | FN | FLHPE (Japan) |
DJ | FLHTC 1986 up | FP | FLTR Road Glide |
DK | FLTC Shrine | FR | FLHRC-I Road King Classic |
DM | FLTCU Ultra | FS | FLTR-I Road Glide EFI |
DN | FLTCU Ultra w/ Side Car | FT | FLHPE-I (California) |
DP | FLHTCU Ultra Classic | GA | FXDB-D Daytona |
DR | FLHTCU Ultra Classic w/ Side Car | GB | FXDB-S Sturgis |
GC | FXDC | KX | TLE Ultra |
GD | FXDL Dyna Low Rider | SA | Sidecar - CLE w/FLH |
GE | FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide | SD | Sidecar - CLE w/FLH |
GG | FXDS Con Dyna Convertible | SE | Sidecar - CLE |
GH | FXD Dyna Super Glide | SF | TLE with /FLTC/FLHTC |
GX | TLE | SG | TLE Separate (Police?) |
HX | RLE | SH | CLE Purchased w/FLHX |
1981 - 2000 Sportster VIN Model Codes - 5th, 6th & 7th Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
CAM | XLH 883 / Deluxe | CAP | XLH 1200 |
CAN | XLH 1100 | CGP | 1200 Custom |
CEM | XLH Hugger | CHP | 1200 Sport |
CFM | XLH 883 / Deluxe |
1981 - 2000 Harley VIN Engine Codes - 7th Digit | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
K | Shovelhead | M | 883 Evo XL |
H | 1000 Ironhead XL | V | Twin Cam 88 |
S | Single | N | 1100 Evo XL |
L | 1340 Evolution | P | 1200 Evo XL |
1981 - 2000 Harley VIN Year of Manufacture - 10th Digit | |||
Code | Year | Code | Year |
B | 1981 | M | 1991 |
C | 1982 | N | 1992 |
D | 1983 | P | 1993 |
E | 1984 | R | 1994 |
F | 1985 | S | 1995 |
G | 1986 | T | 1996 |
H | 1987 | V | 1997 |
J | 1988 | W | 1998 |
K | 1989 | X | 1999 |
L | 1990 | Y | 2000 |
Built by Led Sled Customs this 1992 custom Sportster, you can see the abbreviated vin stamped in the side of the motor.
In 2001 - 2009 Harley kept the 17-digit VIN code, with some small changes. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine.
An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1DJV131Y123456
Saturday Sportster is a 2003 Sportster - Vin 1HD4CAM153K455127
1HD = USA HD
4 = Light Weight
CA = XL883
M = 883 EVO
1 = Regular Intro
5 = Check digit
3 = 2003
K = Kansas City
455127 = Production Number
2001 - 2009 Harley VIN Model Codes - 5th & 6th Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
BB | FXEF | GR | FXDXI |
BH | FXST | GT | FXDC |
BJ | FLST/FLSTC | GV | FXDC |
BK | FXSTC | GX | FXDB |
BL | FXSTS | GY | FXDF |
BM | FLSTF | HA | VRSCA |
BN | FLSTN | HC | VRSCR |
BP | FXSTSB | HD | VRSCD |
BR | FLSTS | HF | VRSCA |
BS | FXSTD | HH | VRSCDX |
BT | FXSTB | HJ | VRSCX |
BV | FXST | JA | FXSTB |
BW | FLSTC | JB | FXSTDI |
BX | FLSTF | JD | FLSTN |
BY | FLSTC | JE | FLST |
BZ | FXSTSI | JF | FLSTI |
CA | XL883 | JG | FLSTF |
CG | XL1200C | JH | FLSTC |
CJ | XL883C | JJ | FXCW |
CM | XL883L | JK | FXCWC |
FG | FLHTCUI With Sidecar | EA | FXR |
FH | FLHPI | EB | FXRS |
FL | FLHTCUI Shrine | EC | FXRT |
FM | FLHTPI | ED | FXRP |
FP | FLTR | EE | FXRDG |
FR | FLHRC | EF | FXRP |
FS | FLTRI | EG | FXRS SP |
FT | FLHPEI | EH | FXRD |
FX | FLHRS | EJ | FXRC |
GA | FXDBD | EK | FXRP |
GB | FXDBS | EL | FXLR |
GC | FXDC | EM | FXRS |
GD | FXDL | ES | FXR |
GE | FXDWG | ET | FXR |
GG | FXDS/FXDS-CONV | EV | FXR |
GH | FXD | FA | FLHRS |
GJ | FXDX | FB | FLHRI |
GK | FXDP | FC | FLHTCU |
GL | FXDXT | FD | FLHR |
GM | FXDI | FF | FLHTCI |
GN | FXDL | JL | FXSTC |
CN | XL883 | JM | FLSTSB |
CP | XL883C | KA | FLHX |
CR | XL883L | KB | FLHX |
CS | XL883R | KX | SIDECAR TLE ULTRA |
CT | XL1200C | LA | XR1200 |
CV | XL1200R | LC | XL1200X |
CW | XL1200L | LD | XR1200X |
CX | XL1200L | LE | XL883N |
CY | XL50 | MA | FLHTCUTG |
CZ | XL1200N | PB | FXDWG |
DA | FLT | PE | FXDWG3 |
DB | FLTC | PF | FXSTDSE |
DC | FLHT | PG | FLHRSEI2 |
DD | FLHT | PH | FXSTDSE |
DE | FLHTC | PL | FLSTFSE |
DF | FLHTP | PN | FLSTFSE |
DG | FLHTC Shrine | PS | FXDSE |
DH | FLHTC w/Sidecar | PT | FXSTSSE |
DJ | FLHTC | PX | FSDFSE |
DP | FLHTC | PY | FLSTSE |
GP | FXDWG |
2001 - 2009 Harley VIN Engine Codes - 7th Digit | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
A | 1130 Revolution (100 CV) | S | 500 Single (Armstrong Military) |
B | 1450 Fuel Injected Counter Balanced | V | Twin Cam 88 Carburetor |
C | 1550 | W | Twin Cam 88 Fuel Injected |
D | 1550 EFI | Y | Twin Cam 88 Counter Balanced - Carb |
E | 1690 EFI | Z | 1130 Revolution (115hp ) |
F | 1690 Balanced-EFI | 1 | 1450 EFI |
G | 1246 Revolution EFI | 2 | 883 ESPFI |
H | 1246 (2001-2009) | 3 | 1200 ESPFI |
J | 1246 | 4 | 1584 ESPFI |
M | 883 Evolution XL / 1690 (2008 & later) | 5 | 1584 ESPFI |
N | 1100 Evolution XL | 6 | 1200 |
P | 1200 Evolution XL | 8 | 1800 ESPFI |
R | 1340 Evolution Fuel Injected | 9 | 1800 ESPFI H 1250 ESPFI |
In 2010 and later Harley kept the 17-digit VIN code, but there are again some changes to note. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine just like previous models. This year range excludes M8 engine motorcycles, check out the 2018 & later VIN info below for M8.
An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1DJV131Y123456
2010 - 2018 Harley VIN Origin Codes - First 3 Digits | |
Code | Origin |
1HD | Originally manufacutured for sale within the United States |
5HD | Originally manufactured for sale outside of the United States |
932 | Originally manufactured in and for sale only in Brazil market |
MEG | Originally manufactured in and for sale only in India market |
2010 - 2018 Harley VIN Model Codes - 5th & 6th Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
BF | FXSB | KB | FLHX |
BV | FXST (Australia Only) | KE | FLHTK |
BW | FLSTC | KG | FLTRU |
BX | FLSTF | KH | FLTRX |
FL | FLHTCU Special Edition | KR | FLHXS |
FM | FLHTP | LA | XR1200 |
FR | FLHRC | LC | XL1200X |
FW | FLHR Shrine | LD | XR1200X |
GN | FXDL | FB | FLHR |
GP | FXDWG | FC | FLHTCU |
GV | FXDC | FF | FLHTC |
GX | FXDB | FH | FLHP |
GY | FXDF | LE | XL883N |
GZ | FLD | LF | XL1200V |
HA | VRSCA | LH | XL1200CP |
HH | VRSCDX | LJ | XL1200CA |
HP | VRSCF | LK | XL1200CB |
CR | XL883L | MA | FLHTCUTG |
CS | XL883R | PG | FLHRSE |
CT | XL1200C | PR | FLHTCUSE7 |
CZ | XL1200N | PY | FLSTSE3 |
JD | FLSTN | PZ | FLHXSE |
JH | FLSTC (Shrine) | TD | FXSBSE |
JN | FLSTFB | TF | FLSTNSE |
JP | FXS | VA | FXDBP |
JR | FLS | YJ | FXBB |
2010 - 2018 Harley VIN Engine Codes - 7th Digit | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
A | 1130 Revolution (100 CV) | S | 500 Single (Armstrong Military) |
B | 1450 Fuel Injected Counter Balanced | V | Twin Cam 88 Carburetor |
C | 1550 | V | 1690cc, Twin Cam 103B, air-cooled, fuel-injected, balanced |
D | 1550 EFI | W | Twin Cam 88 Fuel Injected |
E | 1690 EFI | Y | Twin Cam 88 Counter Balanced - Carb |
F | 1690 Balanced-EFI | Z | 1130 Revolution (115hp ) |
G | 1246 Revolution EFI | 1 | 1450 EFI |
H | 1250 ESPFI | 2 | 883 Evolution air-cooled, fuel-injected |
J | 1246 | 3 | 1202 Evolution air-cooled, fuel-injected |
M | 883 Evolution XL | 4 | 1585cc air cooled, fuel injected |
M | 1690 cc, Twin Cam 103, air-cooled, fuel-injected (2008 & later) | 5 | 1585cc Twin Cam 96B, air-cooled, fuel-injected, balanced |
N | 1100 Evolution XL | 6 | 1202 Evolution precision-cooled, fuel-injected |
P | 1200 Evolution XL | 8 | 1800 ESPFI |
R | 1340 Evolution Fuel Injected | 9 | 1800 ESPFI |
2010 - 2018 Harley VIN Introduction Date Codes - 8th Digit | |
Code | Model |
1 | Normal Introduction / Domestic (DOM) |
2 | Mid Year or Special Introduction / Domestic (DOM) |
3 | Regular Introduction / California (CAL) |
4 | Mid-Year or Special introduction / Domestic (DOM) |
5 | Mid-Year or Special introduction / California (CAL) |
6 | Mid-Year or Special introduction / California (CAL) |
A | Regular introduction/Canada (CAN) |
B | Mid-year or Special introduction/Canada (CAN) |
C | Regular introduction/HDI |
D | Mid-year or Special introduction / HDI |
E | Regular introduction /Japan (JPN) |
F | Mid-Year or Special introduction / Japan (JPN) |
G | Regular introduction / Australia (AUS) |
H | Mid-Year or Special Introduction / Australia (AUS) |
J | Regular introduction/ Brazil (BRZ) |
K | Mid-Year or Special Introduction / Brazil (BRZ) |
L | Regular introduction/ Asia Pacific (ACP) |
M | Mid-Year or Special Introduction / Asia Pacific (ACP) |
N | Regular introduction/ India (IND) |
P | Mid-Year or Special Introduction / India (IND) |
2010 - 2018 Harley VIN Assembly Date Codes - 11th Digit | |
Code | Model |
A | Tomahawk, WI |
B | York, PA |
C | Kansas City, MO |
D | Manaus, Brazil |
E | Buell East Troy |
N | Haryana India (Bawal District Rewari) |
Starting in 2018 there are some changes to the 17 digin VIN with the Harley-Davidson M8 powered models. The full VIN was stamped on the neck of the frame, and an abbreviated version of the code was stamped on the engine just like previous models.
An example of this code would look like this: 1HD1YKC13KB123456
Endijs Willow's 2018 Milwuakee 8 Softail Waffle head. This is where you can find the full vin on the frame. Can you decipher it?
1HD1YJJ11JC027815
1HD = US Manufactured
1 = Heavy Weight Class
YJ= FXBB
J= Milwaukee Eight 107 Engine 1753cc
1 = Domestic (DOM)
1 = VIN Check Number
J = 2018 Year of manufacture
C = Kansas City, MO
027815 = production number
Here's an example of a place to find the abbreviated version on the motor.
2018 - Current Harley M8 VIN Origin Codes - First 3 Digits | |
Code | Origin |
1HD | Originally manufacutured for sale within the United States |
5HD | Originally manufactured for sale outside of the United States |
932 | Originally manufactured in and for sale only in Brazil market |
MEG | Originally manufactured in and for sale only in India market |
MLY | Originally manufactured in and for sale only in Thailand market (2019 onwards) |
2018 - Current Harley M8 VIN Model Codes - 5th & 6th Digits | |||
Code | Model | Code | Model |
AA | FLH Revival | PX | FLHXSE CVO Street Glide |
BV | FXST Softail Standard | TB | FLHTCUTGSE CVO Tri Glide |
FB | FLHR Road King | TC | FLTRXSE CVO Road Glide |
FC | FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra Classic | TE | FLHTKSE CVO Limited |
FH | FLHP Road King | TH | FLHTKSE ANV CVO Limited Anniv. |
FM | FLHTP Electra Glide | YA | FLHC Heritage Classic |
FR | FLHRC Road King Classic | YB | FLHCS Heritage Classic 114 |
FV | FLHT Electra Glide Standard | YC | FLDE Deluxe |
KB | FLHX Street Glide | YD | FLSL Softail Slim |
KE | FLHTK Ultra Limited | YE | FXBR Breakout |
KG | FLTRU Road Glide Ultra | YF | FLFB Fat Boy |
KH | FLTRX Road Glide | YG | FLFBS Fat Boy 114 |
KK | FLHTKL Ultra Limited Low | YH | FXBRS Breakout 114 |
KN | FLHTK Ultra Limited Shrine | YJ | FXBB Street Bob |
KR | FLHXS Street Glide Special | YK | FXFB Fat Bob |
KT | FLTRXS Road Glide Special | YL | FXFBS Fat Bob 114 |
KV | FLHRXS Road King Special | YM | FLSB Sport Glide |
KW | FLHTK ANV Ultra Limited Anniv. Ed. | YN | FXLR Low Rider |
KX | FLHX ANV Street Glide Anniv. Ed. | YP | FLHCS ANV Heritage Classic 114 (115th Anniv. Ed.) |
KY | FLHXS ANX Street Glide Special Anniv. Ed. | YR | FLFBS ANV Fat Boy 114 (115th Anniv. Ed.) |
KZ | FLTRK Road Glide Limited | YS | FLFBS ANX Fat Boy 114 (115th Anniv. Ed.) |
MA | FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Ultra | YV | FXDRS FXDR114 |
MC | FLRT Freewheeler | YW | FXLRS Low Rider S |
MD | FLHTCUTG ANV Tri-Glide Ultra Anniv. | YY | Street Bob 114 |
2018 - Current Harley M8 VIN Engine Codes - 7th Digit | |
Code | Model |
C | Milwaukee Eight 107 Engine 1745cc (Trike 1753cc) |
D | Twin Cooled Milwaukee Eight 107 Engine 1745cc (Trike 1753cc) |
F | Twin Cooled Milwaukee Eight 114 Engine 1868cc |
H | Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 Engine 1917cc |
J | Milwaukee Eight 107 Engine 1753cc Air Cooled Fuel Injected Balanced |
K | Milwaukee Eight 114 Engine 1868cc Air Cooled Fuel Injected Balanced |
L | Air-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 Engine 1917cc |
P | Milwaukee Eight 114 Engine 1868cc |
2018 - current Harley VIN Introduction Date Codes - 8th Digit | |
Code | Model |
1 | Domestic |
2 | California |
3 | Canada |
4 | ENG/EN2/HDI/HD2/HD4 |
5 | Japan |
6 | Australia |
7 | Brazil |
8 | Asia Pacific |
9 | IND/IN2 |
0 | ASEAN |
A | China |
G | HD3 |
2018 - current Harley VIN Assembly Date Codes - 11th Digit | |
Code | Model |
B | York, PA |
C | Kansas City, MO |
D | Manaus, Brazil |
N | Haryana India (Bawal District Rewari) |
S | Thailand (Tasit, Pluagdang, Rayong) |
So, there you have it. As you can see with the implementation of the 17-digit codes, you will need a reference to define what those codes represent. We hope you can use this article as a reference so you can determine all the details for the bike in question. Enoy!
]]>That is the image you will see when your bike begins to wobble at high speed and you suddenly realize the goldfish you are riding is going to take a huge bite out of your backside!
A bike that is not set up properly can really ruin your day.
The folks at Lowbrow Customs have created this article to help you avoid that experience. You’re Welcome!
When you decide to customize your motorcycle's stance you need to determine your rake and trail. The first thing you need to understand is the importance of what you are doing here.
This exercise is not about the aesthetics of your bike as much as it is about being able to stay on your bike when you ride it.
Bob Millerleile's custom chopper build.
Wheelbase Rake and Trail
First thing to understand is what you can expect depending on how you setup your bike. Let’s start with your wheelbase. Wheelbase is the measurement from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear axle. Typically, a bike with a shorter wheelbase is going to handle much quicker than a bike with a longer wheelbase. A shorter wheelbase also translates to less straight-line stability. Just like a relationship, it’s a compromise.
Compare the wheel base on two of Todd's Triumph Builds.
You can see this one is much shorter.
6 Measurements
For all of you reading this that hate math as much as I do, we are going to try to keep this all in the simplest terms possible. It is important that all of these measurements are accurate. No cutting corners here.
Make sure your bike (or frame) is upright and vertical. If you are measuring a frame, make sure it is set at a level ride height with the rear wheel attached. Use a plum bob to make sure all the measurements are square. Lay off the booze and the weed for a few minutes before you go busting out these measurements. These need to be correct or you are going to hate yourself later.
Rake is the first thing we are going to determine. This is the angle in degrees of the steering neck from vertical. Imagine a straight line going from the ceiling directly through the center of your front wheel. Now imagine another line going through the center of your steering stem to the center of your front wheel. The distance from the top center of your steering stem to the imaginary straight line from the ceiling through the center of your front wheel is the rake measurement.
Visually it's a bit easier to understand.
An easy way to verify this measurement is to go online and buy a cheap digital angle finder and hold it against your frame neck. There are also manual versions called an inclinometer that you can find inexpensively (around $15). The key to getting an accurate measurement of your rake (the angle of the steering neck a.k.a. frame head tube) is to be sure that your frame is level. This can be accomplished by putting your bike frame up on blocks and using a traditional level to ensure the lower frame rails are completely level before measuring the angle of rake with a digital angle finder or inclinometer.
Make sure you frame is level before using and angle finder on your neck to get most accurate reading. You can see this neck is at 30 degrees.
Trail uses the same two lines, but it is measured at the bottom of the wheel. That same line going from the ceiling through the center of your front wheel and extending down to the floor. Now take the same line through your steering stem and extend it to the floor. The distance between those two lines on the floor, is your trail.
How to figure out your trail.
Front wheel diameter is the next measurement you need. This is the diameter including the tire. So, typically a 21” tire measures 27.60” for example. It is easy to get an accurate measurement of the front wheel diameter when the wheel is off of the motorcycle. Check your tire pressure and ensure it is at the level you would normally run it at. You can lay the wheel on the ground and put the tire against a wall. Use a square against the other side of the tire and make a mark where it meets the ground. Now measure between the wall and the mark on the ground to get your accurate wheel diameter measurement.
Diameter measurement top to bottom of the tire.
Next measure your triple clamp offset. This is the distance from center of top of steering neck pivot to centerline of top of fork tubes. The offset of your triple clamps affects the trail of your motorcycle. The larger the offset, the smaller the trail. You can use the offset to help compensate for too much or too little trail. If you are using common, stock triple clamps, you can find this information by checking a shop manual or doing some internet research.
How to measure triple tree offset.
Now measure your fork length. This measurement is taken by measuring from the top of the fork tubes, to the center of the axle.
How to measure fork length.
All the measurements in one.
Now measure the steering neck height. This is the measurement from the center of the steering neck at top of triple clamp perpendicular to the ground. If you only have the frame, measure from center of top of steering neck perpendicular to the ground and add 1" to this measurement.
Normal trail should be somewhere between 3 and 6 inches. Over that your bike will not to be responsive at high speeds. Under 3 inches and your bike will not be stable at high speeds.
Joel Hauenstein's "The Jart"
Measuring for a Springer Front End
If you are intending to install a springer front end there are a few ways to figure out the length springer you need / want. There can be a different between need and want, for instance, you may WANT a super long springer but after calculating rake and trail, you may find out you NEED a different length to ensure that your bike will handle safely.
The first way to calculate the springer length you need would be if you want to maintain your stock length front end and handling. You can measure your stock fork length and simply purchase a springer front end of the same length.
Tyler changed from a 39mm front end to a W&W Cannonball Springer on his Panhead
Often times springer lengths listed are measured from the bottom of the top triple tree to the center of the axle, but make sure you verify how the springer dimensions are listed so you can properly compare them to the measurements you take of your stock front end.
Examples on how to measure MidUSA springer front ends length.
Another method is to measure the upper neck height, which is measured from the center of the neck cup at the top of the steering neck directly to the floor. The next measurement is taken from the bottom of the steering neck, center of the neck cup, to the floor. The bottom triple tree of the springer front end is fixed, so this is an important measurement. Be sure that your frame is level when taking these measurements.
The broom method.
The last method can help visually determine the springer length you would like. You also need to calculate the rake and trail fully afterward if you would like to ensure proper handling (which we highly recommend!).
If there is no front end currently installed, you can put blocks under the frame to level it (or get the angle of the frame you desire) and slide a broomstick through the neck of the frame. You can also set the front wheel in the proper location. It is best to use the front wheel and tire you plan to run on the finished bike.
Broom trick measuring for a springer front end.
1. Support your bike with a block of wood to desired ride height.
2. Insert broom through frames neck. (The Broom)
3. Place front wheel into position and measure axle height. (Measure Neon Green lines vertically)
4. Rocker placement could be 3.5" in early style forks to 4.5" for late style forks. See what the rocker distance is for your desired springer and set wheel to that distance. (Measure Neon Pink lines horizontally)
5. Allow 1" of thickness at least to accommodate for lower triple tree. (Measure Yellow line to line)
6. Measure from 1" below neck to center of wheel to determine size springer you need.(Measure the Teal Blue lines)
This can give you a good visual on the angle of the springer and the length you would need. Keep in mind when measuring that the additional weight of the engine and other components may compress the forks, so it is better to go with a bit longer, versus a bit shorter, for the length if you are in between sizes.
Again, take the time to figure out the rake and trail measurements and calculate it fully to be sure you are going to have a solid handling machine that you enjoy riding!
Dealerships charge a lot to change your tire (especially if you don't pull the wheel off the bike yourself!). That is a bummer when your daily rider needs a bummer, and even more of a bummer if you simply want to pull an old junk tire off of a swap meet wheel you picked up for that new chopper project.
Well don't worry, there's an answer for you...Change it yourself!
Grab yourself a new motorcycle tire, rim strip and innertube, a set of tire irons and follow along with Todd as he takes you step-by-step on how to change your own motorcycle tire at home!
From taking the old tire off, to cleaning up the rim, and installing the rim strip, tube and new tire. This video tutorial with Todd will give you a real look at what it takes to change a tire all by yourself. Get out the soap, the tire irons and let's get to work!
"You got this!"
Break the bead!
Lube it up with your favorite elixir.... dish soap and water combo always works great.
Use a combo of tire irons to pull the tire up and over the rim.
Once you get the first side of the tire over the rim you can pull the inner tube out.
Lube up the other side and flip it back to try and get off the same side of the rim using the tire irons.
Again using combo of irons really helps pull it over.
Bam! The tire is now off the rim.
Remove old rim strip and wipe up any water before installing new rim strip.
Line up the hole on the rim strip with the valve stem hole on the wheel.
We are gonna use a 3.25x19 Avon Speedmaster on this rim. When you are installing new tire make sure if the tire has a directional arrow it faces in the correct direction for rotation of the wheel when it is mounted on the motorcycle. Also look if there is a balance dot, if so line it up with the valve stem.
Again, lube is your friend with this.
Start getting the first side of the tire onto the wheel.
Remove the core out of the new inner tube valve stem. then take of one of the nuts.
Fill your tube up with air so its not flat, then feed it into the rim. Make sure to line up your valve stem to the valve stem hole on the wheel. Be careful here and try not to bunch up the tube.
Pull the valve stem through the wheel.
Again using multiple tire irons and your knees can really help get the second side over the wheel. Be sure not to pinch your tube with your irons when doing this step.
Once you get the tire on the wheel, secure the nut on the valve stem and pump it up and let the air out a few times to set the bead.
Pump up the jams, pump it up!
Make sure to take off any old balance weights and take it to a shop to balance if you would like.
WOOOOOO! You did it!
Got a Harley Ironhead Sportster sitting around collecting dust? Turn that scoot into a classy chopper with a Lowbrow Customs Weld-On Hardtail Rear Section for 1952-1982 Harley-Davidson Sportsters.
In this How-To video, Tim Fiorucci of Fiorucci Fabrications walks you through the features on our USA-made hardtails. He shows just how easy it is to install onto your stock frame.
From how to measure, to cutting, putting the motor in to act as a jig, tack and finish welding, the entire is shown start-to-finish.
This video will teach you the proper method to build your Sportster chopper in no time flat. So break out the hacksaw, the tool box and a welder and lets get to cutting. Why? Because choppers, thats why!
If you enjoy this video, be sure to like it and subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel.
If you have any questions, post them in the comments below!
This hardtail is made right here in Cleveland, Ohio and made with the highest quality steel.
1" tubing with slugs on the bottom frame rails.
The back bone is 1-1/2" with a hollow slug which will allow for wiring to be fed in if you wanted to run internal wiring.
On the back side of the backbone is a larger hole left as well for internal wiring if desired.
Bot the backbone and bottom rail slugs are rosette welded in and you should also rosette weld the front stock frame rail section when mating the slugs. The slugs make the joints extremely strong.
The rear motor mount plates are made up of 1/4" thick plates and make for a great flat surface for you to clean your paint off and give a great flat metal mounting surface to the motor. This prevents the motor mount bolts from ever loosening over time.
The hardtail comes with an top motor mount tab because you will be cutting passed the top motor mount on your stock frame.
You are going to measure on your back bone from the front gas tank mount hole back 6 7/16" parallel with the backbone.
Measure from the lower front motor mount hole back 14-3/8" on each bottom rail.
If you have never done this before, try cutting a little longer, you can always cut more off but its a lot harder to step it up or fill larger gaps if you cut it too short.
Awe feels good, right!?
After cutting, on the front section you are going to use to mate with the rear hardtail section. Drill 1/4" holes on the bottom of the backbone and on the bottom of the lower frame rails. Also use a deburing tool to take off any burs on the inside of the tubes.
Combine the hardtail and front section of the frame, start by lining up the upper backbone first then the lower rails.
Use a rubber mallet to help mate the two together.
We are going to use the motor as a jig. Place the motor on its primary side and lay the frame over it in preparation to bolt the motor to the frame. This makes life so much easier when you don't have an extra set of hands.
Use the provided hardware to bolt the bottom motor mounts the the frame. Don't torque them down but make sure they are secure.
Pick the frame and motor upright and install the front motor mount plates with out the spacers. This will help you see if you have any large gaps and if the motor is in the right place.
It will also help determine if you need to give it a few more whacks with the dead blow or trim on the stock frame cuts.
You can also mount your stock gas tank to check the holes are aligned right. But not necessary to use the gas tank as a jig or fixture.
We had a few small gaps on the bottom rails, using a dead blow Tim gives it a few whacks to set it in the right place.
You want to have about 1/8" gap or less on each of the butted together frame joints.
This is the ideal position the bolts of the front motor mount plates should be in, the middle of the slots.
The backbone is about 1/16th to 1/8th" this gap is good for weld penetration and will secure well.
Clamp a straight edge on to the backbone to ensure its straight, then tac weld in a few spots.
Tack it up! Well, just the backbone.
Add the spacers into the front motor mounts and securely fasten them.
Make sure the gaps didn't change after tightening the front motor mounts and tack up the lower frame rails.
Use the top motor mount you are going to use for this build and center the top motor mount tab supplied. We are using the Gasbox Top motor mount with key and coil mounting options.
You may have to use some washers to get the right height. Also look top bottom and side to side to make sure the tab is even after bolting it up.
Tack the top motor mount tab to the backbone.
Finish weld as much as you can with the motor in the frame. Once you feel you got enough done, you can remove the motor and do the hard to reach places.
NOTE: Jump around to different areas when welding. Don't finish weld the same area all at once because it could shift or move other parts that aren't yet welded.
Put your engine back in and continue mocking up the rest of the chopper you just started! Man that looks sick!
]]>Ever see a little bit of oil just sitting on your cylinder and not sure where its coming from on your Harley-Davidson Sportster? Odds are you most likely have a leaky rocker box (a.k.a. rocker cover) gasket.
There's no need to cry over spilt oil, you can fix it yourself!
You can find high-quality, made in the USA Rocker Cover Gasket Kits for Sportsters here.
Follow along with Todd as he walks you through from start to finish on how to fix that pesky little leak and ensure it wont happen again for many years to come.
If you enjoy this video, be sure to like it and subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel.
If you have any questions, post them in the comments below!
The photos below give you a sneak peak of the process we go over in the how-to video above!
So you want to be a custom bike builder? The best motorcycle advice when considering building your first bike is to have some confidence in yourself. That may be some of the best advice in this beginner motorcycle guide! You would be surprised how many people out there are into building custom bikes. Not every builder out there is a dude, and many of them come from completely different backgrounds and environments.
Custom motorcycle bike builders vary in creativity, style, and skillset. Just like a painter or a musician, custom bike builders tend to have their own way of doing things. One thing is for certain, all of them started somewhere.
If you have an interest in building your own custom bike, we hope to answer some of the common questions you might have concerning the process, and needed tools for you to work on and build your own custom motorcycles.
Emmi and Jeremy Cupp starting a Triumph build. Photo by Harleigh Cupp
One of the common questions is what kind of tools do I need? Well, there is a saying out there, “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” (Sorry cat lovers). No matter what you are trying to do, there are often different ways to approach the problem. If you are just getting started, you can easily build your first bike without having much more than a basic set of tools.
Just a few of hand tools can do a lot of jobs on a bike but the more the merrier.
Common hand tools will do a majority of the work that needs done. A good set of wrenches and Allen keys (both SAE and metric) are a good thing to have. Pliers, wire cutters, a dead-blow hammer, Phillips, and flathead screwdrivers are also a must-have. No matter what bike you are working on, these common hand tools will be needed from time to time.
If you don’t already have these tools, we recommend buying a decent brand to get things rolling. Do some research and determine what the best hand tool is for your budget. Really cheap tools will not serve you very well. We suggest spending a little extra to get something you can rely on when you need it.
Todd using a 3/8 Torque Wrench on these sprocket bolts to the right torque specification.
Many of the fasteners on a motorcycle require you to tighten them to a specified torque spec. This is why you need a set of torque wrenches. Usually, a single foot-pound torque wrench will suffice, but from time to time you may need something smaller like an inch-pound torque wrench. These two wrenches will be needed to get certain jobs done correctly. They are a little expensive, but getting a decent set of torque wrenches is worth the spend. These are motorcycle tools you really don’t want to cut corners on. Having the right speciality tools is part of motorcycle basics for beginners, it makes a big difference!
Timmy Fiorucci TIG welding up a Lowbrow Customs Hardtail onto this Sportster.
If you are not a skilled welder, don’t let that stop you from building your first bike. The majority of the build can be done without welding. If you determine that some welding needs to be done, you can proceed a couple of different ways.
● One option would be to reach out for some help. Often times getting something welded for you is not that expensive. Also recommend you reach out to your group of friends. Chances are one of them knows how to weld and can give you a hand. These are great opportunities to learn something new, so if you do get help, ask them to show you some things along the way.
MIG welding.
● Option number two would be to go out and buy a stick or MIG welder. These are a lot less expensive than you might think, and with all the information available on YouTube, it won’t be long before you will be able to do some of the basic welding you need to do. If you do choose this route, we recommend picking up a grinder as well. You will figure out why as you go through the learning process.
Tyler's home workshop is super organized, making it easy to find the exact tool he needs.
Having a place to work on your bike is pretty important. Over the years I have seen guys build show bikes in living rooms and kitchens, but that is not always the best idea. (Most of these guys didn’t stay married too long) Find a room where you can get organized and get set up for your build.
If you observe a few professional race teams you will notice that they keep things clean and organized. This is usually the best path to use as it will save you from unnecessary frustration during your build. Losing a bolt or spending an hour searching for that wrench you set down somewhere is going to happen. Being organized can limit the number of times it does. You want this to be an enjoyable experience, so take some time to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.
Fully stock Yamaha XS650 we picked up for really cheap.
There are a couple of things for you to consider. If this is your first build, pick something that is inexpensive. A Yamaha XS650 is a popular first build for this reason. Another top choice is an older Sportster. Picking a bike that is fairly inexpensive will take some of the pressure off. Just take your time. Spend some time looking at other custom bikes and get a good idea of what you would like to build.
A stock Harley Sportster we picked up for really really cheap and low miles.
Once you have some decisions made, start looking for the bike. There are a lot of Sportsters out there, so with some patience, you will find a really good deal.
With a little vision and willpower you can make the bike of your dreams!
No matter what your skillset is, building a custom bike is really easier than it has ever been. There is so much really good information and instruction on the internet to help you along the way. It’s not like it was back in the day when you basically had to figure everything out on your own. There is a ton of information and motorcycle guides on the Lowbrow Customs website that will help answer many of the questions you may have. Also, you can visit our store anytime if you ever need motorcycle parts and tools.
So many tech tips available on our YouTube Page like this 1200cc big bore kit install on a 2003 Sportster.
Visit the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel, a great source for figuring out how to get things done. Keep a positive attitude and enjoy the experience. I have built quite a few bikes over the years, and every one of them was worth the effort. Give it a try, you will not regret it!
Here at Lowbrow Customs we believe strongly in supporting US manufacturing. We have created multiple annual scholarships, one with the Lincoln Electric Welding School and another with Tri-C (Cuyahoga Community College) for students in financial need who are pursuing workforce training. From TIG welding to machining, this is the backbone of manufacturing in the United States. Want to learn more about information on Lowbrow's USA Workforce Training Scholarships?
We thought, "What if we had Todd show the world how easy it is to turn an ugly, neglected Sportster into something really cool? It could be done with basic tools and almost no fabrication, using a bunch of parts we make and carry."
With the knowledge we could share, and all of the custom Sportster parts we carry, we knew many people could build the bike of their dreams over a series of weekends, and on a budget. Right at that moment the idea for the Saturday Sportster series was born.
We picked up a 2003 Harley-Davidson Anniversary Edition 883 Sportster for relatively cheap and started to film Lowbrow Customs' newest series, Saturday Sportster.
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.
Here is the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster that we bought for the basis of the Saturday Sportster project and video series.
Finding a used Harley-Davidson Sportster for cheap isn't a problem if you keep looking for a good deal. Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are two great spots to do so. Often, a Sportster is purchased as a starter motorcycle, and many times one can be found with low miles, and in almost-new condition, for a fraction of the price of a new one.
Sportsters are reliable, easy to work on, and with the wide array of custom Sportster parts available, they make an excellent base for a custom motorcycle build.
The Saturday Sportster mid-build, taken off the lift and rolled outside to get a good look at it before final decisions on paint and coatings were made.
With some Saturdays, general hand tools, and the helpful guidance of Todd, you too can build a cool, high-performance custom Sportster! We made this series an in-depth, easy-to-follow tutorial. We didn't gloss over the details. Our goal is to give everyone the confidence to get started on that bike project that they've been thinking about.
Whether you are an experienced mechanic, or it's your first time using a wrench, this series is for you. It will give you the confidence and knowledge to build a custom bike all on your own... with a little help from your friends here at Lowbrow Customs!
No problem! Follow along with us in this 4-part S&S 1200 Hooligan Conversion Kit Install Video series. S&S makes Hooligan Conversion Kits to take 883cc bikes to 1200, and stock 1200cc bikes to 1250.
More than just a big bore kit, the included bolt-in cams and premium tappets make the most of the added displacement. All while using stock heads, pushrods, and fuel system!
This kit, backed up with dyno data, increases the horsepower of a stock 883 Sportster up to 85% along with a performance air cleaner and custom motorcycle exhaust!
Interested in how to build a custom Sportster, and what parts to use on your build? Well, you made it to the EXACT right place :)
Watch the Saturday Sportster and follow along! You can find all the parts used when building the Saturday Sportster here.
The final result of the Saturday Sportster build. A much more powerful and nimble machine, with loads of style to boot. Follow the entire build step-by-step. No fabrication necessary!
What's almost as fun as working on a bike with Todd in your garage on a Saturday? Playing a fun game and learning from Todd at the same time!
Every time you hear Todd let loose with one of his trademark "Whooooo!", and you see Todd's face sticker pop on the bottom right part of your screen, take a drink (adult beverage, seltzer water, chai tea, hey, you do you)! Play along with friends for added fun.
In this episode, Todd shows you the neglected 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster we picked up and gives you a run down of the ideas we have for the build. Follow along during the disassembly and removal of a lot of the stock and Harley aftermarket parts that we discovered were on this motorcycle.
Full of surprises like crud, dirt, and corrosion, the bike was far from in perfect condition. But hey, that's half the fun of working on and building motorcycles!
Todd also gives you a sneak preview at some of the parts we will be using on the build and walks you through the plan of attack. So grab an adult beverage or a seltzer water, some tools, a couple shop rags and let's get cracking!
In this episode follow along with Todd as he takes off some more crusty, rusty and corroded parts from the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster project in preparation to get them powder coated black. Todd also finds some disintegrated parts desperately in need of replacing that weren't visible to the naked eye.
From handlebars and the speedometer, to the front wheel and taking apart the fork tubes, Todd walks you through it all. Who knows what kind of messes lurk ahead? One thing is for certain, this front end really needed some love, upgrades and care. Let's go!
In this episode Todd continues on the the journey of the messy front end disassembly with a new shirt and a new smile. Watch as he walks you through the removal of the triple tress, the crustiest of bearings and races. Find out one way to get a race out easily and find out the other how hard it can be with just a punch. Todd shows you how easy to install new races into the frame when you have the right tool for the job.
Todd gets tired of all that wiring hanging on the front of the bike, so he shows you how easy it is to relocate the ignition switch and coil housing using a Gasbox Top Motor Mount bracket. Lastly he removes the rear wheel, rear rotor, and rear pulley in preparation for the wheels to get powder coated.
There's more corrosion, more fun, more Toddisms, and even a small field trip to Colony Machine. So, let's get them tools out, crack a cold one, and get to work. It's Saturday Sportster baby...
You guys didn't think we were going to leave you hanging did you!? In this episode Todd walks you through rebuilding your forks step-by-step with a new 39mm fork seal kit, Tracker Die 39mm extended damper tubes, freshly powder coated lowers, and some Speed Merchant fork caps. He also shows you how to reinstall the triple trees back onto the bike and install the fork tubes onto the trees properly.
With lots of tips, tricks and Todd's guidance we are confident this video is going to make your Harley 39mm narrowglide front end rebuild easy-peasy. So break out those tools and let's get cracking! PS - you also may need one specialty tool for this job, a 39mm Fork Seal Driver.
With the wheels powder coated black and the Bates Baja tires mounted, it's finally time to start making this project look more like a motorcycle again.
Follow along with Todd as he shows you how to get your disc brakes, main drive pulley installed back on to the wheels along with mounting them to the motorcycle.
Oh shoot, you can't mount a rear wheel with out a kick ass suspension installed! Don't worry... Todd walks you through how to do that as well. Our friends over at Progressive shocks hooked us up with a killer set of their Heavy Duty 15" 413 series shocks to give us the stance and style we were after.
Time to break out those tools! Let's get going!
Follow along with Todd and all of his "Toddisms" as he shows you how to install some new handlebars, a new clutch cable, left side grip, clutch lever, and left side peg. Though some of these jobs might be easy, there is still a lot of information and things to note when doing these jobs. The devil is in the details, and Todd has got all the details covered!
A "chinga dinga" here, a "chinga dinga" there, in Todd we trust to get this Sportster project one step closer to getting on the open road. So break out those tools and lets get goin!
Here comes another jam-packed episode for your viewing pleasure! Watch as Todd shows you the remaining steps on converting a stock belt drive to a chain drive using Lowbrow Customs Belt To Chain Conversion Kit.
If you remember back in Saturday Sportster Episode 5, Todd replaced the rear drive pulley with the new sprocket. Now it's time to replace the front pulley with the new sprocket from the kit and securing it with a Cycle Standard Mega Nut.
Todd will also give you tips and tricks on how to cut your chain and center align your axle / tire. Let's get them tools out and get goin' here!
Todd snagged a brand new CV carburetor for the Saturday Sportster. BUT he can't just slap it on the bike and call it a day!
This bike has larger cams and Todd will be installing a larger air cleaner and high flow exhaust system to take advantage of the S&S Hooligan Kit. So he wants to make sure the carburetor has the right jetting to run properly. On a stock CV carb access is blocked to the air/fuel mixture screw. Todd shows you a hack to get your CV carb dialed in properly.
Learn the inner workings of the CV carb and how to change out your main and intermediate jets. You will also learn how to install throttle cables to the carb and the choke knob. Todd then shows you how to properly install the carb, throttle housing and choke onto the motorcycle.
BONUS FOOTAGE: Todd also installs a killer skid plate from W&W Cycles... It's Saturday Sportster baby, let's get going!
In this episode of The Saturday Sportster, follow along as Todd installs the super-popular, USA-made Lowbrow Customs 2-into-1 Hooligan Exhaust. He shows you that sometimes things need a little bit of thought and ingenuity. With this build using the Progressive 413 Series 15" shocks the chain wasn't clearing the rear exhaust mount. That's the custom life, eh?
With a little bit of problem solving Todd walks you through his method on getting this exhaust to fit and clear the rear bracket properly. You will also learn tips and tricks on installing any kind of exhaust. So break out those tools and let's yell out a big "Wooo" together as we get one step closer to finishing the Saturday Sportster!
Woooo! It's wiring time! BUT before Todd gets started on greatly simplifying the stock wiring and switch housings, let's back up a bit and show how the damn thing is gonna start!
Installing a Cycle Standard Solenoid Starter Button can really help simplify the wiring, and keep starting your motorcycle super easy. Turn the key on, push the button, and go! While seeing how easy it is to install this part, you will also learn how the starter works on your motorcycle.
Next, it's time to get rid of the switch housings. Watch Todd figure out what wires go where, and how to connect certain ones together to dial in this custom Sportster build.
Todd also shows you a nifty way to make a high-low beam switch using your Sportster eyebrow, and also sets up the trick new LED headlight.
We are getting ever closer to starting this bad boy up and taking her for a ride. Awe yeah, it's Saturday Sportster!
Todd's back with another fun and helpful episode of Saturday Sportster. Learn how to determine what gas tank you need for your bike. This includes the proper fitment as well as ensuring the right gas tank capacity needed for the use of the bike.
With all this in mind, Todd mounts a King Sportster gas tank and shows the benefits of using this larger tank and how it fits this project so well.
With the Saddlemen Americano Tuck and Roll 2-up seat finally in, Todd finally has the opportunity to mount the universal Sportster bobbed rear fender properly with a little help from fellow Lowbrow employee Clayton. After the fender gets mounted, learn a really easy way to mount the seat to the fender using only a drill.
With zero welding on this entire project, Saturday Sportster is getting ever closer to hitting the road! WOOOOO!
Oh boy, this is the second to last episode! With some more crazy "Toddisms", watch and learn as Todd installs the custom rear tail light, discusses how he likes to manage a custom build project, and installs a custom Harley air cleaner.
This tail light has an integrated license plate mount so we are killing two birds with one stone. This Cycle Standard Comet Tail Light has a clear lens but is powered by a red LED so it only turns red when the bike is on. Sleek style and bright as hell.
Todd then shows you how he likes to manage a custom build like this by using a checklist and mark things off when he's done. Not only does it feel good to check something off the list but you can physically see that you accomplished something. A trip of a 1,000 miles starts with a single step! Or something like that...
Lastly learn how to install an Arlen Ness Big Sucker air cleaner on your CV carb. Todd really has a love for this air cleaner because it's an all-in-one kit that performs well. You don't need to buy anything else to install it and it allows for ample air flow to the motor.
Break out those tools and lets get to work! It's Saturday Sportster baby!!!
This is it, what you've all been waiting for! The grand reveal and the sweet sweet sounds of that Hooligan Exhaust in the wind... (record scratch)
Doh! OK, let's wire the bike up first.
Todd shows you how to wire up your tail light properly and gives lots of tips and tricks on how to test your connections and light to make sure you are installing it correctly. He also shows you a good way of tidying up the main wiring harness by the back bone before putting on the gas tank for the last time.
After the seat gets installed t's time to stop and stare at all that we have accomplished together. Todd walks you through the bike from front to back and gives an overview of all the things we added to the bike to make it the way you see it now.
Watch as Todd takes off on the bike for the first time. He gives it a little hell as he rips around our neighborhood. "B'da, B'da, B'da... That's all Folks!"
We really do hope you found these free tutorial videos super helpful and inspiring. One of our main goals with this project was to show all of you how to build a really awesome bike, step-by-step, without doing any kind of welding or major fabrication work.
We feel this bike is a great example of just that. So break out those tools, grab a beverage, and get in that garage! We are excited to see your rendition of the Saturday Sportster.
Till next time... we will see ya in Saturday Sportster Season 2, which is already in the works!
There she is in all her glory, The Saturday Sportster a 2003 Anniversary edition turned into a bitchen Tracker.
Check out that Lowbrow Customs By Kerker Hooligan Exhaust!
"She's a beaut Clark"
You know that Arlen Ness Big Sucker is gonna help that 1200 Hooligan Kit breath real nice.
Ride Motorcycles Eat Ice Cream - Americana Speedshop
Cycle Standard Bobbed un-drilled rear fender.
15" Progressive suspension rear shocks.
The King Sportster tank. The AMF reproduction decals by Rust Is Gold Co.
The Gasbox choke knob relocation bracket.
B-side is just as nice.
The Gasbox coil and key relocation motor mount bracket.
Todd's little reminder to turn the gas off.
Those Tracker Die longer damper tubes really give this bike a great stance.
Saddlemen's 2 up Americano Seat - Tuck and Roll baby.
W&W Bates Skid plate.
The Cycle Standard Comet tail light.
Burly Brand MX style motorcycle foot pegs.
LC Fab brake switch pod delete, Lowbrow Customs Throttle housing, and Lowbrow Customs Beck Grips.
Grip it and Rip it!
Here at Lowbrow Customs we have tons of great options to make your life easier with the best selection of rear fenders and fab parts to make mounting your fender (and thus your life) easier.
Ian Olsen has been plucking away at his Shovelhead build and Brian Radmond from Geared Science has been documenting the build for us. In this latest installment Ian walks you through how he mounts fenders using one of our Lowbrow Customs 4-3/4" Manta Ray Fenders, some 5/16 leather washers and a couple coped steel bungs. The concepts of mounting it are the same, but the way you choose to do it is completely up to you. There are many options, so you can make the process your own!
LOOKING FOR MORE? To see yet another way to mount a custom rear fender check out this step-by-step video, where Tyler mounts a fender on one of Todd's Triumph bobbers.
Brand new Lowbrow Customs 4-3/4" Manta Ray Fender ready to get installed on Ian's Shovelhead build.
Drive train is all set up with wheel and tire mounted.
Be sure your primary and drive chain, with the wheel and tire you are going to run, are all aligned and installed on the bike. Otherwise your wheel spacing may change and your fender will be off-center!
Ian's going with a chain link to give himself some tire / fender clearance.
Use a piece of chain or -1" garden hose and lay it over the wheel to give ample clearance.
This is when it really starts feeling like a chopper, getting that rear fender on the bike.
You can see how Ian used bungee chords to keep the fender in the position he liked.
Using bungee cords can help you to walk away and look at the position of the fender and really get a good idea where you want it to live on the bike.
Use a straight edge mark the fender where the top frame rail is top and bottom. Determine the length of bung you will need from fender to that top rail. In this case 1-1/2" coped bungs will work well.
Ian's using a tape measure to determine center of the lines and center of the top rail as a reference to determine where his bungs will live.
Measure and determine the best placement for your bungs in your marked location for the top rail.
Use a center punch before drilling to help guide your drill bit.
Ian went with a 11/32 drill bit just a bit over sized to his 5/16 bolt this is to help with clearance when painting your fender etc.
Use a center punch to mark your drill holes and then drill one drill bit larger then the bolt size you are going to use. This will help if you are painting or powder coating your fender to give good bolt clearance through.
Use a counter sink bit to clean up your holes and de-bur them.
Use a counter sink bit to clean up your top drill marks, it de-burs and gives a cleaner more professional look.
Using leather washers between the fender and bungs will help protect the paint and give just a little less vibrations straight to the fender.
Loosely install 1-1/2 bungs to fender using leather washers in between the bungs and the fender.
With the bungs loosely installed Ian can slide the fender back over the wheel and put the bungs into position where they will live.
Put the fender back onto the bike and into position with new bungs in place. Now you can determine what you will need to use for the bottom mount.
Ian had to make his own bung to fit this gap, he measured twice and cut once.
Note* In this case Ian measured more then an 1-1/2" and needed to make a custom bung to fit his needs which you also may have to do. Instead of making a bung another option could be grabbing one of our Lowbrow Customs Weld-On Lower Fender Mounting tabs.
You can see where Ian traced the bung and center punched to drill his hole.
Ian drilling out the bottom hole location for the bottom mount bung.
After determining length and making the bung, trace the where it will live, take the fender back off the bike. Determine center of your trace, center punch and drill out again one bit size larger then your bolt size.
Tac Tac Tac baby!
Install the bottom bung onto fender, fasten all bungs tightly and place the fender back on the bike. Tack weld the bungs onto the frame and make sure you are happy with your work before finish welding the bungs to the frame.
You can finish weld after you take the wheel back off to make life easier. Tac it for now and move on to the sissy bar if you so desire.
Thats it! You are really chopper building now!
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Why should you pressure test old motorcycle gas tanks, as well as new ones for that matter, before painting them? The answer is simple: pressure testing a gas tank is cheap insurance on making sure that fancy new paint job doesn't get ruined by some tiny pin hole or gas leak.
By checking to make sure you have no leaks, pin holes, or cracks in any of the welds or seams of your gas tank, you are taking the risk factor out and guaranteeing your paint will last a long time and not be destroyed. Gasoline eats paint, it's a known fact. Don't skip this step when prepping your bike for paint, you will thank us!
This process is also necessary on newly fabricated gas tanks and motorcycle oil tanks, or any vessel that will hold fluid. Those welds may look perfect, but pinhole that isn't visible with the naked eye will cause you a lot of grief once that tank has gas or oil in it. Taking the time to pressure test before you paint or plate is well worth the effort, and repairing any found pinholes only takes minutes.
Subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. We spend a lot of time and effort creating motorcycle how-to videos, product reviews and event coverage for your enjoyment. You can also visit our Blog for more awesome how-to videos and guides like this! Please let us know what you think and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Here is a step-by-step how-to on the pressure testing procedure and sealing a gas tank leak.
Purge your gas tank of gasoline fumes if you are using a swap meet find or an old gas tank of your own. This goes for any tank that has held gasoline, even if it was years ago. Skip this step and go to number 2 if you're testing a new gas tank.
Tim with a funnel, gas tank, and transit connect
Use your car and an old funnel to get rid of any gasoline fumes that maybe lingering in your old gas tank.
Big side of the funnel out, obviously!
Put the small side of the funnel into the gas filler hole of the tank and set the larger end of the funnel onto the exhaust pipe of your car.
Big side of the funnel goes on the exhaust pipe!
Make sure your petcock or petcocks are open
Open the petcock (both if there are more than one) to allow for all of the gasoline fumes flow out of them.
Let'r rip tater chip!
Start your car and let it run for 30 mins, set a timer and go have some fun.
Fancy phone, fancy timer.
After you take your tank back inside there is one more thing you can do to make sure you don't blow yourself and tank up. Wearing face protection light a torch and stick it down the filler. If theres any gas residual fumes left over it will shoot a small flame out the holes so be careful!
Making extra sure there are no old fumes in there before welding!
Cylinder leak down tester
What tools are needed for a leak down test? Get your self a cylinder leak down tester from your local auto parts store. You will also need a spare piece of hose and some fittings to make an adapter kit that will allow you to connect the hose and fitting to the leak down tester
You will need an extra bit of hose and some adapters to hook the tank up to the leak down tester.
Connect the hose up to your petcock and keep the petcock open. If you have a second petcock, close it so it helps keep pressure in the tank.
Make sure when connecting the hose to the petcock that your petcock is open. If you have a second petcock be sure to close the one not connected to the leak down tester.
Connect the other side of the hose to the leak down tester and the leak down tester to an air compressor.
Use your hand to determine if you have too much air going through the tank.
Slowly let air into the gas tank and put your hand over the filler hole, if you can't hold your hand on it easily and are fighting to keep it on you are putting to much air into the tank. Regulate it down more till your hand can sit on the filler but still feel pressure.
You can put your finger over the vent hole of the gas cap to build pressure in the gas tank.
If you have a vented cap put that on your tank and then you can cover the vent hole with your finger.
Spraying soapy water by the gas cap and seeing bubbles is common because the gas cap is vented and you will have air leaks there. This is a good way to determine you have enough air going in as well.
Spray soapy water toward the gas cap to see if it gives you any bubbles, It should do so because the cap being vented should leak a little and cause bubbles if the pressure is set right.
Spray the hell out of it!
Spray soapy water all over the gas tank and inspect any weld seems, fittings, or other mounts welded to the gas tank directly. These spots are the most common places to find leaks.
We found a pin hole leak! The bubbles kept coming up on this center seam when we moved them away.
If you have a leak you will find bubbles growing in an area, swipe them away and see where the come back. Note where your pin hole, crack, or bad area is and continue searching for more.
Use an air grinder with a wire brush.
After you determined where you have leaks, wipe off all the soapy water from the tank and clean up / prep the areas that need fixed using an air grinder with a wire brush or steel wool, you only want remove paint from the area, not any of the metal. Its good practice to clean a larger area in case the crack or whole is larger then you can see, it may run on you when welding.
TIG or MIG weld it up, don't braze it!
Weld your pin hole or crack up using a tig welder and filler. Do not braze!
Sprayed more soap in the fixed area with the lead down tester hooked up again. the gathering of bubbles has disappeared, problem solved!
Hook your leak down tester back up and re pressure test your tank. Inspect the areas you fixed to see if you welded it up or if it walked on you and you need to fix some areas. This could be a back and forth process but again necessary and will save you from costly paint mishaps in the future.
Tim put a nice weld on that center seam to fix it right up.
Is the leak gone? Looks good! We are all done with the fuel tank pressure testing procedure and fixing a hole in a gas tank. Now you are ready for that killer paint job!
]]>We know brake lines can seem intimidating and scary, it's literally the one and only thing that helps you stop and you definitely don't wanna screw that up. Well with the Goodridge line of Brake Lines, Brake Fittings and Banjo bolts, replacing brake lines and making custom brake lines for your motorcycle could never be easier. There's not much to it either and couldn't be simpler.
After taking a few measurements, determining your fitting bends needed, banjo bolt sizes and fastening everything together properly, all you have to do is bleed your brake line and it's all set. No need for thread tape or specialties tools this Goodridge system is plug and play!
In this Lowbrow how-to video, Todd walks you through some of the different options available from the Goodridge line. He also shows you step-by-step how to put a front brake line on a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster and how easy it really is.
Subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. We spend a lot of time and effort creating motorcycle how-to videos, product reviews and event coverage for your enjoyment.
You can also visit our Blog for more awesome how-to videos and guides like this! Please let us know what you think and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Determine the fittings and banjo bolt sizes you will need for the master cylinder and caliper.
This is for a 2003 Sportster. The master cylinder on the left takes a 20 degree 7/16" banjo fitting and the caliper on the right takes a 90 degree 3/8"/10mm banjo fitting.
Using a piece of wire or thin rope, route the wire in the fashion of how you will be routing the brake line. Then, while holding the end of the wire, lay it out on a workbench and measure the length with a tape measure.
NOTE: If you are doing a front brake line be sure to leave enough length for the handlebars to turn left and right freely with no tension.
Todd taking an old cloth wire laying around the shop and routing it along the bike how he feels the brake line would look best. Routing from the master cylinder mounted on the handlebars to the caliper on the bottom legs.
After pinching the line at the desired length, Todd took it to the workbench and laid it flat. He then marked each end on the surface and then used a tape measure to determine the length of brake line he will need.
Install your fittings on the motorcycle master cylinder and caliper, be sure there is a sealing washer on each side of the fitting. The order it should go in, Banjo bolt, sealing washer, fitting, sealing washer, caliper or master cylinder.
Example of how to install the banjo bolt into a banjo fitting correctly.
Installing 20 degree banjo fitting on the left and and the 90 degree banjo fitting on the right.
Install your brake line to each fitting. Make sure everything is tightened accordingly and run the way you want. Reuse stock mounts or find a way to mount each line so it is not in the way of getting snagged or pinched.
Installing brake lines is easy, just screw them on to the banjo fitting ends and tighten.
Fill up the master cylinder with the correct brake fluid required by the recommendations of your motorcycle. Note that there are DOT 3, DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluids, and you should not mix them!
Bleed the brake line using a brake bleeder. Check for any leaks, test that the brake works and GO FOR A RIDE!
This 2003 sportster takes DOT 5 brake fluid. Do not mix different brake fluids use what your bike recommends. Todd used an air bleeder to help bleed the brakes.
NOTE: After doing any work on your brakes, be sure to always test that they work properly and that the bike wheel stops properly before going for a ride. You can jack the bike up and spin the wheel, apply brakes to see if it stops. If on the ground, just push the bike and hit the brakes and ensure that it fully stops, and that the brake lever or pedal feels firm.
After brakes are bled you will feel the brake lever harden. Make sure brake fluid is filled before putting the cover back on. Be sure to test the brakes before going for a ride.
Crafting custom brake lines for your motorcycle can be a rewarding DIY project that enhances both the aesthetics and performance of your bike. By following this comprehensive guide and taking the necessary safety precautions, you'll be well on your way to enjoying the benefits of personalized brake lines that match your unique riding style.
Whether you're a weekend cruiser or a dedicated track enthusiast, custom brake lines can make a world of difference in your riding experience. So, roll up your sleeves and start customizing your brakes for a safer, more stylish ride.
"Oh my, it's like a bowl of soup, like a bunch of noodles in here!" You would probably be saying something like this too if it was the first time changing out a set of Throttle By Wire (TBW) handlebars on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The whole job (kind of like an internal Harley Davidson throttle cable installation) seems a bit overwhelming and complex when you first look at it but we figured what better way to help you out then make a video to walk you through it all!
Follow along with Todd as he tackles changing out a stock handlebar set up on a 2017 Harley-Davidson Dyna - Lowrider S with a brand new set of Biltwell Mid TBW Tracker handlebars, 8" Murdock Pullback risers, and Utility perch style mirrors. Along with using a cycle standard new TBW throttle tube and top it all off with some stying Lowbrow Customs AMF 1" grips to make it all come together perfectly.
Subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. We spend a lot of time and effort creating motorcycle how-to videos, product reviews and event coverage for your enjoyment. You can also visit our Blog for more awesome how-to videos and guides like this! Please let us know what you think and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Stock handlebar set up on this 2017 Harley-Davidson Lowrider S. Pretty bulky, low profile and a bit ugly
We thought since these stock bars were super uncomfortable on this Dyna S let's change 'em out with some killer Biltwell Inc. products. And it could really help to show everyone the process of changing out TBW handlebars. With the change of motorcycle handlebars comes the possibility of changing brake lines and the clutch Cable as well. Todd shows you how to determine and measure for those exactly. We found that we could keep the motorcycle brake line but we would need to change out the clutch cable so we go over how to do that in this video as well.
TBW end aka "the castle looking end"
At the end of your throttle side of certain handlebars made specifically for most 2008 up big twins, there will be a castle looking end. Inserted in that end is a tube with a gear that locks into the castle part of the tube. This gear locks into another gear that connects with the end of the grip and when you turn the throttle that gear sends a signal to your ECM and tells the motorcycle how much fuel to pump into the motor. It's like SCIENCE you guys or something... All TBW bars should have holes cut out for the wiring to go through them as well because well its gotta come out somewhere.
Step 1: Take off old that handlebar setup in this order. Remember to cover your nice gas tank with an old sheet, towel, or blanket... whatever you've got.
Cover that nice gas tank with a towel or something. The last thing you want is to drop something on that nice paint.
Be careful when removing the wires from the handlebars, make sure no to snag any plugs on the lips of the holes in the bars, etc.
Step 2: Unbolt switch housing and feed wires carefully out of the old bar set up. Pull the TBW housing out of the right side bar as well. Be sure the O-ring stays with the housing.
Todd pulling the TBW and right side switch housings through carefully on the right side of the handlebar.
Feeding the TBW wire in it helps to use both hands and guide the tube into the end of the bar while pulling the cable on the other side.
Step 3: Route the TBW housing and right side controls / turn signal wires into the right side of the new handlebars.
Todd feeds the left side switch housing wires through the left slot of the handlebars. If you pull the right side wires to the right-center it allows room for the left wires to come through the center hole.
Step 4: Route the left side controls and turn signal wires into the left side of the new handlebars.
We find it easier to install the motorcycle grip onto a throttle tube and then onto the handlebars. We sell inexpensive TBW throttle tubes so you don't have to waste your time cutting off your stock grip from the stock tube thats usually really glued on.
Step 5: Install grips on to TBW throttle tube and onto the bars. Secure the hand controls to the bars but don't firmly tighten down. You will want to see how they look on the bike before fully tightening the controls on the bars.
Install your new risers. We chose to use Lowbrow Customs Solid Riser Bushings to make for more firm steering and control.
Step 6: Install new risers onto the triple tree. A simple upgrade: we highly suggest our solid riser bushings for improved handling and feel.
Todd feeding the wires through the center of the risers.
Step 7: Feed all of the wiring through the risers and loosely install the handlebars onto the risers. Determine where you want them before tightening down the top clamp. It's extremely important to make sure the handlebars are centered into the riser clamp because after all this is what steers the motorcycle. After determining the center, loosen clamps and adjust the bars to where you like them, keeping them centered and securely clamp them down evenly.
Sit on the bike and determine where the controls feel best before snugging down.
Step 8: Determine where the switch housing will be most comfortable to use by sitting on the bike. Tighten the switch housing down. Install the clutch handle and master cylinder onto the bars.
NOTE: You may have to change clutch cable and brake lines before this step. See Step 10 / Step 11 for more info.
Installing the Biltwell Utility mirrors!
Step 9: Install mirrors onto the controls. We decided to go with black Biltwell Utility Mirrors. On some models you may have to get longer bolts to give yourself enough threads to secure the mirrors properly.
What it will look like inside your Transmission side cove.
Step 10: Change Clutch Cable (skip step if you don't need to change out your stock clutch cable for a different length)
We found we didn't have to replace brakes so we just reinstalled the master cylinder to the handlebars and adjusted the cable where we needed to and the banjo bolts.
Step 11: Change Brake Line (Skip step if you don't need to change the stock brake lines for a different length)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Always thoroughly test brakes in your garage before going for a ride
Each plug should have a matching plug, wire colors should match wire colors and most of these newer Harley plugs can only plug in one way.
Step 12: Feed your TBW and switch housing wires through the triple tree and connect all of the wires to their corresponding locations that are coming from the frame. Pull on the connections to make sure they are connected properly.
Be sure to feed all of the wires through the top triple tree before plugging them all into the corresponding plugs and stuffing them into the frame.
Step 13: Test all functions: lights, turn signals, starter, etc.
Step 14: Feed the wires back into the frame and reinstall the rubber chinga-dingas into the frame. You may have to take the gas tank off to access a trap door and or pull wires from the front of the rear fender. Different models have different ways to make it a little easier to get those wires back in your frame. Take your time and get it done.
Step 15: GO FOR A RIDE!!!!
All-in-One Motorcycle Handlebars Guide for a Perfect Experience
One of the most common changes you can make for your motorcycle is adding a set of custom motorcycle handlebars.
Getting the right set of motorcycle handlebars on your bike not only can improve the comfort of your ride, but it can also improve how well you can ride the bike.
The very first thing you want to do before tackling the motorcycle handlebar replacement process is to determine what you are trying to accomplish. Asking yourself some basic questions that will put you on the right path. Determining which set of motorcycle handlebars you need to fit the look and feel you are trying to obtain is a process.
There are quite a few things that need to be considered with this purchase. We will go over some of these details so you can get the perfect handlebars the first time around!
There are 6 main motorcycle handlebar measurements that are commonly referred to when determining the specs of a handlebar. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a Harley Davidson® handlebar, or a handlebar for a Honda® Rebel®. All the measurements still apply.
The first one is the bar diameter. The most common handlebar diameter is 1”. Some older metric bikes have a handlebar diameter of 7/8”, but 1” bars are pretty much the standard after 1990.
There are thicker diameter handlebars on the market such as 1 1/4” handlebars, but keep in mind these handlebars usually have a 1” clamping area. This is so you can use risers made for 1” handlebars. They are only ¼” thicker outside of the clamping area and the motorcycle grip area.
The most common handlebar sizes are 7/8" (.875") and 1" handlebars. You can determine this visually when they are side-by-side. Alternatively, use a tape measure or a caliper to measure across the end of the tubing that makes up the handlebars.
Next measurement is width. This is the measurement of the total width of the handlebars at the widest point from end to end where the custom hand grips are installed.
It is good practice to choose a handlebar that closely matches your shoulder width for a comfortable ride.
The width of the handlebar may also depend on the style of motorcycle. A large, cruiser or vintage motorcycle may have much wider handlebars than a skinny chopper made for splitting lanes on the highway.
Measuring the width of your handlebars is easy. Take a ruler and measure end to end. This Cycle Standard No. 10 Off Road Handlebar measures in at 34-1/2" in width.
Rise is the next specification for a motorcycle handlebar. This is the most common measurement that is referred to when people are discussing motorcycle handlebars.
When you hear someone say, “I've 16” Ape Hangers on my bike”, they are referring to the rise of the handlebars.
This is the measurement from the bottom of the handlebar to the top where your hands grip the bars.
The easiest way to measure the rise of a handle bar is set it on a flat surface against a wall and from the bottom up measure the end of the handlebar. This Cycle Standard No. 10 Off Road Handlebar is measuring 6-1/4" in end rise.
Center Width is the next measurement. This is the measurement at the bottom of the bar where it clamps into the handlebar risers, before the bends start.
This is an important measurement because some models with fairings can only accommodate a certain bar width.
This Lowbrow Customs Super 4 Handlebar has a center of 5-1/2"
This Lowbrow Customs Mini Ape Hanger Springer style handlebar has a center width of 8". Handlebars meant for springer front ends need a larger center width, as springer risers are 4-3/4" center-to-center, versus the standard Harley 3-1/2" centers found on most front ends.
The final measurement to consider is pullback. Imagine a straight line across the front of your handlebars. Now measure from that line to the tip of the handlebar. This is the pullback.
This measurement is important for many riders especially those who are a bit shorter in stature.
The easiest way to measure pull back is by sticking your handlebars on a flat surface against a wall and measure from the wall to the end of the handlebar. This Cycle Standard No. 10 Off Road Handlebar is measuring 6" of pull back.
Other motorcycle handlebar measurements to consider are riser spacing width. This is the measurement where the bars clamp onto the motorcycle. The standard is 3 ½” for most Harley® models, and may other makes of motorcycles as well. This excludes Springer front ends, which use a 4-½” center-to-center spacing on the handlebar risers.
This Lowbrow Customs Super 4 Handlebar has knurling on 3-1/2" centers. This matches the stock center-to-center riser dimension for use on Harley-Davidsons and many other bikes. The risers securely clamp directly onto the knurled part of the handlebars.
This Lowbrow Customs Mini Ape Hanger Springer Style handlebar has knurling on 4-3/4" centers. Springer front ends have wider riser spacing, and this allows the risers to securely clamp the Springer style handlebars directly on the knurling.
These are all the measurements you need if you would like to get a set of handlebars that are similar
Brent Maggard's Knucklehead is a great example of having to measure for the right length cables as this is a totally custom handlebar setup. Photo by Ryan Loughridge.
There are a few more handlebar terms that we covered in this motorcycle handlebar guide that you need to know when looking for a set of handlebars.
Here is a stock Harley-Davidson Dyna Throttle By Wire handlebar's underside so you can see what the different parts look like compared to some smooth or dimpled bars.
You can see the difference here when it comes to Knurled and Smooth bars in the center for risers.
You can see on this photo the dimple and why it is there with the image on the right. The dimple gives enough room for the hand control wiring to go under a clamp for the brake caliper / lever and the clamp for the clutch lever.
Drilling holes to insert throttle cables and run an internal throttle is a super custom and cool way to clean up your handlebars.
Lowbrow Customs Rabbit Ear Handlebars are a popular choice; even for the Easter Bunny.
These are all the motorcycle handlebar measurements you need if you would like to get a set of handlebars that are similar
Motorcycle handlebars come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They all perform the same function, but don’t fool yourself into thinking they all do the job the same way.
This chart shows some different styles of popular custom motorcycle handlebars. Most names and styles have been around for many decades.
The primary function of your handlebars is to allow the rider to control the motorcycle. The question comes down to how you want the bike to look and how much control you want to maintain. If you question this approach, just give me a second to explain this perspective.
First, let’s take a look at a dirt bike. Here is a motorcycle that is built to ride over jumps and obstacles at speed. You need to maintain a high level of control on a dirt bike. The closest thing to a dirt bike handlebar in the street world would be a drag bar or a tracker bar.
If you are looking for a motorcycle handlebar types that will give you superior control of the motorcycle, a Drag bar or a tracker bar is a good choice.
Tracker style bars are ideal for racing and give optimal control over the bike.
Another type of handlebar that has always been popular is the Ape Hanger handlebar. This handlebar offers a cool look, but less control.
Some people will argue about this, but I have never seen a dirt bike race winner running Ape Hangers. I figure there is a reason for that.
The difference in control depends on the rise that you choose. An Ape Hanger handlebar with a 16” rise is going to offer a lot less control than a 10” rise Ape Hanger.
So, if you are looking to get some comfort without lacking too much control, then you can lower the amount of rise to get the perfect mix of both worlds.
Ape Hanger handlebars also come in a variety of widths. A Narrow Ape Hanger handlebar will have a 28” to 30” width but a standard Ape Hanger will be wider. Anywhere from 33” to 38” overall width.
Lowbrow Customs 9" Mini Apes are also really close to style called Buck Horns. They offer a great pull back with a classic look.
Other popular styles of handlebars include Buckhorn handlebars, Beach Bars, T-bars, Z-bars and Rabbit Ears. All of the handlebar names are a description of how the handlebar is bent.
One of Todd's builds with short Z bars and Biltwell risers on a springer front end.
Motorcycle handlebars can be found in a variety of finishes. Most versions are offered in a chrome or gloss black painted versions. You will also find some bars are offered in a polished, anodized, or electroplated coatings Lowbrow Customs also carries some handlebars in stainless steel.
If you are looking to build something custom, you can always paint your handlebars to match the look you are trying to obtain.
Look at the differences in the these 8" Lowbrow Customs T-Bars. They come in Black, Chrome, and Stainless.
Ok, so now you know all the terms and it is time to answer the most important question. What is more important to you. Comfort or style?
For example; If you are looking to put a set of Ape Hangers on your bike, you might get the look you want, but you are giving up some control and comfort. Many people try to find a compromise.
If you want the Ape Hanger look but want to retain good control, you can install a Mini Ape Hanger. Mini Ape Hangers usually have an 8-to-10-inch rise instead of a 12-to-16-inch rise. These are great bars because they offer a good look and a decent amount of comfort and control. The other benefit is in most cases (not all) you will not need to change out your cables. This also tends to mean that these are some of the best motorcycle handlebars for touring as they will not be overly tall, offering better control and handling.
Lowbrow Customs Rabbit Ears have a great pull back, an extremely comfortable riding position, and amazing handling.
The best process is to sit on your bike and get an idea of where you want your hands to be when riding. This should give you an idea of what you are looking for. Have a buddy take some measurements that get you in the ballpark. If you like the comfort of your existing handlebars, and just want to change the style, you can take some measurements to help you get an idea of what you are looking for.
These Lowbrow Customs stainless 8" T-Bars on Tim Fiorucci's Ironhead give off that custom look, aggressive stance, and a perfect fit for this machine.
From there you can pick a style that fits your criteria and avoid the work of installing a set of bars you don’t like. The staff at Lowbrow Customs are here to help, so if you have any questions after you read our motorcycle handlebar guide, reach out to us.
We have installed a ton of handlebars in our time and we can help you avoid some of the mistakes we have made in the past. We will do everything we can to help you get the perfect set of handlebars the first time.
There are still a few final considerations of the handlebar guide 101 that you need to determine that may affect your decision.
For example, if you want to wire the handlebars internally, you should consider buying pre-drilled handlebars.
If you have controls that need dimples, you should consider buying dimpled bars or you may need to change your controls.
If you decide you want to extend your bars, you need to determine if you will have to extend or replace your brake lines and your cables.
This may be required even if your new handlebars have a reasonable amount of rise. It all depends on the rise, pullback and overall cable length needed.
The right bar can make all the difference in the world and not only help your bike stand out but handle like a dream. This Mini Apes with a stock riser set up on Kelly Messia's slab-side is a perfect fit! photo by: Ryan Loughridge
Once you have your new handlebars picked out, it's time to install them. There are some videos on Lowbrow Customs that can really give you some details. Here we will go over some of the basics.
TIPS: The very first thing you want to do is put a towel over your tank. When you start to loosen things up, your bars can fall back on your tank, or you can drop a control on it. The towel will help protect your tank from damage. Don't skip this step or you may regret it!
Put a blanket or towel over top of your gas tank that way if anything falls accidentally on it nothing gets dinged or scratched when changing your handlebars.
First step is to remove your grips. Billet grips usually small Allen set screws you will have to loosen. Keep in mind your throttle side might be easier to remove by loosening the control screws, detaching your throttle cable (or cables) and sliding off your throttle tube with the grip still on it.
Rubber handlebar grips can often be removed with the aid of some compressed air. Using an air blow-off tool, slip the nozzle under the edge of the grip and apply compressed air as you pull the grip off.
If the grips have been glued on or are otherwise just not coming off, you can slit through them with a razor blade and install new grips along with the new handlebars.
Removing grips and controls is the first step toward changing out those old handlebars.
Once the grips are off you need to take off the mirrors, blinkers, and finally the controls. When you loosen the screws that hold the controls on, check and see if you can slide them off the bars.
If the cables or wiring attached is not long enough to allow you to slide the control housing off the bar, just leave it on for now.
When we loosen the riser bolts you will be able to slide the handlebar over to give you more slack to slide the control off.
Remove the hand controls on both sides, both clutch and brake.
The next step is to loosen the risers. If your risers bolt from the bottom, it is good practice to break those nuts loose first. This way you can use the bars as leverage.
Now gotto the top of the riser and remove the top riser clamps. Keep in mind this is the point where the bars can come down and hit the tank. Slowly loosen the riser while being careful to support the bar.
Now that the top clamps are off you can slide the bars over and remove the controls, if needed, and set them aside.
Pro tip, loosen the bolts holding the risers on before removing the handlebars from the risers. This will give you enough leverage to loosen them easily.
To install the new bars, you just need to reverse the process. Start with the risers and work your way up the bars.
Make sure you check your cables and your bars by rotating the bars from stop-to-stop to ensure there is enough cable slack and bar clearance. Your cables and wires should have some slack in them and your bars should clear your tank.
Make sure you did not pinch any wires, and that your front brake light switch is operating properly.
If you have questions in reading our motorcycle handlebar guide, take a look at one of the handlebar installation videos, or just contact us with your question. We are always happy to help.
The Gasbox Chopper Bolt On Sissy Bar for 2004 & Up Sportsters is an easy bolt-on accessory that upgrades not only the style but function of your custom Sportster. Also comes in a taller version. This bolt-on kit allows you to mount a custom sissy bar to your stock swingarm Harley-Davidson motorcycle with no fabrication or welding experience.
This install takes less than 10 minutes and you are back on the road with no more worrying about how to secure your gear or give your passenger something to lean against! If you'd like to find any information about sissy bars, see our blog post What Is A Sisssy Bar.
Step 1. Remove turn signal lenses with flat head screwdriver. This allows clearance for your torx bit to be used.
- Note: there is a small opening to fit your flat head screwdriver to pry from casing. - How to install Gasbox Sissy Bar on a Sportster.
Step 2. Remove the 4 torx head screws with a T-40 torx bit. Most newer models use a bracket for the back two screws and a nut for the front to screws.
- Todd Removing all 4 strut bolts.
Step 3. Line up the 4 mounting holes on the Gasbox sissy bar with the holes on the strut covers and put your bolts into the holes.
- Todd going front to back aligning the holes.
Step 4. Tightly fasten the new 5/16 allen screws provided with the sissybar and re-use the rear threaded brackets. (Note: We recommend to use a some blue Locktite on your screws).
- Todd fastening all 4 strut screws.
Step 5. Be sure to put your turn signal lens caps back on and go for a ride!
- Todd pushing back on the turn signal lenses by hand.
- "And that's all there is to it" - Todd.
The Final Result
- The Before
- The After
For more help with this install, Here is a step by step video on how to install The Gasbox "Chopper" Bolt On Sissy Bar with the man who created it, Jesse Basset.
Gasbox now has 2 styles of their amazing bolt on chopper sissy bars for 2004-up Harley-Davidson Sportsters. The O.G. Sportster Gasbox Bolt On Chopper Sissy Bar that measures in at 20" from base to the top and a Gasbox Tall Bolt on Chopper Sissy bar Tall which measures in at 24 1/4". In this short tutorial you can see how easy it is to install one on your bike.
By spreading the bottom plates of the motorcycle sissy bar over the struts, line the up the bolt holes front and rear.
The New Sisssy Bar Installed - Ready to go for a ride!
For more help with this install, Here is a step by step video on how to install a sissy bar on Harley Sportster 2004 & up - Gasbox Tall Chopper Bolt On Sissy Bar with the man who created it, Todd.
Hello, I'm Tyler with Lowbrow Customs here in our showroom in Brunswick Ohio. I want to show you guys these new investment cast aluminum filler caps that we came out with. They work for both oil and gas tanks as well as any custom application.
There are 1-5/16"-12 thread and they work with some popular brands such as Mooneyes oil tanks. They'll thread right in in place of the cap that the Mooneyes tank comes with, which is nice in itself but this is just a second option for you.
Cast aluminum Spinner and Knurled gas / oil caps by Lowbrow Customs are an inexpensive way to customize your motorcycle oil tank or gas tank. These caps are 1-5/16"-12 thread and fit Lowbrow Customs, British Standard, and Mooneyes brand motorcycle oil tanks.
These also work with British standard and cycle standard oil tanks. The cycle standard tank shown here is for a Harley-Davidson or other custom motorcycle. While here is an example, of a British standard oil tank that's perfectly set up for tryouts or other British motorcycles and there's many different styles of these available.
Our new caps also work with a couple of gas tanks we produce. This is the Lowbrow customs narrow sporty Frisco gas tank and you can see one of the polished spinners that are in place and this is the cool Foster tank, this one is for a 2007 and up Sportster, this would be for an EFI or fuel-injected Sportster.
The cap it comes with is a vented knurled aluminum but you can swap that out with one of these new custom caps, this is the polished spinner and there's so a knurled version available both in polish and white. In addition to these fitments, we also make a threaded bung, this is mild steel and we also offer aluminum. You can weld this into any fluid vessel of your choosing, oil tank, gas tank et cetera and then one of these matching caps to fit.
Check out our Custom Oil & Gas Caps page to see all the different style caps and the motorcycle oil tanks and custom gas tanks that they will fit! There are many styles available in black, aluminum and solid brass.
For detailed overview and better explanation, take a look at our video below:
In this short and sweet tech tip, Amanda shows you how easy it is to throw away that stock boring OEM style gas cap and replace it with a way cooler Lowbrow Customs Gas Cap that will make everyone's heads turn.
Using our Lowbrow Customs Finned, Spinner, Domed, Dished, Banded or Competition screw in gas caps on your 1996-and later Harley-Davidson, automatically takes your motorcycle's gas tank from boring schlub to James Dean in less than 5 seconds flat. So, go check out one of our many styles of gas caps to choose from and properly plug that gashole of yours, the cool way!
Here is our video for more detailed instruction:
Exclusively available from Lowbrow Customs, the Spinner Gas Cap and Competition Gas Cap are just two of many custom motorcycle gas caps we offer for Harley-Davidson Sportsters and Big Twins as well as modern Triumph motorcycles, such as the T100 Bonneville T120, Thruxton and Scrambler.
These investment-case, aluminum gas caps have a ratcheting base which allows you to install the cap and have it face the right way on your gas tank when fully tightened.
There are two designs, one being the Competition Gas Cap and the other being the Spinner Gas Cap. They're available in two finishes, polished aluminum, as well as black. A nice detail about these gas caps, is that they have a ratcheting mechanism that allows you to face the cap directionally.
For instance, you don't have your fuel cap that is crooked and if you're OCD, like me, driving you nuts the entire time you're riding your motorcycle.
On this gas tank, which is a Cycle Standard Frisco Mount Sportster Gas Tank, which was painted by Scott Takes, I'm going to show you how the cap works here. You've got one of these spinner gas caps, you would simply back it off to loosen it. You install it and screw this in. It'll get tight and you will hear the ratcheting mechanism click, so you know your cap's completely tight. Then, you're able to back it off and it's going to stay in place and face whatever direction you might want it to. These, as well as many other styles of gas caps, are available at lowbrowcustoms.com, thank you.
Lowbrow Customs Finned Gas Cap on a 1975 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead chopper.
Harley-Davidson chopper showing off a Spinner Gas Cap on a P-Nut Gas Tank.
2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster featuring a Blackbird Legacy Gas Tank and Finned Gas Cap.
A customer's 2001 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXD sporting a Black Competition Gas Cap from Lowbrow Customs.
Custom Harley Sportster parts, such as the Spinner Gas Cap paired with the stock gas tank, can give a bike it's own style.
What's cooler than rolling down the street on your motorcycle and having zero wires or cables hanging from your new custom set of handlebars? If your answer is not much, you are correct.
Check out our selection of Internal Throttle Kits, Lowbrow has all the parts you will need to tackle this job!
A finished look at the bike from our internal throttle install how-to video below. This is Mikey's Sportster, and it turned out top-notch!
An internal throttle is potentially one of the trickest parts you could add to your bike, but the task of setting up an internal throttle and installing a throttle cable on a motorcycle one can feel daunting to tackle by yourself.
Look at that super clean setup! No visible throttle or throttle cable cluttering up the scenery...
That's why we thought it would be a great idea to have our good friend Tim Fiorucci from Fiorucci Fabrications walk you through not only on how to narrow a set of Lowbrow Customs 10" T-bars but how to install a Kustom Tech Internal throttle from start to finish.
So, break out those rulers kids and let's get to cutting. Within a few short hours you are gonna end up with a bitchin' set of handlebars and take your customization skills to the next level.
You can also check out the custom universal throttle cable installation process below in article format, with each step accompanied by a photo for easy reference. Enjoy!
First thing you want to do is determine what length you want the bars to be. Don't assume all custom motorcycle bars are created equal and be sure to measure both sides to see if there are any discrepancies before measuring and just cutting off the ends.
Measure from center to determine length is even on both sides of bars before measuring from the ends of the bars.
Install the clutch and brake levers where desired on the bars to see how much you can take off and still be comfortable on the motorcycle.
Using your grips determine how much you want to cut off the handlebars. Mark a line and the end of the grip where the new end of the handlebar will be.
Now that you have determined where you want the new ends of your handlebars will be, measure the left sides end to your mark. Mark the right side with the same measurement but then take your internal throttle and set its end to that new line and mark where another line to the step where the internal throttle will be inserted into the flange.
You will have to remove much more of the bar on the right side to have the end of the internal throttle to end up in equal length to the left end side. Also be sure that you have enough space in the remaining straight section of the handlebar to house the slug of the internal throttle.
We are taking 2-7/8" off the left side of the handlebar.
You can't just take off the same amount on the right side as more material needs removed to allow for the length of the internal throttle that we will be installing.
Remember the internal throttle has to be installed, so measure the 2-7/8" (or whatever amount you shortened your handlebars) from the end of the right side of the bar. Then, lay your internal throttle end to that mark and make another mark where the step ends and the slug begins. That is where you need to make the cut so the finished bars will be the same length on both sides.
Again be sure to leave enough room for the slug to slip into the bars before it hits a bend.
Once you determined your cut lines, cut them bars!
Cutting bars!
This one can take a while. Now that your bars are cut it's time to try and fit the internal throttle into the right side of the bar. Most handlebars have a weld seam from the tubing on the inside. You need to grind away and make sure there's no debris in the way so the slug can fit firmly. Take your time and check very frequently as you remove material. The last thing you want is to take out too much material and the internal throttle is all sloppy and moving around in the handlebars.
Use a grinder and a barrel sander to clean the inside of the bars so that the slug of the internal throttle housing can fit in tightly.
You can see the weld seam inside the tubing of this handlebar. That's what you want to grind down and then evenly smooth out.
Fit the internal throttle so it's a tight fit but you can still take it out if need be.
Measure the step to the center of the set screw hole. We measured 1". Then figure out where you want the set screw to be on the right handlebar, we decided to hide it on the bottom of the bar.
Measuring our 1" we made a mark, center punched, and drilled a pilot hole. We then drilled the proper size hole needed for the set screw. Clean the inside tubing of any debris with a barrel sander again as there may be a burr where the hole was drilled. Test fit to make sure everything fits right. DO NOT force the set screw. If it doesn't go smoothly, stop, regroup and try again to line the two holes up evenly.
Measure the step to the center of the set screw hole.
We wanted to put the set screw for the internal throttle at the bottom. "cool guy shit"
Use a center punch to help guide your drill.
Using some Fiorucci Fabrication Soft Jaws to protect the chrome, drill into the hole with a small pilot then use the size needed for the set screw.
Test fit and make sure everything lines up.
Determine the Throttle Cable housing size and where you want it to come out of on your handlebars. Using a set of Lowbrow Customs Rabbit Ears you could go down the entire tube to the bottom of the tree. With these T-bars we are gonna have to have the cable come out the middle and run it down the left side riser. Center punch and drill hole to size where desired.
Pro-Tip: Use your drill and tilt the bit sideways to add a bevel and to allow for the cable to come out of the bar flat instead of perpendicular to the bar.
We determined we are going to need to drill a 1/4" into the handlebar to allow for the cable to pass through.
Visually looking at how the cable will lay and come out the center of the bars, we mark where we want to drill.
Again using a center punch will help guide your drill.
Once your hole is drilled go back in with your drill bit and drill at an angle giving the hole a nice bevel and it allows the cable to sit nicely against the bars .
Nice bevel, ah yeah!
See how the cable sits nicely against the bars.
It's now time to determine how much of the housing you need to cut on your throttle cable. With the bars on the motorcycle hook up the cable to the carburetor and route it the way you are going to have it on the bike.
Make sure to leave enough slack so that when you are turning right or left it's not pulling on the cable along with not finding any pinch points in your fork stops etc. Open the adjuster on the cable all the way as well. Once you are happy with where your cable is run and through the bars. Make a mark on the cable at the end of the cut handlebar.
Take off your air cleaner, it helps to get access to the butterfly on the carb.
Move the bike left and right to make sure there's no pinching or pulling of the throttle cable the way you routed it.
Pull the cable back off the bike and remove the internal throttle cable from the black cable housing. Measuring from the slug of the internal throttle to the end with out the small aluminum piece where the housing snaps into. We measured 1-1/2". Now where we made our mark, we marked a new mark 1-1/2" closer to where the cable goes into the carb. (this is determined by the little brass ferrule at the end.) Using a cut off wheel not wire clippers cut the cable housing.
Make a mark on the cable at the end of the bar using something that won't rub off when you pull it back through the bars.
Measure the step to the face of the slug on the internal throttle minus the little aluminum cap. We measured 1-1/2"
Measure 1-1/2" from previous mark towards the brass ferrule and that will be where you need to cut. Make sure you have removed the internal cable wire from the black housing before cutting.
Using a cut off wheel to cut the cable and not wire cutters. Wire cutters will crimp the end and damage it, where the cut off wheel leaves the hole open.
Now we have to determine where we need to cut the internal cable wire to work with the slide correctly. Taking the slide out of the internal throttle you can put something small in where the cable should go, like an allen wrench, and determine how long the inner cable should be. We measured 1/2".
Measuring the outside of the slide 1/2" lined up perfectly with the end of the white plastic giving us a great line to reference for our next measurement. Putting the slide back into the throttle housing we now can measures from the face of the bearing to the line on the plastic, which we measured at 3/16".
Pushing the slide to the end of the of the throttle towards the slug and again measuring from the face of the bearing 3/16" it ends at the end of the step of the slug. This tells us we have now the total length of the slug of internal wire cable needed which again before we had said came out to 1-1/2".
Feed the internal wire cable back into the black outer housing and run the entire cable back through the bike and bars. Now you can measure 1 1/2" away from the black outer housing end and make a mark onto the inside cable wire. Using a cut off wheel cut the inside cable wire to length.
Remove the slide from the internal housing, use a small Allen wrench and stick it into where your cable would go to see how far it goes down then measure.
We measured 1/2"
We measured 1/2" from the face of where the cable goes in on the outside and it lines perfectly up with the plastic part of the slide. This is a great reference for the next measurement needed.
After determining the bearing to the end of where the cable would be is 3/16". We slid the slide to the end of the throttle towards the slug and measured 3/16" which told us its at the step of the slug leaving us to need to cut the wire the length of the slug which was 1-1/2".
Once you have everything back to where you had it on the bike, measure 1-1/2" of the internal wire cable past the black cable housing. Use a cut off wheel to cut the cable.
It's now time to install the internal throttle on motorcycle for good. Insert the outer housing cap of the internal throttle then install the internal cable into the slide and lock it down. Then put the slide into the thermal cable and reinstall your screw with bearings onto the slide. Lock your outer housing and then insert the slug into the handlebars and line up your hole. Install your bolt and lastly put your spiral onto the internal throttle and you're ready to rock and roll.
Install the cap first then insert cable into the slide and lock it down with the set screw.
Pull the slide into the internal housing and install your screw with bearings and lock the cap down with its set screw.
Locking down the slug with the screw. This can be hard to line up sometimes so be sure to take your time and don't force the screw in if its not lining up.
Install your spiral and screw on the end cap that locks it in place.
The last step for your internal throttle assembly is to adjust the cable at the adjuster by the carb and make sure to get rid of any cable slack. If it still feels to loose you may need to cut your internal cable a little more to tighten it up.
Adjusting the cable by the carb.
That's it, you did it!!
Bam you are done! Now all you need to do is reinstall your air cleaner, put on your grips and install clutch lever, and if you have front brakes, your brake lever. It's also nice to tie your throttle cable down in some fashion to keep it from swinging in the way and getting caught on something.
Before mouting your rear fender, make sure you radius the fender properly. There are many ways you can mount a rear motorcycle fender, this is just one of them. I wanted to make strong mounts as the .125" aluminum fender needs to support the weight of a passenger as that is where the rider sits on this purpose-built race bike.
I wanted to give ample clearance between the rear fender and tire, so I used a piece of 1" rubber garden hose, cut and taped to the tire so it would give equal clearance all the way around. Also, I moved the tire forward in the axle slots so that I would never have any issues when adjusting the wheel to take up chain slack as the chain wears.
I set the fender onto the tire after radiusing it to fit just right (see the How To Radius a Motorcycle Fender DIY Tech Tip). I then cut a piece of 1" tubing, the same .120 wall DOM tubing used to make the hardtail frame, and coped one end of it to fit onto the existing cross member. I did this a simple, quick and dirty way by clamping the tubing in a vice and drilling through it with a 1" step bit. I then cut it to the proper length to be a tight fit against the fender.
I took a hair off the length at a time using a lathe, but you can use a grinder to get it in the ballpark then use a hand file to get the proper length. I then used a threaded steel bung with a .75" outside diameter that was tapped and threaded for a 3/8"-16 bolt and chamfered the edge of it.
The bung is a nice sliding fit into the tubing, and I then TIG welded it up, just fusing it with no filler rod. You can also MIG weld it up, of course. The benefit of having a lathe once again reared it's head as I chucked the piece back up and faced it, taking off just enough material to give a nice finished surface.
Once you tack your first fender support in place, you can carefully mark and drill your fender and bolt it in place. Then follow the same steps to fabricate your bottom mount, again carefully lining up the fender before drilling. Now all that is left to do is make some fender struts to finish the sturdy mounting of our fender. Check out our next step to fabricate some fender struts or a sissy bar that will hold up the rear of the custom fender.
Lowbrow Customs has teamed up with Kerker to bring you an affordable, USA-made, high-performance, 2 into 1 SuperMeg exhaust system for your Harley-Davidson. Our goal was to create an exhaust system we would want to run on our bikes, stripped of all the superfluous covers and branding. Though install is super easy on these and should only take a couple hours to get back on the road we thought it would be a good idea to have Todd walk you through 9 quick steps on getting this motorcycle exhaust system installed onto your bike with ease, in this super detail walk through for installing Supermeg exhaust for Hayley Dyna.
Tools Needed For This Job:
Step 1: Remove your stock or other exhaust system from your bike.
Step 2: Remove retaining rings & flanges from stock exhaust using external lock ring pliers. If the rings are extremely corroded or warped we suggest to use a new set. Re-install the rings and flanges on to the new exhaust. *Note: Make sure the flange goes on first before ring and with the lipped indention facing out.
Step 3: Install the O2 sensors into the new pipes and or O2 sensor plugs depending on your set up. We supply some anti-seize that you can put on the threads of the O2 sensors but be sure not to get any on the actual sensor or you may run into some issues.
Note* These pipes have threaded bungs designed for 18MM sensors, if your bike has 12MM you will need to purchase some adapters. Or you can visit our exhaust pipes collection to explore more options.
Step 4: Using the correct fasteners from the supplied hardware kit, install the mounting bracket to the left side of the transmission case after removing the stock bolts. Make sure to use the spacers between the trans case and bracket.
Step 5: Loosely install the 2 into 1 header pipe onto the cylinder heads.
Step 6: Insert the two T-bolts into the channel of the muffler. Slide the clamp over the muffler and Install the muffler on to the 2 into 1 pipes lining up the to T-bolts to the exhaust mounting bracket.
Step 7: Tighten down the muffler to the mounting bracket using 1/2 wrench. Tighten down using down the muffler clamp using a 3/16 allen socket.
Step 8: Once the muffler is secure onto the 2 into 1 pipe and the exhaust mounting bracket, tighten down the 4 nuts on the cylinder head. Tighten these evenly and do not over do them again the last thing you want is to break a stud off on your cylinder head.
Step 9: Re-plug in your O2 sensors if you have them. Tune your bike accordingly and go for a ride!
Note* If you are in need of a tuner check out - Dyno Jet Power Commander V Tuner for 2006 - 2011 Harley Davidson Dyna.
Follow along in this detailed, how-to tutorial as Tim Fiorucci of Fiorucci Fabrications walks you through step by step on how to install an ignition switch on motorcycle using our Lowbrow Customs Hummer Style Ignition Switch Kits and 2.5 Gallon Frisco Sportster Tank. This same technique could be used on any motorcycle gas tank you like!
Modeled after the old Harley-Davidson Model 125 and Model 165 gas tanks (often referred to as Hummer gas tanks, though the Hummer actually did not have the ignition switch located in the gas tank), we thought it would be super cool to offer a DIY kit for adding an ignition switch into any style of gas tank.
In addition to this kit, make sure to purchase the USA-made, spring steel Ignition Switch Bezel by Colony Machine (SKU 011353) and also the 5 post key switch (Harley OEM #71500-36 style switch) and mounting hardware (SKU 011483) to complete the job right.
In this video, Tim goes through the entire motorcycle ignition switch replacement process on a motorcycle gas tank, step-by-step. This is a job that can be accomplished with some basic tools and a bit of welding.
You can also check out the custom motorcycle gas tank fabrication process below in article format, with each step accompanied by a photo for easy reference. Enjoy!
Safety Tip: Before you weld on a used gas tank (one that has held gas, even a long time ago), be sure to purge the tank and get rid of any lingering gas fumes. Your tank could blow up on you!
If you have a brand new tank, you can skip this step.
To get rid of gasoline fumes left in the gas tank, take your gas tank outside with a funnel and set it up in a way that your car's exhaust is pointed into the funnel, which should then blow into the gas tank. This will run carbon monoxide fumes through the empty gas tank.
Run your car for about 30 minutes. This will help rid of any of the gas pockets of fumes that may be lingering inside. When you come back inside it's also a good idea to put a bit of flame from a MAP gas or propane gas torch inside the gas tank filler to see if it gets any other pockets of gas fumes. If there are any present, they will ignite quickly with a POOF.
Use your part to mark out the center hole
After finding a pleasing location for your ignition key switch housing use the center hole to mark where you are going to drill the hole in the gas tank using a hole saw.
Use an automatic center punch to mark the center of your hole and drill a small pilot hole before using the hole saw. Always be careful when drilling holes in gas tanks.
Determine the center of your mark and use an automatic center punch to help guide your drill. Don't use a normal punch with a hammer on sheet metal you could dent or distort the gas tank and cause more work for yourself.
After using the automatic center punch drill a small pilot hole. The center punch keeps the drill bit from wandering and keeps the location of the hole right where you want it.
Straddle that thang!
There's no real easy way to hold a gas tank while cutting into it with a hole saw. One way is by straddling the tank on the ground using your knees to hold the tank in position. Be sure to keep the hole saw moving fast and don't go slow, this too can warp the shape of the tank if you are trying to cut it too slow.
Grinding with a barrel sander to take off excess material.
After cutting out your hole using the hole saw, put the key switch housing in and determine if you need to grind away any additional material to make a snug fit. Grind where needed and keep trial fitting till you reach desired fit. Take your time here! It is easier to remove material than put it back.
Mark out your tangs on each side of the key switch housing.
Using a marker, trace out each tang and grind away so that the key switch housing can drop in place cleanly. You don't want to push these tangs in without grinding space away, it could get stuck. You are going to have to take this in and out still a few more times before welding.
Grind the tang spots til desired fit.
Grind both spots you traced where the tangs will fit, and carefully continue to grind until desired fit. Your main goal here is to get the key switch housing to fit as tight as possible but not force it in to where you can't pull it back out. You want to try and not to leave large gaps to make it easier for yourself when welding.
Grinding out a little more of the large hole.
Once you have the tangs fitting properly and how you like them, you will notice the key switch housing has a slight bevel and will not seat fully. Using the barrel grinder again open up the hole a little more till the lip of the key switch housing sits flush with the gas tank.
Using a deburring tool to get out any sharp metal shards from the grinding and cutting
Use a deburring tool to get out any metal shards or sharp edges and clean up your gas tank. Put the key switch housing back into the newly cut hole.
Determining where the wire tube is going to be located you have to use your x-ray vision goggles.
This part is a little tricky in the whole Harley-Davidson ignition switch installation process. Drop the wire tube into the hole and set it away from the tunnel in a spot that's pleasing to you. Set your gas tank at the edge of the table and look at it level and as straight as you can.
Using the weld seam line of the wiring tube, use a straight edge to trace a line to the bottom of the tank following the weld seam. This will give you a better reference to where the wiring tube needs to go in on the bottom of the gas tank.
Using your 7/8" hole saw draw a circle.
Flip the tank over and use your straight edge, draw a line to the tunnel from the line you just put on the side of the tank. Move a bit away from the tunnel and use your 7/8" hole saw as a template to trace another circle. The wire tube outside diameter is 7/8".
Automatic center punch and drilling small pilot hole again.
Determine the center of your hole, use an automatic center punch for a guide and drill a small pilot hole on the bottom of your tank.
Yup, more straddling.
Straddle that tank one last time and use your 7/8" hole saw to drill out your hole for your wiring tube.
Bam! Verify the tube goes from the top through the bottom hole!
Drop your tube in from the top key switch housing and verify it fits out the bottom hole. This wiring tube can move around a bit and if you need to open up the hole on the top to give a little more wiggle room you can.
Using some air to clean out the tank.
Make sure your holes are all deburred, any metal shards and the cutouts are all removed from the gas tank. Last thing you want is some metal shards floating in your gas.
Determine the final place you want your key switch housing to be.
Once your gas tank is clean: Put your key switch housing back into the top of the tank, bolt the key switch to the mounting plate and drop it in.
Determine the final placement by orienting the housing into a position that works best for you and is visually pleasing. Use a marker and draw a line on the lip of the housing and connect that line to the tank.
This will give you a great reference mark in case something moves while you are setting up your welder or if the housing isn't sitting that tight.
Tack it up!
Tack weld four sides of the key switch housing.
Determine how much you need to cut off of the wiring tube.
Insert the wiring tube flush to the hole in the key switch housing and on the bottom side determine how much you need to cut off. Mark a line around the tube where you want to cut.
Power tools! Hooo Hoo Hoooo! - Tim The Tool Man Taylor
Cut your wire tube down to the proper length
Tack the wiring tube from the top.
Holding the wire tube flush in the bottom of the key switch housing tack weld 4 corners.
When not laying flat use a grounding lead directly clipped to the tank so the tank doesn't arc if it moves. Last thing you want is to blow a big hole in your tank.
Flip the tank over and tack weld the bottom part of the wire tube on four corners.
Pro Tip: use a lead clipped directly onto your gas tank to ground it properly when upside down. If the tank rotates or moves the tank and table could break ground and cause arcs to happen; possibly melting a hole into your sheetmetal gas tank.
Tack welds on 4 sides of both top and bottom of the wiring tube.
You are now ready to finish weld. On the top lip of the key switch housing add some more tacks in a staggered star pattern to allow for less movement. Then finish weld in four small sections at the top of the wiring tube.
Note: See more of the tacks around the top and then finish weld the wire tube.
Again when welding with the tank being able to move attach a lead directly to the tank to ground it.
Finish weld the bottom of the wiring tube in four small sections completely.
Finish welding.
Finish weld the top lip of the key switch housing.
With gas tanks being thin sheet metal, it is important to stagger your welds when finish welding. Do small sections from tack to tack and rotate them in a star pattern to keep the heat down. The last thing you want is your tank to look like a ruffles potato chip.
Looking good!
Drop your key switch mounting plate into the housing and tack the center and the four corners of the plate to secure it in the housing.
Tacking the key mounting plate into the housing.
Bolt your 5 post key switch to the mounting plate with the mounting hardware.
Using the mounting hardware install the key switch to the mounting plate. Then simply push the ignition switch bezel into the tangs.
Whoa! That's it!
All that's left is to pressure test your gas tank and make sure you don't have any pin holes in your welds, and then this baby is ready for paint!
Chopperin made easy with Tim Fiorucci
In this gas tank installment of Ian Olsen's Harley-Davidson 1981 Shovelhead build by Geared Science, Ian shows you how easy it is to mount a Lowbrow Customs Sportster Frisco Gas Tank 2.1 Gallon utilizing some of our slim top hat bungs that he drops right into the frame.
With a few quick steps, measuring twice, drilling once and using all the right tools; Ian walks you through how easy it is to get those motorcycle bungs welded up and your fancy new gas tank mounted up properly onto your frame. This method can work well on many different styles of choppers while using any of our slotted tab gas tanks we have to offer.
Follow along with Ian and see the process he uses to mount his motorcycle gas tank in the short, 4-minute video above. We also broke the gas tank mounting process down for you into 8 easy-to-follow steps, along with photos, below!
Subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. We spend a lot of time and effort creating motorcycle how-to videos, product reviews and event coverage for your enjoyment. You can also visit our Blog for more awesome how-to videos and guides like this! Please let us know what you think and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
(We strongly advise against liquid courage before performing this job. Please leave that to the professionals.)
Step 1: Determine where you want your gas tank to sit on the backbone of your motorcycle and mark with a marker or Dykem layout fluid. You can scribe a mark into the Dykem / marker for a precise location. This will mark the spot you want your gas tank to sit on the backbone, how far forward or back it will be located.
TIP: Be sure that your handlebars / risers do not hit your gas tank when turning fully left to right before final mounting your gas tank!
Ian eyeballing where he wants his tank to live on his backbone of his 1981 Shovelhead
Step 2: Figure out the centerline of the backbone and make some marks (scribing the centerline into the Dykem or marker from Step 1). This will create 'crosshairs' for the center of each mounting bung.
Ian finding his center
Step 3: Measure the tab slots center-to-center on your gas tank and compare to your marks on backbone to make sure they match accordingly. Or put the gas tank in position and 'eyeball' to verify the crosshair marks are centered in both the front and rear tabs.
NOTE: the slotted tabs on Lowbrow Customs gas tanks will give you some adjustability (room for error) front to back, but try and be as accurate as possible.
Ian measuring the gas tank mounting tab slots center-to-center.
Slotted tabs, so nice! These allow you to get a bit of forward or back adjustment on your gas tank location. They also allow for a bit of variance (mistake, lol) in the location of your welded bungs, to ensure your gas tank bolts in place nicely!
Measure twice drill once!
Step 4: Use an automatic self center punch on both your marks on your back bone. Alternatively, a steady hand and a sharp punch with hammer do the trick. Either way, absolutely center punch before drilling for accurate work!
Automatic center punch helps guide the drill bit from walking and keeping to where you want to drill.
Step 5: Drill pilot holes with a small drill bit made for metal. Then use a step drill bit (or a progression of larger and larger standard drill bits) to open up the hole to the size of the Lowbrow Customs Slim Top Hat bungs (1/2").
Drilling small pilot hole helps guide the step drill bit.
Stepping it down, awe yeah!
Step 6: Drop in your bungs and tack weld them in place. It helps sometimes to use a long bolt threaded into the bung to hold it in place and level while you tack it. This makes visually leveling the bung easier as it gives you a taller reference point.
He said bung.
Tacking the threaded bungs in place.
Step 7: Trial fit your gas tank onto the bungs before you finish weld everything. If something is out of place it is way easier to break or grind the tack welds and fix it now, then grinding fully welded bungs out and starting over!
Test fitting the gas tank before finish welding the bungs into the frame backbone.
Step 8: Finish weld your bungs. That's it! Your gas tank is securely mounted.
Look at those buttery welds!
Looking oh-so-good and ready for some paint!
Do you find yourself looking to reuse a top end copper head gasket for your Triumph engine rebuild or did you recently purchase from us a full engine rebuild gasket kit from us here at Lowbrow Customs? Your friends telling you to make sure to anneal your head gasket and all you can think is, "What the hell is annealing mean" and "Why do I need to do this regardless if my copper head gasket is new or used?".
Well, never fear we are here to get rid of your worries and help you get that motor sealed properly. The annealing process of the gasket makes it more malleable and ensures a better seal for your top end. This is a super important step that will save you time and the stress of having to possibly rebuild your engine again if your head gasket isn't sealed properly. In this short and sweet tech tip video Tyler shows you how easy it is to anneal your gasket and get it ready for installation on your top end.
Subscribe to the Lowbrow Customs YouTube channel to check out all of our videos. We spend a lot of time and effort creating motorcycle how-to videos, product reviews and event coverage for your enjoyment. You can also visit our Blog for more awesome how-to videos and guides like this! Please let us know what you think and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
Map-gas is a great solution if you don't have another way to heat up your gasket.
Tyler finds it easier and faster to use an oxygen acetylene torch to anneal the copper head gasket.
Copper is a great conductor of heat and will get really hot fast, make sure to evenly heat the gasket and not focus the flame on just one area.
Get the gasket to a dull cherry red evenly throughout the gasket.
Remember kids, don't be Tyler and make sure to wear your safety gear!
So you cut your bike in half and welded up our 1982-2003 Sportster Hardtail to your frame but now at a loss, scratching your head thinking "What do I do now?".
Never fear we've got you covered. During this in-depth tutorial Tyler walks you through some of the many different parts Lowbrow Customs and The Gasbox make that were used on my 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster.
The half-finished bike in this video becomes the bike above! Good job, Mikey.
Next steps are also discussed, the final hit list of work to be done to make this bike the killer custom Sportster it is destined to become!
There is a lot to tackle when it comes to a custom bike build, and this video during the mid-point of Mikey's build should help you get an idea of what is involved in a custom Sportster bike build like this.
In the video above, we go from front to back, so you can get a really good idea on how to mount your gas tank, fender, battery box, sissy bar, oil bag and so much more on this Sportster build.
I picked up this 2000 Harley-Davidson XL Sportster from a local couple here in our hometown of Brunswick, OH for $3400. The bike was super clean and had less than 5k miles on it.
While looking it over I discovered the jugs had a 1200 stamped in it and I asked about the conversion, who had done it. Apparently the women's brother owned it first and did all the changes to the stock bike but never rode it so sold it to her for a reasonable amount being they were family.
The women liked to ride on the back of her husbands bike more than ride her self hence why they were selling it. The only thing wrong with it they told me is it wouldn't keep a charge for longer then a week and they weren't sure why.
After some further inspection when I brought the bike back to the shop and ran some tests, I found out the regulator had gone bad and just needed replaced.
I rode it for a little until one day Tyler came into my office and asked "Hey, can we use your new Sportster to make the very first Lowbrow Customs Sportster Hardtail?" What an opportunity, of course I said "Yes!"
2 years later and a slue of parts developed from my Sporty it finally came back under my care and about to get started on dialing in some tricky fab work before sending it off to powder coat, paint and polish.
My frame in a frame jig getting the very first hardtail mocked up at The Gasbox, made right here in Cleveland, OH!
After the frame was made and the motor was put back in we thought it would be awesome to offer some options to make an all one kind of kit. Make a specific oil bag that goes well with the hardtail, a lower mounting tab that could house a battery box, brake components and more.
Here are a few photos of the fabrication progress of this Sportster custom build.
Hardtail complete and the engine back in the custom 2000 Sportster
First stages of developing the Lowbrow Customs oil tank for the hardtail.
Top oil tank mounts tacked in place on the Sportster hardtail frame.
What the lower mounting tab looks like and how it was tacked to the frame of the custom 2000 Harley Sportster.
The lower bolt-on fender / battery box mount from Lowbrow Customs gives an excellent home for a Gasbox battery box.
How a battery and Gasbox battery box looks mounted with the Lowbrow Customs lower fender mounting plate.
Early stages of Sissy bar, exhaust, headlight brackets and handlebar mock ups. Also the gas tank mounts were located, fabricated and gas tank mounted.