Hey,
It’s another wild Sunday. We’re having young Matt’s memorial party here at the headquarters after the services. You can Imagine, the ladies have run crazy for two days, cleaning and making room for 50 chairs, tables and grub for the family crew. I’ve done my best to hang out in the shop, help when I can and work on the Sturgis Chop.
It’s coming right along. I mounted the Custom Chrome flat 51-tooth Sprocket and aligned it with the Custom Chrome 23-tooth FXR sprocket turned around backwards. Then I mounted the BDL inner primary to insure that the trans was in the right spot before knocking a link out of the Custom Chrome O-ring chain. Everything aligned like a dream including the Brembo brake rotor to the caliper and I made a Softail style anchor. The wheel spacing is perfect. Then I drilled the shit out of a brass bar chain guard and started to hang the 42 mm Mikuni carb with some of the Rivera mounting brackets, to the Fantasy in Iron air cleaner. I need to call them.
I think if I can carve out another weekend, I’ll have all the elements in place so I can tear this puppy down, finish welding and grinding and send it to power coating. Let’s hit the news and I’ll throw a couple more items at ya:
Dear Dr. of Wrenchology:
I received the following information on Saturday. Thought that you might be interested.
Motorcycle helmet models from: MDS, Nexl, NXT, Rodia, Vemar, and Zamp failed to meet the performance standards for the DOT federal standard. Last year eight motorcycle helmets failed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performance testing for compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 (FMVSS 218) commonly referred to as the D.O.T. standard.
Every year, NHTSA pays helmet testing labs to purchase and test helmets that are marketed for use by street motorcyclists and labeled with a D.O.T. sticker, which is supposed to indicate that the helmet has been tested my the manufacturer and complies with federal Department of Transportation standards. The label is also needed to indicate that the helmet complies with state helmet laws.
Last year two independent labs contracted to test helmets; tested 42 models. The eight that failed performance testing were:
*MDS RC4 (for failure to adequately attenuate impact force)
*Nexl 05 (for retention and penetration failures)
*NXT 101 (for retention-system failures)
*Rodia RF-2 Modular (for exceeding the single peak G limit)
*Rodia RHD200 (for exceeding the peak G three times and retention-system failures)
*Rodia RHD500 (for retention-system failures)
*Vemar VRX3 (for multiple penetration failures)
*Zamp S-1 (for retention and penetration failures)
There were also three more helmets that technically failed because their labels were incorrectly positioned, or not printed as specified; but that really doesn’t matter to users. There was also one; the THH T-380, that exceeded the requirement, but apparently the failure was slight enough that the helmet was scored as passing.
The complete 2004 results, including those for 34 other models that passed the performance testing; are available on the NHTSA FMVSS 218 2004 Test Results page. The site also provides helmet test results dating back to 2000 (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/comply/fmvss218/index.html).
–from Custer
Shovelhead Show In Florida
Maybe you all can assist me in what type of classes I should have for the Shovelhead show. I have a Rat class, FLH Stock, FLH Custom, FX & FXE Stock and Custom, and Chopper. Should there be a class for FXSB? FLT? What about all those odd-ball delineations? Alphabet soup again! I could use some input here.
I can wait until the madness of Main Street subsides for a reply. The show is April 17th and the Flyer is attached! The show is featuring Nicky Bootz from the Dump and old Man Louie, the Grump! Wish you could come down on your way to the Keys!
–Mandu
I helped her with catagories and any excuse to hit the Keys is a wonderful escape.–Bandit
HOT BIKE Welding School
Thought you would be in Daytona by now. Anyway you drive a Lincoln, not weld with one! Lincoln welders are junk! If you are going to get a name brand go with Miller, especially for aluminium. For your stuff I would recommend a Miller Dynasty 200 DX.
Trust me on buying a Miller. I have a Dynasty 300 DX Tig Runner setup. The Dynasty models rock, DX models have pulsers built in. Great for stainless exhaust pipes. The 300 DX makes for short work on welding up combustion chambers on heads.
Oh yeah my Cantina membership expired awhile back. Did you get my updated flow bench mess?? Let me know. If you did make sure you link it back to the older stuff I did a million years ago.
–Pablo
We’re going to run a series of articles in HOT BIKE and Hot Rod Bikes on welding with the help of Lincoln Welders, that is, if Pablo will let us get away with it.–Bandit
Bagger’s In HOT BIKE
Hey Bandit, last month you had a bagger in Hot Bide. I thought it looked pretty good. But I’ve got one that looks pretty decent too. Mine has a stock 88cu engine with a download and screamin eagle pipes and a fi download. But, I done a lot to customize it to my own liking.
Attached are a couple of pic’s. I was just wondering what you think of this one. Mine is an ’05. I’m going to put a Rinehart exhaust on it soon. Anyhow, attached are a couple of pics.
Hey, It’s sharp an clean, sorta like my Road King. We plan to run a custom Bagger every issue. Watch for ’em.–Bandit
Secret Tank Tests
Well I hope you had a good time in Daytona, while we were all working. I got invited to the Marine base out in 29 Palms to see their new tank.
The crew was something else.
–Bob T
Survivor Texas Style
Due to the popularity of the Survivor shows, Texas is planning to do one entitled, “Survivor- Texas Style.”The contestants will all start in Dallas, then drive to Waco, Austin, San Antonio, over to Houston and down to Brownsville. They will then proceed up to Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Odessa, Lubbock and Amarillo. From there they will go on to Abilene, Fort Worth and finally back to Dallas. Each will be driving a pink Volvo with bumper stickers that read:
“I’m Gay”,
“I Love the Dixie Chicks”,
“Boycott Beef”,
“I Voted for John Kerry”,
“George Strait Sucks”,
“Hillary in 2008”
and “I’m here to confiscate your gun.”
The first one to make it back to Dallas alive WINS.
–from Bob T.
Swede Project
I’ve attached some quick snap shots so you can see the final project. a couple of profile shots of the bike and a pict of the garage they work in. swede is in the background working on their next project with jeb in the foreground with the finished bike.
Here is swedes contact info again in case you don’t have it.
Swede
917-951-2266
Lookin’ For A Mag Feature
Take a look at these two bikes. Most notable, the orange one is supercharged. Hot Rod Bikes maybe?
Sorry about the confusion on the Raw Power Cycle. I ‘m the one who shot it for V-twin. I shot it before I started working for you again. I always ask the builders/owners if it’s been shot for anyone else prior to shooting a layout. The answer must of been no. Anyway, since I’m going to be shooting for both publishers I will make certain that kind of mix up doesn’t happen again. At least from this end of town.
–Don
I’ve always had a code for the readers of all bike mags. If your bike is featured in one mag the next editor doesn’t pick it up for his mag. To me it’s ripping the reader off to pick up two mags featuring the same bike. It’s the code.–Bandit
Celebrate March 20th – Steak And Blowjob Day
Guys, you know the drill. Every 14th of February you get the chance to display your fondness for a significant other by showering her with gifts, flowers, dinner, shows and any other baubles that women find romantic.
Every Valentines day you rack your brains for that one special, unique gift that will show your wife or girlfriend that you really do love them more than any other. Now ladies, I’ll let you in on a little secret; guys really don’t enjoy this that much. Sure seeing that smile on your face when we get it right is priceless, but that smile is the result of weeks of blood, sweat and consideration. Another secret; guys feel left out. That’s right, there’s no special holiday for the ladies to show their appreciation for the men in their life. Men as a whole are either too proud or too embarrassed to admit it.
Which is why a new holiday has been created.
March 20th is now officially “Steak and Blowjob Day”. Simple, effective and self explanatory, this holiday has been created so you ladies finally have a day to show your man how much you love him. No cards, no flowers, no special nights on the town; the name of the holiday explains it all, just a steak and a BJ. Thats it.
Finally, this twin pair of Valentine’s Day and Steak and Blowjob Day will usher in a new age of love as men everywhere try THAT much harder in February to ensure a memorable March 20th. Its like a perpetual love machine!
The word is already beginning to spread, but as with any new idea, it needs a little push to start the ball rolling. So spread the word, and help bring love and peace to this crazy world. And, of course, steak and BJs.
–from Richard B.
Goodbye Grandpa!
A father put his three year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers – which she ended by saying “God bless mommy, God bless daddy, God bless grandma, and good-bye grandpa. ”
The father said, “Why did you say good-bye grandpa?”
The little girl said “I don’t know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do.”
The next day grandpa died. Father thought it was a strange coincidence. A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened t o her prayers, which went like this – “God bless mommy, God bless daddy and good-bye grandma.
Next day the grandmother died. My gosh, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side.
Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the Dad heard her say “God bless mommy and good-bye daddy.”
He practically went into shock. Couldn’t sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch sent in and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be OK. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally, midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.
When he got home his wife said “I’ve never seen you work so late, what’s the matter?”
He said “I don’t want to talk about it, I’ve just spent the worst day of my life.”
She said “You think you had a bad day, you’ll never believe what happened to me. This morning the mailman dropped dead on our porch.”
–from Buckshot
Samson Exhaust Recommendation I just wanted to say you guys build one hell of a great Fishtail exhaust. I have been riding for over 35 years now. I guess you can say I am a lot of old school. I have 4 Harleys. Well before I bore you to death. One of my bikes is a ’03 Roadking With a 95 in big bore kit in her. I had the slip on Screaming Eagle pipes on, than went to the Thunder Cone exhaust Which were cool and picked-up 4.5 hp. But they were loud and were so so.
So I thought I always liked Fishtail mufflers. And yours looked good and fit the style of my ride. So I ordered a pair from one of your dealers. I am thinking They look good and I might lose some HP. I put them on and in my head they seemed to run better. Can’t be ,they are not a performance pipe. So I went to a friend (has a Dynojet in his shop) out here in the high Desert and put the King on the Dyno. SHOCK, with some rejetting I got more HP and 30% more torque. We Dynoed her 9 times thought the computer was wrong. Everything was just the right combination.
The 470 gear drive S&S Cams came alive. I took off across the desert to test ride her, It feft like I put in even bigger cam in. Not only does your Fishtail’s look good but they perform OUTSTANDING.
Who would know this could happen. Just the right Combination of great parts. I just had to past this on….My partner and I are still blowing our minds about this. He is one of the big time gear heads in the high desert.
“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “…holy shit…what a ride!”
–Bob T
Yucca Valley, Calif.
Kenny Price developed a new funnel baffle system for his touring mufflers. Guess they work. That’s terrific. –Bandit
South Mississippi Bike Rally
The South Mississippi Bike Rally is just (2) weeks away. Our special Guest is Confederate Railroad playing Friday and Saturday night. We have full service campsite available.
Come join us for the finest South Mississippi Bike Rally ever. Our website is http://www.southmississippibikerally.com. Held at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi March 31, 2005 to April 03, 2005.
–Bigo
MFFM
The Anson Project Report Finished with the bondo and spray can paint job last weekend. Spent the last few days assembling parts. Got the “salvage” title squared with the state – bike is now considered “reconstructed”.
The State Troopers and registration people were terrific in helping me get my VIN numbers and registration paperwork right. Surprised the hell out of me. The bike got on the road St. Pat’s Day just in time for a green brew to celebrate.
All in all I am pleased with how it turned out. Total $ including tax, title and registration = $7500. Think I’ll go looking for a Sportster for Eric to learn on.
–Anson
Sunday Cantina Blond Joke A blonde is in an elevator in her office building and a fellow co-worker steps into the car. The blonde smiles and says to her subordinate, “T.G.I.F.!”
The guy resonds with “S.H.I.T.”
Confused, the blonde puts a bigger smile on her face and says again, “T.G.I.F.!”, only to be met with the responses once again of “S.H.I.T.”
Perplexed, the blonde puts on her biggest smile and once again says, “T.G.I.F.!” and yet, once again, is met with “S.H.I.T.”
Finally the blonde asks, “Why do you keep replying to me with S.H.I.T.?”
The co-worker says, “Sorry, Honey, It’s Thursday.”
Cheap Chops In Dago
Mike Trussell in San Diego here. Long time no talk. I’ve followed all the new magazine stuff you’re going thru on the net, though. Anyway, I’m thumbing thru the April issue of HOT BIKE and on page 150 is a pic of a little chop I just finished. It’s the candy yellow Triumph bobber. I decided to build something different for a change and went with a Tri basket. Built the whole thing for under $3,500.
Anyway, if you thought there might be some use for the bike an any of the magz, maybe as an example of what can be build for the cost of one billet wheel for a Harley, let me know.
Here’s a couple of shots of the Triumph. Also, I’m sending along a shot of a ’51pan I built last year. I got arrested on it so I figure the fucker was jinxed..I promptly sold it.
–Mike Trussell
Accurate Engineering 120 Inch Polished Panhead Classic
Here is information on a New 120 Cubic Inch Panhead engine built by Accurate Engineering of Dothan Alabama.
The company is Famous for their Engine Building and Technology and you can be sure that this engine is going to take the industry by storm. It was first shown in Cincinnati and very well may be the Engine Of The Year for 2005 from the HOT BIKE Awards.
–Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com
Sunday Helmet Commentary
I read your editorial of 1-27-05 on Helmet laws. As with many before you, your views are neither based in fact or experience. Rather they are based on emotional war stories. Comparing helmet use to seat belt use is about like comparing a moose to a pig. There is no comparison of factual data.
Personally, I have worn a seatbelt for 21 years now and it never took a law to convince me, I just read the literature. As to helmets, I have been riding a motorcycle for almost 45 year and all but ten without the aid of a helmet. I am sure that if you had bothered to check accident reports that you would find: A number of those killed had neither a license to drive or an endorsement for motorcycles, then you would have to account for the deaths by moose—then account for death by being hit by an automobile, “I didn’t see that motorcycle as I pulled out/turned in front of it.”
You see, for 6 years I was the President of United Bikers of Maine and for 3 years I was the President of the Motorcycle Rider Foundation, made up of all the organizations across the nation. In this role I researched the literature and also commissioned others to study the studies! Helmets are only tested for crashes that occur below 20mph and the trade off of wearing it is: You stand a 50-50 chance of compressed brain injury or neck/spine injuries by wearing the helmet in the tested speed range. The majority of motorcycle injuries happen from the chest down! I have heard all the stories from emergency room personnel and other in the medical field?BUT? they only see the ones who wind up there?NOT THE ONES THAT SUCESSFULLY RIDE THEIR MACHINES?avoiding the obvious potential crash.
We as motorcyclist must be left to decide what/how we ride our motorcycles safely based on individual safety concerns! It should be noted that by far the majority of helmet advocates have never been considered a motorcycle rider in their life.
The motorcyclists of this nation were able to convince Congress in 1995 to remove the blackmail clause in the Transportation Authorization Act; so states would not have highway fund held hostage over helmet laws. Sen. Snowe and the rest of our delegation at the time were very valuable in that fight. We defeated that particular piece with facts NOT WAR STORIES! That was also how the helmet challenges of the ’80s were defeated!!!
It should also be noted that the Rider Education Program and the Laws surrounding it here in Maine were developed by United Bikers of Maine with friendly legislative representatives and senators; as well as working with the state to develop the programs as they exist today. Governor Baldacci has taken this course, I know, I set it up!
I do not wear a helmet by choice for my own reasons?NOT BECAUSE I WANT THE FEELING OF FREEDOM AND THE WIND IN MY HAIR!!! I don’t have enough hair to make that a factor.
–PAUL K.VESTAL Jr.
Plymouth, Maine
Stealth Custom Cycles In Charoletter N.C.
Man I am excited! Tomorrow I am going to the shop to set up some counters. Next weekend we are going to the swap meet to pick up some things. I have a lot of connections there and I know I can come away with some real deals.
Hey, I have been to the shop this week just doing some clean up and things like that and I have to tell you there isn’t anything like putting that key in the door and knowing it is yours and you get to call the shots and it is up to you. Most of all it is knowing that you are doing something you love for all the right reasons.
I already have some artwork in process but I will still talk to Tim. Thanks for all your encouragement when things were not going so good.
Later!
–Stealth
SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
“Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand and “lollipop” with your right.
The average person’s left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words ‘racecar,’ ‘kayak’ and ‘level’ are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in “dous”: tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”
There’s no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies’ room during a dance
Women blink nearly twice as much as men
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
……Now you know everything.
–from Buckshot
THERE’S A SUNDAY MOUTHFUL–Can’t say the Cantina doesn’t broaden your vocabulary and knowledge base. We can now impress the babes for a week.
Back at the Shovel, I spoke to Kent from Lucky Devil this morning and I’m shifting gears again. He suggested that I run the voltage regulator under the tranny on the bar that’s installed vertically from the front to the rear of the tranny. The more I thought of it (and since I’m running the ROHM performance oil cooler/filter arrangement in the front of the engine), the more I like it. I’m also going to run my circuit breakers along side the regulator. We also discussed running small Custom Chrome coils under the trans and thin Accell spark plug wires up from the coils to the plugs. The Mr. Gasket company with Accell are building spark plug wires that are thin enough to run through the frame and won’t drop power over a 4-foot length. So I can stash the dual single-fire coils under the tranny on the left side of that bar and I’m good to go.
That leaves three element that need to be dealt with: Ignition switch, high/low beam switch, starter button and brake light switch (which might be contained in the Joker Machine controls. I’m also thinking about running some tubing welded to the frame to run hydraulic lines and wiring through to eliminated tie-wraps on the finished motorcycle. The key is in the planning. We’ll see how I do.
I need a break before the crowds arrive. Maybe I should shave. It’s been a couple of days. Oh, yesterday Agent Zebra rode up on his new Thunder Mountain Chopper, helluva production custom from Colorado. It’s all based on stock components with a 103 Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam power plant. The day before, I rode a 111-inch American Iron Horse Tejas rigid. These bikes are taking on the nature of a stock bike, more refined and organized. Ah, but the treat was firing the Milwaukee Iron Dicey Knucklehead that I’ve had for about ten years and riding it to the fish taco joint down the street with the Agent on my tail. Man those highbars are tall. I thought about riding it to Laughlin’. Maybe I could hook up with Bob T. along the way.
Hang On,
–Bandit
