Road Tests

MILWAUKEE (January 21, 2008) – The new Harley-Davidson FLSTSB Softail Cross Bones cuts the aggressive profile of an authentic custom bobber, but with some dark twists that deliver a wickedly fun and emotional riding experience. The new Softail model was announced today at the Harley-Davidson Winter Dealer Meeting in San Antonio. With the retro look […]

Editor's Note: Although Hardbikes are not being sold to dealers currently, they're still around. I received the following from Bob Kay: Hardbikes is currently fully operational, backing all the bikes they built andbuild for individuals and corporate lines such as EvelKneivel Cycles. They are currently seeking other signature-line opportunities. At the V-Twin Expo in February

From the Left, Donnie, Christian and Jeff, but where’s Sally?I've watched this company grow for seven years under Jeff Cochran and Donnie Loos. It's now expanding with the help of Christian Clayton in Phoenix, Arizona. Myron and I rode to Sturgis three years running. He owns the Phoenix Billet Bar and performs Bikernet Security functions

The Big Dog Motorcycles 2007 Bulldog I sat in front of the television watching the Green Bay vs. Detroit game this past Thanksgiving pondering the events of the year while my family sat in comatose state trying to digest our meal. We had just talked about what we had been thankful for as we devoured

What's not to like about this new cool offering from Harley-Davidson? It looks tough and drips with street cred. It has more of a presence than photographs of it depict. In the flesh it looks fatter, tougher and even more aggressive.It is so clean and so bold that it looks almost as though it rolled

Back in the day the librarian with the funny glasses might have ridden a scooter. Or the guy who wore turtle neck sweaters all year round up over his chin. Or maybe Italian guys dreaming Gina Lollabridgidoll around the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I dunna know. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s the patina of

I was instructed I would be riding a ” Low Rider.” I thought to myself, “Since when did Harley-Davidson start making '63 Impalas?” I started having visions of Cheech and Chongs first movie. I personally thought that this would be a shit load of fun and started calling my Mexican buddies to see if they

H-D fleet center in Los Angeles. When I was given the chance to ride the Electra Glide, I jumped at the it, literally! When I saw it at The Holding Facility I got a little excited and ran towards the back end of the bike with the intention of leaping over it and mount, ala

Nightster caricature by Jon Towle. At 5'-6″ tall, I'm a card carrying member of the Vertically Challenged. I, like most of you, choose a motorcycle that works for me without much thought of what others will think. I've always dug Sportsters, even before I was out of grade school. So, with that being said, I

It usually starts with a piqued interest. The recognition of V-Twin powered pipes in the distance. Sometimes the fever bites so hard it consumes your life. Other times it is a slow process by which you gradually become enveloped in the fever such as Richard LaPlante’s book called “Hog Fever.” That is exactly what happened

The Big Dog Wolf is lathered with the Patriotic paint set that adorns all of Big Dog’s commemorative bikes. The fit and finish of Big Dog Motorcycles sets it apart from any manufacturer in the world, this bike is no exception to that rule. “It is with great pride we celebrate this outstanding achievement for

This is a strange one, and then again, it's full of intrigue, education, safety and performance. You wouldn't think so, if a tire company called and requested your presence at Daytona Bike week to introduce you to their new brand of cruiser tires. Tires, they're black, rubber and round, ain't they? But we were broke

Editor's note:Bikernet correspondent and Technical Editor of Australia’s Heavy Duty magazine, Doc Robinson, gives us the scoop on secret testing being carried out with Harley-Davidson’s new XR1200 in preparation for a world record jump: Harley-Davidson’s XR1200 got off to a flying start down under with secret testing carried out in the Australian outback by motorcycling

WICHITA, Kansas (March 11, 2008) – Big Dog Motorcycles, the leading manufacturer of high performance, high style motorcycles, continues to stir excitement in the premium cruiser niche with the launch of its all-new 2008 Limited Edition Mastiff, now on sale in its nationwide network of nearly 100 dealers.Clad in striking gloss black, the Limited Edition

Riders ordered hundreds of the New Hot Rod Sportsters before official release.MILWAUKEE (Dec. 1, 2008) – Inspired by the XR-750, the most dominating American dirt track racing motorcycle of all-time, the Harley-Davidson XR1200 is now poised to boost adrenalin levels on streets, roads and highways around the world. The XR1200 is a powerful new Harley-Davidson

I've know this trike builder, Don Center, for 20 years and last year he came on board Bikernet as a sponsor. As a service to our sponsors we bug 'em about what they're up to, new products, etc. Don started telling me about a television production company that approached them about building a Trike. “Send

October 22ND, 2008, Bandit asked me to fill in for him at the Media Only event at Big Dog Motorcycles' release of the '09 models. Bandit had a previous business commitment that he couldn't shake, so I gladly accepted his offer. Actually he could shake her and wanted to. I suppose that was the purpose

Big Bear Choppers Kevin Alsop is currently on a world tour visiting BBC dealers in a number of countries including New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and Kiev in the Ukraine before concluding with a visit to his European distributor in Switzerland. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade you will be

The H-D touring frame has been a bone of contention for a couple of decades. It walked, swayed, jiggled and was prone to high-speed wobbles, until the late Wil Phillips developed the True-Track stabilizing system that tightened the driveline. In 2008 Harley-Davidson changed the placement of one heim joint to the front, much like the

EDITOR'S NOTE: Lehman trikes donated one of these sharp Victory Kingpin based trikes to the Sturgis Museum Kids and Chrome 2008 Charity auction. I was impressed with the donation and the trike, so we investigated for Bikernet readers. Check it out: In 2004, Victory Motorcycles and Lehman Trikes jointly agreed to create two concept vehicles

Dominic, the Vision owner.A couple years back I found myself in The Computer Guys shop on Chapman Ave in Orange, CA with my eMachines pc under my arm. See, I am, shall we say, somewhat digitally challenged and my computer was on the fritz. I chose The Computer Guys out of the yellow pages because

I show up at the Harley-Davidson Fleet Holding Facility to drop off my beloved Low Rider and to pick up the FLSTN Softail Deluxe. “Fucking wow!” That's what popped out of my mouth without thought. The facility enforcer just shook his head in boredom. I think maybe the staff is getting sick of seeing me

This is it. The H-D New Model line-up for 2009. Lots of upgrades, creative endeavors, and improvements. Hang on. HARLEY-DAVIDSON INTRODUCES TRI GLIDE ULTRA CLASSIC–
Designed from the Frame Up for Reliable, Comfortable Three-Wheel Touring.MILWAUKEE (July 22, 2008) – Harley-Davidson brings original-equipment design, quality and service to the three-wheel motorcycle segment with the introduction of the

Wild Texas Bikernet Test Rider was told, “Don't buy the test bikes,” but noo. The V-Rod has always been a strange curiosity for me, as a rider, an enthusiast, and as a writer. When I got my first glimpse of a V-Rod in 2002, I was let down a little by many of it’s styling