Tech

Sugar Bear with Bikernet’s Layla at Easyriders Show.We’ve met all sorts of guys through the years whobuild bikes. Some found a niche and stuck to it–likeSugar Bear. He started building his own front ends’cause he couldn’t pry one from the fingers of thefamous Dick Allen. Sugar Bear grew up in Los Angeles,hanging out at shops […]

There are definitely advantages to signing on to Bikernet.com. I was checking out the site when I noticed a device named True-Track, designed by Wil Phillips of RubberTail fame. I contacted Bandit about it, and he arranged for me to receive one for technical analysis.I have customers and brothers who complain that their Harley- Davidson

  I’m the stumbling drunk of the Bikernet crew. I admit it. Sure, I get fucked up on a daily basis, live off the staff’s kindness and brotherhood, haven’t had a bike up and running in six months and don’t help out much. So recently I was given a do-or-die ultimatum. Write the ultimate tech

This low dollar backyard vacuum pump was constructed for under $25.00 U.S. I use it to do a front fork oil change on Road King’s and Dresser models, prior to the new cartridge H-D fork’s. I installed a regulator on the pump so I could control how fast it sucks up the fork oil in

Well as we promised here at Bikernet, our series on wide-tire installations has finally arrived. Since the craze has become almost business as usual, it stood to reason that we show you what’s available and how to go about getting the job done right. We’ll be showing you two different 150 installations centered around stock

Sportsters…… I love ’em. Light, tight, quick, and always ready for a street brawl.There’s just one problem: The availability of aftermarket parts. Although theaftermarket industry has yet to fully embrace the Sportster rider as a marketingforce, Baker Drivetrain is one company that is bucking the trend.   What you see before you is the recently

I was sitting at my desk the other day pondering the woes of the world and, at the same time, wondering just how much crap I could stuff into my garbage can before the trash company would refuse to empty it when the phone rang. It was George Smith from S&S Cycle calling in the

Sponsored By: Cycle ExchangePO Box 275 – Hwy 51 South – Minocqua, WI 54548Phone: (715) 356-7346    FAX: (715) 356-5896     Toll Free (877) 707-BIKE© 2002 Cycle Exchange – All rights reserved One item of widespread confusion between the custom buyer andbuilder is an uncertainty as to exactly how long his extended fork will be. Itmay be close to

With the complexity of factory OEM fuel injection systems, Custom Chrome in partnership with Techlusion felt it was important to provide owners with a product that is easy to operate, install and understand while not upsetting the stock fuel curve, or timing. This new DFO Box (Digital Fuel Optimizer) is just that animal. By attaching

Bandit uses only one type of risers on his bikes. At least that’s been his M.O. for the last 15 years. “I like the kick back to the bars without a pullback and the vibration isolation.” he said recently. Ya see, Custom Cycle Engineering has been building old-style dogbone risers for glides for some twenty

Click here for: Mudflap Girl Part 2, the Bandit Engine and Spitfire update   It’s May 23, 2011, about two months before we roll out to the Badlands. Every year takes on a different character. It’s sorta like the new kid on the block. We never know exactly the direction this kid it going to

There we were, enjoying the completed restoration of a 1948 61-inch Panhead when Jesse James said, “Why don’t you run these?” “Run what?” I asked. “These cobbled-together, dual-carbed heads,” he muttered, setting them on the bench. I looked at them with the intrigue of a man who can’t ever leave anything alone. They were 40

This is a quirky series based on no facts or guidlines besides, “some filtration is better than nothin’.” When we rebuilt the top end of this 61-inch ’48 EL, we added two beautifully finished, hand built/altered Panheads that accept two polished 42 mm Mikuni carburetors. We didn’t know what the hell we were going to

If you ride a motorcycle, you have a relationship with a machine.Your motorcycle will bring you years of joy and satisfaction if youhave a positive relationship. Just like the association with yourspouse, kids or buddies; the amount of energy you put into yourmechanical connection with your motorcycle directly correlates withyour level of enjoyment. If you

He started engraving in 1980, after one of his partners, Hells AngelKenny Baker, told him to hang up the standard scroll style of engravingfor the tattoo kind of work, which he has since become well known for.C.J. was rumored to say, “Ya don’t have flowers and doilies tattooed allover yer body, so why the hell

Sponsored By Well, now the holidays are over and I’ve caught up on all the other winter projects, sold the convertible, and put up enough copy to keep Bikernet readers happy for at least another week, it’s time to get back into the rigid project. Although the engine from Custom Chrome came with an ignition

Sponsored By   The old module was removed from the timing cover to expose what you see below.   The new Crane module was then put in place as shown.   You’ll notice that this ignition system has the module located right on the timing sensor pickup. This is a littledifferent from the OEM setup

Sponsored By Below are a couple of wiring schematics that detail how the entire system is hooked up. Pretty simple.   In my case, the plug setup was for single plugs, with dual coils. Note that this is a single fire ignition setup.     The initial static timing is pretty easy. Open the timing

Sponsored By OK – the majority of the wiring at this point is taken care of. Now to the fun part. Making it look like a realscooter. For this segment, we add wheels and sheet metal.   We start by preparing the rear for the fender install. The passenger pegs (for looks only….) are installedfirst

Sponsored By   The grab rail is then CAREFULLY slid over the fender (using wax paper or some other type of paper thin matieral) to keepthe rail again from scraping the paint.   Here’s the wheel, as it is readied to be put into position. This wheel setup is a 5.5″ wide rim, with a

Sponsored By   Here, the rear wheel is slipped into place, and the axel slipped through. Atlas set this frame up to fit perfectwith the 5.5″ rim. No additional spacers were needed to put the entire system together with the exception of a washerthat was procured at the local hardware store. I’ve been told by

Sponsored By   Here’s another shot at the front with the brakes mounted on both sides.   Mounting the front fender is a snap. Four bolts, four nuts. But – remember, you want to mock this stuff up BEFOREyou paint and powder coat. If you don’t, Murphy’s law says you’ll have to grind something afterwards….

Sponsored By   So – here it is so far. At this point, it looks like a real motorcycle. Still missing the tail light, the head light,the belt drive cover, and some other misc. shit… But it’s close. Now for the cool factor.   The guys over at Joker Machine are some good friends of

Excelsior-Henderson www.excelsiorhenderson.com (612) 873-7000 (612) 873-7030 FAX Hi-Tech Custom Cycles Marty Ruthman (818) 901-7037 Buchanan Spoke & Rim (626) 969-4655 (626) 812-0243 FAX Headwinds (818) 359-8044 Al Martinez Custom Paint (714) 288-6700 (714) 288-6707 FAX Avon Tire (425) 771-2115 (425) 771-4246 FAX Back to the Project…