My grandson wrecked his Dyna. He thinks he went down on a slippery west side boulevard, but the bike looks like he was rear-ended, which launched his girlfriend. She was seriously damaged, but survived. He got scuffed and walked away.

He needed a place and some guidance with his ’05 Dyna. He could have sold it and moved on, but he was so impressed with the performance after Bennett’s Performance tuned it and added some S&S TC cams, he didn’t want to let it go.


Anyway, we rambled throughout the packed isles looking for parts and I came across a large flatbed truck and a line of new, bare rigid frames displayed in front. Great looking frames and I inquired. Kraft Tech only sells to distributors like Biker’s Choice, but they bring a few frames to the swap meet once in a while and the price was right. In fact the owner’s son, Chris, was on hand and he recognized me and offered me a better deal.

The frames were obviously set up for Evo engines and 5-speed transmissions, but looked almost stock. I couldn’t resist. We carried that frame up and down isles until we finally headed toward the exit with no Dyna parts, but the frame and a set of stock Softail tanks, which the frame was set up for.

As I meandered toward the exit, my cell phone rang. It was Brad Olsen, an old friend who recently scored an Oregon shop’s inventory and stashed it in a warehouse near a river leading to the sea. “Yo,” Brad said. “I need to recoup some of my investment. Do you need a Panhead engine?”

I about shit my pants. I had just scored a sharp rigid frame, a set of fatbobs, and I knew I had a 5-speed Softail transmission at the Bikernet Headquarters. What the fuck? Hell yes, I needed a Panhead engine!

As it turned out, the engine was seriously incomplete, but with a good twist. The ’69, last kidney, Shovelhead right case was mated to a ’79 left case, which would allow me to run an alternator and Evo (Baker tins) primaries. I hauled ass home from the swap and started to dig through drawers, cabinets, and lockers looking for parts.

I created a pile next to my lathe, but when I stood up, I wondered what the hell I needed another motorcycle for. That wasn’t the mystic point at all. Fuck it, I was inspired and on a roll.

Here’s a code that works for us bikers. I tell young guys all the time to start to create equity in your lives for your future. You can buy and turn houses. You can restore a car, write a book (not a good idea), paint a painting, etc. But if you’re a biker, building bikes is perfect. No, they are not always worth a bundle, but they are like putting money in the bank. Think about that the next time the ol’ lady bitches at you for building another motorcycle. How’s she doing to build equity for your future?

Even before the swap meet kicked me into gear, I was moved by Go and Tasumi at Brat Style in Long Beach. Michael Lichter introduced me to them, just down the street on the evil industrial west side of Long Beach. They build the coolest shit on the planet with a major twist. Everything is vintage, seriously vintage. Go can build a totally custom tank and install it on a ’39 Indian Scout frame, but by the time he’s done, you would bet that’s stock part and 70 years old.

What completes his bike building twist? It was his amazing painter, Deny 528. Maybe I should keep this a secret. But fuck it, it will slip out anyway. I hope to feature one of Deny’s bikes this week, a restored (don’t forget that word) 1946 Indian Chief.

I was gone. I couldn’t think of anything else but this Panhead project. I dug around and Mike from Pacific Coast Cycles came up with an oil tank. He’s a major fan of Kraft Tech frames. “Everything just slips together,” Mike said. And he’s also a major fan of Paughco springers. He has about a dozen rollers in his one-man shop. If you’re after a cool project, give him a call.



Daily, I made lists of needed parts and started to make calls. I couldn’t stop and then my grandson flew to Deadwood to be apart of Scott Jacob’s Artist Retreat. Suddenly he wanted to go to Sturgis. I came up with a plan. I rode to Sturgis and back last year, so this year, we could alternate the plan. How about taking two old bobbers to Sturgis for the kicks?

We could stuff them into the back of a van and cut a dusty trail, but they would need to be short and tight. We would take the Panhead and a Shovelhead I’ve had for years, built by the guys at Strokers Dallas under the boss, Rick Fairless. We were about to chop the Shovelhead some with a Paughco scalloped gas tank, bars, solid brass risers, and a Softail oil bag. That would do the trick.

The Sturgis 2017 plan boiled in our minds. Suddenly, I had a deadline. Oh, what the fuck? I was inspired by many factors, but I still needed a few pieces to make it happen.

The engine was missing a cam and most of the cam case elements. It needed a carb, intake, distributor, oil pump and I started digging around. I had a set of rebuilt Panheads, but they were early model and this puppy would need outside oilers. I started to ask around. I also needed the right year cam cover and I found one on line.

Berry Wardlaw from Accurate Engineering offered to help when I couldn’t find any through STD. Billy McCahill was having issues with his foundry and didn’t have castings. Berry checked with a couple of distributors and no one had any in stock.






Berry searched forums and then found a set on Ebay. I immediately ordered them from Wilson Cycles, Inc. in Roswell, GA, but when they arrived, I encountered a problem. One was perfect with valves, an O-ring intake manifold flange and the outside oiler boss. Unfortunately the other didn’t have an outside oiler fitting. It was an early model.

All right, we will deal with that problem, with Dr. Feng, our officially certified aluminum TIG welder. As it turned out, working with Ebay, I received a call from Billy McCahill, of STD and RSR, or Ryde Shop Racing. He’s like a mad scientist, but he said they made a mistake two years ago and shipped out this order to a shop in Georgia. They never heard a word until I surfaced. I hauled the internal oiler head to their Downey shop and they replaced it. I was there for 30 minutes and heard 30 industry stories, some of which I will share in the news. Amazing!



We hit the swap meet again and found a cop solo seat from a major seat guy, but he had a pristine stock seat. I had an old hinged fender from an early swingarm Pan. I knocked out the pin and installed the bobbed fender with the help of Lowbrow’s new universal fender brackets.






It’s strong as a bull and fit like a champ. My funky MIG weld didn’t hold a candle to the precision Kraft Tech TIG welds on the frame. Sorta embarrassing…



I dug out a Softail 5-speed transmission, but I’m trying to figure out the plate to mount it—I did today. I called Chris at Kraft Tech and quizzed him. I have a Paughco offset 5-speed plate but need a stock ’86-’99 Softail tranny plate for a 5-speed. There are so many configurations and Paughco has them all.





I want to write a tech about ordering frames and all the configurations available. It’s not just about rake and trail anymore or wide tires, but left and right side drives, which transmission, which set of gas tanks and the type of seat being used. The list goes on. Hopefully, if the Paughco crew can help out, and with Biker’s Choice, we can make it happen.



I found a wide glide front end at the swap meet,  Ultimately, I wasn’t happy with it, but we made it work, (I hope) with an old drum front brake. I found some neck bearings and replaced the junk one. I tore the whole front end apart and cleaned it. The Paughco axle did the trick to allow it to be installed. A local shop laced the star hub to an old 18-inch used aluminum rim.





I spoke to the guys at Spectro about which fork oil to run in the legs. Joe Russo recommended Fork Oil Type E. 20 SAE, since it’s a one-up light bobber. “Heavy two-up bikes would use the 40SAE,” said Joe.



The brothers at Paughco are the best and have the best. After digging through my shit, I needed just a handful of vintage parts and pieces from the Paughco factory, like the correct front axle for an early glide. I made the mount for an old spotlight out of a bracket I built for a Bonneville bike but never used.







I needed the right side rear brake lever, plate, return spring and plunger, but I had three Wagner master cylinders. This Kraft Tech frame was set up for a Softail style disc brake. Years ago, we installed PM brakes on Dale Gorman’s Softail and I ended up with his stock solid aluminum rear wheel and brakes. They would do the trick.



I had most of the pieces for the left side, except for one, and Paughco had it, the shift linkage arm. And I didn’t plan to run a dash, but I needed something for electrics, a switch, whatever. I ordered a Paughco universal tin toolbox and then discovered something wild at an antique store, a K-model motorcycle trophy and it’s a heavy casting.





The notion is to build a simple, easy to handle bobbed Panhead. But for some odd reason, finding an early automatic-advance distributor is not easy. I don’t want any extra bells and whistles on this bike, no advance and retard mechanism, jockey shift, etc. Then I found a Mallory electronic ignition system in a locker from our ’06 Bonneville effort. I spoke to Berry Wardlaw from Accurate Engineering and it will do the trick. I’m rocking.




I went through the front end from stem to stern, installed new bearings, cleaned it, drilled lightening holes in the brake backing plate, and found a set of stock configuration stainless bars and some goofy 4-inch aluminum risers using a stock cap. I’m still working on the cable, lever and cable adjuster. I called Barnett’s today.






The bike is already headed back together for Sturgis. If the paint and engine comes together I should be cool for the run. Hang on for the next report.





Sources:


Paughco

Pacific Coast Cycles, Long Beach


Barnett’s

Kraft Tech


Spectro

Baker Drivetrain
www.bakerdrivetrain.com


S&S


LowBrow

My grandson wrecked his Dyna. He thinks he went down on a slippery west side LA boulevard, but the bike looks like he was rear-ended, which launched his girlfriend. She was seriously damaged, but survived. He got scuffed and walked away.

He needed a place and some guidance with his ’05 Dyna. He could have sold it and moved on, but he was so impressed with the performance after Bennett’s Performance tuned it and added some S&S TC cams, he didn’t want to let it go.

I called Dr. John about his frame and spoke to Eric Bennett. Dr. John was able to straighten the frame without a complete teardown. Amazing.

Next, we jammed to the Long Beach Swap Meet to find Dyna parts and didn’t find much. We bought a later model touring swingarm with a 1-inch axle, because I planned to upgrade his suspension wherever possible, but the touring swingarm wasn’t right. Larry Settles from Settles Customs in Harbor City fixed us up with a solid late model Dyna swingarm.

Anyway, we rambled throughout the packed aisles looking for parts and I came across a large flatbed truck sporting a line of new, bare rigid frames. Great looking frames and I inquired. Kraft Tech only sells to distributors like Biker’s Choice, but they bring a few frames to the swap meet once in awhile and the price was right.

The Kraft Tech frames were obviously set up for Evo engines and 5-speed transmissions, but looked almost stock. I couldn’t resist. We carried that frame up and down aisles until we finally headed toward the exit with no Dyna parts and a set of stock Softail tanks, perfect for the frame.

As I meandered toward the exit, my cell phone rang. It was Brad Olsen, an old friend who recently scored an Oregon shop’s inventory and stashed it in a warehouse near a river leading to the sea.

“Yo,” Brad said. “I need to recoup some of my investment. Do you need a Panhead engine?”

I about shit my pants. I had just scored a sharp rigid frame, a set of fatbobs, and I knew I had a 5-speed Softail transmission at the Bikernet Headquarters. What the fuck? Hell yes, I needed a Panhead engine!

As it turned out, the engine was seriously incomplete, but with a good twist. The ’69, last kidney, Shovelhead right case was mated to a ’79 left case, which would allow me to run an alternator and Evo primaries. I hauled ass home from the swap meet and started to dig through drawers, cabinets, and lockers looking for parts.

I created a pile next to my lathe, but when I stood up, I wondered why the hell I needed another motorcycle. That wasn’t the mystic point at all. Fuck it, I was inspired and on a roll.

Here’s a code that works for us bikers. I tell young guys frequently to start to create equity in their lives for the future. You can buy and turn houses. You can restore a car, write a book (not a good idea), paint a painting, etc. But if you’re a biker, building bikes is perfect. No, they are not always worth a bundle, but they are like putting money in the bank. Think about that the next time the ol’ lady bitches at you for building another motorcycle. What’s she doing to build equity for your future?

Even before the swap meet kicked me into gear, I was moved by Go and Tasumi at Brat Style in Long Beach. Michael Lichter introduced me to them, just down the street on the evil industrial west side of Long Beach. They build the coolest shit on the planet with a major twist. Everything is vintage, seriously vintage. Go can build a totally custom tank and install it on a ’39 Indian Scout frame, but by the time he’s done, you would bet it’s a stock part and 70 years old.

His amazing painter adds the final twist, Deny 528. Maybe I should keep this a secret. But fuck it, it will slip out anyway. Deny studied and practiced to create original paint patinas for a year to prefect his process. He’s got it nailed.

I was gone. I couldn’t think of anything else but this Panhead project. I dug around and Mike from Pacific Coast Cycles, in Long Beach, came up with an oil tank. He’s a major fan of Kraft Tech frames.

“Everything just slips together,” Mike said. And he’s also a major fan of Paughco springers. They may be more expensive than overseas copies, but it’s your life you’re riding on. He has about a dozen rollers in his one-man shop. If you’re after a cool project, give him a call.

Daily, I made lists of needed parts and started to make calls. I couldn’t stop, and then my grandson flew to Deadwood to be a part of Scott Jacob’s Artist Retreat. Suddenly he wanted to go to Sturgis. I came up with a plan. I rode to Sturgis and back last year, so this year, we could alternate the plan. How about taking two old bobbers to Sturgis for the kicks?

The Sturgis 2017 plan formulated. Suddenly, I had a deadline. Oh, what the hell? I was inspired by many factors, but I still needed a few pieces to make it happen.

The engine was missing a cam and most of the cam case elements. It needed a carb, intake, distributor, oil pump and I started digging around. I had a set of rebuilt Panheads, but they were early model and this puppy would need outside oilers. I started to ask around.

Berry Wardlaw from Accurate Engineering offered to help, when I couldn’t find any Panheads through STD. Billy McCahill had issues with his foundry and didn’t have castings. Berry checked with a couple of distributors and no one had any in stock.

Berry searched forums and then found a set on Ebay. I immediately ordered them from Wilson Cycles, Inc. in Roswell, GA, but when they arrived, I encountered a problem. One was perfect with valves, an O-ring intake manifold flange and the outside oiler boss. Unfortunately, the other didn’t have an outside oiler fitting. It was an early model.

We hit the swap meet again and found a cop solo seat from a major seat guy, who had a pristine stock seat. I had an old hinged fender from an early swingarm Pan. I knocked out the pin and installed the bobbed fender with the help of Lowbrow’s new universal fender bracket. It’s strong as a bull and fit like a champ. My funky MIG weld didn’t hold a candle to the precision Kraft Tech TIG welds on the frame. Sorta embarrassing…

I dug out a Softail 5-speed transmission, and tried to figure out the plate to mount it. I called Chris at Kraft Tech and quizzed him. I have a Paughco offset 5-speed plate but needed a stock ’86-’99 Softail tranny plate for a 5-speed. There are so many configurations and Paughco has them all.

I want to write a tech about ordering frames and all the configurations available. It’s not just about rake and trail anymore or wide tires, but left and right side drives, which transmission, which set of gas tanks and the type of seat being used. The list goes on. Hopefully, if the Paughco crew can help out, and with Biker’s Choice, we can make it happen.

I found an old 41mm wide glide front end at the swap meet. Ultimately, I wasn’t happy with it, but we made it work (I hope) with an old drum front brake. I found some neck bearings and replaced the junk one. I tore the whole front end apart and cleaned it. The springs didn’t match, but I worked it out with Progressive springs. The Paughco axle did the trick to allow the brake and star hub to be installed. A local shop laced the star hub to an old 18-inch used aluminum rim.

I spoke to the guys at Spectro about which fork oil to run in the legs. Joe Russo recommended Fork Oil Type E. 20 SAE, since it’s an one-up light bobber. “Heavy two-up bikes would use the 40 SAE,” said Joe.

The brothers at Paughco are the best and have the best. After digging through my shit, I needed just a handful of vintage parts and pieces from the Paughco factory, like the correct front axle for an early glide. I made the mount for an old spotlight out of a bracket I built for a Bonneville bike but never used.

I needed the right side rear brake lever, mounting plate, return spring and plunger, but I had three Wagner master cylinders. This Kraft Tech frame was set up for a Softail-style rear disc brake. Years ago, we installed PM brakes on Dale Gorman’s Softail and I ended up with his stock solid aluminum Fatboy rear wheel and brakes. They would do the trick.

I had most of the pieces for the left side forward controls, except for one, and Paughco had it, the shift linkage arm. And I didn’t plan to run a dash, but I needed something for electrics, a switch, whatever. I ordered a Paughco universal tin toolbox and then discovered something wild at an antique store—a K-model motorcycle trophy a heavy casting.

The notion was to build a simple, easy-to-handle bobbed Panhead. But for some odd reason, finding an early automatic-advance distributor turned out to be a problem. I didn’t want any extra bells and whistles on this bike, no advance and retard mechanism, jockey shift, etc. Then I found a Mallory electronic ignition system in a locker from our ’06 Bonneville effort. I spoke to Berry Wardlaw from Accurate Engineering and it did the trick. I rocked. He coached me on timing it.

I went through the front end from stem to stern, drilled lightening holes in the brake backing plate and found a set of stock configuration stainless bars and some goofy 4-inch aluminum risers using a stock cap. I still needed the cable, lever and cable adjuster. I called Barnett’s. They had everything I needed.

The bike was headed back together for Sturgis. If the paint and engine comes together, I could be cool for the run.

In a sense, this project was indicative of this time in my life and the life of many bikers everywhere. I asked myself if this should be a life and times story. Could I make sense of my life at this point?

I’m feeling stressed at almost 70 and I don’t get it. Actually I do, but I don’t want to feel anything but nirvana. Hell, I built a motorcycle nirvana right on the coast, across the street from the Port of Los Angeles. But there’s something not right about that. ?
They are now calling it America’s Port, yet the port has basically shit on the town adjacent to one of the richest ports in the world.

Okay, so I started this Panhead project in the middle of a war over whether combustion engines will still be around in another decade. What the fuck? No wonder our industry is in a state of upheaval. Most folks think bad thoughts every time they get into their cars as if they are having a nasty affair with the earth on the other side. Brings me down, but I fight back. I try to keep folks informed regarding their rights and the issues. It torments me. I want freedom and fun back.

So, when the shit brings me down I try to jump down into my shop and work on a bike. The Panhead became a mission for freedom for my soul. I needed relief from the stress.

On the other hand, life couldn’t be better. We have more resources than ever before, if the government doesn’t make them all illegal. For instance, you can build anything your heart desires. This Pan is a terrific example.

Sure, it’s a Pan but it has a ’69 right case and a ’79 left case, which allows me to make it look like a Pan, yet run an electronic, automatic advance distributor, an Evo to Twin Cam alternator, and a spin-on oil filter, which allows me more oil capacity and more protection for the engine.

The heads are brand new STD outside oiler Panheads with knock-off rocker blocks. The STD heads breath better than stock and contain improved valves and springs.

I’m running hydraulic JIMS machine cam followers, S&S adjustable pushrods, an S&S mild cam and an improved S&S oil pump. Even the Kraft Tech TIG welded frame is modified for almost any engine and allowed me to run a rear Softail disc without doing a thing.

Basically, I could build 1998 rigid Panheads all day long with super-strong late model 5-speed transmissions, and BDL belt drives with any EVO starter. I was good to go.

I wanted to use a Linkert Carb and I had a couple rebuilt by Mike Egan. We planned to run two on a stroked Knucklehead. They were M-35s for early 45 flatheads. I decided to try one using the small venturi for snappy throttle response notion, like we’ve done with 42 mm Mikunis.

Bob Bennett went through the engine and I supplied parts where I could. You can no longer order any performance parts in California. They were banned by the California Air Resources Board, supported by the MIC. Unless companies want or can afford to spend hundreds of thousands trying to have each part tested to receive an Executive order through the MIC, they can’t be sold here. If you can’t buy a cam in California, how does the largest market in the US impact the smaller states?

Needless to say, I made my own pipes using a too bitchin’ shorty muffler from Rick Krost at US Choppers, who only deals with vintage bikes anymore. He’s done with anything new. The muffler was amazing; at least, I thought so. Deny, the man behind the vintage paint job, came over and I showed him the muffler and what I intended with the stock squished pipe under the engine.

We discussed having the pipe angle up with the bottom frame rail toward the axle, but we both looked at each other with dismay. I’m not a fan of anything that interferes with the line of the frame. Then I mentioned my appreciation for shotgun pipes and Deny’s blue-gray eyes lit up. I messed with parts and pieces, including the stock squish pipe. I like how it came out.

I worked with Tim at San Pedro muffler to make a couple of exhaust flanges to fit over the Panhead exhaust manifold. I was only able to use one, because the front pipe needed to turn abruptly.

I tried several different welding moves with this endeavor. The pipes from San Pedro are 1 ¾-inch aluminum coated chunks, coupled with old bare steel bends, chromed pieces and even an old Pan squish pipe. It was chromed at one time. I had to use various pieces and some were slightly different diameters. I don’t know why, but initially I thought about gas welding with steel rod, but the various metals, even ground and cleaned, weren’t happy with oxygen acetylene, maybe because of the carbon deposits on the inside of the old pipe pieces.

Various pipe manufacturers skimp on funds by running thin-walled tubing and blowing through it is easy. I shifted to MIG welding because of speed and convenience. Also, tacking pieces in place is much easier with a one-handed Miller MIG welder. I ended up carefully MIG welding most of the bends and pieces, but then added some braze just to add color to the pipes.

The pipe brackets were a trip of found brackets and chunks, but finally the pipes were strong enough to stand on and secured comfortably to the heads.

I used care with the driveline alignment. The engine, a mixture of years, fit perfectly in the frame without shimming. I used the BDL inner primary to align the engine and trans.

Moving right along, when I needed to escape the government control freaks, I darted into my shop and hid out, rebuilding the old Wagner master cylinder with Paughco re-pop controls. The rebuild kit arrived from Biker’s Choice and Twin Power. James and the Twin Power crew are on a mission to create and manufacture stock replacement parts for old and new Harleys. I dug out old manuals from Panheads to Shovelheads and Evos and followed them.

With Spectro Oils I studied brake fluids and I think I installed the Wagner and the Softail Caliper with DOT 4. According to vast research, the Wagner could have been DOT 3 originally and the Softail Caliper was DOT5. They don’t mix. Later, I flushed the system with DOT 5 a couple of times and will do it again in the near future. Dot 5 is less corrosive than Dot 3 or 4 but doesn’t work as well as Dot 4. Dot 5 also won’t mess with your paint.

I stashed the ignition switch in the Paughco toolbox I mounted between the stock Softail gas tanks. I made a goofy bracket running off a stock frame tab and it worked like a champ. I mounted a 15-amp circuit breaker in the box and an idiot light, to prevent me from walking away and leaving the switch on. Let’s see if it works.

Bob Bennett timed the engine with Berry’s instructions and I monkeyed with the Linkert Carburetor. I also made the top end oil lines with old parts and True Value Hardware, which is usually a tremendous source for fasteners, but pricey.

I installed a Biker’s Choice oil pressure gauge. Erik Bennett gave us the look and his dad suggested I run an adjustable valve in the line to the heads so we don’t cause the lower end pressure to drop. I did thanks to True Value, but we discovered a tiny hole in the valve, which wide open might do the restricting job. I’m still investigating it.

I wired the bike with old Harley fabric-wrapped wire and fiber-wound loom. I needed to replace the front vintage spot light sealed beam. And one of the spring hold-downs broke. I need to find them.

The stout rear fender didn’t need supports but I needed a place to mount the LowBrow vintage taillight and license plate mount, so I started to dig around.

I came up with a Road King front fender bumper rail set. With a little braze, some ball bearings and some imagination, it worked like a champ.

I need to give some credit. The day I fired her for the first time, I ran into a problem. I ran oil through her first to make sure it was getting to the top end, but noticed oil seeping out of the lifter stool gaskets, as if the crank case filled with oil. I checked with Eric Bennett and then a young Hamster stopped over, Tony Sportalli. We made an oily mess chasing all my new oil lines looking for a mistake.

I used those stock pinch oil line clamps and they are bastards to remove. We ended up removing half of them, and in some cases, replacing them with standard screw-on hose clamps. Then Tony pointed out that the oil wasn’t coming from the gaskets but holes in the JIMS lifter stools. Unbelievable. They drill through the stools to create an oil passage, but it was up to someone to press in plugs or set screws. We taped set-screws and we were golden. Thanks Tony.

There you have it. Now I’m in the Eddie Trotta break-in mode and the search for a pink slip and registration. It’s a kick, starts and runs like a champ. It’s a breeze to ride and the front end now works. Let’s see what happens next.

–Bandit

OWNER: Keith “Bandit” Ball
CITY: Wilmington Ghetto
FABRICATION BY: Bandit
YEAR: 19-something Panhead
MODEL: FL
VALUE: Very little
TIME: 4 months

ENGINE
YEAR: ’69 and ‘79
MODEL: FL
BUILDER: Bennett’s Performance

IGNITION: Accurate Engineering
DISPLACEMENT: 74 cubic inches
PISTONS: V-Power
HEADS: STD

CAM: S&S
CARB: Linkert
AIR CLEANER: Chopper Dave
EXHAUST: Bandit

PRIMARY: BDL

TRANSMISSION
YEAR: 1990
MAKE: H-D
SHIFTING: Foot
CLUTCH: BDL

FRAME
YEAR/MAKE: 2017 Kraft Tech
MODEL: Classic Rigid
RAKE: Stock
STRETCH: None

FRONT END
TYPE: Wide glide
BUILDER: H-D
EXTENSION: None
TRIPLE TREES: Cast iron H-D

WHEELS

FRONT
SIZE:18-inch
FRONT TIRE: Avon
FRONT BRAKE: Mechanical

REAR
SIZE: 16-inch
REAR TIRE: Dunlop
REAR BRAKE: H-D disc

PAINT
PAINTER: Deny 925
COLOR: Orange and Cream
TYPE: Old

GRAPHICS: 5-Ball
CHROMING: Paughco

ACCESSORIES
BARS: Stainless
RISERS: Old aluminum
HAND CONTROLS: mixed

FOOT CONTROLS: Paughco

FUEL TANK: Stock Softail
OIL TANK: Pacific Coast Customs
FRONT FENDER: None
REAR FENDER: H-D
SEAT: Swap meet
HEADLIGHT: Old accessory spot
TAILLIGHT: Lowbrow

SPEEDO: None
CABLES: Barnetts

PHOTOGRAPHER: Markus Cuff

Okay, so the classic 19-inch spoked wheel rolled in from Black Bike Wheels, in Van Nuys. They have grown to build spoked wheels for every make and model in virtually every size. Too cool. If you need a spoked wheel give them a call and speak to Elliot or Eric. Tell them Bikernet sent you.

The wheel, with a tough used and stained aluminum racing rim, unpolished stainless-steel spokes and a blacked cast aluminum Black Bike hub painted and scratched by me looked perfect. It was shipped, carefully packaged with the machined center spacer, Timken bearings and new seals wrapped securely and separately.

At first, I thought I would haul it to the local bike tire repair shop on Western, in Harbor City. It’s a cool little gas station turned motorcycle tire repair shop. It’s a classic and they will replace and balance any motorcycle wheel on the planet. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like fighting traffic and I had a couple of other things going.

I crawled up onto our clean room, where I stash wheels and tires and dug around for 19-inch tires. I had two. One was a classic Avon Speed Master 3.00. The other was another Avon Tyre 100/90/19, a Venom. The rim was tough to measure the width, but it seemed to be 3 inches wide or slightly less.

Frankie was headed over, so I asked him to hit Cycle Gear for an innertube. As it turned out they had more than one size, so I went for the 3-inch job. I hadn’t mounted a tire in years but decided to go for it. I had several tire spoons and soapy water. The tube was called double tough and it was.

I took a large glass jar and pumped some dish detergent into it and water. I used the skull-faced pan brush to scrub the inside of the rim. I backed up the cleaning effort with a scotch-brite sponge. The used rim contained rubber residue, which needed to be removed. I scrubbed for awhile.

I slipped a couple of 2 by 6 boards under the rim, so as not to ding the hub or rim. I checked the rotation of the tire and the position of the rotor and popped the heavy bead of the tire over the edge of the rim. This was the easy part. Then I carefully worked the tube into the tire and against the wall already positioned over the rim.

The ultra-thick tube made the job tough, as if there wasn’t the space, I needed to feel the tube within the tire. I did my best to push the rim against the inside of the opposing wall of the tire.

The stem was interesting, and I made a special hook to help guide it through the rim stem hole. Also, a tricky maneuver.

I slathered the tire and the rim bead with soapy water and started to work the bead over the edge of the heavy rim with tire spoons. I had four. I tried to use the smoothest one and be careful not to pinch the tube.

Nervous but determined, it was a fight, but the tire bead finally popped over the edge of the rim. I added some air to the tube, but not a lot. I soaped the rim some more and bounced the tire around the shop and then added more air. It worked, amazing.

I put about 50 pounds of air pressure in the wheel and the Avon Tyre didn’t have a problem seating in its rim position.

Next, I greased the bearings and installed them on one side of the wheel and used a large socket and a rubber hammer to install the seal. The socket just barely fit into the hub, so it grabbed the OD of the seal and didn’t damage the seal mechanism. I tapped it into place and turned the wheel over.

I installed the carefully machined, by the Black Bike team, center spacer and the other heavily greased Timken bearing and seal. Then I turned the Black Bike Wheel over again and installed the rotor with the speedo drive spacer. I used 5/16 allens ¾ inch long. Ultimately, they were going to hit the caliper bracket, so I replaced them with domed stainless Allens and thin lock washers for more clearance. Damn, I still need to tighten them with blue Loctite.

Then I started to mess with the group of Paughco spacers I had. I put together the right grouping for the brake side on the right. This put both disc brakes on the same side of the bike. I liked that and that’s what Steve, from Paughco recommended.

With the caliper bracket race greased and in place on a special Paughco wheel spacer, I carefully measured for the tire to be centered in the frontend. This was a trick to determine the center of the tire and then the center of the front end and determine how much I needed to be machine off the spacer.

As it turned out it was about ¼ of an inch off caliper bracket spacer. I machined the spacer and tapered the spacer on the other side to allow it to fit properly in the seal. I put it together and dug around the shop for enough parts to make a brake system work. I found a front brake caliper for a Softail springer and Paughco sent me a right-side bracket, which I dunked in bleach to give it that patina look.

I sorta figured out how all the pieces fit together, and I had an 11.5-inch rotor. I also had a stock master-cylinder, which almost matched the stock (another year) clutch cable perch on the other side. Then I needed a brake line the right length and with Banjo fittings on each end. Amazing, I had one that reached with some slight modifications.

In this case, I just filled the reservoir with DOT 5 and started to pump slowly and watch for bubbles. Before I knew it, the damn thing was bled and we’re ready for a test ride. Hang on!

–Bandit

Funky Panhead Sources:

S&S

Biker’s Choice

STD
www.STDdevelopment.com

JIMS Machine

Lowbrow

Mallory
www.summitracing.com

Accurate Engineering
www.accurate-engineering.com

Bennett’s Performance

Paughco

Departure Bike Works
www.departurebike.com

Spectro Oils

Chopper Dave
www.chopperdaves.com

Black Bike Wheels
www.blackbikewheels.com

The story of Hugh King and his grand television career spanning four decades has been told over and over. In fact he just completed another adventure for the History Channel in the cold snowy north, but the series is a secret.

The master builders included Arlen and Cory Ness, Matt Hotch, Chica, Eddie Trotta, Hank Young, Kendall Johnson, Mitch Bergeron, Russell Mitchell and Joe Martin. Just up the dusty road roared the 2004 Laughlin River Run with all the temptations of Casino action including amazing food, entertainment, whiskey and girls. But the brothers stayed focused, almost.

Just 72 hours out they gathered at Dan Jackson’s Fort Mojave, Arizona, Desert Powder coat shop. Arlen Ness was assigned the shop foreman title, while Kendall Johnson, engine and trans builder. Mitch Bergeron handled frame and billet down tube construction. Russell Mitchell dialed in the handlebars and controls.

Matt Hotch hand built the fenders and the wild gusset under the frame neck. Cory Ness was responsible for paint and accessories procurement. Chica hand fabbed the gas tank, “but Johnny Chop helped,” said Hugh, and Eddie Trotta worked over the forks and front-end trees. Hank Young built the oil bag, Joe Martin the nasty pipes and pinstriping. And a late arrival Danny Gray supplied the hand made manta ray-covered custom seat—amazing.

The show had a design, but the King was only part of the scheme. “I wanted to depict the torment of the artists under extreme conditions.” Little did he know the bike would be turned over to him after he tortured the builders in the desert with hot iron pokers.

As the executive producer sat overlooking the mayhem of the final assembly while fanned by Vegas hookers and sipping long Island Iced teas he wondered if the concept would work.

“It didn’t at first,” Hugh said. “There was a lot of tension, people went off in different directions. All of a sudden, it just coalesced. You could feel the energy in the room. Everybody was suddenly working together, headed in the right direction. I think Arlen had a tremendous impact as the shop leader and guiding light in a dark tunnel of torment. It was touch and go for a while. If one of them had walked, they would have all walked, but they didn’t. The rebels held together.”

See the next episode for more details about the Chopper King’s Chopper, which is now for sale to the highest bidder. “My one burning desire now, however, is to buy the X Bike back from myself,” said the King with a tear in his eye.

 

“A man’s got to know his limitations”-Dirty Harry 

The Widowmaker crew is ready to do everything from rebuilding the top end of your old Sportster, fabricating a set of head turning handlebars, or adding class to your fresh-off- the-showroom floor Milwaukee Iron, by installing Hank’s custom two-into-one pipes. Then giving her the iconic Widowmaker designed and fabricated intake so she can breathe 15 horses faster.  Your ride isn’t made-in-the-USA? No worry, Hank has a solid record of having a complete disregard for the national origin of any type of stray bike landing on his doorstep. He’ll take it and improve on your ideas, or, like he did two years ago, just take a crotch rocket, chop it up, lay his magic welding rod upon it and get top prize at the Ray Price Capital City Bike Fest  in Raleigh, NC.

Each year for the past eight years, the Widowmaker family had been organizing a very successful ride raising money to help families deal with their child’s medical expenses. This year is different; Hank is fabricating a custom motorcycle which will feature his signature hand made parts recognizable throughout North Carolina as the Widowmaker brand. The plan this year is to sell raffle tickets and raise $25,000 and give five local families in need, $5,000 each, to help with the medical care of their child. We caught Hank early in the planning stages and wanted to share his progress of this project to the announcement of the winner on September 26th at Ray Price Harley Davidson’s Capital City Bike Fest in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bikernet is going to follow Hank through the process of building a custom chopper and staying within the basic interactions between: cost, skill level and availability of tools. This is the first in a series of five articles in which we will be going over some issues that need to be addressed prior to putting fire to metal or pen to paper.

Here’s Hank layin’ it out straight for you in his words: Set the goal and make a plan…then be flexible while you work towards that goal. Reaching that goal is the successful art of harmonizing your choices with your plans within the parameters set by your skills, or as Dirty Harry would say, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

Be honest in evaluating your skill level; choose a bike that works within your ability and the tools you’ve got in the shop. For example, I would not recommend a 2005 fuel injected V-twin to anybody but an advanced builder. If your strong suit is not electrical, stay away from electronic bikes. Stick with the basic skills for a basic drive train and fuel delivery. Use the theory of K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple Stupid. A carbed Sportster has been a simple and proven canvas for decades of custom builders of all skill levels. Carbed metric bikes are getting more attention partly due to popular magazines such as The Horse-Backstreet Choppers and Cycle Source. The metrics tend to lose their value quicker yet remain reliable, but the metrics need a more fluent skill set. Sportster tooling is basic, aftermarket parts are readily available.    

Choosing a bike.  Choosing your donor can be difficult. However, surfing the internet somewhat simplifies this option. Knowledge is power, knowing people helps. Know your surroundings and what you are willing to do to get what you want. What are you limitations? If you find a great deal on a bike but its 1,000 miles away, is it worth the drive? Consider any time, effort and expense in acquiring the donor bike or parts for your project. Speedy decision making is the key to sealing any internet deal. If you find a good deal, jump on it. There are plenty of up and coming backyard builders, and many are out there in the fast lane. This is where your skillset, tooling, and above all- your planning comes into play. Choosing a bike that best fits your ability is better than choosing a bike that better fits your wallet. Knowing your limitations will save aggravation and keep you from wasting time and money. Decide if you want a running bike or not. Running bikes are easier to start with. You’re trying to re-engineer the bike completely. If you decide an engine rebuild fits your plans, your market for a donor bike expands considerably.

Choosing a wrecked bike. First question, does it run? Look at causes of failure. How bad of a hit did the bike take and where? What are you changing about the bike and how does this affect what your plans are? Is the front end in the frame? Are you replacing the frame? Looks can be deceiving. Frame can be bent. Always check. Where was the impact? What deemed it totaled? What condition is the engine? Compression Test? A compression test tool can be easily found at your local auto parts store. Review the specific bikes requirements before performing the test. Basic actions, remove spark plug, disconnect ignition coil, install tester. Spin engine over with throttle open. Evaluate readings. Every engine has different specs. Know your specs. You should not have a difference of more than 10% from one cylinder to the other. This will give you an idea of overall internal condition. An easy way to decide if you have leaking rings or valves is to squirt some oil into the cylinder. Retest them if you have a poor reading. If your value goes up, the rings are bad and the valves may be ok.  How long has it been sitting? Perform a Cylinder Leak Down Test using another tool easily found. This can be confusing to understand. You will have 2 gauges. One showing the air coming into the cylinder, the other showing a percentage of air lost. The more air lost, the worse the condition of the internals of the engine, i.e. valves, rings, etc. Make sure the valves are closed and engine is on Top Dead Center (TDC) for that cylinder.  Does it run? Get a grasp on the variables of how long it has sat, what is the overall shape of bike? How many miles? Is the speedo stuck on a certain speed? This is a good indication of speed of impact. Is it water cooled? How will this affect your ability? Can you rework the design of the cooling system? Have a game plan for the bike. What parts will you have to fabricate to use in your build? Again, what is your skill set and tooling for the bike? Plan ahead. How far can your abilities carry you and what do you have to buy or source. Make sure your plans also consider the laws of you state for signals, light sizes, handle bar heights, fork lengths? Look at the overall of the bike. What is damaged, where, why, how come?

In this build, we are using a wrecked ’99 Yamaha Road Star 1600. The insurance company determined the bike was “totaled” based on overall damage vs. cost of repair and value of a repaired bike. The bike was running good and in good riding order. The majority of damage was isolated to the front and right side of bike. Fender, exhaust, tire, turn signal bar, etc. (insert pix here). (talking about points of impact, overall condition and damage). But the overall running works of the bike were intact and in good running order.

Having a plan. For this project, we chose this bike specifically based on availability and cost. Knowing our skill set on the front end, we knew this bike would be a challenge, but be a great build. We already planned ahead. We had a Crafttech frame with a 240 back tire that needed a large displacement motor. The 1600 cc Road Star engine fit the bill. Now this comes into tooling.  Keep posted to see how the overall pieces are made to fit. See you next month.

SPONSORS

Triangle Cycles

Grip Ace

Chop Rods

Fastnel of Roxboro, NC

Amzoil

Ah-maiz-in Paint and Finish

Carolona Custom Powder Coating

Turner Asphalt of Raleigh, NC

Camp Bow Wow

Chandler’s Towing

Peak City Trucking

Brandon’s Harwood Floor and More

Today, J&P Cycles shows you how to replace grips on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. From removing your old grips and adding new grips watch the entire process take place.In this video they use a 2013 Harley Davidson Softail Slim for demonstration but the process will be very similar for all motorcycles that utilize dual throttle cables.

It all started when a brother was desperate for cash and I bought a basket case Dyna, and with the help of JIMS machine turned it into an FXR. I started to build it for my son, Frank, the tattoo artist, around an old Kenny Boyce-styled pro street frame. Making progress on this build, with a massive upside down Custom Chrome front end, a brother stumbled into my shop and told me about Paul Cavallo and Spitfire Motorcycles.

Paul’s been around the industry for a couple of decades. When the economy tanked, he hung on with his dad and started Spitfire motorcycles. He was struggling and a brother thought I could help by using a couple of his Spitfire components on a Bikernet.com build. I went to visit Paul and was inspired by his non-stop drive to create new components daily, build world-class old school chops for customers, and kick ass at shows all over the country.

Then I was hit with the bike builder blues. My girlfriend left and I was forced to sell my 2003 Road King, leaving me with a ratty rigid Shovelhead and a Bonneville racer to ride. I needed a new girl and a long distance rider. Too often, around the campfire we debated twin cams versus Evos and most of the bros confirmed the solid stature of the FXR configuration. A plan formulated to build myself another FXR. I returned to Paul’s shop to cut a deal on a chassis for myself. Both were stretched, almost single-loop, long-distance riders with Spitfire Girder front ends.

Paul’s team built my chassis in pure traditional FXR style and Frank’s in the pro street configuration. We re-manned Frank’s FXR engine in black and chrome, and I ordered a bone-stock crate H-D 80-inch Evo. Both transmissions were rebuilt by the JIMS crew to be 6-speed overdrive units. I went with chain final drive and Frank used a stock belt.

The overwhelming concept revolved around building a bike that’s a chopper to the bone, but could be easily ridden across the country. My stretched gas tank holds well over three gallons, the oil tank contains nearly four quarts of oil, and I installed an oil cooler for heat waves. The Spitfire bars are held in place with Custom Cycle Engineering dog bone rubber-mounted classics.

I used Contrast Cut Performance Machine grips and pegs for style, yet road comfort. The bike is rubber-mounted for vibration-free riding. I worked closely with David Zemla of Progressive suspension until we configured a shock system capable of affording me some suspension with somewhat limited travel.

The girder is an uplifting quandary. With the Spitfire structure I could feasibly install almost any shock system, with whatever spring rate I decided on. I’m still messing with the gas-operated Rockshox.

I’m missing the best part, the Saddlemen seat. This seat was carefully configured at the Saddlemen manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, from the heavy-duty fiberglass seat pan to the spine-relieving slot, to the better than foam gel, and the ultimate breathing resilient fabric. That puppy is amazing.

The engine is virtually stock with the exception of a Bennett’s Performance-installed Andrews Cam, S&S oil breather gear, and Branch flowed heads, all their state-of-the-art valves and springs, and intake manifold. I ran an Andrews EV-27 cam and Andrews chrome-moly adjustable pushrods for less flex, a new cam bearing and the Branch flowed stock heads, for 8.9:1 compression, 78 cc Branch-flowed chambers, and 75-80 horses at 2,600 rpms.

The bike was built specifically for the road, but with chopper styling. I can’t leave anything alone, or ride a stock bike. It’s against my nature, but I can ride a scooter that will get me there comfortably in style.

For the first time in my bike-building life, I built this bike in bare form, wired it, and rode it for almost eight months. The benefits are immense, since I could make changes and adjustments throughout this road or rode research period. It gave me an extended period to investigate color schemes, build the front fender, break stuff, repair, and outright replace components, including my goofy chain guard.

It’s odd, but even with 2,000 miles under her belt, I still came up with last-minute changes during the paint and powder process. I added a keyless ignition system from Digital Dawg, which proved to be a safety and security feature. The drawback to riding a bare vehicle for an extended period included rust and oil management.

Still, when I assembled the bike for the final time, I ran into rear powder-coated fender expansion, and adjustments to the position of my one-off Spitfire oil bag to prevent chain damage. Maybe a rear belt would have been a wiser decision, maybe not.

Finally, the Mudflap Girl represents the open road. She represents the drawbacks of industry when it takes our girls away from us. And lastly she represents the desire to find our Mudflap Girl at home or down the road.

Name: Keith “Bandit” Ball
Owner: Lt. Ball
Builder: Ballintsky

Year, Make & Model: 2012 Mudflap Girl FXR
Assembly/Builder: Ballorama
Timeline: 8 months

Year/Model: 2012 Girder
Builder: Paul Cavallo, Spitfire Motorcycles
Type: Girder
Triple trees: Spitfire
Extension: 9 inches over stock

Year/Model: 2011 H-D
Rebuilder: New
Displacement: 80 cubic inches
Lower End: assembled by S&S
Balancing: S&S
Pistons: H-D
Cases: factory
Heads: Branch O’Keefe
Cams: Andrews
Lifters: S&S
EFI/ Carb: Trock modified CV
Air Cleaner: Roger Goldammer
Pipes: D&D
Ignition: Crane Hi-4

Year/Modifications: 2012 JIMS overdrive 6-speed
Engine sprocket: BDL
Trans sprocket: JIMS 23-tooth
Wheel sprocket: 51-tooth
Secondary drive: Biker’s Choice chain

Year: 2012
Designer/Builder: Paul Cavallo/Spitfire Motorcycles
Rake/Stretch: 5 inches up, 2 out

Bars: Spitfire
Risers: Custom Cycle Engineering dog bones
Fenders: Bar Knuckle/Toby/Bandit front, Biker’s Choice rear
Gas Tank: Biker’s Choice
Oil Tank: Spitfire
Headlight: Old spot
Taillight: Donkey from Biker’s Choice
Speedo: Wire Plus
Pegs: Performance Machine Contrast Cut
Electrics: Wire Plus, Digital Dawg (keyless), Biker’s Choice
Seat: Custom by Saddlemen

Front Wheel: Metalsport
Front Tire: Avon
Size: 19

Rear Wheel: Metalsport
Rear Tire: Avon
Size:
Hubs: Metalsport
Rotors: Metalsport
Brakes: GMA

PAINT
Bodywork/Molding: none
Painter: Chris Morrison and George the Wild Brush
Color: Super silver
Powdercoating: Worco silver and asphalt satin black

Biker’s Choice

BDL

Custom Cycle Engineering

D&D Exhaust

JIMS

MetalSport

S&S

Saddlemen

Spitfire

Wire Plus

Once upon a time there was a bike built called the Shrunken FXR. Keith “Bandit” Ball, of Bikernet and other assorted fame, built it. By a stroke of good fortune the bike became mine through the generosity and trust of Keith Ball.

This bike was my daily commuter for a handful of years. It was and is always a challenge and a ton of fun navigating the streets and freeways of Los Angeles on two wheels and especially on a custom built motorcycle.

I decided it was time to update the look of the bike as well as do some fine-tuning of a few mechanical items I wanted to switch up a bit. Below is a brief summary of what was done, again primarily with the help of friends and some extra cash from my Pops to help get it all finished up proper.

First I replaced the front fork tubes with new fork tubes made by Forking by Frank. Styles have changes, so I installed new handlebars, 10-inch baby apes mated to Black Boyd Motor Co. risers.

I work at the magnificent ARCH motorcycle company and LA Chop Rods, so natch; I installed Black Anodized hand controls by ISR purchased. They are absolutely the best and contain the mechanical Bandit approved styling.

I replaced the mirrors with 2-inch Blind spot jobs by CRG (Small and work great). We
Powder-coated the classic Performance machine wheels black (Thanks to Custom Metal Finishing in Gardena CA, who handle the high-end ARCH motorcycle extreme perfectionist coating).

We manufactured a new Shift arm and Brake arm to improve function. Ryan Boyd, Boyd Motor Co./Arch Motorcycle, is a master machinist and engineer. He configured then machined these components to enhance the rear brake functions, and it now works like a charm, plus it improved shifting dramatically.
We replaced the pegs with something sport bike like and again Ryan stepped up to design and machine one-off mounting bracket adaptors.

We reworked the exhaust basically back to the original first version, added BBQ paint and LA County Chop Rods baffles.
These upgrades, in addition to the rear shocks by Progressive and my comfy Saddlemen seat make the Shrunken FXR road ready and looking fresh for 2016.

Me owning this bike and updating would not be possible without the help and kindness of the following wonderful humans beings: Keith “Bandit” Ball, Dr. Ladd Terry, Gard Hollinger, Ryan Boyd, Jose Laguna, Saddlemen, L.A. County Chop rods, Custom Metal Finishing, Boyd Motor Co., Frank’s maintenance and engineering.

Here’s a link to the original feature, if you search the Shrunken FXR on Bikernet, you’ll find all the build articles: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Amazing_Shrunken_FXRThe_Full_Feature.aspx

–Buster Cates

The Magnificent ARCH motorcycle factory

LA Chop Rods

Saddlemen

BDL

Progressive Suspension