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Read More Bikernet West – Mikuni Carburators to the Rescue
By Robin Technologies |
With Sturgis 2000 looming over Bandit’shead we’ve been firing away at the getting the job done. Bikernet Eastmachine was well out in front in the competition when we wheeled the Agent’slow slung Softail onto a slick Gold Rush semi and said goodbye as the rig,packed with Ultra machines, Big Dogs and customs from the west coast, headedeast. Eddie Trotta from Thunder Design was more than happy to have thebike unpacked in his shop in Fort Lauderdale, so he could point a fingerat Bandit’s creation for Agent Zebra and bust out laughing, “You expectto ride that to Sturgis?” he said rolling on the floor of his shop. Weweren’t discouraged and neither was Bandit as we strapped the road wingswheels, the Weerd Brothers Front end on the Daytec rigid and went to work.
This was no ordinary installation. First,time was a factor, second it’s no normal, stock carburetor swap. The 98-inchS&S motor offered taller cylinders and improper intake manifold fitment.The stock Super E S&S manifold was too big for the 42 mm polished MikuniCarburetor. Stock manifolds shove the carb out too far and aren’t wideenough for the tall S&S cylinders so a quick call was made to JamesSimonelli of S&S who rushed the correct manifold to Mikuni. Lee alsowanted to explore an American Iron Horse manifold available for their customswhich pull the carb in closer to the engine and “L.T.” or James Littleof American Iron Horse moved equally fast and the parts were in hand inone day. The next hurtle: The cables. A call went out to Xavier at BarnettCables who turned about a set of Mikuni compatible cables which are setup the same as stock H-D cables, but cut to Bryan’s specifications forthe job. They also arrived in time.
Bryan pointed out an adjustment on theleft side of the carb as you face it, a main jet air adjustment. He toldme to inform Bandit to turn it out a half turn in Denver for more compatiblerunning in altitudes. The bike immediately fired to life for the firsttime. Two weeks to go.
Bikernet West – The Blue Bomb Explodes
By Robin Technologies |
In a mad rush to build and break-in a monster Simms built S&S motor rigid before the long haul to Sturgis, Bandit makes an abrupt move. At the final hour he decided to take the frame to a local powder coater in Orange County who is capable of layering on a two or three stage powder coating process. After much deliberation with the entire staff, the decision to attempt a match between the frame and sheet metal was made. Nuutboy pointed out that the powder coated frame would be more resilient to wear and tear. Snake, in a rare lucid moment, noted that we wouldn’t be able to cover Bandit’s crappy welds with bondo, because powder coating is baked at such a high temperature that it melts the bondo. Overnight shipping would have been less than $100 to truck the delicate metal parts to Sacramento for Harold Pontarelli to paint. In contrast if we had the frame powder coated locally, we could have it back in three days and be working on the bike. On top of the concern for the various components being shipped, damaged, lost or dented- which would really set things back- there was the overall concern of time. We needed to be building a bike. Some of the Bikernet gang like Renegade, who was pissed that we weren’t working on his bike (he won’t ever let any of our mitts near it), Snake, Nuutboy, and my most informed self, huddled around a large bottle of Jack and a small bonfire in the junkyard rubble behind the Bikernet World Headquarters in San Pedro, California to take a vote. Bandit was somewhere inside the luxurious offices chasing a new female recruit, an oriental girl, whom he had failed to introduce to the rest of us. He was building a deep-seated resentment amongst the staff. “I say, fuck that bastard, let’s burn his frame,” Renegade said taking a hit on the freshly opened bottle of Tennessee champaign. “You say that every day,” Snake mumbled filling his large rusting flask with the bottle while guzzling the last remaining can of Bud from his 12 pack. No one else drinks beer. “We’re supposed to be deciding whether to ship or powder coat,” Nuutboy said standing on the edge of the fire holding a wad of tools in each hand. He doesn’t drink, but smokes joints incessantly and fidgets constantly. “We’re running out of time.” The evening went south from there. More riders showed up, Japanese Jay from the antique bike shop, 34th Station, came by. Chris from Hill Products wandered in and filled his boot flask, put in his two-cents worth and moved on. Nuutboy and I pondered the question until we heard the giggling stop from inside the Headquarters and the large thump of boots against rickety floors. Bandit appeared bleary eyed but content and placed his vote. If we could get a sample of the paint color on a separate rod we could ship it to Harold for a paint match. We went to work. We delivered the frame to Primo Powder Coating in Huntington Beach, California (714) 596-4242. They had a sample of the metallic blue we were after, waiting for us. We immediately took that sample to a mail box joint and shipped it overnight. The tank and fenders were carefully boxed up and shipped to Harold via UPS second day air. Then we delivered the chrome to Orange County Plating (714) 532-4610 where they immediately photograph the items and enter them into a computer. In four days we had the frame and chrome back and were in the process of building the bike. Harold moved on the paint quickly, but even with a simple flame job on the table, a couple of days was spent at the body shop, then paint prep and primer, then undercoats of silver base were followed by a matching blue candy with a hint of pearl, then drying time before the graphics could be laid out. Two weeks have slipped past, but the progress with the frame in hand is considerable. The engine and tranny are bolted in. The Weerd brothers front end is in place. The wheels and P.M. brakes are in place along with the Samson exhaust system. Wiring will begin this weekend. Then with the BDL 3-inch primary belt in place we will haul the bike to Mikuni for a Carb and go for a ride. Here’s a sample of the paint from Vacaville, California near Sacramento.
–Wrench
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Bikernet West – The Chop Lives
By Robin Technologies |
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The speedometer arrived from the Dallas Easyriders with a little over 24 hours to kick-off. The cable was coiled in a cardboard box waiting and the drive unit was already bolted to the front wheel. Unfortunately, the cable was the wrong unit and a hunt began for the proper cap. A call from Phil, the Hamster painter, encouraged Bandit to send a young lady to see Jim at Drag Bike Engineering. He had the cable and, at three in the morning, Bandit was installing it. We will also follow this series with an article on the Weerd Bros. front ends. This is a ball-milled wide glide that, depending on what ruler you use, is approximately 14-over. According to Bandit, who is in the garage packing as I hit the keys, the front end is light handling with narrowed flat track bars due to the six degrees of additional rake. Even with an overall 44 degrees of rake, the front sliders are smooth and work effortlessly. Although this is a European-built front end with metric Allen head fasteners, it’s highly adjustable with removable fender mounts and brake caliper mounts that can be installed on both lowers or either one or none for the hardcore muthas.
 Bandit’s about to take his Blue Flame for a final test ride with his bed roll centered over the Weerd Bros. front end. Yesterday, during the heat of the harbor day, a small Fed Ex package arrived. It was from C.J., the old biker engraver. Inside was a Bikernet engraved point cover, a “Bandit” money clip, and a flamed mag light. When more photography is revealed of the Blue Flame, the Bikernet logo with our babe mascot will be revealed in all her nearly nude glory. Damn, when she walks into the sagging headquarters, everything stops, as if a contact high permeated the garage. In a daze we watch her every fluid move. By reader demand we will post a photograph of the lavish facility in the next couple of weeks.
 The bastard is rolling out in the wee hours of the morning and the race will be on for the Badlands. Agent Zebra will be heading out of Miami at noon on Saturday heading north and into Tennessee, as Bandit heads east across the border into Arizona where he will relieve his helmet of duty and ride on in freedom toward Phoenix.
 More reports are forthcoming. Live from the Bikernet World Headquarters in San Pedro, California. This is Renegade. Over and out.
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Bikernet West – Electronics in a Weekend
By Robin Technologies |
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Wiring is the nemesis of man, the puzzle of the best builders, the hornet’s nest of breakdown treachery. Bandit sat for hours drawing a wiring schematic for Agent Zebra’s Softail, only to rip it to shreds and toss it in the trash. He made lists while Sin Wu brewed strong coffee and baked peanut butter cookies. Bandit barked and growled for a couple of days with each run to the marine store for connectors, to the electronics store for switches, to the Custom Chrome catalog for components. The same formula fit his own West Coast entry in the Sturgis Bikernet Chop-Off. We knew as soon as he mentioned that the bike was ready to wire, that we should pack our shit and leave. We took the case of Jack fifths, the girls, and checked into the nearest fleabag motel. While we sat around the stanky pool and partied, Bandit thought about each wire, each connection, and each component. His mentor, Giggie from Compu-Fire, was his only sounding board and the only sonuvabitch big enough to snap back when Bandit growled about wire gauge or lost connectors. He wired the bike entirely with 14-guage wires. The only other sizes used were for the battery cables (stock units) and the wire that ran from the battery to the ignition switch (12-guage). Even when the sexually starved statuesque Asian roamed into the garage with cocktails, adorned in a sheer negligee, she was ordered back to the headquarters. Soon she found another plaything to keep her occupied, but that’s another story. Wiring, in the big guy’s mind, is a process of understanding what is happening with each component, where each component is located, watching for the safety of each wire, keeping the bike sanitary, and organizing each group of wires. Each wire is covered with shrink tubing, each connector supported with additional shrink tubing. Each bike had a minimum of wires carefully placed. Each bike had a minimum of components to keep the wiring process uncomplicated or enhance the reliability of the machine. No turn signals, no handlebar controls, and no micro switches. He used only millspec (military specifications) or marine quality switches. Vibration is a killer on motorcycles and much the same on boats, in addition to the moisture considerations. One additional component made wiring simple and risk free, the Custom Cycle Engineering starter mounted mechanical switch. (Check the article here in the Garage.) This unit eliminated the starter button, the starter relay, and all the associated wires. You must make sure you will have access to the switch, which is mounted directly on the starter, under the oil bag, (Photo 2) which can easily be interfered with by the position of the exhaust pipes.
 Photo 2
The concept is that you physically push the solenoid into contact with the starter gears and electrically engage the starter. We chose a Compu-Fire starter from Custom Chrome to kick this 98-inch monster to life. The key thing on fucking up starter motor installation is over tightening the brass lug wire fitting. It may turn the connection on the inside of the starter and ruin the contacts. Compu-Fire has designed a new line of starters which feature 6:1 gear reduction (Photo 3) and a 6-pole permanent magnet field to eliminate starter stall-out.
 Photo 3
These units deliver maximum cranking torque without overloading the battery. They also eliminate starting problems on fuel injected bikes. Only two switches were used and one 30-amp H-D (common at any electronic or auto parts store) circuit breaker. One on-off marine toggle for the ignition, which energized the Compu-Fire single-fire ignition system, the hydraulic brake switch, and the taillight. Since all the sweet parts like handlebar controls, foot controls, mirror, and taillight were Joker Machine components, he was in luck. Joker works the brake light switch into the body of forward controls, which eliminated the bulky hydraulic switch, the junction, and a two-piece rear brake line. Another wire went to the other switch, an on-off-on switch for the headlight (high/low beam). Two wires were run from it to the headlight. Daytec does a beautiful job of running guide tubes in the frame to hide the wires. Initially, if you chose to do so when ordering a Daytec frame, you can have two inserts welded to the frame seat post rail for electric box mounting. We ordered the certs for this frame but decided that with the simplified wiring program we could stuff switches and all the wires into the structure of the top motor mount. This was Giggie’s suggestion and Bandit readily agreed (a miracle). With careful measurements the switch holes were drilled with several bits until a 1/2-inch hole for each switch was attained. The only guide hole that the frame was missing was one for the headlight wires, but two wires were run through shrink tubing to the headlight and through a 5/16 hole in the motor mount. One wire was run from one side of the ignition switch to the circuit breaker, another, the 12-guage wire ran to the battery. From the circuit breaker a wire ran to the taillight down another guide hole along with the brake switch wire. From the brake switch another wire ran to the taillight, brake element. We also used a Compu-Fire regulator, which mounted to the front of the motor. One wire ran from the regulator back to the hot lead on the Compu-Fire starter motor. Bandit used the excess 12-guage wire to run from the battery to the hot side of the ignition switch. Giggie recommends that you use crimpers designed for Duetch connectors for a solid, vibration-handling connection. Bandit used water resistant connectors from a West Marine store. After some 20 hours in the garage, Bandit was finally lured into a well warmed King size bed by Sin Wu and her girlfriend Coral as the sun came up, but at that point the bike was ready to be fired to life. The question was, could Bandit be fired to life? –Wrench
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Bikernet East – An Eagle in the Garage
By Robin Technologies |
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Custom Chrome introduces the world’s first rocket-powered Zebra. The power plant of the Great Zebra Northern Steamer for Bikernet Chop-Off 2000 by Special Agent Zebra 05.22.00. The Great Zebra Northern Steamer is to be a biker’s bike. No fantasyland Hollywood bullshit in the way of $80,000 paint jobs or diamond encrusted spokes, no chop-shop hoopla, the Zebra Steamer is going to the root of American bike building, tight, right, fast, and reliable. It’s being built by the rider, with help from Bandit, Wrench, the Chinaman and the torque kings at Casa El Horsepower, in an anonymous garage in San Pedro, California.
These suckers come complete with carb and ignition system. It is literally bolt-in ready when it comes off the truck with any OEM or custom frame that will hold an Evolution. The RevTechs aren’t a cheap amalgamation of aftermarket pieces. The entire system is designed on a CAD (computer assisted design) system, just like the ones used at the big automotive plants. This means you get the latest in engine technology available. Every component is created from new tooling techniques in a state-of-the-art ISO manufacturing plant. But high-tech engineering manufacturing equipment and techniques aren’t any good without great concepts to use them on. Again, Custom Chrome has put its money where its product is and created some revolutionary new thinking in big twins. The RevTech engines use no head or base gaskets. Why? Because they leak and they blow. Instead, CCI uses ultra-high temperature O-rings, which are hard as hell itself. Ignition is computer controlled. They come in 88 and 100-inch displacement. The 88s have 4 1/4 flywheel stroke with a 3 5.8 bore. The 100s boast 4 3/8 stroke and 3 13/16-inch bore. The cases are cut from 356T6 cast aluminum. Every stress point contains added materials for increased strength (read: you don’t walk across the Mojave Desert in August). They also have removable press-in/bolt-in bearing inserts on both the left and right sides of the cases and removable bottom sump-plate permits internal inspection. RevTech’s cylinders have increased fin surface in high-heat areas, for advanced cooling (Fourth of July runs, anyone who rides in New Orleans on the I-10 during rush hour or Miami before or after Christmas day). Steel liners are Perma-locked into the outer aluminum castings. The pistons are cast for controlled expansion, which reduces engine noise and wear.
Special Agent Zebra |
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Bikernet West – Zebra’s Chop is in the Lead
By Robin Technologies |
In his sullen mood, he continues to assist his brother Agent Zebra, although some of the parts he’s now bolting on the Agent’s Paughco/Custom Chrome monster look suspiciously familiar. Could it have been an inside job? Could he need cash to pay the rent? Could another psycho girlfriend have taken him for more than his heart? –Snake
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Sturgis 2000 Project Bike – Bandit II Lives
By Robin Technologies |
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| Each custom motorcycle has a story. That’s one aspect of this treacherous world that sets it apart from stock bikes. Stop any rider of a chop and ask him about his bike and he’ll either punch you in the face or tell you how he started to build his bike, lost his wife and family in the process, and had to sell his home and move into a rented garage in order to complete the project. There’s a story of romance, heartbreak, hard work, and struggle behind any bike. This one is no different.
Now comes another saga, equally terrifying, equally fraught with intrigue and heart. This tale of woe begins five years ago with a project conceived with Ron Simms of Bay Area Custom Choppers. The plan was to build a bike as a tribute to the ’30s. But times changed and attitudes became harsh as the unit came together. The more we worked, the farther the project ventured from the reality of the hard-riding world. |
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| Ultimately, the bike was finished and featured in the February issue of VQ magazine. As a tribute to all who worked on it, we will feature the entire list of talents that it took to complete (…see the partial list of the crew). The sad part of the story is that the bike was ultimately unrideable. Hell, we couldn’t even trailer it to shows without damaging the chassis, and the bike was put up for sale with less than a couple of miles on it.
But we don’t like the idea of selling something that our brothers helped us build and a suggestion was made to turn it into the ultimate ground-pounding, coastal-bar-hopping bastard. We pondered the thought. We kicked around the years it took to build it in its current form, the times we went through, the love that was lost and gained, the adventures, the rides, and the wild times to come. We thought about Sturgis 2000 and what to ride. I spoke to my brothers. We had considered riding old bikes. So the gauntlet was tossed into the ring. Build a rigid flyer from the pieces of the Bandit II and keep it alive, or put dual carbs on a ’48 Panhead and take our time? Ah, but the Bikernet staff can’t proceed with anything that’s status quo, we’ve got to tear the whole enchilida to the ground and start over, and do it with a vengence. At another meeting at Harold’s dive bar in San Pedro while tossing back stout glasses of Jack, a contest was conjured up. Bikernet East (the chicken-shit Agent Zebra who couldn’t hold a job in Los Angeles and escaped to Miami with his European nymphet) against Bikernet West (Bandit himself, riding a Daytec Rigid). Since the homeless, jobless bastard of Barstow doesn’t have a dime to his name, but still writes vile stories about the upstanding members of Bikernet, we voted to build him a bike to ride to Sturgis. Bandit was already tweeking the drawing board with parts from the Bandit II, hence a contest. Bikernet East rides against Bikernet West to the Badlands and we’ll take a vote as to who has the coolest bike that makes it. Yeah that’s right – gotta make it there to be voted on. |
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 Photo One |
As it turns out, we will be able to use the entire driveline from the Bandit II for the Bikernet West rigid chop, including the 98-inch S&S, Simms-built motor (photo 1) and Custom Chrome transmission. It will be placed into one of Daytec’s 4-inch stretched, wide-tire rigid. |
| The Harley-Davidson narrow glide (photo 2) will stay with the original Paughco frame for the Bikernet East project and a new long front end will grace, perhaps a Weerd Brother glide, the Daytec chassis. |  Photo Two |
 Photo Three |
Two Road Wings 60-spoke wheels have been laced and mounted to Avon tires. The front will be a 21 with a 5-inch wide 18 on the rear. And Bandit picked up a Yaffee sidemount license plate/taillight. All the brakes and controls will remain Performance Machine (photo 3). |
| Harold Ponterilli will paint the reincarnated Bandit II cobalt blue with ’60s metal flake silver flames touched off with white pinstriping. The Bandit II will live to fly through the streets of Long Beach, Pedro, and L.A. And perhaps, if all goes as the Lord of Choppers dictates, across the desert into the Badlands this year.
You’ll see the entire saga unfold on bikernet, good, bad or ugly. |
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| Ride Forever, –Bandit |
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Mudflap Girl Part 1, the Concept
By Robin Technologies |
Life is nuts, or is it just me? Fortunately, we have motorcycles and women to chase. And this year became the year of the Evo, the FXR, and the mudflap girl. I’m scratching the back of my head and wondering how to kick off this build for 2011. There’s a lot on the plate this year and it’s a tad difficult to explain. First, I must fess up. I’m turning 63 this year and no more riding rigids to Sturgis, or even chasing young broads. Ah, but the adventure continues. It’s actually a blessing not to be hassled with women troubles. I’ll let my son, who just turned 37, deal with the addiction to soft curves. I’ll hide out and watch…
Speaking of my son, Frank, he’s riding to Sturgis with me this year, but we’ll carve into the background of this story. It’s his first trip to the Badlands, and who knows how many times I’ve fought the crowds on Main Street during August.
But let’s back up a bit. Recently, I was in a spot and had to sell my 2003 Road King, which I’d planned to keep for the duration. The 100th anniversary King was my second attempt at a touring motorcycle.
The solution for my missing long distance rider was an FXR, and I have one, the John Reed V-Bike that I took to Bonneville in 2006 and set a 141-mph record with a top speed over 150. Unfortunately, I have a hip problem and can’t ride mid-control bikes anymore. I even modified that puppy, but that didn’t do the trick. I love that bike. So, what the fuck was I going to do?
Here’s the sidebar to this story: We have an on-going debate between the old school camp and the Twin Cam aficionados. Many of us feel the Evolution-based FXR was the shit, the most simplistic V-twin configuration, the most reliable, best-handling Harley-Davidson to be born in Milwaukee. So we started forming a plan in our feeble brains for 2011.
Initially, this effort was enabled by Rogue, a long time brother, who worked for Quantum cycles in Florida for several years. I bought a couple of Kenny Boyce-based Pro-Street frames from him. We built our shrunken FXR with one while the other collected dust in our shop until I needed a rubbermounted bike to ride.
Okay, so I started to piece this bike together. We factory re-manufactured a ’98 Evo engine and JIMS rebuilt the transmission into a six-speed. I had a couple of Renegade Wheels and Progressive Suspension shocks. Then I had a conversation with Kenny Boyce, the man who designed the Pro-street FXR frame. He wasn’t happy with now-defunct Quantum. I also found out that some of these frames break in front of the seat area at the backbone. The project was moving forward with a Custom Chrome, super-wide, upside down front end, Aeromach risers, and we added super wide, Burly bar highbars.
I even had an aluminum mudflap girl oil tank I ordered from Nick at New York Choppers. The bike was leaning toward a pro street touring model with a set of Redneck Softail fiberglass saddlebags and a Klockwerks touring bike rear fender.
I was rolling when Kim Hottinger called and asked if I could haul my old ass out to the American Built/Spitfire manufacturing facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Paul Cavallo was the engineer/manufacturing guru behind Hellbound steel. As we watched the production chopper industry dry up, in the wake of a floundering economy, only the diehard survived, and I wanted to support anyone who understood the code of the west.
The brothers who love motorcycles, choppers, bobbers, and custom parts continued to jump up every morning and do what they adore, work on motorcycles. Some went from building hundreds of bikes every month to a handful, but they kept building. Paul downsized and kept rolling with his father at his side. When I saw what he was up to, I was inspired. He can build any frame, for any motorcycle configuration, so my mind went wild. We could build a Frisco’d and stretched, single-loop FXR, and I dragged an old Durfee girder out to his facility so Paul could see how the master built the originals. Imagine an FXR with a state-of-the-art girder.
Paul is a wild man when it comes to building and manufacturing anything. He re-engineered the girder and refined the looks, and added two shock mounts to incorporate a state-of-the-art front suspension. Over the next year, you’re going to witness Paul’s Spitfire abilities with features in several national magazines, and you’ll begin to see his products pop up in Custom Chrome catalogs.
At one time, Paul made many of the WCC products. Now, some of them will hit the streets under the Spitfire name. So suddenly, we were building a one of a kind Frisco’d and stretched single-loop frame with a Spitfire girder front end.
Hang on for this next move. I decided that since I wanted to build my son a hot rod Harley to park in front of his tattoo shop, Body Electric Tattoo on Melrose, in Hollywood, this was going to be the machine, since he’s too much of a wimp to ride a rigid.
The more we moved forward with this bike, the more inspired I became. This was a bike for me, maybe the bike for my old-guy riding future, now that my Road King was down the road. So I went to Paul with the deal of the century: build two of these frames and front ends. I spoke to Paul, then to my son.
There had to be a goal behind this effort. We would ride to Sturgis together. Shit started to happen fast and I ran into a TV producer who wanted to follow the build, and Leomark studios got involved.
Next, I reached out to Chris Kallas and we started to work up a concept drawing. Here’s some of the e-mail that flew back and forth.
Here’s my initial description:
FXR style frame: Single-loop look, two down tubes bent together to form a single-loop style. Stretched 5 up and 2 out, about a 33-degree rake. Stretched Sporty-like gas tanks, Spitfire girder front ends
Frank’s bike: classic black mag wheels from Metalsport. Klock Werks rear dresser fender on Frank’s, might bob it. Both wheels will be mild width. Mudflap girl theme on my bike and Hardball tattoo on Frank’s. Paint reversed from Frank’s bike to mine. Forward controls on my ride, Frank’s will run mid controls. Rubber pegs, grips. dog bone-style tall rubber mount risers. Shotgun pipes. One Redneck bag on the left of Frank’s bike. We also talked about a small front fender.
–Bandit
Some questions?
Black and chrome or silver Evo engine?
Your wheels? Mag or spokes, what kind?
Style/brand of headlight, tail light?
The risers are the type with rubber mount at top?
Carb/aircleaner?
Shot gun pipes, staight, no mufflers?
Style of seat?
Your fender the same not bobbed?
Brakes? Dual or single up front? What brand of rotor/caliper?
If any of these things aren’t specific yet, they could be semi generic on art.
If you can send any photos or links to of fenders, wheels, bags, brakes or controls, it would be helpful.
As for paint, just a thought.
sately I’ve been leaning toward dark metallic blue and off-white.
It looks good with lots of black or aluminum, and chrome.
It also looks good with your signature orange accents or striping. Since I’m not crazy for white frames, they could both have blue frames and just flop the two-tone paint on the tanks and fenders.
— CK 
Here’s the basic FXR platform showing the frame modifications.
This is with a 3″ extended swing arm.
I need to go back and recheck some measurements but it will give you a
rough idea of the stretch up front.
Is this the type of exhaust setup you were thinking of?
When you said shotgun and 2-into-1, I wasn’t sure.
— Chris K.
I think we should go with this type of exhaust, if we plan to pack passengers. I’m going to ask Dar about that swingarm, but my tendency is to extend it about 1.5 inches, not 3. The stretch looks great. Let’s fuck with those fender rails, arch them, or make them disappear and bob the fender slightly. Plus I think we will need to lower the rear at least an inch, with shorter shocks.
–Bandit
Hey, here’s my first crack at putting it all together. Overall the stance looks good. Since it’s a rough draft without much decoration, I just threw a couple
of mud flap girls on it. I thought I’d try a traditional Sportster/FX headlight with it’s rubber- mounted bulb to stay with the theme of using rubber pegs, grips, and
rubber mounted-risers…. not to mention a rubber-mounted engine, plus I like them.
The frame tube behind the shocks creates a challenge for curved fender struts. I’ve included a couple of photos of some frames so you can check out that area, plus for general interest I tried mounting the tank higher (Frisco style) but thought this looked better.
You might use a semi-later model Sporty tank (when they first started making them larger but still had a carb).
I don’t know at what angle or how Spitfire plans to deal with the secondary neck brace under the tank, so just drew it how I thought it might go.
When you said a Fantasy in Iron tear drop air cleaner I took that to mean a plain Goodson (no rib), for engraving. (We now have a Roger Goldammer air cleaner for Frank’s bike)
Since you need to run a front fender, I made it small. I like when they show most of the top of the tire.
Questions:
Who’s handlebar and foot controls do you plan on using?
How about brake calipers?
–CK
Hey, Chris,
I feel like I want more attitude. How about the tank mounted in line with the bottom of the top bar and stretched a tad at the back to more of a point? Take out the stress bar and add a gusset there with a mudflap girl cut out.
Check the news. I ran a shot of the air cleaner, but you nailed it. Did you check out the heavy green flake and silver bike? I like that theme. My bike will have a plain engine. I thought that style worked well with the plain silver, driveline. And I liked the green springer to match the frame.
We don’t need to go with green. It could be almost anything and silver, then reversed for Franks, with a silver frame, and colored sheet metal.
–Bandit
If the Redneck bags wouldn’t fit, we looked at what Bob T. runs on his fantastic RT.
Part number for bags:
’87-90 FXRS conv bags
H-D 90702-89 left
90703-89
As you can see we are flying at this effort. Don’t miss the frame build in the next segment. As it turns out Frank and I will be running the same drivelines: JIMS six-speed transmissions and Harley-Davidson Evo engines.
Sources:
Sturgis Shovel Part 7
By Robin Technologies |
Brembo has a solid worldwide reputation, and I ran into a hot looking Brembo representative at an illustrious bike function and decide I’d give them a try. They’re hot and ready to rock. The only items I needed were the locking nuts for the back of the rotors bolts and the springer axle spacer. This set-up was designed for a stock springer replacement.
Because of the wild, light, taper-legged Paughco Springer my hiem joint link wasn’t long enough and I bastardized two fine bolts together temporarily. At that point I wasn’t considering a front fender. There are two aspects of chopperdom that I have a tough time working around. Bikes need front fenders and brakes. Can’t ride ‘em much without those two bastards. Even in the old days I ran front fenders, Avon Tyres and front brakes.
Chris Kallas came over at just the right moment. He’s as old at riding as I am and an artist. We’ve featured his work in special reports. He knows his bike shit and I’ve been trying to convince him to see Jim Murillo about a job. Jim has a paint shop in Torrance, but he’s not the graphics guy, Chris is.
As usual, about the time I think it’s going to be easy, the devil pops up on my shoulder. Kent, from Lucky Devil Metal Works in Houston called, “What are you going to do about a front fender,” he said? “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’ll send you some shots of my springer front fenders.” He hung up and Chris looked at me sorta strange.
”Who the hell was that,” he said?
”Never mind,” I said flipping my computer on. Kent developed a system of mounting springer front fenders that’s clean as a whistle and odd as only the devil would make it. An engineer wrote Bikernet when I first featured his wild notion and chewed us out. “That idea’s not worth the powder the blow it to hell,” he shouted.
At first I thought he was correct, but the more I considered it, the more I determined that he was wrong. The caliper follows the line of the rotor, so the fender will follow the circumference of the Avon tire. Of course when I stepped into the ring to create a similar configuration I couldn’t do it like the Devil does. The Brembo caliper runs too far ahead of the rotor to mount the fender so we ran carefully designed struts off the brake linkage. Chris drew up the plan, then bent struts out of coat hanger for a guide.
We constantly tried fitment again and again before tacking them into place. I wouldn’t recommend this configuration to anyone. If you run struts off the caliper they’re solid. The heim joints allow the fender to fluctuate, especially side to side. I had to find a concave washer that would allow the heim joints to work up and down but not side to side.
Chris bent each rail to match in pure artistic form. Then I tacked them.
Kent built the front fender with threaded aluminum bungs underneath. I figured out some slender spacers to fit on top of the fender and tacked the rails to them. I must have welded them a dozen times trying to grab just enough rail, weld and spacer to prevent cracks.
There you have it. It’s wild, but will it last to the Badlands?
–Bandit
Mudflap Girl Part 2, the Bandit Engine and Spitfire update
By Robin Technologies |
Okay, you have the story behind this build, and Chris Kallas is refining the concept drawing. My engine arrived from the factory, and Eric Bennett immediately noticed the return address, in Viola, Wisconsin.
As it turns out, the factory hired the S&S crew to assemble their Evo line of engines. What a natural. I liked that notion all the way around the block. First, it means more American hands in my new engine. Plus, what could be better than to have the best performance engine company on the planet working with the factory on the last and most refined V-twin configuration?
For this crew, and lots of riders all over the world, the FXR Evo is the best of the best. So, for Bikernet, this became the year of the FXR and the Evo engine. I asked the factory about their Evo engine program and received the following information.
A Modicum of Harley Engine History
The first 74 cubic-inch V-Twin engine on the JD and FD models was introduced in 1921 and the 45 cubic-inch side-valve V-twin engine (later to be known as the Flathead) on the D model debuted in 1929. The Flathead engine proved so reliable that variations of it were available on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as late as 1973 (servi-car trikes).
In 1936, Harley-Davidson introduced the EL model with an overhead valve, 61-cubic-inch engine. With increased horsepower and bold styling changes, the motorcycle earned the Knucklehead nickname, due to the shape of its rocker boxes.
New features were added to the 61 and 74 overhead valve engines in 1948, including aluminum heads and hydraulic valve lifters. New one-piece, chrome-plated rocker box covers shaped like cake pans earned this engine the nickname Panhead. The engine introduced on the Electra Glide models in 1966 to replace the Panhead became known as the Shovelhead, again due to the shape of its rocker covers.
In 1984, Harley-Davidson unveiled the 1340cc V” Evolution engine on five models including the all-new Softail. The result of seven years of development, the Evolution engine produced more power at every speed, ran cooler, cleaner, and was oil-tight. Also witnessed is the debut of the Softail design and its trend-setting method of “hiding” the motorcycle’s rear shock absorbers.
Over the years, we heard two interesting facts. Porche designed the Evo engine, and if it wasn’t for the financial support of AMF during a slow period of H-D development, the Evo would have never seen the market. The Evo engine of today is at the crest of a 77-year development cycle and the factory got it right in so many respects. Sure, the Twin Cam has more performance capabilities, but the Evo is the best, simplest, most refined version of the original. We’re voting Evo for 2011.
1340CC Evolution Softail Engine – Silver and Polished SPECS
Type: 4-cycle, 45 degree V-twin
Bore X Stroke: 3.498 X 4.250
Displacement: 80 cubic inches or 1340 cc
Compression: 8.5:1
Torque ratings at 3,500 rpms: Touring with fuel injection, 83 ft./lb.
Touring w/carb 77 ft./lb. @ 4000 rpm
Dyna/Softail 79/76 ft./lb.
Miles per gallon: 50 hwy/ 43 city with a touring model using a carb
55 hwy/ 43 city Dyna or Softail
Variety and sales info:
1340CC Evolution Softail Engine – Silver and Polished
Since the first single-cylinder built in 1903, engines have been the heart and soul of Harley-Davidson history. Each motor has made its unique contribution, and the V2 Evolution engine is no exception. With the Smart Start Engine Program, buying a new Evolution engine has never been easier. When replacing your Evolution motor, Smart Start offers brand-new, factory-tested engines at an unbeatable price. Choose the standard silver and polished Evolution, sinister black, the classic black and chrome or the silver and chrome finish. Either way, you won’t just be making a new start; you’ll be making a smart start.
16161-99
IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY, Contact dealer for pricing and availability.
Fits all ’99 Softail models. Does not include carburetor, manifold or timer cover.
MSRP US $3,295.00
1340CC Evolution Softail Engine – Black and Chrome
16160-99
IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY, Contact dealer for pricing and availability.
Fits all ’99 Softail models. Does not include carburetor, manifold or timer cover.
MSRP US $3,995.00
1340CC Evolution Softail Engine – Silver and Chrome
16177-99
IN-STORE PURCHASE ONLY, Contact dealer for pricing and availability.
Fits all ’99 Softail models. Does not include carburetor, manifold or timer cover.
MSRP US $3,495.00
When my engine arrived, I immediately hauled it in the Bikernet Hearse to Bennett’s Performance for a slight performance upgrade. I needed to let that puppy breath without messing with the reliability aspect. Sharing the same building on the edge of Signal Hill, California is the headquarters for Branch O’Keefe. John O’Keefe worked for Jerry Branch for decades and ultimately bought the business when Jerry Branch decided to retire.
We’re looking at several options for stock engines and for rebuilds. We have three touring models coming together right now, and they are all 80-inchers. One for my son, my factory motor, and Dr. Hamsters 200,000-mile Evo rebuild by Bennett’s.
I’m running the brand-new factory plain Evo engine with the 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 next higher upgrade step from Branch is the EV-51 cam and additional headwork and shaved heads for a 10:1 compression and 85 horses at the same rpms. And finally, a customer can run with an EV-59 Andrews cam and 10.5:1 compression and 90-95 horses. Not bad for never taking the barrels off.
“I like rpms,” John O’Keefe said, “and the new ignitions allow these engines to burn more fuel and bring out the horses.”
The key to all this performance is the headwork set to match the cam, and John O’Keefe has studied this science for most of his life. The key is building a mid-range hot rod without sacrificing reliability.
The first move was to strip the engine and deliver my fresh factory heads to the Branch team. Eric Bennett set my beautiful, plain H-D Evo engine on his clean room bench and removed the top motormount, the top rocker box that came off with the middle ring. We noticed much improved, one-piece factory Teflon gaskets. We won’t mess with them. Then Eric removed the rockers, the pushrods, pushrod tubes and rocker boxes. We also retrieved the new base gaskets to reuse.
Then he removed the head bolts, the front head, and the rear head. I had already purchased the Andrews EV-27 cam from Branch O’Keefe, and Eric and I started to prepare for installation. He removed the point cover, ignition, and cam sensor.
He had a terrific Trock tool for removing the cone cover. It’s always a bastard to try to carve around the narrow gasket surface with a screwdriver or a knife, hoping to find opening and risk damage to the cases or create a leak by scratching the gasket surface.
“We always replace the new factory cam bearing,” Eric said, “with a full compliment Torrington bearing. The factory ran the good ones from ’55 to ’92, then they shifted to a cheapo brand. It’s also not a bad idea to replace the factory plastic breather gear with a solid JIMS unit.”
I scrambled to take notes and photographs while Eric peeled into my engine. He popped a factory set of magnetic tools into the lifter stools to hold the lifters up during cam removal. I wish I had a set of those puppies.
“It’s interesting,” Eric said. “Virtually every stock cam is .060 longer than any aftermarket cam.”
Eric pre-measures the cams and adjusts the thrust washers before replacing the cam, which you will see in the next report, when we study the Branch recipe for performance, the headwork, and modifications. He replaces the valve seats for larger valves, then ports and polished the chambers. You won’t believe the long-lasting components Branch uses.
Then we will watch Eric replace the stock cam with the Andrews unit and adjustable pushrods, and put the whole Evo puppy back together. “Don’t forget to order a top end gasket set,” Eric reminded me as the rain cut loose outside and I wondered if this winter season would ever end. I need a ride.
Then Eric grabbed a JIMS tool and a couple of wrenches and in 30 seconds pulled the cheap cam bearing from the new cases.
“I’ve seen these go south in 10,000 miles,” Eric said. “I’ll never understand why they replaced a perfectly good quality bearing with this junk.”
Just as quickly Eric took an aluminum guide and a mallet and tapped the new bearing in place, another 10 seconds passed, and we were finished.
A couple of days passed and I thought, just maybe my frames and front ends would be completed at Spitfire. On a hunch, I peeled 57 miles away from the coast in the hearse while listening to KJazz on the radio.
It was quiet as I wandered into the vast machine shop, welding shop, bike assembly area and ran into Joe Cavallo, Paul’s dad, who was hunting around the shop for Softail brake anchor brackets. He greeted me and said something about shop organization. The Spitfire and American Made business model has faced serious transformations over the last couple of years.
As I mentioned before, Paul was the partner and manufacturing arm of Hellbound Steel motorcycles. American Made manufactured fast moving products for a bunch of now defunct companies such as WCC. At one time, they were building hundreds of choppers each month, and thousands of products in a much larger facility. During the last year, they adjusted their business model and tightened their facility. They rewired their building, replumbed it with compressed air lines, and kept building products.
It’s tough to stop everything and regroup, scour through boxes of tools, base material, parts, and junk. With a skeleton crew they are still building any frame a customer needs, including big twins, rigid Sporty frames, British custom frames, and even frames for Yamaha 650s and Honda fours. They also build an entire line of forward controls, gas tanks, handlebars, girders, and glide front ends (bowling pin), pegs, oil tanks (a variety of styles), trees and taillights. Paul is the mad scientist of the group. As a kid, he manufactured exotic gun cases.
He’s the kind of guy who will catch a notion in a cup of Starbucks coffee, in the morning and by the evening, he has a new product. It’s not a one-off either. It’s fully designed and configured for multi-manufacturing.
Some of his crew have been working with Paul and his dad for decades, including Larry, who is their master motorcycle assembly guru. He knows it all. “Pull the alternator rotor off that engine before you run it,” Larry told me. “Check the wires for twists or tears.”
I made a note. Then we made our way into the frame jig area to see the FXR frame progress. The FXR fever caught on and there were at least five FXR frames in the making. The first was based on the pro-street configuration with additional gussets, the squished wishbone, for the single-loop notion and 36 degrees of rake for a 2-inch longer girder front end.
They discovered some issues with my request for a V-style frame in keeping with the stock FXR configuration. I also hoped for less rake and a shorter Frisco style girder front end style. Paul was working on my unit with a 30 or 33 degree rake, but he also started building a couple of drop seat FXR frames, including one for himself.
We are also going to try a slightly longer swingarm suggested to us by Dar, the boss of Brass Balls for his FXR configuration. He wanted to pull the rear tire out of the frame some, and I was willing to try it. They are hot after these frames, since Paul plans to ride one on the Diablo run that kicks off on May 5th in Temecula, California and rolls toward the border. Don’t know if we will make it.
The plan for now is to pick up the frames, swingarms, axles, and Spitfire girders, on Friday April 8th. Between now and then, hopefully we will wrap up the engine and bring that puppy home to the headquarters. We are trying to match up these Mudflap Girl FXRs wherever possible, but not always. We are going to run long and short dogbone risers from Custom Cycle Engineering, but we’ve ordered a new set of Raw 2-into-1 performance pipes from Bub for Frank’s FXR, and I’m running a D&D 2-into-1 system. I’m running a Frisco’d and stretched tank and he’s running something completely different. He’s running a Klockwerks rear fender and I’m running something bobbed. I’m getting seriously ahead of myself. See you in a couple of weeks with the next report.
–Bandit
Sources:
Bennett’s Performance
Branch O’Keefe
Biker’s Choice
JIMS
Spitfire
Custom Cycle Engineering
D&D
Bubs
Harley-Davidson
Rivera Primo Inc.
Belt Drive Unlimited
Metal Sport Wheels
Don’t miss the next chapter: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=9155