Bandit’s Cantina

Triumph Thunderbird Custom by Von Dutch

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1958 Triumph Thunderbird Custom by Von Dutch PLAN A VISIT to NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM https://nationalmcmuseum.org WINTER HOURS: Thru March OPEN: Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 4pm CLOSED: Sunday and Monday Closing permanently Sept. 5, 2023 A young man in Los Angeles named Ken Howard began tinkering with his Indian Scout around 1946. Removing the shapely Indian fuel and oil tanks, he installed a smaller gas tank, a simple oil tank. He added upswept exhausts and taller handlebars atop risers. Employing one of his best skills, he painted and pin-striped the fuel tank. The story goes that he street raced it, crashed it, reworked it over and over, making it his own. Liking what they saw, Von Dutch did similar types of custom modifications to his friends’ bikes as well. There may have been others detailing what came to be known as bob-jobs that way in 1946. Some car builders were likely an influence, but evidence points to Howard, aka Von Dutch, as a spark for a revolution in motorcycle style. And we are still living with the impact and inspiration of his work. Luckily, many machines he painted decades ago retain his paint work and fabrications. This 1958 Triumph Thunderbird is typical of Von Dutch’s work for customers in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was created when he worked with the famed Bud Ekins to build modified motorcycles in the Los Angeles area. The leather Bates saddle with pillion pad is typical as are the small tank and narrow rear fender with sculpted custom tail light. The fork is stripped of most lugs, chrome plated and a perch style headlight bracket is used letting the headlight float. Where some would go to a spool hub, Von Dutch ran with racers who knew the value of a front brake so the […]

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Highly Anticipated 2023 Mecum Auction Report

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by Bandit with photos from Mecum and Micah McCloskey Are We Doomed or Kickin’ Ass? Some feel the Las Vegas Mecum Motorcycle Auction is the Devil Incarnate. The money-making desire to flood the market with almost 2000 Vintage motorcycles in an unpredictable inflationary period could destroy the motorcycle industry and return us to where we started—grubby bikers. Others were excited to find bits and pieces to complete vintage projects. Some wanted to sniff the action for clues to future sales. The Bikernet investigative team, which we can’t name included builders, brokers, collectors, racers and celebrities. Click to Read the full photo feature report only on Bikernet.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Support the Bikernet.com fraternity – Join the Cantina – click to know more

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1951 Jacobsen Power Cycle Prototype Discovered

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by Bandit, Cabana Dan and the National Motorcycle Museum A brother, Cabana Dan owns this bike. There were only ten built as prototypes to compete with the Whizzer kit motorbikes. Dan only knows of two and this is one of them. It’s been housed in the National Motorcycle Museum for years. In the early years, the American motorcycle industry served riders with a broad range of machines including lightweight singles. But post-Depression most American motorcycles were at least 500cc’s and had a considerable weight and price tag. The price of a new Indian or Harley-Davidson could buy most of a new Ford or Chevy. Read & View this Jacobsen gem only in Bandit’s Cantina – Click Here * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What’s Bandit’s Cantina? Why Join? Well, have a look at unmatched benefits by clicking here

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The Punishment Bikernet Weekly News for January 26, 2023

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Click Here to Read the Weekly News only on Bikernet.com We sold out of my second book “OUTLAW JUSTICE.” I’m in the process of having it set up on Kindle, so I can print more. But I do have some posters of the cover art by Eric Herrmann. The next two-year Cantina Member gets a poster as part of his or hers bling package. The poster is signed by me and Eric. In the meantime, keep building oily motorcycles and riding free. –Bandit The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Support Bikernet.com Content and Get Free Bling along with 25+ years of Online Archive of Custom Culture. Click to View Cantina Membership Options

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Cabana Dan’s ’13-’14 Builds

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by Bandit, with photos by Wrench From the Hidden Black Hills of Sturgis, SD Click Here to Read this photo feature exclusively on Bikernet.com Moving to Sturgis is like moving to motorcycle nirvana in the Black Hills Region of South Dakota. It’s either Western or Two-Wheeled in this area. The wildlife runs from Moose to Elk, to Knucklehead, Flathead and 4-valve heads. There are long distance riders, artists like Scott Jacobs and his entire family, to Antique Motorcycle Club guys, custom builders like Irish Rich and a master of all Cabana Dan. A Hamster and union retiree Dan builds drag bikes, customs, choppers, bobbers, long bikes and is now building, by chance three stock antiques in the 1913-1914 range. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * QUICK, CLICK HER HAND TO GET IN ON MORE EXCLUSIVE EXQUISITE CONTENT Bandit’s Cantina is a Subscription Only Section of Bikernet.com

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Bandit’s Cantina The Series: 101st episode

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by K. Randall Ball with Illustrations from George Fleming and Dick Allen Joey, running late, rode his Sportster hard up Washington Blvd heading inland. The once proud city crumbled around him with crime, grit, trash, drugs and homelessness. He darted around destitute RVs, parked and rotting in front of once active marble foyers to penthouse suites in slick high-rise buildings. The once proud city lay in trashy ruins where no one honored anything including law enforcement. A drug addict, the needle still sticking out of his forearm stumbled into the street. Joey slammed on his drum brakes and skidded to miss the dying addict as he collapsed on the once busy and active thoroughfare. He slid sideways, dodged the dead druggie and peeled up Washington until he could see the concrete pillar, freeway overpass crossing over the wide asphalt 4-laner. He hit his rear brake again hard and leaned left under the freeway where a large area was designated for skateboard stunts. Click Here to read this continuing saga for Freedom & Action to get to it * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   Click & Have a look at all the Free Departments which is 90% of Bikernet.com and Ride with Us

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Bike-Farm Melle wins European Biker Build-Off 2022

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Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle wins top spot with a nearly 3:1 voting ratio Last weekend, during the Custom Bike Show in Bad Salzuflen, Germany, the finals of the European Biker Build-Off saw Indian Motorcycle Dealer Bike-Farm Melle gain nearly three times the votes with their Indian Chief based Longfork Chopper “Purple Haze” over Harley-Davidson Bielefeld to take the title. First held in 2007 and the highlight of the famous Custom Bike show, the European Biker Build-Off sees two teams competing to complete their custom bike in just three days, live, under the eyes of the trade show visitors. This year’s title fight was even more exciting as both finalists come from the region, just 30km from each other: Bike-Farm, the Indian Motorcycle dealer from Melle and Reibchen + Stegemann the Harley Davidson dealer from Bielefeld. From Friday to Sunday at noon, the creation of two extraordinary custom bikes could be followed on the show stage and by 1 pm on the Sunday, the time had come: Judgement Day. With 529 to 179 votes, nearly a 3:1 ratio, the audience chose Bike-Farm’s ‘Purple Haze’ Indian Chief chopper as the clear winner. “A classic long fork chopper based on the 2022 Indian Chief! It’s absolutely stunning what the Bike-Farm crew has created here. This bike radically brings to flower the seeds that are at the core of the current Chief lineup: The spirit of the past combined with the technology of today.” said Ola Stenegärd, Director of Industrial Design at Indian Motorcycle. “We always had the builders in mind during development and we worked really hard to make the reimagined Indian Chief a delight to work on. So, it’s such a pleasure to see this great canvas to create motorcycle art.” Not only has ‘Purple Haze’ been completely designed around the

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Trike File Meets Mike the Trike

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by DaCat Tuning the Ride with Saddlemen, Legends and Khrome Werks Since buying this 2017 M8 trike, I’ve been working on refining the ride as possible. This entailed changing the shocks to coil over Legend Revo A’s, adding a lift kit and adjusting everything as optimally as possible. Also, the front springs were removed and replaced with Legend Axio canister front suspension. The combination of the modified front and rear suspension really made the ride much, much better. CLICK Here to Read this Road Test and Tech only on Bikernet.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Read all the Tech on Choppers and Custom Builds – join the Bandit’s Cantina. View its benefits by Clicking Here.  

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The MRF Salutes Our Veterans

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We at the Motorcycle Riders Foundation wish all veterans a Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your service in defense of our freedoms and liberties. We as motorcyclists are fortunate that so many of our fellow riders are veterans. You make not only our country, but our motorcycling community stronger. “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” – Abraham Lincoln https://mrf.org About Motorcycle Riders Foundation : The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. The MRF is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. The MRF is committed to being a national advocate for the advancement of motorcycling and its associated lifestyle and works in conjunction with its partners to help educate elected officials and policy makers in Washington and beyond. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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