Harley-Davidson

1931 Harley-Davidson V

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Back in the years before the Second World War, Harley-Davidson was, like all other companies, fighting for its survival. Little did it know that the changes and decisions it made during those times would make it the only other bike maker, alongside Indian, to survive The Great Depression. But it was not a smooth ride. In the first years of the period, Harley’s sales dropped by about seven times, and as a result so did production. That means finding motorcycles made from 1930 to after the war is not an easy task today. On the other hand, those who own such a two-wheeler often find themselves sitting on a real treasure. A large pack of such motorcycles was scheduled to go under the hammer this month, but due to the ongoing health crisis, it will do so in April. The pack is called the Legends Motorcycles Museum collection and comprises a total of 36 bikes, many of them coming from the time of the Great Depression. The 1931 V series model we have here is one of them. Wearing an olive and orange color scheme on a body that looks refreshingly vintage, it is part of the side-valve engined family of bikes that replaced the J series produced up until the start of the 1930s. The new series comprised the standard V line, of which this here motorcycle is part of, the VL and the VS. They were all powered by the new Harley powerplant that, coupled with a host of other improvements, made the V series a very fun to ride family of bikes. A number of them survive to this day, and according to Hagerty, a concours condition one can go for as much as $28,000. The one here seems to fit the […]

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Vreeland Reflects on AHDRA Top Fuel Championship

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“When I got my first AHDRA license in 1992, I never dreamed I would be Top Fuel champion 28 years later!” said Pennsylvania Harley-Davidson dealer and Top Fuel Motorcycle pilot, Rich Vreeland. At that time, Vreeland and his brother Ray were fresh from opening Vreeland’s H-D in 1990 as The Motor Company’s youngest dealers ever. Rich was a sportsman gasoline racer and didn’t necessarily have the brutal Top Fuel bikes in his plans, let alone dreams of a championship. And if he was dreaming of a nitro TF championship, then 28 years later? To be fair, there was no AHDRA All-American motorcycle drag racing series for a good chunk of that time, and Vreeland was busy winning two AMRA Nitro Funnybike championships in the meantime. But when Bill Rowe plugged the starter cart back into AHDRA for the 2020 season, Vreeland was quick to jump on board as both racer and sponsor. He bookended this first new-AHDRA season, winning the Cordova opener and then again at the finals in Gainesville. While Rich has always had his brother Ray’s help when it comes to running the Bloomsburg dealership, 2020 was first season with Ray as full-time crew chief on the race team. And clearly, the results were there. Vreeland’s steady A-B performances qualified no worse than third and made it to the semis at every race he attended. He won two races and was undefeated in final round appearances. “I’m honored to be the inaugural Top Fuel champion under the new AHDRA ownership of Bill Rowe,” said Vreeland. “I am humbled to have my name added to the list of AHDRA Top Fuel champions like Ray Price, Jim McClure, Jay Turner, and Tommy Grimes.” Vreeland was runner-up for the 2010 and 2012 V-Rod championships in the “old” AHDRA, and was the

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Harley-Davidson GP S Le Mans Is a $50K Stage IV Monster

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com We have no idea how many Harley-Davidson shops are out there. However, we do know that no matter the number, very few have the capability of making so many builds to form entire families of custom bikes. The Germans from Thunderbike are part of those few. We’ve featured this shop extensively this past year because of two reasons: first, their projects are literally unique in the Harley world, and second, they keep on coming. This Christmas treat: the GP S Le Mans. The motorcycle is based on the Breakout and is part of a larger family of builds dedicated to race tracks. We’ve already seen the Silverstone, or the Laguna Seca, and it was about time one of the world’s most famous circuits, Le Mans, got its own Harley tribute. Described as the “new mega flagship from our exclusive GP series,” the Le Mans is simply breathtaking. Powered by a Stage IV 131-ci engine good for 123 hp and 178 Nm (131 lb-ft) of torque, the unlikely Breakout rides on massive 21- and 23-inch wheels behind which sit huge brake discs. The rear wheel is accompanied by a shock absorber that allows the ride to be lowered and raised, not unlike an air ride suspension. The fork also holds an adjustable system, this time in the form of a new damper system. In all, more than 20 different custom parts made their way into the build, ranging from license plate lighting to the Stage IV kit slapped on the engine and the custom exhaust, but all that pales when faced with the paint scheme chosen. The work of Thunderbike’s favorite partner in this field, Kruse Design, it is supposed to accentuate “the sporty format of the bike.“ And they kind of nailed that. As for

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Harley-Davidson Sun Rod

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com For many bikes lovers out there, the Harley-Davidson VRSC is the most extreme motorcycle to have come out of Milwaukee. More or less short for V-Twin Racing Street Custom, the nameplate entered the Harley portfolio back in 2001 as the first bike using a modern-day DOHC engine with liquid cooling – the Revolution powerplant. Born as a weapon to fight off other muscle motorcycles, especially Japanese ones, the V-Rod as it came to be known was made until 2017 in a number of variants, including a non-street legal one called the Destroyer and meant for the drag strip. Of the ones that were allowed on public roads, the Night Rod, available for just two years between 2006 and 2008, is one particularly appealing canvas for a certain German custom shop we like to feature: Thunderbike. About a month ago we showed you the Thunderbolt, a Night Rod-based build meant to advertise a certain Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system. Given how V-Rods, especially of this variety, are rare, we thought we’d bring another one to your attention. This one is called Sun Rod, as if denying the nature the original creators bestowed upon it. Described by Thunderbike as “optically perfect on the ground,” it too uses a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust, but several other pieces of hardware too, making it significantly different, at least visually, from the Thunderbolt. Overall, not many parts went into changing the natural face of the bike, but the ones that did are very effective. We’re talking about an air ride suspension that can lower the height of the two-wheeler, a new forward control kit, a new, 18-inch rear wheel, and other minor tweaks like front turn signals, grips, and a custom tank cover. The special changes made

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Harley-Davidson Vegas Is an Ode to Drilled Aluminum

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Much more so than when it comes to cars, wheels play a very important role in the motorcycle world. And we’re not saying that from a functional standpoint alone, but from an aesthetics one as well. Whereas custom cars can be made to look good with a variety of such parts, custom motorcycle makers have to be a bit more careful in choosing their hardware, because a poor choice could easily ruin whatever message they are trying to send across. Of course, the selection process is much easier when shops have the means to build wheels in-house. So is the case with German shop Thunderbike. In business for close to three decades now, these guys are advanced enough to have their own production lines for custom parts, including the hardware that allows the bikes to transfer the engine’s power to the ground. Not once Thunderbike has created motorcycles with the sole purpose of advertising the wheels it makes in its own shop. We’ve seen recently that was the case with the Spoke Bob 21, or the Big Spoke. The one here, called Vegas Drilled, is part of the same category. Unlike the two other bikes mentioned, which used a multi-spoked design for the rims, this one goes for a much simpler approach. CNC-machined from aluminum, just like most of the wheels Thunderbike makes, the piece comes with only 5-spokes, and with sizes ranging from 18 to 23 inches. Unlike them though, they have a bicolor cut and polished rim edge. As usual, the wheels are not the only extra fitted on the Street Bob used as a base. A total of around 30 parts went into the project, ranging from the grips and ending with the air ride suspension, and increased the base bike’s value

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Harley-Davidson Daytona Bagger

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Are 30 inches too much when it comes to a motorcycle wheel? It depends, I guess, on how one uses it to get the desired effect. Visually, the choice of wheels for a custom bike is extremely important. More than when it comes to cars, the wheels are crucial components for sending the right message across. What you’re looking at here is called the Daytona. Initially, it was a Harley-Davidson Street Glide, but after it landed in the shop of German specialist Thunderbike, it got severely mutated. Like many of Thunderbike’s other builds, this one too revolves around the wheels. That’s because the garage makes and sells its own, and what better way to advertise the products than fitting them on incredible builds? In the case of the Daytona (that’s also the name of the part), the front wheel is a massive 30-inch piece of hardware in a design the Germans call Spoke Light. It’s a forged aluminum piece designed to be a fit in the shop’s bolt-on bagger rake kit. On its own, the wheel would have been enough to capture all our attention, but as usual, Thunderbike did not stop there. Most of the motorcycle’s body elements were changed, starting with the front fender, going to the fuel tank, and ending with the rear hardware, now pierced by the longer exhaust. Needless to say, the modifications reshaped the entire Street Glide. From a rather upright, proud bagger, the bike went for a much more feline-like appearance, with a design that seems to flow smoothly from the front to the rear. A major part in this perception is played by the paint scheme used, one that sandwiches strips of yellow between the black of the frame/engine and the seat/top of the fuel tank. We’ve

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Rockstar Harley-Davidson donates $50,000 to local children’s charities

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On December 12, 2020, David and Charlyn Veracka representing the entire Rockstar Harley-Davidson family, presented a check for $50,000 to local children’s charities that are beneficiaries of the annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational golf tournament, now in its 24th year. Two years ago, the Veracka family added Rockstar Harley-Davidson, formerly Six Bends Harley-Davidson, a mega 54,000 sq. ft. motorcycle destination located off of I-75 and Daniels, to their growing list of motorcycle dealerships across the country. They have since purchased a home in Fort Myers and look forward to getting more involved in the Southwest Florida community. “We love children and enjoy supporting the community where we live, work and play,” said David and Charlyn Veracka. “Our family and the Harley-Davidson family feel it’s our responsibility to give back to our community and those in most need.” In 2020, many fundraising events were canceled due to the pandemic, which has placed a huge financial burden on local non-profits who rely on those funds to provide much needed services in our community. “Organizers thought long and hard about canceling the Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational for the first time in two decades because of the pandemic but quickly realized that it was more important than ever to go forward with the event,” says Scott Fischer, owner of Scott Fischer Enterprises and co-host of the event. “Non-profits need our help more than ever and we can’t let them down.” Thanks to the generosity of Rockstar Harley-Davidson, sponsors, and golfers, the 24th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational will go on as planned to provide essential funding to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida to feed food insufficient children on the weekends throughout the school year; Paul Sands Memorial REIS Scholarship Fund at Florida Gulf Coast University to

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Healthcare Worker Darwin Longfellow Wins Dunlop’s Humble Heroes 2020 Harley-Davidson XL1200 Sportster Roadster

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from https://motorcycles.einnews.com RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA, USA, December 17, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — To thank healthcare workers and first responders for their heroic actions during the pandemic, Dunlop asked people to nominate their own Humble Hero for the chance to win a 2020 XL1200 Sportster Roadster. The uplifting stories reminded us of the power of the human spirit, of what selfless dedication and compassion really look like. Choosing a winner among all the submissions was not easy, but the story of new Physician Assistant Darwin Longfellow stood out. She was nominated by several different people. She even worked with the city of Taos, New Mexico to make a cool video staring her and her horse encouraging folks in her community to mask-up when asked. She spends what little time off she has riding motorcycles. “We started this campaign to honor all essential workers across America, including our many workers in Buffalo, NY who masked- up and came in to keep bikes rolling,” said Mike Buckley, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. “We quickly realized the impact the pandemic had on first responders, so we focused on giving something back to them to honor their efforts. We chose Darwin, but we wish we could choose all of them because they are all heroes. Her story just hit all of us the hardest.” Here’s what a few of Longfellow’s admirers had to say about her. “I couldn’t think of a better person to nominate for this than the one and only Darwin Longfellow,” said colleague Brooke Samples. “She is incredible for so many reasons but especially when she was truly put to the test of being a new graduate as a Physician Assistant in the time of Covid. She was the only clinician at her location working full time through the entire

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Old School 1935 Harley-Davidson RL 45

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Generally speaking, motorcycles are not made to carry passengers. Sure, you can do it, but people tend to forget that motorized two-wheelers are mostly meant to be ridden solo. And you could get some incredible thrills riding on your own on this Harley-Davidson RL 45 from 1935. The RL range was made by the Milwaukee company from 1932 to 1936, at a time when, as it would happen over and over again, Harley was facing serious difficulties. The difference is these difficulties were not of its own making, but caused by the Great Depression. Comprising back then the 45-solo, R, RL and RLD, this family of bikes helped Harley survive those troubled years, and made it one of the two motorcycles companies to do so, alongside Indian. Some RLs have made the journey over the decades and are still as shiny today as they were prior to the war. The one we have here, coming from 1935, is one of the finest examples we’ve seen. We’re talking about a higher compression RL born for solo riding and powered by a 45-ci (737-cc) side-valve engine with a total-loss oil system. Wrapped in red on the massive fenders and fuel tank, it sports enough chrome and black accents to make it a real head-turner. This particular RL is one of the 36 motorcycles the Legends Motorcycles Museum from Springville, Utah, is bringing to Las Vegas at the end of next month for the massive Mecum auction there. The event will see a total of 1,750 bikes cross the block. We are not being told who was in charge of making the RL look so good (the bike is owned by the museum’s Rick Salisbury), nor are we given any indication as to how much it is expected

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1948 Harley-Davidson Chopper

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Fans of old, customized or other types of motorcycles have a major event coming their way in the first month of next year. At the end of January, many of them will flock to Las Vegas, where a Mecum motorcycle auction of massive proportions will be held. The auction house has been hosting this event for years, and for 2021 we are promised to see 1,750 two- or three-wheelers crossing the auction block in the hopes of earning big bucks for their current owners. Many makes are on the list, but one of the most important is, of course, Harley-Davidson. Milwaukee-made motorcycles are coming to Vegas either individually or as part of some collection. One of the biggest such packs is that of the Legends Motorcycles Museum in Springville, Utah, with 36 motorcycles owned by the museum’s Rick Salisbury going under the hammer. From Tri Glides to vintage choppers, very few Harley types are missing from the bunch. The 1948 model featured here is one of the two-wheelers in this special pack. Despite being based on an older model, it is meant to be reminiscent of the choppers made in the 1960s and 1970s, with a raked and molded frame, king and queen seat, and a sissy bar behind it, among other things. What catches the eye, though, is the fuel tank, which seems to come with a photo of an aircraft carrier. And we do literally mean a photo: not spray- or hand-painted, nor airbrushed on it, but apparently glued to the upper side of the fuel tank, and presently peeling off at the corners. Try as we might, we were unable to identify the aircraft carrier and get a sense of why it was chosen as an adornment for the bike. This particular

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