10TH ANNIVERSARY KICKSTAND STORY–How on Earth would anyone come up with the idea to create custom kickstands? The concept of customized kickstands was born at a monthly meeting of SCARS, (an acronym for “Scotch and Cigars”) Stan Reich, the founder of IMP was a member of a loosely structured men's club whose common thread was a love of scotch and cigars.

One particular evening the idea came to Stan as he was looking at his buddy's 'custom' Softail. The kickstand just didn't seem to fit in with the paint or the look of the bike. Stan went home and sketched a kickstand that would enhance the look of the bike and after several additional designs the company was born.

That fateful SCARS night, led Reich to explore the possibility of creating a piece of interchangeable “artwork” for the motorcycle. The first design was the American Eagle. The eagle with full wing spread the length of the kickstand is the perfect symbol of the American made kickstands. The second was the Eagle Talon, this designs has fondly been nick named the “claw” and quickly became the best seller reaching icon status among many riders.

The other 4 original designs include the Miss Kitty, Venom, Salute, and Mumbly Peg. “We loved them and were eager to see what the public thought, so we took a booth at the Love Ride at Lake Castaic in California in 1997 . We felt a little silly standing at a table with 6 kickstands on it, but the response we got was telling. People walked by browsing casually, and then did a double take. ” Are those Kickstands?” they'd say. Then, their jaws would drop in utter amazement! It was very gratifying to see how much people loved them.” says Reich.

Stan Reich has been in the metals business for almost 35 years. Climbing the ladder from an expediter to a partner at a small commercial foundry in Southern California, he knows the industry inside and out. Image Motorcycle Products is the evolution of a lifelong love of motorcycles, an education in metals engineering and manufacturing and a union with fine art sculpture.

The last 10 years have been a whirlwind. Every weekend for the first two years, the Image Motorcycle crew attended motorcycle rallies in the US and a few in Europe. When back at home, the staff worked to develop more kickstand designs and expand into foot pegs, gas caps, covers and most recently mirrors. Family owned and operated, we treat each customer as a member of our extended family!

“Our goal is to produce the most innovative, unique and fascinating motorcycle accessories in the industry”. What makes our products so different? Each piece is sculpted by hand, not machined. The subject drives the design, and fit & function are engineered right into the piece. We take the rider into consideration when designing. For instance, there is a natural extension engineered right into each design, be it a claw, blade, or a cuff, to make it easier to kick the stand up and down. Each stand is the same length and geometry as the stock kickstand and uses the stock mounting mechanism. Our stands are cast in 17- 4 ph stainless steel and stronger than stock kickstands. IMP products are truly pieces of functional art for the motorcycle.

Through our extensive dealer network, we are able to bring these incredible designs to the far reaches of the globe. We proudly service dealers on every continent. Constantly striving to break the mold, we are proud to celebrate our 10th anniversary with the introduction of our new Skeleton Hand Mirrors, Skeleton Web Mirrors and Talon Mirrors. The Talon Mirrors are soon to be released, so for now, here is a sneak preview of the inspiration and concept drawings. We will be taking pre-release orders in just a few weeks. You won't find anything else like them! We are very pleased with the initial response.” … Stan Reich.

Please visit www.imagemotorcycle.com to see the full array of IMP products and to find a dealer near you! and to find a dealer near you.

http://www.imagemotorcycle.com

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Editor's Note:Following is a hot-shot memorandum containing break-in recommendations by the crew of Crazy Horse Engines, the builders of a truly unique V-Twin engine. The Bikernet staff is building a 5-Ball Factory Racer, using a 100-inch Crazy Horse Engine. Some aspects in the following tech might not match your engine configuration, but they remain solid break-in notions for any new V-Twin engine.

Many of these shots came from Brass Balls Bobbers since they use Crazy Horse Engines in many of their bobber models.

Before starting the engine for the first time make sure that there's a solid column of oil in the feed (suction) line to the bottom of the oil pump, NO AIR POCKETS, otherwise it will be very difficult to achieve oil prime.

* DO NOT PRESSURIZE OIL TANK WHILE THE HOSE IS CONNECTED TO THE PUMP *

You may wish to temporarily loosen the tappet screen plug in order to “burp” any air.

NOTE – Crazy Horse Engines require premium gasoline (octane 91 or higher) for best performance.

CAUTION – Low octane gasoline and hot weather can cause detonation and extensive engine damage. Never try to power through ignition knock (“ping” “rattle” etc.) by opening throttle.

CAUTION – If engine is run with foreign material in the oil tank, engine damage will occur. Engine damage caused by foreign material in the oil tank is not covered under the Crazy Horse warranty. Clean oil tank and oil cooler and flush or replace oil lines before installing engine in frame.

Engine Break-In Procedure

Note: Correct break-in will assure longer engine life and will prevent unnecessary engine damage. Engine damage caused by improper break-in or installation is not covered under the Crazy Horse warranty.

A. Initial start up: Run engine approximately one minute at 1250-1750 rpm. DO NOT crack throttle or subject to any loads during this period as head gaskets are susceptible to failure at this time. During this time, check to see that oil pressure is normal, that oil is returning the oil tank, and that no leaks exist.

B. Shut off engine and thoroughly check for any leaks or other problems. Let engine cool to the touch.

C. After engine has cooled, start up again and allow the motor to build some heat. Engine should be run no longer than three to four minutes. When the cylinders become warm/ hot to the touch (approximately 150°) shut the motor down and let it cool to room temp. Follow the same cautions as for the initial start-up, and continue to watch for problems.

D. Repeat this procedure 3 or 4 times. Each successive time it should take slightly longer to warm up and you can increase the temp slightly each time (+10°). You can be more liberal each time with the rpm, gently vary rpm continuously from idle up to 2500 rpm in the final cycle. Don’t be too concerned with final carb settings at this time because idle speed and mixture cannot be correctly set until the motor reaches full operating temperature. The motor should not reach that temperature during these cycles. Do not allow engine temperature to become excessive. After the motor has cooled to room temperature for the final time you are ready to start the 1000 mile engine break-in process.

E. The first 50 miles are most critical for new rings and piston break-in. Engine damage is most likely to occur during this period. Keep heat down by not exceeding 2500 rpm. Avoid lugging the motor, riding in hot weather or in traffic. Vary the engine speed. Do not lug the engine. We recommend changing the oil at 50 miles.

F. The next 500 miles should be spent running engine no faster than 3500 rpm or 60 mph. Avoid continuous steady speeds, and do not lug the engine. Vary engine rpm. We recommend changing the oil again at 500 miles.

CAUTION – Lugging or running engine prematurely at sustained high rpm may result in damage to pistons and other engine components. Crazy Horse voids it's guarantee if engine is not broken in properly.

G. For the balance of the first 1000 miles the motor can be run in a normal but conservative manner. You can be more liberal with the rpm range and motorcycle can be operated at normal highway speeds. Avoid overheating or putting any hard strain on the engine: no drag racing, dyno runs, excessive speed, trailer towing or sidecar operation.

H. After 1000 miles, verify carburetor jetting and adjustment. Change the engine oil. Motorcycle can now be operated normally.

I. Go out and ride and enjoy all the attention!

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