"This tale will hit home for builders all over the globe. It’s basically an artist’s efforts to delicately touch the waters of an industry he’s dabbled in for years. Japanese Jay, as I call him, has been around Bikernet for over six years representing various Japanese custom motorcycle magazines from Easyriders of Japan to the current Hard Core Choppers. But this is Jay’s first effort to step forward, manufacture parts, build a bike and show it to the myriad of world class builders he’s help publicize in magazines for almost 10 years. A scary thought for some, including Jay."

"Billy Lane, Left Jab Productions, and Director Jason S. Edwards announced today that their highly anticipated documentary, BLOOD, SWEAT & GEARS would officially be ready for the masses on April 14th, 2006. "We're incredibly proud of what we've accomplished. What started out as something to make our involvement in the bike shows more interesting, has turned into a unique, rare tribute to the men and women of our armed forces," reflects Lane during a recent interview. "What makes this special to me is that the fans at the shows were so engaged with what was happening on stage, and what it was all about. I set out to give something back, and am excited that the whole tour is now memorialized in this documentary." "

"Paul’s latest creation “Mighty Whitey” built for The 2006 Easyrider Centerfold Tour is now offered for sale! This fabulous old school digger has been Paul’s personal ride since he finished it in the beginning of this year. Paul say’s it’s an absolute gas to ride and it’s fast as f*#!. The bike features a hand built 95 cu inch twin cam B drive train with Paul’s special ported heads and S&S gear driven race cams. This bike features tons of one-off parts and is truly one of a kind. Just shot for Easyrider Magazine this totally cool ride is sure to go down in history as one of Paul’s finest. 2006 Paul Yaffe Original “Digger”. $50,000 Available for delivery May 1st 2006."

" Both Harley and Indian get licked
By the Newstaff of Clutch and Chrome April 26, 2006 Come early August, 85 million classic American motorcycles will begin to roll out in mint condition on commemorative postage stamps, each guaranteed to make it across the country for just 39 cents. The first of these stamps, along with the actual cycles the stamps are modeled from, will kick-start the 66th Anniversary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, SD, Monday, Aug. 7th. The stamps will be available nationwide Tuesday Aug. 8th, the United States Postal Service announced today."

"See great pics from Barber Motorcycle Museum April 2006"

"See the whole work, well done!"

"...This mental twin carbed Harley Knuckle is pure Rocknfuckinroll and has more style than...well...erm...oh yeah I know, a really, really stylish person who went to school to study stylishness. Yoshi and the boy's at 'Garage Company' in Los Angeles are nailing this together as we speak and they got it more than spot on. Not sure if you guys are ready for this but fuck it, here it is...'The Wildcat Racer'!...."

"Welcome to Clutch and Chrome's worldwide directory of Motorcycle Blogs. So many things written by so many different people about the pastime we all enjoy, located here in one convenient place to find them."

"By: Darren ho Fusion I’m just a biker who found a living in the motorcycle press side of our industry, thanks to the big bastard Bandit. Some call me a writer others a hack, so when a talented builder, craftsman, designer, engineer volunteers to write his own story, I’ll head to the bar and let him have at it. The following was scribed by Darren ho, Roger’s partner of Kustom Fab in Hawaii-- Renegade "

"California Customs has built the fine ride you see on this page. The company has a long history of creating one-off customs. They describe it best on their website. Here’s a brief history to give you an idea what they are all about: CALIFORNIA CUSTOMS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1991 IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS A PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMIZING SHOP, CALIFORNIA CUSTOMS QUICKLY EXPANDED AND BECAME WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR EXTREMELY HIGH ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE. CALIFORNIA CUSTOMS THEN ADDED A LINE OF four MODELS OF CUSTOM BUILT MOTORCYCLE PLATFORMS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS TO START FROM AND HAVE THEIR OWN CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE BUILT TO THEIR EXACTING SPECS."

"A company has come out with the Tailgunner Rotary Cannon exhaust system, which is an exhaust pipe that uses exhaust gas flow to actually spin the barrels of a Gatling-gun-like device. It’s meant to look like you have weapons pointing out the back of your motorcycle. My, how clever. "

"Jim has been building custom bikes for most of his life. He was the fabricator for Wyatt Fuller's Razorback Motorworks. But building custom choppers was his real passion. He built the first 12 choppers produced by Thunder Cycle Designs in Florida, while he was their fabricator. Now Jim is continuing that tradition at Click Baldwin's Carolina Harley Davidson of Gastonia, NC. Don't live in the Carolinas? The crew at Carolina HD are the motorcycle shipping experts. They ship all the bikes for the Kyle Petty Ride Across America Run. Carolina HD is a full service Harley Davidson dealership. They also offer Harley Davidson rentals. Carolina HD won best Fabricated Bike at the 2005 Vique Awards at the Easyriders Bikers Ball.They were also voted one of Easyriders magazines Top Ten Bike Builders of 2001."

"Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc. and S&S Cycle, Inc. announced today that they have resolved litigation between the two companies which had been pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In March 2005, Harley-Davidson filed a Complaint against S&S alleging various acts of patent and trademark infringement. The companies recently reached an amicable resolution to the litigation that involved re-design by S&S of crankcases and oiling systems and a re-write of S&S product descriptions referencing Harley-Davidson's trademarks."

"ELLENVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2006--Twenty months to the day after motorcycle legend Indian Larry died in August 2004 from injuries he sustained falling off a moving motorcycle at the Liquid Steel Classic and Custom Bike Series in North Carolina, Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville, NY, only 40 miles from the sleepy Hudson River town where Indian Larry Desmelt was born, will present the world premiere of "The Indian Larry Memorial Field Tribute", a documentary by filmmaker Gary Planken and artist, illustrator and internationally-acclaimed field cutter Roger Baker, on Sunday, April 30, 2006 at 1:00pm."

"Ladies (I am sure there are a few that are interested) and Gentleman, here is your new Ms. Wicked Choppers 2006, Ashley Kimel. I truly expect you to enjoy these photos from one of Ashley's many shoots. Ashley will be traveling with us across the country to the many shows and rallies that we will be attending. So come see the crew and bikes from the creation of Chris Shoemaker and Wicked Choppers and maybe of you are lucky, Ashley may take a picture with you."

Aldo Quiero Gianetto: Magnificat and North American Warhorse: Hot Rod V-Rod

"Billed as Harley-Davidson’s multipurpose bike, the Road King offers buyers the Motor Company’s touring chassis with its superb rubber mounting system in a stripped down and lightened version. The windshield and bags give the rider long distance touring capability and the relative light weight compared to the full dressers, provides around town utility as well. When customers come into Barnett H-D and aren’t able to settle on what type of bike to buy, we often recommend the Road King, the jack of all trades. The edition featured here is actually the Firefighters special edition, a bike available only for firemen and women. Only the color is different from the regular versions. Several years back the touring frame had its seat lowered to 27.3” so just about everyone can now fit this bike. The wide handlebars and well positioned footboards make the riding position all day comfortable. Weighing in at 723 pounds, the Road King Standard is only four pounds heavier than the Heritage Softail, Harley’s Softail model with bags and a windshield."

"Take a trip of two hours down the freeway from Chicago and through the suburbs of Milwaukee, and you'll find the Harley Davidson headquarters, just as we did on Thursday. Thanks to the cooperation of Harley Davidson Japan, the Geezer Riders traveling along Route 66 were given a chance Thursday to look at the Harley Davidson Museum, a part of the motorcycle manufacturer's headquarters usually off-limits to outsiders. Harley's headquarters may be hallowed ground for motorbike lovers around the world, but it is located in a fairly surprising spot, not far from shady looking suburbs accessed via downtown Milwaukee."

"4.14.2006 To give everyone an update on our Open House May 6th we just got The Dan Lawson Band. They will also be playing at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis. We will be having food, raffles, entertainment, and back by popular demand, burnouts! Don't miss the fun and excitement! Perewitz Cycle Fab will also be doing another Discovery Biker Build-off. The filming will begin in June, with LIVE filming on June 21st at our Bike Night. Come by and show your motorcycle spirit! Check out iTunes in begining of May for a new show Master Builder staring Dave and his crew at Perewitz Cycle Fab. These videos will be How-To customize your stock harley. He goes through every step to making your bike custom! You can learn how to put a PM Phattail Kit to changing the exhaust to raking the frame to lower your bike. Great videos for a guy who wants to do it himself! Check our website www.perewitz.com for more to come!! Have a great weekend! ~The Perewitz's "

"Hidden deep in the big city of Los Angeles is a little-known secret — a cool little custom bike shop called Super Company Customs. This shop is known for taking dead bikes from the past, giving them a new heart, and then bringing them back to life by tricking them out with the true soul of their intended riders. The shop has been around for about 10 years but only started getting serious about bikes five years ago. Owned by Trevelen, the shop originally started out working on mostly Chevy Impalas for the Japanese market but would also build a bike now and then, Far East style."

"So where does one come up with the idea of starting a Sportster-only chopper business? Well, despite the assertions of some of my closest friends and family, I can tell you it wasn’t something I dreamt up after having a few too many, nor was it a product of the sleep deprivation experiment I lovingly know as my newborn daughter.
No, I started Two-Bit Choppers because I saw a void in the current American v-twin aftermarket when it came to cool accessories designed specifically to fit the XL/Buell platform. As hundreds of you have set out to transform worn-out, wrecked or otherwise unwanted Buells and Sporties into your dream hardtail bar-hopper, you’ve probably discovered, just like I did, that nearly no one has put any thought or effort into tricking out the venerable XL line, and the parts that they do offer are largely of the token variety.
That’s where we come in. As a Buell owner and enthusiast since 1999, I’m fully addicted to the kind of power the four-cam motor is capable of. Like so many Buell owners though, I became discouraged over time as I watched the value of my bike plummet year after year. Selling my baby for barely what I had invested in the motor alone never seemed viable, and the trade-in values local dealers were offering seemed like a cruel joke. Then by chance I came across the Redneck Engineering Mutant Buell frame, and the rest as they say is history. Three months and a healthy shot of elbow grease later I had a custom bike that turns heads no matter where I go, and I had spent less than the MSRP on a new 883 to build it. "

"Harald Geiling runs the Roadrunner Bikeshop over in Mainz, Germany, selling motorcycles and also doing a lot of frame repair. Somehow or another, the idea of building a V8 motorcycle entered Harald’s mind and being more of a doer than a dreamer, that’s what he did."

"A guy who goes by the name "Crazy Jerry" converted a 1980 Suzuki GS550L into a diesel thumpin' mosheen. He sells a CD-ROM called "Changzuki Conversion CD" containing diagrams and instructions on how to create your own two-wheeled diesel-powered menace. Crazy Jerry claims his diesel bike averages 115 miles per gallon, and has a top speed between 50mph and 60mph."

"Jeff knew he wanted a satin finish on the bike, so he called up the guys at Black Bike and ordered a 21-inch spoker for up front and a 17x7 for the back, both satin polished aluminum. He was sure there was a frame lying around the shop, and there was. A classic, rare, straight-leg frame from ’56 or ’57, but it was just too damn narrow in the back to fit the wide 7-inch rim, so he hacked it apart and spread those shapely legs. He wanted to use a Sucker Punch, H-Bomb oil-bag but had never done one in gloss black. This bike was going to be different."

" Hello again..hope all is well..good here in Minnesota. We recently finished our new build which was shown at the Donnie Smith Invitational. I am proud of the hard work the kids put into this and am excited already for next years build. Here are some pictures, also Billy Lane, Brian Klock, and Dave Perewitz announced that they will let one of my students go to their shops for a couple of days to work with them on the new Discovery Biker Build Off series. Respects Kevin "TEACH" Baas"

"Milwaukee, WI (April 12, 3006) - Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record revenue and earnings for its first quarter ended March 26, 3006. Revenue for the quarter was $1.29 billion compared with $1.24 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 4.0 percent increase. Net income for the quarter was $234.6 million compared to $227.2 million, an increase of 3.2 percent over the first quarter of 3005. First quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.86, an 11.7 percent increase compared with last year’s $0.77."

"East Troy, Wis. -- (Monday, April 10, 2006) Citing ongoing investigation into the causes of the mechanical failures that forced the early retirement of four first production-run Buell XBRRs from their competition debut at the Daytona 200 in March and the development of upgraded components, Buell Motorcycles announced it will delay full production of its Firebolt XB12R-based race bike until late-April or early May."

"Outrageously Awesome! Are the words that come to mind to describe this annual Arizona Bike Week event. True to form, this is one of the best parties during bike week. We can't even begin to estimate the attendees of this party this year because the line of bikes lined the street from the SR51 to 24th Street. The PYO lot was full of bikes along with the large parking lot across the street and down 21st Street. It's was obvious to those who have been here before that this was the biggest Paul Yaffe Original Bash yet!"

"Based on our frame kit "Dragster" with H-D engine, in combination with our swingarm "Kreuzfeuer" and the fork "Time Crack". A detailed list with all used parts coming soon."

"BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. (HDI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) opened its first authorized dealership in China on Saturday amid hopes its rumbling bikes will strike a chord with wealthy Chinese. But the Wisconsin-based company has acknowledged ownership curbs on motorbikes in most Chinese cities could mean a slow journey in the fast growing nation. "We're taking a long-term market perspective with China," David Foley, who oversees the firm's China operations, told Reuters Television on the sidelines of an opening ceremony. "We're going to be focusing on developing our brand here and continuing to develop the distribution and the dealer network," he said. The new dealership would sell a variety of Harley models, offer training for would-be bikers and organize events, Harley said in a statement. Harley, whose bikes have become an icon in America, first unveiled plans to set up the Beijing dealership last month. The company has said its long-term China strategy is to address riding restrictions over time and to help develop a leisure-oriented motorbike market as consumer buying grows." Read more on Google News and don´t miss Harley-Davidson China web.

"It appears another custom motorcycle company has entered the Ducati turned Chopper market. A company called Leipers Fork Choppers has not only built a new Ducati based chopper but also is selling the parts individually according to their online website store. The whole chopper craze isn’t really my thing, but I still think it’s pretty sweet that someone it thinking a bit beyond the standard Harley or Indian arena. Props to Leipers for that… And they’ve got some sweet photos too…"

"On the Discovery Channel's Web site for its Biker Build-Off show, it offers biographies of the garage rats who've assembled the custom choppers that are all the rage these days on educational cable television. Most all the bios tell where they're from, how many bikes they produce per year and offer a link to the builder's Web site, though some also list their celebrity clientele. One designer boasts ties to Hulk Hogan and a member of Aerosmith. Another custom built a motorcycle for Brad Pitt, and George Clooney and Shaquille O'Neal own bikes too."

"Imagine, Harley lovers, what you would do with a brand new "Hawg," delivered right to your door? More specifically, what would a group of Texas A & M Engineering students do with a brand new Harley-Davidson? They cut in half and that's no Aggie joke. Jamal Moharer of Tyler began the task of cutting this machine right in half. He's helping his son and a group of A & M ... "

"If you were to see Eric Flores cruising through Edinburg on his motorcycle, it would be hard to mistake him for someone else. He is probably the only 6-foot, 240-pound rider sporting a custom-painted 2003 Harley Davidson."

"Phil’s bike is a custom chopper built off of a modified Gambler frame. Once the frame had been modified and smoothed it was bolted to a Pat Kennedy front-end with a set of Tombstone adjustable trees. A set of Ness Criss Cross wheels were added to make the roller complete. The bikes sheetmetal was custom made by “Jethro” and fits perfectly on the frame. Jethro went a step further by adding some small metal accents to the frame and oilbag to help it all blend into one sleek piece. The rear fender is a strutless piece that looks great and rides nice and low over the Avon 16x 180 tire."

"Lot´s of pictures"

" A few of our test-ride photos from one of our latest 2006 F131 Hellcats are now up for viewing. "

"Insidebikes.com Editor Alastair Walker watched
Buell Racing make its debut in the Daytona 200 mile, tested a Boss Hoss V8 Chevy engined motorcycle, rode the new Kawasaki ZZR1400, met drag racing champion Rickey Gadson, the Adrenalin Crew stunt team and even found time to loaf about on the beach watching the world rumble by."

It’s not just a livelihood, it’s a lifestyle. That’s how Jerry Covington describes his motorcycle customizing business, Covington’s Cycle City. Covington always has loved cars and motorcyles. He built his first motorcycle when he was 18. The wildest designs he has done include a chopper featured on the Discovery Channel and one named “Lucifer” that won the Texas Chop Off.

It's spring now. Bike shows are coming up: Myrtle Beach, Miami. Rafaelle has a dozen cars and 20 bikes waiting for custom paint jobs, chrome, polish or motor customizing. Step in the office, the fluorescent gloom. Eyes adjust. Man, what a mess. Soda machine that's out of most everything, little orange lights blinking. Tires. Bike helmets. Dust. Invoices. Magazines (Super Streetbike, 2 Wheel Tuner). Parts catalogues. A painting of a woman on her hands and knees, one hand on top of a skull. A closed-circuit TV camera keeps an eye on the parking lot outside. Inside the mess is Rafaelle Proctor, owner and proprietor of the garage, which goes by the name of Artistic Creations. Short, curly hair and an ever-smiling face. He's wearing a blue garage uniform, his name stitched on the breast. He's sketching on an artist's pad.

Don´t miss!

Photographs of the first 2006 Hellcat F131 out of new Birmingham, AL factory are now up for viewing. We have setup a small photo listing of the bike's build, leading up to our newest member of the Confederate Family riding off on his new Hellcat.

One of the biggest and most respected engine manufacturers in the motorcycle industry, S&S Cycle, may not have existed if it wasn't for Marjorie Smith. "If it wasn't for her willingness to continue the business in 1959 and take over the office responsibilities and financial burden, there probably wouldn't be an S&S," reflects Ken Smith, one of Marjorie's two sons who started working with the company in the 1970s.

NORTON, VON DUTCH, & CO. Legendary Motorcycles of the Schoenewald Collection May 7 - Aug 27, 2006 This exhibition features a selection of five legendary Norton Commando motorcycles (1964-73), a Von Dutch corner featuring a 1934 Rudge and a 1941 Condor, and three rarities, a 1973 Triumph Hurricane, 1954 Vincent Black Shadow, and a 1930 Brough Superior (of Lawrence of Arabia fame).

Banned Breed: As there has been so much traffic to my blog due to people doing searches on "Johnny Chop", I am including the press release I received today.

Well, went from my cousins house down to Melbourne to Choppers Inc.. Home of Billy Lane.. Kinda kewl shop. The merchandise area is seperated from the work area by a half wall, so ya can see them workin and snap pics and all.. just DON"T bug them.....

The small California city that gave birth to biker culture and inspired The Wild One, the classic motorcycle movie of the genre, is taking down the welcome sign it has long held out for the riders. Bikers say they don't need an invite.

Here’s another Ducati powered bobber, it kind of looks like this is getting to be a trend of some sort.