S&S® Cycle, enjoyed an incredibly successful 50th Anniversary Celebration this past June 27-29. The city of La Crosse played host to approximately 30,000 visitors as riders came in from across the country and around the world to commemorate the occasion. The weekend, hosted by the Smith family (owners of S&S) was planned over a year ago and involved 50 world-class builders using 50 limited production anniversary engines to build 50 unique custom bikes and to compete for $50,000 in S&S product credit. “Not only was it a success for S&S because of all that support, the entire community benefited, and several local charities including the Oktoberfest Committee, Boys & Girls Club, Children’s Museum, and Riverfront, Inc. were the beneficiaries of over $100,000 in combined charitable fund raising”, said Smith. Additional photo’s will be showing up as winners start bragging about their wins and magazines start publishing the builds. Now, onto the fun part of the weekend, the winners of the show!
P-Series
Krugger Motorcycles

SH-Series
Cook Customs

SB-Series
Odyssey Motorcycles

V-Series
Nicolas Chauvin Designs

T-Series
Bennett’s Performance

X-Wedge
Fred Kodlin Murdercycles

People’s Choice
Dougz Custom Paint & Fabrication

Champion
Hot Dock (picture shown above)

Eager to offer an alternative to “run of the mill” or “foreign made” motorcycle products, Guilty Customs has released yet another product; the “Square Tube Girder Front End“. Timeless styling. Legendary strength. These girders are state-of-the-art precision built with triangular design, TIG welding and square chrome-moly tubing (along with proper mating of parts) all add up to benefits no other current front end can match. This front end from Guilty Customs in collaboration with Paul Durfee uses triangular structure and state of the art materials which gives it the ability to withstand 58,000 pounds of compression strength. In keeping with the level of customization needed by today’s builders, these girders, can be built to fit the needs and wants of any individual from 4″ under to 12″ over stock length. The base price is $1825.00 includes shipping and girder is available in powder coated or chromed finish upon request. For more details contact Guilty Customs at sales@guiltycustoms.com or visit the website at www.guiltycustoms.com.

The guys at Nash Motorcycle are getting a bit Pudgy from too many late night cookies and milk. So, now the “Gimp” has some “Girth”, which means you can save some cash. Nash is offering a 20% discounts on their 1 1/4″ Pudgy Gimp Hanger Bars with a 1” necked base and grips that fit any 1” application. Created from the original “Gimp Hanger” design these bars will give your bike that “fat” look you’re going for. Available in sizes 14″, 16”, 18”, or 20”. 11″ base, 35″ grip to grip, and 5″ pullback. The bars come predrilled/dimpled in black, chrome, brass, or copper plating. Regularly $342.00, now they are $275.00. Check out their other bars discounted too for this special sale.

As this industry changes some things stay the same…unfortunately. Things like angry cage drivers, getting cut off in traffic, love bugs hitting you in the teeth and dishonest people stealing from honest hard working people. Which is the reason for this post. We just spoke with Terry Stonehocker of Geargasm Cycles in Anderson, SC and he told us the news about the theft of three of their bikes. Seems the low life’s broke into their shop through the wall and during the local bike night, (which means it was someone who knew the shop and was from the biker community). They took his wife Linda’s orange drop seat trike (that has since been recovered)and two trikes. One known as Caribbean Storm. This particular trike was built by the donated parts & time of not only Geargams Cycles but Prime Suspect Choppers in Canada and painted by a crew in Florida. An incredible amount of time & money went into this trike - which was then donated to the High on the High Seas cruise which benefits Dialysis patients. The man who won the trike donated it back - and the trike was to be sold with funds going to the charity. The link below is the show Dawn Glencer (Carolina Cruiser TV Show) did on the trike itself - and all those who helped.
http://cdn-ll-static.viddler.com/flash/publisher.swf?key=b2d934b8 If ANYONE knows anything - contact Terry Stonehocker at 864-940-1034 or at the shop at 864-622-0030.

So, your trying to figure out what to get old pop’s for Father’s Day but stumped? Why not try Jesse James’ new product line made in conjunction with Kiehl. Looks like Jesse has partnered with Kiehl’s to create a Limited Edition Men’s Dopp Kitt. (yep, you read it correctly). And if your man (son, father, boyfriend, husband….you get the idea) is into motorcycles, then make sure to take him by the East Village Kiehl’s Store where founding family member Aaron Morse’s motorcycles are on display - including those formerly owned by Hollywood icons Steve McQueen and Clark Gable.

The limited edition kit includes:
White Eagle Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream, 5 oz.
Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment, 2.5 oz.
Ultimate Man Scrub Bar, 7 oz
Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, 8.4.oz
Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, 1 oz.’

Everything is packed together in a bag with the West Coast Choppers logo. The kit retails for $66 and is available at Kiehl’s retail stores and on their website right now.

Thought we’d update you on the newest build from Guilty Customs. Actually just 1 of the builds going on now. This “1/2 Pint” took shape in Guilty’s gray matter over a year ago but only got started about 90 days ago. She was supposed to have been shot for a national magazine a few weeks back, however due to some “issues”, it just didn’t work out. Anyway, Guilty is planning to formally unveiling this little dynamo at the Horse SmokeOut in NC this June. So here are some of the spec’s: The power plant comes from a donor 99′ Buell Thunderbolt, custom frame from Twisted Choppers, sheet metal work by Mike Drum, Pin Stripping by George Sedak and seat by Duane Ballard and Chopper Shox seat shocks, which makes this sweetheart a real head turner. And, yes it will stay in “raw metal” condition. If you’ve followed any of the other Guilty bikes you’ll automatically notice the trademark Mooneyes oil bag mounted up front, along with drag racing influences on this bike (note the clear fuel/oil lines and racing connectors). The bike WILL be up for sale, eventually.

As Guilty Customs has “matured” in this industry (as well as had our heads kicked in with the economy over the past year), we’ve found that while building bikes is rewarding, your money seems to run out way before the month does. And we’re not alone! Just look at the number of shops in your own hometown that have shut their doors. So what’s a small shop to do?
Well, you expand your product line and start offering them to others who 1) are builders 2) need to repair their rides or 3) people just looking for some cool stuff. As you can tell we believe in American manufacturers! We still produce products that compete in the world market. Products that are both affordable and meet the rigorous demands of the consumer. This is what has made America the leader for decades. Some people may have lost faith that America can’t produce quality products priced competitively, well, here is Guilty’s notice to those folk!
These Roadhard fenders are made using 14 gauge metal and measure 36” from point to point and are available in 8.75”, 11” and 13” rear fender width and 4.67” for fronts. Rear fenders are trimmed with 4” of skirting for customization and front fenders at 5” of skirting. Guilty is also offering two gas tank kits: the traditional “Chopper Gas Tank” (8” Tall, 12” wide and 22” long and the “Tear Drop Chopper Gas Tank”. Each made using .070 gauge metal with a 2” tunnel and holding 4.5 gallons.
All rear fenders (regardless of size) are priced at $150.00 and front fenders are $130.00 plus shipping. Gas tanks are priced at $140.00 for the Chopper Gas Tank and $209.00 for the Tear Drop Tank. All fenders and gas tanks come with a 100% money back guarantee. A $20.00 discount per fender for quantities over 4 will be offered through June.

If you ride and especially IF you’ve ridden for any length of time, you HAVE had the opportunity of meeting someone that USE to ride motorcycles. However due to a catastrophic accident they no longer are able to do so. Our friend Brian uses a modified H-D Servi-car, but for the most part, paraplegic’s give up their riding helmets and boots as well as the fun and freedom they experienced while riding. Well this is about to change, hopefully. Seems a chance encounter with a paraplegic ex-motorcross champion in a hospital parking lot inspired West Australian Darren Lomman to put together an audacious project: a motorcycle for paraplegic riders - and his working prototype, a heavily modified Honda CBR250RR, is now road licensed and operational. The CBR250RR started off as a University project and has been modified to accommodate riders paralyzed from the chest down, with thumb-activated pneumatic rams for foot-free gear shifting, a combined braking system, custom-moulded ergonomic cups to hold the rider in place without any lower body strength, and a set of steel-braced “landing gear” wheels that drop to provide stability at very low speeds. Lomman and his company Dreamfit are seeking investors to make the project a viable reality for disabled riders.

As a friend of Rick Fairless i’m always excited to hear what he’s up to (He’s recently returned from a trip to Greece, which should include some funny “country meets Greece” stories). This years Sturgis event will also be something to talk about for fans of Rick. One lucky winner will have the chance to spend an entire afternoon during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with Rick Fairless, on the first annual “Ride With Rick.” All money raised for the ride will benefit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. “I meet thousands of people every year during the Sturgis rally and I never get to spend much time with any of them,” said Fairless. “People travel a long way to come meet me and this is my way of thanking them- by spending my entire afternoon with them out on the road.” “Ride With Rick” will take place during the rally on Sunday, August 3rd. To make this ride an extra special experience, the winner will be provided with a new Big Dog Motorcycle to enjoy for the afternoon, along with a complimentary Big Dog Motorcycles riding jacket. Together the group will tour the beautiful Black Hills, making stops in Lead, Deadwood, and Spearfish before ending the tour back at Rick’s Strokers Sturgis at Thunder Road.

Raffle tickets for “Ride With Rick” are only $10 each and are available at Strokers Dallas, or can be purchased in the online store at www.strokersdallas.com. All money raised through the sale of tickets will benefit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. One winner will be drawn July 15th and need not be present to win. Winner is responsible for their own transportation to and from Sturgis, as well as any additional room/board expenses. Winner must have a valid motorcycle license and will be required to wear a DOT approved helmet while riding the provided Big Dog Motorcycle.

The story continues over who will end up taking the reins of embattled American IronHorse Motorcycles. Will it be Scott Meyers or the founder of American IronHorse Bill Rucker or possibly someone else riding off into the sunset with IronHorse? Meyers was the first to pitch a $6.7 million bid which was set by the federal bankruptcy court in May. Rucker followed shortly after with a motion to buy the company for $6.9 million. Both men, Meyers (former president of Alliant Techsystems and multiple Ironhorse Dealership owner) and Rucker (founder of IronHorse and forced out in 03′, operates Rucker Performance-a motorcycle maker and auto customizer) have the drive and or ego’s as well as the money to throw around it seems. For us the question(s) seem to be, 1) do they have the skills/talent etc to turn this company around in a down economy when even H-D is downsizing production and staff? 2) What will become of those owners who have one (or multiple) of IronHorse’s bikes sitting in their garage? IronHorse, which now has eight employees, had a work force of 450 in 2005 when sales peaked at $100 million. Whoever wins will surely get a lot of interest from owners, along with dealers, (who have approximately 750) and Textron Corp (who is the companies main lender) with 400.

Well, this Honda bobber build has been an interesting journey. From having to find different metric parts, or hand making others to having someone make the frame we’ve finally gotten this bike past just a pile of parts on the floor! Now it’s up to a cool looking roller and we’re trying to get the last parts welded and done before sending it to powder-coat and back for final assembly. Damon should have a nice little kick butt bike when we’re through with this. The paint scheme so far is a black matte finish throughout the bike and will include scallops to keep the ol’ school feel. Gotta love that!

“Can i have one in a V-twin… to go please?”. This is Uno, a segway/motorcycle match-up shown at the recent Toronto National Motorbike show. To break it down, the Uno is a electric vehicle-similar to a Segway-using two microgyro-motors (one for forward and reverse and the other for turning). It does have two wheels (however they are mounted side-by-side), and balance’s on them under its own power. Invented by 18 year old Ben J. Poss Gulak and built by John Cosentini of Motorcycle Enhancements (www.motorcycleenhancements.com). The Uno has only one control-a power switch. Everything else, is done by leaning. Cool, but can you do a wheelie on it?

Lucky Charm Choppers were our neighbors at this years Limpnicki Lot during Bike Week. One of the coolest products we scoped out during the event were these “free spinning Polished BS Kicker” pedals. These beauties are made from solid brass stock with machined and welded stainless steel end plates. When Duncan makes these he uses all stainless hardware on a chrome shaft and 1 size fits most applications. Seeing this kicker pedal on one of their bikes you quickly realize that not only were they cool looking, but they were very functional. And with these being handmade the $175.00 price tag is very reasonable. So the question now is “why go with just a regular kicker pedal, when you can have one like this?!”

Japanese custom bike maker Bratsyle say’s they “tinker” with about any make and model motorcycle when building a customers bike or one for them to show off their handiwork. And in a market where they pretty much have to machine most of their parts, your able to quickly see what was required in getting these bikes on the road. We really like the level of craftsmanship, amount of unique parts and the detail involved in each one. Unlike those over-the-top land yacht choppers we’ve seen here in the states over the years, the “Bratstyle” bikes are made to get in-and-out of their traffic snarled cities. We just think they are cool. Take a look at the old-school Firestone slicks often used on their street bikes.

Since we make it a habit of perusing the web on a frequent basis (like EVERY day!) we frequently come across sites that range from down right stupid to unusual and then some we really enjoy! One of those “enjoyable” sites is VintageChop.com. Even their tag line gets us excited, as it says “Old bikes don’t leak, they mark their territory”. Either way, if your into vintage chops, cool builds and unique characters, give a look at Vintage Chop. Make sure to check out the “Downloads” section which has the first 6 issues of Ed Roths Choppers Magazine. Now,that is cool!