Seem our friends at Kiwi Motorcycle had a visit from one of our favorite musical legends, Billy Joel. Mike won’t give up much info at this point about Billy’s visit just to say that it was an honor and that they had some very good discussions on the Indian replica’s that Kiwi is known for making. We’re sure to hear more about this when thing start rolling. Also Mike just finished up a beautiful rebuild on well known evening talk show David Letterman. Letterman apparently loves Indians, but wanted something that looked more “authentic” and “period” specific. He definitely got the right person involved and from the pic you can tell Mike hit it out of the park again! Mike sure knows how to hang with the big dogs and give them first quality products! Congrat’s Mike!

If you keep up with economics (or even the current gas prices) your more than aware that times are tight. And the custom motorcycle/parts business isn’t immune to the slow down in the economy. Just take a look at the amount of shops closing over the past 2 yrs. So, part of any smart business owners plans for survival should include some form of diversification of income streams. Which is where Colleen Swartz comes into the picture. You’ve probably recognized that name as the attractive freelance motorcycle photographer who regularly contributes to magazines such as Cycle Source, The Horse, American Iron and many others. Due to her connections in the industry as well as insight into the needs of builders, Colleen has started a new business called “Master Link International” for the purposes of exporting custom motorcycle parts overseas.

The idea behind the venture is pretty simple. Builders here in the states hate shipping oversea! Especially small shop. We just don’t have the manpower, resources, time, money etc! You have to deal with shipping, taxes, tariffs, governmental regulations, insurance, language barriers, etc etc….you get the idea. So after talking with an initial group of builders (Leroy Thompson, Fab Kevin’s, Guilty Customs, Kundratic Kustoms, Matt Daniels Union Cycle, Nash Motorcycles, Walter Siegl, led Sled Customs, Cook Customs and Rich Phillips) who all expressed frustration as well as wanting ways to widen our income opportunities, Colleen teamed up with Eiji Kumagai who worked as a Harley mechanic while in the states; was from Japan and recently having returned to Japan, is working in one of Japan’s largest and well known chopper shops, Satsuma Cycle Works. Satsuma will be our exclusive dealer of “Made in the USA” parts to Japan and will be sharing space with Master Link at shows to display the parts from participating builders. So, as of March 17th 2008, the first shipment of parts left the US headed for the Joints Chopper Show in Nagoya Japan on April 20th, 2008.

Colleens plans for Master Link are to firm up relationships with dealers in Europe, New Zealand and Australia along with any other opportunities that come her way. If you would like more information on how to become part of Master Link International, you can contact them at Colleen@digitalmagicbigshots.com. Or by phone at 414-380-9005.

If you’ve been involved with cars at any point in your life, part of the care and maintenance probably consisted of washing and waxing it yourself for that “hot” friday night date. Well, now you can use the same high quality product on your favorite two-wheeled love. Motorcycle detailing no longer requires mixing different brand products with uncertain results.

Utilizing proven technology that has been reformulated for the motorcycle market, Meguiar offers six new surface care products that cover the major steps in the motorcycle detailing process, including washing, waxing, mist-and-wipe detailer, leather care, even plastic, bodywork and metal polishing. Whether you ride a sportbike, chopper or a cruiser, these products provide exceptional performance backed up by Meguiar’s industry-leading surface care technology and performance guarantee. The Meguiar’s motorcycle product line is available now at most Wal-Mart stores.

The Riders Choice Awards are unique in that the nominees and winners are chosen by everyday riders around the world, not by professional journalists. The awards reflect the judgment of the motorcycle buying public, not motorcycle industry insiders. Anyone could vote, there was no restriction on age, gender or country. Even non-riders could vote. No registration, nor email addresses were required. However, a system of storing and analyzing IP addresses was put in place to minimize duplicate voting.
MBI Riders Choice - Star Awards

- Object of Lust — Ducati Desmosedici RR
- Best Concept Motorcycle or Scooter — Honda Evo 6
- Best Manufacturer’s Website — BMW Motorrad
- Best New in 2007 Scooter — Piaggio MP3 400
- Best New in 2007 Motorcycle — Triumph Street Triple 675
- Most Environmentally Friendly Motorcycle - ElectricMoto Corporation Blade XT
- Wish We’d Thought of That — KTM Bread Toaster
- Women Riders Booster of the Year — Lois Pryce (20,000 mile solo ride, Alaska to the tip of South America on a 225cc bike)
- Thumbs Up — Ewan McGregor/Charlie Boorman ( Enhanced image of motorcycle riders)

MBI Riders Choice - Fallen Star Awards

- Most Disappointing Motorcycle - Suzuki B-King
- Thumbs Down — Loud Pipes Save Lives
- What Were They Thinking — Babecage
- Worst Manufacturer’s Website — Cycleport/Motoport

More information about MBI, its members and the complete list of nominees will be found at the MBI web site http://www.mbiweb.org/.

If your a woman (or man) that rides or is involved in the motorcycle industry, you’ve either met, read about, seen, read articles written by or heard people talk about “Katmandu” Palmer. She’s one of those true “Mid-Century Motorcycling Women”. We wanted to acknowledge her birthday (howbeit belated 28th of February). Part of the “litmus test” for the motorcycling industry is passion, commitment and longevity (as well as having to be a rider). Kat has these in spades. If your one of the very few that hasn’t read her articles in magazines (such as The Horse, Born To Ride, Cycle Source etc), then you’ve truly missed a true jewel of the industry. Her captivating “wordsmithing” is a commodity we’ve appreciated for years and unfortunately rarely see on the pages of many magazines. Our friend Keith Ball (Bikernet) has a great article written by Kat reminicing about her years in the industry. Take a browse over and send Kat a “happy B’day” email. Tell her “the Guilty Gang” sent ya!

We’ve heard that a new program (aimed at more sport bike riders) is hitting the market. Called, “Twist The Throttle“, the premiere was online at Discovery Turbo. Shot entirely in High-Definition ‘Twist The Throttle’ is supposed to be an insiders look at eight of the major and/or most talked about motorcycle manufacturers in the world, ie; Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, Ducati, MV Agusta and Bimota. All told over 4 hours content will be available and the best part is that it’s 100% free and no sign-up of any kind is required to watch it! Sounds like something interesting to at least take a look at.

With the “2nd half” of Bike Week has started for us here at the Limpnicki Lot at Stone Edge Skate Park, and we’ve been part of some cool activities, watched celebrities work on one of our bikes, attended worthy fundraisers. One such fundraiser was the Biker Fusion party at The Dog House where the builders (and crowd) raised money for the “Soldiers’ Angels Fund“. This was the biggest group of custom builders ever seen on one stage to show support for the troops. (and yeah, we’re in there, right besides Dave Perewitz, Roland Sands and Biker Chick Athena).

We watched as Ami James (from Miami Ink) tried his hand at pin-striping one of Guilty Customs newest builds called “1/2 Pint” under the watchful and encouraging eye of famed painter and pinstripper George Sedaki. Ami’s talents as a tattoo artist really did help him in his first ever venture into pinstripping. Great job Ami! Thanks.
Traditional activities included 25 or so of us from the “Limpnicki Lot” riding to check out Willy’s Tropical Tattoo’s bike show. Some other activities (note: we were “innocent by-standers” for all activities) such as parking lot burn-outs, getting ladies to sit on Lucky Charms custom “Vibrator equipped” seat for free shirts or having Ralph Randolph (Knockout Motorcycle Co) and his guys drive their newest (and wildest) bike creation into the living room for a 3:00am “wake-up call” for all guests and neighbors to hear. We’ve even taken some serious timeout for saying hello to editors of various industry magazines (American Bagger, Hot Bike and IronWorks) and catching up with builders we respect. If your wanting to browse through more pic’s go HERE.
On a serious note. We feel very blessed to have participated in this years Daytona Bike Week and especially happy to have participated in the “Limpnicki Lot” which was put together by Tabor from Nash Motorcycles and Chris Callen the editor of Cycle Source Magazine. This one event, we feel, has the potential of bringing Daytona Bike Week back to it’s roots and we’re anxious to participate next year. Till then, ride safe!

Well we are here at Daytona for Bike Week. We’ve unloaded our trailer that contains the four bikes, two front ends (Kiwi Motorcycles and Durfee Girders), one raw frame (US Chopper), our tents/chairs and all the literature and t-shirt/hats that people here like to grab and take home. We’ve got our location at the Limpnikie Lot here at Stone Edge Skate Park. This event, put on by Nash Motorcycles and Cycle Source is one that i’m confident you’ll see/hear more from (and Guilty will participate in) over the next few years. Withstanding some minor glitches in musical group scheduling, the event (and location) has proven for this attendee to be successful, rewarding and eye opening. Hey, where can a small shop like Guilty Customs get to rub shoulders with the likes of these other attendees?
The walk through traffic has been steady, the weather comfortable, the people friendly and inquisitive about our products so what more could we ask for? How about some more help at the trailer buddy! It’s just me here during this event except for a few hours each day when Mike and some others are able to stop by and lend a hand. Seriously thought we’ve got a pretty busy schedule this upcoming week with skate board exhibitions starting Monday, The Speed Channel setting up shop here on Wednesday, then the Cycle Source Bike Show on Friday and probably getting some riding in with the guys snuck in there somewhere. There has been rumors that this years Bike Week is in a bit of a “slump” in attendance but from this participants view, we can’t see it. Of course the rest of the week will tell a lot too as the “officials” speculate the attendance to be between 400-500 THOUSAND over the week.
Well, we’ll update you as we can over this upcoming week. One other note: We want to thank Kerry at Gatorz Eyewear for their participation in helping us get to the event by participating as a sponsor for the event and providing prizes for the winners at the Cycle Source Bike Show! Thanks guys, we’ll make ya’ proud!

Ok, the guards must have been lookin’ the other way, been on a donut break or someone paid them off cause Guilty Customs is now parking their butt for Bike Week at the Limpnickie Lot at Stone Edge Skatepark along with other builders such as Nash Motorcycles, Bling Cycles, French kiss Kustoms, Barenuckle Choppers, Street Smart Cycles, Sucker Punch Sallys, Led Sled Customs, Detroit Brothers, Keino Cycles, Lucky Charm Choppers, Rich Phillips Cycles and Duane Ballard Leathers! We had previously posted that Guilty Customs was going to be at the infield at Daytona Motor Speedway however this gig sounded better and didn’t take such a chunk out of our wallets! We’re still wondering why in the world they’re letting the Guilty Gang IN!?

Come out see your favorite builders, check out cool merchandise, and get your chance to win some cool prizes! The Best of Show winner at the Cycle Source Bike Show win’s a complete roller from Sucker Punch Sallys. And there are other prizes given by various sponsors! We’ll be keeping a low profile cause we don’t think they really know we’re there!…shhhh.

Well, it had to happen eventually! People said we needed some cool shirts with ladies on our bikes cause they were soooo hot….(the bikes!) that is. So Guilty is releasing a limited edition (only printing 50) with “Errant” sporting a beautiful pin-up model on black (50/50) Shop Shirts and T-shirts. There will be a series of these shirts run with our other bikes featuring different pin-up models, so keep a look out! They won’t last long and when they’re gone, they’re gone! T-shirts will be $19.00 and Shop Shirts 27.50.

News Release
February, 2008
The sudden clamor of two inbound HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters cut short Ash Spurlin and his squad’s hushed conversations. Spurlin, a Special Ops Squad Leader with the US Army, ordered his men to start their final gear check and to form a circle of security around the landing zone. Once the area was secured, Spurlin marked their position with an infrared strobe. The Blackhawk’s landed easily. Within 60 seconds, both helicopters and men were airborne.

No lights, no talking, just his own thoughts to deal with for the next fifteen minutes of flight. With the side doors open, the cool Afghan air was a nice break from the stifling heat on the ground. Spurlin positioned himself with his legs hanging out the side door of the Blackhawk and used his night vision goggles to scan the area below for possible hostile fire. The wind pushing against his helmet and moving his pant legs only reminded him of riding his Road King back home in California. No lights, no talking, just thoughts of cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway. No sweaty body armor, or M4 rifle, just a t-shirt, boots and his favorite jeans. Instead of the heinous helicopter engine, it was a V-Twin roaring. Right then Spurlin knew that while he couldn’t control when he would return home, he could still make plans for what he would do once there. He would ride his newest custom built chopper!

As his helicopter touched down on the rooftop of a Taliban stronghold, all six men looked at one another, each knowing what the other was thinking, but no one saying a word. Within seconds the men are out, the helicopters are gone, and so are the thoughts of grabbing that V-twins throttle. Anyway, this is a different type of adrenaline rush. The mission completed, Spurlin debriefs his superiors, eats and logs onto his Yahoo account. He is intent on finding from friends in the industry who they’d recommend for his next build. That’s how he found Guilty Customs and Errant, his next and third custom motorcycle.

Errant, part of Guilty Customs “Last Chance” line, caught Spurlin’s attention with its 70’s dragster styled influences. Spurlin comments about his decision to have his next chopper built by Guilty Customs: “Since I had two bobber styled bikes that were similar in looks, I wanted something different, but dependable and affordable. One of my friends told me about Guilty Customs so I called and spoke with Cj. We talked for about an hour. I didn’t feel like it was a business call, which is when I knew 100 percent, this company was the kind of business I’d always heard my father and grandfather talk about. Not cookie cutter $65,000 choppers or assembly line bikes, but actual one-on-one discussions about my next bike.”

“Having the opportunity to build a bike for Ash is an honor. We are extremely proud that he will be riding a Guilty chopper” says CJ Hanlon, owner of Guilty Customs. “Each time we speak with Ash, either before or after a mission, it poignantly reminds us of the sacrifices these soldiers (and their families) are making to defend our country. Even the companies that supply our parts have a unique interest in this build. Everyone wants to make this bike really special for Ash.”

Spurlin and Hanlon have even started talks about a cross-country ride to raise monies for the widows and families of soldiers killed in battle. It gives us one more reason to want to see this soldier return safely home.

Guilty Customs, LLC (www.guiltycustoms.com) is a custom motorcycle company that is quickly establishing itself in the custom chopper industry by bringing to the public innovative, dependable and affordable custom motorcycles and parts.

The guys at Guilty are ALL about having women riders with us. Whether they are on the back or on their own, we like em! So, women take note! If your wanting to try two-wheeling on for size you have a special place to go at the country’s biggest traveling public motorcycle exhibition. It’s women only in this curtained-off area, where female riders, one-on-one and in mini-seminars, will share their tips on getting started, what to look for in a motorcycle and more.

Moto Makeovers
Starter Bikes
Riding Gear for Women
Virtual rides on the new SMART Trainer
“A Girl’s Guide to Motorcycle Shopping”

WHERE: The Discover Today’s Motorcycling Women’s Studio starts Friday at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018 www.rosemont.com

WHEN: The Women’s Studio will be open for media starting noon on Friday, Feb. 8. Open to the public and media at these times:

Friday, Feb. 8 @ 4 pm - 9 pm
Saturday, Feb. 9 @ 9 am - 9 pm
Sunday, Feb. 10 @ 9:30 am - 5 pm

BACKGROUND: The latest Motorcycle Industry Council Owner Survey found that nearly 10 percent of bike owners in America were women. And roughly one-third of the students in Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoursessm are female. To learn more about how to get started the right way, visit www.motorcycles.org.

Whether you’ve be on two/three wheels for 1 day or 50 years, there is something that we all have in common; We have either “gone down” or “are going down“. It’s just the nature of the beast. And with that understanding, motorcycle insurance should have a part in your life. Law suits and accidents can come at us from many unforeseen directions. So, when you do have an accident (whether it’s your fault or someone else’s) the first person you’d better call is your Insurance Agent or Company. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Custom Chopper, ZX-14, a Harley, Ducati, BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki Ninja or that special 1943 Indian- you need affordable coverage! The site MotorcycleInsurance.net compare rates from various insurance companies based on your state and vehicle and provides affordable prices and comprehensive motorcycle insurance packages, just for you. Simple, affordable and easy. Just how we like it!

Well, we’re at the airport in Cincinnati heading back after 4 days at the V-Twin Expo and shortly will begin preparing for Bike Week 2008 in all it’s glory. Or should i say “hectic”, traffic jammed, overcharged and wild week”? Seriously, we’re definitely taking stock of whether we will either participate 100% or do some modified appearance at this years event. With builder friends willing to share some space and encouraging us to attend, along with the opportunity to catch up with friends and meet new ones, it looks like we’ll be located somewhere in the in-field of the Daytona Speedway. With 4 bike builds going on now, and hopes of having at least one finished before the end of the month, we hope to bring something besides our glowing personalities to the event. Here is the official news release for the event.

Daytona Beach, FL, United States, 01/25/2008 - Daytona Bike Week 2008 events updated daily at Bikeweek.com. Follow the New Smyrna Beach (NSB) Trail for a ride to the swap meet in DeLand, with a stop for cold beer at the Cabbage Patch in Samsula, on the way back to Chases on the Beach. Daytona Bikeweek 2008 kicks off Feb. 29 with opening day practice, qualifications and competition at Daytona Beach International Speedway, followed by nine days of racing, demos and other activities.

With its roots in motorcycle racing, Daytona’s Bike Week has drawn crowds for more than three decades, and a million or more motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe. Bikes that once raced on the compact sand of the World’s Most Famous Beach, now race annually at the Daytona Beach International Speedway.

The Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride into Daytona is slated for March 4, concluding at the Ocean Center with Women’s Day activities. Harley-Davidson will be offering women-only demo rides on select 2008 Harleys and Buell motorcycles 4:30 to 6 pm March 5 at the speedway. Included in the lineup of events is the 20th Annual Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum’s “Friendraising” breakfast with icon custom bike builders Arlen Ness and Russell Mitchell.

The 36th Annual Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show has expanded to a 3-day event, wrapped around the First Annual Big Daddy Rat’s Party that will include an All-Metrics Custom Bike Show on Thursday; Old School Bobbers Show with a rock-n-roll band on Friday; and the main event with entertainment on Saturday. Women’s Cole slaw wrestling at the Cabbage Patch in Samsula has expanded, too. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, as well as Saturday during the Daytona rally.

The largest Harley dealership, Destination Daytona, has drawn crowds north on the beach. The 150-acre complex has attracted new restaurants, lodgings and bars that cater to the motorcycle enthusiast. The dealership is near Interstate-95 in Ormond Beach.

About Bikeweek.com
Initially established years ago to cover the annual Daytona Bike Week event, Bikeweek.com now provides first hand and sourced content of major bike week events nationwide, as well as tips, tools, and connections for these enthusiasts no matter where, what, and when they ride.. “Bikeweek.com was re-launched in 2007 with more emphasis on motorcycle enthusiasts and their passion for the ride,” said Oliphant. “We will be launching our eBay-style 2Wheels Auction later this month.”
Bikeweek.com will combine online information and tools (Events, Auctions, Trail Sharing, Photo galleries, TV/Videos, and News) with traditional media (Direct Mail and a Magazine) for the motorcycle community.

Whew, what a weekend! Hmm, lets go down the list of accomplishments this weekend. Catch up with friends; Done. Meet various suppliers we’ve worked with over the past year: Done. Meet new suppliers to work with this upcoming year: Done. Get my hands on “almost all” interesting and new products: Done. Get some advice from some industry leaders on how we can make Guilty Customs more marketable and recognized in the industry: Done. Party, eat, drink, laugh, hear great music by Joey Justice band at MC Advantages party: Done. Watch Super Bowl game on wide screen with 1000 of closest friends at Drag Specialties party: Done. Try to stay warm while walking 8 block after drinking too many shots provided by those crazy Hawaiians: Done. Get back to house without getting arrested, having an accident or getting lost: All DONE! Couldn’t have asked for better time. We’ll be putting info up over the next few weeks on products that we’re testing and plan on using as well.